WO2001097923A1

WO2001097923A1 - Improvement introduced in tennis racket

Info

Publication number: WO2001097923A1
Application number: PCT/BR2001/000079
Authority: WO
Inventors: Suzana Gonzaga Da Silva
Original assignee: Suzana Gonzaga Da Silva
Priority date: 2000-06-21
Filing date: 2001-06-21
Publication date: 2001-12-27
Also published as: BR0004862A; US20030186762A1; AU2001265721A1; AR030297A1

Abstract

Improvement introduced in tennis racket, applied to any racket traditionally used for the practice of tennis, independently of the material it is made of, ordinarily constituted by a strong oval ring (1) made of graphite, ceramic, metal or other suitable material, having held to its inner portion a net (2) formed by tensioned and crossed strings, while externally and aligned to its major axle there is an elongated anatomic handle (3) with a faceted cross section, being that the said racket includes a contrasting color system for the orientation regarding the different positions the racket must be held by the tennis player, what shall quite enhance and speed up the learning process for kids and adults.

Description

IMPROVEMENT INTRODUCED IN TENNIS RACKET Field of the invention

More particularly the present invention relates to a color system applied to tennis rackets, aiming the characterization of rapid visual effects that help a lot to learning the racket proper holding, and consequently, adding a more efficient mean to enhance the job of the specialists in teaching said game of English background, enabling quite more those who are initiating in such sport that, although simple and possible to be practiced by anybody, demands a certain technique.

Background art

As already known in the art, the racket is a manual instrument used for hitting the tennis ball, being this way, built of a strong oval ring made of a sort of materials, among which is found wood, plastic, graphite, aluminum or ceramic, where a net made of tensioned strings is placed and is handled through an elongated extremity.

Currently there is a very large variety of rackets, and their main objective is the same, that is grant to the user all resources for the tennis match to be performed with the maximum result obtained with the lowest energetic waste.

Looking through this point of view, the current rackets today offered by the market does not offer the proper means to speed up the hitting technique learning process and so, the beginners start practicing the game with the same kind of rackets used by those who are already skilled in the sport.

The unique innovations were proposed in the sense of make easier the handling by adults, kids and old people through rackets of different sizes and materials, as for example shorter rackets with a large ring for kids, rackets lighter and more powerful for old people, among other things.

In order to learn the right hand hits and the left hand hits, the right swings and the left swings and the service, the majority of the tennis teaching professionals community says that the racket handles should be changed for the beginners, what is a known method nowadays, but does not produce satisfactory results.

Along the process of learning how to play tennis, adults and kids face, for some while a lot of confusion related to the correct way of holding the racket. This difficulty is more intense for the kids, mainly those under 6 years old, once such kids besides being in a phase of developing their motion coordination, they still make a lot of confusion (they do not "know" by hart) which is the right side and which is the left side of the body, and a lot of them have not yet defined their lateral dominance (if their skilled side is the right one or the left one) it means if they are going to hold the racket with the right or the left hand.

A challenge even greater is faced by the left-handed kids, because in some places the hits are called "right" and "left" independently of the tennis player dominant hand.

An important fact to be highlighted is the original name given to the right side hit and to the left side hit: "forehand" and "backhand". Such terminology is roughly based on what part of the hand is facing the game net in the moment the ball impacts the racket. Objects of the invention

Because of said above mentioned and other reasons, as well as being aimed with the objective of overcoming them, including a lot of advantages and doing all that with a new technical effect, it was developed the invention herewith, that does not imply in significant changes in the racket itself or in its manufacturing process, but quite enhances and speeds up the process of learning how to play tennis.

The improvement herein is provided only by placing a color system in any racket, where each side will be painted or manufactured in a different and contrasting color, in a way that both sides of the racket can be visually distinct. In such a manner that, for each color is given a distinct characteristic, defining this way, the side for the right hand hit or "forehand hit" and the side for the left hand hit or "backhand hit".

In this condition, the system can be defined by any contrasting colors.

On the other hand, the handle of the racket also includes colors to complete the system and, in this case, the said handle presents preferably a faceted cross section, such as eight facets. Three of them will be colored according to the color of the referred side. This way, the tennis players will identify how to hold the handle to perform the to the demanded hit by the three colored strips: one color for the backhand hit of right-handed and left-handed tennis players painted in two distinct facets of the handle; and another color for the forehand hit of right-handed and left-handed tennis players painted in one third facet of the handle.

