Throat Wedge, Bridge, Or Reinforcement Patents (Class 473/546)
  • Patent number: 9259636
    Abstract: A training aid for use by a player with a tennis racquet includes at least one wing having a proximal end in the throat of the racquet, and extending from that proximal end and tapering down into a distal end. A second wing may also be included, with the two wings extending in opposite directions from the throat of the racquet. When the player makes a stroke with the racquet with the aid attached, air pressure on the wings creates forces which provide the player with feedback on the position of the racquet head during the stroke. The training aid may be removably attached to the racquet, to allow the racquet to be used in normal play situations. A rotatable flap may also be provided near the distal end of at least one of the wings, so that when the flap is rotated the air pressure on the flap during a stroke is altered, thereby changing the feedback provided to the player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Inventor: Todd M. Bailey
  • Publication number: 20140148275
    Abstract: A sports racquet extending along a longitudinal axis and configured for supporting a quantity of racquet string generally about a string plane. The racquet includes a frame formed of a thermoplastic material and including a head portion and a handle portion. The head portion is formed of first and second hoop regions. At least one of the first and second hoop regions includes a first set of projections extending from one of the first and second hoop regions across the string plane and engaging the other of the first and second hoop regions. The first set of projections space apart the first and second hoop regions by a first predetermined dimension to define a plurality of through-hoop region openings. The handle portion is formed of first and second handle regions directly coupled together without defining either a plurality of handle openings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: WILSON SPORTING GOODS CO.
    Inventors: William D. Severa, Scott M. Doyle, David A. Vogel, Robert T. Kapheim, Robert T. Thurman
  • Patent number: 8721478
    Abstract: A racket capable of being changed in its weight includes handle, a main body, at least one nut embedded in the main body, and at least one bolt threadedly engaged with the nut. The main body has a frame and a connection portion connected between the frame and the handle. Because bolts having different weights can be selectively used to be threaded into the nuts, the user can adjust the overall weight of the racket according to his/her need so as to have a suitable racket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Yuan Min An Enterprise Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kuo-Pin Yu
  • Patent number: 8651985
    Abstract: A racket frame 2 includes a head 4, a shaft 8, and a pair of throats 6 extending from the head 4 to the shaft 8. A flexural rigidity G15 of the throats 6 in a low load range (from 5 kgf to 15 kgf) is equal to or greater than 600 kgf/mm but equal to or less than 900 kgf/mm. A flexural rigidity G55 of the throats 6 in a high load range (from 45 kgf to 55 kgf) is equal to or greater than 900 kgf/mm but equal to or less than 1200 kgf/mm. A rigidity ratio (G15/G55) of the flexural rigidity G15 and the flexural rigidity G55 is equal to or greater than 0.70 but equal to or less than 0.85.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Yosuke Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8608596
    Abstract: A racket with a movable throat includes a racket frame having an inner wall disposed with a pivotal groove having a throat member received therein. A racket net is firmly fixed with the inner wall of the racket frame, composed of a plurality of first main strings respectively having one end connected with the throat member. By so designing, when a user employs the racket of this invention to hit balls, the impact force of the ball dashing against the racket net will drive the throat member to sway. Thus, the time that the ball contacts with the racket net can be prolonged to enable a user to control balls more easily and additionally, all the first main strings can be actuated to sway together with the throat member to produce greater resilient force for enhancing power of hitting balls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Inventor: Cheng-Chung Chang
  • Patent number: 8282513
    Abstract: The invention relates to a racket for ball games, in particular a tennis or squash racket, comprising a head region for receiving a stringing as well as at least one joint which is provided in the head region and the joint axis of which is arranged essentially perpendicularly with respect to a stringing plane formed by the stringing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Head Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Harald Rosenkranz, Johan Kotze, Stefan Mohr, Ralf Schwenger
  • Patent number: 8105184
    Abstract: A sports product may include a support member and an impact region configured to impact an object. The impact region may be coupled to the support member. The sports product may also include a shear thickening material in at least one of the support member or the impact region. The shear thickening material may be configured to exhibit shear thickening behavior when an impact occurs between the impact region and the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Head Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Herfried Lammer, Harald Rosenkranz, Johan Kotze, Ralf Schwenger
