Pickleball paddle

Abstract

To improve torsional rigidity around a grip part, to increase a degree of freedom in design, and to easily bring a gravity center position close to a lower end of the grip part.SOLUTION: A pickleball paddle (10) includes: a grip portion (11) extending in a vertical direction; and a head portion (12) provided on an upper end side of the grip portion and forming a ball hitting surface (20) for hitting a ball on both sides in a thickness direction. A connection part (B) between the head part and the grip part is provided with a connection part (30) for reinforcing the connection part. An upper end (30a) of the connection part is provided below a vertical center position (C2) of the entire puddle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pickleball paddle. [Background technology]

[0002] Pickleball is a sport played on a court the size of a badminton court, in which players hit a ball with holes using a flat paddle. The paddle has a grip held by the player and a head portion connected to one end of the grip and forming a roughly rectangular hitting surface. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 0040937 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A paddle can obtain good repulsion performance by hitting the ball in the central region of the hitting surface. On the other hand, if the ball is hit closer to the periphery of the hitting surface, the repulsion performance is reduced, the power of the hit is lost, and it becomes difficult to control the hit. One of the reasons for this is that when hitting the ball, a torque is generated around the grip as a central axis, and the head part is deformed in a twisting direction relative to the grip, absorbing the energy of the swing.

[0005] Meanwhile, Patent Document 1 discloses a pickleball paddle having a frame. The frame has a grip forming portion and a loop-shaped portion that is connected to the grip forming portion and forms the outer periphery of the head portion.

[0006] Patent Document 1 has a design constraint that the looped portion of the frame must surround the entire outer circumference of the head. In addition, Patent Document 1 has a frame also arranged at the portion forming the upper end of the head, so the center of gravity of the entire paddle is closer to the upper end of the head, which increases the sense of weight when swinging the paddle and impairs operability.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a pickleball paddle that can improve torsional rigidity centered on the grip portion, increase design freedom, and make it easier to move the center of gravity closer to the lower end of the grip portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The pickleball paddle of the present invention is a pickleball paddle including a grip portion extending in the vertical direction and a head portion provided on the upper end side of the grip portion and forming a hitting surface for hitting a ball on both sides in the thickness direction, wherein a reinforcing portion is provided at a connection portion between the head portion and the grip portion to reinforce the connection portion, and the upper end of the reinforcing portion is provided below the vertical center position of the entire pickleball paddle. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, the connection between the head and grip can be reinforced with the reinforcing part, improving the torsional rigidity around the grip. Moreover, since the upper end of the reinforcing part is located below the vertical center of the entire paddle, the degree of freedom in designing the area above the center can be improved, and it becomes easy to design the paddle so that the center of gravity of the entire paddle is closer to the lower end of the grip. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a pickleball paddle according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. 1 with a portion of the grip portion omitted. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic perspective view of a reinforcing portion according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a pickleball paddle according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] 6 is a front view of FIG. 5 with a portion of the grip portion omitted. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a pickleball paddle according to a third embodiment. [Figure 8] 8 is a front view of FIG. 7 with a portion of the grip portion omitted. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of a portion of a pickleball paddle according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view of a pickleball paddle according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a front view of FIG. 10 with a portion of the grip portion omitted. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a front cross-sectional view of a pickleball paddle according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a front cross-sectional view of a pickleball paddle according to a seventh embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 23 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of a portion of a pickleball paddle according to an eighth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In the following drawings, some components may be omitted for convenience of explanation. Also, the orientation of each component in the following embodiments is merely an example, and can be changed to any orientation.

[0012] [First embodiment] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a pickleball paddle according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a front view of Fig. 1 with a part of the grip omitted. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of Fig. 2.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a pickleball paddle (hereinafter referred to as "paddle") 10 has a grip portion 11 that is held by a player, and a head portion 12 that is provided on one end side of the grip portion 11 and has a predetermined thickness.

[0014] In the claims and the description of this specification, unless otherwise specified, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 1, the extension direction of the grip portion 11 is the up-down direction, and in the entire paddle 10, the side where the head portion 12 is located is the upper side, and the side where the grip portion 11 is located is the lower side. Therefore, the head portion 12 is provided on the upper end side of the grip portion 11. In addition, the direction parallel to the thickness of the head portion 12 is the thickness direction, one side in the thickness direction is the front side, and the other side in the thickness direction is the back side. Therefore, the thickness direction means the front-back direction. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the thickness direction is the left-right direction, and the left and right sides are based on the view when the front side is viewed from the front side.

