US20030224865A1

US20030224865A1 - Tubular sport items

Info

Publication number: US20030224865A1
Application number: US10/156,109
Authority: US
Inventors: Chien Lai
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-05-29
Filing date: 2002-05-29
Publication date: 2003-12-04

Abstract

A tubular sport item includes a tubular reinforcement layer which includes fiber strips and a veneer lamination is wrapped around the reinforcement layer so that the billiard cue has the same feeling as the billiard cue made of wood.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a tubular sport item and includes a durable reinforcement outer casing onto which a veneer lamination is wrapped.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Due to the negative affection by temperature and humidity for the wooden sport items such as billiard cues, golf clubs or handles of rackets, manufacturers developed the latest sport items made of fiber or compound material. Taking the billiard cue as an example, however, the billiard cues are expensive and lack the right feeling when impacting the balls. Another conventional billiard cue is developed and shown in FIG. 9 and generally includes a

wooden core

60 with epoxide resin spread on the wooden core 60 and fiber strips soaked with resin are wrapped around the wooden core 60 according to a pre-determined angle. Pressure is applied to the fiber strips and the fiber strips are heated to securely combine the resin and the strips. Therefore, for the shaft of billiard cue, the billiard cue has a solidified fiber layer 600 which maintains the wooden core 60 from deformation. Nevertheless, the billiard cue with a fiber layer has to be proceeded by a grinding process to smooth the outer surface of the fiber layer or even print patterns on the fiber layer. Besides, protection of the forest source is a main trend so that it is more and more difficult to have suitable trees to make to be the wood core 60 for the billiard cues.

The present invention intends to provide a sport item which has a foam core with a reinforcement layer wrapped around the foam core and a veneer lamination on the outer surface of the reinforcement layer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a billiard cue which includes a tubular reinforcement layer wrapped around the core. The reinforcement layer includes fiber strips and a veneer lamination is wrapped around said reinforcement layer.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a tubular sport item that is light in weight and has a veneer lamination on its outside.

These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, several embodiments in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view to show a billiard cue having the structure of the present invention; [0007]
FIG. 2 shows the core, the reinforcement layer and the veneer lamination for the billiard cue of the present invention; [0008]
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view to show the billiard cue having the structure of the present invention; [0009]
FIG. 4 is an exploded view to show another embodiment of the structure of the billiard cue of the present invention; [0010]
FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view to show the billiard cue as shown in FIG. 4 of the present invention; [0011]
FIG. 6 is a perspective view to show a golf club having the structure of the present invention; [0012]
FIG. 7 shows the shank of the racket has the structure of the present invention; [0013]
FIG. 8 shows that the shank of the billiard cue has no foam core; [0014]
FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view to show a conventional billiard cue.[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. [0016] 1 to 3, taking a billiard cue as an example for interpreting the present invention, the billiard cue comprises a shaft 100 with a tip 101 and a butt 102 on two ends of the shaft 100 respectively. The shaft 100 includes a core 10 made of foam material and the core 10 has suitable density so as to have absorb shocks when striking the balls. A reinforcement layer 20 is wrapped around the core 10 and includes compound material such as fiber strips 21 or other suitable material. The reinforcement layer 20 is applied by heating and set the shape under high pressure so as to form a solid reinforcement layer 20. The reinforcement layer 20 protects the core 10 and prevents the core 10 from being deformed. Furthermore, the reinforcement layer 20 keeps the core 10 to be straight as desired.
A [0017] veneer lamination 30 includes wooden plates 220 soaked by resin and securely wraps around the reinforcement layer 20.
The [0018] foam core 10 absorbs shocks when striking the balls and the veneer lamination 30 remains the nature of the wooden billiard cue such that when the player holds the billiard cue, he or she feels like holding a wooden billiard cue.
FIGS. 4 and 5 show that the [0019] veneer lamination 30 is replaced with a one-piece tubular casing 300 which has a passage defined longitudinally therein so that the core 10 together with the reinforcement layer 20 are securely received in the passage of the tubular casing 300. The one-piece tubular casing 300 includes a veneer lamination 301 on an outer surface of the tubular casing 300.
The [0020] casing 300 can be made of any known material which is light and durable. The veneer lamination 301 provides the billiard cue to have the same feeling of touch as the wooden billiard cue.
Referring to FIG. 6, the structure of the present invention can be used to make the shank of a [0021] golf club 40 and the shank 51 of a tennis racket 50 as shown in FIG. 7. The structure can be used in any sport item that has a tubular shank portion.
As shown in FIG. 8, the billiard cue of the present invention may also be made not to include the [0022] foam core 10 as shown in FIG. 2 as the weight of the billiard cue without the foam core reaches the range of standard weight of the billiard cue. In this case, the reinforcement layer 20 can be wrapped around a mandrel (not shown) so as to form the tubular shank of the billiard cue. However, it is not suitable for the manufacturing the tennis racket 50 because the head of the tennis racket 50 has to be drilled for the strings and debris may drop in the hollow tube of the head and generates noise when swing. Therefore, foam material is filled in the hollow tube of the head to set the debris in position.
While we have shown and described the billiard cue in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments such as gold clubs, bows, fishing rods, or bicycle frames may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. [0023]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A tubular sport item comprising:

a tubular reinforcement layer, and

a veneer lamination layer wrapped around said reinforcement layer.

2. The tubular sport item as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reinforcement layer comprises fiber strips.

3. The tubular sport item as claimed in claim 1 wherein the veneer lamination includes a plurality of wooden plates which are wrapped onto said reinforcement layer.

4. The tubular sport item as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a core made of foam material and the reinforcement layer wrapped around the core.

5. A tubular sport item comprising comprising:

a reinforcement layer wrapped, and

a casing having a passage in which the reinforcement layer is received.

6. The tubular sport item as claimed in claim 5 wherein the casing includes a veneer lamination on an outer surface of the casing.

7. The tubular sport item as claimed in claim 5 further comprising a core made of foam material and the reinforcement layer wrapped around the core.