GB2187392A

GB2187392A - Racket and protective arrangement therefor

Info

Publication number: GB2187392A
Application number: GB08614113A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Son Kung Tsai
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-03-03
Filing date: 1986-06-10
Publication date: 1987-09-09
Also published as: AU568239B2; DE8616414U1; GB8614113D0; GB2187392B; AU5508086A; BE904333A

Abstract

A racket for tennis, badminton or squash utilizes an elongate protective strip (30) with a groove 31 and a protective jacket (40) located within the groove 31 and secured to the outer surface of the upper portion of the racket frame. The jacket 40 may have integral extensions 41 which are received in the thread-receiving holes of the frame, and may have arcuate portions against which the thread lies between adjacent holes. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Racket and protective arrangement therefor The present invention relates to a racket and to a protective arrangement therefor.

The upper portion of the frame of known rackets for tennis, badminton, or squash is frequently broken or damaged due to collision or friction with the ground or barrier. This is particularly true for squash rackets because the space forthe squash game is small and is enclosed byfourwalls.

For solving the above problem, a racket with a protective jacket mounted around the upperportion of its frame has been proposed as shown in Figure 1.

The protectivejacket 12 is fixed to the outer periphery of the upper portion of the racket frame 11 and includes a plurality of projecting portions 14 inserted respectively in the threading holes. The thread is threaded through the threading holes arranged around the racket frame 11 to make the protective jacket 12 snugly secure to the frame 11.

Therefore, the protective jacket 12 prevents the frame 11 from direct collision with the ground or wall.

In fact, such a jacket mereiy protects the racket frame from damage due to friction with the barrier. If the racket hits the barrier carelessly in a game the momentum cannot be absorbed effectively, and therefore the racket is still broken frequently.

Moreover, when the racket hits the ball, only several adjacent threads withstand the momentum and produce a small degree of displacement, resulting in a different degree of resistance to the hitting force for each thread. Thus, the amplitude of vibration will be large at one point, and the controllability of the ball is poor. For solving this problem a racket has been suggested in which the thread is bent with a right angle at each threading hole, resulting in the displacement ofthethread being limited when it hits the ball. However, such a racket only partially solves the vibrating problems and the phenomenon of single-point vibration still exists, which affects the control of the ball. In addition, the threads at the hitting area will become worn due to ageing and fatigue and will often break after only short periods of use.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a racket comprising: ahead; a damping element for absorbing vibration, arranged around at least a portion of the periphery of the head and having a groove along a major portion of its length; a protective member having a region received by the groove; and means for securing the damping element and the protective membertothe head.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a protective arrangement fora racket comprising: an elongate damping element, for absorbing vibration, and provided with a groove along a major portion of its length; a protective member having a region to be received by the groove; and means for securing the damping element and the protective membertothe head of a racket.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an improved racket comprises a racket frame having a plurality ofthreading holes around its peripheral surface, a pole having a grip portion, and a throat portion connecting the racket frame to the pole, and characterised in that the racket includes a protective strip formed by an excellently percussion-resistant and vibration-absorbant material and fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the racket frame, the protective strip having a groove on its outer surface along its length and a plurality of aperturestherethrough corresponding to the threading holes; and a protective jacket formed bya hard plastics material, engaged in the groove on the protective strip, and including a plurality of projecting elements, each projecting element having a passage for the thread therethrough and inserted into one ofthe threading holes through the corresponding aperture on the protective strip to secure the protective strip and the protective jacket to the racket frame.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a racket comprising: a head having a frame with a plurality of holes at its periphery; an arrangement of elongate flexible elements extending across the frame and passing through the holes to form a hitting portion; and a member mounted around a portion of the periphery and comprising a portion curved from the point at which one of the elongate flexible elements passes through one hole to the point at which the flexible element passes through an adjacent hole and over which the flexible element passes, whereby the flexible element can move smoothly over the curved portion following impact of that element of the hitting portion.

The invention overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art since preferred embodiments ofthe invention provide a racket with good impact resisting and vibration absorbing qualities, and which can more easily control the direction of a flying ball. The racket reduces significantly the possibility of being broken due to impact.

Additionally in a preferred embodiment, the thread can displace more smoothly so thatthe momentum can be absorbed evenly by more threads and the controllability of the flying direction of the ball is improved.

For a better understanding ofthe present invention, and to show howthe same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa cross sectional view of the racket frame of the conventional racket; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the racket in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the racket frame in cross section taken along the A-A line in Figure 2; and Figure4 is another enlarged view ofthe racket frame in cross section taken along the line B-B in Figure 2.

Figures an exploded perspective view of the protective strip and protective jacket; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the protective jacket engaged in the protective strip.

