PADDLE FOR PICKLEBALL

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-102115, filed on Jun. 22, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The embodiments discussed herein relate to a paddle for pickleball.

BACKGROUND

Pickleball is a sport in which players hit a perforated ball each other using plate-shaped paddles in a court having the same size as a badminton court. The paddle includes a grip gripped by the player and a head portion connected to one end of the grip to form a substantially rectangular hitting surface.

Patent Document 1: U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2022/0040937

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the embodiments, a paddle for pickleball includes a grip portion that extends in an up-down direction, and a head portion that is provided on an upper end side of the grip portion and forms a hitting surface for hitting a ball on each of both sides of the head portion in a thickness direction. A reinforcement portion that reinforces a connection part connecting the head portion and the grip portion is provided at the connection part. An upper end of the reinforcement portion is provided below a central position of the paddle for pickleball as a whole in the up-down direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a paddle for pickleball according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. 1 in which some components of a grip portion are omitted;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic perspective view of a reinforcement portion according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the paddle for pickleball according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a front view of FIG. 5 in which some components of the grip portion are omitted;

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the paddle for pickleball according to a third embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a front view of FIG. 7 in which some components of the grip portion are omitted;

FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the paddle for pickleball according to a fourth embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of the paddle for pickleball according to a fifth embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a front view of FIG. 10 in which some components of the grip portion are omitted;

FIG. 12 is a front cross-sectional view of the paddle for pickleball according to a sixth embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a front cross-sectional view of the paddle for pickleball according to a seventh embodiment; and

FIG. 14 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the paddle for pickleball according to an eighth embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinbelow, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and can appropriately be modified and carried out within the scope not changing the gist thereof. In the following drawings, some components may be omitted for convenience of description. The orientation of each component in the following embodiments is illustrative only, and can be changed to any orientation.

The paddle can provide favorable resilience performance by hitting a ball in the central region of the hitting surface thereof. On the other hand, when a ball is hit near the outer periphery of the hitting surface, the resilience performance is lowered, the strength of the ball hitting is impaired, and it is difficult to control the ball hitting. One of the causes for this is that torque with the grip as the central axis is generated at the time of hitting a ball, that the head portion is deformed in a direction of being twisted with respect to the grip, and that the energy of the swing is thus absorbed.

Patent Document 1 discloses a paddle for pickleball including a frame. The frame includes a forming portion for the grip and a loop-shaped portion connected to the forming portion and forming the outer periphery of the head portion.

Patent Document 1 has a design restriction that the entire outer periphery of the head portion needs to be surrounded by the loop-shaped portion of the frame. In addition, in Patent Document 1, since the frame is arranged also at the portion where the upper end of the head portion is formed, the gravity center position of the entire paddle is close to the upper end of the head portion, which causes a problem in which one feels the paddle is heavy when swinging the paddle and the operability is impaired.

First Embodiment

Hereinbelow, an embodiment of the present invention will specifically be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a paddle for pickleball according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. 1 in which some components of a grip are omitted. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a paddle for pickleball (hereinbelow, a paddle for pickleball is referred to as “a paddle”) 10 includes a grip portion 11 gripped by a player and a head portion 12 provided on one end side of the grip portion 11 and having a predetermined thickness.

In the claims and the description of the present specification, unless otherwise specified, an extending direction of the grip portion 11 is defined as an up-down direction (a vertical direction), and a side on which the head portion 12 is located is defined as an upper side and a side on which the grip portion 11 is located is defined as a lower side in the entire paddle 10 as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1. Therefore, the head portion 12 is provided on the upper end side of the grip portion 11. A direction parallel to the thickness of the head portion 12 is defined as a thickness direction, one side in the thickness direction is defined as a front side, and the other side in the thickness direction is defined as a back side. Therefore, the thickness direction means a front-back direction. Further, a direction orthogonal to the up-down direction and the thickness direction is defined as a right-left direction (a horizontal direction), and the left side and the right side are based on a case where the paddle 10 is viewed from the front.

The grip portion 11 and the head portion 12 are formed by one panel member P. The panel member P has a thickness in the thickness direction similarly to the head portion 12. The panel member P includes a grip forming region P1 having an elongated shape in the up-down direction so as to form a central axis portion of the grip portion 11, and a head forming region P2 connected to the upper end of the grip forming region P1 and having a surface shape corresponding to the head portion 12.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the panel member P has a laminated structure including a core material Pa formed to have a smaller thickness than that of the head portion 12, a front-side forming layer Pb laminated on the front side of the core material Pa, and a back-side forming layer Pc laminated on the back side of the core material Pa.