  • Patent number: 8007380
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a racket for ball games, and in particular, a tennis or squash racket, with a head region for receiving a stringing defining a stringing plane, a grip portion for holding the racket, and a heart region wherein the heart region has two arms and a bridge. The bridge may be pivot-mounted on both arms relative to an axis substantially perpendicular to the stringing plane. The present disclosure further relates to a method for manufacturing a racket including the step of manufacturing a racket frame with a head region, two arms, and a grip portion in a blow molding process. The method may also include manufacturing a bridge for a racket frame in the blow molding process. The method may further include connecting the bridge with the remaining racket frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Head Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Harald Rosenkranz, Johan Kotze, Stefan Mohr, Ralf Schwenger
  • Patent number: 8002651
    Abstract: A tennis racquet frame including a handle, a rim and arms connecting the handle and the rim and wherein each arm includes two fingers extending one above and one below the rim when the racquet frame is laid flat on a support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Babolat VS
    Inventor: Eric Babolat
  • Patent number: 7967706
    Abstract: A racket for ball games may include a frame which is formed by a frame profile or a hollow profile and has a racket head and a handle portion connected thereto preferably via a heart region. Two indentations that are symmetrical relative to the longitudinal axis of the racket may be provided in the heart region of the frame. A vibrating device may be arranged in each of the two indentations. The vibrating means of the racket may preferably be effective for vibrations having at least two vibration modes or degrees of freedom. Additionally or alternatively, a racket for ball games may include a frame which forms a head region for receiving strings and a handle portion for holding the racket. The frame may include one respective inwardly-facing C-profile in at least two segments of the head region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Head Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Rob Cottey, Johan Kotze, Stefan Mohr, Claus Müller, Klaus Rambach, Jürgen Wilke, Manfred Emberger, Harald Rosenkranz
  • Publication number: 20110003654
    Abstract: The invention relates to a racket for ball games, in particular a tennis or squash racket, comprising a head region for receiving a stringing as well as at least one joint which is provided in the head region and the joint axis of which is arranged essentially perpendicularly with respect to a stringing plane formed by the stringing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2008
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Inventors: Harald Rosenkranz, Johan Kotze, Stefan Mohr, Ralf Schwenger
  • Patent number: 7727094
    Abstract: An institutional badminton racket including a head and a flexible plastic handle. The head has a metal rim around a shuttlecock striking face, and a neck rigidly secured to the rim, where the neck includes a hollow throat extending from the rim away from the striking face with lateral openings through the throat. The handle connecting end includes a first portion extending into the hollow throat, a second portion surrounding the throat, pin portions extending through the throat lateral openings and integral with the first and second portions, and a pair of wings extending generally in the plane in a lateral direction toward the head and including openings therethrough. A Y-clamp is secured around the handle connecting end and the head rim adjacent the head neck and including pins extending through the wing openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Pick-A-Paddle, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard Sokol, Leonard H. Palmer, Robert H. Salvesen
  • Publication number: 20090215557
    Abstract: An institutional badminton racket including a head and a flexible plastic handle. The head has a metal rim around a shuttlecock striking face, and a neck rigidly secured to the rim, where the neck includes a hollow throat extending from the rim away from the striking face with lateral openings through the throat. The handle connecting end includes a first portion extending into the hollow throat, a second portion surrounding the throat, pin portions extending through the throat lateral openings and integral with the first and second portions, and a pair of wings extending generally in the plane in a lateral direction toward the head and including openings therethrough. A Y-clamp is secured around the handle connecting end and the head rim adjacent the head neck and including pins extending through the wing openings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2008
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Inventors: Howard Sokol, Leonard H. Palmer, Robert H. Salvesen
  • Publication number: 20090191989
    Abstract: A sports product may include a support member and an impact region configured to impact an object. The impact region may be coupled to the support member. The sports product may also include a shear thickening material in at least one of the support member or the impact region. The shear thickening material may be configured to exhibit shear thickening behavior when an impact occurs between the impact region and the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Inventors: Herfried Lammer, Harald Rosenkranz, Johan Kotze, Ralf Schwenger
