IMPROVEMENTS IN SPORTS EQUIPMENT

This invention relates to sports equipment, and more particularly to equipment for playing sports in which an object is struck using an implement comprising a head portion for striking the object and which is connected to a grip portion by a shaft. Such sports include, for example golf, tennis, squash and badminton. For convenience such equipment will be referred to generally as racquets although this may not be the correct name for equipment in some relevant sports.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

In many sports played with a racquet, the action of hitting the object, whether it be a ball, a shuttlecock or any other object, can jar the player's arm, and particularly the wrist and elbow, so that in later life complications such as tennis or golfer's elbow or arthritis may occur, especially among professional players and others who play a great deal of sport. Although, in recent times, the heads and shafts of badminton, squash and tennis racquets have changed from being made of wood and are now made from such materials as, for example, glass-fiber reinforced plastics, otherwise known as fiberglass, and graphite or carbon fiber based materials. Despite this, however, the grips of such racquets still mainly consist of wood- usually with a protective wrapping of, for example, leather, or cloth or, in some cases, rubber. With badminton and squash racquets, which have a relatively thin shafts compared with the grip portion, there is a degree of resilience or whip in the shaft that absorbs some of the impact of hitting the object used in the game, but, because, of the much greater weight of a tennis ball compared with that of a shuttlecock or a squash ball, a tennis racquet must have a much thicker shaft with practically no inherent resilience so that all the impact of hitting a tennis ball passes along the players arm.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention a racquet for playing a sport in which an object is struck with the racquet comprises a head portion for striking the object connected to a grip portion by a shaft which is of lesser cross-sectional dimension than the grip portion, which surrounds a part of the end of the shaft remote form the head portion, wherein the grip portion apart from any protective covering threon,or a part thereof between the head of the racquet and a terminal part remote

from the head portion is made from a substantially non-resilient material, is formed from a natural or synthetic elastomeric material having a hardness within the range of 50 to 90 IHRD. The elastomeric material may be, for example, nitryl rubber or acrylonitryl rubber, preferably of IHRD between 60 and 85, more preferably about 80. The nature of the rubber is not particularly important provided it is sufficient resilient to absorb at least some impact of striking the object used in the game but is not so soft that the power of a shot is reduced, and is resistant to wear so that it does not have to be changed too frequently.

The elastomeric material part of me grip portion is preferably not less than half the length of the total grip portion.

In case of badminton and squash racquets, the shafts of which have an inherent degree of resilience, it may be desired to introduce a second point of flex around the end of the shaft closest to the grip portion. This may be achieved by making the shaft shorter than the international standard and making up the length with an extension portion o^ material that has a lesser resilience than both of the rest of the shaft and the elastomeric material part of the grip. The grip portion will then cover the extension portion and a short length of the rest of the shaft. In this case the shaft will flex at a point about one third to half way along the length of the original shaft and at the point where the extension portion is attached. —

The extension portion may be made from any material that fulfils the required criteria but is preferably made from spring steel dimensioned at one end to fit tightly within the end of the shaft. It may, for example, comprise a circular, preferably a tubular length of material or a flattened strip of material arranged such that its width lies parallel to the head of the racquet. In certain cases where a difference in specific gravity between the elastomeric material and the wood previously used in a conventional grip portion results in a significant change in the balance of a racquet this may be compensated by reducing the weight of elastomeric material used in the formation of the grip portion by removing some of the elastomeric material either by shortening the length of the elastomeric material part or by making corrugations in the elastomeric material part. Such corrugations may be lengthwise or transverse of the grip portion and may extend over the whole or a part of the portion. The introduction of corrugations will also provide a further degree of resilience to the grip portion so that a harder elastomeric material could be used, if desired.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVl ! 7QN

The invention will now be described in greater at 1, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawini in which :

Fig 1 shows a first form of (he invention Fig 2 shows a second form of the invention Fig 3 shows a third form of the invention 0

As shown in Fig. 1, in the grip region of a badm on or squash racquet, the shaft 1 of the racquet has an octagonal ip 2 made of nitryl rubber of IHRD hardness about 80. Grip λ ' as transverse 5 corrugations along its length. Shaft 1 is of the Intern anal Standard

Length and extends die entire length of grip 2, Inch may be covered in toweling or other sweat absorbing iterial. As a conventional grip 2 has a conical portion 3 at the d nearest die racquet head to provide a smooth transition betweer , ip 2 and shaft 0 1.

As shown in Fig.2 , the shaft 1 of the racquet is foπr . in two parts, a first part Ia extending from the racquet head and ich is shorter than the shaft as shown in Fig.l and a extension piii m Ib coaxial 3 with and fitted within part Ia, which is of lea;!; sufficient to increase me length of the -whole shaft to mat sii m in Fig. 1.

Extension portion Ib comprises a strip of spring stet-l aving a lesser resilience than that of part Ia of shaft 1. Q As shown in Fig.3 , the grip 2 of a racquet .instead being formed totally of rubber as in Fig. 1 and 2, is formed <«: ubber having corrugated surface over about half of its length 2ιι excluding the conical portion 3) and of wood or other material at I distal end of the shall 1 $

Such a grip 2 can be used in a racquet with or witH t an extended portion Ib.

0

5