The core material Pa is a honeycomb core in the present embodiment, and is made of a resin material such as polypropylene. The specific gravity of the honeycomb core is set to 0.05 to 0.2 to reduce the weight of the entire paddle 10. The front-side forming layer Pb and the back-side forming layer Pc each have a thin plate shape. In the present embodiment, the front-side forming layer Pb and the back-side forming layer Pc are made of thermosetting fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) to increase rigidity and strength of the panel member P.

Although the panel member P preferably has the above-described configuration, various configurations can be employed instead of the above-described configuration. For example, the panel member P does not have to have a laminated structure, but may be solid wood, plywood, or the like. In a case where the panel member P has a laminated structure, the core material Pa, the front-side forming layer Pb, and the back-side forming layer Pc may be made of wood, a synthetic resin, a metal such as aluminum, a composite material thereof, or the like.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the grip portion 11 includes a grip core portion 14 extending in the up-down direction. The grip core portion 14 has an octagonal columnar shape by providing wood, a resin material, or a fiber-reinforced composite material on both the sides in the thickness direction and both the sides in the right-left direction of the grip forming region P1 of the panel member P. The grip portion 11 includes a cap 15 attached to the lower end of the grip core portion 14, and the lower end of the grip portion 11 and the lower end of the paddle 10 are formed by the cap 15. The shape of the grip core portion 14 is not limited to an octagonal columnar shape, and may have a polygonal cross section instead of the octagonal cross section or a shape in which corners of the polygonal cross section are rounded in an arc shape.

Further, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the grip portion 11 includes a grip tape 16 and a fastening tape 17. The grip tape 16 is made of synthetic leather or natural leather, and is spirally wound around the outer peripheral sides of the grip core portion 14 and the cap 15 (refer to FIG. 3). Note that FIG. 3 does not illustrate the strip of grip tape 16 in a wound state but simply illustrates the grip tape 16 as a uniform layer.

The fastening 17 is tape wound around and attached to the upper end of the grip tape 16 to regulate release of winding of the grip tape 16. Here, in the present embodiment, the upper end of the fastening tape 17 corresponds to the upper end of the grip portion 11, the lower end of the head portion 12, and the connection position (boundary position) between the grip portion 11 and the head portion 12. A region having a predetermined width in the up-down direction including the connection position is defined as a connection part B connecting the grip portion 11 and the head portion 12.

The head portion 12 has a hitting surface 20 for hitting a ball on each of the sides in the thickness direction. More specifically, the hitting surfaces 20 of the head portion 12 are formed by the exposed surfaces of the front-side forming layer Pb and the back-side forming layer Pc in the head forming region P2 of the panel member P (refer to FIG. 3).

The head portion 12 has a substantially rectangular shape in which the width in the up-down direction is larger than the width in the right-left direction as viewed in the thickness direction as illustrated in FIG. 2. More specifically, the head portion 12 is provided in a shape having on the outer periphery a pair of right and left lower-side inclined edges 21, a pair of right and left lateral-side edges 22, and an upper-side bulging edge 23.

The paired right and left lower-side inclined edges 21 extend upward gradually toward right and left lateral-side edges 22 in the right-left direction from the lower end of the head portion 12 as viewed in the thickness direction. Therefore, in the region formed by the paired right and left lower-side inclined edges 21 in the head portion 12, the width in the right-left direction gradually decreases toward the lower side. The paired right and left lateral-side edges 22 extend upward from the upper ends of the paired right and left lower-side inclined edges 21. The upper-side bulging edge 23 extends so as to connect the upper ends of the paired right and left lateral-side edges 22, and is provided in a shape in which the central portion in the right-left direction bulges upward. Note that each of the connection parts between the paired right and left lower-side inclined edges 21 and the paired right and left lateral-side edges 22 and the connection parts between the paired right and left lateral-side edges 22 and the upper-side bulging edge 23 is provided in a rounded shape.

