Sports Racket and Sports Kit Comprising Such a Racket

The present invention relates to a sports racket, as well as a sports kit for playing a racket sport comprising such a racket.

It is known that a sports racket comprises a frame, a handle, and a sieve formed by a string stretched between the frame during the stringing of the sports racket. To ensure the stringing of the sports racket, openings and a groove are provided in the frame so that the string can pass through the frame and be housed in the groove.

However, the presence of the openings and the groove creates irregularities in the outer wall of the frame. These irregularities promote the formation of air flow turbulence around the racket during its displacement. This turbulence can contribute to the slowing down of the racket during its displacement.

It is known from GB201108441A (published as GB2490951A) to use caps that are clipped into grommet strips, mounted on the frame, to improve the aerodynamics of the racket. However, removing the caps placed on the grommet strips requires unstringing the racket. Thus, placing the caps on the racket prevents string adjustment. Moreover, the dimensions of each cap depend on those of the grommet strip on which it must be mounted, particularly the spacing of the grommets, which requires having several types of caps.

It is also known from JP2569328A and FR2599634A to completely cover the outer surface of a racket frame with a perimeter. This perimeter allows, in particular, to modify the weight of the racket in FR2599634A. This perimeter completely covers the outer surface of the frame and does not fit within the outer envelope of the frame. Thus, this perimeter creates an additional thickness to the frame, which increases the bulk and therefore the drag of the frame when it is displaced in space.

The aim of the invention is therefore to propose a finishing strip that allows the aerodynamics of the sports racket to be improved, without increasing the bulk of the racket, and allows easy string adjustment, while avoiding having multiple types of finishing parts.

To this end, the invention has as its object a racket comprising:

I a set of strings defining a sieve, the strings locally passing through the frame being guided by the grommet strip string guide;

at least one finishing strip, mounted on the racket element facing the grommet strip and comprising an external surface that is flush with an external surface of an outer wall of the racket element to form an external surface of the sports racket, continuously derivable and inscribed in the external envelope of the cross-section of the frame, at every point along the finishing strip.

Thanks to the invention, particularly thanks to the finishing strip, the sports racket presents an outer wall with a convex and continuous external surface, improving the aerodynamics of the racket. The continuity of the external surface ensures better penetration of the racket in the air and therefore better displacement of the racket in the air. Moreover, the convex external surface limits the generation of turbulence around the racket during its displacement in the air. Thus, the speed of displacement of the racket head is increased, allowing more spin and/or speed to be imparted to the ball.

According to advantageous but non-mandatory aspects of the invention, such a sports racket may incorporate one or more of the following features, taken according to any technically permissible combination:

The invention also relates to a kit for playing a racket sport comprising a sports racket such as defined above in which the finishing strip is selected from several finishing strips of different properties, which also belong to the kit for playing a racket sport.

The invention will become clearer upon reading the following description, given solely by way of a non-limiting example, and made with reference to the drawings in which:

is an elevation of a sports racket in accordance with the invention;

is a perspective view on a larger scale of a part of the racket corresponding to the frame II of;

is a plan view of the part of the racket shown in;

is a cross section on a larger scale of the racket, according to the plane IV-IV in;

is a cross-section on a larger scale of the racket, according to the plane V-V in;

is a perspective view on a larger scale of a part of the racket corresponding to the frame VI of;

is a perspective view of a finishing strip belonging to the racket of;

is a perspective view on a larger scale, similar to, for a racket according to a second embodiment of the invention;

is a plan view similar to, for the racket according to the second embodiment;

is a cross section on a larger scale of the racket, according to the plane X-X in;

is a cross section on a larger scale of the racket, according to the plane XI-XI in;

is a perspective view similar to, for a racket according to a third embodiment of the invention;

is a perspective view of a grommet strip of the racket of;

is a section in the plane XIV of;

is a perspective view from below of a finishing strip of the racket of;

is a perspective view similar to, for a racket according to a fourth embodiment of the invention;

is a section in the plane XVII of;

is a perspective view of a grommet strip of the racket of; and

is a perspective view from below of a finishing strip of the racket of.

