US5419554A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Sports racket frame
Assignee: Quadrax Corp
•
Filing: 1993-08-30
•
Granted: 1995-05-30
•
Expires: 2013-08-30
Abstract
Abstract A sports racket frame including a head portion and a handle portion formed from unidirectional high strength fibers impregnated with thermoplastic resin in the form of a sheet containing a plurality of adjacent strips in which the unidirection of the fibers in the strips are at different angles. The strips are made from unidirectional composite thermoplastic tape, and the sheet is rolled into an elongated hollow tube. Yoke components are also constructed from the composite material and the rolled hollow tube and yoke components are formed in the shape of a racket frame.
Inventors
- 👤 James Krone
- 👤 Leslie E. Smith
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 14:11
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63B; A63B49/00; A63B49/02; A63B49/10; A63B60/00; A63B60/54; A63B2209/00; A63B2209/02; A63B2209/023
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
71 words
A high strength sports racket frame including a head portion and a handle portion, which comprises unidirectional high strength fibers uniformly impregnated with a thermoplastic resin, said head portion and handle portion formed from a series of adjacent strips each of said strips being made from unidirectional composite thermoplastic tape rolled into a hollow tube, the unidirection of the fibers in at least two of said strips being at different angles.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
71 words
A high strength sports racket frame including a head portion and a handle portion, which comprises unidirectional high strength fibers uniformly impregnated with a thermoplastic resin, said head portion and handle portion formed from a series of adjacent strips each of said strips being made from unidirectional composite thermoplastic tape rolled into a hollow tube, the unidirection of the fibers in at least two of said strips being at different angles.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
A sports racket frame in accordance with claim 1 wherein a bias angle of the unidirection of fibers in any strip is counterbalanced by an equal bias in another strip in an opposite direction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
A sports racket frame in accordance with claim 1 wherein said adjacent strips are arranged in a pattern selected in accordance with a desired finished cross-section profile of said frame formed thereby.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
A sports racket frame in accordance with claim 1 wherein said high strength fibers are carbon filaments and said thermoplastic resin is nylon.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
A sports racket frame in accordance with claim 1 wherein the unidirection of the fibers in said strips can be varied from -90° orientation to +90° orientation.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
A sports racket frame in accordance with claim 1 wherein the unidirection of the fibers in said strips is selected in accordance with desired strength characteristics of the frame.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A sports racket frame in accordance with claim 1 wherein said hollow tube is combined with molded unidirectional thermoplastic composite material laminants to complete said frame.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
A sports racket frame in accordance with claim 1 wherein said strips having the unidirection of the fibers at different angles being adjacent contiguous strips.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
56 words
A sports racket frame in accordance with claim 1 wherein said frame includes a throat portion at the juncture between the head portion and handle portion, said throat portion including molded laminated members formed from unidirectional high strength fibers uniformly impregnated with thermoplastic resin with the angle of the unidirection fibers being different in the laminants.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
90 words
A high strength sports racket frame including a head portion and a handle portion, which comprises unidirectional high strength fibers uniformly impregnated with a thermoplastic resin, said head portion and handle portion formed from a series of adjacent strips made from unidirectional composite thermoplastic tape rolled into a hollow tube, the unidirection of the fibers in at least two of said strips being at different angles, said strips being connected to each other along their adjacent lengthwise edges to form a sheet, said sheet being rolled into said hollow tube.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
90 words
A high strength sports racket frame including a head portion and a handle portion, which comprises unidirectional high strength fibers uniformly impregnated with a thermoplastic resin, said head portion and handle portion formed from a series of adjacent strips made from unidirectional composite thermoplastic tape rolled into a hollow tube, the unidirection of the fibers in at least two of said strips being at different angles, said strips being connected to each other along their adjacent lengthwise edges to form a sheet, said sheet being rolled into said hollow tube.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
A sports racket frame in accordance with claim 10 wherein said connected strips are edge seamed with minimum overlap.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The sports racket frame in accordance with claim 10 wherein said sheet includes areas in which said strips are discontinuous to alter physical characteristics of certain portions of the frame.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
56 words
A sports racket frame in accordance with claim 10 wherein said frame includes a throat portion at the juncture between the head portion and handle portion, said throat portion including molded laminated members formed from unidirectional high strength fibers uniformly impregnated with thermoplastic resin with the angle of the unidirection fibers being different in the laminants.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
A sports racket in accordance with claim 10 wherein the unidirection of the fibers in said strips can be varied from -90° orientation to +90° orientation.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
A sports racket in accordance with claim 10 wherein said strips having the unidirection of the fibers at different angles being adjacent contiguous strips.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3915783A
Cited
US4028477A
Cited
US4023799A
Cited
US4070019A
Cited
US4070020A
Cited
US4124670A
Cited
US4129634A
Cited
US4128963A
Cited
US4194738A
Cited
US4114880A
Cited
US4212461A
Cited
US4294787A
Cited
US4390182A
Cited
US4871491A
Cited
US4874563A
Cited
US4770915A
Cited
US5076872A
Cited
US4770929A
Cited
US4957883A
Cited
US5013507A
Cited
US5176868A
Cited
US5273279A
Cited
US5198058A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-05-29 | 1998-11-28 | 1999-05-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-05-29 | 2002-11-28 | 2003-05-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-05-29 | 2006-11-28 | 2007-05-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |