Toy Bat and Ball Set

Abstract

A toy bat and ball set is provided. The bat may include a shell having a proximate portion formed as a handle, and a distal portion formed in the shape of a barrel with an outer hitting surface, the distal portion including an opening on a distal end leading to a void formed in an interior region of the shell of the bat, the opening being bounded at least partially around a perimeter of the opening by a lip. The ball may be a resiliently deformable ball able to be deformed to a reduced diameter that is smaller than the opening, such that the ball can be inserted through the opening into the void in the shell of the bat, and expanded within the void, to thereby be secured within a ball-receiving region of the void by the lip.

1 . A toy bat and ball set, comprising:
 a bat including a shell having a proximate portion formed as a handle, and a distal portion formed in the shape of a barrel with an outer hitting surface, the distal portion including an opening on a distal end leading to a void formed in an interior region of the shell of the bat, the opening being bounded at least partially around a perimeter of the opening by a lip extending a distance into the opening from a sidewall of the barrel of the shell, such that the opening has an opening diameter that is smaller than an inner diameter of the barrel of the distal portion bordering the void; and   a resiliently deformable ball being able to be deformed from an original diameter that is larger than the opening diameter to a reduced diameter that is smaller than the opening diameter, such that the ball can be inserted through the opening into the void in the shell of the bat when deformed to the reduced diameter, and expanded within the void to an expanded diameter that is larger than the opening diameter, to thereby be secured within a ball-receiving region of the void by the lip.   
     
     
         2 . The toy bat and ball set of  claim 1 , wherein the original diameter of the ball is smaller than the inner diameter of the barrel bordering the void, and wherein the expanded diameter is substantially equal to the original diameter of the ball. 
     
     
         3 . The toy bat and ball set of  claim 1 , wherein the resiliently deformable ball is one of a plurality of resiliently deformable balls of the bat and ball set, and the bat is configured to simultaneously store the plurality of resiliently deformable balls in the ball-receiving region of the void. 
     
     
         4 . The toy bat and ball set of  claim 1 , wherein the lip extends around substantially an entire inner perimeter of the opening. 
     
     
         5 . The toy bat and ball set of  claim 1 , wherein one or more gaps are formed in the lip around the opening. 
     
     
         6 . The toy bat and ball set of  claim 1 , wherein the lip is formed at a distal end of the sidewall of the barrel. 
     
     
         7 . The toy bat and ball set of  claim 1 , wherein the opening is formed in the distal end of the barrel so as to open toward a top side of the bat. 
     
     
         8 . The toy bat and ball set of  claim 1 , wherein the resiliently deformable ball is made of a material having durometer hardness between 70 A and 90 A. 
     
     
         9 . The toy bat and ball set of  claim 1 , wherein the bat is at least partially made of a vacuum-formed plastic. 
     
     
         10 . The toy bat and ball set of  claim 1 , wherein the inner diameter of the barrel is between about 3.9 and 4.7 inches, adjacent a ball-receiving region of the void. 
     
     
         11 . The toy bat and ball set of  claim 1 , wherein the opening diameter defined by the lip of the bat is between about 3.6 and 4.4 inches. 
     
     
         12 . The toy bat and ball set of  claim 1 , wherein the resiliently deformable ball includes a mesh including a plurality of loop structures, each loop structure having a curved inside perimeter surface, the loop structures forming the surface of the ball. 
     
     
         13 . A toy bat, comprising:
 a shell with a proximate portion formed in the shape of a handle and a distal portion formed in the shape of a barrel with an outer hitting surface;   an opening formed in a distal end of the barrel so as to open toward a top side of the bat;   a void formed in an internal region of the shell in communication with the opening; and   a lip formed at least partially around the opening, and extending a distance into the opening from a sidewall of the barrel.   
     
     
         14 . The toy bat of  claim 13 , wherein the void is sized to accommodate at least one resiliently deformable ball, and the lip is sized to constrain passage of each ball into and out of the void by deforming the ball as the ball passes over the lip, to thereby releasably retain the ball in the void in the shell. 
     
     
         15 . The toy bat of  claim 13 , wherein the lip extends around substantially an entire inner perimeter of the opening. 
     
     
         16 . The toy bat of  claim 13 , wherein one or more gaps are formed in the lip around the opening. 
     
     
         17 . The toy bat of  claim 13 , wherein the lip is formed at a distal end of the sidewall of the barrel. 
     
     
         18 . The toy bat of  claim 13 , wherein the void is sized to receive a plurality of resiliently deformable balls constrained from exiting the shell by the lip. 
     
     
         19 . The toy bat of  claim 18 , wherein the void is sized to receive three resiliently deformable balls constrained from exiting the shell by the lip. 
     
     
         20 . The toy bat of  claim 16 , wherein the shell includes reinforcing ribbing in the handle and/or on the outer hitting surface of the barrel.