Composite Bat Cover with Embedded Sensors for Impact Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Baseball and softball bats are prone to damage during batting practice, and existing protective covers either fail to minimize impact damage or affect the bat's performance, impacting the ball's trajectory and acoustic signature.
Innovation Solution
A multi-function protective cover with a laminated composition, including a stretchable outer fabric, neoprene core, and inner fabric, designed to be easily attachable and detachable, featuring weight pockets, inertial sensors, and impact force sensors that transmit data via radio frequency signals, while maintaining the bat's performance and minimizing cosmetic or structural damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective cover is attached to a bat, then the bat is protected from impact damage, but the bat's performance is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cover employs a multi-layer composite structure consisting of an outer elastomeric layer for shock absorption, an intermediate foam layer for cushioning, and an inner fabric layer for comfort and fit. This composite design allows the cover to absorb impact energy while maintaining the bat's performance characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric outer layer is formulated with specific durometer hardness (Shore A 40-60) to optimize the balance between protection and performance. The controlled hardness ensures the material is soft enough to absorb impact but firm enough to maintain bat performance parameters.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a protective cover is attached to a bat, then cosmetic damage is prevented, but structural damage may still occur
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed to be attached beforehand to the bat, providing preemptive cushioning against both cosmetic and structural damage. The multi-layer construction ensures that cosmetic damage is prevented by the outer layers while structural integrity is protected by the cumulative shock absorption of all layers.
3Reliability
If a heavy protective cover is used, then protection is improved, but swing speed and bat control are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cover's elastomeric material is engineered with specific durometer hardness (Shore A 40-60) to provide adequate protection while minimizing weight. This parameter optimization ensures the cover is soft enough to absorb impact but light enough to maintain swing speed and control.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover employs a thin-walled flexible elastomeric structure that provides protection without excessive weight. The flexible nature of the material allows it to deform during impact, absorbing energy while adding minimal mass to the bat.
4Loss of energy
If a soft protective cover is used, then impact absorption is improved, but bat performance and ball trajectory are affected
Solution Approach 1:
The multi-layer composite structure distributes impact energy across different materials with varying properties. The elastomeric outer layer absorbs high-energy impacts, the foam intermediate layer provides cushioning, and the inner fabric layer maintains contact with the bat, collectively preserving ball trajectory while absorbing impact energy.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric material's durometer hardness is precisely controlled (Shore A 40-60) to optimize the balance between energy absorption and performance maintenance. This parameter control ensures the cover is soft enough to absorb impact but firm enough to maintain consistent ball trajectory.
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 cover effectively absorbs impact energy, dissipates vibrations, and transmits data on bat motions and forces, allowing for improved batting skills without affecting the ball's impact parameters or acoustic signature, while being removably attachable to various bat sizes and shapes.
Implementation Method 1
neoprene core
Implementation Method 2
dissipates vibrations
Implementation Method 3
radio transmitter and optional flash memory chip for transmitting and recording measurement data via a radio frequency signal
Data Source
AI summary
Protective covers for preventing damage to ball bats during batting practice are comprised of an impact force absorbing elastic sleeve which has through its length bore and a V-shaped notch extending forward from a rear transverse edge of the sleeve, dividing a rear length of the sleeve into opposed flaps, thus providing an enlarged entrance opening which facilitates insertion of a bat into the sleeve bore. A strap extending radially from one flap is releasably attachable by a closure fastener to the other flap, enabling the flaps to be cinched around and secured to a bat inserted into the sleeve bore. The protective covers may optionally have weights and/or friction strips positioned within the sleeve, and may optionally include an inertial sensor or impact force sensor and radio transmitter for transmitting signals representative of bat motions or impact forces exerted on the bat.