GB2445352A

GB2445352A - Paddle racket having moveable ballast

Info

Publication number: GB2445352A
Application number: GB0700197A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tseng Yi Sheng
Original assignee: Dunlop Slazenger Group Ltd
Current assignee: Dunlop International Group Ltd
Priority date: 2007-01-05
Filing date: 2007-01-05
Publication date: 2008-07-09
Also published as: ES2334957B1; GB0700197D0; CN101214419A; ES2334957A1; AR064083A1

Abstract

A paddle racket or racquet 10, 80 comprises a handle 60, 84, a head frame 20, 86 having two parallel ball-hitting surfaces 22, at least one tube 40, 82 fastened to the periphery of the head frame 20, 80, and moveable ballast (50, fig. 2) received in the guide tube 40, 82 and which allows the centre of gravity of the racket to move during use. The guide tube 40, 82 may have an arcuate shape and be located in a plane (46, fig. 2) parallel to the ball-hitting surfaces. The head frame 20 may have a connection portion 30 on the periphery to which guide tube 40 is fastened. Connection portion 30 may include connecting blocks 32 having tube insertion holes 321 for receiving respective ends 42, 44 of guide tube 40 and a protrusion 34 having a hole 341 through which tube 40 may be inserted. Alternatively, tube 82 may be fastened into a groove 85 using glue or other adhesive. The moveable ballast (50, fig. 2) may comprise a liquid, e.g. water or mercury, and/or a solid, e.g. sand or steel balls or bearings 83. The guide tube 40, 82 may be clear or translucent, and the racket may include two such guide tubes on opposing sides of the frame.

Description

2445352

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PADDLE RACKET WITH CHANGING CENTER OF GRAVITY

The present invention relates to a paddle racket change with changing center of gravity.

A conventional paddle racket usually has a head frame and a handle, which is connected to the head frame for holding by a user. The head frame has a flat shape with two parallel opposed ball-hitting surfaces for hitting a ball.

The above-mentioned prior art paddle racket generally has two disadvantages. The first disadvantage lies in that the mass of the head frame is evenly distributed, so that the reaction force generated by hitting a ball may cause the paddle racket to take on a bias when the paddle racket hits the ball eccentrically. In other words, the prior art paddle racket has relatively low ball-hitting stability and ball-controlling ability. The second disadvantage is that the center of gravity and the moment of inertia of the prior art paddle racket are fixed during manufacture of the paddle racket. In the case of a paddle racket having a center of gravity relatively far from the user's hand, the user can hit the ball relatively more powerfully. However, it cannot provide a quick movement due to the relatively larger moment of inertia when the paddle racket is swung, for example from forehand to backhand. On the contrary, the paddle racket, which has a center of gravity closer to the user's hand and therefore has a smaller moment of inertia, has a relatively flexible swing. However, it cannot hit the ball more powerfully. Because the conventional paddle racket cannot provide both powerful ball-hitting strength and good flexibility, it is desirable to provide an improved paddle racket.

The present invention seeks to provide a paddle racket, which has a changing center of gravity to enhance ball-hitting stability and ball-controlling ability.

The present invention also seeks to provide a paddle racket, which can provide better ball-hitting power and good flexibility.

According to the invention, a paddle racket comprises a head frame having a flat shape with two parallel ball-hitting surfaces; at least one guide tube fastened to the periphery of the head frame; a movable object or material movably received in the guide tube; and a handle connected at one end to the head frame.

The guide tube may have an arcuate shape and be located at a plane parallel to the ball-hitting surfaces.

Two guide tubes may be provided, each on opposite sides of the racket head.

The head frame may be provided at the periphery thereof with a connecting portion to which a guide tube is fastened.

The connecting portion may be provided with a groove in which guide tube is installed.

Alternatively, the connecting portion may be provided with two insertion holes for insertion of two ends of the guide tube and may be provided with at least one protrusion with a through hole through which the guide tube is inserted.

The guide tube may be fastened to the periphery of the head frame by glue.

The movable object and/or material may be formed of a liquid, of solids or a mixture of both liquid and solid.

The liquid may be water or mercury and the solids may be sand or a plurality of steel balls. The guide tube may be transparent or translucent.

The present invention will now be described In greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which:-

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG 1, and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

A paddle racket 10 with a changing center of gravity in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGs. 1 and 2. It comprises a head frame 20 provided with two guide tubes 40 containing movable objects and/or material 50, and a handle 60.

The head frame 20 has a flat shape having two parallel ball-hitting surfaces 22 for hitting a ball, a periphery 24 with two guide tube connecting portions 30 respectively formed on two opposed lateral sides of the periphery 24. The tube connecting portions 30 each comprise two end connecting blocks 32, each of which has a tube insertion hole 321. Two protrusions 34 are located on the periphery between the two connecting blocks 32 and are each respectively provided with a through hole 341. Three grooves 36, are located alternately between the connecting blocks 32 and the protrusions 34 into which grooves 36, the inserting holes 321

and the through holes 341 open.

Each guide tube 40 is inserted through the through holes 341 of the two protrusions 34 and the grooves 36. The guide tube 40 has a first end 42 and a second end 44, which are respectively inserted in the inserting holes 321 of the two connecting blocks 32. The shape of both two guide tubes 40 is arcuate, following the curvature of the head periphery, and the two guide tubes 40 are located at an imaginary plane 46 parallel to the ball-hitting surfaces 22. The guide tubes 40 are transparent.

The movable objects and/or material 50 are movably contained in the guide tubes 40. In this embodiment, the movable object and/or material 50 is formed of a mixture of water and a plurality of steel balls. However, mercury or other suitable liquids can be substituted for the water and the steel balls can be replaced by sand or other solids. Alternatively, the movable objects and/or material 50 can be completely formed of either liquids or solids.

