Pick racket with reinforced inner core and manufacturing process thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of sports goods, in particular to a Pick racket with an enhanced inner core and a manufacturing process of the Pick racket. The Pick racket comprises an inner core and a damping structure arranged on the inner core. The inner core is made of an EPP honeycomb core material; and carbon fiber coating materials are arranged on two sides of the inner core. The damping structure comprises a receding hole formed in the inner core and filler used for filling the receding hole. The receding holes comprise circular through holes distributed in a circular array and arc-shaped through holes distributed in the circumferential sides of the circular through holes. And the filler is an epoxy foaming material. A lateral supporting structure is arranged on the peripheral side of the inner core. The lateral supporting structure comprises supporting strips, and the supporting strips are made of carbon fiber materials. The function of improving the toughness and compression resistance of the racket is achieved, the core area is prevented from being extruded during use through the damping structure, the durability and reliability of the racket are further improved, and the damping effect of the racket face is effectively improved. The problem that the use of the racket is affected due to collapse and deformation of the inner core when the traditional racket is used for a long time is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of sporting goods, in particular to a pickleball racket with a reinforced inner core and a manufacturing process thereof. Background Art

[0002] Currently, the core of most rackets is made of conventional PP honeycomb, with no or partial edge filling. Over time, the honeycomb collapses and deforms, weakening the racket's elasticity and control. The current manufacturing process involves bonding a fiber sheet to a PP honeycomb, then carving the desired shape. The sides are then engraved, filled with filling material, and sealed. Over time, the filling material and the honeycomb delaminate, and the side engraving reduces the strength of the racket face. Applying a force of 20 kG / F can cause deformation and bending at the handle.

[0003] To this end, Chinese patent application CN115155026B discloses a pickleball racket and its manufacturing method. A rubber shock-absorbing layer is provided to achieve vibration and noise reduction, thereby improving spin efficiency. The composite inner panel, formed by bonding an upper honeycomb panel, a shock-absorbing layer, and a lower honeycomb panel, is formed into an integrated structure through high-temperature pressing. By combining panels and composite panels of different materials, the racket's weight, vibration, hardness, and other structural characteristics are modified, resulting in a pleasant grip, excellent shock absorption, and a lightweight design.

[0004] However, the core of most current rackets is made of conventional PP honeycomb, with no or partial edge filling. Over time, the honeycomb collapses and deforms, weakening the racket's elasticity and control. Furthermore, the manufacturing process for current rackets involves bonding a fiber sheet to a PP honeycomb, then carving the desired shape. This is then followed by side carving, inserting filler, and edge sealing. Over time, the filler and honeycomb delaminate, and the side carving reduces the strength of the racket face. Applying a force of 20 kG / F can cause the handle of the racket face to deform and bend, and the side edge sealing material can crack and delaminate. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In response to the above problems, a reinforced inner core pickle ball racket and its manufacturing process are provided. The inner core of EPP material and the shock-absorbing structure solve the problem that the inner core of the traditional racket collapses and deforms during long-term use, which affects the use of the racket.

[0006] In order to solve the problems of the prior art, the present invention provides a pickle ball racket with a reinforced inner core, comprising an inner core and a shock-absorbing structure arranged on the inner core; the inner core is made of an EPP honeycomb core material; and carbon fiber covering materials are provided on both sides of the inner core.

[0007] Preferably, the shock-absorbing structure includes air-avoiding holes opened on the inner core and fillers for filling the air-avoiding holes; the air-avoiding holes include circular through holes distributed in a circular array and arc-shaped through holes distributed around the circular through holes; the fillers are epoxy foaming material.

[0008] Preferably, a lateral supporting structure is provided on the circumference of the inner core.

[0009] Preferably, the lateral support structure includes support bars, and the support bars are made of carbon fiber material.

[0010] Preferably, the support bar is expanded at high temperature to form a cavity tube wall structure, and the cavity of the support bar is filled with epoxy foam material.

