RAQUET WITH OPTIMUM RESULTS STRIKING ZONE INDICATOR

RAQUETTE A INDICATEUR DE ZONE DE FRAPPE OPTIMALE

English Abstract

TITLE : Improvements in Sports Equipment
APPLICANT : ZIMM-ZAMM AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
ABSTRACT OF DISCLOSURE
A sports implement has a lattice striking region,
one or more selected areas of which are indicated,
the indication being chosen from one or more of
the following :
a. a visual indicator such as a solid disc located
in a or the selected areas,
b. a "feel" indicator such as an increased mass of
a or the selected areas,
c. an aural indicator such as means to emit a
distinctive sound when a or the selected areas
engage the object to be struck,
a or the selected area preferably being the sweet spot
zone.
The lattice region is preferably an integral structure
formed of a suitable plastics material.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1.
A sports racquet consisting of a head and a handle,
the head having a frame that borders the head, an unstressed
monolithic lattice structure within the frame and extending
from side to side of the frame and having a multiplicity
of openings therein, and means in the centre of the head
closing a plurality of openings only in the centre of the
head without prejudicing the playing characteristics of
the surface of the lattice structure.
2.
A sports racquet as claimed in claim 1 in which the
means is integral with the lattice structure.
3.
A sports racquet as claimed in claim 2, said means
being in the form of webs of a thickness less than the
thickness of the remainder of said lattice structure.
4.
A sports racquet as claimed in claim 1 which is moulded
integrally of plastics, said lattice structure consisting
of a first plurality of spaced filaments that extend across
the frame in one direction, said first filaments inter-
secting a further plurality of spaced filaments that extend
across the frame in another direction, said first
filaments being integral with said further filaments
and forming with said further filaments said multiplicity
of openings, said means closing one or more of said openings
in the centre of the head and consisting of portions
integral with the lattice.
5.
A sports racquet as claimed in claim 4 in which said

integral portions of plastic closing said central
openings are in the form of webs of a thickness
less than the thickness of the filaments.

Description

~040675
is invention relates to sports implements of the type , '
used to strike an object to impart motion thereto. Such -,
implements are generally formed with a specific region '~
adapted for striking the object, and in this region there ~
is generally located a,zone which imparts the optimum impetus ,
to the object struck. This zone is called the "swee~ spot" `"
of the implement.
The present invention is concerned particularly, but ,
not exclusively, with bats or racquets for playing games such ''
as tennis, paddle tennis, badminton, squash, and the like,
especially racquets or bats of the type used in the game ` '
known as ZIMM-ZAMM (Registered Trademark). Racquets and
' bats as used in the above games generally have striking heads
comprising lattice structures surrounded by frames. The
lattlce structure may comprise a meshwork formed by strings
of gut or nylon, as is conventionally the case with tennis,
' ' `'~ squash, and badminton racguets, or may be an integrally '
, moulded lattice formed from a sultable plastics material,
' ~;, which form o structure has become known in cheaper forms ~ ',
20~ of racquets and the like. In the latter case the lattice
structure may'also be integral with the frame surrounding
the head of the racquet. ~ -
According to the invention there is provided a sports ,,
implement in which one or more selected areas of the
2~5~ striking region are indicated. The indication may be
aohleved by ~
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104()675
a. a visual indicator such as a solid disc located
in a or the selected areas,
b. a "feel" indicator, for example an increased mass
of a or the selected areas (which has the effect of improving
the "feel" of the impact of the object when struck by a or the
selected areas,
c. an aural indicator which causes the emission of a
distinctive sound when a or the selected areas engages the
object to be struck;
or any two or three of these indications taken
together.
Thus, the invention provides a sports racquet
consisting of a head and a handle, the head having a frame
that borders the head, an unstressed nolithic lattice -~
structure within the frame and extending from side to side of
the frame and having a multiplicity of openings therein, and
means in the centre of-the head closing--a plurality-of openings
only in the centreof the head without prejudicing the playing
characteristics of the surface of the lattice structure.
Preferably the sweet spot is indicated ~o a lesser
or greater degree.
The invention is discussed further with reference
to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a plan view of a racquet according to
the invention,
Figure 2 is a side view of the same racquet,
Figure 3 i5 an end view of the same racquet,
Figure 4 is a view from the opposite end of the ~ -
same racquet, and
Figure 5 is a view on the line V-V in Figure 1.
Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a
racquet 2, of the type used for the game ZIMM-~AMM ~trademark).
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104~)675
The racquet 2 is injection moulded as an integral structure
from a suitable plastics material such as polypropylene. It
comprises a handle 10 and a head 12. The
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1040675
head 12 in turn comprises a frame 1~ integral with a lattice
structure 16 contained in the frame. The lattice structure
16 is made up of filaments 18,20 that extend at right angles
to each other and are integral with each other at their
intersections. As seen in Figure S, the filaments are
substantially lozenge-shaped in cross-section.
A substantially central zone of the head 12 of the
racquet 2 is occupied by a solid piece 22. The zone is
chosen to coincide with the so-called sweet spot of the
head 12. The solid piece 22 in in the foxm of a substantially
flat disc, and is integral with, and fills the interstices
between, some of the filaments 18 and 20, resulting in an
integral webbed structure. The disc 22 is surrounded on its `
periphery by a thickened annulus 24. The disc 22 may have
a mass sufficient effectively to increase the weight of -
the lattice structure 16 at the sweet spot. The additional
weight serves to improve the "feel" of the sweet spot.
Furthermore, there is provided a cup formation 4 on
each side o~ the disc 22. As a result, when a ball collides
with the disc 22, a distinctive sound is emitted. Accordingly,
a player may hear if he is hitting the ball correctly.
In use, a player uses the disc 22 as a target with
which a ball he is striking must connect for optimum results.
Another embodiment of the invention, not illustrated,
may take the form of a bat or racquet in which the head is
formed by a lattice structure in the form of a board of wood
or the like pierced by a series of holes located at intervals
from each other. The holes are so dispersed that at least
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~ one zone, preferably that of the sweet spot at the centre,
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1~4~;)675
has fewer holes per unit than the surrounding zone. The
additional board in this area thus serves materially to
weight the sweet spot. The sweet spot zone in this
embodiment may also include a cup adapted to emit a distinc-
tive sound when struck.
The invention has been discussed above with reference
to racquets, hut it will be apparent that the principles
involved may apply equally to other sports implements used
to strike objects to impart motion to them. For example '
the sweet spots of the striking regions of implements such
as golf clubs, baseball and cricket bats, hockey sticks,
to name a few, may be visually indicated and if deslred
welghted. They may also or alternatively be adapted to ~-
emit distinctive sounds on collision of the sweet spot with a
ball, puck, or the like.
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