Games using tangible projectile – Player held and powered – nonmechanical projector – per se,... – Bat
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-15
2001-09-11
Graham, Mark S. (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Player held and powered, nonmechanical projector, per se,...
Bat
C156S309600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06287221
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to a baseball bat article. More particularly, the invention is related to a baseball bat article having a decorative image thereon.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Professional baseball has been considered America's favorite pastime for decades. Not only do baseball fans enjoy the performance of the professional baseball players but also imbibe in stadium refreshments and consume popcorn, peanuts and hotdogs. Sometimes, fans commemorate their attendance at a baseball game by buying souvenirs. One popular souvenir is a miniature baseball bat.
Miniature souvenir baseball bats have been sold in baseball parks for many years. One manufacturing company, Coopersburg Handle Works, had manufactured miniature souvenir baseball bats and sold them in ballparks during the 1940's and 1950's. Typically, these miniature souvenir baseball bats were sold in professional baseball parks with different variations of team logos or other decorative art, such as animations or cartoons. Usually, these miniature souvenir baseball bats were manufactured using either one color screen printing or foil stamping.
Presently, full-color logo designs are being applied to miniature souvenir baseball bats. Although these designs are greatly enhanced over the traditional one-color or foil-stamped miniature souvenir baseball bats, not many miniature souvenir baseball bats have been sold with a baseball player's image on the bat, until lately.
One company manufactures a miniature souvenir baseball bat with a baseball player's image formed thereon. The image is transferred onto the bat via a conventional non-contact image transfer (ncit) process. Generally, this process is an ink-jet process that sprays the image onto the bat using colored ink. The image generated by the ncit process reasonably portrays the image of the baseball player. However, the colors tend to lack luster i.e. dull in appearance and the quality of the image is significantly less than a photographic image, particularly in the image sharpness.
The invention overcomes these problems.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a baseball bat having the image transferred thereon with substantially photographic quality colors and photographic quality sharpness.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a baseball bat with an image transferred thereon using a transfer element that is imperceptibly affixed to the baseball bat.
Accordingly, a baseball bat article of the invention is hereinafter described. The baseball bat article of the invention includes a baseball bat, a glossy finish coating material and an image-carrying transfer element. The baseball bat has a grip portion, a barrel portion and an intermediate portion interposed between the grip portion and the barrel portion. The baseball bat extends along a central axis to define a bat length.
The glossy finish coating material is applied to the baseball bat to form a glossy finish, at least along the bat length. The image-carrying transfer element is fabricated from a transparent sheet material which is defined by an outer periphery and has a first surface and an opposite second surface. A photographic image is formed on either the first surface or the second surface. The image-carrying transfer element is affixed to the baseball bat at a selected location along the bat length with one of the first and second surfaces in contact with the baseball bat.
Another embodiment of the invention is a baseball bat article that is fabricated from a method that includes the steps of providing a baseball bat having a glossy finish coating and a blank, glossy transfer element fabricated from the transparent material; transferring a photographic image on to the transfer element; and, affixing the transfer element with the transferred photographic image onto the baseball bat in a manner such that the transfer element appears to be integrally formed with the baseball bat.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2804339 (1957-08-01), Kelly et al.
patent: 3940864 (1976-03-01), Kanzelberger
patent: 4012552 (1977-03-01), Watts
patent: 4125655 (1978-11-01), Kanzelberger
patent: 4241115 (1980-12-01), Temin
patent: 4267224 (1981-05-01), Kanzelberger
patent: 4520064 (1985-05-01), Kanzelberger
patent: 4644630 (1987-02-01), Blum
patent: 4759219 (1988-07-01), Cobb et al.
patent: 5190829 (1993-03-01), Nybye
patent: 5281976 (1994-01-01), Imai et al.
patent: 5303917 (1994-04-01), Uke
patent: 5609964 (1997-03-01), Ogawa et al.
patent: 5735094 (1998-04-01), Zember
patent: 5779840 (1998-07-01), Boris
patent: 5814579 (1998-09-01), Dotson et al.
patent: 5820438 (1998-10-01), Horton, III
patent: 5831641 (1998-11-01), Carlson
patent: 5832819 (1998-11-01), Widman
Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley LLP
Graham Mark S.
LandOfFree
Baseball bat article does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Baseball bat article, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Baseball bat article will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2454890