| Dual-stringing conversion and playing surface separation ring for sports racquet -> Monitor Keywords |
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Dual-stringing conversion and playing surface separation ring for sports racquetRelated Patent Categories: Games Using Tangible Projectile, Player Held And Powered, Nonmechanical Projector, Per Se, For Projecting Aerial Projectile By Striking; Part Thereof Or Accessory Therefor, Racket Or Paddle; Accessory Therefor (e.g., A Tennis Racket, Tennis Racket Press, Etc.), Having Replaceable String FrameDual-stringing conversion and playing surface separation ring for sports racquet description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070087871, Dual-stringing conversion and playing surface separation ring for sports racquet. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to sports racquets used in playing games such as tennis, racquetball, and other similar games, and more particularly to a novel means of converting a conventional racquet frame have a single plane of playing surface strings into a "double-strung" racquet having two generally parallel planes of playing surface strings. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The conventional racquets used today to play games such as tennis, racquetball, and other racquet similar games, consist of a frame that contains a handle used by the player to hold the racquet and an elliptical or oval shaped head section of the frame used to support the playing surface. The playing surface is formed by the opposite sides of a single set of interwoven strings in tension that pass through holes in the opposing sides of the frame forming a single plane playing surface that spans the opening bounded by the head of the frame. Conventional racquets are therefore "single-strung" with a single plane playing surface consisting of strings in tension passing through a single set of holes in the head of the frame. [0003] Previous proposals have replaced the single plane of interwoven strings that form the playing surface with two generally parallel planes of interwoven strings separated by various distances up to the thickness of the head frame portion of the racquet. A racquet "double-strung" with two separate playing surfaces possesses advantages over the "single-strung" racquet. Some of these advantages are the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,269 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,680. Additional advantages are the ability to incorporate different string types and different string tension values for each of the two separate planes of strings. By so doing, the playing characteristics of each plane can be varied so as to best suit the individual players forehand play that utilizes one of the two planes of strings, and the players backhand play that utilizes the other plane of strings. One playing plane of strings can also be optimized for power while the other is optimized for control. Since the two planes can be made to have different characterizes and harmonics, a dampening of the vibration transmitted to the player's hand and arm upon the racquet coming in contact with the ball or other playing object can also be achieved. [0004] None of the embodiments to date of a "double-strung" racquet utilize a conventional "single-strung" racquet frame. Instead, all embodiments to date of a "double-strung" racquet have incorporated a racquet frame and racquet frame head specifically designed to accommodate the two separate planes of interwoven strings. [0005] Examples of such prior art include U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,269 wherein the racquet head is comprised of a structural marginal frame with an elongated member containing a plurality of stringing receiving apertures; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,204,680 and 4,320,900 wherein the racquet head contains a "D" channel around the outer periphery with holes perpendicular to the string planes; U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,279 wherein the racquet head contains an outwardly facing stringing groove and a series of stringing holes for each of the two string planes; U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,532 wherein the racquet head contains two rows of holes around the outside peripheral edge of the frame; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,743,822 and 6,254,499 wherein the outside peripheral edge of the racquet head contains a continuous side groove and slots about which the string is anchored. [0006] Furthermore, in addition to requiring a non-conventional frame that is specifically designed to accommodate the two separate planes of interwoven strings, the previous attempts to provide a "double-strung" racquet use channels, grooves, or double rows of holes drilled or built into the frame head that affect its structural integrity. It is therefore best to have a method of double stringing a sports racquet that utilizes an unmodified conventional frame so that any racquet can be converted to a "double-strung" racquet without the structural integrity of the frame being adversely affected. This method also provides the ability to convert any racquet frame back and forth between a "single-strung" and "double-strung" configuration. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] The present invention is an improved method of "double-stringing" a sports racquet so as to have two generally parallel planes of playing surface strings. The requirement of the above prior art to have a specialized racquet frame with a head specifically designed to accept the two string playing surfaces, is eliminated. Thus, by using any conventional frame without additional holes, groves, or channels, the structural integrality and strength of the frame is not compromised. In addition, since no special frame is required, with the present invention, any sports racquet frame can be converted to a "double-strung" configuration and then converted back to a "single-string" configuration, as desired. [0008] Rather than requiring a specifically designed or modified sports racquet frame, the present invention uses a conversion and playing surface separation ring (hereinafter "conversion ring") to "double-string" any conventional sports racquet. The conversion ring itself can be made of any rigid or semi-rigid material such as wood, plastic, metal, rubber or composite material. The shape of the ring approximates the shape of the racquet head, but is of a smaller overall dimension. This smaller dimension permits the conversion ring to fit within the racquet head and leaves a small area between the inside dimension of the racquet head frame and the outside dimension of the conversion ring. The racquet is then strung in a convention manner with one set of interwoven strings on each side of the conversion ring. The width or thickness of the vertical surface of the conversion ring determines the separation between the two parallel planes of strings. The space between the frame head and the conversion ring permits the strings that pass over each side of the conversion ring to converge into the single ring of opposing holes in the conventional racquet frame head. [0009] A further embodiment of this invention has a modified shape such that the top vertical edge of the conversion ring that corresponds to the head of the racquet frame and the bottom vertical edge of the conversion ring that corresponds to the throat of the racquet frame are a further distance from the racquet frame than the other vertical edges of the conversion ring to permit the mounting posts and brackets of a sports racquet stringing machine to hold the racquet frame during stringing without interference from the conversion ring. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0010] FIG. 1 is a front view of a conventional sports racquet strung with a single playing field of interwoven horizontal and vertical strings. [0011] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the head portion of a "single-strung" conventional sports racquet frame. [0012] FIG. 3 is a front view of the present invention conversion ring. [0013] FIG. 4 is a front view of a conventional sports racquet with the present invention conversion ring in place within the head portion of the racquet frame. [0014] FIG. 5 is a front view of a conventional sports racquet that is "double-strung" using the present invention conversion ring. [0015] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the head portion of a "double-strung" conventional sports racquet frame using the present invention conversion ring. [0016] FIG. 7 is a front view of the present invention conversion ring with modified shape to assist in mounting the sports racquet frame and conversion ring during the stringing process using the mounting posts and brackets common to many sports racquet stringing machines. [0017] FIG. 8 is an angled view of the same modified conversion ring depicted in FIG. 7. [0018] FIG. 9 is a front view of a conventional sports racquet that is "double-strung" using the present invention conversion ring with protrusions added to increase the structural strength of the head frame. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0019] A detailed description of the invention is now provided, with reference to FIGS. 1-9. Continue reading about Dual-stringing conversion and playing surface separation ring for sports racquet... Full patent description for Dual-stringing conversion and playing surface separation ring for sports racquet Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Dual-stringing conversion and playing surface separation ring for sports racquet patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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