Table tennis bat

Abstract

A table tennis bat is characterized by the shape of the neck and handle. The neck is trumpet-shaped, with the trumpet mouth connected to the playing surface and the trumpet tail connected to the upper handle bar. The trumpet shape gradually narrows from the playing surface to the middle of the lower handle bar. The upper handle bar is shorter than the lower handle bar, with a length of about two-thirds of the lower handle bar. The middle back of the upper handle bar is thicker than the front end, and the front end is narrower than the trumpet-shaped neck. The entire upper handle bar is wedge-shaped. The front end of the lower handle bar extends into the interior of the neck, and the back end is thicker. The thickness of the front end and middle is equivalent to the sponge and rubber attached to the bottom surface of the bottom plate. The upper and lower handle bars are symmetrical along the central axis, with the central axis being thicker and the sides being thinner. The upper and lower handle bars are asymmetric to the bottom plate, with the handle being the narrowest in the middle of the lower handle bar. The surface of the handle bar is curved. The bat can be inverted, with the short handle facing the web space, compatible with the advantages of traditional straight bats. The long handle faces the web space, making it easy to hold and comfortable, and facilitating the full use of the bat surface.

Description

I. Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a table tennis racket. II. Background Technology

[0002] Table tennis rackets include traditional Chinese penhold rackets, square penhold rackets from Japan and South Korea, shakehand rackets, and other newer types. Traditional Chinese penhold rackets consist of a blade and a handle. The handle is an integral part of the blade, with strips glued to its upper and lower surfaces. Its cross-section is elliptical, with the front end thinner than the rear. The upper and lower strips are identical in shape and symmetrical relative to the center plane of the blade. In the era of 38mm diameter balls, this racket's left-push-right-attack style achieved brilliant results in international competitions. It is still widely available and used by many table tennis enthusiasts. Since 2000, when 40mm diameter balls were adopted, the diameter of the table tennis ball has increased by approximately 5.3%, its volume by approximately 18%, and its mass by 8%, from 2.5g to 2.7g. The formula for the moment of inertia of a uniformly mass-distributed ball shell is J = (2 / 3)mR. 2Therefore, the moment of inertia of a ping-pong ball increases by more than 20% after it is changed from a small ball to a large ball. Even if we only need to maintain the speed and spin of the small ball when hitting it, we need to provide more translational and rotational kinetic energy to the ping-pong ball. In other words, more work needs to be done on the ping-pong ball during the hit. Due to the significant increase in the moment of inertia of the ping-pong ball, it becomes more difficult to generate and change the spin of the ball.With the adoption of the larger ball, the initial speed of the ball is not as high as with the smaller ball. Additionally, increased air resistance slows the ball's flight, resulting in a slower pace. This necessitates faster, more accurate, more aggressive, more powerful, more spinny, and more exciting techniques to win matches. In the current era of the larger ball, traditional penhold grip players rarely reach high levels. Both theory and practice demonstrate that the traditional penhold grip must be reformed. While the square-shaped penhold grip of Japan and South Korea seems to facilitate powerful smashes, the rigid hand-rack and racket shape restrict racket face adjustments, simplifying the technique. Players using this type of racket rarely reach the pinnacle of table tennis. In the era of the larger ball in table tennis, the shakehand grip offers better power generation for both forehand and backhand, covers a wider area, and is stronger in rallies, giving it a relative advantage. However, the shakehand grip is less agile near the table and weaker in the middle. Switching between forehand and backhand positions requires time. In fact, the shakehand grip, with the thumb, middle, ring, and little fingers gripping the handle and the index finger diagonally against the racket face, is not in a straight line with the handle. Naturally, the racket face and arm are not in a straight line when striking the ball. This grip is not scientifically sound and doesn't facilitate racket face control or transitions between different techniques. In recent years, many new types of table tennis rackets have emerged, which may be suitable for certain playing styles, but none have satisfactorily met the needs of the larger ball era in table tennis. What are the needs of the larger ball era in table tennis? We need table tennis rackets that allow us to hit the ball more accurately, faster, more aggressively, with stronger spin, more variations, and more exciting and visually appealing shots. Such rackets must be based on a scientific and accurate understanding of the objective laws governing table tennis motion. The trajectory of a table tennis ball in the air, influenced by gravity, is essentially a parabola, with the entire ball undergoing both translational and rotational motion with its center of mass. The resultant force F of the ball's mass *m*, the acceleration *a* of its center of mass, and the forces of gravity, elasticity, and friction acting on the ball obeys Newton's second law, F = ma. The magnitude, direction, and duration of this resultant force determine the magnitude and direction of the translational velocity. In other words, the speed of the hit table tennis ball is determined by its initial velocity, the magnitude and direction of the resultant force, and the duration of the rotational motion. The rotational inertia J and angular acceleration β of the ping-pong ball about its axis of rotation through its center of mass, along with the torque M of the frictional force, obey the rotational law M = Jβ. The torque and the time of application determine the change in angular velocity. That is, the angular velocity of the ping-pong ball's rotation is determined by its initial angular velocity, the magnitude and direction of the torque it experiences, and the time of application. When responding to or creating spin on the ping-pong ball, the ball rolls without slipping on the paddle surface. At this time, the friction between the ping-pong ball and the paddle surface is static friction. The magnitude of the static friction force is variable between 0 and the maximum static friction force. To play ping-pong well, we must correctly understand the mechanics of ping-pong and consciously apply the mechanical laws that govern the sport. III. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates to a table tennis racket, which is a racket for playing table tennis. It consists of a basic elliptical hitting blade, a neck, and a handle. The key feature is the overall shape of the neck and handle. The neck is shaped like a trumpet, connecting to the hitting blade surface, with the trumpet tail connecting to the upper handle strip. The neck gradually narrows from the shoulder of the hitting blade to the middle of the lower handle strip. The upper handle strip is shorter than the lower handle strip, approximately two-thirds the length of the lower handle strip. The upper handle strip is thicker in the middle and rear and thinner at the front, with the front end narrower than the trumpet-shaped neck, forming a wedge shape. The front end of the lower handle strip extends into the neck, and the rear end is thicker. The thickness of the front and middle parts is comparable to the sponge and rubber adhered to the lower surface of the blade. The upper and lower handle strips are symmetrical along the central axis, thicker near the central axis and thinner on both sides. The upper and lower handle strips are asymmetrical relative to the blade, with the handle being narrowest in the middle of the lower handle strip. The surface of the handle strip is curved.

