Claims for Patent: 8,029,391

Summary for Patent: 8,029,391

Title:	Composite bat
Abstract:	A bat includes a composite material barrel. The barrel includes a plurality of layers. A stiffening layer forms one of the exterior layers of the barrel. The stiffening layer includes unidirectional fibers, where the unidirectional fibers are oriented to substantially encircle the barrel. The stiffening layer is positioned on the barrel to cover at least a portion of the sweet zone. The barrel may include multiple walls, where each wall includes a stiffening layer.
Inventor(s):	McNamee; Mark (Portland, OR), Page; Chris S. (Portland, OR)
Assignee:	Nike, Inc. (Beaverton, OR)
Application Number:	12/037,483
Patent Claims:	1. A bat comprising: a handle portion configured to be grasped by a player and a barrel, wherein the barrel has a first wall and a concentric second wall, wherein the first wall comprises a first group of layers and the second wall comprises a second group of layers, and wherein a release film layer is disposed between the first wall and the second wall; the first wall having a first axial portion and a second axial portion; the first wall having an outermost layer and a first composite body, wherein the outermost layer contacts the first composite body along the first axial portion; wherein the first composite body includes a first wall innermost layer having unidirectional fibers positioned at a first low angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bat and a first wall outer layer having unidirectional fibers positioned at a first high angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bat, wherein the first wall outer layer is positioned concentrically outward of the first wall innermost layer so that the first wall outer layer surrounds the first wall innermost layer, and wherein a first wall series of layers including at least three layers positioned between the first wall innermost layer and the first wall outer layer, wherein each layer in the first wall series of layers includes unidirectional fibers at angles different from the first low angle and the first high angle, and wherein the angles of the unidirectional fibers in any two successive layers of the first wall series progress by about 15 degrees; the first wall having a first stiffening layer disposed between the outermost layer and the first composite body along the second axial portion; wherein an outer surface of the first stiffening layer contacts the outermost layer and wherein an inner surface of the stiffening layer is attached to the first composite body; wherein the first composite body has a first inner diameter generally corresponding to the first axial portion and a second inner diameter generally corresponding to the second axial portion; and wherein the first outer stiffening layer displaces the first composite body radially inward along the second axial portion so that the second inner diameter of the outer composite body is less than the first inner diameter of the outer composite body; the second wall having a third axial portion and a fourth axial portion; the second wall having a second composite body, wherein the second composite body contacts the release film layer along the third axial portion; wherein the second composite body includes a second wall innermost layer having unidirectional fibers positioned at a second low angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bat and a second wall outer layer having unidirectional fibers positioned at a second high angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bat, wherein the second wall outer layer is positioned concentrically outward of the second wall innermost layer so that the second wall outer layer surrounds the second wall innermost layer, and wherein a second wall series of layers including at least three layers positioned between the second wall innermost layer and the second wall outer layer, wherein each layer in the second wall series of layers includes unidirectional fibers at angles different from the second low angle and the second high angle, and wherein the angles of the unidirectional fibers in any two successive layers of the second wall series progress by about 15 degrees; the second wall having a second stiffening layer disposed between the release film layer and the second composite body along the fourth axial portion; wherein a second outer surface of the second stiffening layer contacts the release film layer and wherein an inner surface of the second stiffening layer is attached to the second composite body; wherein the second composite body has a third inner diameter generally corresponding to the third axial portion and a fourth inner diameter generally corresponding to the fourth axial portion; and wherein the second stiffening layer displaces the second composite body radially inward along the fourth axial portion so that the fourth inner diameter of the second composite body is less than the third inner diameter of the second composite body; and wherein the second axial portion generally aligns with the fourth axial portion. 2. The bat according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first stiffening layer and the second stiffening layer comprises a plurality of axially spaced stiffening portions. 3. The bat according to claim 1, wherein the release film generally follows the contours of the outer composite body. 4. The bat according to claim 3, wherein the release film has a first diameter generally corresponding to the first axial portion and a second diameter generally corresponding to the second axial portion; and wherein the release film extends radially inward from the first axial portion to the second axial portion so that the second diameter of the release film is less than the first diameter of the release film. 5. The bat according to claim 1, wherein the first stiffening layer comprises a first composite material having a first set of unidirectional fibers, wherein the first stiffening layer is attached to the composite body by curing. 