US20110098143A1

US20110098143A1 - Shakehand type pingpong racket with supporting projection part

Info

Publication number: US20110098143A1
Application number: US12/674,900
Authority: US
Inventors: Jong Ryeol Ryu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-08-23
Filing date: 2008-08-25
Publication date: 2011-04-28
Also published as: BRPI0815287A2; WO2009025534A1; AU2008289715A1; CA2697661A1; MX2010002148A; KR20090020535A; KR100986905B1; EP2185253A1; JP2010536468A; CN101820958A

Abstract

A table tennis racket for shakehand grip style, in which a player having an index finger in contact with a backhand side of a racket body while grasping a handgrip of the racket with a thumb and middle, ring, and little fingers. The player can enhance powerful offensive strokes, and does not immoderately move his or her wrist when flipping the batting side to use both sides of the racket during a game. A beginner can easily enjoy playing table tennis using both sides of the racket with little slide and shake. The table tennis racket includes a racket body; two hitting surfaces formed on both sides of the body, each of the hitting surfaces covered with a rubber sheet; a handgrip extending downwards from the racket body; and projections extending outwards from an outer surface of the handgrip and supported by player's fingers when a player grips the handgrip.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a table tennis racket for shakehand grip style, in which a player having an index finger in contact with a backhand side of a racket body while grasping a handgrip of the racket with a thumb and middle, ring, and little fingers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a table tennis racket for shakehand grip style, which have projections on a handgrip to enhance powerful offensive strokes, wherein a player does not immoderately move his or her wrist when flipping the batting side to use both sides of the racket during a game and a beginner can easily enjoy playing table tennis using both sides of the racket with little slide and shake.
Generally, the table tennis racket for shakehand grip style, as illustrated in FIG. 1 a, includes both hitting surfaces (of a blade) each of which covered with a rubber sheet 1 and a handgrip 2 with which a player can grip the racket. The player enjoys playing table tennis by returning a table tennis ball to an opponent's side before it bounces on his or her side of the table a second time selectively using one of both hitting surfaces each of which is covered with the rubber sheet 1 while supporting the backhand side, as illustrated in FIG. 1 b, with the index finger as well as grasping the handgrip 2 with the thumb and the middle, ring and little fingers. Because there are two hitting surfaces for hitting the ball, a drive stroke can be easily executed, not to mention a backhand stroke, a forehand stroke, and a drop shot stroke.
However, with the conventional racket for shakehand grip style formed with the aforementioned figures, a center point “c” of the hitting surface located on a geometrical center line “a” of the racket is positioned above the centrifugal force axis “b” moving back and forth on a wrist axis when the player grips the racket with the hand. Since the center point “c” of the hitting surface as a batting point is located above or under the centrifugal force axis “b”, there are many difficulties of consistently matching a batting point with the center of the rubber sheet 1 by moving a wrist and an arm while hitting the ball in various angles.
Accordingly, an accurate stroke can be produced only when the player matches the center point of the rubber sheet with the ball by changing the heights of the wrist or the arm when striking the ball and it can be accomplished after the considerable training procedures. There are many difficulties for the beginners to acquire this kind of technique.
In the conventional table tennis racket for shakehand grip style, the handgrip of the racket is simply formed as a perpendicular shape along the center of the hitting surface. The player sometimes drops the racket due to the slipping of the wet hand with sweat from the handgrip in a game.
This slipping of the hand from the handgrip causes the shaking of the hitting surface, thereby preventing a correct smashing stroke when the player tries to strongly smash the ball.
Further, the conventional racket for shakehand grip style provides a simple holding function by coupling a bar-shaped handgrip on the backhand side of the hitting surface.
Since the center of gravity of the racket is positioned at the hitting surface because of this simple bar-shaped handgrip, an unskilled player hits the ball with too much force on the wrist or the fingertips, thereby often creating improper strokes and dropping the racket due to the centrifugal force while striking the ball.
Even though the conventional racket for shakehand grip style is structured to use both hitting surfaces according to the direction of the approaching ball in case of smashing or backhand smashing, the player can immoderately move his or her wrist when switching from forehand motion to backhand motion or vise versa since the player needs to select an accurate angle of the other hitting surface of the racket in the forehand-backhand switching.
Moreover, there is no vacant space around the contacting point with the fingers or the palm of the hand in the conventional racket for shakehand grip style and the whole surfaces of the fingers or the palm of the hand are touching with the handgrip. Because of this, the sweat on the hand cannot be vaporized in the air and the slip phenomenon happens to cause many offensive and defensive failures together with the improper strokes.