[0015] The grip portion 11 and the head portion 12 are formed by a single panel member P. The panel member P has a thickness in the thickness direction, similar to the head portion 12. The panel member P includes a grip forming region P1 having a vertically elongated shape to form the central axis portion of the grip portion 11, and a head forming region P2 that is connected to the upper end of the grip forming region P1 and has a surface shape corresponding to the head portion 12.

[0016] As shown in Figure 3, the panel member P has a laminated structure including a core material Pa formed to a thickness smaller than the head portion 12, a front side forming layer Pb laminated on the front side of the core material Pa, and a back side forming layer Pc laminated on the back side of the core material Pa.

[0017] In this embodiment, the core material Pa is a honeycomb core, and is made of a resin material such as polypropylene. The specific gravity of the honeycomb core is 0.05 to 0.2, which reduces the weight of the entire paddle 10. The front side forming layer Pb and the back side forming layer Pc are formed in a thin plate shape, and in this embodiment, are made of thermosetting fiber reinforced plastics (FRP), which increases the rigidity and strength of the panel member P.

[0018] Although the above-mentioned configuration is preferable for the panel member P, various configurations other than the above-mentioned configuration can be adopted. For example, the panel member P may be made of solid wood or plywood instead of a laminated structure. Furthermore, when the panel member P has a laminated structure, the core material Pa, the front side forming layer Pb, and the back side forming layer Pc may be made of wood, synthetic resin, metal such as aluminum, or composite materials thereof.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 2, the grip portion 11 includes a grip core portion 14 extending in the up-down direction. The grip core portion 14 is formed into an octagonal prism shape by providing wood, resin, or fiber-reinforced composite material on both thickness-wise and left-right sides of the grip forming region P1 of the panel member P. The grip portion 11 also includes a cap 15 attached to the lower end of the grip core portion 14, and the lower end of the grip portion 11 and the lower end of the paddle 10 are formed by the cap 15. Note that the grip core portion 14 is not limited to an octagonal prism shape, and may have a cross section of a polygon other than an octagon, or may have corners of the polygon rounded into an arc.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1, the grip portion 11 further includes a grip tape 16 and a fastening tape 17. The grip tape 16 is made of synthetic leather or natural leather, and is wound in a spiral shape around the outer periphery of the grip core portion 14 and the cap 15 (see Fig. 3). Note that Fig. 3 shows the belt-shaped grip tape 16 in a simplified manner as a uniform layer, rather than in a wound state.

[0021] The fastening tape 17 is wrapped around and attached to the upper end of the grip tape 16, and prevents the grip tape 16 from being unwound. In this embodiment, the upper end of the fastening tape 17 corresponds to the upper end of the grip portion 11, the lower end of the head portion 12, and the connection position (boundary position) of the grip portion 11 and the head portion 12. An area having a predetermined vertical width that sandwiches these connection positions is defined as a connection portion B of the grip portion 11 and the head portion 12.

[0022] The head portion 12 forms a ball-striking surface 20 for striking a ball on both sides in the thickness direction. More specifically, the ball-striking surface 20 of the head portion 12 is formed by the exposed surfaces of the front-side forming layer Pb and the back-side forming layer Pc in the head forming region P2 of the panel member P (see FIG. 3).

[0023] The head portion 12 is formed in a generally rectangular shape with a top-bottom width greater than its left-right width when viewed in the thickness direction as shown in Fig. 2. More specifically, the head portion 12 is provided in a shape including a pair of left and right lower inclined edges 21, a pair of left and right side edges 22, and an upper bulging edge 23 on its outer periphery.

[0024] The pair of left and right lower inclined edges 21 extend gradually upward from the lower end of the head portion 12 in the left-right direction when viewed from the thickness direction. Therefore, the area formed by the pair of left and right lower inclined edges 21 in the head portion 12 gradually becomes narrower in left-right width downward. The pair of left and right side edges 22 extend upward from the upper ends of the pair of left and right lower inclined edges 21. The upper bulging edge 23 extends to connect the upper ends of the pair of left and right side edges 22, and is provided in a shape in which the center in the left-right direction bulges upward. In addition, the connecting portion between the pair of left and right lower inclined edges 21 and the pair of left and right side edges 22, and the connecting portion between the pair of left and right side edges 22 and the upper bulging edge 23 are provided in a rounded shape.

