Batting Pad Adjusting Bat Angle via Thumb Web Cushion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing baseball batting aids do not effectively assist batters in gripping and controlling the bat, and they fail to adequately protect the web area between the thumb and index finger from injury.
Innovation Solution
A batting pad device made from cushioning material with an opening to fit over the thumb and an appendage to cushion the web area, designed to move contact points between the bat and hand, ensuring proper grip and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a batting pad device is designed to move contact points between the bat and hand to improve grip control, then the batter's control and leverage are improved, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The batting pad device is divided into multiple functional segments: a body portion that fits over the hand, a thumb aperture for thumb insertion, and an appendage that extends toward the index finger. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function independently while collectively achieving improved grip control without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The appendage acts as an intermediary element between the bat and the hand. It has a curved surface that contacts the bat and positions it correctly on the fingers, mediating the interaction between the batter's hand and the bat to achieve proper contact points and grip geometry.
2Ease of operation
If the appendage has sufficient thickness to move contact points to proper positions, then proper grip geometry is achieved, but the device volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The appendage has varying thickness with a radius of curvature between 30-35mm, providing sufficient thickness only in the specific area where contact point adjustment is needed. The thickness is concentrated where it contacts the bat and hand, rather than uniformly throughout the entire device, thus achieving proper grip geometry with minimized overall volume.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If cushioning material is used to protect the web area from injury, then protection effectiveness is improved, but the device weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The batting pad device uses a flexible cushioning material with a thickness of 3-6mm that forms a thin protective layer over the vulnerable web area between the thumb and index finger. This thin film approach provides adequate shock absorption and protection from bruising while minimizing the added weight of the device.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device enhances the batter's ability to grip the bat with the fingers, improving control, leverage, speed, and power, while also protecting the hand from bruising and injury.
Implementation Method 1
a body made from a cushioning material... for protecting a web area between a thumb and an index finger of a batter's hand, including a proximal joint of the thumb and a proximal joint of the index finger, from injury
Data Source
AI summary
A batting pad comprising a body made from a cushioning material and having a ring portion adapted to fit over a batter's thumb and an appendage to cushion the palm area between a batter's thumb and index finger. The appendage has a thickness T at its thickest point located between the first end and the distant end, and the thickness T of the appendage is selected to optimize an angle of a bat in the batter's hand relative to a line parallel to the batter's forearm, the angle being determined by the thickness T of the appendage displacing the bat toward the tip of the batter's index finger and causing the bat to contact the palm of the batter's hand near the batter's little finger.