  • Patent number: 7553246
    Abstract: The invention concerns a racket for ball and shuttlecock games such as tennis, squash or badminton. With the objective of generally improving the playing characteristics of the racket and to adapt the racket to the ergonomic movements of the layer on serving, receiving and returning the ball with more effective utilization of the striking force, the racket has an S shaped configuration throughout and has a midline 5 running in a common S shape for the striking part 1, the shaft 2 and the grip 3, such that the upper and lower points of intersection of the head frame 6 and the striking part 1 lie on the midline 5, while the arrangement of shaft 2 and grip 3 follows the course of the midline 5 in their longitudinal extension and the cross sections of the profiles 6.1; 6.2 of the headframe 6 and shaft 2 are different in the halves of the racket separated by the midline 5—FIG. 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Inventor: Harald Turzer
  • Publication number: 20090163306
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a racket for ball games, and in particular, a tennis or squash racket, with a head region for receiving a stringing defining a stringing plane, a grip portion for holding the racket, and a heart region wherein the heart region has two arms and a bridge. The bridge may be pivot-mounted on both arms relative to an axis substantially perpendicular to the stringing plane. The present disclosure further relates to a method for manufacturing a racket including the step of manufacturing a racket frame with a head region, two arms, and a grip portion in a blow molding process. The method may also include manufacturing a bridge for a racket frame in the blow molding process. The method may further include connecting the bridge with the remaining racket frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: Harald Rosenkranz, Johan Kotze, Stefan Mohr, Ralf Schwenger
  • Publication number: 20080274843
    Abstract: A racquet frame has one or more string holes formed therein and a string bed plane, along which the string holes extend. The racquet frame is preferably formed by providing a frame bearing structure, which is aimed at providing flexural stiffness to said racquet frame, and structurally integrating the frame bearing structure with a frame binding structure, which is aimed at providing torsional stiffness to the racquet frame. The mutual integration of the frame bearing structure and the frame binding structure forms a composite frame structure, in which one or more of said string holes may be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Applicant: PRINCE SPORTS, INC.
    Inventors: Roberto Gazzara, Mauro Pinaffo, Michele Pozzobon, Mauro Pezzato
  • Patent number: 7431673
    Abstract: In a racket frame, a yoke part is disposed between left and right portions of a bifurcated throat part continuous with a head part and with a shaft part. A ball-hitting face is formed with the yoke part and the head part. The head part and the yoke part have a plurality of string holes formed in penetration therethrough to insert longitudinal and transverse strings therethrough. Longitudinal string holes formed outside left and right sides of the yoke part connected with the left and right portions of the throat part are extended to the throat part to form extended longitudinal string holes open on an outer surface of the throat part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventors: Kunio Niwa, Takeshi Ashino
  • Patent number: 7371198
    Abstract: A racket frame has a head hoop, a connecting segment, a handle and two prestressing devices. The head hoop has a bottom end and a string. The connecting segment is connected with the head hoop and has a yoke, two shafts and a throat. The yoke is formed on the bottom end of the head hoop. The shafts are respectively mounted with the yoke and each shaft has a mounting hole. The handle is connected with the connecting segment. The prestressing devices are attached to the shafts in the mounting holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Inventor: Chin-Dong Pai
  • Patent number: 7309299
    Abstract: A sports racquet has a plurality of opposed string holes for anchoring the ends of the strings, at least one pair of contiguous string holes are replaced with an enlarged string hole having opposed bearing surfaces for securing the ends of a pair of contiguous string segments. Preferably, a plurality of contiguous enlarged string holes are employed along the sides, tip, and heel or throat bridge of the racquet, in order to reduce the weight of the racquet head. Also, preferably, the enlarged string holes are defined by a pair of opposed interior walls of the frame extending between the frame's inner and outer surfaces, thereby forming a truss-like internal structure for stiffening the frame. Moreover, the frame preferably has interior wall portions that extend between the string holes. Such wall portions lie in the string bed plane and underlie the string portions on the exterior of the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Inventors: Mauro Pezzato, Michele Pozzobon
  • Patent number: 7297080
    Abstract: A game racquet includes head portion and a handle portion. The head and handle portions include one or both of a fiber-reinforced thermoset material and a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material. The handle portion is coupled to the head portion by shock and/or vibration absorbing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Co.