A kitfor playing a racket sport, represented in, comprises a sports racketaccording to a first embodiment of the invention. The sports racketcomprises at least one finishing strip. The kitcomprises several finishing strips,′,″, which are three in number in the example of the figures, among which the finishing stripbelonging to the sports racketis chosen. Thus, the kitcomprises, in addition to the sports racket, the finishing strips′ and″.

Alternatively, the number of finishing strips in the kitis different from three, for example equal to 1, 2, 4, or more.

The sports racketcomprises a handleand a racket elementdelimited by an outer wall. The racket elementis symmetrical relative to a main plane P parallel to the plane of. The racket elementcomprises a frameand at least two grommet stripguides. The handleis connected to the frameby means of two branchesforming a bridge, sometimes called a “yoke”.

The longitudinal axis of the racket, is denoted X, according to which the handleextends, and which connects a first endof the frame, opposite the handle, and a second endof this frame, located on the side of the handleand the bridge formed by the branches.

The transverse axis of the racket, is denoted Y, which is perpendicular to the axis X and contained in the main plane P of the frame, as is the longitudinal axis X.

The thickness axis of the racket, is denoted Z, which is perpendicular to the axes X and Y and contained in the main plane P. The axes X, Y, and Z define an orthogonal reference frame.

The sports racketis symmetrical relative to a plane of symmetry comprising the longitudinal axis X and the thickness axis Z.

In the representation of, the parts of the framecan be identified like a clockface, considering that the first endcorresponds to 12 o'clock, while the second end, located near the bridge or yoke, corresponds to 6 o'clock. The 6 o'clock-12 o'clock axis of the clock face is aligned with the axis X. The 3 o'clock-9 o'clock axis is aligned with the axis Y.

The framecomprises an inner walland an outer walldefining, between them,an internal volumeof the frame. The external surface of the inner walland the outer wall, denoted Sand Srespectively, these external faces being opposite the internal volume.

The framedefines a radial direction R directed from the inner walltoward the outer wallat every point of the frame. The inner wallis concave, and the outer wallis convex relative to the radial direction R.

A grooveis provided in the outer wallof the frame.

Each cross section of the framedefines an external envelope E.

The external envelope Ecoincides with the external surfaces Sand Sof the inner walland the outer wall. At the junction between the external surface Sand the groove, the envelope extends toward the main plane P according to the tangent of the external surface Sat the junction point between the external surface Sand the groove. Thus, the external envelope Eis defined by the external surface S, the external surface S, and two segments, symmetrical relative to the main plane P and connecting, on the one hand, the point of concurrence of the tangents of the external surface Sand, on the other hand, the junction with the grooveand the junction between the external surface Sand the groove. The external envelope Eis represented by a thick dashed line in.

The framepresents holes. The holespass through the frameand connect between them, the inner walland the outer wall.

The outer wallof the frameforms the outer wallof the racket element.

The two grommet stripsare arranged on lateral portionsandof the frame, corresponding approximately to the zones between 2 o'clock and 5 o'clock and between 7 o'clock and 10 o'clock on the clock face formed by the frame. Each grommet stripcomprises a soleintended to rest against the grooveof the frameand several grommetsintended to pass through the framethrough the holes, opening toward the volume surrounded by the inner wall. As visible in, each soleextends, according to the thickness axis Z, diverging from the main plane P.

Advantageously, each grommet stripis a separate piece from the frame, fitted into the grooveof the frame.

The sports racketcomprises, in a known manner, one or more longitudinal stringsarranged parallel to the axis X and one or more other transverse stringsarranged parallel to the axis Y. The different stringsof the rackettogether form the sieve, not represented, of the sports racket, which extends in the main plane P.