Racquet configured with increased flexibility in multiple directions with respect to a longitudinal axis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11986706-B2
Application number	US-202217703426-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2022
Priority date	Mar 12, 2018
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

A racquet extending along a longitudinal axis and including a frame including a head portion, a handle portion, and a throat portion. The head portion forms a hoop that defines a string bed plane. At least the head portion and the throat portion of the frame are formed at least in part of a fiber composite material. When the racquet is tested under the racquet lateral bending test, the racquet has a lateral deflection of at least 6.0 mm when measured in a direction that is parallel to the string bed plane and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tennis racquet extending along a longitudinal axis and capable of being tested under a racquet lateral bending test including a first test fixture, a deflection indicator and a clamp, wherein the racquet lateral bending test includes mounting the racquet in a first orientation to the first test fixture at a first longitudinal location, attaching the clamp to the racquet at a second longitudinal location, operably engaging the deflection indicator to the clamp, applying a first predetermined weight of 3 Kg to the racquet at a third longitudinal location, and removing the first predetermined weight to obtain a lateral deflection measurement of the racquet with respect to the longitudinal axis, the racquet comprising;
a frame including a head portion, a handle portion including a proximal end, and a throat portion positioned between the head portion and the handle portion, the head portion forming a hoop that defines a string bed plane, the throat portion including a pair of throat elements, at least the head portion and the throat portion of the frame of the racquet being formed at least in part of a fiber composite material, wherein, when the racquet is tested under the racquet lateral bending test, the racquet has a lateral deflection of at least 6.0 mm when measured in a direction that is parallel to the string bed plane and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein the first test fixture includes a racquet contact surface, wherein the first longitudinal location of the racquet is adjacent to the proximal end of the handle portion with the proximal end of the handle portion contacting of the racquet contact surface of the first test fixture, wherein the second longitudinal location is at a distal end region of the head portion at a 12 o'clock position of the hoop, wherein the third longitudinal location is positioned at a side region of the head portion at the 3 o'clock position of the hoop at a distance that is 20 inches from the proximal end of the racquet along the longitudinal axis.

2. The tennis racquet of claim 1 , wherein the racquet is capable of being tested under a racquet forward/rearward bending test, and a racquet torsional stability test, wherein the racquet forward/rearward bending test includes securely mounting the racquet in a second orientation to the first test fixture at the first longitudinal location, applying a second predetermined weight of 2.8 Kg to the racquet at a fourth longitudinal location, operably engaging the deflection indicator to the racquet at a fifth longitudinal location, and removing the second predetermined weight to obtain a forward/rearward deflection measurement with respect to the longitudinal axis, wherein the racquet is rotated 90 degrees about the longitudinal axis from the first orientation to the second orientation, wherein the racquet is capable of being tested under a racquet torsional stability test, wherein the racquet torsional stability test includes mounting the racquet to a test frame having second and third test fixtures at sixth and seventh longitudinal locations of the racquet, respectively, placing a third predetermined weight of 6.9 Kg at an eighth location on an arm extending from the second test fixture that is 40 cm from the longitudinal axis to place a torsional load on to the racquet, removing the third predetermined weight to obtain an angular deflection about the longitudinal axis, and wherein, when the racquet is tested under the racquet torsional stability test, the racquet has an angular deflection of less than 5.5 degrees about the longitudinal axis,
wherein, when the racquet is tested under the racquet forward/rearward bending test, the racquet has a forward/rearward deflection with respect to the longitudinal axis of at least 8.5 mm when measured in a direction that is perpendicular to the string bed plane and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein the first test fixture includes a racquet contact surface, wherein the fourth longitudinal location is at a distal end region of the head portion at a 12 o'clock position of the hoop, wherein the fifth longitudinal location is positioned at the distal end region of the head portion at a 12 o'clock position of the hoop, wherein the second test fixture is fixed secured to the handle portion of the frame of the racquet and is pivotally mounted to the test frame to allow for rotational movement of the handle portion about the longitudinal axis, and wherein the third test fixture fixedly secures the head portion of the test frame.

3. The tennis racquet of claim 2 , wherein the racquet is capable of being tested in a racquet vibration test, wherein the racquet vibration test utilizes a modal analysis system including a hammer, an accelerometer and a modal analysis frame for supporting the racquet in a free-free condition during modal analysis, the modal analysis frame is configured to suspend the tennis racquet in a free condition; the accelerometer is removably attached to the frame of the tennis racquet, senses the vibration when the hammer impacts against the tennis racquet and sends a signal to a signal analyzer so as to calculate a vibration frequency for the tennis racquet, and wherein, when the racquet is tested under the racquet vibration test, the racquet has a vibration of no greater than 130 Hz.

4. The tennis racquet of claim 3 , wherein the head portion includes a forward hoop surface and a rearward hoop surface, wherein the distance between the forward and rearward hoop surfaces is a beam height distance, and wherein the head portion has a maximum beam height distance of at least 20 mm.

5. The tennis racquet of claim 4 , wherein the head portion has a maximum beam height distance of at least 21 mm.

6. The tennis racquet of claim 4 , wherein the fiber composite material includes a plurality of ply arrangements, wherein each of the ply arrangements includes a pair of plies with one ply having a first plurality of fibers defining a first angle with respect to a composite axis and the other ply having a second plurality of fibers defining a second angle with respect to the composite axis, wherein the first and second angles are substantially the same except the first and second angles have opposite angular polarities with respect to the composite axis, wherein the head portion includes at least three ply arrangements overlaying each other, and wherein the first and second angles of at least two of the at least three ply arrangements are at least 35 degrees.

7. The tennis racquet of claim 6 , wherein the at least three ply arrangements is at least four ply arrangements, and wherein the first and second angles of at least two of the at least four ply arrangements are at least 40 degrees.

8. The tennis racquet of claim 7 , wherein each of the pair of plies are a sheet of unidirectional fibers within and permeated throughout the resin in a non-braided and non-woven manner.

9. The tennis racquet of claim 6 , wherein the at least three ply arrangements is at least four ply arrangements, and wherein the first and second angles of at least two of the at least four ply arrangements are at least 45 degrees.

10. The tennis racquet of claim 6 , wherein the at least three ply arrangements is at least six ply arrangements, and wherein the first and second angles of at least three of the at least six ply arrangements are at least 40 degrees.

11. The tennis racquet of claim 6 , wherein the at least three ply arrangements is at least six ply arrangements, and wherein the first and second angles of at least three of the at least six ply arrangements are at least 45 degrees.

12. The tennis racquet of claim 6 , wherein each of the pair of plies are a sheet of

Assignees

• Wilson Sporting Goods

Inventors

• Severa William D
• Zwack Dale J
• Kapheim Robert T
• Compostizo Eloisa M

Classifications

• A63B49/028 Primary

  Means for achieving greater mobility of the string bed · CPC title

• A63B1/00

  Horizontal bars · CPC title

• A63B49/10

  made of non-metallic materials, other than wood · CPC title

• A63B60/42

  Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand · CPC title

• G01N3/04

  Chucks · CPC title