Pickleball paddle having integral handle and rim assembly

Abstract

A pickleball paddle having an injection molded multi-piece frame surrounding and supporting a hitting face assembly. The frame provides design flexibility to separate control of the paddle stiffness from the playability characteristics of hitting face assembly. Speed of assembly is increased and cost of components are decreased by utilizing an injection molded frame.

1 . A pickleball paddle comprising:
 a pickleball paddle body comprising a frame, a head subassembly, and a grip;   wherein the frame comprises a rim, a y-shaped throat, a frame aperture defined within the rim and y-shaped throat, and a handle extending from the y-shaped throat to a butt end;
 wherein the frame further comprises a first frame member having a first coupling surface with a first frame member perimeter shape and a second frame member having a second coupling surface with a second frame member perimeter shape; 
   wherein the first coupling surface is joined to the second coupling surface to form the frame, and the first frame member perimeter shape joined to the second frame perimeter shape forms a frame outer perimeter around the rim, y-shaped throat, and handle;   wherein the head subassembly is positioned with the frame aperture and comprises at least a core, a front hitting surface, and a rear hitting surface;
 wherein the grip comprises a grip upper end adjacent to the y-shaped throat, a grip butt distal from the y-shaped throat, and a grip body between the grip upper end and grip butt configured to cover the handle. 
   
     
     
         2 . The pickleball paddle of  claim 1 , wherein the pickleball body comprises a pickleball paddle body geometric center;
 wherein a first location on the pickleball paddle body is centerward of second location on the pickleball paddle body if the first location on the pickleball paddle body is closer to the pickleball paddle body geometric center than the second location on pickleball paddle body; and   wherein the rim and y-shaped throat define a frame top rim region, a first frame lateral side and a second frame lateral side each connected to the frame top rim region, and a bottom rim region bounded by the y-shaped throat opposite the frame top region; and   an X-axis extending from the first frame lateral side through the geometric center to the second frame lateral side, a Y-axis extending perpendicular to the X-axis from the frame top rim region through the geometric center to the butt end, and a Z-axis perpendicular to both the X-axis and Y-axis also extending through the geometric center from the front hitting surface to the rear hitting surface;   the X-axis and Y-axis defining an XY plane.   
     
     
         3 . The pickleball paddle of  claim 2 , wherein the rim comprises an outer rim perimeter that is a portion of the frame outer perimeter and an inner rim perimeter centerward of the outer rim perimeter at least partially surrounding the frame aperture. 
     
     
         4 . The pickleball paddle of  claim 3 , wherein a rim width is the shortest distance between any point on the outer rim perimeter to a point on the rim inner perimeter;
 wherein the rim width is measured perpendicularly from a tangent to the point on the outer rim perimeter.   
     
     
         5 . The pickleball paddle of  claim 3 , wherein the rim comprises a front outer rim surface extending centerward from the outer rim perimeter and a rear outer rim surface opposite from and parallel to the front outer rim surface extending centerward from the outer rim perimeter. 
     
     
         6 . The pickleball paddle of  claim 5 , wherein a rim total thickness is measured perpendicularly from the front outer rim surface to the rear outer rim surface. 
     
     
         7 . The pickleball paddle of  claim 6 , wherein the rim inner perimeter is further defined by centerward edges on the front outer rim surface and the rear outer rim surface. 
     
     
         8 . The pickleball paddle of  claim 1 , wherein the first frame member and a second frame member have an identical structure; and
 wherein the first and second frame members are positioned such that the first frame member mirrors the second frame member about a coupling plane between them forming the frame.   
     
     
         9 . The pickleball paddle of  claim 8 , wherein the frame comprises a frame interior cavity, defined by a first frame member interior surface and a second frame member interior surface that together form a frame interior surface. 
     
     
         10 . The pickleball paddle of  claim 9 , wherein the frame interior cavity comprises a plurality of interior cavity structures on or protruding from the frame interior surface into the frame interior surface. 
     
     
         11 . The pickleball paddle of  claim 9 , wherein the frame interior cavity is open centerward into the frame aperture before the head subassembly is assembled into the pickleball paddle body. 
     
     
         12 . The pickleball paddle of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of interior cavity structures comprise reinforcing structures. 
     
