# US 2006/0223659 A1 · Composite racquet with double tube head frame > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2006/0223659 A1 - Document ID: US20060223659A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/423,971 - Filed: 2006-06-14 - Published: 2006-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2004-05-27 - Assignees: EF Composite Technologies, L.P. - Inventors: Rafael FILIPPINI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20060223659A1 ## CPC - A63B 49/02: Frames - A63B 49/022: String guides on frames, e.g. grommets - A63B 49/028: Means for achieving greater mobility of the string bed - A63B 49/11: with inflatable tubes, e.g. inflatable during fabrication - A63B 2209/02: with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) ## Abstract A sports racquet frame is built of a composite of laminations of fibrous material as impregnated by a thermosetting resin. The head section of the frame has an upper tube preferably disposed above the string bed plane and a lower tube preferably disposed below the string bed plane. A solid bridge of material integrally joins the upper tube to the lower tube. In a preferred embodiment the bridge is disposed radially exteriorly of the center line of the tubes, to maximize the length of string segments, which are strung to the bridge. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sports racquet, comprising: a frame formed of a composite of plural laminations of fibrous material impregnated with a polymer; the frame having an elongate head portion formed around and defining a string bed, the head section including a first tube which is elongate in the direction of elongation of the head portion, a second tube which is elongate in the direction of elongation of the head portion and disposed generally in parallel to the first tube, and a single bridge, elongate in the direction of elongation of the head portion, joining and spacing the first tube with and from the second tube, the bridge having no cavity which is elongate in said direction of elongation of the head portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The racquet of claim 1, wherein the string bed substantially resides in a string bed plane, the first tube disposed above the plane, the second tube disposed below the plane, the plane intersecting the bridge. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The racquet of claim 1, wherein the bridge is substantially perpendicular to the string bed plane. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The racquet of claim 1, wherein the head section further includes an elongate single-tube subsection and an elongate double-tube subsection which includes said first and second tubes, the single tube subsection joined to the double-tube subsection end to end, the single-tube subsection being integrally formed with the double-tube subsection. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The racquet of claim 1, wherein the head section further includes a plurality of fins formed at an angle to the string bed, to extend inwardly from the bridge and to span the first and second tubes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The racquet of claim 5, wherein string holes are formed at intervals in the bridge to receive string segments, the fins disposed at locations in between the string holes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The racquet of claim 1, wherein the fins are formed to be substantially perpendicular to the string bed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The racquet of claim 1, wherein the racquet is selected from the group consisting of tennis rackets, racquetball racquets, squash racquets and badminton racquets. ### Claim 9 A sports racquet, comprising: a frame head portion defining and supporting a string bed, the string bed having a center and substantially disposed in a string bed plane; the frame head portion being comprised of an endless wall of composite material, the composite material formed of a plurality of laminations of fibrous material as impregnated with a polymer, the endless wall having an outer portion relatively remote from the center of the string bed and an inner portion relatively near to the center of the string bed; and the endless wall forming an upper tube, a lower tube and a single bridge joining the upper tube to the lower tube, the bridge spacing the upper tube from the lower tube in a depth direction orthogonal to the string bed plane, the outer portion of the endless wall being joined to the inner portion of the endless wall along the depth direction of the bridge. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The sports racquet of claim 9, wherein at least one of said plurality of laminations of fibrous material has a fiber orientation that is neither parallel to a direction of elongation of the frame head portion nor perpendicular thereto, said at least one lamination being present in said outer portion of the endless wall and the inner portion of the endless portion, such that fibers in said at least one lamination in the outer portion will be disposed at an angle to fibers in said at least one lamination in the inner portion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The sports racquet of claim 10, wherein the angle is selected from the group consisting of ten degrees, 22 degrees, 45 degrees and 60 degrees. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The sports racquet of claim 9, wherein the fibers comprise carbon. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The sports racquet of claim 9, wherein the sports racquet is selected from the group consisting of racquetball racquets, tennis rackets, squash racquets and badminton racquets. ### Claim 14 A sports racquet, comprising: a frame having a head portion defining and surrounding a strung area, the frame formed of a composite including plural laminations of fibrous material as impregnated with a polymer, a periphery of the head portion defining a theoretical maximum area across which unconstrained strings can be strung, an actual area across which unconstrained strings are strung being more than 91% of said theoretical maximum area.