Sports racquet having a bending zone

Abstract

The invention relates to a sports racquet having a head having a string bed is attached to two throat beams that extend continuously downward to a shaft having a handle. Each throat beam contains a bending zone in which the width of the throat beam parallel to the string bed and the width of the same throat beam perpendicular to the string bed gradually changes in equal, but opposite, dimensions such that the circumference of the throat beam remains substantially constant through at least the length of the bending zone or the length of the entire throat beam. Where the width of the throat beam parallel to the string bed is the widest and the width of the throat beam perpendicular to the string beg is the narrowest defines the flexible cross-section or flex point of the bending zone.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sports racquet comprising:
 a head defining a string bed;   a throat region comprising two throat beams, wherein each throat beam comprises a bending zone in which a first width of each throat beam and a second width of each throat beam change in substantially equal and opposite dimensions so the circumference of each throat beam remains substantially constant, wherein the first width is parallel to the string bed and the second width is perpendicular to the string bed; and   a shaft comprising a handle.   
     
     
         2 . The sports racquet of  claim 1 , wherein the bending zone further comprises a flex point. 
     
     
         3 . The sports racquet of  claim 2 , wherein the first width having an original first width gradually increases in width to the flex point and thereafter gradually decreases to the original first width, and the second width of each throat beam having an original second width gradually decreases in width to the flex point and thereafter gradually increases to the original second width. 
     
     
         4 . The sports racquet of  claim 3 , wherein the first original width is substantially the same as the second width at the flex point, and wherein the second original width is substantially the same as the first width at the flex point. 
     
     
         5 . The sports racquet of  claim 4 , wherein the first original width is in a range of about 12 mm to about 18 mm, and wherein the second original width is in a range of about 20 mm to about 25 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The sports racquet of  claim 4 , wherein the first original width is about 16 mm, wherein the second original width is about 22 mm, wherein the first width is about 22 mm at the flex point, and wherein the second width is about 16 mm at the flex point. 
     
     
         7 . The sports racquet of  claim 3 , wherein the first width has an increased width in a range of about 120% to about 150% of the first original width at the flex point, and wherein the second width has a decreased width from about 50% to about 80% of the second original width at the flex point. 
     
     
         8 . The sports racquet of  claim 7 , wherein the first width has a width of about 137% of the first original width at the flex point, and wherein the second width has a width of about 73% of the second original width at the flex point. 
     
     
         9 . The sports racquet of  claim 5 , wherein the circumference of each throat beam is in a range of about 50 mm to about 75 mm. 
     
     
         10 . The sports racquet of  claim 5 , wherein the circumference of each throat beam is about 60 mm to about 70 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The sports racquet of  claim 6 , wherein the circumference of each throat beam is about 64 mm. 
     
     
         12 . The sports racquet of  claim 3 , wherein the head is stiffened. 
     
     
         13 . A sports racquet comprising:
 a head defining a string bed;   a throat region comprising two throat beams, wherein each throat beam comprises a bending zone in which a first width of each throat beam gradually increases from about 16 mm to about 22 mm at a flex point, then gradually decreases to about 16 mm, while concurrently a second width of each throat beam gradually decreases from about 22 mm to about 16 mm at the flex point, then gradually increases to about 22 mm so the circumference of each throat beam remains about 64 mm, and wherein the first width is parallel to the string bed and the second width is perpendicular to the string bed; and   a shaft comprising a handle.