BACKGROUND ART

For reference, Korean Registered Utility Model No. 20-0428238, filed on Sep. 29, 2006 discloses a table tennis racket described in detail below. In this disclosure, a handgrip of the table tennis racket is a slantingly extending shape from one side edge of the racket body in the opposite diagonal direction of the other side edge and formed like a gun grip designed to be gripped exactly like the gun grip. Both sides of the hitting surfaces can be freely used such like hitting the ball with the palm or the back of the hand without bending the wrist while gripping the table tennis racket.
With the aforementioned table tennis racket, Korean Registered Utility Model No. 20-0428238, the player can use both sides of the hitting surfaces like the conventional racket for shakehand grip style since both sides of the hitting surfaces each of which is covered with a rubber sheet. The beginners can easily enjoy playing table tennis using both sides of the hitting surfaces by forming the handgrip curved down like the gun grip and designed to be easily grasped.
However, the table tennis racket, Korean Registered Utility Model No. 20-0428238, cannot resolve the aforementioned problems of the conventional racket for shakehand grip style. There still exist the problems such as the slip phenomenon of the hand from the handgrip, the immoderate moving of the wrist when changing the grip from forehand motion to backhand motion, and the problems caused from the mismatched batting point with the center point of the rubber surface.

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

The present invention has been proposed to solve the aforementioned problems with the conventional table tennis racket for shakehand grip style. Exemplary embodiment(s) of the present invention provide table tennis rackets for shakehand grip style having projections on the exterior circumference of a handgrip, thereby enhancing powerful offensive strokes. A slip phenomenon is prevented from occurring by averting the touch of the whole surfaces of the fingers or the palm of the hand and by making the sweat on the hand easily evaporate in the air, and the wrist cannot be immoderately moved by switching the hitting surfaces with the frictional resistance from the projections of the handgrip when using both sides of the hitting surfaces. The player can control the palm from slipping out of the handgrip and the shakes by gripping the projections with at least one of the thumb, middle, ring, or little finger; and the beginners can easily enjoy playing table tennis using both sides of the hitting surfaces of the racket for shakehand grip style.

Technical Solution

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the table tennis racket for shakehand grip style may include a racket body; two hitting surfaces formed on both sides of the body, each of the hitting surfaces covered with a rubber sheet; a handgrip extending downwards from the racket body; and projections extending outwards from an outer surface of the handgrip and supported by player's fingers when a player grips the handgrip.
The projections can be formed to support at least one selected from the group consisting of a thumb and middle, ring and little fingers.
The projections, protrusively formed on the exterior circumference of the handgrip, can be at least one of the projection, which is formed on the exterior surface of the handgrip.
The projections can be formed with at least one projection on at least one portion selected from the group consisting of forehand, backhand, left-hand and right-hand sides of the handgrip.
The table tennis racket for shakehand grip style may further include a shake-preventing portion formed on the bottom coupling area of the hitting surface by tightly touching the bottom area of the hitting surface with the grip muscle area between the thumb and the index finger, so as to prevent the racket from shaking.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS

