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US4948131A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Vibration dampening racket

Assignee: Sigel KK
•
Filing: 1989-05-15
•
Granted: 1990-08-14
•
Expires: 2009-05-15
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Abstract

Abstract A racket for playing tennis or similar ball games having a straight bar type stem part which continues to an annular ball hitting part. A hole is provided in the stem part in which a vibration absorbing member is stored. Said vibration absorbing member comprises a buffer layer made of a gel material and a mass member supported by this buffer layer. The buffer layer is fixed so that it can be deformed in said hole and said mass member is supported so that it does not contact the internal surface of the hole. Said vibration absorbing member can be put in an outer casing and inserted into the hole. In this case, the buffer layer is deformed in the outer casing and the mass member is held so that it does not contact the internal surface of the outer casing.

Inventors

  • 👤 Motoyasu Nakanishi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 14:04
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63B; A63B60/00; A63B60/54; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S273/00; Y10S273/29

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim 180 words
A racket for playing tennis or similar ball games comprising (a) a frame which has an annular ball hitting part and a bar type stem part having two ends, one end attached to said ball hitting part and the other end having a grip part thereon, (b) a net which is extended across said ball hitting part, (c) a hole which is provided on a straight bar part between said grip part and said ball hitting part of the stem part of said frame and which is open at least at its one end, (d) at least one cover which is attached to the opening of said hole, and (e) a vibration absorbing member which is accommodated in said hole, wherein said vibration absorbing member comprises at least one buffer layer of a gel material which is fixed to be deformable in said hole, and at least one mass member for weighing said racket which is supported by said buffer layer so that said mass member does not come in contact with the internal surfaces of said hole and cover.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 180 words
A racket for playing tennis or similar ball games comprising (a) a frame which has an annular ball hitting part and a bar type stem part having two ends, one end attached to said ball hitting part and the other end having a grip part thereon, (b) a net which is extended across said ball hitting part, (c) a hole which is provided on a straight bar part between said grip part and said ball hitting part of the stem part of said frame and which is open at least at its one end, (d) at least one cover which is attached to the opening of said hole, and (e) a vibration absorbing member which is accommodated in said hole, wherein said vibration absorbing member comprises at least one buffer layer of a gel material which is fixed to be deformable in said hole, and at least one mass member for weighing said racket which is supported by said buffer layer so that said mass member does not come in contact with the internal surfaces of said hole and cover.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 18 words
A racket in accordance with claim 1, wherein said buffer layer is made of a silicone gel material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 25 words
A racket in accordance with claim 2, wherein said silicone gel material is a silicone gel having a penetration value of approximately 50 to 200.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 39 words
A racket in accordance with claim 2, wherein said silicone gel material is made up by mixing 1 to 4 weight percent of fine hollow particles in a silicone gel having a penetration value of approximately 50 to 200.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 24 words
A racket in accordance with claim 1, wherein said vibration absorbing member comprises a round columnar mass member stored in a cylindrical buffer layer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 32 words
A racket in accordance with claim 5, wherein an engaging projection is provided on said mass member and engaged with an engaging recess provided on the internal surface of said buffer layer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 30 words
A racket in accordance with claim 1, wherein said mass member is supported by a pair of wall type buffer layers respectively coupled to both ends of the mass member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 29 words
A racket in accordance with claim 1, wherein said mass member has a through hole provided in its axial direction and said buffer layer passes through said through hole.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 49 words
A racket in accordance with claim 1, wherein said vibration absorbing member has a plurality of mass members and a plurality of buffer layers, said mass members and said buffer layers are alternately stacked and an external surface of said vibration absorbing member is formed by the buffer layer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 17 words
A racket in accordance with claim 1, wherein said cover attached to said hole is a lens.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 43 words
A racket in accordance with claim 10, wherein said cover is made with a concave lens and at least one end face of said vibration absorbing member opposed to the internal side of said convex lens is given an artistic design of appearance.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 181 words
