PICKLEBALL PADDLE

Abstract

A pickleball paddle includes a paddle body and a handle. The paddle body includes a substrate and two face plates on front and rear sides thereof. An elastic member is provided between the substrate and each of the two face plates. The elastic member between the substrate and the face plate is configured to reduce the reaction force generated by the ball hitting the face plate and prolong the time that the ball stays on the face plate. The user can control the trajectory of the ball better. It enhances entertainment fun.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELAYED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation-in-part application of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/006,920, “PICKLEBALL PADDLE”, filed on Aug. 31, 2020.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a pickleball paddle, and more particularly to a pickleball paddle having a face plate capable of controlling a ball without refraining the speed of returning the ball.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Pickleball is a very popular sport in Europe and America in recent years, and it is the fastest growing sport in the world. Pickleball is a paddle sport (similar to a racquet sport) that combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. It has the advantages of interest, entertainment, diversified gameplay and adaptability, and gradually becomes popular all over the world.

A conventional Pickleball paddle includes two face plates and a substrate. The existing face plates are made of carbon fiber or glass fiber. The substrate is made of a harder plastic honeycomb board. In this way, the pickleball paddle can provide a better explosive force when hitting a ball. Because the face plates and the substrate of the paddle are made of harder materials, when the user swings the paddle to hit a ball, the paddle is instantly stressed. The vibration of the overall paddle is relatively large, causing the user to feel unwell. Especially, after the face plate of the paddle is impacted by a force, the speed of returning the ball is fast, and the deformation of the face plate is small (the contact area between the face plate and the ball is small), so the ball stays on the face plate for a short time. As a result, it is difficult for the user to control the direction of the ball effectively, reducing the entertainment of the sport. The inventor once proposed a solution to the problem. A rolling member is provided in the existing face plate to directly hit the face plate, so that the paddle can enhance its explosive force better. But, this will influence the user's ability to control the ball. Based on this, in view of the explosive force required by the existing pickleball paddle and the need to enhance the effectiveness of the direction control of the ball during a shot, it is necessary to improve the existing pickleball paddles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the drawbacks of the prior art, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a pickleball paddle with a face plate capable of controlling a ball without refraining the speed of hitting the ball.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

A pickleball paddle comprises a paddle body and a handle. The paddle body includes a substrate and two face plates on front and rear sides thereof An elastic member is provided between the substrate and each of the two face plates for reducing the speed of a ball. At least one hollow cylindrical space is provided in the substrate. Either end of the hollow cylindrical space is tightly attached to the elastic member. A rolling member is provided in the hollow cylindrical space. The rolling member is configured to roll back and forth along a longitudinal direction of the hollow cylindrical space and hit the elastic member.

Preferably, an axis of the hollow cylindrical space is perpendicular to the paddle body.

Compared with the prior art, the present invention has obvious advantages and beneficial effects. Specifically, it can be known from the above technical solutions.

Through the elastic member sandwiched between the substrate and the face plate, the elastic member is used to reduce the reaction force generated by the ball hitting the face plate and to increase the contact area between the face plate and the ball. Besides, at the moment of hitting the ball, in cooperation with the design of the rolling member to hit the elastic member due to inertia, the elastic member absorbs a part of the impact force generated by the rolling member and transmits it to the face plate, so as to appropriately increase the explosive force of the entire face plate. The user can control the trajectory of the ball better. It also has the explosive force of hitting the ball without loss, and enhances the sports function and entertainment fun.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention in a state of not hitting a ball; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention in a state of hitting a ball.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1 through FIG. 3, there is shown a specific structure of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, comprising a paddle body 10 and a handle 20.

The paddle body 10 includes a substrate 11 and two face plates 12 on front and rear sides thereof. An elastic member 13 is provided between the substrate 11 and each of the two face plates 12. The elastic member 13 is configured to absorb part of the reaction force when a ball 40 hits the face plate 12, thereby reducing the speed of returning the ball, providing a deformation space, increasing the contact area of the ball 40 on the face plate 12, and prolonging the time that the ball 40 stays on the face plate 12.