    Inventors: William D. Severa, Po-Jen Cheng, Gerald J. LeVault, Donald G. Loeffler
  • Patent number: 7229369
    Abstract: In a ball sport racquet, for example, a tennis racquet, made up of a main or racquet head frame, a throat with a throat bridge and side bridges diverging to the throat bridge and extending into a shaft, and strings fastened on the main frame and on the throat bridge, the throat bridge can move restrictedly relative to the main frame at least in one axis direction perpendicular to the plane of the strings and/or can rotate on the racquet frame on an axis extending in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the racquet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Volkl Tennis GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Schwenger
  • Patent number: 7211010
    Abstract: A reinforcing member for a badminton racquet wherein the racquet extends along a longitudinal axis and includes a frame having a tubular hoop portion supporting a string bed and a tubular handle portion. The reinforcing member includes a generally T-shaped body having first and second sections. The first section has an outer surface that defines a first cross-sectional area measured about a longitudinal plane positioned generally perpendicular to the string bed. The second section longitudinally and outwardly extends from the first section. The second section has an outer surface that defines a second cross-sectional area measured about a transverse plane. The first cross-sectional area is at least 50 percent greater than the second cross-sectional area. The first and second sections are configured for placement within the hoop and handle portions of the frame, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Co.
    Inventors: Mark W. Lin, William D. Severa
  • Patent number: 7160286
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a sports racket includes a racket frame comprising a head portion, handle portion and a throat portion joining the head portion to the handle portion. The racket frame also comprises a self-powered piezoelectric damping system for damping vibrations of the racket during play. The self-powered piezoelectric damping system comprises at least one transducer laminated to the racket and at least one circuit located within the racket handle portion and electrically connected to the at least one transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Head Sport AG
    Inventor: Herfried Lammer
  • Patent number: 7140985
    Abstract: In a sports racquet, anchor points for a string are marked with indicia to assist a stringer in stringing from one anchor point to a next anchor point. In a preferred embodiment, one of the anchor points is a bearing assembly located within a hollow cavity in the racquet stem. Colored tubes are placed in the stem that lead to and from the bearing assembly, and the colors of the tubes match respective colored indicia associated with string holes in the frame head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: EF Composite Technologies, L.P.
    Inventor: Rafael G. Filippini
  • Patent number: 7081055
    Abstract: A racket includes a head and a shaft, a throat is connected between the head and the shaft. Shock absorbing members are installed to desired positions of the racket so as to reduce impact transferred to the player's hand. Two throat extensions extend from the head and two shaft extensions extend from an end of shaft. Each shaft extension has an insertion. The shock absorbing members are mounted onto the insertions and sandwiched between the throat extension and the insertions. A section of the shock absorbing members extends from an opening of the throat extensions and overlaps on an outer surface of the shaft extensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Inventor: Henry Hsu
  • Patent number: 6974397
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a sports racket includes a racket frame comprising a head portion, handle portion and a throat portion joining the head portion to the handle portion. The racket frame also comprises a self-powered piezoelectric damping system for damping vibrations of the racket during play. The self-powered piezoelectric damping system comprises at least one transducer laminated to the racket and at least one circuit located within the racket handle portion and electrically connected to the at least one transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Head Sport Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Herfried Lammer
  • Patent number: 6840874
    Abstract: A game racquet includes separate head and handle portions which are separated by shock and/or vibration absorbing material. Both the head portion and the handle portion are bonded to the absorbing material and are thereby connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Co.
