Bat with internal core member

Abstract

A bat is provided having a barrel portion with a hollow cavity therein. A core member is disposed in the interior cavity. An exterior surface of the core member engages with the interior surface of the barrel portion such that the core member supports the barrel portion and resists radial deformation of the barrel portion when striking an object, such as a ball.

1 . A bat comprising:
 a handle portion;   a barrel portion having an interior cavity with an interior surface; and   a core member disposed in said interior cavity, said core member having an exterior surface engaged with said interior surface of said barrel portion,   wherein said core member resists radial deformation and locally supports said barrel portion from radial deformation when striking an object.   
     
     
         2 . The bat of  claim 1 , wherein said barrel portion has a first axial length, said core member has a second axial length, and said second axial length is less than said first axial length. 
     
     
         3 . The bat of  claim 1 , wherein said core member is located within said cavity at a center of percussion. 
     
     
         4 . The bat of  claim 1 , wherein said core member has axially opposite first and second ends and at least one of said first and second ends tapers axially toward the opposite one of said first and second ends as it extends radially inwardly toward a central axis of said core member. 
     
     
         5 . The bat of  claim 1 , wherein said core member has axially opposite first and second ends, said exterior surface of said core member extends between said first and second ends, and said exterior surface has an outer diameter dimension that diminishes as said exterior surface approaches at least one of said first and second ends. 
     
     
         6 . The bat of  claim 1 , wherein said core member has at least one hollow cavity therein. 
     
     
         7 . The bat of  claim 6 , wherein said at least one hollow cavity is a central cavity that extends between axially opposite first and second ends of said core member. 
     
     
         8 . The bat of  claim 7 , further comprising an insert disposed in said central cavity and supporting said core member against radial compression. 
     
     
         9 . The bat of  claim 8 , wherein said core member is a first material and said insert is a second material different than said first material. 
     
     
         10 . The bat of  claim 1 , wherein said core member includes a central hub and a plurality of spokes extending radially outwardly therefrom and supporting said exterior surface against radially inwardly deformation. 
     
     
         11 . The bat of  claim 10 , wherein said spokes extend radially outwardly from said central hub in a non-linear manner. 
     
     
         12 . The bat of  claim 10 , wherein said spokes extend radially outwardly from said central hub in a linear manner. 
     
     
         13 . The bat of  claim 10 , wherein said central hub includes an axially extending central cavity. 
     
     
         14 . The bat of  claim 1 , wherein said core member includes a first portion of a first material, a second portion of a second material, and a third portion of a third material, and at least two of said first, second, and third materials are different. 
     
     
         15 . The bat of  claim 14 , wherein all three of said first, second, and third materials are different from one another. 
     
     
         16 . The bat of  claim 14 , wherein at least two of said first, second, and third portions form said exterior surface. 
     
     
         17 . The bat of  claim 16 , wherein all three of said first, second, and third portions form said exterior surface. 
     
     
         18 . The bat of  claim 1 , wherein substantially an entirety of said exterior surface is engaged with said interior surface. 
     
     
         19 . The bat of  claim 1 , wherein said core member is one of a plurality of core members disposed in said interior cavity and each having an exterior surface engaged with said interior surface of said barrel portion and resisting radial deformation of differing sections of said barrel portion, thereby locally supporting said differing sections of said barrel portion.