Racket Guard

Abstract

A racket guard formed from a sturdy, durable, lightweight, yet flexible, material, such as a thermoplastic urethane, can be mounted on the distal end of a sports racket without the use of fasteners to protect the frame of the racket from accidental impacts, such as against the playing surface, during use of the sports racket. The cross-sectional shape of the racket guard is an oval configuration with an outer band that overlies the frame and includes side walls and inwardly directed flanges that terminate in a spaced relationship defining a gap through which the frame can pass by flexing the flanges. The racket guard is preferably sized to cover about 180 degrees of the sports racket to provide protection for the sides of the frame. The lightweight racket guard does not serve as a weight or as a dampening device. If damaged, the racket guard is easily removed and replaced.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A racket guard for mounting on a distal end of a sports racket frame, comprising:
 an arcuate integral body including an outer panel, a pair of opposing side walls extending from opposing lateral ends of said outer panel, and a pair of flanges extending inwardly toward one another from the corresponding said side walls to terminate in a spaced relationship forming a gap therebetween, and a cavity between said side walls, flanges and outer panel into which said sports racket frame can be received,   said integral body being formed of a plastic material that will allow the flanges to diverge from one another and increase the size of the gap when forced around the sports racket frame to allow passage of said sports racket frame into said cavity, said plastic material permitting said gap to return toward said spaced relationship and encapsulate the distal end of said sports racket frame within said cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The racket guard of  claim 1  wherein said plastic material is a thermoplastic urethane. 
     
     
         3 . The racket guard of  claim 2  wherein said thermoplastic urethane has a material thickness of between 0.03 inch and 0.08 inch. 
     
     
         4 . The racket guard of  claim 1  wherein said arcuate shape of said integral body and the capture of said racket frame within said cavity enables the racket guard to retain position on the distal end of said racket frame without utilizing fasteners connecting the racket frame to said racket guard. 
     
     
         5 . The racket guard of  claim 1  wherein said gap between the terminal ends of said flanges is of sufficient size to accommodate the passage of racket strings to said racket frame positioned within said cavity. 
     
     
         6 . The racket guard of  claim 1  wherein said sports racket frame is part of a tennis racket. 
     
     
         7 . A tennis racket comprising:
 a frame supporting strings arranged in orthogonal directions and terminating in a generally linear handle incorporating a grip, said frame having an arcuate distal end remote from said grip;   a racket guard detachably mounted on the distal end of said frame without the use of mechanical fasteners, said racket guard having an arcuate integral body matching the arcuate distal end of said frame and including an outer panel, a pair of opposing side walls extending from opposing lateral ends of said outer panel, and a pair of flanges extending inwardly toward one another from the corresponding said side walls to terminate in a spaced relationship forming a gap therebetween, and a cavity between said side walls, flanges and outer panel into which said sports racket frame can be received.   
     
     
         8 . The tennis racket of  claim 7  wherein said integral body is formed of a plastic material that will allow the flanges to diverge from one another and increase the size of the gap when forced around the tennis racket frame to allow passage of said tennis racket frame into said cavity, said plastic material permitting said gap to return toward said spaced relationship and encapsulate the distal end of said tennis racket frame within said cavity. 
     
     
         9 . The tennis racket of  claim 8  wherein said plastic material is a thermoplastic urethane. 
     
     
         10 . The tennis racket of  claim 9  wherein said thermoplastic urethane has a material thickness of between 0.03 inch and 0.08 inch. 
     
     
         11 . The tennis racket of  claim 7  wherein said arcuate shape of said integral body and the capture of said racket frame within said cavity enables the racket guard to retain position on the distal end of said racket frame without utilizing fasteners connecting the racket frame to said racket guard. 
     
     
         12 . The tennis racket of  claim 7  wherein said gap between the terminal ends of said flanges is of sufficient size to accommodate the passage of racket strings to said racket frame positioned within said cavity. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus mountable on a frame of a sports racket to protect the sports racket frame from damage when the racket is impacted with a playing surface, comprising:
 a racket guard detachably mounted on the distal end of said frame without the use of mechanical fasteners, said racket guard having an arcuate integral body matching the arcuate distal end of said frame and including an outer panel, a pair of opposing side walls extending from opposing lateral ends of said outer panel, and a pair of flanges extending inwardly toward one another from the corresponding said side walls to terminate in a spaced relationship forming a gap therebetween, and a cavity between said side walls, flanges and outer panel into which said sports racket frame can be received.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein said integral body is formed of a plastic material that will allow the flanges to diverge from one another and increase the size of the gap when forced around the sports racket frame to allow passage of said sports racket frame into said cavity, said plastic material permitting said gap to return toward said spaced relationship and encapsulate the distal end of said sports racket frame within said cavity. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein said plastic material is a thermoplastic urethane. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein said thermoplastic urethane has a material thickness of between 0.03 inch and 0.08 inch. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein said arcuate shape of said integral body and the capture of said racket frame within said cavity enables the racket guard to retain position on the distal end of said racket frame without utilizing fasteners connecting the racket frame to said racket guard. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein said gap between the terminal ends of said flanges is of sufficient size to accommodate the passage of racket strings to said racket frame positioned within said cavity. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein said sports racket frame is part of a tennis racket.