Tuned performance sport tube

Abstract

A tuned high performance sporting device comprising stiffened portions and flexible portions is taught. The invention is particularly well suited to ball bats. One embodiment of the ball bat includes a hollow tube having an impact portion, a handle portion and a tapered mid-section connecting the two. A core having a substantially hollow interior and an outer diameter, preferably at least as large as the impact portion inner diameter is located in the impact portion of the ball bat. A fill material is located in the core interior to connect the core to the interior of the impact portion. Methods of manufacturing and utilizing these tuned devices are also disclosed.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A ball bat comprising: 
 a hollow tube having an impact portion, a handle portion, and a mid-section there between, wherein the impact portion has a first inner diameter and the handle has a second inner diameter;    a core having an interior and a neutral outer diameter at least as large as the first inner diameter, the core located in the impact portion; and    a first fill material in the core interior pressing the core against the impact portion.    
     
     
         2 . The ball bat of    claim 1    wherein the mid-section includes the first fill material.  
     
     
         3 . The ball bat of    claim 2    wherein the handle portion includes the first fill material.  
     
     
         4 . The ball bat of    claim 1    wherein the first fill material comprises a polyurethane foam.  
     
     
         5 . The ball bat of    claim 1   , further comprising a second fill material in the core interior.  
     
     
         6 . The ball bat of    claim 2    wherein the hollow tube further comprises: 
 a first end opposite the handle, wherein the impact portion is interposed the first end and the handle portion; and wherein  
 the first end includes a second fill material.  
 
     
     
         7 . The ball bat of    claim 6    wherein the first fill material is less dense than the second fill material.  
     
     
         8 . The ball bat of    claim 6    wherein: 
 the first fill material comprises a low density polyurethane foam; and  
 the second fill material comprises a high density polyurethane foam, and wherein  
 the high density polyurethane foam is high relative to the low density polyurethane foam.  
 
     
     
         9 . The ball bat of    claim 1    wherein the core is adapted to be inserted into the impact portion with minimal effort.  
     
     
         10 . The ball bat of    claim 9    wherein the core is a coiled helical element.  
     
     
         11 . The ball bat of    claim 10    wherein the coiled helical element comprises a thin elongated strip coiled into a helical spring.  
     
     
         12 . The ball bat of    claim 10    wherein: 
 the hollow tube is formed from a first metallic material; and  
 the core is formed from a second metallic material.  
 
     
     
         13 . The ball bat of    claim 10    wherein the first fill material is polyurethane foam, the neutral outer diameter of the coiled helical element is greater than the first inner diameter of the impact portion, and wherein the polyurethane foam in the helical element interior, together with the impact portion of the hollow tube form a stiffened impact portion having a stiffness at least as large as a stiffness of a typical comparable ball bat.  
     
     
         14 . The ball bat of    claim 1    wherein: 
 the impact portion comprises a first outer diameter;  
 the handle portion comprises a second outer diameter, wherein the second outer diameter is smaller than the first outer diameter; and  
 the mid-section comprises a thin wall having a thickness less than a typical hollow ball bat, and wherein the mid-section is tapered from the first outer diameter to the second outer diameter.  
 
     
     
         15 . The ball bat of    claim 1    wherein the hollow tube further comprises a thin wall having a thickness less than a typical hollow bat.  
     
     
         16 . The ball bat of    claim 15    wherein the core is a coiled helical spring.  
     
     
         17 . The ball bat of    claim 15    wherein the first fill material is disposed substantially throughout the hollow tube.  
     
     
         18 . The ball bat of    claim 17    wherein: 
 the first fill material comprises a density; and the hollow tube further comprises an impact portion end opposite the handle portion, an end plug in the impact portion end, and a second fill material located in the hollow tube near the end plug, wherein the second fill material has a density higher than the first fill material density.  
 
     
     
         19 . The ball bat of    claim 16    wherein the coiled helical element includes at least a portion bonded to the impact portion by the first fill material.  
     
     
         20 . A ball bat comprising: 
 a tube having an interior, a barrel portion including an outer diameter and an inner diameter, a handle portion including an outer diameter smaller than the barrel portion outer diameter, and a tapered section connecting the barrel portion and the handle portion;    a core having an uncompressed outer diameter at least as large as the barrel portion inner diameter, the core being located in the barrel portion; and    a first fill material in the core.    
     
     
         21 . The ball bat of    claim 20   , wherein the barrel portion includes an impact portion and the core includes a portion bonded to the impact portion by the first fill material.  
     
     
         22 . The ball bat of    claim 20   , further comprising a second fill material in the core.  
     
     
         23 . The ball bat of    claim 20   , wherein: 
 the barrel portion includes an impact portion; wherein    the core is a coiled helical spring positioned in the impact portion; and wherein    the first fill material connects the coiled helical spring to the impact portion.    
     
     
         24 . The ball bat of    claim 23   , wherein the barrel portion includes a barrel end opposite the handle portion, and wherein a second fill material is disposed in the barrel end.  
     