[0011] Preferably, carbon fiber sheets are laminated on both sides of the inner core, and the surfaces of the carbon fiber sheets have a Teflon grid coating.

[0012] A manufacturing process for a reinforced core pickleball racket comprises the following steps:

[0013] S1. Use an engraving machine to cut out an inner core made of EPP material according to the design drawings; S2. Perform plasma treatment on the surface of the inner core, adhere carbon fiber woven cloth to the bottom, and place epoxy foam particles in the air-avoiding holes on the inner core; S3. Cover the inner core with carbon fiber material and adhere carbon fiber sheets on both sides. The back of the carbon fiber sheet is roughened by a sandblasting machine and coated with epoxy resin; S4. Place the racket into a mold and perform hot pressing; S5. Perform cold pressing, set the temperature to 10±5℃, keep it for 3 minutes, and then remove the product.

[0014] Preferably, in step S4, the hot pressing temperature is 130±5° C., the time is 30 minutes, the set pressure is 50 tons, and the applied pressure is 15 MPa.

[0015] Preferably, in step S4, the mold includes an upper mold, a lower mold and a bottom mold for supporting the lower mold; the lower mold includes a left slider and a right slider, and the left slider and the right slider are slidably set on the bottom mold; the upper mold and the lower mold are connected by fixing screws.

[0016] Preferably, the bottom mold is provided with a positioning block and a limiting block; the upper mold is provided with a positioning groove for cooperating with the positioning block; the limiting block is used to guide the movement of the left slider and the right slider.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] 1. This invention improves the toughness and compressive resistance of the racket through its EPP core and shock-absorbing structure. This structure prevents compression of the core during use, further enhancing the durability and reliability of the racket and effectively improving the shock absorption of the racket face. This solves the problem of traditional rackets where the core collapses and deforms during prolonged use, compromising the performance of the racket. EPP's light specific gravity significantly reduces the weight of the product. It also exhibits excellent elasticity, shock and compressive resistance, and a high deformation recovery rate, quickly returning to its original shape after repeated impacts and flexural deformation. It is resistant to oils, acids, alkalis, and various chemical solvents, and exhibits excellent chemical stability, maintaining stable performance in diverse chemical environments. It also exhibits excellent heat resistance, with an operating temperature range of -40°C to 130°C, making it suitable for use in a variety of high and low temperature environments, enhancing the racket's adaptability. Furthermore, EPP is non-hygroscopic, electrically insulating, non-toxic, odorless, and offers excellent sound insulation. It is also 100% recyclable and naturally degrades, eliminating white pollution.

[0019] 2. The present invention improves the stability of the racket through the lateral support structure, preventing the racket from cracking or making unusual noises due to vibration during use. The support provided by the lateral support structure increases the racket's stability and prevents the inner core material from being exposed and easily damaged. Furthermore, the lateral support structure further covers the inner core, stabilizing its shape and preventing significant deformation due to vibration and compression.

[0020] 3. The present invention improves the stability of the racket through the lateral support structure, preventing the racket from cracking or making unusual noises due to vibration during use. The support provided by the lateral support structure increases the racket's stability and prevents the inner core material from being exposed and easily damaged. The lateral support further envelops the inner core, stabilizing its shape and preventing significant deformation from vibration and compression. This design ensures support strength while keeping the racket's inner core uniformly wrapped, preventing fatigue damage to the material due to long-term stress, and significantly extending the racket's service life. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a pickleball racket with a reinforced inner core according to the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the internal structure of a pickleball racket with a reinforced inner core according to the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 It is a three-dimensional exploded schematic diagram of the internal structure of a pickleball racket with a reinforced inner core according to the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 The present invention is a three-dimensional cross-sectional schematic diagram of a pickleball racket with a reinforced inner core.

[0025] Figure 5 The present invention Figure 4 A local enlarged schematic diagram of point A in the middle.

[0026] Figure 6 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the inner core of a pickle ball racket with a reinforced inner core according to the present invention.

[0027] Figure 7 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the cooperation between a pickle ball racket with a reinforced inner core and a mold according to the present invention.

