COMPOSITE BALL BATS WITH TRANSVERSE INTERLAMINAR INTERFACES

• Main Authors: ST-LAURENT, FREDERIC, CHAUVIN, DEWEY
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 20.02.2023
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; AMUSEMENTS; APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING,CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; GAMES; HUMAN NECESSITIES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SPORTS; TRAINING EQUIPMENT; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A ball bat includes a continuous tape of fiber material wrapped around the longitudinal axis in a helix extending along the longitudinal axis. Interlaminar interfaces between adjacent turns of the tape are oriented obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis. In some embodiments, the ball bat includes a preform structure, the tape being wrapped around the preform structure. In some embodiments, the ball bat includes a flared element on the preform structure. An end of the continuous tape may be positioned on an angled surface of the flared element. An outer skin may be positioned over the tape. Methods of making ball bats may include attaching a first end of a fiber tape to a flared element on a preform structure or a mandrel and wrapping the fiber tape around the preform structure or mandrel in a helix extending along the longitudinal axis of the preform structure or mandrel.