WO2006074566A1

WO2006074566A1 - Ergonomic handle for sports facilities

Info

Publication number: WO2006074566A1
Application number: PCT/CH2006/000016
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christian Constantin; Charles Humbert; Daniel Zosso
Original assignee: Humbert, Jason
Priority date: 2005-01-11
Filing date: 2006-01-09
Publication date: 2006-07-20

Abstract

The invention relates to an ergonomic handle for sports facilities, in particular a tennis racket or the like and a hockey stick provided with a gripping portion at the free end thereof. The inventive gripping portion (11) comprises a central body (12) in the form of a truncated spindle whose lower end (12a) extends flaring towards a seat (13) which is substantially circular and whose top end (12b) extends upwardly flaring up to the top end (14) of the body (12) and a connection element (15) connecting the end (14) to the substantially rectangular part (16) of the handle (10). The body (12) also comprises two stops (17, 18) which are arranged on the surface thereof and are embodied in the form of a helical line turning at 180° from two diametrically opposite points of the seat (13) in such a way that they are ended at the largest diameter of the top end (12b) flare. Each opposite end of the stops (17, 18) is substantially placed on the plane of symmetry (P) of a sports facility. Said configuration reduces the risk of muscle injury of users.

Description

ERGONOMIC HANDLE FOR SPORTS GOODS

Field of the invention

The invention relates to an ergonomic handle for a sports article, in particular a tennis racket or the like and a hockey stick, comprising at its free end a gripping part, said gripping part comprising a central body in the form of a truncated spindle, the l the lower end is extended by widening towards a base of substantially circular section and the upper end of which extends by widening upwards to the upper end of said body, of oval or elliptical section, and an element connecting connecting said end to the substantially straight portion of the handle.

STATE OF THE PRIOR ART Sports which are practiced using a racket or a stick, in particular tennis and ice hockey, are very popular. These kinds of sport require power, relaxation, speed and flexibility, as well as certain endurance in the face of physical effort far from being negligible, whether it is practiced for mere pleasure or in competition.

For a long time now, we have paid particular attention to the manufacture of tennis rackets and neighboring sports, squash or badminton, particularly in the choice of materials, the shape of the handle, the racket head or the sieve. for example.

Most racket handles for sporting goods have a round or chamfered handle, surrounded by a "grip" and, depending on the position of the hand on the "grip", it is possible to obtain different orientations of the sieve. In fact, the handle, as well by its shape as its constitution or the nature of its coating, also contributes to a large part to the performance mentioned above. Optimal grip allows you to develop all the power you want when you hit the ball, for a serve, a forehand or reverse.

With regard more particularly to players, in particular beginners tennis players, various technical solutions have been proposed in order to guarantee correct positioning of the hand on the handle of the handle, in particular favoring a grip avoiding any inappropriate muscular tension. Publication WO 96/120029 for example, describes a tennis racket whose handle, in particular the "grip", has protuberances around which the thumb and forefinger come to bear in order to indirectly ensure correct orientation of the sieve upon impact on the ball. US Patent 4,664,361 relates to a tennis racket whose handle is provided with lugs ensuring the quasi-immobilization of the palm as well as an optimal clamping position. This type of racket is recommended for beginners.

Tennis is in some ways a power sport, the force that should be deployed in order to give maximum power to the ball, for example during a service, and the return shock that the player undergoes during the impact of the sieve on the ball, are not without consequences on the muscular or articular level. The players are sooner or later affected by the repetition of such shocks or vibratory effects and may eventually develop disorders such as muscle pain or tension, muscle or ligament tears, distortions or inflammations in the muscles and joints, designated by the medical terms of "tennis-elbow", epicondylitis or epitrochleitis.

Faced with this very serious problem, numerous solutions have also been proposed, such as that of the use of an anti-vibration device placed in the frame of the racket or in the heart of the handle and illustrated by US patent 6,106,417. Other solutions provide elastic torsional joints arranged between the handle and the racket head described in US Pat. No. 6,537,164, or also notched elements which are the subject of US Pat. 865,694 incorporated in the handle and adjustable at will in order to give the sieve a correct dynamic positioning at the moment of impact on the ball.