In the head portion 12, one edge guard 25 is provided on the outer periphery of the head forming region P2 in the panel member P and forms the edges 21 to 23. The edge guard 25 is made of rubber, a resin material, or the like. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the edge guard 25 has a C-shaped cross section orthogonal to the extending direction, covers the end surface of the panel member P and the front and back surfaces near the end surface, and protects the head portion 12. The number of the edge guards 25 is not limited to one, and may be two on the right and left sides of the head portion 12, or may be three or more.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, both the end sides of the edge guard 25 in the extending direction cover both the right and left sides of the upper end side of the grip portion 11. Also, the fastening tape 17 (refer to FIG. 1) of the grip portion 11 is wound around both the end sides of the edge guard 25 in the extending direction.

Here, in the paddle 10, a central axis C1 which is a central position of the head portion 12 in the right-left direction and coincides with the central axis of the grip portion 11 is illustrated by a dashed-dotted line in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the connection part B connecting the grip portion 11 and the head portion 12 of the paddle 10, the width in the right-left direction drastically increases from the lower side to the upper side. Therefore, during a pickleball play, when a ball is hit at a position on the hitting surface 20 away from the central axis C1 in the right-left direction and torque around the central axis C1 is generated, a force in a direction in which the head portion 12 is twisted with respect to the grip portion 11 acts on the connection part B. In a case where the head portion 12 is deformed in the twisting direction by such a force, the energy of the swing is absorbed and the resilience performance is lowered.

In view of this, the paddle 10 according to the present embodiment includes a reinforcement portion 30 provided at the connection part B connecting the head portion 12 and the grip portion 11, and the reinforcement portion 30 reinforces the connection part B. The reinforcement portion 30 is provided to have the same configuration on both the sides (front side and back side) of the panel member P in the thickness direction at the connection part B. In addition, the reinforcement portion 30 is provided on the outer side of the panel member P, in other words, provided in a state of being externally attached to the panel member P. Hereinbelow, the configuration of the reinforcement portion 30 will be described.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic perspective view of the reinforcement portion according to the first embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the reinforcement portion 30 includes a fitting portion 31, a central forming portion 32, and a pair of right and left lateral-side forming portions 33.

The fitting portion 31 has a C shape as viewed in the up-down direction, and is provided so that the reinforcement portion 30 can be positioned properly in the right-left direction and the thickness direction by receiving the grip forming region P1 of the panel member P in the thickness direction.

The central forming portion 32 is formed as a piece protruding upward from the upper end of the fitting portion 31. The central forming portion 32 is arranged in a region including the connection part B, and overlies the lower end of the head portion 12 in the up-down direction.

The lateral-side forming portion 33 extends in a strip shape from each of the right and left sides of the central forming portion 32. The lateral-side forming portions 33 extend obliquely upward from both the right and left sides of the central forming portion 32, and extend substantially parallel to the right and left lower-side inclined edges 21 or in directions gradually away from the right and left lower-side inclined edges 21 toward the tip ends thereof.

The tip end of the lateral-side forming portion 33 has a semicircular arc shape. The uppermost part of the tip end of the lateral-side forming portion 33 is an upper end 30a of the reinforcement portion 30. The upper end 30a of the reinforcement portion 30 is provided below a central position C2 of the entire paddle 10 in the up-down direction. In other words, the reinforcement portion 30 is not formed above the central position C2 in the up-down direction. In the present embodiment, in a case where the entire length of the paddle 10 in the up-down direction is 100, the reinforcement portion 30 is arranged such that the length in the up-down direction from the lower end of the paddle 10 (the lower end of the cap 15) to the upper end 30a of the reinforcement portion 30 falls within a range from 35 or more to 45 or less. Also, in a case where the thickness of the panel member P is 100, the central forming portion 32 and the lateral-side forming portions 33 are formed so as to have thicknesses falling within a range of 7 or more and 40 or less. Note that the shape of the tip end of the lateral-side forming portion 33 is not limited to a semicircular arc shape, but may be a linear shape or a broken-line shape bent at least at one position.

The surfaces of the central forming portion 32 and the lateral-side forming portions 33 on the front-side reinforcement portion 30, which are opposed to the forming surface on the front side of the panel member P, are flat and the central forming portion 32 and the lateral-side forming portions 33 are provided along the forming surface on the front side. The surfaces of the central forming portion 32 and the lateral-side forming portions 33 on the back-side reinforcement portion 30, which are opposed to the forming surface on the back side of the panel member P, are flat and the central forming portion 32 and the lateral-side forming portions 33 are provided along the forming surface on the back side. The forming surfaces on the front and back sides of the panel member P and the forming surfaces on the reinforcement portion 30 opposed to the forming surfaces on the front and back sides do not have to be flat, and may have a shape having protrusions and recesses. For example, a protrusion may be formed on each of the front and back forming surfaces of the panel member P, and a recess fitted to the protrusion may be formed on the forming surfaces of the reinforcement portions 30.

