Shock and Vibration Attenuating Device for Sports Equipment

A shock and vibration attenuating device is inserted into or attached to the stroke portion of sports equipment and provided with a chamber carrier and mass particles dispersed in one or more chambers formed into the chamber carrier. The inner surface of the chambers and the mass particles are coated with an electrically conductive material layer to prevent the particles from clinging together or clinging to the inner surface of the chambers, so that the particles are able to move freely within the chambers to attenuate the shock and vibrations of the sports equipment caused by reacting-force during stroke.

Skip to: Description  ·  Claims  · Patent History  ·  Patent History
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment, and more particularly to a shock and vibration attenuating device to be inserted in the sports equipment which have a handle and a stroke portion.

2. Description of the Prior Art

When a force is applied to make two objects collide with each other, it will produce two reacting forces on the two objects. Therefore, for ball games such as tennis, badminton, baseball, golf, cricket and polo or even skiing etc, the ball hitting or the skiing action shall be performed by a player by hitting the ball or the ground with one hand holding the sports equipment (the equipment may be the bats, clubs, rackets or ski poles etc.). When the sports equipment collides the ball, there will be a reacting force conveying to sports equipment and causes a high energetic shock impulse and vibration. The high energetic shock impulse and the vibration would be transmitted to the hand holding the sports equipment via the handle of the sports equipment, and this is the cause of the “tennis elbow” and similar injuries.

For this reason, manufacturers of related sports equipment have been searching for constructional possibilities to attenuate the vibration and absorb the shock generated by kick-back by rackets. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A, a conventional tennis racket 10 is provided with a plurality of chambers 11 with the opening closed by a removable stopper 12 and filled with movable masses, such as mass particles 13 or liquid (not shown) of high specific weight. During a striking action, the mass particles 13 or liquid will move freely within the chambers 11 along with the movement of the tennis racket 10 to generate a counter force interfering with the reacting-force caused shock impulse and oscillation waves, so that the shock impulse and oscillation waves caused by reacting force would be attenuated before being transmitted to the player's hand, which therefore effectively reduces injuries to the player's wrist.

However, the attenuation of the high energetic impact shock impulse in previous mass system is limited. To match the contact time of different impact systems, the single chambers (10) should be filled partially to allow for a free movement of either the filled-in mass particles or a heavy liquid. The heavier the specific weight of the mass particles or the liquid is; the better the efficiency of the generated impact counter force will be during impact. When liquid or mass particles are moving within the chambers during impact, the electro static phenomenon on the surface of chambers usually results in the difficulty of movement or malfunction of mass particles. Hence, shock impulse suppression and the vibration attenuation effect would be affected by the said difficulty or malfunction.

The problem of electro static charges are illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2D and FIGS. 3A-3D. FIGS. 2A and 3A show that the mass particles 13 are gathered at the right side of the chamber 11 when the tennis racket 10 is swung in the direction indicated by the arrow 1, and further at the initial stage when the ball 2 just contacts with the tennis racket 10. FIGS. 2B and 3B indicate that the mass particles 13 start moving from the right side to the left side of the chamber 11 during impact when the ball 2 collides with the tennis racket 10 and slightly deforms. To finally have a secondary time delayed impact, generating the counter directed impact impulse to suppress the initially generated impact shock impulse within the impact system is desired.

FIGS. 2C and 3C further illustrate the midpoint between the time when the ball 2 touches and rebounds from the tennis racket 10. The deformation of the ball 2 in FIGS. 2C and 3C is more apparent as compared with the balls as shown in FIG. 3B, and the mass particles 13 move to the left side of the chamber 11. FIGS. 2D and 3D show the time point when the ball 2 rebounds from the tennis racket 10, wherein the vibration caused by reacting force after-collision will be transferred to the mass particles 13 via the wall of the chamber 11, causing the mass particles 13 to move from the left side to the right side of the chamber 11. In this way, the mass particles 13 move back and forth freely in the chamber 11 to absorb shocks of the reacting force and attenuate oscillation. When mass particles move freely within the chambers, electro static charges are generated between the mass particles 13 or between the mass particles 13 and the inner surface of the chamber 11. For this reason, a quantity of mass particles 13 are clinging to the inner surface of the chamber 11 due to electro static charges every time when the mass particles 13 move within the chamber 11 (as shown in FIGS. 2A-2D). Furthermore, only a small amount of mass particles 13 will be actively involved in the secondary impact process because of the static electricity and the clinging effect, in turn eliminating the efficiency of the secondary impact. In comparison with a dynamic system with all of the particles moving freely at all, the shock impulse and the vibration of the tennis racket 10 in prior art cannot not be fully attenuated. As such, the present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a vibration attenuating device for sports equipment, which is capable of effectively absorbing shock and reducing the vibrations of the sports equipment dynamically during the hitting action.