At least one hollow cylindrical space 101 is provided in the substrate 11. Either end of the hollow cylindrical space 101 is tightly attached to the elastic member 13. A rolling member 30 is provided in the hollow cylindrical space 101. The rolling member 30 is configured to roll back and forth along the longitudinal direction of the hollow cylindrical space 101 and hit the elastic member 13. In the process of swinging the paddle body 10 to hit the ball 40, the rolling member 30 impacts the face plate 12 due to inertia and transmits part of the impact force to the face plate 12 through the elastic member 13, thereby appropriately increasing the explosive force for the face plate 12 to hit the ball. In this embodiment, the face plate 12 is made of carbon fiber or glass fiber, and the elastic member 13 may be made of cork or other materials. The axis of the hollow cylindrical space 101 is perpendicular to the elastic member 13. The rolling member 30 may be plural. The rolling member 30 may be made of metal or other materials. Besides, the rolling member 30 may have a spherical, square or other shape, but not limited thereto.

The use of this embodiment is described as follows:

When the user swings the paddle body 10 for hitting a ball, the paddle is speeded with certain acceleration by the user, and the rolling member 30 in the hollow cylindrical space 101 is in close contact with the rear elastic member 13 due to inertia. When the paddle body 10 hits the ball 40, at the moment the ball 40 hits the front face plate 12, the elastic member 13 absorbs part of the impact force, reduces the speed of the ball and increases the contact area between the ball and the face plate to control the ball effectively. As shown in FIG. 3, when the ball 40 hits the front face plate 12, the front face plate 12 and the elastic member 13 are slightly deformed backward. FIG. 3 is a microscopic schematic view. In fact, there is no such large deformation as shown in the figure. Since the speed of the ball 40 hit by the elastic member 13 is slowed down, the user can take advantage of the slowed speed and the larger contact area to effectively control the direction of motion of the ball. At the same time, the rolling member 30 hits the front elastic member 13 from the rear elastic member 13 at a constant speed due to inertia. At this time, the front elastic member 13 will offset a part of the instantaneous impact force generated by the rolling member 30 and will transmit a part of the impact force to the front face plate 12. The front face plate 12 is subjected to the reaction force and the impact force successively at the moment of hitting the ball, so that the front face plate 12 as a whole can ensure a certain explosive force of hitting the ball.

The feature of the present invention is that through the elastic member sandwiched between the substrate and the face plate, the elastic member is used to reduce the speed of returning the ball hitting the face plate of the paddle and increase the contact area between the ball and the face plate. Besides, at the moment of hitting the ball, in cooperation with the design of the rolling member to hit the elastic member due to inertia, the elastic member absorbs a part of the impact force generated by the rolling member and transmits it to the face plate of the paddle, so as to appropriately increase the explosive force of the entire face plate. The user can control the trajectory of the ball better at a sufficient speed of returning the ball.

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

Claims

1. A pickleball paddle, comprising a paddle body and a handle, the paddle body including a substrate and two face plates on front and rear sides thereof; an elastic member being provided between the substrate and each of the two face plates, at least one hollow cylindrical space being provided in the substrate, either end of the hollow cylindrical space being tightly attached to the elastic member, a rolling member being provided in the hollow cylindrical space, the rolling member being configured to roll back and forth along a longitudinal direction of the hollow cylindrical space and hit the elastic member;

wherein when a user swings the paddle body forward to hit a ball, the rolling member in the hollow cylindrical space is in close contact with the elastic member on the rear side due to inertia; when the face plate of the paddle body hits the ball, the elastic member provides a deformation space to absorb part of an impact force to reduce the speed of the ball and to increase a contact area of the ball with the face plate so as to control the ball effectively, due to inertia, the rolling member instantly hits the elastic member on the front side from a position of the elastic member behind the hollow cylindrical space, so that the elastic member on the front side receives the impact force and then transmit it to the ball hitting the face plate on the front side.

2. The pickleball paddle as claimed in claim 1, wherein an axis of the hollow cylindrical space is perpendicular to the paddle body.