EP3684481B1

EP3684481B1 - Shuttlecock

Info

Publication number: EP3684481B1
Application number: EP18895735.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Anthony Bert
Original assignee: Badminton World Federation
Current assignee: Badminton World Federation
Priority date: 2017-12-15
Filing date: 2018-12-07
Publication date: 2024-02-21
Anticipated expiration: 2038-12-07
Also published as: EP3684481A1; CN111212681A; JP7069310B2; EP3684481C0; KR20200099142A; TW201927380A; EP3684481A4; TWI705842B; CN111212681B; MY188783A; KR102473635B1; WO2019132649A1; JP2021508260A

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to a shuttlecock, particularly a badminton shuttlecock with reduced side wind interference and enhanced longitudinal angular stability.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional or an existing shuttlecock is typically having narrower space between each stem and shuttlecock with such design is generally sensitive to external disturbance of the surrounding area, particularly varying wind strength which could eventually influence the flight performance of the shuttlecock in a badminton game or activity. This external disturbance could be limited or reduced when the badminton game or activity is played in an indoor badminton court. However, at the outdoor environment, the presence of wind condition of random magnitude and direction could greatly deteriorate the flight performance of the shuttlecock as a result of strong cross wind interference since air flow is restricted due to the narrower space between each stem.
For instance, the UK patent application GB 2 279 580 discloses a shuttlecock comprising a cap and a plastic skirt wherein the skirt includes a plurality of stems extending axially and radially from the cap at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the shuttlecock so as to be contained in or substantially contained in a notional conical surface. In the axially outer part of the skirt there are provided a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart wings. Each wing includes a free edge and an adjacent opening. The provisions of the wings and openings enable the shuttlecock to develop spin extremely readily even when stuck gently by a badminton racket.
To overcome the aforementioned deficiencies, the present invention presents a shuttlecock with larger space between each stem as compared to that of the conventional or an existing shuttlecock by which such design enables the shuttlecock to possess increased resistance to flight deviation caused by challenging wind conditions and thus enhancing the flight stability of the shuttlecock, either in indoor or outdoor conditions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a shuttlecock according to claim 1, that is configured to reduce side wind interference and enhance the longitudinal angular stability.
According to the present invention, the shuttlecock comprises a tip and a plurality of segments extending away from the tip. In the preferred embodiment, the tip comprises a recessed upper lip, a base and a recessed lower lip. The base is formed between the recessed upper lip and the recessed lower lip. The tip of the shuttlecock is preferably engaged to the plurality of segments by snap and fit mechanism. The snap and fit mechanism is an assembly technique that interlocks two flexible parts into an integral component without using any adhesive agent or fastener. It will be appreciated that by using snap and fit mechanism, the material could be reduced.
Preferably, the plurality of segments is extending from the recessed lower lip, integrally formed and arranged in an annular array. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of segments is having a pair of spaced apart, diverging stems with a blade provided between the stems. It should be noted the blade of the segment is positioned at the end of the segment distal from the recessed lower lip. Preferably, the blade of the segment is provided with a plurality of perforations thereon.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a sizable central opening is formed at the centre portion of each of the plurality of segments. It will be appreciated that the central opening of the segment is configured to allow passage of cross wind so as to reduce cross wind interference. It should be noted that the central opening of the segment could reduce the mass of the segment beyond the lower lip which resulted in the centre of gravity of the shuttlecock being moved closer to the tip.
In the preferred embodiment, the tip of the shuttlecock is provided with a cork. The cork is preferably having a hemispherical dome and a cylindrical base. If desired, the surface of the hemispherical dome of the cork can be provided with a plurality of dimples so as to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the shuttlecock.
By way of example but not limitation, the shuttlecock may be formed from polyamide (preferably nylon), polyethylene, polyester, polypropylene, polystyrene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane, polyvinylchloride or any other materials deemed suitable.
The apparatus of the present invention consists of several novel features and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the accompanying descriptions and drawings, it being understood that various changes in the details may be made without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be fully understood from the detailed descriptions given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a shuttlecock without any cork.
Fig. 2 shows a shuttlecock provided with a cork.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates to a shuttlecock and more particularly a shuttlecock with reduced side wind interference and enhanced longitudinal angular stability. Hereinafter, this specification will describe the present invention according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, it is to be understood that limiting the description to the preferred embodiments of the invention is merely to facilitate discussion of the present invention and it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications and equivalents without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The shuttlecock according to the preferred mode of carrying out the present invention will now be described in accordance to the accompanying drawings Figs. 1 and 2, either individually or combination thereof.
Referring to Fig. 1, illustrated therein is a shuttlecock (1) of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The shuttlecock (1) comprises a tip (9) and a plurality of segments (29). Preferably, the tip (9) and the segments (29) are connected by snap and fit mechanism. The snap and fit mechanism is an assembly technique that interlocks two flexible parts into an integral component without using any adhesive agent or fastener and it will be appreciated that this assembly technique could save the material cost for the production of the shuttlecock (1). In the preferred embodiment, the tip (9) of the shuttlecock (1) is having a recessed upper lip (3), a base (5) and a recessed lower lip (7). It should be noted that the base (5) of the tip (9) is formed between the recessed upper lip (3) and the recessed lower lip (7). According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of segments (29) are extending away from the recessed lower lip (7) of the tip (9), integrally formed and arranged in an annular array.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a sizable central opening (13) is formed at the centre portion of each of the plurality of segments (29). It should be noted that the central opening (13) of the segment (29) is configured to allow passage of cross wind to reduce cross wind interference. It will be appreciated that the central opening (13) of the segment (29) could reduce the mass of the segments (29) beyond the lower lip (7) which resulted in the centre of gravity of the shuttlecock (1) being moved closer to the tip (9). It should be noted that the nearer the centre of gravity towards the tip (9) of the shuttlecock (1), the higher the longitudinal angular stability of the shuttlecock (1), thus reducing wobbling during the turnover phase of the shuttlecock (1). By way of example but not limitation, the central opening (13) of the segment (29) may be in the form of rectangular, hexagonal or triangular shape.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of segments (29) has a pair of spaced apart, diverging stems (11). Preferably, the length of each stem (11) may range from 10mm to 50mm and the angle between the stem (11) and the tip (9) of the shuttlecock (1) may range from 90 degrees to 120 degrees. It should be noted that the stems (11) may be in the form of any other appropriate profiles including but not limited to a circular section, tubular section, L section, X section or rectangular section.
In the preferred embodiment, a blade (15) is provided between the stems (11) as illustrated in Fig. 1. The blade (15) of the segment (29) is preferably positioned at the end of the segment (29) distal from the recessed lower lip (7) and provided with a plurality of perforations (17) thereon. By way of example but not limitation, the plurality of perforations (17) of the blade (15) may be in the form of circular, triangular or square shape in any desired sizes. The plurality of perforations (17) of the blade (15) is configured to create desired air permeability to allow air to flow through and over the blades (15) of the segments (29) so as to result an axial spin of the shuttlecock (1). The axial spin assists in stabilising the trajectory profile of the shuttlecock (1). According to the invention, the blade (15) of the segment (29) is having a parabolic curved shape. It will be appreciated that such configuration could further reduce the cross wind interference.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of blades (15) of the segments (29) collectively formed a skirt (19) of the shuttlecock (1). The skirt (19) preferably has a diameter of 67mm at an opening (31) and a height of 20mm. The height of the skirt (19) provides reduced side profile while retaining the required pitching moment for angular stability in the longitudinal directions. Optionally, the diameter of the skirt (19) at the opening (31) may range from 55mm to 80mm. It will be appreciated that by increasing the diameter of the skirt, the drag experienced by the shuttlecock could also be increased. The height of the skirt (19) is preferably range from 5mm to 25mm. It should be noted that by increasing the height of the skirt, the angular stability of the shuttlecock could be increased at the expense of reduced resistance to side wind interference.
The shuttlecock (1) of the present invention is also provided with a cork (5) as illustrated in Fig. 2. Preferably, the cork is having a hemispherical dome and a cylindrical base and is suitably engaged with the tip (9) of the shuttlecock by snap and fit mechanism. If desired, the surface of the hemispherical dome of the cork is provided with a plurality of dimples (32) so as to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the shuttlecock (1).
By way of example but not limitation, the shuttlecock (1) of the present invention may be formed from polyamide (preferably nylon), polyethylene, polyester, polypropylene, polystyrene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane, polyvinylchloride or any other materials deemed suitable.
The foregoing description is considered as illustration of the principles of the invention. Furthermore, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