In this way, the color system helps kids and adults that are beginners in playing tennis, to identify the right hits (forehand) and left hits (backhand) more easily, being enough for that, to place the center of the hand palm over the correspondent color facet.

For a better comprehension of the present invention, it will be described below in details, being such description related to the attached drawings that are presented only to make clearer which are the parts that shall present the determined contrasting colors.

Fig. 1 shows a plane view of a racket;

Fig. 2 shows a side view of the same racket; Fig. 3 shows a view of the "A-A" section indicated in the Fig.

1 ;

Fig. 4 shows a view of the handle cross section of the said racket; and

Figs. 5 and 6 show illustrations of the forehand and backhand hits.

According to these illustrations and in its details, more particularly in Fig. 1 , the present improvement is possible to be applied to any racket traditionally used for practicing tennis, independently of the material in which the racket is made of, such as that shown in Fig. 1 , where it can be verified that the same is usually built in a strong oval ring (1 ) made of graphite, ceramic, metal or other suitable material, having in the inner side of the ring (1 ) a net (2) made of tensioned and crossed strings held to the said ring (1), while in the outer side of the ring (1 ) there is an elongation portion, aligned with its major axle herein called anatomic handle (3) with a faceted cross section.

According to what is shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the invention herein is characterized by the fact that the sides (L1 ) and (L2) of the ring (1 ) and the net (2) present different and contrasting colors (C1 ) and (C2), where each side of a different color makes reference to a different way of holding the handle (3), and also, the same colors are applied to the facets of the anatomic handle (3), where said colors are equally indicated as (C1 ) and (C2).

The colors (C1) and (C2) can be provided by any industrial process, being it through painting or the manufacturing material color itself.

Eventually, the colors (C1 ) and (C2) can be applied only to the sides (L1 ) and (L2) of the oval ring (1 ) and to the handle (3), leaving the net (2) in its original manufacturing color, such as transparent or similar.

To solve the problem in pre-existing rackets, it is possible the use of a suitable ink and an ordinary painting process.

This way, the novelty proposed by the present invention is a system of different colors for determined parts of the racket, in a way that such colors can be used to speed up learning the various ways of holding the handle (3), as well as the various ways of managing the said racket.

Related to Figs. 5 and 6, only as a practical example, it is, in the following, used two distinct colors, blue (C1 ) and red (C2). In this condition, the Fig. 5 shows the right or forehand hit and is represented by the red color (C2), and the Fig. 6 shows the left or the backhand hit that is represented by the blue color (C1). In the same way, the racket handle has eight facets. Three of them painted according to what is shown in Fig. 4, bearing in mind that the exemplified colors: one face blue (C1), one face red (C2), and one face blue (C1). This way, the beginners kids and the adults can identify the proper way to hold the handle by the colors backhand right-handed blue (C1 ), forehand right- handed and left-handed red (C2) and backhand left-handed blue (C1 ). In this way, the color system will help kids and adults to identify the right hits (forehand) and left hits (backhands) more easily.

Placing the center of the hand palm over the red color facet, it will be in the anatomic position to perform the forehand hit and placing it over the blue color facet, it will be in the anatomic position to perform the backhand hit and this is valid for the right-handed and the left- handed people.

Claims

CLAIMS IMPROVEMENT INTRODUCED IN TENNIS RACKET, possible to be applied to any racket traditionally used for the practice of tennis, independently of the material, ordinarily constituted by a strong oval ring (1 ) made of graphite, ceramic, metal or other suitable material, having held to its inner portion a net (2) formed by tensioned and crossed strings, while externally and aligned to its major axle there is an elongated anatomic handle (3) with a faceted cross section, characterized by the fact of including a contrasting color system for the orientation of the different holding positions, being for such purpose that the sides (L1) and (L2) of the ring (1) and the net (2) present different and contrasting colors (C1 ) and (C2), where each side of one color correspond to one way of holding the racket, as well as the same colors are applied to the facets of the anatomic handle (3). IMPROVEMENT INTRODUCED IN TENNIS RACKET, according to claim 1 , characterized by the fact that the colors (C1 ) and (C2) can be provided by any industrial process, being it given due to painting or due to the color of the applied material itself. IMPROVEMENT INTRODUCED IN TENNIS RACKET, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the colors (C1) and (C2) are applied only to sides (L1 ) and (L2) of the oval ring (1) and at the handle (3), leaving the net (2) in its original manufacturing color.