Enlarged Mesh Sports Racquet String Bed Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional sports racquets have string beds with small mesh areas, limiting their performance and ease of production, and existing racquets with larger string counts are complex and costly to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
A sports racquet design featuring a string bed with enlarged meshes, allowing for increased energy transfer to the ball while maintaining control, achieved by arranging longitudinal and transversal strings to form meshes with an average area of 200 mm² or more, and using a reduced number of strings with larger diameters and strategically placed enlarged openings for string passage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the string bed uses a high number of longitudinal and transversal strings to increase mesh density, then the racquet provides better control and precision, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the string bed by implementing non-uniform mesh sizes. Different regions of the string bed have different mesh areas, with the central region having larger meshes for power and peripheral regions having smaller meshes for control. This parameter variation allows the racquet to achieve both control precision and reduced complexity without requiring a uniformly high string count throughout.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the mesh size characteristics across different regions of the string bed. The central region (where balls are most commonly struck) has enlarged meshes for increased power transfer, while peripheral regions maintain smaller meshes for precise ball control. This localized differentiation allows each region to optimize its function without requiring high complexity across the entire string bed.
2Measurement precision
If the string bed uses a high number of strings to reduce mesh area for better control, then the racquet provides improved shot precision, but the industrial production becomes more difficult and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements parameter changes by varying the mesh size across different regions rather than maintaining a uniform small mesh area throughout. The central region has larger meshes (e.g., 150-200 mm²) while peripheral regions have smaller meshes (e.g., 100-150 mm²). This parameter variation achieves shot precision in the critical peripheral areas while reducing the total string count and manufacturing complexity in the less critical central area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by concentrating the high-precision stringing requirements only in the peripheral regions where ball control is most critical, while using larger, easier-to-manufacture meshes in the central region where balls are less frequently struck. This partial application of high-density stringing achieves the necessary precision without the excessive manufacturing complexity of uniform high-density stringing across the entire bed.
3Ease of manufacture
If the racquet head portion uses standardized dimensions with traditional string counts, then the production is simplified and costs are competitive, but the energy transfer to the ball is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the mesh area parameter in the central region to be larger than traditional racquets (e.g., 150-200 mm² compared to the traditional 150 mm² average). This parameter change increases the string bed's ability to deform and store elastic energy during ball impact, thereby improving energy transfer to the ball while still using a reduced total string count that simplifies production compared to high-string-count designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the enlarged mesh design in the central region of the string bed, which is the primary impact zone for power shots. This localized enlargement maximizes energy transfer where it is most needed, while the peripheral regions maintain adequate mesh sizes for control. This approach improves energy transfer without requiring a complete redesign of the entire string bed, preserving production simplicity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The racquet achieves higher energy transfer and control over shots, with enhanced player confidence and easier industrial production, as demonstrated by experimental tests showing increased exit angles and deformation of the string bed.
Implementation Method 1
the string bed 4 deforms more markedly than a traditional string bed. This greater deformation reduces the amount of energy dissipated by the ball during the impact with the string bed.
Data Source
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AI summary
Sports racquet (1) comprising a handle (2) and a head portion (3) adapted to support a string bed (4) lying on a reference plane. The string bed of the sports racquet comprises a plurality of meshes (43) with an average area of 200 mm2 or greater.