Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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NOVEL RACKET ASS~MBLY
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a racket assembly, and more
particularly to a stringed racket assembly for games, such as
tennis, racket ball, and the like.
Background of the Invention
Racket assemblies for playing tennis, racket ball and
the like are generally formed of one piece and comprised of an
oval-shaped frame portion and a handle portion extending from
the frame portion generally along a longitudinal axis of the
oval-shaped frame portion. ~acket assemblies have required
more and more complicated and expensive manufacturing tech-
niques. Additionally, there have existed greater demands for
high quality rackets exhibiting better balance, more constant
tension forces about a greater area of the stringed portion of
the frame member, etc.
Objects of the Invention
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel
racket assembly.
Yet another object of thé present invention is to
provide a novel racket assembly of improved construction.
Still another object of the present invention i9 to
provide a novel racket as~embly exhibiting better balancing
characteristics.
A further object of the present invention is to provide
a novel racket assembly of improved constant tension forces of
the stringed area.
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A still further object of the present invention is to
provide a novel racket assembly which is completely strung prior
to assembly of the components to form the racket assembly.
Summary of the Invention
These and other objects of the present invention are
achieved by a novel racket assembly comprised of half racket
members each comprised of a frame portion and a handle portion
mounted to one another along common or connecting surfaces thereof
wherein at least one of the frame portions of the half racket
member is of a generally U-shaped cross-section to thereby define
a hollow frame of the resulting racket assembly.
In one embodiment, the invention provides a racket
assembly, which comprises first and second half racket members,
formed of a frame portion and a handle portion extending
therefrom, at least one of said frame portions of said half racket
members being generally U-shaped in cross-section, said half
racket members being formed of a material selected from the group
consisting o~ plastic and a light metal and means for connecting
said half racket members along a common longitudinal a~is to
thereby form said racket assembly, said racket assembly being of a
hollow cross section about at least a frame portion thereof.
Brief Description of the Drawings
~ better understanding of the present invention as well
as other objects and advantages thereof will become apparent upon
consideration of the detailed disclosure when taken with the
accompanyiny drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is an ~levational view of the novel racket
assembly of the present invention;
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~ igure 2 is an exploded side view of the novel racXe~
assembly of the present invention;
Figure 3 is a side view of the novel racket assembly of
the present invention illustrating a form of string guide
assembly 7
Figure 4 is a partial elevational view of a half racket
member illustrating another form of string guide assembly;
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along the lines 5-5
of Figure 4;
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FIGURE 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the novel
racket assembly of the present invention having one form of an
alignment and connecting assembly,
FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view of the novel racket
assembly of the present invention with another form of string
guide assembly;
E'IGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view of the novel racket
assembly of the present invention with another form of string
guide assembly;
FIGUR~ 9 is a cross-sectional view of the novel racket
assembly of the present invention with still another form of
connecting assembly; and
FIGURE 10 is a cross-sectional view of ~he novel racket
assembly of FIGURE 6 including an intermediate welding layer.
Detailed Description of the Invention
Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is illustrated a
novel racket assembly, generally indicated as 1 (of a hollow
cross-section 2) of a longitu,dinal axis 7, and comprised of
half racket, members 3 and 4. The half racket members 3 and 4
include guide elements 6 and are each comprised of an oval-
shaped frame portion and a handle portion. The guide elements,
6 permit alignment between the half raclcet members 3 and 4
along a common or essentially parallel plane 5 in a manner to
ensure an assembled racket assembly 1 exhibiting little or no
tension or pressure stresses between the half racket members 3
and 4. The guide elements 6 of each racket members 3 and 4
extend beyond the common plane 5 therebetween to provide a
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statically an~ dynamically improved novel racket assembly 1.
Preferably the half racket members 3 and 4 are formed of a
curve of revolution so as to be practically identical, and may
be formed in the same tool to reduce manufacturing costs with
guide members 6 being subsequently disposed in select ori~ices
tnot shown) formed in each half racket member. At lea~t one of
the half racket members in a frame portion thereof is generally
U-shaped in cross-section thereby forming with the other ha]f
racket member a hollow frame portion of the racket assembly 1.
The half racket members are formed of plastic or a light metal.
FIGURE 3 illustrates one form of string guide assembly
wherein one half racket member 3 is formed with a plurality of
U-shaped orifices 8 and the half racket member 4 is formed with
U-shaped ear members 9 to cooperate and hold in proper tension
string elements (not shown) coursed within the U-shaped
orifices 8.
