BACKGROUND
The present invention is related to sports racquets and paddles, and more particularly to a racquet or paddle handle grip tape that is shaped to conform to the handle.
After market grip tape is sold for a variety of sports devices, such as hockey sticks, tennis racquets, baseball bats, and other types of sports equipment. This grip tape comes on a roll and the user applies the tape to the handle of the equipment. The roll of tape is rectangular on the initial and final ends, which leads to an uneven contour of the tape at the beginning and ending of the handle as the tape is layered or wrapped over itself while being wound over the handle. To avoid this uneven discontinuity of the handle tape, the user must try to cut the tape to match the surface contours, but grip tape is very sticky and cutting the tape does not lead to favorable results in many cases. The result is a poor experience for the user, discontinuities in the application of the tape, and poor performance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a preselected length of tape that has an adhesive backing at each end, and is tapered at both ends. Tapering the tape at both ends allows the tape to be applied evenly at the beginning of the handle using the adhesive, and allows the tape to end with no excess tape and no discontinuity of the tape, without the need to cut the tape. This leads to a fast, easy, and reliable way to apply the grip tape to a handle of a piece of sporting equipment.
The invention will best be understood with reference to the Detailed Description of the Invention below, along with the accompanying drawings of the inventor's best mode of using the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an elevated, perspective view of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged, sectional view partially in shadow of the initiation of the tape application process;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged, sectional view of an intermediate stage of the tape application process;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged, sectional view of the conclusion of the tape application process;
FIG. 5 is the finished taped racquet with the tape applied to the handle;
FIG. 6 is a front view of the tape; and
FIG. 7 is a back view of the tape.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a tape 10 for application to a sporting equipment handle such as a beach tennis racquet. The tape can be wound upon a roll or spool (not shown), but when removed from the spool it appears as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The tape 10 is elongate with a first edge 11 that is straight from a first end 12 of the tape 10 to a second end 14. The opposite edge 15 is parallel to the edge 11 in an intermediate portion 16, and includes tapered edges 17 at each end of the tape 10. The tape further includes an adhesive patch 20 on the inner surface 21 of the tape at each end 12, 14. The adhesive patches 20 can be protected with a removable film that is peeled away just prior to application of the tape 10 to adhere the tape to the handle.
FIGS. 2-5 illustrate the method for applying the tape 10 to the racquet handle 30 of the racquet 25. The tape 10 is placed adjacent the handle 30 with the inner surface 21 facing the handle and the first edge 11 aligned with either the butt 32 of the handle 30 or the top 34 of the handle 30. The adhesive patch 20 is stripped of its protective backing and the adhesive surface is placed against the surface of the handle 30 with the first edge 11 aligned parallel to the butt 32 of the handle 30 (or, alternatively, the top of the handle). With the end 12 of the tape secured to the handle 30 via the adhesive patch 20, the tape is wound around the handle 30 keeping the edge 11 parallel to the butt so that the angle X forms a general ninety degree angle with the longitudinal side of the handle. As the tape makes a full pass around the handle 30, the taper of the section 17 forms an upward path defined by the angle Y that the edge 11 makes with the longitudinal side of the handle for the tape 10 to follow without excess tape accumulating at the top of the handle and without a gap in the coverage of the handle. As the tape is continuously wrapped around the handle (FIG. 3), it can be seen that the bottom of the handle is uniformly covered by the tape without excess tape, and the taper has provided an easy path for the remaining tape to follow to the top of the handle. The tape continuously makes an angle Y with the handle with each pass around the handle defined by the taper of the section 17 of the tape 10. As the tape reaches the top of the handle (FIG. 4), the end 14 includes a taper 17 that exactly coincides with and is parallel to the top 34 of the handle 30. The second adhesive patch 20 attaches to the opposite end of the handle 30 as the tape completes its last path around the handle, and the tapered edge is aligned parallel to the top edge 34 of the handle by virtue of the taper angle. The finished wrapped handle is shown in FIG. 5, where no excess tape is present at either end of the handle due to the unique shape and design of the present invention. Moreover, the tapered end 17 is adjacent the top 34 when the tape is fully wrapped around the handle.
The present invention allows a user who is not trained to apply such handle wraps to easily and quickly direct the tape around the handle in exactly the correct position to eliminate waste and bulky overlap while preventing any bare spots or gaps in the tape. The use of the adhesive patches make it easier to apply, although a full adhesive backing will also work with the invention. The invention can be used with many different types of sporting equipment, but is especially well suited for beach tennis racquets such as those depicted in FIGS. 1-5. It is an important aspect of the present invention that the tape does not need to be cut by the user in order to evenly apply the tape to the handle, making the invention easier to use and less frustrating than other types of tape.
The tape 10 can be made out of natural materials such as leather or synthetic materials, and may have some elasticity but is preferably limited in the amount of stretch to allow the tape to be wrapped tightly around the handle.
While a preferred embodiment is disclosed and depicted in the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the specific depicted embodiments. Rather, a person of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize various modifications and substitutions to the embodiments depicted, and the invention is intended to include all such modifications and substitutions. Accordingly, the invention is not limited herein except where expressly stated, and the scope of the invention is properly determined by the words of the appended claims using their plain and ordinary meanings, consistent with the disclosure herein.
Patent Application
20210339101