[0025] In the head portion 12, a single edge guard 25 is provided on the outer periphery of the head forming region P2 of the panel member P, and each of the edges 21 to 23 is formed by the edge guard 25. The edge guard 25 is made of rubber, resin, or the like. As shown in Fig. 3, the edge guard 25 has a C-shaped cross section perpendicular to the extension direction, covers the end face of the panel member P and the front and back faces near the end face, and protects the head portion 12. The edge guard 25 is not limited to one piece, and may be divided into two pieces on the left and right sides of the head portion 12, or may be three or more pieces.

[0026] 2, both ends of the edge guard 25 in the extending direction cover both the left and right sides of the upper end side of the grip part 11. Also, the fastening tape 17 (see FIG. 1) of the grip part 11 is wrapped around both ends of the edge guard 25 in the extending direction.

[0027] Here, in the paddle 10, a central axis C1, which is located at the left-right center of the head portion 12 and coincides with the central axis of the grip portion 11, is illustrated by a dashed line in Figs. 1 and 2. In the paddle 10, at a connection portion B between the grip portion 11 and the head portion 12, the left-right width increases sharply from the bottom to the top. Therefore, during a pickleball game, when a ball is hit at a position on the hitting surface 20 away from the central axis C1 in the left-right direction and a torque is generated centered on the central axis C1, a force acts on the connection portion B in a direction that twists the head portion 12 relative to the grip portion 11. If the head portion 12 were to deform in a twisting direction due to this force, the energy of the swing would be absorbed and the repulsion performance would decrease.

[0028] Therefore, the paddle 10 of the present embodiment includes a reinforcing portion 30 provided at a connection portion B between the head portion 12 and the grip portion 11, and the connection portion B is reinforced by the reinforcing portion 30. The reinforcing portion 30 is provided with the same configuration on both sides (front side and back side) of the panel member P in the thickness direction at the connection portion B. The reinforcing portion 30 is also provided on the outside of the panel member P, in other words, it is provided in a state of being externally attached to the panel member P. The configuration of the reinforcing portion 30 will be described below.

[0029] Fig. 4 is an enlarged schematic perspective view of the reinforcing portion according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the reinforcing portion 30 includes a fitting portion 31, a central forming portion 32, and a pair of left and right side forming portions 33.

[0030] The fitting portion 31 has a C-shape when viewed from the top-bottom direction, and is provided so as to be able to position the reinforcing portion 30 in the left-right and thickness directions by receiving the grip forming area P1 of the panel member P from the thickness direction.

[0031] The central forming portion 32 is formed in a piece shape that protrudes upward from the upper end of the fitting portion 31. The central forming portion 32 is disposed in a region including the connection portion B, and is positioned across the lower end of the head portion 12 in the vertical direction.

[0032] The side forming portions 33 extend in a strip shape from both the left and right sides of the central forming portion 32. The side forming portions 33 extend obliquely upward from both the left and right sides of the central forming portion 32 and extend in a direction generally parallel to the left and right lower inclined edges 21 or gradually away from the left and right lower inclined edges 21 toward the tip.

[0033] The tip of the side forming portion 33 is formed in a semicircular arc shape. The uppermost portion of the tip of the side forming portion 33 is the upper end 30a of the reinforcing portion 30. The upper end 30a of the reinforcing portion 30 is provided below the vertical center position C2 of the entire paddle 10. In other words, the reinforcing portion 30 is not formed above the vertical center position C2. In this embodiment, when the vertical length of the entire paddle 10 is 100, the vertical length from the lower end of the paddle 10 (the lower end of the cap 15) to the upper end 30a of the reinforcing portion 30 is arranged to be within a range of 35 to 45. In addition, when the thickness of the panel member P is 100, the central forming portion 32 and the side forming portion 33 are formed to be within a range of 7 to 40. The tip of the side forming portion 33 is not limited to a semicircular arc shape, and may be a straight line or a broken line bent at least at one point.