A racket for playing tennis or similar ball games comprising (a) a frame which has an annular ball hitting part and a bar type stem part having two ends, one end attached to said ball hitting part and the other end having with a grip part thereon, (b) a net which is extended across said ball hitting part, (c) a hole which is provided on a straight bar part between said grip part and said, ball hitting part of the stem part of said frame and which is open at least at one end, (d) an outer casing which is inserted and fixed in said hole, and (e) a vibration absorbing member which is accommodated in said outer casing, wherein said vibration absorbing member comprises at least one buffer layer of a gel material which is accommodated and fixed to be deformable in said outer casing and at least one mass member for weighing said racket which is supported by said buffer layer so that said mass member does not come in contact with the internal surface of said outer casing.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 181 words
A racket for playing tennis or similar ball games comprising (a) a frame which has an annular ball hitting part and a bar type stem part having two ends, one end attached to said ball hitting part and the other end having with a grip part thereon, (b) a net which is extended across said ball hitting part, (c) a hole which is provided on a straight bar part between said grip part and said, ball hitting part of the stem part of said frame and which is open at least at one end, (d) an outer casing which is inserted and fixed in said hole, and (e) a vibration absorbing member which is accommodated in said outer casing, wherein said vibration absorbing member comprises at least one buffer layer of a gel material which is accommodated and fixed to be deformable in said outer casing and at least one mass member for weighing said racket which is supported by said buffer layer so that said mass member does not come in contact with the internal surface of said outer casing.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 18 words
A racket in accordance with claim 12, wherein said buffer layer is made of a silicone gel material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 25 words
A racket in accordance with claim 13, wherein said silicone gel material is a silicone gel having a penetration value of approximately 50 to 200.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 39 words
A racket in accordance with claim 13, wherein said silicone gel material is made up by mixing 1 to 4 weight percent of fine hollow particles in a silicone gel having a penetration value of approximately 50 to 200.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 25 words
A racket in accordance with claim 12, wherein said vibration absorbing member comprises a round columnar mass member is stored in a cylindrical buffer layer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 32 words
A racket in accordance with claim 16, wherein an engaging projection is provided on said mass member and engaged with an engaging recess provided on the internal surface of the buffer layer.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 30 words
A racket in accordance with claim 12, wherein said mass member is supported by a pair of wall type buffer layers respectively coupled to both ends of the mass member.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 28 words
A racket in accordance with claim 12, wherein said mass member has a through hole in its axial direction and said buffer layer passes through this through hole.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 43 words
A racket in accordance with claim 12, wherein said vibration absorbing member has a plurality of mass members and a plurality of buffer layers which are alternately stacked and the external surface of said vibration absorbing member is formed by the buffer layer.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 32 words
A racket in accordance with claim 12, wherein said outer casing comprises a barrel part which has an opening at least at its one side and a cover attached to said opening.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 13 words
A racket in accordance with claim 21, wherein said cover is a lens.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 45 words
A racket in accordance with claim 22, wherein said cover is made with a convex lens and at least one end face of said vibration absorbing member opposed to the inside of said convex lens is made to provide an artistic design in its appearance.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 44 words
A racket in accordance with claim 21, wherein the cover of said outer casing is screwed to be freely remountable to the opening end of said hole and the barrel part of the outer casing is fixed by said screw-fitted cover in the hole.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 20 words
A racket in accordance with claim 24, wherein an 0 ring is provided between said cover and said barrel part.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

FR1376724A Cited
US3941380A Cited
US4182512A Cited
US4194738A Cited
JPS5558177A Cited
EP0171033A2 Cited
DE3521650A1 Cited
JPS62192183A Cited
JPS62192182A Cited
EP0261994A2 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1993-08-13 1994-02-12 1994-08-14 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1997-08-13 1998-02-12 1998-08-14 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2001-08-13 2002-02-12 2002-08-14 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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