CN1703260A - Racquet handles and rackets equipped with such handles - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a racket shaft (1) to one end of which a racket head (3) is intended to be connected, said racket shaft (1) comprising a grip portion (13), said racket shaft (1) having at its other end a handle (11) detachably mounted on the racket shaft (1), said handle (11) having a transverse dimension (T) which is larger than the diameter (D) of the part of the racket shaft (1) to which the handle (11) is mounted. The invention also relates to a racket equipped with a racket shaft according to the present invention. The invention is characterised in that the grip portion (13) is provided with two protrusions (5, 7), the grip portion (13) being in the form of an exchangeable part mounted on the core (12) of the racket shaft (1); the handle (11) in the mounted position abuts the free end of the core (12) and constitutes a stop for the grip portion (13).

Description

Racquet handles and rackets equipped with such handles

technical field

The present invention relates to a racket shaft connected at one end to a racket head, said racket shaft comprising a gripping portion, said racket shaft having at its other end a handle detachably mounted on the racket shaft, said handle having a lateral The dimension is greater than the diameter of the portion of the racket shaft to which the grip is mounted. The invention also relates to a racket equipped with a racket handle according to the invention.

Background technique

A previous racket handle is known from British Patent 0 898 988 A2, which has a replaceable part which can be mounted and detached from the shaft of the racket handle. To fix the grip part on the shaft, screws are used cooperating with wedge nuts locked axially on the shaft.

A previous racket shaft is known from US-A-5,605,327, said shaft having at its free end a butt cap that can be pushed on the free end of the shaft. The docking cap defines an internal volume which may be provided with ballast in the form of a metal bullet or disc.

From US-A-259,448 or US-A-4,828,261 it is known that previous racket handles were provided with two recesses surrounding the handle, the recesses being placed at a distance from each other in the longitudinal direction of the handle. The transition and connection between the two depressions is rounded.

Contents of the invention

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a racket handle/racquet that is generally ergonomically designed to provide the user with better grip, control, support and balance.

Another object of the invention is to make certain parts of the racket handle replaceable.

Yet another object of the present invention is to improve the balance of the racket handle.

At least the primary object of the invention is achieved by a racket handle/racquet with the features given in the appended independent claims.

Description of drawings

Embodiments of rackets according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of a racket according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows the details of the handle of the racket in Figure 1;

Fig. 3 shows the section along III-III in Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is an exploded view of the handle of the racket of Figure 2, the handle being composed of a plurality of replaceable parts; and

Figure 5 shows the components of Figure 4 in an assembled state, with multiple sections shown for increased clarity.

Detailed ways

A racket according to the present invention includes a racket handle 1 and a racket head 3 as shown in FIG. 1 . The racket shaft 1 and the racket head 3 are rigidly connected to each other so that existing forces can be transmitted between the racket head 3 and the racket shaft 1 . Generally, the racket shaft 1 according to the invention has a new and innovative design, while the racket head 3 is of traditional design.

As can be seen from the plan view according to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the racket grip has a first thickening or projection 5 and a second thickening or projection 7 . An intermediate portion 9 is provided between the first and second protruding portions 5 and 7 , an arcuate transition is present between the protruding portions 5 , 7 and the intermediate portion 9 .

Both the protruding parts 5 and 7 have an arc wave shape along the longitudinal direction of the racket handle 1 . Both the protruding parts 5, 7 and the middle part 9 are preferably provided with an outer gripping wrap, indicated by oblique lines 10 in Figs. 1 and 2 . When the cladding layer 10 is damaged, it can be replaced.

The two projections 5 and 7 of the handle 1 are adapted to the anatomical grip shape of the hand. The hand has a reversed (concave) receptive grip shape. When the hand grasps a mass of earth of suitable size and grips until a comfortable grip thickness is obtained, the result is an elongated body having a shape corresponding to the protrusions 5 and 7 of the handle 1 . The reason that the handle 1 is provided with two lugs 5 and 7 is also to make it more suitable for a two-handed grip during use by many users, preferably in connection with backhand pumping. The distance between the two protrusions 5 and 7 along the longitudinal direction of the racket handle 1 can of course vary according to the size of the user's hand grasping the racket handle 1 .