[0028] Figure 8 The present invention is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a pickle ball racket with a reinforced inner core when it is installed in a mold.

[0029] Figure 9 The utility model is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the cooperation between a reinforced inner core pickle ball racket and a bottom mold and a lower mold of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 10 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a pickle ball racket with a reinforced inner core when separated from a lower mold according to the present invention.

[0031] The numbers in the figure are: 1. Inner core; 2. Shock-absorbing structure; 21. Air-avoiding hole; 22. Filler; 3. Lateral support structure; 31. Support bar; 4. Carbon fiber plate; 5. Upper mold; 6. Lower mold; 61. Left slider; 62. Right slider; 7. Bottom mold; 71. Fixing screw; 72. Positioning block; 73. Limit block. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to further understand the features, technical means, specific objectives and functions achieved by the present invention, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0033] Reference Figure 1-Figure 3 : A reinforced inner core pickle ball racket, comprising an inner core 1 and a shock-absorbing structure 2 arranged on the inner core 1; the inner core 1 is made of EPP honeycomb core material; carbon fiber covering materials are provided on both sides of the inner core 1.

[0034] The present invention improves the toughness and compressive resistance of a racket by utilizing an EPP inner core 1 and a shock-absorbing structure 2. The shock-absorbing structure 2 prevents compression of the core area during use, further enhancing the durability and reliability of the racket and effectively improving the shock absorption of the racket face. This solves the problem of traditional rackets where the inner core 1 collapses and deforms during prolonged use, affecting the racket's usability. Conventional pickleball rackets are formed by cold-pressing and bonding wood or PP honeycomb and fiberboard, followed by engraving. The handle and frame are then assembled, and the racket can be hot-pressed and edge-sealed. Coating is performed by spraying paint or printing, while the inner core 1 is often made of PP honeycomb with either foamed or unfilled edges. Over time, this can lead to the inner core 1 collapsing and deforming, reducing the racket's elasticity. To address this issue, an EPP inner core 1 was designed. EPP's light specific gravity significantly reduces the weight of the finished product. It also exhibits excellent elasticity, shock and compressive resistance, and a high deformation recovery rate, allowing it to quickly return to its original shape after repeated impacts and flexural deformation. It is also resistant to oils, acids, alkalis, and various chemical solvents, and exhibits excellent chemical stability, maintaining stable performance in diverse chemical environments. The racket has excellent heat resistance and an operating temperature range of -40°C to 130°C, making it suitable for use in a variety of high and low temperature environments, improving its applicability. Furthermore, the EPP material is non-absorbent, insulating, non-toxic and odorless, and has excellent sound insulation properties. It is 100% recyclable and naturally degrades, causing no white pollution.

[0035] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 : The shock-absorbing structure 2 includes an air-avoiding hole 21 opened on the inner core 1 and a filler 22 for filling the air-avoiding hole 21; the air-avoiding hole 21 includes circular through holes distributed in a circular array and arc-shaped through holes distributed around the circular through holes; the filler 22 is an epoxy foam material.

[0036] The present invention realizes the functions of shock absorption and sound insulation through the shock absorption structure 2 composed of the air-avoiding holes 21 and the filler 22, and utilizes the filler 22 of epoxy foam material to achieve the effect of improving the elasticity of the racket surface. The middle multi-station air-avoiding and filling design is utilized to effectively improve the shock absorption effect of the racket surface. The circular through holes distributed in a circular array are located in the core area of the inner core 1. During the curing process, the epoxy foam material forms a microscopic mosaic structure with the air-avoiding hole wall, which significantly improves the energy absorption performance while ensuring the structural integrity. The shock absorption effect of the racket is improved by the epoxy foam material filled therein. The filler 22 filled in the arc-shaped through holes distributed on the side of the circular through hole has the effect of absorbing vibration and dispersing impact loads. The filler 22 in the circular through hole in the core area directly buffers the impact force, and the filler 22 in the arc-shaped through hole on the side disperses the vibration load by deformation. The two work together to reduce the transmission of vibration when hitting the ball, thereby improving the shock absorption effect and service life of the racket.

