The present invention relates to a sporting equipment and, in particular, to a sport
paddle which attaches to the hand of the user.
Table tennis, or ping-pong, is a popular racket sport enjoyed worldwide both recreationally and competitively. The game is typically played individually or in teams of two players. Each player uses a small racket, which is also called a paddle, to strike a light, hollow ball over a net (that divides a table-top playing surface, of court) onto the opposing half of the court, until one side fails to return the ball. The paddles are traditionally made of wood with a short handle and a flat, rounded “blade” with a sheet of rubber attached to one or both sides.
Variants of the game are common, by modifying the rules or equipment, or both. For example, “hardbat” table tennis uses paddles with no sponge on the blade to decrease the speed of play and reduce the amount of spin players can impart to the ball. Another variant, called “round the table”, uses a modified set of rules to permit more than 4 players to play at the same time.
The popularity of table tennis, and its many variants, suggests there is a need for further variants of table tennis and unique equipment for playing such variants.
A sport paddle, according to the present invention, has a rigid blade with a flat face on one side and a glove attached to the opposing side. The glove has a strap for securing the sport paddle to a user's hand.
In another embodiment, the glove has one or more finger segments each having an open end to permit the user's fingers to be inserted into the one or more finger segments.
In another embodiment, the glove has at least two finger segments and each finger segment is attached to an adjacent finger segment at their open ends. The glove extends from the open ends of the finger segments to cover at least a portion of the back of the user's hand.
In another embodiment, a sleeve for storing spare balls is attachable to the glove. The sleeve has a tube-like shape with an open end shaped to receive and store one or more spare balls within the sleeve. A loop on the sleeve is shaped to receive one end of the strap therethrough in order to secure the sleeve to the glove.
In another embodiment, the sleeve has opposing sides and a top side that extend the length of the sleeve. The opposing sides are made of an elastic material and the top side is made of a wear-resistant material. The user may use the edge of the blade to press down on the wear-resistant top side of the sleeve to force a spare ball out of the sleeve when needed. This facilitates removal of a spare ball from the sleeve by the user, without needing to remove the user's hand from the glove.
In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described in detail by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The sport paddle, according to the present invention, is used to play a two-handed version of the game ping pong with a modified paddle that attaches to each hand. Rather than grasp a handle on the paddle, as with a traditional ping pong paddle, the sport paddle of the present invention is attached to, or worn on, the hands. A user may attach one sport paddle to each hand and play against an opponent, by striking a ping pong ball with either paddle to serve or return the ball to their opponent.
As shown in
The face 3 of the blade 2 is flat for substantially the entire area of the face 3 to provide an even striking surface, but may curve slightly about the perimeter to avoid sharp edges and for user comfort and safety. Preferably, the face 3 is made of, or covered with, a high friction material, such as rubber or rough woven material, to improve a user's ability to impart spin to the ball when striking. Alternatively, the face 3 may be textured to provide grip. For example, a pattern of regularly spaced grooves or ridges may be formed on substantially all or a portion of the face 3. The face 3 may also have both a high friction material and a textures surface for maximizing the amount of grip and the user's control over the spin of the ball when striking.
As shown in
The glove 4 may also include a cushion or pad (not shown), positioned to sit between the palm of the user and the blade 2. Alternatively, the blade 2 may be shaped on the side opposite the flat face 3 such that the blade 2 has a palm-shaped protrusion below the glove 4. Preferably, a gel pad is incorporated into the glove 4 to provide improved comfort and control to the user.
Preferably, the glove 4 also has one or more finger segments 7 in which a user may place their fingers for a more secure attachment of the sport paddle 1 to the user's hand, as well as additional control over the sport paddle 1 by the user. As shown in
As shown in
Preferably, the sides 5b of the sleeve 5 adjacent to the loop 8 are made of an elastic material, preferably a flexible mesh material, and the top 5c of the sleeve 5 opposite from the loop 8 is made of a more durable and wear-resistant material. This permits the sleeve 5 to be flexible, but also allows the user to use the edge of the blade 2 to remove balls from the sleeve 5 by pressing the edge of the blade 2 into top 5c the sleeve 5, between two adjacent balls, and sliding the blade 2 towards the open end 5a of the sleeve 5 until the ball is released from the sleeve 5. This saves the user from having to remove one of the sport paddles 1 from their hands 5 in order to retrieve a spare ball from the sleeve 5.
The present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to an exemplary embodiment, however, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as set out in the following claims. Therefore, it is intended that 10 the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed herein.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/CA2023/050383 | 3/23/2023 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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63322705 | Mar 2022 | US |