The table tennis racket for shakehand grip style having projections on a handgrip according to the present invention prevents a wrist from being immoderately moved by smoothly switching the hitting surfaces between forehand and backhand with frictional resistance from the projections of the handgrip when using both sides of the hitting surfaces by additionally forming the projections supported by the fingers gripping the racket body on the outer surface of a handgrip; a slip phenomenon is prevented from occurring by easily gripping the outer surface of the projections of the handgrip with the thumb and the middle, ring and little fingers; the beginners can easily enjoy playing table tennis using both sides of the hitting surfaces of the racket for shakehand grip style by preventing the slip phenomenon; and in addition, powerful offensive strokes are improved with little shakes.
By preventing the slip phenomenon, the player can easily aware of the racket's angle without actually seeing the hand gripping the racket and fast response to the offensive strokes is possible.
Since the projections provide the effect of firmly gripping the handgrip with little force because of the frictional resistance by supporting at least one selected from the group consisting of the thumb and the middle, ring and little fingers, the player can accurately use the racket, thereby producing more strong and fast strokes.
Further, the projections also play a role of strong hooks catching at least one of the thumb and the fingers and prevent the racket from slipping out, thereby making strong stokes.
The projections are protrusively formed on the exterior circumference of the handgrip, structured with at least one projection, and the slip cannot easily occur at any areas of the handgrip because of the projections.
Moreover, since the projections are built with at least one projection on at least one selected from the group consisting of the forehand, backhand, left-hand, or right-hand surface of the handgrip and the slip phenomenon can be remarkably reduced wherever the player grasps the handgrip with minimum force rather than strong force, the player can strongly strike the ball with a fast snap.
Since the shake-preventing portion is formed at the bottom coupling area of the backhand side of the hitting surface so as to prevent the shaking of the racket by tightly touching the bottom backhand area with the grip muscle area between the thumb and the index finger, maintaining a stable angle of the racket is easy without the slip phenomenon anymore. Consequently, a skilled player as well as the beginner can easily perform the forehand-backhand switching and produce more stronger and balanced strokes.
Because of the projections being sensed by the hand holding the handgrip, the player can sensibly and accurately aware of the racket's angle with the reduction of the slip and the shakes. Therefore, the player can easily maintain an accurate angle even when a sudden forehand-backhand switching is needed and easily strike the returning ball by hitting the ball on the hitting surface.
Due to the projections, the player can return more fast strokes to the opponent's half by producing strong strokes on the backhand side as well as the forehand side and can get higher points by overwhelming the opponent's returning action.
In addition, owing to the projections, the player can create returning strokes with more spin for the opponent when cutting the ball and can earn higher points by making the opponent not easily receive the strokes.
Since the player's fingers are hooked with the projections when grasping the handgrip for forehand and backhand strokes, the player can easily grip the hitting surface with a twisted angle, a middle position between the front and the side, by twisting the fingers a little. And the player can smoothly strike the return strokes without any shakes into his or her intended directions.
Thanks to the projections on the outer circumference of the handgrip, fast and prompt changes of the hitting surfaces are possible. Since the changes of the hitting surfaces are performed by the motion using the frictional resistance of the projections as well as the player's snap motion, the player can comfortably strike the ball without any force.
With the projections formed on the outer circumference of the handgrip, the player can strike the ball by using the frictional resistance of the projections without any force while softly holding the handgrip. This will prevent the problems occurring with the player's arm and wrist such as muscular fatigue and muscle stiffness when striking the ball with strongly grasping the handgrip.
The corners and edges of the projections make it possible for the player firmly grip the handgrip without any shakes as well as providing the finger pressure effect and enhanced biological activity to the player by acting as pressure points to stimulate the fingers or the palm of the hand.
Furthermore, the projections formed on the outer circumference of the handgrip provide vacant spaces around the contacting points with the fingers or the palm of the hand and air can flow through among the spaces. The sweat on the hand can be easily evaporated in the air, thereby preventing the slip phenomenon due to the sweat. The whole surfaces of the fingers and the palm are not tightly contacting with the handgrip, thereby rarely occurring the slip phenomenon.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 a is a perspective view illustrating a conventional racket for shakehand grip style.

FIG. 1 b is a conceptual view illustrating the gripping status of the handgrip of the conventional racket for shakehand grip style;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a table tennis racket for shakehand grip style having projections in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 3 a and 3 b are conceptual views illustrating exemplary structures of the handgrip of the table tennis racket for shakehand grip style having projections in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural view illustrating the gripping status of the table tennis racket for shakehand grip style having projections in accordance with the present invention; and

FIGS. 5 to 19 are reference views illustrating other embodiments of the table tennis racket for shakehand grip style having projections in accordance with the present invention.