[0037] Reference Figure 1-Figure 3 : A lateral supporting structure 3 is provided on one side of the inner core.

[0038] The present invention improves racket stability through the lateral support structure 3, preventing the racket from cracking or making unusual noises due to vibration during use. The support provided by the lateral support structure 3 enhances racket stability and prevents the inner core 1 from being exposed and easily damaged. Furthermore, the lateral support structure further envelops the inner core 1, stabilizing its shape and preventing significant deformation from vibration and compression. This design ensures support strength while ensuring uniform envelopment of the inner core 1, preventing fatigue damage from long-term stress and significantly extending the racket's service life. The lateral support structure 3 provides rigid support for the inner core 1 by surrounding it, preventing direct exposure and damage, while also limiting deformation of the core 1 under vibration and compression. This structure evenly envelops the inner core 1's edges, maintaining its shape stability and distributing localized impact forces during impact, reducing fatigue damage caused by uneven stress, thereby significantly extending the racket's service life.

[0039] Reference Figure 1-Figure 3 : The lateral support structure 3 includes a support bar 31, and the support bar 31 is made of carbon fiber material.

[0040] The present invention realizes the function of covering the outer periphery of the inner core 1 through the support bar 31 made of carbon fiber material, and reduces the total weight of the lateral support structure 3 while improving the strength of the support bar 31, thereby optimizing the user experience. The support bar 31 is 40mm wide and 800mm long, and surrounds the outer side of the inner core 1. The existing racket has no air-avoidance and filling design on the side and the center sweet spot. The core material is exposed on the side and there is no fiber material protection, which causes the racket to collapse after long-term use and the elasticity of the racket is reduced. The use of the support bar 31 can enhance the overall strength of the racket, while protecting the inner core 1 and increasing the service life of the racket. Because the existing racket has no air-avoidance structure and filling layer on the side and the center sweet spot, the side core material is directly exposed and lacks the protection of the fiber reinforcement layer, resulting in stress concentration in the edge area of the core material, which is prone to core collapse and elastic attenuation after long-term use. The support strips 31 are used to form an integrated covering structure. The continuously distributed reinforcing ribs enhance the racket frame's anti-bending ability, while maintaining the core material's resilience. At the same time, the core material is isolated from direct impact by external shocks, thereby simultaneously achieving overall structural reinforcement and core material protection functions. This fundamentally improves the core material's stress environment, blocks the performance degradation path caused by fatigue, and significantly delays the racket's performance degradation cycle.

[0041] Reference Figure 3-Figure 5 : The support bar 31 expands at high temperature to form a cavity tube wall structure, and the cavity of the support bar 31 is filled with epoxy foam material.

[0042] The present invention achieves the function of enhancing the torsional strength of the racket by designing the support bar 31 as a hollow tube wall structure. The support bar 31 provides edge support, and the edge of the support bar 31 is connected to the racket face to form an integral part. The support body adopts a continuous fiber reinforced frame and a racket face matrix to be three-dimensionally co-cured, forming a molecular-level interlocking osteoid transition layer in the interface area, and realizing the vector decomposition of the torsional torque through the strain coordination effect of the heterogeneous materials. The foam filling system exhibits intelligent response characteristics of compression hardening and shear thinning under dynamic loads. Its viscoelastic phase transition temperature point forms a matching energy dissipation window with the impact spectrum of the ball, so that the cavity structure has dual-mode working characteristics of rigid support and flexible buffering. The construction system constructs an adaptive damping network that changes with frequency through the coupling design of the cavity geometric parameters and the rheological properties of the foam body, effectively suppressing broadband vibrations and improving the stability of the ball hitting trajectory.

[0043] Reference Figure 1 : Carbon fiber plates 4 are attached to both sides of the inner core 1, and the surface of the carbon fiber plates 4 has a Teflon grid coating.

