Claims
- 1. A grommet for a sports racquet comprising:
- a mounting portion for engaging an outside surface of a string hole;
- a grommet peg having a first end extending from said mounting portion along an axis and a distal end opposite said first end, said mounting portion and said grommet peg having an axially oriented grommet hole therethrough extending from said mounting portion to said distal end, wherein at least a part of said grommet hole, extending from said distal end towards said first end, has a cross-section that, in a first direction, is substantially larger than the diameter of a standard sports racquet string, and wherein said grommet peg has a pair of opposed notches extending from said distal end towards said first end, wherein said notches lie in a plane formed by said axis and first direction and have a width which is at least substantially that of such standard racquet string.
- 2. A grommet according to claim 1, wherein said mounting portion has an outside surface, and guide means on said outside surface, adjacent said grommet hole, for securing a tensioned string that enters said grommet hole from movement in a direction perpendicular to said grommet hole.
- 3. A grommet according to claim 1, wherein said grommet hole has a pair of opposed sidewalls, extending parallel to said first direction, which are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than such standard racquet string, wherein a tensioned racquet string will tend to bear against one of said sidewalls, and such that said grommet peg, when used on a strung racquet, allows the strings to deflect freely upon ball impact with the string bed, but damp vibration after the ball has left the string bed due to contact between the string and said one sidewall.
- 4. A grommet member comprising:
- a grommet strip portion; and
- a plurality of grommet pegs, each having a first end extending from said grommet strip portion and a distal end opposite said first end, said mounting portion and said grommet peg having an axially oriented grommet hole therethrough extending in a first direction from said mounting portion to said distal end, wherein said grommet hole, at least along a part of said hole extending from said distal end towards said first end, has a cross-section that, in a first direction, is substantially larger than the diameter of a standard sports racquet string, and wherein said grommet peg has a pair of opposed notches extending from said distal end towards said first end, wherein said notches lie in a plane formed by said bore axis and first direction and have a width which is at least substantially that of such standard racquet string.
- 5. A grommet member according to claim 4, wherein said grommet hole has a pair of opposed sidewalls, extending parallel to said first direction, which are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than such standard racquet string, wherein a tensioned racquet string will tend to bear against one of said sidewalls, and such that said grommet peg, when used on a strung racquet, allows the strings to deflect freely upon ball impact with the string bed, but damp vibration after the ball has left the string bed due to contact between the string and said one sidewall.
- 6. A sports racquet comprising:
- a frame defining a head portion and having string holes for securing strings;
- a grommet member having a grommet strip portion and a plurality of grommet pegs extending though said string holes, wherein said grommet pegs have a first end extending from said grommet strip portion and a distal end opposite said first end, said grommet strip portion and said grommet peg having an axially oriented grommet hole therethrough in a first direction extending from said grommet strip portion to said distal end, wherein said grommet hole, at least along a part of said hole extending from said distal end towards said first end, has a cross-section that, in a first direction, is substantially larger than the diameter of a standard sports racquet string, and wherein said grommet peg has a pair of opposed notches extending from said distal end towards said first end, wherein said notches lies in a plane formed by said axis and first direction and have a width which is at least substantially that of such standard racquet string.
- 7. A sports racquet according to claim 6, wherein said mounting portion has an outside surface, and guide means on said outside surface, adjacent said grommet hole, for securing a tensioned string that enters said grommet hole from movement in a direction perpendicular to said grommet hole.
- 8. A grommet according to claim 6, wherein said grommet hole has a pair of opposed sidewalls, extending parallel to said first direction, which are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than such standard racquet string, wherein a tensioned racquet string will tend to bear against one of said sidewalls, and such that said grommet peg, when used on a strung racquet, allows the strings to deflect freely upon ball impact with the string bed, but damp vibration after the ball has left the string bed due to contact between the string and said one sidewall.
- 9. A sports racquet comprising:
- a frame including a head portion with an outwardly facing surface and an inwardly facing surface which defines a stringing area, and further including string holes which extend from said outwardly facing surface to said inwardly facing surface;
- a grommet member comprising a grommet strip contacting at least a portion of said outwardly facing surface and having an outer grommet surface, and a plurality of grommet pegs, having grommet holes, spaced along said grommet strip and extending into a series of adjacent string holes, wherein each said grommet hole has an axis and a cross-section which, along its entire length, is substantially greater in a direction perpendicular to the stringing plane than the diameter of a standard sports racquet string; and
- a string including first string portions which extend through said grommet holes, second string portions which extend from said first string portions into said stringing area, to form at least part of a string bed, and connecting portions which extend along said outer grommet surface between grommet holes;
- wherein said outer grommet surface includes a groove which seats said connecting portions for securing said connecting portions against movement in a direction perpendicular to the string bed; wherein said grommet holes are configured to allow said first string portions to deflect freely, in response to ball impact on the string bed, in a direction perpendicular to the string bed, so that said string is constrained against movement only on the exterior of said grommet hole and said first string portions can deflect along their entire lengths, and wherein each said grommet hole includes a grommet wall portion located in the region of said head portion inwardly facing surface, wherein said grommet wall portion has an at least essentially flat surface perpendicular to the string bed and parallel to the respective grommet hole axis, and wherein said first string portions bear against said grommet wall portions, whereby said wall portions allow each said first string portion to deflect freely, in response to the force of ball impact, in a direction perpendicular to the stringing plane but which, after ball impact, create sufficient friction to damp string vibrations.
- 10. A sports racquet comprising:
- a frame including a head portion with an outwardly facing surface and an inwardly facing surface which defines a stringing area, and further including string holes which extend from said outwardly facing surface to said inwardly facing surface;
- a grommet member comprising a grommet strip contacting at least a portion of said outwardly facing surface and having an outer grommet surface, and a plurality of grommet pegs, having grommet holes with inner and outer ends, spaced along said grommet strip and extending into a series of adjacent string holes; wherein each said grommet hole includes a pair of opposed, at least essentially flat, sidewalls which extend from said outer end to said inner end of said grommet hole, and wherein said sidewalls have a dimension in a direction perpendicular to the stringing plane, which is substantially greater than the diameter of a standard sports racquet string and are spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of a standard sports racquet string,
- a string including first string portions which extend through said grommet holes, second string portions which extend from said first string portions into said stringing area, to form at least part of a string bed, and connecting portions which extend along said outer grommet surface between grommet holes,
- wherein said outer grommet surface includes a groove which seats said connecting portions for securing said connecting portions against movement in a direction perpendicular to the string bed, wherein each first string portion bears against one of the two sidewalls only of the respective grommet hole through which it passes, wherein said string is constrained only on the exterior of said grommet hole such that said first string portions can deflect along their entire lengths, whereby said sidewalls allow said first string portion to deflect freely, in response to the force of ball impact, in a direction perpendicular to the stringing plane but which, after ball impact, create sufficient friction to damp string vibrations.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/772,411, filed on Dec. 23, 1996, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (18)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
772411 |
Dec 1996 |
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