     
         13 . The pickleball paddle of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of interior cavity structures comprise bonding structures. 
     
     
         14 . The pickleball paddle of  claim 12 , wherein the reinforcing structures comprise parallel surface ribs extending across a lower portion of the y-shaped throat into the handle protruding from the frame interior surface to a height in a range between 0.01 inch to 0.20 inch; and
 wherein the reinforcing structures further comprise male and female bosses configured such that each male boss located on the first frame member is opposite a female boss located on the second frame member such that when the first frame member is joined to the second frame member, each male boss is received within the opposite female boss.   
     
     
         15 . The pickleball paddle of  claim 13 , wherein the bonding structures comprise surface stand off features such as ribs and nubs protrude above the frame interior surface in a range between 0.01 inch and 0.20 inch. 
     
     
         16 . A pickleball paddle comprising:
 a pickleball paddle body comprising a frame, a head subassembly, and a grip;   wherein the frame comprises a rim, a y-shaped throat, a frame aperture defined within the rim and y-shaped throat, and a handle extending from the y-shaped throat to a butt end;
 wherein the frame further comprises a first frame member having a first coupling surface with a first frame member perimeter shape and a second frame member having a second coupling surface with a second frame member perimeter shape; 
   wherein the first coupling surface is joined to the second coupling surface to form the frame, and the first frame member perimeter shape joined to the second frame perimeter shape forms a frame outer perimeter around the rim, y-shaped throat, and handle;   wherein the head subassembly is positioned with the frame aperture and comprises at least a core, a front hitting surface, and a rear hitting surface;
 wherein the grip comprises a grip upper end adjacent to the y-shaped throat, a grip butt distal from the y-shaped throat, and a grip body between the grip upper end and grip butt configured to cover the handle; 
   wherein the pickleball body comprises a pickleball paddle body geometric center;   wherein a first location on the pickleball paddle body is centerward of second location on the pickleball paddle body if the first location on the pickleball paddle body is closer to the pickleball paddle body geometric center than the second location on pickleball paddle body; and   wherein the rim and y-shaped throat define a frame top rim region, a first frame lateral side and a second frame lateral side each connected to the frame top rim region, and a bottom rim region bounded by the y-shaped throat opposite the frame top region; and   an X-axis extending from the first frame lateral side through the geometric center to the second frame lateral side, a Y-axis extending perpendicular to the X-axis from the frame top rim region through the geometric center to the butt end, and a Z-axis perpendicular to both the X-axis and Y-axis also extending through the geometric center from the front hitting surface to the rear hitting surface;   the X-axis and Y-axis defining an XY plane.   
     
     
         17 . The pickleball paddle of  claim 16 , wherein the first frame member and a second frame member have an identical structure; and
 wherein the first and second frame members are positioned such that the first frame member mirrors the second frame member about a coupling plane between them forming the frame;   wherein the coupling plane is generally parallel to the XY plane.   
     
     
         18 . The pickleball paddle of  claim 16 , wherein the first frame member and the second frame member are comprised of a thermoplastic material chosen from a group consisting of include polycarbonate (PC), polyester (PBT), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyamide (PA) (e.g. polyamide 6 (PA6), polyamide 6-6 (PA66), polyamide-12 (PA12), polyamide-612 (PA612), polyamide 11 (PA11)), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyphthalamide (PPA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyethylene (PE), polyphenylene ether/oxide (PPE), polyoxymethylene (POM), polypropylene (PP), styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), polymethylpentene (PMP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA), polyetherim ( 103 ,  203 ) ide (PEI), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyether ketone (PEK), polyetherim ( 103 ,  203 ) ide (PEI), polyethersulfone (PES), polyphenylene oxide (PPO), polystyrene (PS), polysulfone (PSU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), nylon, an alloy of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate (PC), or an alloy of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polyamide (PA). 
     
     
         19 . The pickleball paddle of  claim 18 , wherein the thermoplastic material may additionally be fiber filled in a range between 5% and 35% by volume. 
     
     
         20 . The pickleball paddle of  claim 16 , wherein the paddle body comprises a body width, a body length, and a body mass;
 wherein the body length is in a range between 14 inches to 17.5 inches, the body width is in a range between 6.5 inches and 8.5 inches, and a body mass in a range between 198 grams and 270 grams.