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US 2012/0214625 A1Published application
Tennis racket and method
OwnerRichard A. Brandtinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tennis racket is provided that has a rectangular ball striking face with rounded corners. The racket is formed of a carbon fiber sandwich with light material mounted therebetween. A strip of carbon fiber is attached to the outer edge spanning the two carbon fiber top and bottom sheets. The rectangular frame is formed with outwardly bowed sides so as to be pulled into a straight sided configuration by the string tension. Locking grommets of various constructions are provided to hold the strings at predetermined tensions. Testing equipment and methods are provided for testing tennis rackets.
Claims55
A sports racket, comprising:
- a racket body including:
- a racket head having a substantially rectangular face shape, said substantially rectangular face shape including rounded corners, said racket head defining a plurality of string mounting positions in a predetermined arrangement on the four opposing sides of said rectangular face shape;
- a racket handle affixed to said racket head;
- and
- at least one string mounted at said string mounting positions to define main string portions and cross string portions, said main string portions each being of substantially equal length and substantially equal tension, said cross string portions each being of substantially equal length and substantially equal tension.
2 more elements
A sports racket, comprising:
- a racket body including:
- a racket head having a substantially rectangular face shape, said substantially rectangular face shape including rounded corners, said racket head defining a plurality of string mounting positions in a predetermined arrangement on four opposing sides of said rectangular face shape;
- a racket handle affixed to said racket head;
- and
- at least one string mounted at said plurality of string mounting locations to define main string portions and cross string portions, said main string portions each having a main string fundamental vibration frequency where each main string frequency is substantially the same, said cross string portions each having a cross string fundamental vibration frequency where each cross string frequency is substantially the same.
2 more elements
A sports racket, comprising:
- a racket head including an open frame defining an arrangement of string holes at opposing sides of said open frame, said string holes including substantially conical hole portions;
- a handle affixed to said racket head;
- at least one string disposed through said string holes and extending across said open frame to define a racket face;
- and
- a plurality of lockable grommets disposed in ones of said string holes, said grommets including substantially conical grommet portions inserted into said substantially conical hole portions, said lockable grommets engaging and restraining said at least one string under tension by frictional engagement between said substantially conical hole portions and said substantially conical grommet portions and said string.
2 more elements
A sports racket, comprising;
- a racket head including an open frame defining an arrangement of string holes at opposing sides of said open frame, said string holes including substantially conical hole portions, said substantially conical hole portions being threaded;
- a handle affixed to said racket head;
- at least one string disposed through said string holes and extending across said open frame to define a racket face;
- and
- a plurality of lockable grommets disposed in ones of said string holes, said grommets including threaded substantially conical grommet portions inserted into said threaded substantially conical hole portions, said lockable grommets engaging and restraining said at least one string under tension by threaded engagement between said threaded substantially conical hole portions and said threaded substantially conical grommet portions and said string.
2 more elements
A sports racket, comprising:
- a racket head including an open frame defining an arrangement of string holes at opposing sides of said open frame, said string holes including substantially conical hole portions;
- a handle affixed to said racket head;
- at least one string disposed through said string holes and extending across said open frame to define a racket face;
- and
- a plurality of lockable grommets disposed in ones of said string holes, said grommets each including a substantially cylindrical bar disposed in said substantially conical hole portions, said grommets each including a stopping block in said substantially conical hole, said substantially cylindrical bar being wedged in said substantially conical hole to hold said at least one string in place under tension, said substantially cylindrical bar permitting said at least one string to be pulled through said grommet to increase tension on the string but preventing movement of the string in an opposite direction.
2 more elements
A sports racket, comprising:
- a racket head including an open frame defining an arrangement of string holes at opposing sides of said open frame;
- a handle affixed to said racket head;
- at least one string disposed through said string holes and extending across said open frame to define a racket face;
- and
- a plurality of lockable grommets disposed in ones of said string holes, said grommets including first and second locking portions and a biasing member, said biasing member biasing said first and second locking portions toward one another to engage said at least one string to hold said at least one string under tension, said first and second locking members permitting said at least one string to move through said locking portions in a direction to increase tension on the string but preventing movement of the string in an opposite direction.
2 more elements
A sports racket, comprising:
- a racket head including an open frame defining an arrangement of string holes at opposing sides of said open frame;
- a handle affixed to said racket head;
- at least one string disposed through said string holes and extending across said open frame to define a racket face;
- and
- a plurality of lockable grommets disposed at ones of said string holes, said grommets including a string passageway and a threaded bore opening onto said string passageway and a threaded member threadably engaged in said threaded bore, said threaded member bearing against said at least one string in said string passageway to secure said at least one string in said string passageway.
2 more elements
A sports racket, comprising:
- a racket head including an open frame defining an arrangement of string holes at opposing sides of said open frame;
- a handle affixed to said racket head;
- at least one string disposed through said string holes and extending across said open frame to define a racket face;
- and
- a plurality of lockable grommets disposed at ones of said string holes, said grommets each including a compressible elastic string gripping element engaging said string, said grommets each including a threaded cone engaged with said gripping element, said grommets each including a threaded nut threadably engaged on said threaded cone so as to compress said gripping element and thereby secure the string in position.
2 more elements
A sports racket, comprising:
- a racket head including an open frame defining an arrangement of string holes at opposing sides of said open frame;
- a handle affixed to said racket head;
- at least one string disposed through said string holes and extending across said open frame to define a racket face;
- and
- a plurality of lockable grommets disposed at ones of said string holes, said grommets each including a compressible elastic string gripping element engaging said string, said string gripping elements being held in threaded nuts, and threaded portions being provided at said string holes onto which said threaded nuts are threadably engaged so as to hold said string under tension in said string holes.
2 more elements
A sports racket, comprising:
- a racket frame;
- a racket handle connected to said racket frame,
- said racket frame and said racket handle being formed of a carbon fiber composite materials and having an sandwich structure, said sandwich structure including first and second opposed carbon fiber sheets between which is disposed a light core material.
A method for providing a sports racket, comprising the steps of:
- forming a racket frame so that said frame has a substantially rectangular shape;
- stringing the racket frame with at least one string to provide main string portions and cross string portions extending between opposing sides of said substantially rectangular frame;
- tensioning the main string portions so that each of the main string portions is of substantially equal length and substantially equal tension;
- and
- tensioning the cross string portions so that each of the cross string portions is of substantially equal length and substantially equal tension.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.