[0044] The present invention achieves the function of improving the overall strength of the racket through the carbon fiber plate 4. According to the design drawings, the carbon fiber plate 4 is carved into the required shape using an engraving machine, and the surface is coated with a Teflon grid. The back is roughened by a sandblasting machine (using 46# brown corundum, air pressure 6-8kg / cm 2 Vertical spraying, distance 15-20cm), alcohol cleaning, and brushing epoxy resin. The high modulus characteristics of carbon fiber form a rigid hitting surface, ensuring that the deformation rate of the racket face at the moment of hitting the ball is less than 2%, so that more than 85% of the hitting energy is directly transferred to the ball, significantly improving the speed and power stability of the ball. The 0.3mm thick unidirectional carbon cloth layer on the surface of the racket face can withstand an impact stress of more than 300MPa. The anisotropic properties of carbon fiber make the sweet spot area about 1.5 times larger than that of traditional glass fiber materials, and a gradient modulus transition zone is set at the edge of the sweet spot, which reduces the energy loss rate of the area 15mm away from the sweet spot from 35% to 18%. The strength fluctuation rate of the carbon fiber-resin system in an environment of -20℃ to 60℃ is less than 8%, and the humidity sensitivity is only 1 / 3 of that of aluminum alloy materials, ensuring the consistency of the hitting trajectory under extreme climatic conditions.

[0045] Reference Figure 1-Figure 7 : A manufacturing process for a pickleball racket with a reinforced inner core, comprising the following steps:

[0046] S1. Use an engraving machine to cut out an inner core 1 made of EPP material according to the design drawing;

[0047] S2. Plasma-treat the surface of the inner core 1, adhere the bottom surface to the carbon fiber woven cloth, and place epoxy foam particles in the air-avoiding holes 21 on the inner core 1;

[0048] S3, covering the inner core 1 with carbon fiber material, and attaching carbon fiber plates 4 on both sides, roughening the back of the carbon fiber plates 4 with a sandblaster, and applying epoxy resin;

[0049] S4, placing the racket into the mold and performing hot pressing molding;

[0050] S5. Cold pressing treatment, set the temperature to 10±5℃, keep it for 3 minutes and then take out the product.

[0051] After being coated with EPP-epoxy foaming-carbon fiber materials, they are placed in sequence. The surface carbon fiber material connects the upper and lower surfaces of the three materials as a whole. The outermost carbon fiber coated epoxy foam is expanded at high temperature to form a tubular foam filling structure as an integral part. Avoid direct contact between epoxy foam and honeycomb core, without material coating, and vibration during use will produce cracking and abnormal noise. The surface and sides of the racket are again bonded with fiber woven materials to form a reinforcement layer. The EPP materials on the market are all bonded with fiber sheets using cold glue. There are no shock-absorbing holes in the middle, and the holes are not filled. The EPP leaks directly from the side. There is no material coating. This process solves the problem of effective bonding with epoxy resin carbon fiber materials. The side foams and expands to form a cavity wall. The carbon fiber covers the outside, which increases the stability of the racket.

[0052] Reference Figure 7-10 : In step S4, the hot pressing temperature is 130±5°C, the time is 30 minutes, the set pressure is 50 tons, and the applied pressure is 15 MPa.

[0053] The present invention improves the strength of the racket surface through hot pressing, effectively preventing the filler 22 from being delaminated and falling off, thereby changing the previous partial filling and post-assembly mode.

[0054] Reference Figure 7-10 : In step S4, the mold includes an upper mold 5, a lower mold 6 and a bottom mold 7 for supporting the lower mold 6; the lower mold 6 includes a left slider 61 and a right slider 62, and the left slider 61 and the right slider 62 are slidably set on the bottom mold 7; the upper mold 5 and the lower mold 6 are connected by fixing screws 71.

[0055] The present invention achieves enhanced surface strength through hot pressing, effectively preventing delamination and shedding of the filler 22. This approach changes the traditional localized filling and post-assembly model, eliminating interfacial voids caused by traditional lamination. Furthermore, the edge region is enriched with resin through in-mold flow channels, creating a self-reinforced, impact-resistant structure.