    Inventors: William D. Severa, Po-Jen Cheng, Gerald J. LeVault, Donald G. Loeffler
  • Publication number: 20040229719
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a racket, in particular a tennis racket or squash racket exhibiting a particularly suitable stiffness and/or strength behavior. For this purpose, the ball game racket of the present invention comprises a racket head, a heart region and a handle portion which together form the frame, wherein in the area of the racket head individual regions are formed which comprise brackets being arranged along the frame in the head region of the racket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2004
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Inventors: Jurgen Wilke, Herfried Lammer
  • Patent number: 6811502
    Abstract: A sports racquet including a frame, a yoke and a string bed. The frame includes a head portion, a handle portion, and a throat portion positioned between the head and handle portions. The head portion includes an upper region, and first and second side regions. The yoke is coupled to the first and second side regions. The head portion and the yoke define a string bed area. The string bed is formed of a number of cross and main string segments. The main string segments include at least one central main string segment and at least two peripheral main string segments. Each central main string segment has first and second ends wherein the first end engages the head portion and the second end engages the yoke. Each peripheral main string segment is coupled at a proximal end to at least one of the throat portion and the handle portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Co.
    Inventors: Richard Janes, Po-Jen Cheng, William D. Severa, Gerald J. LeVault
  • Patent number: 6761651
    Abstract: An aluminum tennis racket includes a head, a shaft and a handle. The head and the shaft are made of hollow aluminum tubing with a series of ripples. The ripples are defined on a sidewall of the hollow aluminum tubing, and the ripples increase the strength of the head and the shaft so the sidewall is lighter and thinner. The lighter tennis racket helps a player to quick react, and the increased strength allows the player to strike a ball powerfully.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Inventor: Chin-Dong Pai
  • Publication number: 20040132562
    Abstract: The invention refers to a novel ball game racket, especially a tennis racket with a racket head formed by a tension frame with stringing, and with a handle unit formed by a handle shaft or a racket neck joining the tension frame for example via a heart piece, and attenuating means in at least one area of the racket frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventors: Ralf Schwenger, Udo Munster
  • Patent number: 6688997
    Abstract: A racket frame (1) has a pipe-shaped racket-frame body (2) made of a fiber reinforced resin and composed of a head (3), a throat part (4), a shaft part (5), and a grip part (6) sequentially arranged and a yoke (10) connected to the racket-frame body (2). In this construction, supposing that the head (3) is a clock face and that the top position of the head (3) is 12 o'clock, a yoke rigidity value at a central position P1, vertical to a ball-hitting face (F), of the yoke (10) in a longitudinal direction thereof is in a range of 10% to 70% of a face rigidity value which is an average of a rigidity value at a 12 o'clock position (P2) vertical to the ball-hitting face (F) and a rigidity value at a three o'clock position (P3) vertical to the ball-hitting face (F).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Ashino, Kunio Niwa, Hiroyuki Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 6663515
    Abstract: A racket is composed of multiple sections of tubes made of different material with resilient material bonded between the tubes at the joints to attenuate vibration and shock and thus make striking a ball more comfortable for a player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Inventor: Chin-Dong Pai
  • Patent number: 6663514
    Abstract: A frame body (2) is formed separately from a yoke (10) connecting right and left parts of the frame body (2) to each other. The yoke (10) and the frame body (2) are connected to each other by a mechanical connection means, with both ends of the yoke (10) in contact with the right and left parts of the frame body (2) in an area of not less than 10 cm2 (1.6 in2). A shear force generated when the racket frame (1) deforms is collectively applied to a connection surface of the frame body (2) and that of the yoke (10) to increase a vibration-damping performance of the racket frame (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunio Niwa, Hiroyuki Takeuchi, Takeshi Ashino
  • Patent number: 6663516
    Abstract: A game racquet includes separate head and handle portions which are separated by shock and/or vibration absorbing material. Both the head portion and the handle portion are bonded to the absorbing material and are thereby connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Co.