     
         25 . The ball bat of    claim 24   , wherein the first fill material is a low density material disposed substantially throughout the tube interior and the second fill material is a high density material relative to the low density material.  
     
     
         26 . The ball bat of    claim 24   , wherein the barrel end includes an end plug.  
     
     
         27 . The ball bat of    claim 23   , wherein the tube comprises a wall thickness less than a wall thickness of a typical hollow ball bat.  
     
     
         28 . The ball bat of    claim 23   , wherein the tube is a thin-walled aluminum shell having a wall thickness less than 0.10 inches.  
     
     
         29 . The ball bat of    claim 28   , wherein the wall thickness of the thin-walled aluminum shell is substantially uniform.  
     
     
         30 . A method of manufacturing a ball bat comprising the steps of: 
 providing a tube having a barrel portion, including an inner diameter and a handle portion;    inserting a core having an interior into the barrel portion wherein the core has an uncompressed outer diameter at least as large as the barrel portion inner diameter; and    inserting a first fill material into the core interior.    
     
     
         31 . The method of    claim 30   , comprising the steps of: 
 utilizing a foam as the fill material;    allowing the foam to expand; and    maintaining the core against an interior of the barrel with the expanded foam.    
     
     
         32 . The method of    claim 30   , comprising the step of inserting a second fill material into the core interior.  
     
     
         33 . The method of    claim 30   , comprising the steps of: 
 providing a plurality of fill materials, including the first fill material, wherein the plurality of fill materials has a plurality of respective densities; and    inserting the plurality of fill materials, including the first fill material, into a plurality of respective tube portions.    
     
     
         34 . The method of    claim 33   , further comprising the step of adjusting a plurality of performance characteristics of the ball bat by placing a respective fill material at a respective tube portion by selecting a respective density for the respective fill material.  
     
     
         35 . The method of    claim 30    further comprising the steps of: 
 inserting an end plug into the barrel portion; and  
 filling an end portion of the barrel portion with a second fill material.  
 
     
     
         36 . The method of    claim 32   , further comprising the steps of: 
 forming the core into a coiled helical spring;    locating the coiled helical spring in an interior of an impact portion of the barrel portion; and    bonding a portion of the coiled helical spring to the interior of the impact portion with the first fill material.    
     
     
         37 . The method of    claim 30   , wherein the providing a tube step comprises providing a thin-walled tube having greater flexure than a comparable tube having a typical wall thickness for a typical ball bat.  
     
     
         38 . The method of    claim 37   , further comprising the step of adjusting a plurality of performance characteristics of the ball bat.  
     
     
         39 . The method of    claim 38   , further comprising the steps of: 
 allowing the ball bat to bend more upon being struck by a ball than a typical ball bat bends upon being struck by a ball; and    achieving and maintaining a typical ball bat stiffness in an impact portion located in the barrel portion.    
     
     
         40 . A method of hitting a ball further with an improved ball bat than with a typical ball bat, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a flexible ball bat having greater flexure than the typical ball bat;    stiffening an impact portion of the ball bat, wherein the step of stiffening includes inserting a core having an uncompressed outer diameter at least as large as an inner diameter of the impact portion into the impact portion;    inserting a fill material into the core;    maintaining contact between the core and the impact portion;    allowing the flexible ball bat to have greater flexure than a typical ball bat has under like conditions while stiffening the impact portion; and    impacting a ball in the impact portion, whereby the flexible ball bat flexes more than a standard ball bat at a plurality of locations other than the stiffened impact section and whereby a rebounding spring force from the plurality of locations imparts a greater force to the ball than would a typical ball bat wherein a respective plurality of locations on the typical ball bat are stiffer than the plurality of locations on the flexible ball bat.    
     
     
         41 . A tuned performance sport device comprising: 
 an elongated hollow member having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion includes an inner diameter;    a core having an interior and an outer diameter, wherein the outer diameter is at least as large as the first portion inner diameter; and    a first fill material located in the core interior, wherein the first fill material compresses the core against the first portion.    
     
     
         42 . The device of    claim 41   , wherein the first portion of the hollow member has a circular cross section, and the core has a circular cross section.  
     
     
         43 . A method of manufacturing a tuned performance sport device comprising the steps of: 
 providing an elongated hollow member having a first portion and a second portion;    stiffening the first portion to a predetermined stiffness;    inserting a core having an uncompressed outer diameter at least as large as an inner diameter of the first portion into the first portion;    inserting a first fill material in an interior of the core.    
     
     
         44 . The method of    claim 43   , further comprising the step of adjusting performance characteristics of the tuned performance sport device.  
     
     
         45 . The method of    claim 44   , wherein: 
 the first fill material includes a first density; and the step of adjusting performance characteristics comprises selecting the first fill material based upon the first density.    
     
     
         46 . The method of    claim 45   , wherein the step of adjusting performance characteristics further comprises the steps of: 
 selecting a second fill material having a second density; and    locating the first and second fill at a plurality of locations in the hollow member, including locating the first fill material in the interior of the core.    
     
     
         47 . The method of    claim 46   , wherein the locating step comprises the step of locating the second fill material in a portion of the core interior.