Tennis racket

3,975,017

05/468,924

May 10, 1974

A tennis racket which exhibits, through a novel combination of critical material characteristics (composition, treatment, weight distribution and, particularly, the dimensions of width and thickness of various interrelated frame elements) optimum strength, playability, weight, stability and freedom from deleterious vibration during use. The racket frame is a one-piece forged metal (preferably aluminum) unit having a thickness throughout the head and shaft in the range of 0.580-0.600 inches. The width dimension of the head portion remote from the handle is critically determined at 0.280 .+-. 0.020 inches. The width of the side portions of the head is critically determined at 0.230 .+-. 0.020 inches. The width dimension for the portion of the head adjacent the handle is critically determined at 0.200 .+-. 0.020 inches. Between the respective adjacent portions of the head, the width dimension tapers gradually between the dimensions specified.

Galich, Thomas Patrick (Dana Point, CA)

Professional Amateur Industries, Inc. (Costa Mesa, CA)

What is claimed is

1. A tennis racket comprising

a one-piece forged metal frame having a longitudinal dimension of approximately 27 inches and a thickness dimension of 0.580 inches plus 0.020 inches, minus 0.000 inches, the frame having a standard oval head portion and a handle portion interconnected by a shaft portion, said head portion comprising opposed ends and opposed sides and having a first thickness dimension in the range of 0.580-0.600 inches and a first width dimension tapering from 0.280 .+-. 0.020 inches at the end remote from the shaft portion to 0.200 .+-. 0.020 inches at the end adjacent the shaft portion, the sides being 0.230 .+-. 0.020 inches in width;

said shaft portion including a first arm having second width and second thickness dimensions and a second arm having third width and third thickness dimensions;

said second and third width dimensions being equal; and

said second and third thickness dimensions being equal, the material of the frame including aluminum.

2. A racket according to claim 1 in which said first and second arms are interconnected by first and second transverse struts spaced along the length of said arms.

3. A racket according to claim 2 in which said second strut is spaced substantially midway between said handle portion and said first strut.

4. A racket according to claim 3 wherein said first and second struts are located on opposite sides of the balance point of the frame.

5. A racket according to claim 2 wherein the struts have a width dimension in the range of 0.100-0.120 inches.

6. A racket according to claim 1 in which said second and third width dimensions lie in the range from 0.150 inches to 0.160 inches and said second and third thickness dimensions are approximately 0.600 inches.

7. A racket according to claim 1 in which the balance point along the length of the racket is displaced from the longitudinal dimensional centerpoint toward said handle portion.

8. A racket according to claim 7 in which said displacement of said balance point is approximately 0.375 inches.

9. A racket according to claim 1 in which the width of the head portion between each side and its adjacent ends tapers smoothly between the side width dimension and the corresponding end width dimensions.

10. A racket according to claim 9 wherein the thickness of the head is less than 0.600 inches and is uniform throughout, and wherein the thickness of the frame changes gradually from the thickness of the head to approximately 0.600 inches thickness in the shaft portion.

11. A racket according to claim 10 further including a pair of yoke portions respectively joining the shaft portions to the head portion, the yoke portions having a width dimension in the range of 0.155-0.175 inches and tapering smoothly to the width dimension of the adjacent shaft portions.

12. A tennis racket in accordance with claim 1 wherein the material of the frame is 2014-T6 aluminum alloy.

13. A tennis racket in accordance with claim 1 wherein the material of the frame comprises one of the 7000 series aluminums.

273/73H; 273/73C

A63B 4912

1587918 June 1926 Morrison
2282195 May 1942 Compte
2395864 March 1946 Geerlings et al.
3187376 June 1965 Laws
3547440 December 1970 Deer
3582073 January 1971 Melnick et al.
3664668 May 1972 Held
3702189 November 1972 Galich
3734499 May 1973 Goldstein
3765055 October 1973 Lewis
3815660 June 1974 Gallagher et al.

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