MAJOR REFERENCE NUMBERS OF THE DRAWINGS

- 10: racket body
- 11, 12: hitting surface
- 13: handgrip
- 20: projection
- 21: projection
- 22: comb tooth-shaped projection
- 70: shake-preventing portion

MODE FOR INVENTION

The features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. The terminologies or words used in the description and the claims of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited merely to common and dictionary meanings. On the contrary, they should be interpreted based on the meanings and concepts of the invention in compliance with the scope of the invention on the basis of the principle that the inventor(s) can appropriately define the terms in order to describe the invention in the best way.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a table tennis racket for shakehand grip style having projections in accordance with the present invention, FIGS. 3 a and 3 b are conceptual views illustrating exemplary structures of the handgrip of the table tennis racket for shakehand grip style having projections in accordance with the present invention, FIG. 4 is a schematic structural view illustrating the gripping status of the table tennis racket for shakehand grip style having projections in accordance with the present invention, and FIGS. 5 to 19 are reference views illustrating other embodiments of the table tennis racket for shakehand grip style having projections in accordance with the present invention.
As illustrated in the drawings, the table tennis racket having projections for shakehand grip style in accordance with the present invention includes a racket body 10, two hitting surfaces 11 and 12 formed on both sides of the racket body 10 and covered with rubber sheets, respectively, a handgrip 13 extending through the backhand side of the racket body 10, and projections 20 elongated from the outer surface of the handgrip 13 and supported by the player's thumb h1 leaning on the side when a player grips the handgrip 13.
The projections 20 are formed to protrude outwards on the exterior surface of the handgrip 13.
The projections 20 are embossed on predetermined portions of the exterior circumference of the handgrip 13, and the remaining portions of the exterior circumference of the handgrip 13 except the projections 20 are naturally engraved inwards.
Owing to an embossed part of the projections 20 and an engraved part of the handgrip 13, the player's palm is in tight contact with the embossed part of the projections 20 and the engraved part of the handgrip 13 so that the player can feel a grasping force of the hand while gripping the handgrip 13. Consequently, the player can enhance the offensive power of the strokes by strengthening the repulsive power of the approaching ball when striking the ball.
Besides, since the player's fingers are supported and leaned by the embossed part of the projections 20 and the engraved part of the handgrip 13 and the grasp of the fingers is firmly performed, accurate strokes are produced by preventing the slip phenomenon and the shaking of the handgrip when striking the ball.
Since the projections 20 are additionally formed on the outer surface of the handgrip 13, fast and prompt changes of the hitting surfaces can be accomplished. Since the changes of the hitting surfaces are performed by the motion using frictional resistance of the projections 20 as well as the player's snap motion, the player can comfortably strike the ball without any force.
With the projections 20 formed on the outer circumference of the handgrip 13, the player can swing by using the frictional resistance of the projections 20 without any strong force while softly holding the handgrip 13. This will prevent the problems occurring with the player's arm and wrist such as muscular fatigue and muscle stiffness when swinging his or her arm with strongly grasping the handgrip 13.
When the player pushes the side of the projections 20 with the thumb h1 after tightly contacting the thumb h1 with the projections 20 formed on the outer surface of the handgrip 13, the handgrip 13 can smoothly rotate and the hitting surfaces can be switched while the racket body 10 is turning, consequently, the changes of the hitting surfaces can be accomplished fast and promptly.
Since the beginner also can make offensive strokes by easily changing the hitting surfaces when making the switching from backhand to forehand, the beginner can be interested in playing a table tennis game using the racket for shakehand grip style.
Moreover, the projections 20 are elongated in the longitudinal direction of the handgrip 13 and can be formed with at least one projection protruding from the outer surface of the handgrip 13. Since at least one of the projections 20 are protrusively formed, the grasping power of the handgrip can be improved and the switching motion of the hitting surfaces can be performed fast and promptly.
Although the projections 20 are formed on the outer surfaces of the handgrip 13, the projections 20 are composed of at least one projection 21 formed on the outer surfaces of the handgrip 13. Even if the projections 20 are formed on the outer surfaces of the handgrip 13, the projections 20 are composed of at least one screw-shape projection 21 formed on the outer surfaces of the handgrip 13.