A cross-section of a racket grip 1 according to the invention is shown in Figure 3, and it is evident that the core 12 is generally square in shape with beveled corners. On the outside of the core 12 , a gripping portion 13 is provided, which has protruding portions 5 , 7 and a middle portion 9 on its outer side. Inside it, the grip part 13 is provided with a layer 8 , preferably of hard plastic, and the cross-section of the layer 8 is adapted to that of the core 12 , ie the layer 8 defines the inner hole of the grip part 13 . The rest of the grip part 13, ie the part with the protruding parts 5, 7 and the middle part 9, is preferably made of silicone rubber or foam rubber. This is of course only an example, and the user can of course choose the material of the grip part to best suit each individual.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , at the lower end of the handle 1 is mounted a handle 11 having a spherical shape at a portion away from the adjacent second protruding portion 7 .

Mounted at the end of the racket shaft 1 remote from the racket head 3 is a handle 11 which generally has a maximum transverse dimension T substantially greater than the diameter D of the end of the shaft 1 to which the handle 11 is attached. Preferably, the relationship between T and D is 1.5D<T<2D.

Figures 3 and 4 show in more detail a preferred structural design of the racket grip 1 according to the invention. Figure 3 shows the main components making up an embodiment of the racket grip 1 according to the invention. Thus, the racket grip 1 comprises a core 12 machined, for example, from aluminium, plastic, fiber or graphite. In terms of processing, the core 12 and the racket head 3 can preferably be processed from the same material. If the core is machined from aluminum, it is usually hollow. The core 12 is rigidly connected to the racquet head 3 so that existing forces can be transmitted between the racquet head 3 and the core 12 . The racket handle 1 also comprises a grip portion 13 which in turn is provided with two protruding portions 5 , 7 and an intermediate portion 9 . Preferably, the core 12 has an outer non-circular cross-sectional shape and the grip portion 13 has an inner through hole 8 of a corresponding non-circular cross-sectional shape. The purpose of this is to avoid rotation of the gripping portion 13 relative to the core 12 . Preferably, the cross-sectional shape is octagonal.

The racket grip 1 also comprises a handle 11 provided with an externally threaded portion 14 and a removable cap 15 arranged on a diametrically opposite side of the handle 11 with respect to the threaded portion 14 . The cap 15 is screwed to the rest of the handle 11, and the rest of the handle 11 is hollow, as shown in FIG. 4 .

FIG. 4 shows how the component parts according to FIG. 3 are assembled to make a racket grip 1 according to the invention. The grip portion 13 is pushed onto the core 12 and the handle 11 is mounted on the free end of the core 12 . The detachable installation of the handle 11 is realized through the cooperation of the externally threaded portion 14 and the internally threaded hole 16 on the core 12 . Proper tightening of the handle 11 achieves proper fixation of the handle 11 at the free end of the core 12 .

It can be clearly seen in Fig. 4 that the hollow handle 11 is filled with small shot balls 17 which may affect the weight distribution of the racket according to the invention.

By detachably mounting some of the components included in the grip 1 on the core 12 , it is possible to mount components of different sizes, namely, the grip portion 13 and the handle 11 on the core 12 . With regard to the different sizes of the gripping portion 13, it is basically a matter of different maximum dimensions of the projections 5,7 and the mutual distance between the projections 5,7. Different sizes with respect to the handle 11 generally imply different transverse dimensions T.

With regard to the grip part 13 in particular, the possibility of disassembly also means that it is possible to use the grip part 13 machined from different materials, which further emphasizes the possibility of adapting to each individual. Regarding the different materials of the grip part 13, soft rubber like silicone, harder foam rubber or a composite of different plastics are mentioned as examples but not limiting. The material applied to the grip portion 13 has inherent vibration damping properties, or a vibration damping filler may be locally installed between the core 12 and the grip portion 13 .

The grip portion 13 can also have different surface patterns, such as grooves, raised hills, recessed holes, wave-shaped embossing. Taken together, proper choice of material and surface pattern can allow adequate contact with the hand in addition to properly absorbing existing perspiration. The material and surface pattern provide ventilation to cool the hands and keep them dry naturally without excessive perspiration.

It should be mentioned that in some cases it is possible to eliminate the grip wrap 10 of the grip part 13, and it is also possible to replace the entire grip part 13 when it breaks.

As is apparent from FIG. 4 , both the grip portion 13 and the handle 11 are removably mounted to the core 12 . This structural design offers each user the unique possibility of customizing his/her own racket, ie he/she can choose a grip 13 which is individually adapted with regard to size, material choice and surface structure. With regard to the grip 11 the user can also choose appropriate dimensions, through the hollow of the grip 11 and through the degree of filling of the small shot 7 through the hollow grip 11 the weight distribution of the racket according to the invention is influenced.