A shuttlecock (1) comprising:
a tip (9) having a recessed upper lip (3), a recessed lower lip (7) and a base (5) formed between the recessed upper lip (3) and the recessed lower lip (7); and

a plurality of segments (29) extending away from the recessed lower lip (7), each of the plurality of segments (29) has a pair of spaced apart, diverging stems (11) with a blade (15) provided between the stems (11) at the end of the segment (29) distal from the recessed lower lip (7), the blade (15) has a plurality of perforations (17) thereon and the plurality of segments (29) are integrally formed and arranged in an annular array;

a central opening (13) at the centre portion of each of the plurality of segments (29) wherein the central opening (13) of the segment (29) is configured to allow passage of cross wind to reduce cross wind interference, and the reduced mass of the segments (29) beyond the lower lip (7) results in the centre of gravity of the shuttlecock (1) being moved closer to the tip (9); and

characterized in that

the blade (15) of each segment (29) has a parabolic curved shape as it extends away from the lower lip (7).
The shuttlecock (1) according to Claim 1, wherein the stems (11) may be in the form of circular, tubular, L, X, rectangular or triangular shape.
The shuttlecock (1) according to Claim 1, wherein the central opening (13) of the segment (29) may be in the form of rectangular, hexagonal or triangular shape.
The shuttlecock (1) according to Claim 1, wherein the plurality of perforations (17) of the blade (15) may be in the form of circular, triangular or square shape.
The shuttlecock (1) according to Claim 1, wherein the shuttlecock (1) is provided with a cork (5) suitably engaged with the tip (9) by snap and fit mechanism.
The shuttlecock (1) according to Claim 1, wherein the blades (15) of the plurality of segments (29) collectively form a skirt (19).
The shuttlecock (1) according to Claim 1, where the plurality of perforations (17) of the blades (15) is configured to allow air to flow through and over the blades (15) of the segments (29) so as to result in an axial spin of the shuttlecock (1).
The shuttlecock (1) according to Claim 6, wherein the diameter of the skirt (19) at an opening (31) may range from 55mm to 80mm.
The shuttlecock (1) according to Claim 6, wherein the skirt (19) has a diameter of 67mm at an opening (31) and a height of 20mm.
The shuttlecock (1) according to Claim 1, wherein the centre of gravity of the shuttlecock (1) is between the lower lip (7) and the end of the tip (9).