Handle for sports or work equipment and equipment comprising the handle

Abstract

A handle for sport equipment comprises a tubular body (7) which extends along a longitudinal axis (L) and has an outer peripheral surface (8) adapted to be grasped by a user and shaped with a plurality of longitudinal faces (9) placed side by side in correspondence of edges (10) adapted to facilitate the positioning of the finger joints of the gripping hand by the user. The edges (10) are arranged along at least one pair of helical or spiral paths that develop around said longitudinal axis (L) with mutually opposite sign to subdivide each of said longitudinal faces (9) into a plurality of areas or flat surfaces (11) sized to accommodate a corresponding phalanx of the gripping hand of the user, each of said areas or flat surfaces (11) being perimetrically delimited by at least one pair of edges (10, 10) of each of the helical or spiral paths.

Claims

1. A handle for sport or work equipment, comprising a tubular body (7) which extends along a longitudinal axis (L) and has an outer peripheral surface (8) adapted to be grasped by a user; wherein said outer peripheral surface (8) is shaped with a plurality of longitudinal faces (9) placed side by side in correspondence with edges (10) adapted to facilitate the positioning of the finger joints of the gripping hand by the user; wherein said edges (10) are arranged along pairs of helical or spiral paths that develop around said longitudinal axis (L) with mutually opposite sign to subdivide each of said longitudinal faces (9) into a plurality of areas or flat surfaces (11) sized to accommodate a corresponding phalanx of the gripping hand of the user, each of said areas or flat surfaces (11) being perimetrically delimited by at least one pair of edges (10, 10) of each of the helical or spiral paths of said at least one pair; wherein, for each of said pairs of helical or spiral paths, the edges (10, 10) of one of the helical or spiral paths are substantially rectilinear and inclined with respect to said longitudinal axis (L) with an angle of inclination (, ) having same module and opposite sign with respect to the edges (10, 10) of the other helical or spiral path of the same pair to delimit corresponding areas or flat surfaces (11) having a substantially hexagonal plan shape; wherein each of said areas or flat surfaces (11) is formed by a pair of planar portions (13, 14) mutually inclined with respect to a plane of symmetry orthogonal to said longitudinal axis (L); wherein the areas or flat surfaces (11) are hexagonal with two transverse sides that join edges (10, 10) belonging to different spirals of a same pair.

2. Handle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said spiral or helical paths have substantially the same longitudinal pitch.

3. Handle as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that said pitch is constant or variable along said longitudinal axis.

4. Handle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said edges (10, 10) are arranged along a plurality of pairs of helical or spiral paths having mutually opposite sign to define respective double helices.

5. Handle as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that said edges (10, 10) are curvilinear.

6. Handle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said areas or flat surfaces (11) are substantially concave or have an inwarding recess.

7. Handle as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that each of said areas (811) is perforated.

8. A sports or work equipment comprising a gripping portion adapted to be grasped by a user, characterized by comprising a handle (3) applied to said gripping portion; wherein said handle (3) comprises a tubular body (7) which extends along a longitudinal axis (L) and has an outer peripheral surface (8) adapted to be grasped by a user; wherein said outer peripheral surface (8) is shaped with a plurality of longitudinal faces (9) placed side by side in correspondence with edges (10) adapted to facilitate the positioning of the finger joints of the gripping hand by the user; wherein said edges (10) are arranged along pairs of helical or spiral paths that develop around said longitudinal axis (L) with mutually opposite sign to subdivide each of said longitudinal faces (9) into a plurality of areas or flat surfaces (11) sized to accommodate a corresponding phalanx of the gripping hand of the user, each of said areas or flat surfaces (11) being perimetrically delimited by at least one pair of edges (10, 10) of each of the helical or spiral paths of said at least one pair; wherein, for each of said pairs of helical or spiral paths, the edges (10, 10) of one of the helical or spiral paths are substantially rectilinear and inclined with respect to said longitudinal axis (L) with an angle of inclination (, ) having same module and opposite sign with respect to the edges (10, 10) of the other helical or spiral path of the same pair to delimit corresponding areas or flat surfaces (11) having a substantially hexagonal plan shape; wherein each of said areas or flat surfaces (11) is formed by a pair of planar portions (13, 14) mutually inclined with respect to a plane of symmetry orthogonal to said longitudinal axis (L); wherein the areas or flat surfaces (11) are hexagonal with two transverse sides that join edges (10, 10) belonging to different spirals of a same pair.