A handle 11 mounted to the free end of the core 12 provides a unique support for the hand at the free end of the handle portion 1 . This naturally prevents the racquet from slipping, ie it is theoretically impossible for the racquet to slip out of the hand. In addition, the handle 11 increases the contact surface between the handle part 1 and the user's hand.

The grip 11 also brings other functional benefits when using a racquet according to the invention. Its obvious benefit to the user in tennis is that he/she has a greater range of motion and a higher hitting point relative to the opponent. This is especially important when serving. Thus, the handle 11 slightly increases the length of the racket handle 1 compared to conventional racket handles, since it can be fully or partially gripped on the handle 11 . This is especially important when serving or returning the ball close to the touchline.

When the user is fully or partially gripping the handle 11, his hand and wrist can be rotated more easily relative to the racket handle 1, which is an obvious benefit for the user wishing to hit the ball with unique topspin . In terms of serving, a harder, crisper serve can be obtained compared to a conventional grip because the hand is partially rotated relative to the handle 11 in the final stages of the serve.

Possible Modifications of the Invention

In the embodiments described above it has been stated that the inner through hole of the grip portion 13 and the core 12 have cross-sections corresponding to each other. However, within the scope of the present invention, it is also feasible that the gripping portion 13 can be designed to be made of a flexible material, the internal through hole of which is adapted to the outer shape of the core 12 when the gripping portion 13 is mounted on the core 12 , this is preferably achieved by pushing the grip portion 13 onto the core 12 . In this case, too, rotation of the grip portion 13 relative to the core 12 is avoided.

In the embodiments described above, the racket grip 1 comprises a plurality of replaceable constituent parts. However, it is also possible within the scope of the invention that the grip is not provided with replaceable components, but that the components of the grip are permanently connected to each other.

The invention first started with a tennis racket. However, the principles of the invention can also be applied to other sports related to rackets, and for example squash and badminton which may be mentioned for non-limiting purposes. Of course, some adaptations to the movement may be required in making a racket/racket according to the invention.

Claims (10)

1. A racket handle (1), one end of which is connected to a racket head (3), said racket handle (1) comprising a gripping portion (13), said racket handle (1) having a detachable The handle (11) installed on the racket handle (1), the transverse dimension (T) of the handle (11) is larger than the diameter (D) of the part of the racket handle (1) on which the handle (11) is installed, which characterized in that the gripping part (13) is provided with two protruding parts (5, 7), the gripping part (13) is in the form of a replaceable part mounted on the core (12) of the racket handle (1), The handle (11) in the installed position adjoins the free end of the core (12) and constitutes a stop for the gripping portion (13). 2. Racquet handle (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the handle (11) is partially spherical. 3. The racket handle (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the handle (11) has an external threaded portion (14), and the core (12) has an internal threaded hole ( 16). 4. Racquet handle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the core (12) has an outer non-circular cross-sectional shape and the inner hole (8) of the grip part (13) has a corresponding non-circular cross-sectional shape. Circular cross-sectional shape. 5. The racket handle (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the cross-sectional shape is octagonal. 6. A racket comprising a racket shaft (1) and a racket head (3), said racket shaft (1) comprising a grip portion (13), and the racket shaft (1) at its end remote from the racket head (3) The part has a handle (11) which is detachably mounted on the racket handle (1), the handle (11) having a diameter larger than the part of the racket handle (1) to which the handle (11) is mounted (D) Transversal dimension (T), characterized in that the gripping part (13) is equipped with two protrusions (5, 7), the gripping part (13) is designed to be mounted on the core of the racket handle (1) The replaceable part on the part (12), and the handle (11) in the installed position is adjacent to the end of the racket handle (1), constituting the stop part of the grip part (13). 7. Racquet according to claim 6, characterized in that the handle (11) is partially spherical. 8. Racquet according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the handle (11) has an externally threaded portion (14), and the core (12) has an internally threaded hole (16) for receiving the externally threaded portion (14). 9. The racket according to any one of the preceding claims 6-8, characterized in that the core (12) has an external non-circular cross-sectional shape, and the inner hole (8) of the grip part (13) has a corresponding non-circular cross-sectional shape. shaped cross-sectional shape. 10. The racket of claim 9, wherein the cross-sectional shape is octagonal.

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