Hockey, whether on ice or field, is also a power sport, since players must hit a puck or a leather ball with a stick held in both hands, one of the hands being used to hold the handle firmly of the stick by its free end and the other hand sliding on said handle. To allow a good grip of the stick, there are accessories which can fit on the free end of the handle and form a handle. Such accessories are described in particular by international publications WO 2004/067100 and WO 02/038229. They allow better grip of the stock and reduce the risk of hand slipping, which can result in a lower clamping force. However, the risks of muscle tension and inflammation in the wrist and hand of the player are not reduced.

Despite the abundance of advanced technical solutions, muscle or joint trauma or micro-trauma due to the practice of a sport such as tennis or hockey are far from being eliminated among the athletes concerned, whether they are amateurs or professionals. Conditions such as "tennis-elbow", muscle contractures or tendonitis are still common, so any improvement to existing sporting goods used to practice these sports is welcome.

Summary of the invention

The object of the present invention is precisely to provide an appropriate solution to the problems set out above by offering an ergonomic handle whose specific configuration makes it possible to advantageously overcome the aforementioned drawbacks. This object is achieved by an ergonomic handle for a sports article as defined in the preamble and characterized in that said body has on its surface two helical edges, developing over 180 ° from two diametrically opposite points of the base to end at the largest diameter of the flare of the upper end section, each of the opposite ends of the edges lying substantially in the plane of symmetry of the sports article.

Advantageously, each helix-shaped edge develops a helical gripping surface on the spindle-shaped body.

When the user of said sports article is right-handed, the helix-shaped edges are dextrorotatory, and when he is left-handed, said edges are levorotoric.

Preferably, the edge formed on the face of the body, opposite the face in contact with the user's hand, develops with a step progressively greater than that of the edge to reach a maximum differential equal to about 1/5. , and preferably equal to about 1/10, of the height of the fusiform body, substantially halfway up said fusiform body.

According to a first embodiment, the gripping part is made in one piece with said handle by molding or by injection of a polymeric material.

According to a second embodiment, the gripping part is made in one piece by molding or by injection of a polymeric material and is integral with a central axis extending the connecting element through said handle.

According to a third embodiment, the gripping part consists of a set of parts, arranged to cooperate with each other and integral with a central axis extending the connecting element through said handle.

Brief description of the drawings The present invention and its advantages will be better understood on reading the detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention given by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the appended drawings in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B represent the ergonomic handle according to the invention used respectively on a tennis racket and a hockey stick,

FIG. 2 shows in enlarged view one of the faces of the grip part of the ergonomic handle according to the invention,

FIG. 3 represents the face opposite to that illustrated by FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 represents the gripping part of the ergonomic handle according to the invention seen according to the arrows A-A of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 5 shows the positioning of the hand of a tennis player grasping the grip part of the ergonomic handle of the racket illustrated in FIG. 1A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate two forms of use of the ergonomic handle 10 according to the invention respectively equipping a tennis racket 100 intended for a right-handed player and a hockey stick 200.

Figures 2 to 4 show in enlarged view the gripping portion 11 of the ergonomic handle 10 disposed at the free end of said handle. This gripping part comprises a central body 12, also known as a handle, in the form of a truncated spindle. The lower end section 12a of said body 12 is extended by widening towards a base 13 of practically circular section and the upper end section 12b is extended by widening upwards to the end of the body 12, defined in the figure by the dotted line 14, of oval or elliptical section. Base 13,

5 generally circular in shape, may have a flat or slightly domed bottom. The upper end section 12b, at its junction with the central part of the body 12, is at the start of a practically circular shape, progressively evolving towards an oval or elliptical type shape in order to ensure the joint with the corresponding portion of a connecting element 15 with the

10 _{. .} rectjiigne part 16 of the handle of substantially rectangular section of the. racket 100 or stick 200. This connecting element 15 is preferably made in one piece with the body 12

The flaring of the lower end section 12a towards the base 13 can be

15 more or less marked and will preferably be adapted to the configuration of the palm of the hand. This characteristic configuration, in addition to contributing to the balance of the mass of the handle, ensures closer contact with the player's hand and also acts as a brake or retaining element, in particular preventing the racket from slipping. forward in play position.