9. Equipment as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that said handle (3) is integral with said gripping portion.

10. Equipment as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that said handle (3) is removably applied to said gripping portion.

11. Equipment as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that it is a sports equipment selected from the group comprising tennis, ping-pong, badminton racquets, golf clubs or similar sports.

Description

BRIEF DISCLOSURE OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent in light of the detailed description of some preferred but not limiting embodiments of a handle for sports equipment according to the present invention, shown by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the accompanying drawing wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sport equipment provided with the handle in a first preferred embodiment;

(3) FIG. 2 is a first side view of the handle of the equipment of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a second side view of the handle of the equipment of FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 is a front view of the handle of the equipment of FIG. 1;

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a sport equipment provided with the handle in a second preferred embodiment;

(7) FIG. 6 is a first side view of the handle of the equipment of FIG. 5;

(8) FIG. 7 is a second side view of the handle of the equipment of FIG. 5;

(9) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a detail of a sport equipment provided with the handle in a third preferred embodiment;

(10) FIG. 9 is a first side view of the equipment of FIG. 8;

(11) FIG. 10 is a second side view of the handle of the equipment of FIG. 8;

BEST MODES OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(12) With reference to the attached figures three preferred but not exclusive embodiments of a handle according to the invention are shown applied to a sport equipment.

(13) In particular, the sport equipment, generically referred with 1, is a tennis racquet that in typical fashion comprises a frame 2 formed with the handle 3 joined to a head 4 through a throat 5. In a known manner the head 4 is also provided with strings 6.

(14) Both the head 4 and the throat 5 are not essential elements for the present invention and therefore can be realized in any manner, without particular limitations, and for this reason they will not be described more in detail hereinafter.

(15) The handle 3 according to the invention may be applied in a similar manner and with the necessary adaptations to other sports equipment such as racquets for table tennis, squash, badminton, golf clubs, baseball bats and particularly to all equipment requiring different holding modes during the different phases of the game.

(16) Moreover, the handle may also be applied to work equipment or tools that require a firm grip and wherein the position of the grabbing may vary depending on the mode of use, as in the case of drills, screwdriver and similar tools.

(17) Furthermore, the handle may be either realized both as a separate body with respect to the equipment and subsequently applied thereto in a fixed or removable manner or made directly on the equipment, being also in this case fixed or removable.

(18) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the sport equipment 1 from which it is noted that the handle 3 essentially comprises a tubular body 7 which extends along a longitudinal axis L and which has an outer peripheral surface 8 adapted to be grasped by a user.

(19) The outer peripheral surface 8 is shaped with a plurality of longitudinal faces 9 in side by side relationship with each other each having a plurality of edges 10 which extend along the longitudinal axis L to facilitate the positioning of the finger joints of the gripping hand by the user.

(20) As it can be seen more clearly from FIGS. 2 and 3, the edges 10 are arranged along at least one pair of helical or spiral paths, shown with dashed lines, which develop around the longitudinal axis L with opposite sign.

(21) In this way each of the longitudinal faces 9 will be divided into a plurality of areas or flat surfaces 11 longitudinally aligned and dimensioned so that in the multiple mode of gripping the handle 3 they may accommodate a corresponding phalanx of the gripping hand of the user, or the main knobs and protrusions of the hand, such as the fingertips, the sesamoid bone, the styloid process of the ulna, the heads of the second and fifth metacarpal bone and the like.

(22) In a preferred manner the areas or flat surfaces 11 will have the same shape and size with a maximum size that defines the distance between two consecutive edges 10 of a same spiral comprised between 10 mm and 30 mm and preferably close to 20 mm.

(23) The areas or flat surfaces 11 will be delimited perimetrically by two pairs of consecutive edges 10 of each of the two different spiral paths of the pair.