FIGURES 4 and 5 illustrate another embodiment of the
novel racket assembly of the present invention wherein one half
racket member, e.g. 3, is formed with interval reinforcing rib
members 10 including string guide channels 12 for receiving
string element 13 and held in place by racket member 4. The
reinforcing rib members 10 define hollow spaces 11 therebe-
tween, and in toto define a honeycomb structure resulting in a
racket assembly of improved static strength. String guides 12
of the embodiment of FIGURES 4 and 5 provide for advantageous
orientation of string element 13 therein. Generally, it is
desirable to arrange some of the reinforcing ribs 10 of the
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embodiment of FIGURES 4 and 5 in the direction of tensioned
string element 13 to reduce or substantially eliminate
transverse stressing of the string elements 13.
FIGURE 6 illustrates a positioning pin 14 disposed in an
orifice 15 for fixing the relative position of the half racket
members 3 and 4 and affixed to one another by a screw 20, it
being understood by one skilled in the art that a plurality of
cooperating positioning pins 14 and orifices 15 are formed in the
respective half-racket members to ensure integrity of the
racket assembly 1. The provisions of such a plurality of posi-
tioning pins 14 and cooperating orifices 15 together with the
use of a plurality of affixing screws 20 provide a racket
assembly 1 which can absorb shearing forces. With reference to
FIGURE ~, the positioning pins 14 may be formed with respect to
the orifices 15 to pressure fit the half racket members 3 and 4
into the racket assembly 1 without any provision for the use of
screws 20, however, a racket assembly 1 provided with the pro-
vision for assembly by use of screws 20 permit facile subse-
quent disassembly of the racket assembly 1 to restring the
racket assemhly 1. It will be understood by one skilled in the
art that assembly of a racket assembly 1 may be by either
positioning pin 14 and cooperating orifices 15 or by the use of
screws 20, or by a combination thereof.
One particular important feature of the present inven-
tion is the protection of the string elements 13 against mechan-
ical damage, e.g. scraping against a playing surface referring
now to FIGURE 7. In the embodiment a string element 13 is dis-
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posed in a string guide 12 and coursed about a recessed groove
16 to thereby protect the string element from mechanical damage.
The string elements 13 may be completely enclosed within
the racket assembly 1, referring not to FIGURE 8 wherein the
string guide 1~ is formed within one of the half racket members
3 or 4 and enclosed by side walls 17 thereof. Such embodiment
substantially eliminates problems associated with mechanical
damage to string elements 13 since the side walls 17 would come
into contact with the playing surface.
FIGURE 8 illustrates a further advantage of the present
invention wherein wedge members 18 (one shown) are provided for
initial stringing of string elements 13 at a given lower string
tension whereby assembly of the half racket members 3 and 4
into the racket assembly 1 causes additional tensioning of the
string elements 13 to a final string tension value. This is
preferably achieved by mounting together of the half racket
members 3 and 4 as discussed with reference to FIGURE 6, i.e.
using screws 20.
FIGURE 9 illustrates another embodiment of the present
invention relating to the assembly of the half racket members 3
and 4 to forln a racket assembly. In this embodiment, one of
the half racket member 3 is formed with a plurality (one shown)
of spring elements 19 including outwardly extending arm por-
tions which cooperate with inwardly extending shouldered
surface portions formed in the half racket member 4. According-
ly, during assembly of the racket assembly, the half racket
members 3 and 4 are pressed together to a point where the arm
portions of the spring elements 19 of the half racket member 3
snap onto and cooperate with the shouldered surface portions of
the half racket member 4. Such embodiment is preferred in some
instances since such assembly does not require any tooling.
The embodiment of FIGURE 10 illustrates still another
method of assembly of the half racket members 3 and 4 into a
racket assembly 1 when the half racket members 3 and 4 are
formed of a plastic material, preferably reinforced with carbon
fibers. Accordingly, the half racket members 3 and 4 may be
welded together using ultrasonic or electromagnetic forces in
an appropriate system, or may use an intermediate layer of a
plastic material 21 particularly when the plastic material of
the racket members is reinforced with carbon fibers. In such
assembly the plastic layer 21 becomes a part of the racket
assembly 1. When using an intermediate layer of a plastic
material 21, it is generally necessary to excise portions there-
of to provide access for the positioning pins 14 to the
orifices 15, the string guides 12, or other areas of the common
plane 5 necessary for proper assembly of the half racket
members 3 and 4 to forn1 a rac]cet assembly.
It will be readily appreciated by one skilled in the art
that the present invention provides a racket assembly which
permits the stringing of one of the half racket members prior
to assembly of the racket assembly hereof, as distinguished
from the stringirlg of rac3cet assemblies of the prior art requir-
ing the coursing or threading of the string elements through a
plurality of channels disposed about the frame memberO In
accordance with the present invention, stringing of the racket
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may be automated and effected during production of the racket
assembly.
While the present invention has been described in con-
nection with several exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be
understood that many modifications will be apparent to those of
ordinary skill in the art; and that this application is
intended to cover any adaptations or variations thereof. There-
fore, it is manifestly intended that this invention be only
limited by the claims and the e~uivalents thereof.