    Inventors: William D. Severa, Po-Jen Cheng, Gerald J. Le Vault, Michael R. Moon
  • Patent number: 6592475
    Abstract: A sports racket frame including a main body which has an intermediate portion in the vicinity of which is provided at least one reinforcing member which defines, with the intermediate portion, an inner volume therebetween which extends about an outer periphery of the intermediate portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Babolat VS
    Inventors: Marc Poggi, Yann Bernard, Yvan Le Bozec
  • Patent number: 6579198
    Abstract: A tennis racket comprises a frame; a shaft connected to the frame at one end thereof; a grip into which the shaft is inserted at the other end thereof; and a pair of lightweight metal pieces attached to the shaft. The frame and the shaft are formed from fiber-reinforced synthetic resin, the pair of lightweight metal pieces has a U-shaped section and extends from inside the grip at a connecting portion with the shaft and along both sides of the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Yonex Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Minoru Yoneyama
  • Patent number: 6561933
    Abstract: A shockproof device in the throat of a tennis racket includes a racket having a frame, a stringing surface in the frame, a throat of truncated triangular configuration under the frame and including a pair of tubular branches spacedly extending downward from the lower peripheries of the frame and a Y-shaped handle including a pair of solid branches spacedly extending upward and each having an elastic sleeve wrapped on inserted into the tubular branches in a predetermined depth and secured by adhesives, and a conical gap centrally formed in the bottom of the frame and filled up by an conical elastic projection of a sheath which wraps the frame. Thereby, the shock waves from the frame are partially hindered and absorbed by the conical elastic projection and partially absorbed by the elastic sleeves in the throat without transmitting to the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Inventor: Henry Hsu
  • Patent number: 6537164
    Abstract: Elastic sheath dampers in tennis racket throat include a racket having a frame, a stringing surface in the frame and a throat separated from a handle to respectively form a truncated triangular configuration and a Y-shaped configuration each of which has a pair of hollow interior branches made engageable with each other and connected by a pair of cylindrical bars by adhesives respectively. The cylindrical bars each has a pair of elastic sheaths respectively sleeved on two ends and inserted into the branches. Thereby the shock waves from the frame are absorbed twice by the elastic sheaths in the throat without transmitting to the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Inventor: Henry Hsu
  • Patent number: 6500080
    Abstract: A game racquet includes separate head and handle portions which are separated by shock and/or vibration absorbing material. Both the head portion and the handle portion are bonded to the absorbing material and are thereby connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Co.
    Inventors: William D. Severa, Po-Jen Cheng, Gerald J. Le Vault, Michael R. Moon
  • Patent number: 6485380
    Abstract: A golf club includes an electroactive assembly attached to the club and electrically tuned to capture energy from one or more vibrational modes with high efficiency. More generally, a sports implement includes an electroactive element, such as a piezoceramic sheet attached to the implement, and a circuit attached to the electroactive element. The circuit may be a shunt, or may include processing such as amplification and phase control to apply a driving signal which may compensate for strain sensed in the implement, or may simply alter the stiffness to affect performance. The electroactive element is located in a region of high strain to apply damping, and may include plural subassemblies mounted to capture energy in different planes, or to capture an asymmetric strain distribution while maintaining structural symmetry. In a ski the element captures between about one and five percent of the strain energy of the ski.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Active Control eXperts, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald Spangler, David Gilbert, Carl Prestia, Emanuele Bianchini, Kenneth B. Lazarus, Jeffrey W. Moore, Robert N. Jacques, Jonathan C. Allen, Farla M. Russo
  • Patent number: 6432005
    Abstract: A racket includes a frame, a Y-shaped throat integrally extending from the frame, a shaft integrally extending from the throat and a handle formed on the free end of the shaft. An end piece is attached to a free end of the handle. The end piece includes a rod integrally formed in the end piece perpendicular to a plane that contains the elements of the racket. The throat includes two hollow arms each having a slot defined to face the frame. The shaft and the handle are hollow. The longitudinal strings near the middle portion of the frame can pass through the slot into the shaft, loop around the rod and pass through the shaft and the slot to lengthen the strings. The lengthened string can absorb the reactive force and prevent the players from sustaining sport injuries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Inventor: Ryan Lin
  • Publication number: 20020052256
    Abstract: This racket frame comprises a main body (18), which presents an intermediate portion (22) in the vicinity of which are provided reinforcing means (26), these reinforcing means defining, with this intermediate portion, an intercalary volume (28) extending over the whole outer periphery of said intermediate portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2001
    Publication date: May 2, 2002
    Inventors: Marc Poggi, Yann Bernard, Yvan Le Bozec
  • Patent number: 6319158
    Abstract: A game racket includes elongated main strings which extend through a slot in a yoke portion of the head. In one embodiment the lower ends of the main strings pass through string holes in a second throat bridge below the first throat bridge. In another embodiment the lower ends of the main strings pass through string holes in the arms of the throat of the racket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Co.
