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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12415115-B2
Application number	US-202418639674-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2024
Priority date	Mar 12, 2018
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

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. 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. The head portion has a maximum beam height distance of at least 20 mm.

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, and a racquet torsional stability test, 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;
wherein the racquet torsional stability test includes mounting the racquet to a test frame having second and third test fixtures at fourth and fifth longitudinal locations of the racquet, respectively, placing a second predetermined weight of 6.9 Kg at a sixth 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 second 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 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;
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.

2. The tennis racquet of claim 1 , wherein the head portion has a maximum beam height distance of at least 21 mm.

3. The tennis racquet of claim 1 , wherein the head portion has a maximum beam height distance of at least 22 mm.

4. The tennis racquet of claim 1 , wherein, when the racquet is tested under the racquet lateral bending test, the racquet has a lateral deflection of at least 6.5 mm when measured in a direction that is parallel to the string bed plane and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

5. The tennis racquet of claim 1 , wherein, when the racquet is tested under the racquet lateral bending test, the racquet has a lateral deflection of at least 7.0 mm when measured in a direction that is parallel to the string bed plane and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

6. The tennis racquet of claim 1 , wherein when the racquet is tested under the racquet torsional stability test, the racquet has an angular deflection of no more than 5.0 degrees about the longitudinal axis.

7. The tennis racquet of claim 6 , wherein the string bed area is within the range of 93 to 120 square inches.

8. The tennis racquet of claim 7 , wherein the string bed area is within the range of 98 to 115 square inches.

9. The tennis racquet of claim 7 , wherein the string bed area has a maximum longitudinal dimension and a maximum transverse dimension, and wherein the size of the maximum longitudinal dimension is at least 1.2 times the size of the maximum transverse dimension.

10. The tennis racquet of claim 7 , 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.

11. The tennis racquet of claim 1 , 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.

12. The tennis racquet of claim 11 , 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.

13. The tennis racquet of claim 11 , wherein a majority of the ply arrangements include carbon fibers.

14. The tennis racquet of claim 11 , wherein at least 75 percent of the ply arrangements include carbon fibers.

15. The tennis racquet of claim 11 , wherein each of the plies include a resin, and wherein each of the plies has a fiber area weight of at least 50 g/m 2 .

16. The tennis racquet of claim 11 , wherein each ply arrangement includes unidirectional fibers extending in a non-braided and non-woven manner.

17. The tennis racquet of claim 11 , wherein the head portion includes a yoke, and wherein the head portion, the handle portion, the throat portion and the yoke are formed of one or more fiber composite materials.

18. The tennis racquet of claim 1 , wherein the racquet is capable of being tested under a racquet forward/rearward bending test, wherein the racquet forward/rearward bending test includes securely mounting the racquet in a second orientation to the first

Assignees

• Wilson Sporting Goods

Inventors

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

Classifications

• A63B1/00

  Horizontal bars · CPC title

• G01N3/34

  generated by mechanical means, e.g. hammer blows · CPC title

• G01N3/04

  Chucks · CPC title

• G01N2203/0096

  Fibre-matrix interaction in composites · CPC title

• G01N2203/0033

  Weight · CPC title