The handle 60 has an end connected to the head frame 20.

In use, when a user swings the paddle racket 10 to hit a ball, the movable object and/or material 50 will move to the second end 44 of respective guide tube 40, away from the handle 60, by centrifugal force, thereby increasing the mass of the front (i.e. the part furthest from the handle 60) of the head frame 20. Under this circumstance, even though the paddle racket 10 may hit the ball eccentrically, the two ball-hitting surfaces 22 of the head frame 20 win still tend to remain straight, i.e. the paddle racket will not easily bias. Thus the paddle racket 10 will have enhanced ball-hitting stability and ball-controlling ability.

Further, when movable objects and/or material 50 moves to the second end 44 of respective guide tube 40, the center of gravity of the paddle racket 10 will move away from the handle 60 at the same time. The moment of inertia of the paddle racket 10 will thus increase, so that the user can hit ball more powerfully. Also, before hitting the ball, the user can hold the paddle racket 10 upright to make the movable objects and/or material 50 move to the first end 42 of respective guide tube 40 by gravity, so that the moment of inertia of the paddle racket 10 will initially be smaller in relative terms, thereby enhancing the flexibility of the initial swing of the paddle racket 10. Thus, the paddle racket 10 can be swung quickly to a predetermined position. Because the paddle racket 10 changes its moment of inertia by moving the movable objects and/or material 50 for of hitting the ball and swinging the paddle racket 10, the paddle racket 10 can provide better ball-hitting power and increased flexibility of swing.

In addition, since the guide tubes 40 are transparent, the movable objects and/or material 50 can produce a special visual effect when the movable objects and/or material are moved in the guide tubes 40.

It is to be understood that the way in which the guide tubes are fastened to the head frame is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. As shown in FIG 3, a paddle racket 80, in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, comprises two guide tubes 82, two movable objects 83 and a handle 84, which are the same as or similar to those of the first embodiment. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the guide tubes 82 are located in grooves 85 and are fastened to the head frame 86 of the paddle racket 80 by glue or other suitable adhesive.

The paddle racket can be made with various different designs within the scope of the invention. For example, the connecting portions 30 can be provided with one, two or more than three

grooves 36 between the connecting blocks 32 and the protrusions 34 for suitable installation of the guide tubes 40. Furthermore, the number and position of the guide tubes 40, the protrusions 34 or the grooves 36 can also be varied. The guide tubes 40 can be made transparent or translucent.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A paddle racket comprising:

a head frame having a flat shape with two parallel ball-hitting surfaces;

at least one guide tube fastened to the periphery of the head frame;

a movable object or material movably received in the guide tube; and a handle connected at one end to the head frame.

2. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide tube has an arcuate shape and is located at a plane parallel to the ball-hitting surfaces.

3. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein two guide tubes are provided, each on opposite sides of the racket head.

4. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the head frame is provided at the periphery thereof with a connecting portion to which a guide tube is fastened.

5. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 4, wherein the connecting portion is provided with a groove in which guide tube is installed.

6. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 4, wherein the connecting portion is provided with two insertion holes for insertion of two ends of the guide tube.

7. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 4, 6 or 7, wherein the connecting portion is provided with at least one protrusion with a through hole through which the guide tube is

8

inserted.

8. The paddle racket as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the guide tube is fastened to the periphery of the head frame by glue.

9. The paddle racket as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the movable object and/or material is formed of a liquid.

10. The paddle racket as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 8, wherein the movable object and/or material is formed of solids.

11. The paddle racket as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 8, wherein the movable object and/or material is formed of a mixture of liquid and solids.

12. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 9 or 11, wherein the liquid is water.

13. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 9 or 11, wherein the liquid is mercury.

14. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein the solids are sand.

15. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein the solids are a plurality of steel balls.

16. The paddle racket as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the guide tube is transparent.

17. The paddle racket as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the guide tube is translucent.

19. A paddle racket substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.

IO

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows

1. A paddle racket comprising:

a head frame having a flat shape with two parallel ball-hitting surfaces; at least one guide tube fastened to the periphery of the head frame; a movable object or material freely movably received in the guide tube; and a handle connected at one end to the head frame.

2. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 1 wherein the guide tube has an arcuate shape and is located at a plane parallel to the ball-hitting surfaces.

3. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein two guide tubes are provided, each on opposite sides of the racket head.

4. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3 wherein the head frame is provided at the periphery thereof with a connecting portion to which a guide tube is fastened.

5. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 4 wherein the connecting portion is provided with a groove in which guide tube is installed.

6. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 4 wherein the connecting portion is provided with two insertion holes for insertion of two ends of the guide tube.

7. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 4, 6 or 7 wherein the connecting portion is provided with at least one protrusion with a through hole through which the guide tube is inserted.

II

8. The paddle racket as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the guide tube is fastened to the periphery of the head frame by glue.

9. The paddle racket as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the movable object and/or material is formed of a liquid.

10. The paddle racket as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 8 wherein the movable object and/or material is formed of solids.

11. The paddle racket as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 8 wherein the movable object and/or material is formed of a mixture of liquid and solids.

12. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 9 or 11 wherein the liquid is water.

13. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 9 or 11 wherein the liquid is mercury.

14. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 10 or 11 wherein the solids are sand.

15. The paddle racket as claimed in claim 10 or 11 wherein the solids are a plurality of steel balls.

16.

The paddle racket as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the guide tube is transparent.

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17. The paddle racket as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15 wherein the guide tube is translucent.

19. A paddle racket substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.

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