20

The major characteristic element of the ergonomic handle according to the invention is materialized by the presence, on the surface of the fusiform central body 12 of two edges 17 and 18 respectively in the form of a helix, developing over a total of 180 ° from two diametrically opposite points of the base 13 for

25 terminate at the level of the largest diameter of the flare of the upper end section 12b, each of the opposite ends of the edges 17 and 18 lying substantially in the plane of symmetry P of the sports article, so as to develop a curved helical gripping surface located for its essential portion on the fusiform body 12.

30

Another essential characteristic element of the handle according to the invention is that it does not absolutely respect the axial symmetry, respectively flat, which characterizes the whole of a racket, as regards the positioning of the two edges 17 and 18 in the form of a helix formed on the central body 12. This relative asymmetry is achieved by developing said edge 17 on the face of the handle opposite the face in contact with the user's hand with a step progressively greater than that of the edge 18 formed on the face in contact with the user's hand to reach a maximum differential equal to about one fifth of the height of the body 12, substantially halfway up the said body 12. Preferably, this helix pitch differential a is at most about 1/10 of the reference height, and more generally between 1/10 and 1/25, but those skilled in the art can vary it as they wish according to the above scale of values, in order to give the desired shape to the handle according to the invention. This relative asymmetry is illustrated by the fact that, the handle being assumed to be transparent, the point of intersection of the edges 17 and 18 is slightly offset from the axis of symmetry S of the racket or the stick, respectively of the handle.

This particular arrangement is well illustrated in FIG. 4 where it can be seen that the edge 17 leaves the plane P at a height where the edge 18 does not yet appear on the central body 12. When the racket 100 is intended for a right-handed player such as that illustrated by the figures, the edges 17 and 18 are dextrorotatory and when the player is left-handed said edges are levorotoric.

This particular configuration makes it possible to develop on the central body 12 a helical contact surface ensuring optimal contact between the palm of the hand and the handle. This gives the filling of the palm of the player's hand (Figure 5), which ensures almost ideal support of the racket without causing any muscle tension. The originality of the arrangement of the edges in the shape of an asymmetrical helix also has the merit of optimally corresponding to the morphology of the hand, itself asymmetrical, in this case of trapezoidal shape when one limits oneself to the palm itself. Practice shows that one of the main advantages inherent in the use of a sports racket incorporating a handle according to the invention, in particular the intensive practice of tennis or hockey, consists in a very appreciable reduction in the harmful effects usually appearing. both at the level of the stressed muscles, ligaments, tendons or joints.

Indeed, by the helical shape of its handle, the handle according to the invention naturally leads the player's hand into the appropriate position for the backhand or forehand, or the hitting of the puck or the ball. The shape and volume of the central body 12 cause optimal contact between the palm of the hand and the handle, filling the hollow of the hand allowing palmar support similar to that created by a plantar support in a shoe. The tension exerted by the flexors of the fingers on a handle which is clearly more ergonomic than the current standard appreciably improves the holding of the latter, without however increasing the muscular tensions at the level of the insertions at risk.

In addition, in the context of tennis, by its volume, the central body 12 moves the center of gravity of the racket towards the base of the handle, thus avoiding the phenomenon of the "heavy head" racket. Thanks to the flaring of the base 13, the player's hand perceives the end of the handle and can then increase the contact and support of the ulnar edge of the hypothenar with the body

12. The second flaring in the upper part 12b of the handle, close to the heart of the racket, allows a good grip of the second hand during a backhand for example, without the latter sliding along the handle.

Thus, this characteristic configuration of the handle lets predict better handling of the ball as well as a more powerful strike, without however overloading the muscles sought during powerful backhands or during forehands or services. It has also been observed that, by a judicious choice of the material of the handle, it can be ensured that the latter does not increase the overall weight of the racket. This point is very important given the known role of weight on the pathology of "tennis-elbow".

Although to a lesser degree than what is explained above with regard to the asymmetry of the development of the pitch of the helical edges, another type of asymmetry can also coexist. In the latter case, it is a slight offset from the starting point of the lower ends of the edges 17 and 18, that is to say at the level of the base 13, or at their upper end, relative in the middle plane P of the racket or the stick.

