Composite pickleball paddle
AssigneeFuture Comp. LLC
InventorsJoseph Stanish, Nicholas Przybysz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A composite paddle includes an exterior frame having a first shell that includes a planar surface and handle portion on a first side of the paddle, the first side of the paddle further having a first lip disposed at a perimeter of the first shell and a second shell that includes a planar surface and handle portion on a second side of the paddle opposite the first side, the second side of the paddle further having a second lip disposed at a perimeter of the second shell. The composite paddle also includes a thermoplastic core material disposed between the first shell and the second shell and a reinforcement material disposed between the first shell and the second shell to provide stability and durability to the paddle.
Claims20
A composite paddle, comprising:
- an exterior frame comprising:
- a first shell comprising a planar surface and handle portion on a first side of the paddle, the first side of the paddle further comprising a first lip disposed at a perimeter of the first shell;
- and
- a second shell comprising a planar surface and handle portion on a second side of the paddle opposite the first side, the second side of the paddle further comprising a second lip disposed at a perimeter of the second shell;
- a thermoplastic core material disposed between the first shell and the second shell;
- and
- a reinforcement material disposed between the first shell and the second shell to provide stability and durability to the paddle.
A method of forming a thermoplastic composite sports racket, the method comprising:
- forming a first shell substructure comprising a thermoformed composite;
- forming a second shell substructure comprising a thermoformed composite;
- placing the first shell substructure and the second shell substructure into an infrared radiation press, wherein the first shell substructure and second shell substructure are coupled together at a lap joint around a perimeter of the first shell and the second shell, forming a hollow exterior structure;
- filling the hollow exterior structure with an expanding polymer material to form a composite structure;
- heating the composite structure under pressure, wherein the expanding polymer material is configured to flow against the lap joint and weld the first shell substructure and the second shell substructure together.
A thermoplastic composite sports racket, comprising:
- a first substructure comprising a first lip disposed at a perimeter of the first substructure;
- a second substructure comprising a second lip disposed at a perimeter of the second substructure, wherein opposing ends of the first substructure and the second substructure are bonded with one another to form a hollow structure;
- a core material disposed between the first substructure and the second substructure;
- and
- a reinforced portion disposed within the core material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.