Grip

Abstract

A grip for the handle of a sports apparatus includes a sleeve sleeved onto the handle of the sports apparatus, a covering and a patch. The covering is covered on the sleeve, having a recessed portion. The patch fits and is bonded to the recessed portion. The user can selectively adhere a different material and/or color patch to the recessed portion subject to different requirements.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to sports apparatus and more particularly, to a grip for the handle of a sports apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art

The handle of a sports apparatus is provided for the holding of the user's hand so that the user can control the operation of the sports apparatus. Because the handle has a hard structure not comfortable to grasp for the user's hand, a soft grip may be used and wrapped about the handle.

A grip for this purpose may be formed of a flexible or soft grip belt for wrapping about the periphery of the handle. The grip belt has one single material and one single color. Various materials, including PU (Polyurethane), rubber, EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate), and etc., may be used for making a grip belt. PU has the advantage of soft touch. Rubber has the advantage of non-slippage. EVA has shock absorbing advantage. However, a single color grip is monotonous, not attractive to consumers.

Therefore, different grips are developed to eliminate the aforesaid drawback. U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,732 entitled “MULTI-SEGMENT SINGLE PANEL GRIP” discloses a grip for the handle of a golf club having multiple two layer panels that are wrapped about an underlisting sleeve. The edges of the panels are adhesively sealed together. The grip reduces impact and shock and provides a feeling of tackiness in the manner of a spirally wrapped polyurethane-felt grip while allowing the use of multiple color panels and easy instillation onto a golf club shaft. This design of grip is not satisfactory in function. Because there are different contact pressure between the fingers and palm of the hand and the grip, different cushions are required. For example, when used in a racket for badminton, it requires a relatively softer contact area for the fingers and an area having a relatively stronger shock absorbing power for the palm. When used in a golf club, the left hand and the right hand require a different touch.

Further, the touching pressure between the hand and the grip may vary with different users. In general, the gripping effect of a grip must be designed subject to the type of the sports apparatus or personal requirement. The aforesaid prior art design has a limitation to the effect of grasping and allows only arrangement of colors at the top and bottom sides.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a grip, which allows change of the structure of a particular gripping area to fit different users or different requirements.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a grip, which allows change of the structure and/or color of particular gripping area or areas.

To achieve these objects of the present invention, the grip comprises a sleeve for sleeving onto the handle of the sports apparatus; a covering covered on the sleeve and provided with a recessed portion at an outer surface thereof; and a patch fitting the recessed portion of the covering. The patch has an outer surface, an inner bonding surface bonded to the recessed portion, and a contour fitting the contour of the recessed portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a grip according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the grip according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an extended view of the covering for the grip according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a grip according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional assembly view of the grip according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a grip according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional assembly view of the grip according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a grip according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a sectional assembly view of the grip according to the fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a grip 1 in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown comprising a sleeve 10, a covering 20, and a patch 30.

The sleeve 10 is a tubular member having a body 11, a head 12, and a heel 13. The head 12 of the sleeve 10 defines an opening through which the handle of a sports apparatus is inserted into the grip 1. The heel 13 of the sleeve 10 is the bottom end at which the inserted handle is stopped. The body 11 has an inner surface maintained in contact with the periphery of the handle of the sports apparatus.

The covering 20 is a sheet member having an outer surface 21, an inner surface 22, a first long side 23, a first short side 24, a second long side 25 opposite to the first long side 23, and a second short side 26 opposite to the first short side 24. The first long side 23 and the second long side 25 are equal to the length of the body 11 of the sleeve 10. The first long side 23 and the second long side 25 are stitched together to hold the covering 20 in a tubular shape for fitting onto the body 11 of the sleeve 10. A recessed portion 27 is formed in the outer surface 21 of the covering 20 near the second short side 26. The recessed portion 27 has an arched contour. The location of the recessed portion 27 corresponds to the finger cushion of the thumb of the hand holding the grip 1.