[0034] The central forming portion 32 and the side forming portions 33 in the front-side reinforcement portion 30 have flat surfaces facing the front-side forming surface of the panel member P and are provided along the forming surface. The central forming portion 32 and the side forming portions 33 in the rear-side reinforcement portion 30 have flat surfaces facing the rear-side forming surface of the panel member P and are provided along the forming surface. The front and rear forming surfaces of the panel member P and the forming surface of the reinforcement portion 30 facing the forming surfaces are not limited to being flat, and may have an uneven shape. For example, convex portions may be formed on the front and rear forming surfaces of the panel member P, and concave portions that fit into the convex portions may be formed on the forming surface of the reinforcement portion 30.

[0035] Various methods can be used to fix the reinforcing portion 30 to the panel member P. For example, the fitting portion 31 may be fixed to the grip forming region P1 of the panel member P by adhesion or the like, and the central forming portion 32 and the side forming portions 33 may be in direct surface contact with but not adhere to the front and back forming surfaces of the panel member P. Also, all of the fitting portion 31, the central forming portion 32, and the side forming portions 33 may be fixed to the panel member P by adhesive or adhesive tape.

[0036] According to the configuration of this embodiment, the reinforcing portion 30 reinforces the connection portion B between the grip portion 11 and the head portion 12, thereby improving the torsional rigidity against torque about the central axis C1. This makes it possible to suppress deformation of the head portion 12 in a twisting direction even when the ball is hit at a position on the ball-striking surface 20 away from the central axis C1 in the left-right direction, and to efficiently transmit the energy of the swing to the ball to improve the repulsion performance. As a result, it becomes possible to suppress the loss of the power of the hit and the controllability of the hit, even when the ball is hit at a position away from the central axis C1 of the ball-striking surface 20.

[0037] Moreover, since the upper end 30a of the reinforcing portion 30 is located below the vertical center position C2 of the entire paddle 10, it is possible to eliminate the need for a frame that surrounds the entire outer periphery of the head portion as in the past. This improves the degree of freedom in design above the vertical center position C2, and makes it easy to design the paddle 10 so that the center of gravity of the entire paddle 10 is closer to the lower end of the grip portion 11. This reduces the sense of weight when swinging the paddle 10, and allows the paddle 10 to be easily operable during play.

[0038] In addition, since the pair of front and back reinforcing parts 30 are externally attached to both sides in the thickness direction of the panel member P, it is possible to enhance the torsional rigidity by sandwiching the panel member P from the thickness direction. Furthermore, since the reinforcing parts 30 have the side forming parts 33, it is possible to increase the resistance to torque about the central axis C1, and it becomes possible to better suppress deformation of the head part 12 in the twisting direction.

[0039] Next, other embodiments of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the same reference numerals may be used for components that are the same as or equivalent to those in the embodiment described before the embodiment, and the description may be omitted or simplified.

[0040] [Second embodiment] Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a pickleball paddle according to a second embodiment. Fig. 6 is a front view of Fig. 5 with a part of the grip portion omitted. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the reinforcing portion 30 of the second embodiment is configured by omitting the side forming portion 33 of the reinforcing portion 30 of the first embodiment.

[0041] The upper end 30a of the reinforcing portion 30 in the second embodiment is formed by the upper end of the central forming portion 32, and is provided below the vertical center position C2 of the entire paddle 10. In this embodiment, when the vertical length of the entire paddle 10 is 100, the reinforcing portion 30 is disposed such that the vertical length from the lower end of the paddle 10 (the lower end of the cap 15) to the upper end 30a of the reinforcing portion 30 falls within the range of 32 to 40.

[0042] As in the first embodiment, the configuration of the second embodiment also makes it possible to reinforce the connection portion B to improve the torsional rigidity and enhance the resilience performance. Note that, in the second embodiment, the torsional rigidity of the reinforcing portion 30 is smaller than that of the first embodiment, but the reinforcing portion 30 can be made lighter and more compact by omitting the side forming portion 33.

[0043] [Third embodiment] Fig. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a pickleball paddle according to a third embodiment. Fig. 8 is a front view of Fig. 7 with a part of the grip portion omitted. As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the reinforcing portion 30 of the third embodiment is configured to include a reinforcing plate portion 35 instead of the side forming portion 33 in the reinforcing portion 30 of the first embodiment.

