Composite Bat Progressive Fiber Orientation Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Composite material bats fail due to inability to withstand both compressive and tensile forces during repeated impact, leading to durability issues and increased weight and manufacturing costs when using braided layers.
Innovation Solution
A composite material bat design featuring a hollow barrel with multiple layers of unidirectional fibers, where the angle of fiber orientation increases progressively from the innermost layer to the outermost layer by 15 degrees, with inner layers suited for tensile forces and outer layers for compressive forces, and a release film separating concentric walls to manage stress distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If composite material bats are designed with traditional layered structures, then they can withstand impact forces, but they fail due to inability to withstand both compressive and tensile forces during repeated impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the fiber orientation angle in different layers of the bat shell. Inner layers have fibers oriented at lower angles (0-30 degrees) to resist tensile forces, while outer layers have fibers oriented at higher angles (45-90 degrees) to resist compressive forces. This localized optimization of fiber orientation in specific regions allows the bat to withstand both compressive and tensile forces during repeated impact, resolving the contradiction between reliability and strength.
2Strength
If braided layers are used to increase strength, then the bat can withstand impact forces, but weight and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by systematically varying the fiber orientation angle parameter across different layers rather than using uniform braided structures. The fiber orientation progresses from 0-30 degrees in inner layers to 45-90 degrees in outer layers, creating an optimized strength-to-weight ratio. This approach provides impact resistance without the weight penalty of traditional braided layers, as the unidirectional fibers are oriented to match the stress distribution patterns during batting.
3Ease of manufacture
If fiber orientation is uniform throughout the shell, then manufacturing is simpler, but the bat cannot effectively distribute compressive and tensile stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the shell into multiple discrete layers, each with a specific fiber orientation angle. The shell is segmented into inner layers (0-30 degrees) and outer layers (45-90 degrees), with intermediate layers transitioning between these orientations. This segmentation allows each layer to be manufactured separately with optimized fiber alignment, then assembled together to create the complete stress-distributing structure, balancing manufacturing feasibility with functional requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A layered composite bat is designed to include fiber angles of orientation that are layered and progressive. The bat includes a multi-layered composite material configuration wherein progressing from an innermost layer to an outermost layer, the unidirectional fiber angle of orientation within each layer increases from an angle substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bat to an angle substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bat. In progressing from an innermost layer to an outermost layer, there also exists at least one instance where subsequent positive angles of orientation are separated by or vary by about 15 degrees. The bat may include multiple walls. Each wall contains layers that progress from a low angle to a high angle in 15-degree increments.