Vibration damping device for sporting implements

Claim 2

A stringed racquet having a vibration damping device, said stringed racquet comprising: a racquet frame including a head and a handle; said vibration damping device being mounted in said handle of said stringed racquet and including a viscoelastic base member and a mass mounted to said viscoelastic base member and cantilevered relative to said viscoelastic base member, said device being tuned such that it vibrates at the same frequency as said stringed racquet but out of phase therewith and said mass deforms said viscoelastic base member as a result of the vibrations, said viscoelastic base member acting to absorb energy generated by said mass and to release the absorbed energy to counteract energy produced in the stringed racquet due to impact; and a foam material substantially encasing said mass, said foam material and said viscoelastic base member acting in conjunction together to absorb the energy generated by said mass.

Claim 3

A stringed racquet having a vibration damping device, said stringed racquet comprising: a racquet frame including a head and a handle; said vibration damping device being mounted in said handle of said stringed racquet and including a viscoelastic base member and a mass mounted to said viscoelastic base member and cantilevered relative to said viscoelastic base member, said device being tuned such that it vibrates at the same frequency as said stringed racquet but out of phase therewith and said mass deforms said viscoelastic base member as a result of the vibrations, said viscoelastic base member acting to absorb energy generated by said mass and to release the absorbed energy to counteract energy produced in the stringed racquet due to impact; and wherein said viscoelastic base member has an aperture extending therethrough, said mass including a threaded aperture, said vibration damping device including a threaded fastener extending through said aperture in said viscoelastic base member and received in said threaded aperture of said mass to mount said mass to said viscoelastic base member.

Claim 4

A stringed racquet having a vibration damping device, said stringed racquet comprising: a racquet frame including a head and a handle; said vibration damping device being mounted in said handle of said stringed racquet and including a viscoelastic base member and a mass mounted to said viscoelastic base member and cantilevered relative to said viscoelastic base member, said device being tuned such that it vibrates at the same frequency as said stringed racquet but out of phase therewith and said mass deforms said viscoelastic base member as a result of the vibrations, said viscoelastic base member acting to absorb energy generated by said mass and to release the absorbed energy to counteract energy produced in the stringed racquet due to impact; and wherein said viscoelastic base member has an aperture extending therethrough, said mass including a threaded aperture, said vibration damping device including a threaded fastener extending through said aperture in said viscoelastic base member and received in said threaded aperture of said mass to mount said mass to said viscoelastic base member.

Claim 5

A stringed racquet as set forth in claim 2 wherein said fastener comprises a bolt having a head and a threaded shaft, said head applying a clamping force on said viscoelastic base member such that said vibration damping device is tunable to the vibrational frequency of said stringed racquet by adjusting the torque on said fastener.

Claim 6

A stringed racquet having a vibration damping device, said stringed racquet comprising: a racquet frame including a head and a handle; said vibration damping device being mounted in said handle of said stringed racquet and including a viscoelastic base member and a mass mounted to said viscoelastic base member and cantilevered relative to said viscoelastic base member, said device being tuned such that it vibrates at the same frequency as said stringed racquet but out of phase therewith and said mass deforms said viscoelastic base member as a result of the vibrations, said viscoelastic base member acting to absorb energy generated by said mass and to release the absorbed energy to counteract energy produced in the stringed racquet due to impact; and wherein said viscoelastic base member has an oval shape, said mass being cylindrical in shape, defining a longitudinal axis and an outer radial, peripheral surface such that said mass is circular in cross-section and has a pair of flat ends which are perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, said mass extending from said oval viscoelastic base member.

Claim 7

A stringed racquet having a vibration damping device, said stringed racquet comprising: a racquet frame including a head and a handle; said vibration damping device being mounted in said handle of said stringed racquet and including a viscoelastic base member and a mass mounted to said viscoelastic base member and cantilevered relative to said viscoelastic base member, said device being tuned such that it vibrates at the same frequency as said stringed racquet but out of phase therewith and said mass deforms said viscoelastic base member as a result of the vibrations, said viscoelastic base member acting to absorb energy generated by said mass and to release the absorbed energy to counteract energy produced in the stringed racquet due to impact; and wherein said viscoelastic base member has an oval shape, said mass being cylindrical in shape, defining a longitudinal axis and an outer radial, peripheral surface such that said mass is circular in cross-section and has a pair of flat ends which are perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, said mass extending from said oval viscoelastic base member.

Claim 8

A stringed racquet as set forth in claim 4 wherein said viscoelastic base member has a pocket disposed on said viscoelastic base member, one of said pair of flat ends of said mass being received in said pocket.

Claim 9

A stringed racquet as set forth in claim 5 wherein said viscoelastic base member has an aperture extending between said recess and said pocket, said mass including a threaded aperture, said vibration damping device including a threaded fastener extending through said aperture in said viscoelastic base member and received in said threaded aperture of said mass to mount said mass to said viscoelastic base member.

Claim 10

A stringed racquet as set forth in claim 4 including a foam material disposed about a substantial portion of said outer radial peripheral surface of said mass.