6. The bat according to claim 1, wherein the first low angle is about 0 degrees. 7. The bat according to claim 1, wherein the high angle is about 90 degrees. 8. The bat according to claim 1, wherein the first composite body extends radially inward along the second axial portion, and wherein the stiffening layer deflects the composite body so that the composite body is stepped between the first axial portion and the second axial portion so that the second inner diameter is different from the first inner diameter, and wherein the second inner diameter is less than about 5 millimeters different from the first inner diameter. 9. A bat comprising: a handle portion configured to be grasped by a player and a barrel, wherein the barrel has a first wall and a concentric second wall, wherein the first wall comprises a first group of layers and the second wall comprises a second group of layers, and wherein a release film layer is disposed between the first wall and the second wall; the barrel having a first axial portion, a second axial portion and a third axial portion, the second axial portion being disposed between the first axial portion and the third axial portion; the second axial portion generally corresponding to a sweet portion of the barrel; the first wall having an outermost layer and a first composite body; wherein the outermost layer contacts the first composite body along the first axial portion and the third axial portion; the first wall having a first stiffening layer disposed between the outermost layer and the first composite body along the second axial portion; wherein an outer surface of the first stiffening layer contacts the outermost layer and wherein an inner surface of the stiffening layer is attached to the first composite body; wherein the first composite body has a first inner diameter generally corresponding to the first axial portion, a second inner diameter generally corresponding to the second axial portion and a third inner diameter generally corresponding to the third axial portion; wherein a portion of the first composite body is deflected radially inward along the second axial portion to accommodate the outer stiffening layer, and wherein the second inner diameter of the outer composite body is less than the first inner diameter of the outer composite body and the third inner diameter of the outer composite body; the second wall having a second composite body; wherein the second composite body contacts the release film layer along the first axial portion and the third axial portion; the second wall having a second stiffening layer disposed between the release film layer and the second composite body along the second axial portion; wherein an outer surface of the second stiffening layer contacts the release film layer and wherein an inner surface of the stiffening layer is attached to the second composite body; wherein the second composite body has a fourth inner diameter generally corresponding to the first axial portion, a fifth inner diameter generally corresponding to the second axial portion and a sixth inner diameter generally corresponding to the third axial portion; wherein a portion of the second composite body is deflected radially inward along the second axial portion to accommodate the second stiffening layer, and wherein the fifth inner diameter of the second composite body is less than the fourth inner diameter of the second composite body and the sixth inner diameter of the second composite body. 10. The bat according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the first stiffening layer and the second stiffening layer comprises a plurality of axially spaced stiffening portions. 11. The bat according to claim 9, wherein the first composite body includes a first wall innermost layer having unidirectional fibers positioned at a first low angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bat and a first wall outer layer having unidirectional fibers positioned at a first high angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bat, wherein the first wall outer layer is positioned concentrically outward of the first wall innermost layer so that the first wall outer layer surrounds the first wall innermost layer, and wherein a first wall series of layers including at least three layers positioned between the first wall innermost layer and the first wall outer layer, wherein each layer in the first wall series of layers includes unidirectional fibers at angles different from the first low angle and the first high angle, and wherein the angles of the unidirectional fibers in any two successive layers of the first wall series progress by about 15 degrees. 12. The bat according to claim 9, wherein the second composite body includes a second wall innermost layer having unidirectional fibers positioned at a second low angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bat and a second wall outer layer having unidirectional fibers positioned at a second high angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bat, wherein the second wall outer layer is positioned concentrically outward of the second wall innermost layer so that the second wall outer layer surrounds the second wall innermost layer, and wherein a second wall series of layers including at least three layers positioned between the second wall innermost layer and the second wall outer layer, wherein each layer in the second wall series of layers includes unidirectional fibers at angles different from the second low angle and the second high angle, and wherein the angles of the unidirectional fibers in any two successive layers of the second wall series progress by about 15 degrees. 13. The bat according to claim 9, wherein the second inner diameter is less than about 5 millimeters different from the first inner diameter.

Details for Patent 8,029,391

Applicant	Tradename	Biologic Ingredient	Dosage Form	BLA	Approval Date	Patent No.	Expiredate
Emergent Biosolutions Canada Inc.	BAT	botulism antitoxin heptavalent (a, b, c, d, e, f, g) - (equine)	Solution	125462	03/22/2013		2040-01-29