Racquet Striking Layers with High Density Fillers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing racquets for sports like padel tennis, which include a plate as a striking structure, have received less attention and development compared to stringed racquets, leading to significant disadvantages due to their relatively short existence and niche status, necessitating improvements to enhance performance and versatility.

Innovation Solution

A racquet design featuring a handle portion with improved grip features and a head portion comprising a core element and striking layers with varying densities, including a fiber composite material with a filler to increase stiffness, rigidity, and inertia, allowing for varied playing characteristics between soft and hard strikes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a plate is used as a striking structure in plated racquets, then the racquet can be used for sports like padel tennis, but the racquet receives less attention and development compared to stringed racquets, leading to significant disadvantages

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to different sportsVSAvoidperformance reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The head portion uses a composite structure combining a core element (foam or plastic material) with striking layers (fiber composite material with filler). This composite construction provides both the adaptability needed for various sports and the performance reliability through optimized material properties including stiffness, rigidity, and inertia.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Power

If the striking layers have high density (at least 2.5 g/cm³), then the racquet can transfer energy effectively during hard strikes, but the racquet may lack precision and control during soft strikes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy transfer during hard strikesVSAvoidprecision during soft strikes
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The striking layers incorporate filler material (metal particles or fibers) distributed within the fiber composite material to create local variations in density and stiffness. This allows the racquet to provide both power for hard strikes and precision for soft strikes by optimizing the local properties of different regions of the striking surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Adaptability or versatility

If the striking layers are made with fiber composite material and filler to increase stiffness and rigidity, then the racquet provides improved playing characteristics, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplaying characteristicsVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent specifies that the striking layers have a density of at least 2.5 g/cm³ through the incorporation of filler material. This parameter change enables the fiber composite material to achieve the necessary stiffness and rigidity for improved playing characteristics while maintaining a manageable manufacturing process through standardized material specifications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 the racquet's ability to transfer energy effectively during hard strikes while maintaining precision and control during soft strikes, providing improved playing characteristics and adaptability.

Implementation Method 1

Each striking layer is provided with a density of at least 2.5 g/cm³, in particular with an area weight, with respect to an area of the striking surface, of at least 1.5 g/cm². To this end, at least one of the striking layers is made from a fiber composite material which includes a plurality of organic or inorganic fibers and a matrix material.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectComposite materials: Composite Materials

Implementation Method 2

at least one of the striking layers has a density of at least 2.5 g/cm³... providing improved playing characteristics and adaptability... enhances the racquet's ability to transfer energy effectively during hard strikes while maintaining precision and control during soft strikes

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInertia: Inertia

Data Source

PatentEP4279153B1Racquet for ball games and method for manufacturing a racquet for ball games
Publication Date: 2026.01.21 HEAD TECHNOLOGY GMBH
  • EP4279153B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4279153B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4279153B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a racquet (10) for ball games, including a handle portion (12) configured to be gripped by a user and a head portion (14) connected to the handle portion (12). The head portion (14) includes at least one core element (24) and at least two striking layers (26, 28) arranged on substantially opposite sides of the core element (24). Each striking layer (26, 28) defines a striking surface (23, 25), respectively, for striking a ball of the ball game. At least one of the striking layers (26, 28) has a density of at least 2.5 g/cm3 in at least a section thereof. The present invention also relates to a racquet (10) for ball games, wherein at least one striking layer (26, 28) has an area weight, with respect to an area of the striking surface (23, 25), of at least 2.5 g/cm2 in at least a section thereof. The present invention further relates to one or more methods for manufacturing a racquet (10) for ball games.