PICKLEBALL PADDLE

Description

Pickleball is becoming a more and more popular paddle sport, not only in the U.S. but also in other countries throughout the world. Accordingly, more advanced pickleball paddles have been developed in recent years. For example, TW 202417093 A, TWI 839246 B, TWI 839270 B, TWM 651410 U and US 2024/0066371 A1 describe various pickleball paddles.

What stands out in pickleball is, inter alia, that the players need touch and a lot of control from the paddle in situations when they are, for example, playing in the so-called “kitchen” and try to keep the ball low and short (also called a “dink-shot”), whereas in other situations, for example, on shots from the baseline, a lot of power is required. Thus, the requirements for a proper paddle are quite complex, indeed.

In state of the art pickleball paddles, a honeycomb core is used for the hitting surface which has layers of glass fibre, carbon fibre or similar materials placed on both sides to form the hitting surface of the pickleball paddle. These honeycomb materials are advantageous in enabling a lightweight construction and a cost-efficient way to produce a pickleball paddle. However, one of the disadvantages of such honeycomb cores is that they do not offer any possibility to optimize paddle properties such as control and power.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved pickleball paddle.

This object is achieved with a pickleball paddle according to claim 1. The inventive paddle comprises a handle portion configured to be gripped by a user and a head portion having a proximal portion which is connected to the handle portion and a distal portion opposite the proximal portion, wherein the head portion defines two opposing striking surfaces configured to strike a pickleball. The two striking surfaces or layers are connected to each other by connecting bars extending from one striking surface to the other striking surface. The connecting bars extend from the proximal portion of the head portion to the distal portion of the head portion, wherein the distance between adjacent connecting bars varies along their extension from the proximal portion of the head portion to the distal portion of the head portion.

In other words, the gist of the present invention is to vary the properties of the core and, in particular, its stiffness continuously along the length axis of the pickleball paddle. This enables players to hit touch-shots as well as power-shots more effectively. Varying the core and its stiffness continuously along the length axis allows for the player to get a more predictable feel for the paddle in contrast to a situation where, e.g., only two distinct areas with quite different stiffnesses are provided.

The head portion of the paddle preferably comprises a foam material arranged between adjacent connecting bars. The foam material preferably extends from one striking surface to the other striking surface. Preferably, the entire volume of the head portion between the two striking surfaces (apart from the connecting bars) is filled with said foam material. Suitable foam materials may be based on, comprise or consist of EVA, PE, EVA/PE blends, TPE, PU and EPDM.

The connecting bars preferably comprise one or a combination of the following materials: carbon fibre, glass fibre, aramid fibre, aluminum alloys, steel alloys, titanium alloys, nitinol, self-reinforced plastic (like CURV).

Preferably, each connecting bar comprises a vertical section extending substantially perpendicular to each of the striking surfaces and two horizontal sections, each horizontal section being attached to one of the striking surfaces. Preferably, each connecting bar is symmetric and/or is C-shaped or shaped like a double-T. Alternatively, the connecting bar may have a curved profile and may, e.g., be S-shaped or otherwise curvilinear.

Preferably, the difference between adjacent connecting bars is greater at the proximal portion of the head portion than at the distal portion of the head portion. The ratio between maximum distance between adjacent connecting bars and minimum distance between adjacent connecting bars amounts to at least 1.2, preferably at least 1.5, more preferably at least 1.8 and particularly preferably at least 2.0. The distance between adjacent connecting bars may continuously decrease from the proximal portion of the head portion to the distal portion of the head portion.

Alternatively, the distance between adjacent connecting bars may be smaller at the proximal portion of the head portion than at the distal portion of the head portion. Again, the ratio between maximum distance between adjacent connecting bars and minimum distance between adjacent connecting bars may amount to at least 1.2, preferably at least 1.5, more preferably at least 1.8 and particularly preferably at least 2.0. Again, the distance between adjacent connecting bars may continuously increase from the proximal portion of the head portion to the distal portion of the head portion.

The connecting bars extending from the proximal portion of the head portion to the distal portion of the head portion may form essentially straight lines. Alternatively, these lines may be curvilinear and, for example, exhibit a wavelike pattern. If the connecting bars extending from the proximal portion of the head portion to the distal portion of the head portion are curved, it is preferred that the radius of curvature along at least a section of at least some of the connecting bars is at most 100 mm, more preferably at most 75 mm and particularly preferably at most 50 mm.

