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AssigneePrince Sports, Inc.
InventorsRoberto Gazzara, Mauro Pinaffo, Michele Pozzobon, Mauro Pezzato
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The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing at least a portion of a sports racquet frame that comprises a step a) of providing a moldable tube structure containing a first inflatable bladder and a second inflatable bladder. The first and second inflatable bladders are positioned on opposite first and second regions of the moldable tube structure. At an intermediate region, the tube structure comprises one or more cross channels, which pass through the moldable tube structure. The method according to the present invention comprises also a further step b) of inserting said tube structure inside a mold forming a mold cavity of a desired shape. Mold members are inserted into the cross channels of the tube structure, so that the outer surface of the mold member faces the inner surface of the corresponding cross channel. The mold members have position and orientation that correspond to the position and orientation, along the string bed plane, of the string port holes, which are to be formed on said frame portion. The method, according to the present invention, comprises also a step c) of pressurizing the first and second bladders, so that the tube structure conforms to the shape of the mold, and heating the mold, so that the tube structure cures. The method, according to the present invention, comprises a further step d) of removing the cured tube structure from the mold cavity and removing the mold members from the cross channels.
A method for manufacturing at least a frame portion of a sports racquet frame having at least a string port hole formed therein, said frame having a string bed plane, along which said string port hole extends, characterized in that it comprises the following manufacturing steps:
A method, according to one or more of claims from 2 to 3, characterized in that, in said step a.1) of providing said chuck member, said intermediate chuck element comprises at least a couple of chuck cross cavities, which pass at least partially through said intermediate chuck element at first opposite sides of said intermediate chuck element.
A method, according to one or more of claims from 2 to 4, characterized in that, in said step a.3) of removing predefined portions of said prepreg tube, said predefined portions are the portions of the prepreg tube, which cover said chuck cross cavities at said first opposite sides of said intermediate chuck element.
A method, according to one or more of the claims from 2 to 5, characterized in that, in said step a.5) of inserting said tube support element, said support element comprises one or more layers of moldable material and/or one or more layers of non-moldable material.
A method, according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said moldable tube structure comprises an outer wall, which defines the external perimeter of said tube structure, and at least an inner wall, which defines said at least a cross channel passing through said tube structure.
A method, according to one or more of claims from 7 to 9, characterized in that said inner wall comprises one or more layers of moldable material and/or one or more layers of non-moldable material.
A sports racquet frame characterized in that it is manufactured by means of a method, according to one or more of the preceding claims.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.