(19)
(11) EP 1 151 762 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
29.01.2003 Bulletin 2003/05

(43) Date of publication A2:
07.11.2001 Bulletin 2001/45

(21) Application number: 01107941.5

(22) Date of filing: 28.03.2001
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: A63B 49/00, A63B 59/00
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE TR
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30) Priority: 28.04.2000 US 560384

(71) Applicants:
  • WILSON SPORTING GOODS COMPANY
    Chicago, Illinois 60631-3584 (US)
  • Topkey Corporation
    Industrial Park Taichung (TW)

(72) Inventors:
  • Shen, Walter W. C.
    Taichung City (TW)
  • Cheng, Po-Jen
    Oak Brook, Illinois 60523 (US)

(74) Representative: Ruschke, Hans Edvard, Dipl.-Ing. et al
Ruschke Hartmann Becker Pienzenauerstrasse 2
81679 München
81679 München (DE)

   


(54) Racket having bearings in frame for facilitating movement of racket strings outside plane of string bed


(57) A game racket (10) has bearing members (16) in the head portion of the frame, and the inner wall of the frame is open in the vicinity of the bearing members so as not to obstruct movement of the racket strings in a direction outside the plane of the string bed (11). The bearing members (16), which may be in the form of rollers each having a radius of curvature significantly greater than the racket string diameter, facilitate both pivoting and shifting of the portion of racket string looped around the bearing members (16) in response to contact of the string bed with a ball. This ability for increased string movability outside the plane of the string bed lessens shock.






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