[0056] Reference Figure 7-10 : The bottom mold 7 is provided with a positioning block 72 and a limit block 73; the upper mold 5 is provided with a positioning groove for cooperating with the positioning block 72; the limit block 73 is used to guide the movement of the left slider 61 and the right slider 62.

[0057] The coordination of positioning block 72 and stop block 73 enhances the stability of lower mold 6's movement, thereby improving the quality of the racket's hot-press molding process. The upper mold 5 and lower mold 6 cooperate to form a mold cavity, which is then secured with screws after closing. Furthermore, the configuration of left and right sliders 61 and 62 allows the racket to be removed from the mold by first removing the upper mold 5, then sliding the left and right sliders 61 and 62 to separate the racket from the mold, improving portability.

[0058] The above embodiments merely represent one or more embodiments of the present invention, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the scope of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A pickleball racket with a reinforced inner core, characterized in that: It comprises an inner core (1) and a shock-absorbing structure (2) arranged on the inner core (1); the inner core (1) is made of EPP honeycomb core material; Carbon fiber covering materials are provided on both sides of the inner core (1).

2. The reinforced core pickleball racket according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shock-absorbing structure (2) comprises a void hole (21) provided on the inner core (1) and a filler (22) for filling the void hole (21); The air-avoiding holes (21) include circular through holes distributed in a circular array and arc-shaped through holes distributed around the circular through holes; The filler (22) is an epoxy foam material.

3. The reinforced core pickleball racket according to claim 1, characterized in that: A lateral support structure (3) is provided on the circumference of the inner core (1).

4. The reinforced core pickleball racket according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lateral support structure (3) comprises a support bar (31), and the support bar (31) is made of carbon fiber material.

5. The reinforced core pickleball racket according to claim 4, characterized in that: The support strip (31) is expanded at high temperature to form a cavity tube wall structure, and the cavity of the support strip (31) is filled with epoxy foaming material.

6. The reinforced core pickleball racket according to claim 3, characterized in that: Carbon fiber plates (4) are bonded to both sides of the inner core (1), and the surface of the carbon fiber plates (4) has a Teflon grid-like coating.

7. A manufacturing process for a reinforced inner core pickle ball racket, for manufacturing a reinforced inner core pickle ball racket as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1. Use an engraving machine to cut out an inner core (1) made of EPP material according to the design drawing; S2, plasma treatment is performed on the surface of the inner core (1), carbon fiber woven cloth is laminated to the ground, and epoxy foam particles are placed in the airtight holes (21) on the inner core (1); S3, covering the inner core (1) with carbon fiber material, and laminating carbon fiber plates (4) on both sides, roughening the back of the carbon fiber plates (4) with a sandblaster, and applying epoxy resin; S4, placing the racket into the mold and performing hot pressing molding; S5. Cold pressing treatment, set the temperature to 10±5℃, keep it for 3 minutes and then take out the product.

8. The manufacturing process of a reinforced core pickleball racket according to claim 7, characterized in that: In step S4, the hot pressing temperature is 130±5°C, the time is 30 minutes, the set pressure is 50 tons, and the applied pressure is 15 MPa.

9. The manufacturing process of a pickleball racket with a reinforced inner core according to claim 7, characterized in that: In step S4, the mold includes an upper mold (5), a lower mold (6) and a bottom mold (7) for supporting the lower mold (6); The lower mold (6) includes a left slider (61) and a right slider (62), and the left slider (61) and the right slider (62) are slidably arranged on the bottom mold (7); The upper die (5) and the lower die (6) are connected by fixing screws (71).

10. The manufacturing process of a pickleball racket with a reinforced inner core according to claim 9, characterized in that: The bottom mold (7) is provided with a positioning block (72) and a limiting block (73); The upper die (5) is provided with a positioning groove for cooperating with the positioning block (72); The limiting block (73) is used to guide the movement of the left slider (61) and the right slider (62).

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