[0004] This invention relates to a table tennis racket that can be used in both directions. When the shorter side of the handle is aligned with the thumb and palm of the hand, the grip is similar to that of a traditional penhold grip. This invention incorporates the advantages of the traditional Chinese penhold grip and is suitable for table tennis enthusiasts accustomed to or in situations where the traditional penhold grip is appropriate. When the longer side of the handle is aligned with the thumb and palm, the thumb and index finger grip the neck, the middle finger runs along the handle and rests on the racket face, and the ring and little fingers... The racket can be tilted against the neck and shoulder, providing a comfortable and easy grip. By controlling the movement of the smaller neck area, it amplifies the larger movement of the racket face, creating a magnification effect that better matches the 40mm ping-pong ball. Traditional shakehand rackets, with the index finger angled against the racket face, result in a stiff, insensitive grip and slow transitions between techniques. This invention's ping-pong racket allows for a natural and appropriate extension of the hand when striking the ball. Furthermore, the height of the middle finger perfectly aligns with the racket face, ensuring the direction of the hand's force application is directly proportional to the actual force exerted by the racket on the ball. The direct and consistent force direction eliminates the angle between the force applied by the player and the force exerted by the racket face on the ball when using a traditional penhold grip. This theoretically eliminates systematic errors, a design concept rooted in advanced practical experience, thus improving accuracy. Because the racket and arm are in a straight line when naturally gripping the racket, the "whipping effect" is utilized to generate more power, resulting in a more potent shot. The ring finger helps propel the racket face tangentially, accelerating its swing and enhancing ball spin. This design is particularly useful when using a 40mm diameter table tennis ball. In the era of the 2mm ball, this racket allows only the middle finger to be inserted into the back of the racket, while the ring and little fingers naturally rest against the edge of the racket shoulder and neck. This is more scientific and reasonable than the grip method of inserting the index finger diagonally into the racket face, which allows for quick and flexible racket face adjustments and smooth swings. It is beneficial for improving the quality of various hitting techniques, facilitating the transition between different technical movements, and enabling the comprehensive application of various techniques in actual combat, thereby enhancing overall offensive and defensive capabilities. This invention's table tennis racket is significantly superior to traditional penhold and traditional shakehand rackets.