[0044] In the third embodiment, the reinforcing plate portion 35 of the reinforcing portion 30 is provided so as to be continuous with the upper side and both left and right sides of the central forming portion 32. When viewed in the thickness direction, the reinforcing plate portion 35 has a pair of side edges 35a extending from both the left and right ends of the central forming portion 32 along the lower inclined edge 21, and an upper edge 35b continuing with the upper ends of the pair of side edges 35a and extending in the left and right direction. Thus, when viewed in the thickness direction, the reinforcing plate portion 35 is formed in a substantially inverted triangular shape.

[0045] The upper end 30a of the reinforcing part 30 in the third embodiment is formed by the upper side 35b of the reinforcing plate part 35, and is provided below the vertical center position C2 of the entire paddle 10. In this embodiment, when the vertical length of the entire paddle 10 is 100, the reinforcing part 30 is disposed such that the vertical length from the lower end of the paddle 10 (the lower end of the cap 15) to the upper end 30a of the reinforcing part 30 falls within the range of 32 to 43.

[0046] In the configuration of the third embodiment, the rigidity of the reinforcing portion 30 itself can be made higher than in the first embodiment, and the torsional rigidity due to the reinforcement of the connecting portion B can be further improved, thereby making it possible to improve the resilience performance.

[0047] [Fourth embodiment] Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of a pickleball paddle according to a fourth embodiment. As shown in Fig. 9, the fourth embodiment includes the same reinforcing portion 30 as the first embodiment, and further includes recesses 27 formed in the areas where the reinforcing portions 30 are arranged on the front and back sides of the head portion 12.

[0048] In the fourth embodiment, the recess 27 is formed in a shape that follows the outer periphery of the reinforcing portion 30 when viewed in the thickness direction (not shown), and is formed to receive the reinforcing portion 30 therein. The forming region of the recess 27 in the head portion 12 (the arrangement region of the reinforcing portion 30) is formed so that the thickness of the panel member P is smaller than that of other regions. The depth (width in the thickness direction) of the recess 27 can be set to be approximately the same as the thickness of the side forming portion 33, for example.

[0049] In the configuration of the fourth embodiment, a recess 27 is formed, so that it is possible to expand the area of ​​the head portion 12 where the reinforcing portion 30 is located on the same plane as the ball striking surface 20, or to reduce the area where the reinforcing portion 30 protrudes in the thickness direction beyond the ball striking surface 20.

[0050] [Fifth embodiment] Fig. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a pickleball paddle according to a fifth embodiment. Fig. 11 is a front view of Fig. 10 with a portion of the grip portion omitted. As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the fifth embodiment omits the reinforcing portion 30 compared to the first embodiment and includes a pair of left and right reinforcing portions 40 located along the lower inclined edge 21 of the head portion 12.

[0051] In the fifth embodiment, the mounting region of the edge guard 25 in the head portion 12 is changed from that of the first embodiment, and the edge guard 25 is mounted so that both ends in the extension direction are slightly below the center position C2. The reinforcing portion 40 is provided so as to extend from both ends in the extension direction of the edge guard 25 to the connection portion B. In this region, the reinforcing portion 40 is provided on the outside along the end face of the panel member P. The reinforcing portion 40 has a C-shaped cross section perpendicular to the extension direction, and covers the end face of the panel member P and the front and back faces near the end face while sandwiching it from both sides in the thickness direction. The reinforcing portion 40 is made of a hard resin material, a fiber-reinforced composite material, a metal, etc., and reinforces the connection portion B included in the mounting region.

[0052] Various methods can be used to fix the reinforcing portion 40 to the panel member P. For example, the vicinity of the end face of the panel member P may be sandwiched from the thickness direction by elastic deformation of the reinforcing portion 40, or the reinforcing portion 40 and the panel member P may be fixed with an adhesive or adhesive tape. The fastening tape 17 (not shown in FIG. 11) of the grip portion 11 is wrapped around the lower end side of the reinforcing portion 40.

[0053] In the fifth embodiment, the upper end 40a of the reinforcing part 40 is provided below the vertical center position C2 of the entire paddle 10. In this embodiment, when the vertical length of the entire paddle 10 is 100, the reinforcing part 40 is disposed such that the vertical length from the lower end of the paddle 10 (the lower end of the cap 15) to the upper end 40a of the reinforcing part 40 falls within the range of 40 to 50.

