Claims
- 1. A collapsible racket assembly which comprises:
- a head having a neck;
- a shaft having a mounting member extending from one end;
- the neck having a receptacle adapted to receive the mounting member so as to releasably join the head to the shaft;
- means for restricting rotation of the member about its longitudinal axis upon engagement of the member with the receptacle;
- means for pivoting the head with respect to the shaft between a stowed and an operative position;
- means for releasably securing the head to the shaft in the operative position upon pivoting the head and shaft onto a like plane;
- the restricting means having a projection mounted to the member which cooperates with the receptacle so as to limit rotation of the member about is longitudinal axis;
- the restricting means further comprising a guideway in the receptacle which, upon sliding engagement with the projection, limits rotation of the mounting member about its longitudinal axis;
- the securing means having a locking member slidably disposed along the mounting member and adapted for rotatable cooperation with the receptacle upon joining the head to shaft;
- the pivoting means including a link member pivotally mounted to the mounting member such that the shaft may pivot about the racket head; and
- the guideway including grooves and the link member having a pin adapted for engagement with the grooves for pivotal movement of the shaft about the head.
- 2. A method for mounting a collapsible racket shaft to a racket head, which comprises the steps of:
- (a) inserting a cylindrical extension of the shaft into a receptacle in a neck portion of the racket head;
- (b) rotating the shaft along its longitudinal axis so as to align a pin radially disposed on the extension with a guideway slot disposed along the receptacle;
- (c) sliding the extension into the receptacle, the pin sliding along the guideway slot; and
- (d) rotating a threaded member onto a threaded collar on the receptacle to a selected tightness so as to secure the shaft to the racket head.
- 3. A method according to claim 2 wherein step b is performed simultaneously with step a.
- 4. A method for detaching a collapsible racket shaft from a racket head, which comprises the steps of:
- (a) rotating a threaded member rotatably engaged with a threaded collar of a receptacle at one end of the racket head so as to unscrew the member from the collar;
- (b) sliding an extension at one end of the shaft out of engagement with the receptacle, a pin radially disposed on the extension sliding along a guideway slot formed in the receptacle; and
- (c) removing the extension from the receptacle so as to separate the shaft from the head.
- 5. A method for folding a collapsible racket shaft onto a racket head, which comprises the steps of:
- (a) inserting an extension of the shaft into a link assembly configured for cooperation with a receptacle in the neck of the racket head;
- (b) aligning an aperture in a guideway disposed along the link assembly with a hole in the extension;
- (c) sliding a pin through the aperture in the guideway and through the hole in the extension such that the shaft may pivot freely about the link;
- (d) rotating the shaft along its longitudinal axis so as to align a pin radially disposed on the link with a guideway slot disposed along the receptacle;
- (e) sliding the link into the receptacle, the pin sliding along the guideway slot;
- (f) rotating the link so as to engage the link pin with a groove in the guideway slot such that the link may pivot freely about the racket head; and
- (g) pivoting the link about the link pin and the extension pivoting about the extension pin so as to fold the shaft onto a face portion of the racket head.
- 6. A method for unfolding a collapsible racket shaft and head into an operative position, which comprises the steps of:
- (a) pivoting the shaft about an extension pin on the shaft;
- (b) pivoting a link between the head and shaft about a link pin on the head so as to position the racket shaft onto a like plane with the racket head; and
- (c) rotating a threaded member disposed along the shaft onto a threaded collar on one end of the head so as to secure the shaft to the racket head.
- 7. A method for unfolding a collapsible racket shaft and head into an operative position, which comprises the steps of:
- (a) pivoting a link between the head and shaft about a link pin on the head;
- (b) pivoting the shaft about an extension pin on the shaft so as to position the racket shaft onto a like plane with the racket head; and
- (c) rotating a threaded member disposed along the shaft onto a threaded collar on one end of the head so as to secure the shaft to the racket head.
- 8. A collapsible racket assembly which comprises:
- a head having a neck;
- a shaft having a mounting member extending from one end;
- the neck having a receptacle adapted to receive the mounting member so as to releasably join the head with the shaft;
- the mounting member having a radial projection for restricting rotation of the mounting member about its longitudinal axis upon engagement of the mounting member with the receptacle; and
- means for releasably securing the shaft to the head upon receipt of the mounting member by the receptacle.
- 9. The racket set forth in claim 8 wherein the receptacle includes a guideway which, upon sliding engagement with the projection, limits rotation of the mounting member about its longitudinal axis.
- 10. The racket set forth in claim 9 wherein the securing means comprises a locking member disposed for sliding movement along the mounting member and adapted for rotatable cooperation with the receptacle upon joining the head to the shaft.
- 11. The racket as set forth in claim 10 wherein the receptacle includes a collar adapted for rotatable engagement with the locking member, whereupon engagement of the mounting member with the receptacle, the head is releasably secured to the shaft.
- 12. The racket set forth in claim 8 wherein the shaft mounts a handle at an end opposite the mounting member adapted for grasping by a user's hand.
- 13. A collapsible racket assembly which comprises:
- a head having a neck;
- a shaft having a mounting member extending from one end;
- the neck having a receptacle adapted to receive the mounting member so as to releasably join the head to the shaft;
- the mounting member having a radial projection for restricting rotation of the mounting member about its longitudinal axis upon engagement of the mounting member with the receptacle;
- means for pivoting the head with respect to the shaft between a stowed and an operative position; and
- means for releasably securing the head to the shaft in the operative position upon pivoting the head and shaft onto a like plane.
- 14. The racket as set forth in claim 13 wherein the receptacle includes a guideway which, upon sliding engagement with the projection, limits rotation of the mounting member about its longitudinal axis.
- 15. The racket as set forth in claim 14 wherein the securing means comprises a locking member slidably disposed along the mounting member and adapted for rotation cooperation with the receptacle upon joining the head to shaft.
- 16. The racket set forth in claim 15 wherein the receptacle includes a collar adapted for rotatable engagement with the locking member, whereupon engagement of the mounting member with the receptacle, the head is releasably secured to the shaft.
- 17. The racket set forth in claim 15 wherein the pivoting means includes a link member pivotally mounted to the mounting member such that the shaft may pivot about the racket head.
- 18. The racket set forth in claim 17 wherein the guideway includes grooves and the link member includes a pin adapted for engagement with the grooves for pivotal movement of the shaft about the head.
- 19. The racket set forth in claim 13 wherein the handle portion comprises a gripping surface adapted for grasping by a user's hand.
- 20. A method for mounting a collapsible racket shaft to a racket head, which comprises the steps of:
- (a) rotating the shaft along its longitudinal axis so as to align a pin radially disposed on a shaft extension with a guideway slot disposed along a receptacle in the head;
- (b) inserting the extension of the shaft into the receptacle;
- (c) sliding the extension into the receptacle, the pin sliding along the guideway slot; and
- (d) rotating a threaded member onto a threaded collar on the receptacle to a selected tightness so as to secure the shaft to the racket head.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/461,698, filed Jan. 1, 1990, abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Foreign Referenced Citations (8)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2617405 |
Jan 1989 |
FRX |
2620627 |
Mar 1989 |
FRX |
1088733 |
Apr 1984 |
SUX |
1199253 |
Dec 1985 |
SUX |
3204 |
Jul 1881 |
GBX |
12753 |
Jan 1886 |
GBX |
802 |
Jan 1908 |
GBX |
710625 |
Apr 1953 |
GBX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
461698 |
Jan 1990 |
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