To achieve the above objective, a shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment in accordance with the present invention is inserted into a stroke portion or the handle of the sports equipment. The present application introduces a device comprising a chamber carrier which is provided with two lateral edges, and a plurality of holes between the two lateral edges for better fixation within a composite- or other structure. One or more chambers are alternatively arranged with respect to the holes and located along the two lateral edges in a protruding manner. And the inner surface of each of the chambers is coated with a layer of electrically conductive material. Moreover, each of the chambers is filled with coated mass particles in such a manner that there is a distance left between mass particles and the inner surface of the chambers, allowing the mass particles to move freely within the chambers to produce efficient dynamic energy to absorb impacts caused by a hitting action and attenuate shock caused by the impact with the ball.

Preferably, the shock and vibration attenuating device is inserted into the frame of a tennis racket, with the electrically conductive layers coated on the inner surface of the respective chambers and the mass particles inside the chambers are anti-static based on electrically conductive materials, such as Graphite or other conductive substances.

The distance for the mass particles to travel within the chambers during the hitting action is calculated based on the following equation 1:

Δ d m = t c Δ V m * COR

Wherein Δdm represents the travel distance (mm) of the mass particles, tc is the Contacting or Dwelling time (millisecond), ΔVm is the velocity difference of the sport equipment during the striking action, and COR is the primary impact systems coefficient of restitution. The velocity difference ΔVm of the tennis racket during the striking action can be calculated based on the following equation 2:

Δ V m = 2 * m b * V r m b + m r

Wherein mb is grams of the ball mass, mr is the mass of the tennis racket (the sports equipment), and Vr is the velocity (m/s) of the tennis racket (the sports equipment).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of conventional sports equipment installed with chambers;

FIG. 2A is a cross sectional view of a conventional vibration attenuating device showing the status of the mass particles when the sports equipment moves toward the ball;

FIG. 2B is a cross sectional view of a conventional vibration attenuating device showing the status of the mass particles when the sports equipment collides the ball;

FIG. 2C is a cross sectional view of a conventional vibration attenuating device showing the status of the mass particles when the ball deforms upon contacting with the racket;

FIG. 2D is a cross sectional view of a conventional vibration attenuating device showing the status of the mass particles after the sports equipment collides the ball;

FIG. 3A illustrates the time point when the ball initially contacts with a tennis racket and rebounds in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3B illustrates the position when the ball fully contacts with a tennis racket and deforms in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3C illustrates position in the process from the timing when the ball contacts with a tennis racket to the timing when it rebounds in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3D illustrates position when the ball starts rebounding in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates the shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is perspective view of the shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates that the chambers of the shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment in accordance with the present invention are semispherical in cross section;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the semispherical chambers of the shock and vibration attenuating device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 8 is illustrative view of no clinging between mass particles and walls of chambers in the shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross sectional view showing the chambers and mass particles of the shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates that the chambers of the shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment in accordance with the present invention are semicircular in cross section;

FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of the semicircular chambers of the shock and vibration attenuating device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a diagram comparing the energy of a conventional tennis racket without chambers and invention in present application;

FIG. 13 is a diagram comparing the energy of a conventional golf club without chambers and invention in present application.

FIG. 14A is the values of Sweetspot scan by tennis robot for a conventional tennis racket with chamber without being coated by a layer of electrically conductive material.

FIG. 14B is a diagram of Sweetspot scan by tennis robot for a conventional tennis racket with chambers without being coated by a layer of electrically conductive material.

FIG. 15A is the values of Sweetspot scan by tennis robot for a tennis racket with chamber being coated by a layer of electrically conductive material in present application.

