Games using tangible projectile – Player held and powered – nonmechanical projector – per se,... – With sound-deadening – vibration-damping – or shock-absorbing...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-28
2001-11-20
Chiu, Raleigh W. (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Player held and powered, nonmechanical projector, per se,...
With sound-deadening, vibration-damping, or shock-absorbing...
C473S539000, C473S540000, C473S543000, C473S546000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06319158
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to game rackets and, more specifically, to rackets having elongated apertures in the yoke portion thereof to allow for elongation of the main strings of the racket.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rackets for tennis and other sports, such as racquetball and squash, typically have one or two lengths of racket strings interwoven to create a mesh pattern. Generally, there are vertically oriented strings known as main strings, and horizontally oriented strings known as cross strings. The main strings and cross strings typically are strung through string holes provided about the perimeter of the head of the racket frame by professionals with equipment provided to obtain desired string tensions.
The frame of a racket often includes a handle, a Y-shaped throat, consisting of a pair of arms that diverge from the handle, and a generally inverted U-shaped head having a top and two sides. The bottom of the head, spanning the legs of the inverted U-shape, is typically occupied by a yoke portion, also known in the art as a throat bridge. While some rackets, such as the Bergelin LongString(TM) by MacGregor, as well as the racket shown in Stennett, U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,313, had strings that extended through string holes provided in the throat bridge, the string holes constrained the strings therein. Stennett's racket purportedly reduced vibrations by increasing the length of the main strings. However, it is actually the case that by increasing the racket string length, the racket string's natural frequency decreases, resulting in more vibration in the string bed.
Because there are benefits to extending the strings through the throat bridge, it would be desirable for a racket to have a throat bridge that could allow racket strings to pass therethrough, while sufficiently dampening the strings to minimize any increased vibration resulting from increased string length. It would be even more desirable if such a racket further decreased vibrations that would have existed in the string bed even if the string length were not increased. Also, it would be desirable for such a racket to be provided with a second bridge positioned beneath the throat bridge to increase the overall racket strength and stability. The second bridge also would provide a convenient point to provide conventional string holes so that the elongated strings could still be looped in the throat portion in a manner that did not require excessively overlength strings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A racket is provided with an elongated slot in the yoke or throat bridge that is sufficiently wide to accommodate at least two main strings, and preferably, several more than two main strings. The elongated slot includes means for dampening the string bed in order to at least offset any increased vibrations that may be caused by increasing the string length. In one form of the invention, the dampening means takes the form of a pair of dampening strips, made of a soft damping material such as polyurethane foam, with one of the strips disposed on either side of the string bed within the elongated slot.
In this embodiment, the racket is preferably provided with a second throat bridge beneath the yoke, which second throat portion is provided with apertures therein, which are known in the art as string holes, through which the main strings pass during stringing of the racket.
In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, a racket is provided with the same type of elongated slot in the yoke as the first embodiment, which accommodates at least two, and preferably several more than two, main strings. However, instead of providing strips on either side of the string bed within the elongated slot, in this embodiment the dampening means takes the form of a polyurethane insert that substantially fills the elongated slot. The polyurethane insert is provided with a thin vertical passage for each of the main strings that passes through the elongated slot in the yoke. The thin vertical passage is preferably of a smaller diameter than the string diameter, such that when the racket strings are strung through the vertical passages, a force fit is created between the racket strings and the polyurethane insert.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4681319 (1987-07-01), Zilinskas
patent: 4828259 (1989-05-01), Davis
patent: 5141228 (1992-08-01), Soong
patent: 5178386 (1993-01-01), Tzeng
patent: 5702313 (1997-12-01), Stennett
patent: 6027420 (2000-02-01), Soong
patent: 2226250 (1990-06-01), None
Siegfried Kuebler,Book of Tennis Rackets from the beginning of the 16th century until about 1990(2000 English translation of 1995 compendium). pp. 53-54 “Acro: Adjustable 1975” tennis racket.
Siegfried Kuebler,Book of Tennis Rackets from the beginning of the 16th century until about 1990(2000 English translation of 1995 compendium). p. 286 “Prince: Classic, 1977”, “Prince: Graphite, 1980”, “Prince: Pro, 1979” tennis racket.
Siegfried Kuebler,Book of Tennis Rackets from the beginning of the 16th century until about 1990(2000 English translation of 1995 compendium). pp. 293-294 “Protagon: Bergelin Longstring, McGregor, ca. 1985” tennis racket.
Chiu Raleigh W.
Wilson Sporting Goods Co.
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