[0054] In the fifth embodiment, the pair of left and right reinforcing parts 40 reinforce the connection part B from both the left and right sides, improving the torsional rigidity and enabling the resilience performance to be improved.

[0055] [Sixth embodiment] Fig. 12 is a front cross-sectional view of a pickleball paddle according to a sixth embodiment. As shown in Fig. 12, in the sixth embodiment, the reinforcing portion 30 is omitted compared to the first embodiment, and the core material Pa of the panel member P is configured to include a first forming portion Pa1 and a second forming portion Pa2 made of different materials.

[0056] In the core material Pa of the sixth embodiment, the first forming portion Pa1 forms the entire grip forming region P1, a part of the lower region of the head forming region P2, and the connection portion B therebetween. The second forming portion Pa2 is provided adjacent to and above the first forming portion Pa1, and forms the region of the head forming region P2 other than the first forming portion Pa1.

[0057] The second forming portion Pa2 is made of a honeycomb core similar to the core material Pa of the first embodiment. On the other hand, the first forming portion Pa1 is made of a material having a higher elastic modulus (at least one of a longitudinal elastic modulus and a transverse elastic modulus) than the second forming portion Pa2, and can be made of a solid resin material or the like.

[0058] The first forming portion Pa1 can exhibit higher rigidity than the second forming portion Pa2, and reinforces the region along the connecting portion B and the lower inclined edge 21 of the head portion 12. Thus, the reinforcing portion 50 is formed by the first forming portion Pa1 of the core material Pa. Since the core material Pa fits within the thickness of the panel member P, the reinforcing portion 50 is also provided so as to fit within the thickness of the panel member P in the forming region of the first forming portion Pa1. The thicknesses of the first forming portion Pa1 and the second forming portion Pa2 may be the same or different. By making the thickness of the first forming portion Pa1 larger by the second forming portion Pa2, the reinforcing effect of the reinforcing portion 50 can be enhanced while making the reinforced portion easier to see from the outside.

[0059] The boundary between the first forming portion Pa1 and the second forming portion Pa2 is formed in an arc shape with the center part concave downward from both left and right ends. In the sixth embodiment, the upper end 50a of the reinforcing portion 50 is formed by the left and right upper end positions of the first forming portion Pa1, and is provided below the vertical center position C2 of the entire paddle 10. In this embodiment, when the vertical length of the entire paddle 10 is 100, the vertical length from the lower end of the paddle 10 (the lower end of the cap 15) to the upper end 50a of the reinforcing portion 50 is arranged to be within a range of 40 to 50. Note that the shape of the boundary between the first forming portion Pa1 and the second forming portion Pa2 is not limited to the above-mentioned arc shape, and may be a broken line shape bent at at least one place with the horizontal center part concave downward.

[0060] According to the sixth embodiment, the reinforcing portion 50 can also reinforce the connecting portion B, improving the torsional rigidity and enhancing the resilience performance. Moreover, the reinforcing portion 50 can be provided without being exposed, and the connecting portion B can be reinforced without changing the external appearance of the paddle 10.

[0061] [Seventh embodiment] Fig. 13 is a front cross-sectional view of a pickleball paddle according to a seventh embodiment. As shown in Fig. 13, the seventh embodiment is different from the sixth embodiment in the shapes of the first forming portion Pa1 and the second forming portion Pa2 when viewed from the thickness direction.

[0062] The first forming portion Pa1 of the seventh embodiment has the same vertical forming range as the first forming portion Pa1 of the sixth embodiment, but has a different horizontal forming range. The first forming portion Pa1 of the seventh embodiment forms the left and right end faces of the grip forming region P1, a part of the lower region of the head forming region P2, and the connection portion B between them, and is provided in a region of a predetermined width along the end faces. Therefore, the second forming portion Pa2 forms the area between the first forming portions Pa1 formed separately on the left and right, and the area above the first forming portion Pa1.

[0063] In the seventh embodiment, the first forming portion Pa1 of the core Pa also constitutes a reinforcing portion 50, which reinforces the connecting portion B and the area along the lower inclined edge 21 of the head portion 12.

[0064] According to the seventh embodiment, the reinforcing portion 50 can also reinforce the connection portion B, improving the torsional rigidity and enhancing the resilience performance. Moreover, the reinforcing portion 50 can be provided without being exposed, and the connection portion B can be reinforced without changing the external appearance of the paddle 10.