FIG. 15B is a diagram of Sweetspot scan by tennis robot for a tennis racket containing chambers being coated with a layer of electrically conductive material in present application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be understood from the following description when viewed in accordance with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6-11, a shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is being inserted in a stroke portion of the sports equipment which is to be hold by a player to strike an object. The sports equipment can be a tennis racket, badminton racket or a golf club. However, the use of the shock and vibration attenuating device of the present invention is not limited to the sports equipment for ball games and is applicable to any sports equipment as along as the sports equipment is hold by a player to strike the objects and shock is caused and transferred to the player's hand during the stroke. For example, the sports equipment can be ski which start to vibrate during driving over a rough ice- or snow surface and loosing contact to the ground. The shock and vibration attenuating device is used to absorb the stroke energy and attenuate the stroke shock as well as oscillation caused after the stroke energy acts on the player's hands, or like in the example, providing for the ski contact to the ground. FIG. 4 illustrates the invention based on sports equipment 100 which is a tennis racket. The sports equipment 100 comprises a racket frame 101 connected to a handle 102, and a string bed 103 is provided along the inner periphery of the racket frame 101. The racket frame 101 is further provided with a plurality of holes 104.

Referring to FIGS. 5-7, the shock and vibration attenuating device in accordance with the present invention is inserted in the racket frame 101 of the sports equipment 100. and the shock and vibration attenuating device comprises a chamber carrier 20. The chamber carrier 20 is further provided with two lateral edges 201, and a first surface 21 and a second surface 22 which are opposite to each other and connected to the two lateral edges 201. Between the two lateral edges 201 is formed a plurality of holes 23. One or more chambers 30 are arranged along the racket frame with respect to the holes 23 in a protruding manner. The inner surface of each of the chambers 30 is coated with a layer of electrically conductive material 31, and in each of the chambers 30 is provided a number of mass particles 41. Each of the mass particles 41 is coated with a layer of electrically conductive material 42. The mass particles 41 can be made of tungsten or tungsten alloy or other environmental-friendly materials free of lead and iron, as shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. However, the material of the mass particles 41 is not limited to the abovementioned metals. Any substances with heavy weight can be used as mass particles. After each of the chambers 30 is partly filled with the mass particles 41, there is a distance D left between the mass particles 41 and the inner surface of the chamber 30, allowing the mass particles 41 to move freely within the chambers 30 during a stroke. The distance D is calculated based on equations (1) and (2) of the present invention, and the configurations of the sports equipment and the ball. The calculation and the equations will be discussed in detail as below.

As mentioned earlier, the shock and vibration attenuating device of the present invention is applicable to any sports equipment with stroke portion to strike objects such as ball. For explanation of the present invention, the description of the present invention is based on an embodiment in which the sports equipment 100 is a tennis racket. Referring to FIG. 5, the chamber carrier 20 is inserted in the racket frame 101 of the sports equipment 100 in such a manner that the first and second surfaces 21, 22 are perpendicular to the racket surface 103 of the sports equipment 100, and the holes 23 of the chamber carrier 20 are aligned and connected through the holes 104 of the racket frame 101 of the sports equipment 100. The strings of the racket surface 103 are set through the holes 23 of the chamber carrier 20 and the holes 104 of the racket frame 101, forming the racket head for stroke.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, in this embodiment, the layers of electrically conductive materials 31 and 42 are coated on the inner surface of the respective chambers 30 and the mass particles 41. The layer of electrically conductive maters can be graphite (preferably nanometer graphite particles) but not limited to graphite. The layer of conductive material can also be nano particles of quartz, lime, marble, or powders or liquids formed by anti-static substances. By taking advantage of the layer of electrically conductive materials, the problem that the frictions and static electricity generated between the mass particles 41 or between the particles 41 and the inner surface of the chambers can be avoided, which then enhances releasing the energy of freely movable mass particles. After coating as shown in FIG. 10, the mass particles 41 are deposited at the lower portion of the respective chambers 30 because of gravity or typically during play by acceleration. This eliminates the problem that the mass particles 41 are adhered to the inner surface of the chambers 30 due to static electricity. As such, the mass particles 41 are able to move freely within the chambers 30 and release more kinetic energy during use.

FIGS. 6, 7, 10 and 11 show another embodiment of the shock and vibration attenuating device in accordance with the present invention. According to this embodiment, one or more chambers 30 are arranged in one or more symmetrical rows along with the two lateral edges 201 of the chamber carrier 20, and around each of the holes 23 of the chamber carrier 20 are provided with four chambers 30, so that the shock and vibration caused by impact when the ball touches the sports equipment 100 would be reduced evenly. The chambers 30 can also be arranged in a single row or alternatively disposed with respect to the holes 23 of the chamber carrier 20 or in other shape based on the shaft or stroke portion of the sport equipment. The chambers 30 can be spherical or semispherical (as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7) or semicircular (as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11).

