Shuttlecock

Details Shuttlecock Shuttlecock

1998-11-04

2001-05-08

Graham, Mark S. (Department: 3711)

Games using tangible projectile

Projectile, per se; part thereof or accessory therefor

Arrow, dart, or shuttlecock; part thereof

C473S579000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06227991

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a shuttlecock which is a very light device used in the game of badminton. For the purposes of the specification all shuttlecocks have a cap, and a flared skirt; where necessary, the cap is divided into an outer cap and a skirt connector, similarly, the flared skirt is divided into an inner and an outer skirt.
BACKGROUND ART
There are two main types of shuttlecocks, those having a flared skirt made of feathers and those having a flared skirt made of plastic material. Feather shuttlecocks have a cap usually made of cork, the inner skirt being the stems or quills of the feathers and the outer skirt being made up of minor stems or the quill extensions which spread into the vanes. In the best feather shuttlecocks, the flared skirts are made of goose feathers which overlap in the outer skirt. Such shuttlecocks have the following desirable characteristics: the turnover is good; the whole shuttlecock is rigid; it rotates in flight and the outer skirt is very light; when struck severely, there is a resounding ‘crack’, a noise pleasing to the player; the inner skirt does not collapse and the shuttlecock decelerates rapidly. Such shuttlecocks have two main disadvantages, they are expensive and, if mis-hit, a stem may break and the flight becomes irregular so that the shuttlecock has to be discarded sometimes after only one or two minutes play.
In a plastic shuttlecock, the flared skirt has stems in the inner skirt (replacing quills in the feather); the stems become minor stems in the outer skirt and, to replace the vane in the feather, may be connected by a series of ribs in turn connected by a plurality of intermediate stems; the design varies. Cheaper models are made of a material such as polyethylene whilst the more expensive models are made of a material such as polyamide.
In models made according to the prior art, the deeper, stiffer and more numerous the stems, the more quickly the skirt recovers after collapsing when struck severely but the poorer the turnover. The turnover can be improved by reducing the number and/or cross-sectional area of stems, minor stems, ribs and intermediate stems. Spinning can be induced by inclining the stems and/or indenting parts of the outer skirt. The more the skirt is filled in by stems, minor stems, ribs and intermediate stems the better the ‘crack’ and visibility but the worse the turnover. Manufacture is a matter of comprise between stiffness, ‘crack’ visibility and turnover. Such shuttlecocks are known from GB-A-887172, GB-A-907700, GB-A-908684, GB-A-1046708 and, in particular, GB-A-949110. The shuttlecock known from GB-A-949110 has an upper skirt made of natural or artificial quills and a lower skirt made at least in part of a cellular plastic material. In one embodiment, the lower skirt is made from a solid as distinct from cellular material coated with a surface layer of cellular plastic material. In another embodiment, the lower skirt is made of a cellular plastic material.
Because of the rigidity of a new feather shuttlecock, when it is struck severely, the cap and feathers move together so that when the shuttlecock is in good condition collapsing is negligible but when a plastic shuttlecock, even a new one, is struck severely it can be shown by high speed photography that the skirt collapses until it is almost flat as shown in
FIG. 1
; the collapse is prolonged because the skirt is not strong enough to return to a substantially circular shape as it passes through the air with the result that when struck severely in a ‘lob’ the ‘length’, as dictated by the laws of badminton, may become unpredictable.
Technical Problem to be Overcome
The technical problem to be overcome in both the feather and the plastic shuttlecock is to provide a gradual support for the stems so that they are less likely to break when mis-hit and, in the plastic shuttlecock,
1) to support the stems to prevent the collapse of the skirt or make the recovery so quick as to make the collapse unimportant;
2) to fill in the spaces between the stems sufficiently to make the ‘crack’;
3) to improve visibility and turnover.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, these objects are accomplished in a shuttlecock having at least a cap, and a flared skirt, in that a balloon is incorporated in the space partially enclosed by the flared skirt.
In a shuttlecock wherein said cap comprises an outer cap and a skirt connector and wherein the said flared skirt comprises at least an inner skirt incorporating stems, and an outer skirt incorporating at least minor stems, the invention may be further developed in that the said balloon is incorporated in the space partially enclosed by the said inner skirt, the balloon thus being adapted to support at least the said stems and fill in at least part of the spaces adjacent the stems thus improving visibility.
The said balloon may incorporate a plurality of extending fingers integral with the main body of the balloon arranged in a form which flares outwardly from the cap.
Preferably, the said balloon has a balloon inlet and is adapted to be inflated through a hole in the cap.
The invention may be developed further in that the balloon inlet retainer is enclosed within the said cap and the said balloon is adapted to be inflated through an orifice in the said balloon inlet retainer.
The said balloon inlet retainer may be split before assembly and held together after assembly.
Preferably, the balloon inlet passes through the said orifice in which the said inlet is compressed and held against rotation relative to the cap when the balloon, after inflation, is slightly rotated relative to the said skirt.
A small bore tube may be inserted in the balloon inlet and a structure equivalent to at least one ‘O’ ring compresses the said balloon inlet around the said small bore tube, the arrangement being such that a non-return valve is made when the small bore tube is withdrawn.
Advantageous Effects
The balloon supports the shape of the inner skirt both remote from and adjacent to the racket. When the shuttlecock is struck severely, collapse is largely prevented and, because of the air pressure within the balloon any collapse is restored almost instantaneously to a substantially circular shape. The stems in the inner skirt in both feather and plastic shuttlecocks are given a flexible gradual support so that breakage of the stems is reduced. The stems may be reduced in number and, in plastic shuttlecocks, their crosssectional area may be shaped to facilitate the flow of material during injection thereby improving turnover and, because the spaces adjacent to the stems are filled by the balloon the visibility is improved and the shuttlecock makes a ‘crack ’ when struck severely. The orifice may be split so that the balloon inlet is easily assembled.


REFERENCES:
patent: 227884 (1880-05-01), Duchemin
patent: 1393407 (1921-10-01), Tenney
patent: 2485420 (1949-10-01), Timpe
patent: 2734746 (1956-02-01), Sametz et al.
patent: 3749402 (1973-07-01), Adickes et al.
patent: 4995619 (1991-02-01), Hwang
patent: 5562290 (1996-10-01), Wei
patent: 344938 (1960-04-01), None
patent: 2408604 (1974-09-01), None
patent: 9102324 (1991-06-01), None
patent: 907700 (1961-02-01), None
patent: 887172 (1962-01-01), None
patent: 908684 (1962-10-01), None
patent: 949110 (1964-02-01), None
patent: 1046708 (1966-10-01), None
patent: 90020902 (1993-10-01), None

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Shuttlecock does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Shuttlecock, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Shuttlecock will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2570988