[0065] [Eighth embodiment] Fig. 14 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a pickleball paddle according to an eighth embodiment. As shown in Fig. 14, the eighth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the reinforcing portion 30 is omitted and the panel member P has a reinforcing layer Pd that serves as the reinforcing portion.

[0066] In the eighth embodiment, the reinforcing layer Pd may be made of the same material and thickness as the front side forming layer Pb and the back side forming layer Pc. The reinforcing layer Pd is provided between the core material Pa and the front side forming layer Pb, and between the core material Pa and the back side forming layer Pc. Thus, the reinforcing layer Pd is provided on both sides in the thickness direction of the panel member P and at a position that is contained within the thickness of the panel member P. The reinforcing layer Pd is provided along the front side forming surface of the panel member P and the back side forming surface of the panel member P, although it is not exposed to the outside.

[0067] The reinforcing layer Pd is formed over the entire grip forming region P1, a part of the lower region of the head forming region P2, and a connection portion B therebetween, and the reinforcing layer Pd reinforces the connection portion B.

[0068] In the eighth embodiment, the upper end Pda of the reinforcing layer Pd, which is the reinforcing portion, is provided below the vertical center position C2 (not shown in FIG. 14, see FIG. 3) of the entire paddle 10. In this embodiment, when the vertical length of the entire paddle 10 is 100, the reinforcing layer Pd is disposed such that the vertical length from the lower end of the paddle 10 (the lower end of the cap 15) to the upper end Pda of the reinforcing layer Pd falls within a range of 40 to 50.

[0069] In the eighth embodiment, the reinforcing layer Pd can also reinforce the connection portion B, improving the torsional rigidity and enhancing the resilience performance. Moreover, the reinforcing layer Pd can be provided without being exposed, so that the connection portion B can be reinforced without changing the external appearance of the paddle 10.

[0070] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified in various ways. In the above-described embodiments, the size, shape, direction, and the like shown in the accompanying drawings are not limited to these, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the effects of the present invention. In addition, the present invention can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the purpose of the present invention.

[0071] In the first to third embodiments, the formation position of the reinforcing portion 30 as viewed from the thickness direction can be changed in various ways as long as the upper end 30a is positioned below the center position C2 while reinforcing the connection portion B. For example, the inclination angle of the side formation portion 33 in the first embodiment can be changed, the shape of the reinforcing plate portion 35 in the third embodiment can be made rectangular, polygonal, or circular, or an opening can be provided in the surface of the reinforcing plate portion 35.

[0072] In the first to third embodiments, the fitting portion 31 may have another shape that allows it to be positioned relative to the panel member P, or the fitting portion 31 may be omitted from the configuration of the reinforcing portion 30.

[0073] Furthermore, the reinforcing portion 30 in the fourth embodiment may be changed to the configuration of the reinforcing portion 30 in the second and third embodiments, or may be changed to any of the shapes described above other than that in the first embodiment, and a recess 27 of a depth and shape corresponding to that shape may be formed.

[0074] Furthermore, the shape of the reinforcing portion 50 in the sixth and seventh embodiments may be changed as viewed from the thickness direction as long as it is possible to reinforce the connection portion B. For example, the upper end 50a of the reinforcing portion 50 in the sixth embodiment may be formed parallel to the left-right direction, and the lower end of the reinforcing portion 50 in the seventh embodiment may be positioned above the lower end of the panel member P.

[0075] In addition, the reinforcing layer Pd in ​​the eighth embodiment may be made of a material or have a thickness different from those of the front and back forming layers Pb and Pc. Furthermore, the reinforcing layer Pd may be formed at a different position, such as by positioning the lower end of the reinforcing layer Pd above the lower end of the panel member P, as long as the reinforcing layer Pd can reinforce the connection portion B.