Various methods can be employed for fixing the reinforcement portion 30 to the panel member P. For example, the fitting portion 31 may be fixed to the grip forming region P1 of the panel member P by adhesion or the like, and the central forming portion 32 and the lateral-side forming portions 33 may be in direct surface contact with each of the front and back forming surfaces of the panel member P without adhering thereto. Alternatively, all of the fitting portion 31, the central forming portion 32, and the lateral-side forming portions 33 may be fixed to the panel member P with adhesive or an adhesive tape.

With the configuration of the present embodiment, since the connection part B connecting the grip portion 11 and the head portion 12 can be reinforced by the reinforcement portion 30, torsional rigidity around the central axis C1 can be improved. Accordingly, even in a case where the ball is hit at a position on the hitting surface 20 away from the central axis C1 in the right-left direction, it is possible to prevent the head portion 12 from being deformed in the twisting direction, efficiently transmit the energy of the swing to the ball, and heighten the resilience performance. As a result, even in a case where the ball is hit at the position on the hitting surface 20 away from the central axis C1, it is possible to prevent the strength of the ball hitting and the control performance of the ball hitting from being impaired.

Moreover, since the upper end 30a of the reinforcement portion 30 is provided below the central position C2 in the up-down direction of the entire paddle 10, it is possible to dispense with a frame surrounding the entire outer periphery of the head portion as in the conventional case. Therefore, the degree of freedom in design of the upper side of the central position C2 in the up-down direction can be increased, and design to bring the gravity center position of the entire paddle 10 close to the lower end of the grip portion 11 can be achieved easily. Consequently, one does not have to feel very much the paddle 10 is heavy when swinging the paddle 10, and the operability of the paddle 10 during the play can favorably be exhibited.

In addition, since the paired front and back reinforcement portions 30 are externally attached to both the sides of the panel member P in the thickness direction, it is possible to improve torsional rigidity by grasping the panel member P therebetween in the thickness direction. Furthermore, since the reinforcement portion 30 has the lateral-side forming portions 33, it is possible to increase the resistance to the torque around the central axis C1, and it is possible to further prevent the head portion 12 from being deformed in the twisting direction.

Next, other embodiments of the present invention than the above-described embodiment will be described. In the following description, the same reference signs may be used for the same or equivalent components as those of the embodiment described before the embodiment to be described, and the description may be omitted or simplified.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the paddle for pickleball according to a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a front view of FIG. 5 in which some components of the grip portion are omitted. As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, in the reinforcement portion 30 of the second embodiment, the lateral-side forming portions 33 in the reinforcement portion 30 of the first embodiment are omitted.

The upper end 30a of the reinforcement portion 30 in the second embodiment is formed by the upper end of the central forming portion 32, and is provided below the central position C2 in the up-down direction of the entire paddle 10. In the present embodiment, in a case where the entire length of the paddle 10 in the up-down direction is 100, the reinforcement portion 30 is arranged such that the length in the up-down direction from the lower end of the paddle 10 (the lower end of the cap 15) to the upper end 30a of the reinforcement portion 30 falls within a range of 32 or more and 40 or less.

With the configuration of the second embodiment as well as that of the first embodiment, the torsional rigidity can be improved by reinforcing the connection part B, and the resilience performance can be heightened. In the second embodiment, although the torsional rigidity of the reinforcement portion 30 is lower than that in the first embodiment, the weight and size of the reinforcement portion 30 can be reduced by omitting the lateral-side forming portions 33.

Third Embodiment

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the paddle for pickleball according to a third embodiment. FIG. 8 is a front view of FIG. 7 in which some components of the grip portion are omitted. As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the reinforcement portion 30 of the third embodiment includes a reinforcement plate portion 35 instead of the lateral-side forming portions 33 of the reinforcement portion 30 of the first embodiment.

In the third embodiment, the reinforcement plate portion 35 of the reinforcement portion 30 is provided continuously on the upper side and the right and left sides of the central forming portion 32. As viewed in the thickness direction, the reinforcement plate portion 35 includes a pair of lateral sides 35a extending from both the right and left ends of the central forming portion 32 along the lower-side inclined edges 21, and an upper side 35b connected to the upper ends of the paired lateral sides 35a and extending in the right-left direction. Therefore, the reinforcement plate portion 35 has a substantially inverted triangular shape as viewed in the thickness direction.