It is to be noted that the distance D that the mass particles 41 move within the chambers 30 during the striking action is calculated based on the following equation 1:

Δ d m = t c Δ V m * COR

Wherein Δdm represents the travel distance (mm) of the mass particles, tc is the contact or dwell time (millisecond), ΔVm is the velocity difference of the sport equipment during striking action, and COR is the primary impact systems coefficient of restitution. The velocity difference ΔVm of the sports equipment 100 during the striking action can be calculated based on the following equation 2:

Δ V m = 2 * m b * V r m b + m r

Wherein mb is the mass (g) of the ball, mr is the mass of the tennis racket (the sports equipment), and Vr is the velocity (m/s) of the tennis racket (the sports equipment).

The following is the comparison charts for the sports equipment with and without installing the present application. Embodiment 1 is test results of the shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment which is a tennis racket.

Please refer to FIGS. 3A-3D and 12, FIG. 12 is a graph illustrating the test results of a striking action of tennis rackets with and without the present application, wherein ordinate and abscissa of FIG. 12 are pressure sensor voltage and the time of impact when ball contacts with the sports equipment (ms). The curves L1 and L2 represent the test results of the tennis racket which is provided with the shock and vibration attenuating device based on the present invention, while curves L3 and L4 represent the test results of a tennis racket without the shock and vibration attenuating device based on the present invention. FIG. 12 indicates different vertical lines A, B, C, D and E, wherein the vertical lines A and E represent start and end of dwelling time during impact when ball 2 touches on the sports equipment as shown in FIG. 3A. During the time between the vertical lines A and B, the ball 2 contacts with the sports equipment and slightly deforms as shown in FIG. 3B. The vertical line B represents the time point that Ball flat maximum is formed when the ball 2 contacts with the sports equipment as shown in FIG. 3C. Furthermore, the vertical line C represents the half of dwell time after the ball 2 hits on the tennis racket 10. Finally, the vertical line D represents the time point when the ball 2 starts rebounding from the sports equipment affected by the maximum rebounding force as shown in FIG. 3D. At this time point, the ball 2 still stays on the sports equipment and slightly deforms.

It is to be noticed that the curve L1 of the sports equipment provided with the shock and vibration attenuating device based on the present invention is less steep than the curve L3. And the amplitude of the curve L2 is much smaller than that of the curve L4, which means that the shock and vibration attenuating device of the present invention is dramatically capable of absorbing the stroke impact and attenuating the vibration caused by the stroke impact, hence reducing injuries of the player's hands.

Embodiment 2 is the test results of the shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment which is a golf club.

FIG. 13 is a graph illustrating the test results of a striking action which is conducted by striking a golf ball with the golf club, wherein the ordinate and abscissa of FIG. 13 are voltage and the time of impact when ball contacts with the sports equipment (ms). The curve L5 represents the test results of the golf club which is provided with the shock and vibration attenuating device based on the present invention. Moreover, the curve L6 represents that the voltage values are changed by using the pressure of impact when the ball hitting on the sports equipment. The curve L6 is used to detect the start point (the vertical line O in the drawing) and end point (the vertical line X) of the curve L5 during the impact.

As indicated by the curve L5, the vibration wave after stroke is less steep than the vibration wave during stroke for the golf club provided with the shock and vibration attenuating device. This proves that the golf club which is installed with the shock and vibration attenuating device of the present application is capable of releasing kinetic energy to absorb the stroke shock and attenuate the vibration caused by stroke.

Embodiment 3 are test results of a tennis racket provided with a conventional vibration attenuating device and a tennis racket with a shock and vibration attenuating device of the present invention.

FIGS. 14 and 15 are sweetspot scan polar diagrams with data acquired by tennis robot and further calculated by formulas. The test results of a tennis racket containing mass particles without being coated with conductive layer are different from and that of a tennis racket with mass particles 41 being coated with the conductive layer 42.

At the top left of FIGS. 14 and 15 are preset border values, wherein the border value for power zone is 25%, Dynamic Precision border value is 35%, Dynamic Shock absorption boarder value is 35%, D-COR boost border value is 38%, and the strung area is 109 in2.

