Racket

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025312668-A1
Application number	US-202519098289-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 2, 2025
Priority date	Apr 5, 2024
Publication date	Oct 9, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A racket for ball sports includes: a first half-shell including a first head portion having a first impact wall, a first handle portion extending from the first head portion and a first contour wall extending around the first head portion; a second half-shell, coupled to the first half-shell, includes a second head portion having a second impact wall, a second handle portion extending from the second head portion and a second contour wall extending around the second head portion, the second contour wall being joined to the first contour wall; a central core of a first deformable material positioned between the first and second impact surfaces; and a peripheral core including a contour element positioned around the central core, the peripheral core of a second deformable material being positioned between the first and second impact surfaces in contact with the first and second contour walls.

First claim

1 . A racket for ball sports, in particular for padel, pickleball or beach tennis, comprising:
a first half-shell comprising a first head portion presenting a first impact wall, said first half-shell comprising a first handle portion extending from the first head portion and a first contour wall developing around the first head portion, a second half-shell, coupled to the first half-shell, comprising a second head portion presenting a second impact wall, said second half-shell comprising a second handle portion extending from the second head portion and a second contour wall developing around the second head portion, the second contour wall being joined to the first contour wall, a central core, made of a first deformable material and arranged between the first and second impact surfaces, a peripheral core comprising a contour element arranged around the central core, the peripheral core being arranged between the first and second impact surfaces in contact with at least the first and second contour walls and made of a second deformable material.

2 . The racket according to claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second deformable material is a foam.

3 . The racket according to claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second deformable material is an expanding material, preferably having a density between 10 g/l and 150 g/l.

4 . The racket according to claim 3 , wherein the first and/or second deformable material is an expanding material presenting a volumetric expansion factor between 7 and 9.

5 . The racket according to claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second deformable material is a non-expanding material, preferably having a density between 20 g/l and 300 g/l.

6 . The racket according to claim 1 , wherein the peripheral core comprises a filling element made of the second deformable material and disposed between the first handle portion and the second handle portion.

7 . The racket according to claim 6 , in which the filling element and contour element are made in a single body.

8 . The racket according to claim 6 , wherein the filling element has a first density and the contour element has a second density.

9 . The racket according to claim 1 , wherein the contour element has recesses and the density of the contour element is increased at the recesses, with respect to the rest of the contour element.

10 . The racket according to claim 1 , wherein the first half-shell comprises a first connection portion between the first head portion and the first handle portion and the second half-shell comprises a second connection portion between the second head portion and the second handle portion.

11 . The racket according to claim 7 , wherein the peripheral core comprises a connection element made in the second deformable material between the filling element and the contour element,
the connecting element being arranged between the first and second portions of the connection, the connection element being preferably made in a single body with the filling element and the contour element.

12 . The racket according to claim 11 , in which the first connection portion, the second connection portion and the connection element respectively present a through opening.

13 . The racket according to claim 1 , wherein the first half shell and the second half shell are made of composite material.

14 . A method for manufacturing a racket according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
providing a first half-mould, laminating at least one layer of composite material in the first half-mold to define the first half-shell, providing a second half-mould, laminating at least one layer of composite material in the second half-mold to define the second half-shell, arranging in the first half-shell, in a central portion of the first impact wall, the core of the first deformable material, arranging in the first half-shell the peripheral core made of the second deformable material, overlaying the second half-mold onto the first half-mold, coupling the first and second half-mold to obtain a casing defined by the first and second half-shell.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein coupling the first and second half-molds comprises vacuum placing the second half-mould superimposed on the first half-mold.

16 . The method according to claim 14 , comprising laying a layer of composite material on the peripheral core.

17 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the second deformable material is an expanding material, the method comprising a heating the single body to a temperature between 30°-100°.

18 . The method according to claim 14 , comprising inserting the core of first deformable material into the peripheral core made of the second deformable material.

Assignees

• Automobili Lamborghini Spa
• Babolat Vs Sas

Inventors

• Astruc Pierre-Nicolas
• Casale Francesco Cesare
• Hachet Kevin
• Marcelli Fabio

Classifications

• B32B2307/56

  Damping, energy absorption · CPC title

• B32B2266/0221

  Vinyl resin · CPC title

• B32B2262/106

  Carbon fibres, e.g. graphite fibres · CPC title

• B32B2262/101

  Glass fibres · CPC title

• B32B2260/046

  Synthetic resin · CPC title