The upper end 30a of the reinforcement portion 30 in the third embodiment is formed by the upper side 35b of the reinforcement plate portion 35, and is provided below the central position C2 in the up-down direction of the entire paddle 10. In the present embodiment, in a case where the entire length of the paddle 10 in the up-down direction is 100, the reinforcement portion 30 is arranged such that the length in the up-down direction from the lower end of the paddle 10 (the lower end of the cap 15) to the upper end 30a of the reinforcement portion 30 falls within a range of 32 or more and 43 or less.

In the configuration of the third embodiment, as compared with the first embodiment, the rigidity of the reinforcement portion 30 itself can be heightened, the torsional rigidity can further be improved due to the reinforcement of the connection part B, and the resilience performance can be heightened.

Fourth Embodiment

FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the paddle for pickleball according to a fourth embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the paddle for pickleball of the fourth embodiment includes the same reinforcement portion 30 as that of the first embodiment, and is further provided with a recess 27 in an arrangement region on each of the front and back sides of the head portion 12 in which the reinforcement portion 30 is to be arranged.

In the fourth embodiment, the recess 27 is formed in a shape along the outer periphery of the reinforcement portion 30 as viewed in the thickness direction (not illustrated), and is formed so as to receive the reinforcement portion 30 therein. A forming region of the head portion 12 in which the recess 27 is formed (the arrangement region of the reinforcement portion 30) is formed by a part of the panel member P with a smaller thickness than that of the other region. The depth (width in the thickness direction) of the recess 27 can be set to be substantially the same as the thickness of the lateral-side forming portion 33, for example.

In the configuration of the fourth embodiment, since the recess 27 is formed, it is possible to enlarge a region in the head portion 12 in which the reinforcement portion 30 is located on the same plane as the hitting surface 20 and to reduce a region in the head portion 12 in which the reinforcement portion 30 protrudes from the hitting surface 20 in the thickness direction.

Fifth Embodiment

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of the paddle for pickleball according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 11 is a front view of FIG. 10 in which some components of the grip portion are omitted. As illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, in the fifth embodiment, the reinforcement portion 30 is omitted from the first embodiment, and a pair of right and left reinforcement portions 40 is provided at positions of the head portion 12 along the lower-side inclined edges 21.

In the fifth embodiment, an attachment region in the head portion 12 in which the edge guard 25 is attached is changed from that in the first embodiment, and the edge guard 25 is attached so that both the ends of the edge guard 25 in the extending direction are slightly lower than the central position C2. The reinforcement portions 40 are provided to extend in regions from both the ends of the edge guard 25 in the extending direction to the connection part B. In such a region, the reinforcement portion 40 is provided on the outer side along the end surface of the panel member P. The reinforcement portion 40 has a C-shaped cross section orthogonal to the extending direction, covers the end surface of the panel member P and the front and back surfaces near the end surface, and grasps the panel member P from both the sides of the panel member P in the thickness direction. The reinforcement portion 40 is made of a hard resin material, a fiber-reinforced composite material, metal, or the like, and reinforces the connection part B included in the attachment region.

Various methods can be employed for fixing the reinforcement portion 40 to the panel member P. For example, the reinforcement portion 40 may grasp the vicinity of the end surface of the panel member P in the thickness direction by means of elastic deformation of the reinforcement portion 40, or the reinforcement portion 40 and the panel member P may be fixed with adhesive or an adhesive tape. The fastening tape 17 (not illustrated in FIG. 11) of the grip portion 11 is wound around the lower end side of the reinforcement portion 40.

In the fifth embodiment, an upper end 40a of the reinforcement portion 40 is provided below the central position C2 of the entire paddle 10 in the up-down direction. In the present embodiment, in a case where the entire length of the paddle 10 in the up-down direction is 100, the reinforcement portion 40 is arranged such that the length in the up-down direction from the lower end of the paddle 10 (the lower end of the cap 15) to the upper end 40a of the reinforcement portion 40 falls within a range of 40 or more and 50 or less.

In the fifth embodiment, the torsional rigidity can be improved by reinforcing the connection part B from both the right and left sides by means of the pair of right and left reinforcement portions 40, and the resilience performance can be heightened.