The lower left of FIGS. 14 and 15 shows the values obtained in the tests performed under the above conditions, and the right sides FIGS. 14 and 15 are corresponding polar diagrams. The Dynamic Precision Zone (Dyn. Precision Zone) is the part of the tennis racket which can impart a relatively larger force to the ball when striking, and the ball can be directed to a desired position additionally. When the tennis racket is swung within this area, the player can control the direction of the ball more precisely. The ball can be played with reasonably higher efficiency and less effort from the player to reach the same ball velocity. Therefore, and the shock and the vibration caused by the striking action can effectively be reduced if the ball impacts the Dynamic Precision Zone. As a result, the larger the Dynamic Precision Zone is, the more likely it increases the precision of the ball direction and reduces sports injuries caused by lateral torque of the racket.

As shown in FIG. 14A, when using the tennis racket which is provided with mass particles without being coated with an electrically conductive layer, the tested Dynamic Precision Zone is 9.83 in2, which corresponds to the area defined by the symbol “□”. FIG. 15A shows that the tested Dynamic Precision Zone of a tennis racket which is provided with mass particles coated with an electrically conductive layer is 18.26 in2, which is almost twice than that of the conventional tennis racket in FIG. 14A. Besides, the area defined by the symbol “□” shown at the right side of FIG. 15B is obviously larger than that of FIG. 14B. It is obvious that the tennis racket of the present invention installed with mass particles coated with the electrically conductive layer provides larger Dynamic Precision Zone, as such is more capable of reducing shock and vibration to diminish the sports injuries, such as “tennis elbow”.

The value of Shock abs. Zone (Shock Absorption Zone) shown at the lower left of the drawings indicates the capability of absorbing shocks caused by the striking action when swinging tennis. Hence, the shock can be substantially absorbed if the value of Shock abs. zone is higher, thus reducing the hurts to the player. FIG. 14A shows that the Shock abs. Zone of the conventional tennis racket containing mass particles without coating of conductive layer is 5.62 in2. In contrast, FIG. 15A shows that the Shock abs. Zone of the tennis racket of the present invention is 10.65 in2, which is almost twice than that of the conventional tennis racket. The area of Shock Absorption is defined by the symbol “⋄” shown at the right side of FIG. 15B and this zone is obviously larger than that in FIG. 14B. This proves that the shock-absorption area can be increased for the tennis racket installed with mass particles being coated with electrically conductive layer of the present invention. The increase of the Dynamic Precision Zone and Dynamic Shock absorption zone both prove the present invention provides higher effect of attenuating the reacting-force caused shocks and vibrations of the sports equipment.

In general, the electrically conductive layer coated on the inner surface of the respective chambers 30 and the mass particles 41 prevents the mass particles 41 from clinging together or clinging to the inner surface of the chambers 30, so that the kinetic energy of the present invention is increased 60% as compared to the conventional structure. Besides, the preferable amounts of chambers and the movement distance D of mass particles can be calculated based on the above equations 1 and 2. The amounts of chambers, the configuration of the chambers 30 and movement distance of mass particles can be adjusted to optimize the effect of attenuating shocks according to the type of sports equipment. Therefore, the chambers can be installed as many in relation to the volume of the stroke portion or the shaft.

Claims

1. A shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment being inserted into or attached to a stroke portion of the sports equipment comprising:

A chamber carrier with two lateral edges, a plurality of holes between the two lateral edges;
a single chamber or one or more rows of chambers alternatively arranged with respect to the holes and located along the two lateral edges in a protruding manner, an inner surface of each of the chambers being coated with a layer of electrically conductive material; and a single or a plurality of mass particles, each of the chambers being partially filled with the mass particles, each of the mass particles being coated with a layer of electrically conductive material, each of the chambers being filled with one or more of the mass particles in such a manner that there is a distance between the electrically conductive mass particles and the inner surface of the chambers, allowing the mass particles to move freely within the chambers to dynamically suppress impact shock during the striking action and dynamically reduce vibration after the impact.

2. The shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive layer on the inner surface of the respective chambers and the mass particles are coated by electrically conductive materials, such as graphite, metal sputtering or galvanic coating processes.

3. The shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the travel distance of the mass particles moving within the chambers during the striking action, is calculated based on the following equation 1: Δ   d   m - t c Δ   V m  * COR

Wherein Δdm represents the travel distance that the mass particles moves, tc is the dwelling time, ΔVm is the velocity difference of the sports equipment during the striking action, and COR as the primary impact systems coefficient of restitution.

