PICKLEBALL PADDLE AND METHOD

Abstract

A composite molded sports paddle comprising a head with a hitting surface; a throat; and a handle, wherein the hitting surface includes a molded textured area.

Claims

1. A composite molded sports paddle, comprising: a head with a hitting surface; a throat; and a handle, wherein the hitting surface includes a molded textured area.

2. The composite molded sports paddle of claim 1, wherein the composite molded sports paddle is a composite molded pickleball paddle.

3. The composite molded sports paddle of claim 1, wherein the composite molded sports paddle is one of a composite internally pressurized molded sports paddle, a composite compression molded sports paddle, and a combination compression with internal pressure molded sports paddle.

4. The composite molded sports paddle of claim 1, wherein the hitting surface is an outer cured layer adhered to the head or semi cured layer adhered to the head.

5. The composite molded sports paddle of claim 1, wherein the hitting surface is an outer cured skin molded to and with the head or a semi cured skin molded to and with the head.

6. The composite molded sports paddle of claim 1, wherein the head includes opposite sides with respective hitting surfaces having one or more of different textures, different friction, different roughness, different variable roughness, different variable surface textures, different patterns, different drag coefficients.

7. The composite molded sports paddle of claim 1, wherein the hitting surface includes a variable surface texture.

8. The composite molded sports paddle of claim 1, wherein the hitting surface includes progressive drag coefficients.

9. The composite molded sports paddle of claim 1, wherein the hitting surface is a removable and replaceable textured face that is removably attachable to the head.

10. The composite molded sports paddle of claim 9, wherein the head includes a cavity that receives the removable and replaceable textured face.

11. A method of using the composite molded sports paddle of claim 1, comprising hitting a ball with the molded textured area of the hitting surface, improving drag coefficient between the hitting surface and the ball.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the head includes opposite sides with respective hitting surfaces, and the respective hitting surfaces having one or more of different textures for the hitting surfaces of each side and different texture areas within the hitting surface of the side, and hitting includes hitting the ball with different textures to control drag coefficient between the hitting surface and the ball.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the hitting surface is a removable and replaceable textured face that is removably attachable to the head, and the method further comprising removing the textured face from the head; replacing the textured face with a replacement textured face; attaching the replacement textured face to the head.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the head includes a cavity that receives the removable and replaceable textured face, and the method further comprising removing the textured face from the cavity of the head; attaching the replacement textured face within the cavity of the head.

15. A method of manufacturing the composite molded sports paddle of claim 1, comprising molding composite molded sports paddle; during molding of the composite molded sports paddle applying the molded textured area to the head.

16. The method of manufacturing of claim 15, wherein during molding includes during molding of the composite molded sports paddle applying various skin textures to the head.

17. The method of manufacturing of claim 16, wherein the head includes opposite sides and applying various skin textures includes at least one of applying different skin textures to a side and applying different skin textures to the opposite sides.

18. The method of manufacturing of claim 15, wherein molding the composite molded sports paddle includes one of internal pressurized molding the composite molded sports paddle, composite compression molding the composite molded sports paddle, and combined compression with internal pressure molding the composite molded sports paddle.

19. The method of manufacturing of claim 18, wherein applying the molded textured area includes adhering an outer cured layer to the head or adhering a semi cured layer to the head.

20. The method of manufacturing of claim 18, wherein applying the molded textured area includes molding an outer cured skin to and with the head or molding a semi cured skin molded to and with the head.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0022] FIGS. 1A-1B are a front elevational view and a rear elevational view of an embodiment of a paddle including a molded texture area.

[0023] FIGS. 2A-2B are a front elevational view of a Side A of a paddle and including a molded texture area and a rear elevational view of a Side B of the paddle and including a molded texture area that is different than the molded texture area of Side A.