Sixth Embodiment

FIG. 12 is a front cross-sectional view of the paddle for pickleball according to a sixth embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 12, in the sixth embodiment, the reinforcement portion 30 is omitted from the first embodiment, and the core material Pa of the panel member P includes a first forming portion Pa1 and a second forming portion Pa2 made of different materials.

In the core material Pa of the sixth embodiment, the first forming portion Pa1 forms the entire grip forming region P1, a part of the lower region of the head forming region P2, and the connection part B between the grip forming region P1 and the head forming region P2. The second forming portion Pa2 is provided above and adjacent to the first forming portion Pa1, and forms the region in the head forming region P2 other than the first forming portion Pa1.

The second forming portion Pa2 is made of a honeycomb core similar to the core material Pa of the first embodiment. On the other hand, the first forming portion Pa1 is made of a material having a greater elastic modulus (at least one of a longitudinal elastic coefficient and a transverse elastic coefficient) than that of the second forming portion Pa2, and is made of a solid resin material or the like, for example. The longitudinal elastic coefficient is also referred to as a Young's modulus.

The first forming portion Pa1 can exhibit higher rigidity than the second forming portion Pa2, and reinforces the connection part B and the region of the head portion 12 along the lower-side inclined edges 21. Therefore, a reinforcement portion 50 is formed by the first forming portion Pa1 of the core material Pa. Since the core material Pa falls within the thickness of the panel member P, the reinforcement portion 50 is also provided so as to fall within the thickness of the panel member P in the formation region of the first forming portion Pa1. The thicknesses of the first forming portion Pa1 and the second forming portion Pa2 may be the same or different. By making the thickness of the first forming portion Pa1 greater than the second forming portion Pa2, it is possible to enhance the reinforcing effect by the reinforcement portion 50 and to make the reinforced portion easily visible from the outside.

The first forming portion Pa1 has, at the boundary between the first forming portion Pa1 and the second forming portion Pa2, an arc shape in which the central portion is recessed downward from both the ends in the right-left direction. In the sixth embodiment, an upper end 50a of the reinforcement portion 50 is formed by the right and left upper end positions of the first forming portion Pa1, and is provided below the central position C2 in the up-down direction of the entire paddle 10. In the present embodiment, in a case where the entire length of the paddle 10 in the up-down direction is 100, the reinforcement portion 50 is arranged such that the length in the up-down direction from the lower end of the paddle 10 (the lower end of the cap 15) to the upper end 50a of the reinforcement portion 50 falls within a range of 40 or more and 50 or less. Note that the shape of the boundary between the first forming portion Pa1 and the second forming portion Pa2 is not limited to the above-described arc shape, and may be a broken-line shape bent at least at one position, in which the central portion in the right-left direction is recessed downward.

In the sixth embodiment as well, the torsional rigidity can be improved by reinforcing the connection part B by means of the reinforcement portion 50, and the resilience performance can be heightened. Moreover, the reinforcement portion 50 can be provided without being exposed, and the connection part B can be reinforced without changing the appearance of the paddle 10.

Seventh Embodiment

FIG. 13 is a front cross-sectional view of the paddle for pickleball according to a seventh embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 13, in the seventh embodiment, the shapes of the first forming portion Pa1 and the second forming portion Pa2 as viewed in the thickness direction are changed from those of the sixth embodiment.

As for the first forming portion Pa1 of the seventh embodiment, the formation range in the up-down direction is the same as that of the first forming portion Pa1 of the sixth embodiment, and the formation range in the right-left direction is changed. The first forming portion Pa1 of the seventh embodiment forms the end surfaces on both the right and left sides in the grip forming region P1, a part of the lower region of the head forming region P2, and the connection part B between the grip forming region P1 and the head forming region P2, and is provided in a predetermined width region along the end surfaces. Therefore, the second forming portion Pa2 forms a portion between the first forming portions Pa1 formed apart from each other in the right-left direction and a region above the first forming portions Pa1.

In the seventh embodiment as well, the reinforcement portion 50 is formed by the first forming portion Pa1 of the core material Pa, and the reinforcement portion 50 reinforces the connection part B and the region of the head portion 12 along the lower-side inclined edges 21.

In the seventh embodiment as well, the torsional rigidity can be improved by reinforcing the connection part B by means of the reinforcement portion 50, and the resilience performance can be heightened. Moreover, the reinforcement portion 50 can be provided without being exposed, and the connection part B can be reinforced without changing the appearance of the paddle 10.

