Silicone Table Tennis Rubber Composition for Humidity-Stable Ball Response

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Solution Overview

Problem

Table tennis rubber sheets made of silicone rubber exhibit decreased ball-hitting performance in high humidity environments due to hydrosilyl group interactions with water molecules, leading to reduced deformation recovery rates.

Innovation Solution

A table tennis rubber sheet comprising a crosslinked silicone rubber with a hydrosilyl group content of 5.0×10 -4< mol/g or less, which minimizes hydrogen bond formation with water, ensuring rapid deformation recovery and stable ball-hitting performance across varying environmental conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the rubber sheet is made soft to increase flexibility and deformation amount, then the amount of rotation increases, but the recovery rate from deformation decreases and ball speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveflexibilityVSAvoidball speed
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the hydrosilyl group content in the crosslinked silicone rubber to 5.0×10^-4 mol/g or less. This chemical parameter control optimizes the balance between flexibility and recovery rate, allowing the rubber to maintain both softness for rotation and rapid recovery for ball speed without the trade-off described in the contradiction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If silicone rubber with hydrosilyl groups is used to achieve crosslinking, then the rubber sheet shows good ball-hitting performance in dry environments, but the performance decreases in high humidity environments due to moisture absorption

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveball-hitting performance stabilityVSAvoidhumidity sensitivity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameter by limiting the hydrosilyl group content to 5.0×10^-4 mol/g or less in the crosslinked silicone rubber. This parameter optimization reduces the rubber's affinity for water molecules, minimizing hydrogen bond formation with moisture and thereby maintaining stable ball-hitting performance across different humidity conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite materials by combining crosslinked silicone rubber with controlled hydrosilyl group content with specific physical properties. The crosslinked structure provides mechanical strength and elasticity, while the controlled low hydrosilyl content reduces moisture sensitivity, creating a composite material system that balances performance and environmental stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Stability of the object's composition

If the hydrosilyl group content is increased to enhance crosslinking density, then the structural stability improves, but the interaction with water molecules increases and deformation recovery rate decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecrosslinking densityVSAvoiddeformation recovery rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the crosslinking density by precisely controlling the hydrosilyl group content parameter to 5.0×10^-4 mol/g or less. This optimal parameter setting achieves sufficient crosslinking for structural stability while preventing excessive hydrogen bonding with water molecules, thereby maintaining rapid deformation recovery rate.

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 rubber sheet maintains excellent ball-hitting performance regardless of temperature and humidity levels by preventing hydrosilyl group-water interactions, thus enhancing deformation recovery and stability.

Implementation Method 1

hydrosilyl group content in the crosslinked silicone rubber is 5.0×10 -4 < mol/g or less, which minimizes hydrogen bond formation with water

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydrogen bonding: Chemical Bonding

Implementation Method 2

the rubber sheet is deformed due to the contact thereof with the ball, and the force of the deformation returning to the original state imparts rotation and speed to the ball

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 3

the viscoelastic properties of the rubber constituting the rubber sheet are important

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectViscoelasticity: Viscoelasticity

Data Source

PatentEP4643963A1Table tennis rubber sheet and table tennis paddle
Publication Date: 2025.11.05 CANON KK
  • EP4643963A1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP4643963A1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP4643963A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A table tennis rubber sheet which exhibits stable ball-hitting performance regardless of temperature fluctuations and which, even in environments where the table tennis rubber sheet is apt to comprise moisture, has the excellent ball-hitting performance. The table tennis rubber sheet at least comprises an elastomer sheet, wherein the elastomer sheet comprises a crosslinked silicone rubber as a binder, a hydrosilyl group content in the crosslinked silicone rubber is 5.0×10-4 mol/g or less.