FR2555062A1 - Combinations of ball games such as tennis, squash, pelota, and their racquets - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates, on the one hand, to a multi-purpose combination of ball games of the tennis, squash, pelota type, and, on the other hand, to the racquets adapted for these playing areas. This combination is characterised in that it comprises one or more playing areas permitting, as desired, an introduction to and/or training in tennis, and/or the playing of squash and pelota in an open space, this being with the various types of known racquets, but also with a racquet adapted to this new reduced area for ball games.

Description

 The invention relates, on the one hand to a ball game combination of tennis, squash, trinquet type, on the other hand rackets adapted to these play areas.

 We know that the practice of ball games, and in particular tennis, is only accessible, either for financial reasons, or for physical or mental disabilities, to a limited number of players.

 The present invention aims at a greater development of ball games, tennis, squash, trinquet type, with versatility, on the one hand for children, the physically handicapped, the elderly who can no longer practice tennis, on the other hand the initiation and training of all tennis players: from beginners to professionals. This versatility is, moreover, achieved by a specific racket object, among others of the invention, and the known classic rackets of tennis, squash, pala ancha ...

The new provisions which are the subject of the invention allow adaptations, on the one hand of modular play areas, on the other hand of pediments with their targets and their inclined planes, then of side walls, being easily adaptable to tennis games at will. , squash, trinquet
Ball areas are already known, either tennis in a classic mini or half-court, or rooms called "squash", and non-limiting rooms for ice climbing for the practice of "pala ancha".

 It is known that conventional tennis courts, squash halls, spades, require a high investment and an operating cost which reduce the number of players of ball games.

 I1 is also known the various types of rackets, either with a rope, or in wood, or even in injected plastic material, but either the price is too high or the performance in play is low.

 It is also known that the practice of ball games, such as tennis or squash is not recommended for the physically handicapped of all ages.

 The object of the invention is to reduce or eliminate the drawbacks mentioned above. The invention proposes new arrangements for playing areas, pediments, side walls, new rackets offering both versatility on demand for various ball games and a much lower cost than known ball games.

 According to a characteristic of the invention, the versatile handset includes a playing area which allows initiation and training in tennis in real playing conditions with targets on a pediment and an inclined plane at the base of said pediment and that with classic tennis rackets.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the said versatility allows the practice of a "squash" type game and an inclined plane at the back of the court.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the said versatility is supplemented by the possibility of practicing a slightly traumatic game with suitable rackets and balls.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the play areas are arranged in series-parallel.

 According to another characteristic of the invention relating to a slightly traumatic game, the racket is easy to handle, with orifices with triangular surface; the said racket is of the monobloc type injected without rope, at low cost price.

 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a combined with side walls.

 Figure 2 is a top view of two handsets associated in series.

 Figure 3 is a top view of six handsets associated in series-parallel.

Figure 4 is a front view along the line
II of Figure 3.

 Figure 5 shows the trajectory of a ball for tennis training.

 Figure 6 shows the trajectory of a ball for fly training.

 Figure 7 shows the trajectory of a ball for smash training.

 Figure 8 represents the trajectory of a ball with incidences on one of the two side walls and one of the two pediments.

 FIG. 9 represents the trajectory of a bullet with incidences on a vertical inclined plane.

 Figure 10 is a top view of the racket.

 Figure 11 is a side view of the racket.

 We first refer to Figure 1 which relates to the first version of a tennis-squashtrinquet combination. This handset comprises a conventional sports floor 1 but in modular elements, two pediments 2, two side walls 3 preferably made of translucent plastic material, a conventional net 4 but easily removable, a mesh 5 preferably made of translucent synthetic, targets 6 and 7 for training in service preferably in a material or sound system, an inclined plane 8 for ltash training preferably with an adjustment of 1 angle relative to the ground and the pediment. The length L of the playing area is between 15 and 20 meters, its width 1 is between 5 and 8 meters, the height H of the pediments is between 4 and 7 meters, the height h of the inclined plane 8 is equal to that of a conventional tennis net either to twist 1.05 meters, the length of the side walls 3 is between 5 and 8 meters.

 In FIG. 2, two handsets 8 and 9 are shown associated in series with a common pediment 2.

In Figure 3 there are shown six handsets 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 associated in series-parallel. The handset, in a version which differs from that of FIG. 1 only in that it has the characteristic of having a lateral wall 16 at the bottom of the playing area, the said wall being delimited in FIG. 4 by an inclined wall 17, comprises, as is carried out in conventional trinquets a wall 18 whose angle counted with respect to the longitudinal axis of the play area is between 45 and 60 degrees
FIG. 5 represents the trajectory of a ball along line 18 of training for tennis service on targets 6 and 7, and lines 19 and 20 of return of the ball.

 FIG. 6 represents the trajectory of a ball for tennis training in low or high ends, along lines 21, 21, 23; above the targets 6, 7, the wall 24 of the pediment is inclined a few degrees relative to the vertical in order to reduce the height of the return along line 23.