[0076] In each of the above-described embodiments, the shape of the head portion 12 as viewed in the thickness direction is not particularly limited and may be a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, or the like. [Industrial Applicability]

[0077] The present invention relates to a paddle used in pickleball, a game in which players hit a ball with holes in it, and relates to a paddle for pickleball that can improve torsional rigidity around the grip portion while increasing design freedom and moving the center of gravity closer to the lower end of the grip portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 10: Paddle 11: Grip section 12: Head section 20: Ball hitting surface 21: Lower sloped edge 30: Reinforcement section 30a: Upper end 32: Central forming part 33:Lateral formation 35: Reinforcement plate 35a: Side 35b: Top 40: Reinforcement 40a: Upper end 50: Reinforcement 50a: Upper end B: Connection part C2: Vertical center position P: Panel material Pa: Core material Pa1: 1st forming part Pa2: 2nd forming part Pb: Front cambium layer Pc: back side cambium Pd: Reinforcement layer (reinforcement part) Pda:Top edge

Claims

1. A grip portion extending in the vertical direction; A pickleball paddle having a head portion provided on an upper end side of the grip portion and forming a hitting surface for hitting a ball on both sides in a thickness direction, A reinforcing portion is provided at a connection portion between the head portion and the grip portion to reinforce the connection portion, A pickleball paddle, wherein an upper end of the reinforcing portion is located below a center position of the entire pickleball paddle in a vertical direction.

2. the grip portion and the head portion are formed by a panel member having a thickness in the thickness direction, The pickleball paddle according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing portions are provided along forming surfaces of the panel members on both sides in the thickness direction and on outer sides of the panel members at the connection portions.

3. The reinforcing portion has a central forming portion located across a lower end of the head portion in the vertical direction; 3. The pickleball paddle according to claim 2, further comprising side forming portions extending in strip-like shapes from both left and right sides of the central forming portion.

4. 3. The pickleball paddle according to claim 2, wherein the reinforcing portion includes a central forming portion positioned across a lower end of the head portion in the vertical direction.

5. The head portion has a lower inclined end edge that gradually slopes upward from a lower end toward both sides in the left-right direction when viewed in the thickness direction, The reinforcing portion has a central forming portion located across a lower end of the head portion in the vertical direction; A reinforcing plate portion is provided which is connected to the upper side and both left and right sides of the central forming portion, 3. The pickleball paddle according to claim 2, characterized in that, when viewed from the thickness direction, the reinforcing plate portion has a pair of side edges extending from both left and right ends of the central forming portion along the lower inclined edge, and an upper edge extending in the left-right direction connected to the upper ends of the pair of side edges.

6. 3. The pickleball paddle according to claim 2, wherein a thickness of the panel member is formed smaller in an area of ​​the head where the reinforcing portion is disposed than in other areas of the area where the reinforcing portion is disposed.

7. the grip portion and the head portion are formed by a panel member having a thickness in the thickness direction, The pickleball paddle according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing portion is provided on an outer side along an end face of the panel member at the connection portion and sandwiches the panel member from both sides in the thickness direction.

8. the grip portion and the head portion are formed by a panel member having a thickness in the thickness direction, The pickleball paddle according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing portion is provided so as to be contained within a thickness of the panel member at the connection portion.

9. The panel member includes a core member having a thickness smaller than that of the head portion. A thin plate-shaped surface forming layer is laminated on a surface side of the core material, which is one side in the thickness direction; a thin plate-like back side forming layer laminated on the back side of the core material, which is the other side in the thickness direction; the core material includes a first forming portion that forms the grip portion, the connection portion, and a lower region of the head portion and constitutes the reinforcing portion, and a second forming portion that forms a region of the head portion other than the first forming portion, The pickleball paddle according to claim 8 , wherein the first forming portion is made of a material having a larger Young's modulus than the second forming portion.

10. The panel member includes a core member having a thickness smaller than that of the head portion. A thin plate-shaped surface forming layer is laminated on a surface side of the core material, which is one side in the thickness direction; a thin plate-like back side forming layer laminated on the back side of the core material, which is the other side in the thickness direction; the core material includes a first forming portion that forms at least both left and right end faces of the connection portion and that constitutes the reinforcing portion, and a second forming portion that forms an area other than the first forming portion, The pickleball paddle according to claim 8 , wherein the first forming portion is made of a material having a larger Young's modulus than the second forming portion.

11. the grip portion and the head portion are formed by a panel member having a thickness in the thickness direction, 2. The pickleball paddle according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing portions are provided along forming surfaces on both sides in the thickness direction of the panel member at the connection portion, at positions that are within the thickness of the panel member and on both sides in the thickness direction.

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