Referring now to Figures 2 to 4, it should be noted that like members are designated with like reference numerals. The racket 20 includes a racket frame 21, a pole 22 and a throat portion 23 connected between the racketframe 21 and the pole 22. The free end of the pole 22 is provided with a grip portion 24, and the racket frame 21 has a plurality of threading holes 212 (Figure 3) around its peripheral surfaceforthe threading of an elongate flexible element orthread 25. A protective strip 30 is fixed to the upper portion ofthe racketframe 21. The outer surface of the racket frame 21 includes a shallow slot 211 along its full length.

The protective strip 30 is formed by a material having good damping orvibration-absorption qualities, and is engaged in the shallow slot 211 by its lower region 31. The protective strip 30 includes a groove 32 on its outer surface and along its length, and a plurality of apertures 33therethrough corresponding in position to the threading holes 212 ofthe racketframe 21.

A protective member or jacket 40 is formed of a hard plastics material in the shape of a strip. The inner surface of the jacket 40 is provided with a plurality of projecting elements 41 corresponding in position to the threading holes 212, and the outer diameter of each projecting element 41 is greater than the diameterofthe aperture 33 of the protective strip 30. The protective jacket 40 is engaged by the groove 32 ofthe protective strip 30 with the projecting elements 41 inserted into the threading holes 212 through the apertures 33 respectivelyto secure the protective strip 30 and itself to the racket frame 21. Since the diameter of the projecting elements 41 is larger,the protective jacket 40 is fastened snugly to the protective strip 30.The protective jacket40 preferably includes a plurality of arcuate or curved surfaces 42 on its outer surface where the thread 25 passes over between each two adjacent projecting elements 41. The side walls 43 of the protective strip 30 are high enough to preventthe thread 25 from rubbing a barrier. The width of the arcuate surface 42 is preferably larger than the diameter of the thread 25 so that the thread can displace smoothly when the racket 20 hits a ball. It should be understood thatthetensethread 25, passing through thethreading holes 212, the apertures 33 and passages 45 through the elements 41 corresponding to the threading holes 212 in the protective jacket 40, will secure the protective strip 30 and the protective jacket 40 firmly to the outer surface ofthe racket frame.

Since the protective strip 30 fixed on the outer surface of the racket frame 21 forms a cushion device, it can absorb most effectively a hitting force when the racket strikes the ground or wall carelessly, so thatthe possibility ofthe racket being broken is significantly reduced.

The arcuate surface 42 between two adjacent projecting elements 41 ensures thatthe thread 25 bends smoothly to avoid stress concentration as occurs in known rackets. Since the thread 25 can displace easily, the momentum resisted bythe threads in the hitting area will be transferred swiftly to the otherthreads so that the vibrating amplitude ofthethreadissmall andthecontrollabilityofthe ball is increased. Sincethevibration can also be transferred to and absorbed by the protective strip 30 via the protective jacket 40, the playerwill feel comfortable when using the racket described herein.

While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isto be understood that the invention is not to be limited tothedisclosed embodiment buton the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope ofthe appended claims which scope isto be accorded the broadest interpretation so asto encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures.

Claims

1. A racket comprising: a head; a damping element for absorbing vibration, arranged around at least a portion ofthe periphery of the head and having a groove along a major portion of its length; a protective member having a region received by the groove; and means for securing the damping element and the protective member to the head.

2. A protective arrangement for a racket comprising: an elongate damping element for absorbing vibration and provided with a groove along a major portion of its length; a protective member having a region to be received by the groove; and means for securing the damping element and the protective member to the head of a racket.

3. An improved racket comprising a racket frame having a plurality of threading holes around its peripheral surface, a pole having a grip portion, and athroat portion connecting said racket frame to said pole, and characterised in that said racket includes a protective strip formed by a percussion-resistant and vibration-absorbant material and fixed to the outer peripheral surface of said racketframe, said protective strip having a groove on its outer surface along its length and a plurality of apertures therethrough corresponding to said threading holes; and a protectivejacketformed of a hard plastics material, engaged in said groove on said protective strip and including a plurality of projecting elements, each projecting element having a passageforthread therethrough and inserted into one of said threading holes through the corresponding aperture on said protective strip to secure said protective strip and said protective jacket to said racket frame.

4. An improved racket as claimed in claim 3, wherein the outer diameters of said projecting elements are greaterthan the diameters of said apertures on said protective strip.

5. An improved racket as claimed in claim 3 or4, wherein said protective jacket includes a plurality of arcuate surfaces on its outer surface where the thread passes over between each two adjacent projecting elements.

6. A racket comprising: a head having a frame with a plurality of holes at its periphery; an arrangement of elongate flexible elements extending across the frame and passing through the holes to form a hitting portion; and a member mounted around a portion ofthe periphery and comprising a portion curved from the point at which one of the elongate flexible elements passes through one hole to the point at which the flexible element passes through an adjacent hole and over which the flexible element passes, whereby the flexible element can move smoothly overthe curved portion following impactofthatelementof the hitting portion.

7. A racket substantially as herein before described with reference to, and as shown in, Figures 2to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A protective arrangement for a racket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, Figures 2 to 6 ofthe accompanying drawings.