 FIG. 7 represents the trajectory of a ball for the following smash training, on the one hand the line 25, on the other hand, after rebound on the adjustable incline plane 8, along the line 26.

Figures 5, 6, 7, there is shown, without limitation, some phases of tennis, either initiation or training of all types of players; in these cases, the easily removable net 4 is removed; the game phases take place in real conditions because
- the length of the playing area is equal to the half of a tennis court with an additional two meters
- the targets are located at a height equal to a conventional net to perform services as close as possible to said net
- the width of the playing area, 5 to 8 meters allows training for two players
- the particular provisions of the invention allow, in the case of the six handsets in series-parallel of FIG. 3, a practice by twelve players, either two players per handset, or by twenty-four players, or four players per handset
- These phases of play are practiced with classic rackets and tennis balls.

 Figure 8 shows the trajectory of a ball along line 26 with incidence on the side wall 3, then line 27 with, after returning to the pediment, line 28 and resumed, after a single rebound, the return by the player opponent along line 29.

 FIG. 9 represents, for the combined of FIGS. 3 and 4, the trajectory of a ball, firstly along line 30, then after incidence on the inclined plane 18 and on the pediment, resumed after return 32 along the line 33.

 For these handsets, the materials used for the sports floor, for the translucent side walls, for the net, for the fencing are conventional, but the aforementioned special provisions are aimed at outdoor play without the constraints of closed enclosures.

 FIG. 10 represents a racket adapted, on the one hand to the rules of games, inter alia of FIGS. 8 and 9, on the other hand to beach games or, by way of nonlimiting example against a wall.

 This racket is of the monobloc type, without stringing, with a handle 34 whose section is identical to that of a conventional tennis racket, but with, on the one hand a frustoconical handle, on the other hand a projection 35 by flocking of short synthetic fibers; it comprises triangular orifices 36 arranged according to FIG. 10 in convergence towards the trapezoidal surface 37 which indicates and delimits the optimal percussion surface.

In order to reproduce or initiate the game of tennis
- the length 37 is, for three types of rackets, 0.5, 0.55 and 0.6 meters
- the mass is for the three types of rackets mentioned above of 325, 350, 375 grams.

 - the width 38 is between 0.25 and 0.3 meters.

 FIG. 11 indicates that the thickness of the racket increases from section 39 in the center of the racket to section 40 at the head of the racket.

These snowshoes are produced without limitation by injection of polyurethane called "high density, ie 0.6 to 0.T with a skin effect of 0.5 to 0.8 mm
The advantages of the invention have been highlighted in the description above and are summarized and clarified as follows
- versatility of ball games areas allowing the initiation and the practice of the games of tennis, squash, trinquet, that at will from the physical and / or mental handicap to the high level player.

 - reduction in the cost price of ball games, both in terms of investments and in terms of maintenance, hence the development of the practice of ball games.

 - profitable operation of sports complexes, because on a playground of six series-parallel handsets and this without limitation, twenty-four players can practice these ball games; the profitability of this exploitation is due, on the one hand to the versatility, on the other hand4 to the useful surface of the series-parallel handsets which is hardly greater than that of the classic tennis courts but which allows the practice of the games of balls, for an accessible hourly price, to a number of participants two to six times higher than in the tennis, squash, and trinquet areas.

 - practitioners can use the snowshoes of their choice.

 - The racket adapted to the invention relates in particular to children, the disabled, beach games, games against a wall, this for a low price, high reliability, low aerodynamic resistance and a very new design.

Claims (6)

CLAIM  1. Versatile combination of ball games characterized in that it includes one or more play areas allowing at will the initiation and / or training in tennis, and / or the practice of squash and trinquet in a space open, this with the various types of rackets of the said games, but also with a racket adapted to this new ball games area, the said area having a length of between 15 and 20 meters, a width of between 5 and 8 meters, a height of the two pediments, side walls and translucent grids of between 4 and 7 meters, the so-called pediments comprising sound targets at a height immediately greater than that of a conventional tennis net.  2. Ball racket, according to claim 1, characterized in that it is, at the same time, of a monobloc type produced by injection of a plastic material and preferably a polyurethane of density between 0.6 and 0.7 with a strong skin effect, that it has divergent triangular recesses from a trapezoidal percussion surface, that its handle of the type taken with two hands undergoes a coating by flocking of short synthetic fibers, which its thickness increases by middle of the racket towards its end.  3. Combined ball game according to claim 1, characterized in that, in a first type of skill, one or two tennis players, from beginners to professionals can learn or train after removing the net removable central on the various targets of the invention, and this in service, low or high volleys, smash  4. Combination of ball games, according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the second characteristic of versatility concerns a game with central net, for two to four players, with, in particular using the racket object of the invention, aimed either at a simple rebound on the ground, or at inclined planes whose generatrixes are horizontal and / or vertical, arrangements reproducing the advantages of squash and levers.  5. Combined ball games according to claims 1 to 4 taken together or separately, characterized in that two handsets are placed in series with a common pediment.  6. Combined ball games, according to claims 1 to 5 taken together or separately, are associated in series-parallel for a number of handsets greater than two using pediments and common side walls.