[0005] This invention relates to a table tennis racket, based on a correct understanding of the objective mechanical laws that must be followed in playing table tennis. The direction of the elastic force exerted by the racket face on the ball is perpendicular to the racket face and points towards the center of the ball. The direction of the frictional force is tangential to the racket face. The direction of the resultant force between the racket and the ball forms an angle with the normal direction of the racket face. Different rubbers have different coefficients of friction with the table tennis ball. When playing table tennis to respond to or generate spin, the table tennis ball rolls without slipping on the racket face, and its frictional force is static friction. Given a fixed racket sponge and rubber, and a fixed elastic force between the racket face and the ball, the static friction can vary between zero and the maximum static friction. That is, the angle between the resultant force direction and the normal direction of the racket face can vary between zero and a certain maximum angle. However, exceeding this maximum angle will inevitably result in a ball-biting phenomenon, meaning the ball does not travel in the direction of the swing. I call this angle the "critical angle." Different rubbers... Different rubbers have different coefficients of friction and therefore different critical angles. My experiments show that the coefficient of friction between the new inverted rubber and the ping-pong ball is between 2.0 and 2.5, and its critical angle is between 63° and 68°. That is, the angle between the direction of the resultant force and the racket face can be as small as 27° to 22°. In other words, when playing with the new inverted rubber, you can "brush the ball very thinly". The goal of this invention is to make the technical quality of playing ping-pong reach its peak. Some short pips rubbers have a coefficient of friction between 0.1 and 0.2 and their critical angle is between 5° and 10°. Playing with this kind of rubber is not easy to manufacture or change the spin of the ping-pong ball. The swing direction should be basically consistent with the direction of the racket face normal. The magnitude, direction, and duration of the resultant force together determine the change in the translational velocity of the ping-pong ball. Different balls have different spins. The magnitude, direction, and duration of the frictional torque together determine the change in the angular velocity of the ping-pong ball. The ping-pong paddle of this invention has an easily adjustable racket face tilt angle, which facilitates the tangential acceleration of the racket face during the swing, making it easier to respond to or generate different strengths of spin. This makes the techniques and tactics of playing ping-pong more diverse and enriching, and the sport of ping-pong has endless charm.

[0006] This invention, a table tennis racket, possesses new substantive features and significant improvements compared to the "straight-grip table tennis racket" with patent number ZL201510621275.1. The original "straight-grip table tennis racket" had a handle strip that was slightly thicker at the front than in the middle, with the middle section being the thinnest, designed to limit forward movement of the gripping hand. In this invention, the thickness of the front and middle sections of the handle strip is comparable to the thickness of the foam and rubber applied to the lower surface of the blade. However, the racket handle width is narrowest in the middle of the handle strip, meaning the rear of the handle is slightly wider than the middle, and the front is wider than the rear middle. This not only limits forward movement of the gripping hand but also offers new advantages. Because the coefficient of friction between the new inverted rubber and the table tennis ball is greater than 2, the frictional force exerted by the racket on the ball along the racket face during impact can be... The racket's elasticity is more than twice that of the normal direction, requiring a sufficient amplitude of racket swing along the racket face to match. If the ping-pong ball already has spin before the racket hits, we need to further increase its spin intensity along the original direction of spin, which is called "adding spin." Therefore, the tangential velocity of the racket face at the moment of impact must be greater than the linear velocity of the ball at the point of contact between the racket and the ball for the racket face to effectively push the ball and increase its spin. This requires even higher acceleration of the racket's swing along the racket face. Compared to the straight-grip ping-pong racket, the ping-pong racket of this invention has a better fit between the middle finger and the racket face when gripped, and the sides of the handle are concave arcs inward, which facilitates the accelerated swing of the racket face along the tangential direction, increasing the spin intensity of the ping-pong ball. The ping-pong racket of this invention is necessary for the high-level development of precision in ping-pong techniques. IV. Description of the attached drawings