[0024] FIGS. 3A-3B are a side elevational view and a rear elevational view of a Side B of a paddle including a recessed area on opposite molded paddles side to receive a pre-cured and textured removable/replaceable face/skin.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0025] With reference to FIGS. 1A-3B, an embodiment of a composite internally pressurized molded paddle 100, or a compression molding method, or combination of compression with internal pressure can be used to create and shape paddles, will be described.

[0026] The paddle 100 is created and shaped by an internally pressurized molded method, or a compression molding method, or combination of compression with internal pressure. The paddle 100 includes a head 110 with a hitting surface 120, a throat 130, and a handle 140. The hitting surface 120 is a molded textured area.

[0027] During the paddle molding process an outer cured or semi cured layer is adhered to a surface of the head 110 to create variable surface textures 150, 160 (FIGS. 1A-1B), patterns 170, 180 (FIGS. 2A-2B) to manipulate friction levels to improve drag coefficient between the hitting surface 120 and ball. The manipulation of surface texture or roughness and the combination of paddle stiffness and bending are directly proportional to ball exit velocity, increased dwell time for control, and improved ball spin. In this case various skin textures are applied during the molding process, to manipulate outer surface texture or roughness to control drag coefficient between the ball and hitting surface 120.

[0028] Another aspect of the disclosure involves application of surface skins or variable roughness to the paddle 100 during the cavity molding process. Having the ability to apply cured or semi cured textured skins during the molding process of pickleball paddle 100 has tremendous advantages as the level of texture applied to the finished paddle 100 with a permanently attached surface 120 to the paddle face can be controlled. Attaching the skin to the base paddle structure allow those in the art to create a structure independent to the surface texture then choose the level of drag coefficient on the paddle face. Another advantage in molding the semi cured or cured surface skin to the paddle during the molding step, allows the application of variable textures to the surface 160 so that, for example, side A can have a surface with a predetermined roughness while side B have a secondary surface roughness. Variable surface textures 150, 160 such as those shown in FIGS. 1A-B may be applied on a single side or surface 120 and, thus, have progressive drag coefficients on the single side or the surface 120.

[0029] With reference to FIGS. 3A-3B, an additional aspect of the disclosure involves a recessed area 190 on the molded paddles side A and side B to receive a pre-cured and textured skin 200. Creating a cavity on paddle face 210 to receive a cured textured face/skin 200 with a predetermined shape is an advantage. One advantage to an applicable textured surface face/skin 200 is that the worn textured face/skin 200 may be removed and replaced with a new textured face/skin 200 without having to replace the entire paddle 100. Another advantage is that varying texture faces/skins 200 may be applied to each side of the paddle where, as shown in FIGS. 2A-B, side A can have a light texture 170 while side B has a more robust texture 180 to maximize spin and thus providing a player increased number of shots. Lastly, having the ability to replace the paddles surface face/skin 200 extends the life of the paddle 100, and, thus, provides consumers higher value.

[0030] The figures may depict exemplary configurations for the invention, which is done to aid in understanding the features and functionality that can be included in the invention. The invention is not restricted to the illustrated architectures or configurations, but can be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Additionally, although the invention is described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood that the various features and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments with which they are described, but instead can be applied, alone or in some combination, to one or more of the other embodiments of the invention, whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention, especially in the following claims, should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.

[0031] Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unless otherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposed to limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term including should be read as mean including, without limitation or the like; the term example is used to provide exemplary instances of the item in discussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; and adjectives such as conventional, traditional, standard, known and terms of similar meaning should not be construed as limiting the item described to a given time period or to an item available as of a given time, but instead should be read to encompass conventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that may be available or known now or at any time in the future. Likewise, a group of items linked with the conjunction and should not be read as requiring that each and every one of those items be present in the grouping, but rather should be read as and/or unless expressly stated otherwise. Similarly, a group of items linked with the conjunction or should not be read as requiring mutual exclusivity among that group, but rather should also be read as and/or unless expressly stated otherwise. Furthermore, although item, elements or components of the disclosure may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated to be within the scope thereof unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. The presence of broadening words and phrases such as one or more, at least, but not limited to or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases may be absent.