(24) From the figures it is also noted that the edges 10 are arranged on a plurality of pairs of helical or spiral paths having mutually opposite sign to define respective double helices.

(25) In this way, each longitudinal face 9 will be divided into a plurality of consecutive and adjacent areas or flat surfaces 11.

(26) In the shown embodiment all the helical or spiral paths have substantially the same constant longitudinal pitch value.

(27) However, according to alternative variations, not shown, the pitch may also be variable and possibly different for the various spiral paths.

(28) Furthermore, in the shown embodiment the edges 10 are substantially straight and inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis L with the same inclination angle .

(29) Moreover, the inclination angle of the edges 10 of one of the paths has the same module and of opposite sign than the inclination angle of the edges 10 of the other spiral path of the corresponding pair to delimit corresponding areas 11 having substantially hexagonal plan shape.

(30) In the preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the figure, the areas or flat surfaces 11 are hexagonal with two transverse sides that join edges 10, 10 belonging to different spirals of a same pair having a length between 15 mm and 25 mm, preferably between 18 mm and 22 mm and even more preferably close to 20 mm.

(31) The diagonal which joins edges 10, 10 opposite each other is between 10 mm and 30 mm and is preferably close to 20 mm.

(32) However, even in this case, different embodiments may be provided with angles variable both along a same spiral path and between several spiral paths. In addition, the edges 10, 10 may also be non-rectilinear, for example curved with curvature that extends in a transverse plane inclined relative to the longitudinal axis L.

(33) The areas or flat surfaces 11 will also be recessed inwards and formed by two trapezoidal portions 12, 13 converging towards a common median edge 14 substantially transverse and belonging to a symmetry plane of the respective area 11 orthogonal to the longitudinal axis L.

(34) The handle 3 will be closed at the bottom by a base 15 which can itself be shaped in a corresponding manner to the longitudinal faces 9 so as to define a continuity with the corresponding areas or flat surfaces 11.

(35) Similarly, the upper end 16 of the handle 3 may be shaped with a plurality of concavities 17 suitably radiused to the throat 5 of the equipment 1.

(36) The handle 3 may be realized as a single body or may be formed by a pair of specular half-shells adapted to be coupled to the frame 2 of the equipment 1 by bonding with adhesive or other fastening techniques typical for this type of sports equipment.

(37) In particular, the adhesive may be applied in a not removable manner during the assembly in the factory or may be detachable and replaceable by the user who already owns the equipment.

(38) FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the handle 53 that differs from the previous essentially by the fact that the areas or flat surfaces 511, in which the longitudinal faces 59 are divided, are concave.

(39) In addition, the edges 510 are not perfectly straight but slightly curved, in particular concave, so as to better accommodate the anatomy of the hand and to ensure greater comfort.

(40) In the embodiment of FIG. 8 the areas or flat surfaces 811 have plan shape substantially similar to those of the embodiment of FIG. 1 but they are internally drilled to define a honeycomb structure.

(41) The tubular body 87 also comprises one or more longitudinal aeration channels 818 open at the ends and which extend along respective longitudinal rows of faces, so as to promote the circulation of air and counteract the sweating of the hand.

(42) The channels 818 are parallel to the longitudinal axis L of the handle 3 and may extend to the whole or just part of the longitudinal extension of the perimeter surface of the handle, intersecting with the concave or recessed surface of the flat surfaces 11.

(43) The channels may also be also provided in the first two disclosed embodiments or in any embodiment according to the present invention.

(44) In a known manner, the handle 3, 53, 83 may be coated with a grip or overgrip, not shown, selected among those commonly available on the market and which can be fixed to the handle in a traditional way, i.e. with a ribbon helically wound and fixed with an adhesive, or by different methods.

(45) From above it is clear that the handle according to the invention reaches the intended objects and in particular to ensure high comfort and ergonomics to the grip in any mode of positioning of the hand.

(46) The handle is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all falling within the inventive concept expressed in the accompanying claims. All the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements, and the materials may be different according to requirements, without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.