And the projections 20 can be formed with at least one projection on at least one of the forehand, backhand, left-hand, or right-hand side of the handgrip 13.
The projections 20 prevent the slip phenomenon and the shakes from the handgrip 13 and the palm of the hand by performing a role of supporting at least one of the thumb and the middle, ring and little finger, a role of producing the frictional resistance, or a role of a hook catching at least one of the thumb and the fingers.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the projections 20 prevent the slip phenomenon and the shakes from the handgrip 13 and the palm of the hand by performing a role of supporting at least one of the thumb and the index, middle, ring and little fingers, a role of producing the frictional resistance, or a role of a hook catching at least one of the fingers.
Further, with the table tennis racket having projections for shakehand grip style in accordance with the present invention, the player can produce strong strokes without any shakes by using at least one projection 21 protrusively elongated on the outer surfaces of the handgrip 13, and the player can control the racket when switching forehand and backhand stroke, thereby producing accurate strokes thanks to the projection 21.
The handgrip 13 is formed to have a quadrilateral-symmetry shape, and thus both right-handed and left-handed players can use the handgrip 13 by turning back and forth.
By additionally forming shake-preventing portions on the bottom coupling area of the hitting surface 11 and 12 so as to tightly touch the bottom area of the hitting surface 11 and 12 with a grip muscle area between the thumb and the index finger, it can surely prevent the shaking of the racket and provides comfortable sense of unity between the racket and the hand.
The player's fingers are hooked with the projection 21 because of the projection 21 of the projections 20. The player can easily grip the hitting surface 11 and 12 with a twisted angle, a middle position between the front and the side, by twisting the fingers a little when grasping the handgrip 13 for forehand and backhand strokes. And the player can smoothly strike the return strokes without any shakes in his or her intended directions.
The corners and edges of the projections 20 make it possible for the player maintain the firm grip status without shakes as well as providing the finger pressure effect by acting as pressure points to stimulate the fingers or the palm of the hand and to enhance biological activity to the player.
Furthermore, the corners and edges of the projections 20 formed on the outer circumference of the handgrip 13 provide vacant spaces around the contacting points with the fingers or the palm of the hand. The air can flow through among the spaces and the sweat on the hand can be easily evaporated in the air, thereby preventing the slip phenomenon due to the sweat. The whole surfaces of the fingers and the palm are not in tight contact with the handgrip 13, thereby perfectly or substantially preventing the slip phenomenon.
The shape of the projections 20 formed on the outer circumference of the handgrip 13 can be made with various shapes. Even though they are not illustrated in the drawings, one of twelve horary signs can be used, for example, to symbolize the player's year of birth. When the animal shape is used, embossed carving and depressed engraving on the animal shape will play a role of the projections 20.
As the table tennis racket having the projections for shakehand grip style in accordance with the present invention can be modified in various shapes, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A table tennis racket for shakehand grip style comprising:

a racket body (10);

two hitting surfaces (11, 12) formed on both sides of the body (10), each of the hitting surfaces (11, 12) covered with a rubber sheet;

a handgrip (13) extending downwards from the racket body (10); and

projections (20) extending outwards from an outer surface of the handgrip (13) and supported by player's fingers when a player grips the handgrip (13).

2. The table tennis racket for shakehand grip style according to claim 1, wherein the projections (20) support at least one selected from the group consisting of a thumb and middle, ring and little fingers.

3. The table tennis racket for shakehand grip style according to claim 1, wherein the projections (20) are protrusively formed on the outer surface of the handgrip (13) comprise at least one of the projection (21), which is formed on the exterior surface of the handgrip (13).

4. The table tennis racket for shakehand grip style according to claim 1, wherein the projections (20) are formed on at least one portion selected from the group consisting of forehand, backhand, left-hand and right-hand sides of the handgrip (13).

5. The table tennis racket for shakehand grip style according to claim 1, further comprising a shake-preventing portion (70) formed on a bottom coupling area of the hitting surface (11, 12) by tightly touching the bottom area of the hitting surface (11, 12) with the grip muscle area between the thumb and the index finger, so as to prevent the racket from shaking.