4. The shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment as claimed in claim 3, wherein the velocity difference ΔVm of the sports equipment during the striking action is calculated based on the following equation 2: Δ   V m = 2 * m b * V r m b + m r

wherein mb is the mass of the ball, mr is the mass of the sports equipment, and Vr is the velocity of the sports equipment.

5. The shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sports equipment is a tennis racket, golf club, or bat.

6. The shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sports equipment is a ski.

7. The shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sports equipment comprises a frame connected to a handle when the sports equipment is a tennis racket, and a string bed provided around an inner periphery of the frame, the racket frame is further provided with a plurality of holes, the chamber carrier comprises a first surface and a second surface which are opposite to each other and connected to the two lateral edges, the chambers are formed on the first surface of the chamber carrier in a protruding manner, the chamber carrier is inserted into the frame of the sports equipment in such a manner that the first and second surfaces are perpendicular to the string bed of the sports equipment, and the holes of the chamber carrier are aligned and connected through the holes of the frame of the sports equipment.

8. The shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chambers are arranged in two symmetrical rows along the two lateral edges of the chamber carrier, and around each of the holes of the chamber carrier are arranged four said chambers.

9. The shock and vibration attenuating device for the sports equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chambers are semispherical in cross section.

10. The shock and vibration attenuating device for the sports equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chambers are semicircular, spherical or half spherical in cross section.

11. A shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment being inserted into a stroke portion of the sports equipment comprising: a chamber carrier with two lateral edges, a plurality of chambers arranged along the two lateral edges, and in each of the chambers being disposed one or more mass particles; and the shock and vibration attenuation device being characterized in that:

an inner surface of each of the chambers is coated with a layer of electrically conductive materials, each of the chambers are provided with one or more mass particles, each of the mass particles is coated with a layer of electrically conductive materials, there is a distance between the mass particles and the inner surface of the chambers, allowing the mass particles to move freely within the chambers to absorb stroke impact caused by a striking action and reduce shocks caused by the stroke impact.

12. The shock and vibration attenuating device for the sports equipment as claimed in claim 11, wherein the travel distance that the mass particles moves within the chambers during the striking action are matched to the respective impact system which is calculated based on the following equation 1: Δ   d   m = t c Δ   V m  * COR

wherein Δdm represents the travel distance D that the mass particles moves, tc is the dwelling time, ΔVm is the velocity difference of the sports equipment during the striking action, and COR is primary impact systems coefficient of restitution.

13. The shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment as claimed in claim 12, wherein the velocity difference ΔVm of the sports equipment during the striking action is calculated based on the following equation 2: Δ   V m = 2 * m b * V r m b + m r

wherein mb is the mass of the ball, mr is the mass of the sports equipment, and Vr is the velocity of the sports equipment.

14. A shock and vibration attenuating device for sports equipment being inserted into a frame or attached alongside the frame of a tennis racket comprising:

a chamber carrier with two lateral edges, a plurality of holes between the two lateral edges;
one or more chambers alternatively arranged with respect to the holes and located along the two lateral edges in a protruding manner, an inner surface of each of the chambers being coated with a layer of electrically conductive materials; and
one or more mass particles, each of the mass particles being coated with a layer of electrically conductive materials, each of the chambers being filled with one or more mass particles in such a manner that there is a distance between the mass particles and the inner surface of the chambers, allowing the mass particles to move freely within the chambers to absorb stroke impact caused by a striking action and reduces shocks caused by the stroke impact.

15. The shock and vibration attenuating device for the sports equipment as claimed in claim 14, wherein the tennis racket comprises a frame connected to a handle, and a string bed provided around an inner periphery of the frame, the frame is further provided with a plurality of holes, the chamber carrier is provided with a first surface and a second surface which are opposite to each other and connected to the two lateral edges, the one or more chambers are formed on the first surface of the chamber carrier in a protruding manner, the chamber carrier is inserted into the frame of the tennis racket in such a manner that the first and second surfaces are perpendicular to the string bed of the tennis racket, and the holes of the chamber carrier are aligned and connected through the holes of the frame of the tennis racket.

Patent History
Publication number: 20140302952
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 5, 2013
Publication Date: Oct 9, 2014
Inventor: Roland Wilfried Sommer (Taichung City)
Application Number: 13/857,803