The patch 30 has an outer surface 31, an inner bonding surface 32, and a periphery 33. The periphery 33 of the patch 30 shows an arched contour fitting the recessed portion 27. The inner bonding surface 32 of the patch 30 is covered with glue and adhered to the recessed portion 27 of the covering 20. The patch 30 differs from the covering 20 in material and color. According to this embodiment, the covering 20 is made of PU (Polyurethane), and the patch 30 is made of EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate), and therefore a better shock absorbing effect is provided to the finger cushion of the thumb of the hand holding the grip 1. To a person whose palm tends to sweat, a rubber patch may be used to substitute for the EVA patch.

By means of the design of the recessed portion 37 in the covering 20, patches 30 of different materials may be selectively bonded to the recessed portion 37 of the covering 20 to protect the finger cushion of the user's thumb against shocks.

Further, the covering 20 and the patch 30 may be made of same material in different colors to produce a visual effect. The covering 20 and the patch 30 can also be made of same material but processed to provide a different coefficient of surface friction.

The size, shape and/or quantity of the recessed portion 27 may be changed to fit different sports apparatus or different requirements. FIGS. 5 and 6 show a grip 4 constructed according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the grip 4 comprises a sleeve 10, a covering 40, and a patch 50. The covering 40 has a recessed portioned portion 47 extending along the length to the two opposite short sides. The patch 50 is a narrow elongated sheet member fitting the recessed portion 47 of the covering 40 for the resting of the finger cushions of the five fingers. Further, the patch 50 and the covering 40 can be made of same or different materials in different colors to produce a visual effect.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a grip 6 constructed according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the grip 6 comprises a sleeve 10, a covering 60, and a patch 70. The covering 60 has a recessed portion 67 extending over the lower part of the whole surface area thereof. The width of the recessed portion 67 is equal to one half of the axial length of the covering 60. The patch 70 fits the recessed portion 67. The main concept of this embodiment is to provide two gripping areas at different elevations for the holding of the hand selectively. The patch 70 and the covering 60 can be made of same or different materials in different colors to produce a visual effect.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show a grip 8 constructed according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the grip 6 comprises a sleeve 10, a covering 80, and a patch 90. The covering 80 has a recessed portion 87 transversely extending between the two opposite long sides thereof on the middle. The width of the recessed portion 87 is approximately equal to the size of the finger cushion of the thumb. The patch 90 is a narrow elongated sheet member fitting the recessed portion 87. After wrapping of the covering 80 about the sleeve 10, the recessed portion 87 forms an annular groove around the periphery of the sleeve 10. The main concept of this embodiment is to provide a particular middle gripping area for the thumb. The patch 90 and the covering 80 can be made of same or different materials in different colors to produce a visual effect.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A grip for the handle of a sports apparatus, said grip comprising:

a sleeve for sleeving onto the handle of the sports apparatus;

a covering covered on said sleeve, said covering having a recessed portion at an outer surface thereof; and

a patch fitting said recessed portion of said covering, said patch having an outer surface, an inner bonding surface bonded to said recessed portion, and a contour fitting the contour of said recessed portion.

2. The grip as claimed in claim 1, wherein said covering is a sheet member having said outer surface, an inner surface, a first long side, a first short side, a second long side, and a second short side, said first long side and said second long side being equal to a length of said sleeve, said first long side and said second long side being stitched together to hold said covering in a tubular shape covered on said sleeve.

3. The grip as claimed in claim 1, wherein said covering and said patch are made of a same material.

4. The grip as claimed in claim 1, wherein said covering and said patch are made of a same material, and said covering and said patch respectively have a different coefficient of surface friction.

5. The grip as claimed in claim 1, wherein said covering and said patch are made of different materials.

6. The grip as claimed in claim 1, wherein said covering and said patch have different colors.

7. The grip as claimed in claim 1, wherein said recessed portion of the covering has an arch contour and is located near a lower side of the covering.

8. The grip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recessed portion extends along a length of said covering.

9. The grip as claimed in claim 8, wherein said recessed portion has a length equal to the length of said covering.

10. The grip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recessed portion of said covering extends over a lower half of said covering between two opposite lateral sides of said covering and has a width equal to one half of a length of said covering.

11. The grip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recessed portion of said covering transversely extends between two opposite lateral sides of said covering on a middle of said covering to form an annular recess.