Eighth Embodiment

FIG. 14 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the paddle for pickleball according to an eighth embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 14, in the eighth embodiment, the reinforcement portion 30 is omitted from the first embodiment, and the panel member P includes a reinforcement layer Pd serving as a reinforcement portion.

In the eighth embodiment, for example, a member made of the same material and having the same thickness as those of the front-side forming layer Pb and the back-side forming layer Pc can be used for the reinforcement layer Pd. The reinforcement layer Pd is provided between the core material Pa and the front-side forming layer Pb and between the core material Pa and the back-side forming layer Pc. Therefore, the reinforcement layers Pd are provided at positions on both the sides of the panel member P in the thickness direction and at positions within the thickness of the panel member P. Further, the reinforcement layers Pd are not exposed outside, but are provided along the forming surface on the front side of the panel member P and the forming surface on the back side of the panel member P.

The formation range of the reinforcement layer Pd in the up-down direction is the entire grip forming region P1, a part of the lower region of the head forming region P2, and the connection part B between the grip forming region P1 and the head forming region P2, and the connection part B is reinforced by the reinforcement layer Pd.

In the eighth embodiment, an upper end Pda of the reinforcement layer Pd serving as a reinforcement portion is provided below the central position C2 (not illustrated in FIG. 14, refer to FIG. 3) in the up-down direction of the entire paddle 10. In the present embodiment, in a case where the entire length of the paddle 10 in the up-down direction is 100, the reinforcement layer Pd is arranged such that the length in the up-down direction from the lower end of the paddle 10 (the lower end of the cap 15) to the upper end Pda of the reinforcement layer Pd falls within a range of 40 or more and 50 or less.

In the eighth embodiment as well, the torsional rigidity can be improved by reinforcing the connection part B by means of the reinforcement layer Pd, and the resilience performance can be heightened. Moreover, the reinforcement layer Pd can be provided without being exposed, and the connection part B can be reinforced without changing the appearance of the paddle 10.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made. In the above embodiments, the size, shape, direction, and the like are not limited to those illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and can appropriately be changed within the scope of bringing about the effects of the embodiments. In addition, the present invention can appropriately be modified and carried out without departing from the scope of an object of the present invention.

In the first to third embodiments, the formation position of the reinforcement portion 30 as viewed in the thickness direction can be variously changed as long as the connection part B is reinforced and the upper end 30a is located below the central position C2. For example, the inclination angle of the lateral-side forming portion 33 of the first embodiment may be changed, the shape of the reinforcement plate portion 35 of the third embodiment may be a rectangular shape, a polygonal shape, or a circular shape, or an opening may be provided in the surface of the reinforcement plate portion 35.

In addition, in the first to third embodiments, the fitting portion 31 may have another shape that enables the fitting portion 31 to be positioned properly with respect to the panel member P, or the reinforcement portion 30 may dispense with the fitting portion 31.

In addition, the reinforcement portion 30 of the fourth embodiment may be changed to the reinforcement portion 30 of each shape described above other than that of the first embodiment, such as the reinforcement portions 30 of the second and third embodiments by forming the recess 27 having a depth and a shape corresponding to the shape of the reinforcement portion 30.

In addition, the shapes of the reinforcement portions 50 of the sixth and seventh embodiments as viewed in the thickness direction may be changed as long as the connection part B can be reinforced. For example, the upper end 50a of the reinforcement portion 50 of the sixth embodiment may be formed in parallel with the right-left direction, or the lower end of the reinforcement portion 50 of the seventh embodiment may be located above the lower end of the panel member P.

In addition, a member made of a different material and having a different thickness from those of the front-side forming layer Pb and the back-side forming layer Pc may be used for the reinforcement layer Pd of the eighth embodiment. Furthermore, the formation position of the reinforcement layer Pd may be changed such that the lower end is located above the lower end of the panel member P as long as the connection part B can be reinforced.

Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the shape of the head portion 12 as viewed in the thickness direction is not limited to a particular one, and may be a circular shape, an elliptical shape, or a polygonal shape.

The embodiments of the present invention relate to a paddle for pickleball that is used for pickleball, in which players hit a perforated ball each other, and that is capable of improving torsional rigidity around a grip portion, increasing the degree of freedom in design, and bringing a gravity center position close to the lower end of the grip portion.

PADDLE FOR PICKLEBALL

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