[0007] Other details and features of the table tennis racket of this invention will become clear from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Among them:

[0008] Figure 1 This is a front view of the table tennis racket of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The image shows a side view of the table tennis racket of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The image shows a rear view of the table tennis racket of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 The image shows a top view of the table tennis racket of the present invention. V. Detailed Implementation Methods

[0012] Reference Figures 1 to 4The table tennis racket of this invention consists of a hitting blade 1 and a handle 2. The hitting blade 1 is composed of a sponge layer 12 and a rubber layer 13 on the upper and lower surfaces of a wooden base plate 11. Of course, depending on the player's preference, the sponge and rubber on the upper and lower surfaces of the base plate can be the same or different. The handle 2 consists of a handle 21 integrally formed with the base plate 11 of the hitting blade, and upper handle strips 22 and lower handle strips 23 respectively glued to the handle 21. Figure 4 It is evident that the cross-sectional shape of the rear end of handle 2 is similar to that of a traditional racket, nearly elliptical. From Figure 2 It can be seen that the handle bar is thicker in the middle and rear, and the front end is a wedge shape with a central convex point. Also, it can be seen from... Figure 1 Seeing the "U"-shaped constant thickness line, the same section of the "U"-shaped constant thickness line indicates that the shank strip has the same thickness, and the entire upper shank strip surface is a convex curved surface. From Figure 2 It can also be seen that the front and middle sections of the handle bar are thin, their thickness being roughly equivalent to the total thickness of the sponge and rubber on the blade. The rear end of the handle bar is thicker than the front and middle sections, and the front face forms an angle. The front end of the handle bar extends into the flared neck of the blade between sections 3-5 and 4-6 to ensure that the handle and the hitting blade will not break or be damaged. Furthermore, it can be seen from... Figure 3 The term "arc curve" indicates the uniform thickness line of the lower handle bar. The same arc curve indicates that the handle bar has the same thickness, with the upper and lower handle bars being thicker along the central axis of the handle and thinner on the sides—a smooth curved surface. From... Figure 1 and Figure 3 As you can see, the flared necks 3-5 and 4-6, the handle 21, the upper handle strip 22, and the lower handle strip 23 are narrowest in the middle, with inward-curving curves on both sides. Together, they ensure a stable, flexible grip and a good feel.

Claims

1. A table tennis racket, comprising a strike plate of approximately elliptical shape, a neck, and a handle, characterized in that... The overall shape of the racket neck and handle is as follows: the racket neck is shaped like a horn, connecting to the hitting surface of the racket and the horn tail, connecting to the upper handle strip; that is, it gradually narrows from the racket shoulder to the middle of the lower handle strip. The upper handle strip is shorter than the lower handle strip, with the upper handle strip being approximately two-thirds the length of the lower handle strip. The upper handle strip is thicker in the middle and rear and thinner at the front, and the front of the upper handle strip is narrower than the horn-shaped racket neck. The entire upper handle strip is wedge-shaped. The front end of the lower handle strip extends into the racket neck, and the rear end of the lower handle strip is thicker. The thickness of the front and middle parts is comparable to the sponge and rubber glued to the lower surface of the racket blade. The upper and lower handle strips of the racket handle are symmetrical about the central axis, thicker near the central axis and thinner on both sides. The upper and lower handle strips are asymmetrical with respect to the racket blade. The handle is narrowest in the middle of the lower handle strip, and the surface of the handle strip is curved.

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