This particular configuration makes it possible to ensure, depending on the needs or the morphology of the player, an optimal dynamic positioning of the racket during a service, a forehand or a backhand. Those skilled in the art, however, have complete freedom to adjust this new differential, or even delete it and then only retain a symmetrical configuration at this level.

The construction of the grip part 11, respectively of the connecting element 15 does not require modification of the geometry or of the components of the other constituent elements of a sports racket, branches, frame or strings of the sieve for example or d a hockey stick.

The same applies to the materials which can be used for its manufacture, these being to be chosen from among the modern materials common in this technical field such as polymeric materials or metals, alloys or fibers of all kinds. Most generally, the handle according to the invention is made in one piece from a molded or injected polymer material.

In one of the embodiments envisaged by the invention, the gripping part 11 may consist of a single-piece sleeve, for example of molded or injected polymer material, secured to a central axis extending the connecting element through said handle. According to another alternative embodiment not shown, said gripping part 11 may consist of a set of parts, for example made of molded or injected polymer material, adjustable between them at the option of the user and integral with a central axis extending the connecting element through said sleeve. This gives the person skilled in the art the opportunity to make almost entirely a variety of racket or sticks adapted, or even personalized according to the morphology of the player, his experience or his level.

For purely indicative purposes, the grip part 11 for an ergonomic handle according to the invention for a tennis racket intended for an adult male player, may have the following characteristic dimensions: total height: approx. 220 mm - height of the central body: approx. 115 mm height of lower end approx. 40 mm height of the connecting element: approx. 65 mm base diameter: approx. 55 mm maximum width of the central body: approx. 55 mm - pitch differential: approx. 10 mm.

It is obvious that the grip part of a handle intended for an adult player will be of reduced dimensions compared to those given in example, for some of them at least. Similarly, the dimensions of a handle intended for adolescents or children will have even smaller dimensions.

Depending on the needs, it is also possible to provide various arrangements in the handle of the racket such as, for example, heat dissipating devices such as ventilation channels, or even a central cavity intended to contain the most diverse objects. It is obvious that the ergonomic handle according to the invention can also equip a squash or badminton racket, for which the advantages described have all their importance, and be modified accordingly without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. Ergonomic handle for a sports article, in particular a tennis racket or the like and a hockey stick, comprising at its free end a gripping part (11), said gripping part comprising a central body (12) in the form of a spindle truncated whose lower end (12a) is extended by widening towards a base (13) of substantially circular section and whose upper end (12b) is extended by widening upwards to the upper end (14) of said body (12), of oval or elliptical section, and a connecting element (15) connecting said end (14) to the substantially rectilinear part (16) of the handle (10), characterized in that said body ( 12) has on its surface two edges (17, 18) in the form of a helix, developing over 180 ° from two diametrically opposite points of the base (13) to terminate at the level of the largest diameter of the flaring of the upper end section

(12b), each of the opposite ends of the edges (17, 18) lying substantially in the plane of symmetry (P) of the sports article.

2. Ergonomic handle according to claim 1, characterized in that each edge (17, 18) in the form of a helix develops a helical gripping surface on the spindle-shaped body (12).

3. Ergonomic handle according to claim 1, characterized in that the edges (17, 18) in the form of a helix are dextrorotatory when the user of said sporting article is right-handed.

4. Ergonomic handle according to claim 1, characterized in that the edges (17, 18) in the form of a helix are levogyres when the user of said sporting article is left-handed.

5. Ergonomic handle according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the edge (17) formed on the face of the body (12), opposite to the face in contact with the user's hand, develops with a step progressively greater than that of the edge (18) to reach a maximum differential (a) equal to approximately 1/5, and preferably equal to approximately 1/10, of the height of the fusiform body (12), substantially halfway up said fusiform body (12).

6. Ergonomic handle according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the gripping part (11) is made in one piece with said handle by molding or by injection of a polymeric material.

7. Ergonomic handle according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the gripping part (11) is made in one piece by molding or by injection of a polymer material and is integral with a central axis extending the connecting element (15) through said handle.

8. Ergonomic handle according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the grip part (11) consists of a set of parts, arranged to cooperate with each other and integral with a central axis extending the element connecting (15) through said handle.