Sports Paddle Monolithic Skin Layer Edge Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sports paddles develop weak spots known as 'dead spots' due to wear damage and adhesive failure, and edge treatments like edge guards can cause interference and fragility, leading to reliability issues and undesirable ball trajectories.
Innovation Solution
A sports paddle design featuring a planar portion with a core material surrounded by a skin layer, incorporating rounded edges and a synthetic grip, eliminating the need for edge treatments, and optionally including a padded edge guard or weights for enhanced protection and performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If edge guards or composite material treatments are applied to protect the edges of conventional paddles, then edge protection is improved, but the paddle becomes overly fragile and creates interference during ball strikes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the edge guard component entirely from the paddle design. Instead of adding protective elements to the edges, the invention uses a monolithic construction where the skin layer extends to and encloses the edges of the core material, eliminating the need for separate edge protection components that cause interference and fragility.
Solution Approach 2:
The skin layer and edge structure are merged into a single integrated component. The skin layer extends continuously to the edges of the core material, creating a unified structure where the skin layer itself provides both the protective surface and the edge definition, eliminating the separate edge guard that caused reliability issues.
2Stability of the object's composition
If flexible rail guards are used to hold paddle edges together, then edge flexibility is improved, but ball trajectories become undesirable due to interference
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible rail guard is completely removed from the paddle design. The invention achieves edge flexibility through the monolithic construction where the skin layer naturally accommodates edge movement without requiring separate flexible components that interfere with ball strikes.
Solution Approach 2:
The skin layer acts as a flexible shell that provides the necessary edge flexibility without the interference of rigid or semi-rigid rail guards. The thin film structure of the skin layer allows natural edge movement while maintaining a smooth surface that does not interfere with ball trajectories.
3Weight of moving object
If conventional sandwich panel construction with separate core and skin materials is used, then lightweight structure is achieved, but dead spots form due to adhesive failure and delamination
Solution Approach 1:
The skin layer and core material are merged into a single monolithic structure where the skin layer is formed as an integral part of the core material. This eliminates the adhesive interface that is prone to failure, preventing dead spots while maintaining the lightweight sandwich panel construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure where the skin layer and core material are formed as a single integrated composite component. This monolithic composite construction eliminates the separate bonding interface that causes delamination and dead spots in conventional sandwich panels, while preserving the lightweight benefits of composite materials.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and a method are provided for a sports paddle for pickleball, tennis, smashball, ping pong, or racquetball. The sports paddle comprises a planar portion defining opposing flat surfaces for striking a ball and a handle portion for grasping in a hand. A skin layer encloses the planar portion and the handle portion. Rounded edges are disposed around the planar portion and the handle portion. The planar portion may comprise a core material surround by a rigid portion. The rigid portion may comprise 20-24 lb. foam while the core material is a honeycomb structured material. A synthetic or polymeric grip is wrapped around the handle portion to provide stability and firmness for a player. A binding secures the grip to a neck of the planar portion. An end cap placed at an end of the handle provides support and protection of the paddle.