Fiber Composite Racquet Flexibility With Torsional Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing racquets face challenges in providing increased control, power, and feel without increasing the polar moment of inertia, which affects maneuverability, particularly during top spin swings, and they often lack an enlarged sweet spot without negatively impacting performance.
Innovation Solution
A racquet design featuring a frame made partly of fiber composite material with specific ply arrangements, including angles greater than 30 degrees, allowing for increased deflection and flexibility along the longitudinal and lateral axes while maintaining torsional stability, achieved through a unique lay-up process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the head size of a racquet is increased to enlarge the string bed, then the racquet's performance is improved, but the polar moment of inertia increases making the racquet more difficult to maneuver
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters of the racquet frame by incorporating fiber composite materials with specific ply arrangements (angles greater than 30 degrees). This allows the frame to have reduced stiffness and increased flexibility, compensating for the increased polar moment of inertia from larger head size, thereby maintaining maneuverability while enabling larger string bed area for improved performance
2Strength
If the racquet frame stiffness is increased to improve performance, then control and power are enhanced, but the racquet becomes less flexible reducing dwell time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different material properties to different parts of the racquet frame. The fiber composite material with specific ply arrangements (angles greater than 30 degrees) is configured to provide localized flexibility in specific regions while maintaining overall structural integrity. This creates areas of varying stiffness that allow the racquet to flex appropriately during ball contact, increasing dwell time while preserving control and power
3Strength
If the racquet is designed with high beam height to increase stiffness, then performance is improved, but the racquet becomes heavier affecting maneuverability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs fiber composite materials with specific ply arrangements (angles greater than 30 degrees) to achieve the desired stiffness characteristics. These composite materials provide high strength-to-weight ratio, allowing the racquet to maintain necessary stiffness for performance while avoiding the weight penalty that would result from increasing beam height with traditional materials
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 design enhances dwell time and control, providing improved feel and power during top spin swings without compromising maneuverability, while maintaining torsional stability and an enlarged sweet spot.
Implementation Method 1
the racquet has reduced resistance to bending about a longitudinal axis of the racquet in at least a first direction that is parallel to a string bed of the racquet and a second direction that is perpendicular to the string bed of the racquet
Data Source
AI summary
A racquet extending along a longitudinal axis and including a frame including a head portion, a handle portion, and a throat portion. The head portion forms a hoop that defines a string bed plane. At least the head portion and the throat portion of the frame are formed at least in part of a fiber composite material. When the racquet is tested under the racquet lateral bending test, the racquet has a lateral deflection of at least 6.0 mm when measured in a direction that is parallel to the string bed plane and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. When the racquet is tested under the racquet torsional stability test, the racquet has an angular deflection of less than 5.5 degrees about the longitudinal axis. The head portion has a maximum beam height distance of at least 20 mm.