Preferably, the one or more properties of the foam material may vary along its extension from the proximal portion of the head portion to the distal portion of the head portion. For example, the density of the foam material may be smaller at the proximal portion of the head portion than at the distal portion of the head portion. The foam density may, for example, range from 15 – 100 kg/m³, preferably from 15 – 75 kg/m³, and particularly preferably from 15 – 50 kg/m³. Alternatively, the stiffness of the foam material may be smaller at the proximal portion of the head portion than at the distal portion of the head portion. For example, the compressive strength of the foam material at a strain of 25 % compression may vary between 20 kPa and 100 kPa, preferably between 30 kPa and 75 kPa and more preferably between 40 kPa and 60 kPa. The compressive strength may be measured using the test method BS EN ISO 7214: 2012 (section 7.2) or ISO 3386-1:1986/Amd. 1:2010 or ASTM D-1056.

Alternatively, the density and/or the stiffness of the foam material may be greater at the proximal portion of the head portion than at the distal portion of the head portion.

According to a further, independent aspect of the present invention, the above discussed variation of the density and/or the stiffness of the foam material along its extension from the proximal portion of the head portion to the distal portion of the head portion may also be employed without the presence of the connecting bars discussed above.

Preferably, the head portion is at least partially surrounded by a circumferential wall extending from one striking surface to the other striking surface. Preferably, at least some of the connecting bars extend from one section of the wall to another section of the wall.

Preferably, the head portion comprises at least 5, more preferably at least 10, even more preferably at least 12, and most preferably at least 14 connecting bars.

In the following, a preferred embodiment of a pickleball paddle according to the present invention is described in further detail based on the Figures, which show

FIG. 1 a top view of a preferred embodiment of a pickleball paddle according to the present invention with the striking surface being removed;

FIG. 2 two cross-sections along lines A and B, respectively, through the pickleball paddle according to FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 a schematic drawing of the pickleball paddle according to FIG. 1 showing the arrangement of the connecting bars.

FIG. 1 shows a top view of a preferred embodiment of a pickleball paddle 1 according to the present invention with the striking surface (or layer) being removed. The paddle 1 comprises a handle portion 2 (not shown) configured to be gripped by a user and a head portion 3 having a proximal portion 3a which is connected to the handle portion 2 and a distal portion 3b opposite of the proximal portion 3a. The head portion 3 defines two opposing striking surfaces 4a and 4b (see FIG. 2) configured to strike a pickleball. The two striking surfaces 4a and 4b are connected to each other by connecting bars 5 extending from one striking surface 4a to the other striking surface 4b. The connecting bars 5 extend from the proximal portion 3a of the head portion 3 to the distal portion 3b of the head portion 3, wherein the distance between adjacent connecting bars 5 varies along their extension from the proximal portion 3a of the head portion 3 to the distal portion 3b of the head portion 3.

Those varying distances are indicated in FIG. 3 for some examplary distances within the cross-sections along lines A and B (see FIGS. 1 and 2), wherein the numbers correspond to distances (in mm) between the vertical sections 5a of adjacent connecting bars 5 (see FIG. 2). As may be taken from FIG. 1, the horizontal sections 5b of adjacent connecting bars 5 may, in some cases, even touch each other.

The head portion further comprises a foam material 6 arranged between adjacent connecting bars 5, the foam material 6 extending from one striking surface 4a to the other striking surface 4b (see FIG. 2).

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ratio between the length of the vertical section 5a of the connecting bar 5 to the length of a horizontal section 5b of the connecting bar 5 is approximately equal to 2. However, said ratio may vary between 1 and 10, preferably between 1.2 and 5 and more preferably between 1.5 and 2.5.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the spacing between adjacent connecting bars increases from the tip of the paddle to the handle area. Accordingly, the stiffness of the core and the stiffness of the hitting surface is greater at the tip and lower at the handle area. This enables especially less-skilled players to control shots which they hit close to the tip and to have enough power on shots hit close to the handle area.

Alternatively, the spacing between adjacent connecting bars may decrease from the tip of the paddle to the handle area (not shown). This allows more experienced players to have even more power on shots hit at the tip and even more control on shots hit close to the handle area.