    Inventor: Po-Jen Cheng
  • Patent number: 6203455
    Abstract: In a ball-game racket, especially a tennis racket, with a racket head formed by a clamping frame with stringing and with a grip shaft that attaches via, for example, a core piece, a damping element is located on the racket that has at least one additional weight and is elastically mounted with gaps between it and all adjacent walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: Volkl Tennis GmbH
    Inventor: Franz Scherubl
  • Patent number: 6027420
    Abstract: A sports racket, particularly a tennis racket, comprises a handle and a frame, including a head part, a middle part, a throat element and a shank element, and a string system composed of a lateral string segments and a longitudinal string segments, wherein the majority of the longitudinal string segments pass through the openings in the throat element, enter and anchored at the shank element; and at least for two longitudinal string segments, one on each side of the longitudinal axis, which are anchored at the shank element, there is no structural member of the frame standing between said string segment and the outboard space beyond. The frame, which surrounds the string network, is essentially not continuous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Inventor: Tsai C. Soong
  • Patent number: 5810683
    Abstract: A sports racquet, preferably a tennis racquet, includes an open throat frame in which at least most of the head portion has an aerodynamic cross-section, and at least most of the shaft portions have a box-like cross-section, the two regions being connected by a morph region for smoothly blending the cross-section of one region into the cross-section of the other region. Preferably, the morph region extends from the throat bridge toward the racquet tip, and the transition from the box-like cross-section to the aerodynamic cross-section occurs over a distance of less than 15% of the overall racquet length and substantially simultaneously with the merging of the ends of the throat bridge into the head portion of the racquet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Prince Sports Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen J. Davis
  • Patent number: 5702313
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a game racquet with employs a hitting area composed of a longitudinal and a lateral string. Specifically, the present invention is directed to such a racquet with a frame that allows for centrally disposed longitudinal string segments of an extended length. These centrally disposed longitudinal segments extend through enlarged apertures within a primary yoke, or throat bridge, and are anchored through a secondary yoke, or throat bridge. Thus, the game racquet of the present invention includes a plurality of longitudinal segments with the center most segments having a length greater than that of the adjacent lengths. Such a construction gives the string bed increased resiliency without increasing the string bed area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Lisco, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick G. Stennett
  • Patent number: 5649702
    Abstract: A sports racquet has a head portion with an elliptical cross-section in which the major axis is oriented parallel to the string plane. Preferably, the racquet includes a pair of converging throat frame members, and a throat bridge, which also have elliptical cross-sections oriented parallel to the string plane. As an alternative to a conventional throat bridge, in which some of the main strings are secured to the sides of the frame, a power ring, which bows inwardly toward the strung surface, spans the throat area, and supports the all the main strings, which are wrapped therearound. The racquet provides improved playability for hitting spin shots, by reducing wind resistance and reducing the minimum required angle of incidence (making it easier to hit the ball). Also, the hoop strength of the racquet is increased, which is particularly advantageous when using a power ring, which needs to provide tension to all the main strings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1997
    Assignee: Prince Sports Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Janes, Stephen J. Davis