Pickleball Paddle with Vibration Reduction and/or Power Enhancements

Abstract

A pickleball paddle comprises a handle and a striking blade. In some aspects, a soft filler material is contained between the face sheets of the striking blade in an area of the striking blade near where the striking blade connects to the handle. The area of the striking blade comprises an area starting from bottom left edge of the striking blade and an area starting from bottom right edge of the striking blade. In another aspect, cells of a lattice structure contain a soft filler material in an area of the lattice structure in the handle and/or in an area of the lattice structure in a base area in which the striking blade connects to the handle. In another aspect, a lattice structure comprises a recess extending laterally from one side to the other side of the lattice structure on a surface of the lattice structure.

1 . A pickleball paddle, comprising:
 a handle;   a striking blade connected to the handle;   a front face sheet covering a first side of the striking blade; and   a back face sheet covering a second side of the striking blade;   wherein at least one soft filler material is contained, between the front face sheet and the back face sheet, in an area of the striking blade near where the striking blade connects to the handle, and the area of the striking blade comprises a first area starting from bottom left edge of the striking blade and a second area starting from bottom right edge of the striking blade.   
     
     
         2 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 1 , wherein a majority of a sweet spot of the striking blade are clear of the at least one soft filler material. 
     
     
         3 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 1 , wherein a majority of a top half area of the striking blade extending from an upper end of the striking blade to a center area of the striking blade are clear of the at least one soft filler material. 
     
     
         4 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 1 , wherein the pickleball paddle comprises a lattice structure in the striking blade and the handle, the at least one soft filler material is contained in cells of the lattice structure in the first area and in cells of the lattice structure in the second area. 
     
     
         5 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 4 , wherein the at least one soft filler material is contained in cells of the lattice structure in the first area of the lattice structure in the handle and in one recess extending laterally from the first side of the lattice structure to a second side of the lattice structure on a first surface of the lattice structure in a base area in which the striking blade connects to the handle. 
     
     
         6 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one soft filler material comprises soft polymeric material, foamed polymer, foam, gel, rubber, and/or sponge. 
     
     
         7 . A pickleball paddle, comprising:
 a handle;   a striking blade connected to the handle; and   a lattice structure in the striking blade and the handle,   wherein cells of the lattice structure contain a soft filler material in a first area of the lattice structure in the handle and/or in a second area of the lattice structure in a base area in which the striking blade connects to the handle.   
     
     
         8 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 7 , wherein cells of the lattice structure in a majority of a sweet spot of the striking blade are clear of soft filler materials. 
     
     
         9 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 7 , wherein cells of the lattice structure in a sweet spot of the striking blade are clear of soft filler materials. 
     
     
         10 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 7 , wherein cells of the lattice structure in an area extending from an upper end of the base area to an upper edge of the striking blade are clear of filler materials. 
     
     
         11 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 7 , wherein a thin layer of the cells extending along a perimeter of the striking blade are filled with the soft filler material. 
     
     
         12 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 7 , wherein a first group of the cells containing the soft filler material comprise a first type of the soft filler material and a second group of the cells containing the soft filler material comprise a second type of the soft filler material, and wherein the first group of the cells is in an area in the handle, and the second group of the cells is in an area in the striking blade. 
     
     
         13 . A pickleball paddle, comprising:
 a handle;   a striking blade connected to the handle; and   a lattice structure in at least the striking blade,   wherein the lattice structure comprises at least one recess extending laterally from or close from a first side of the lattice structure to or close to a second side of the lattice structure on a first surface of the lattice structure.   
     
     
         14 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 13 , wherein the at least one recess contains a soft filler material. 
     
     
         15 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 13 , wherein the at least one recess consists of one recess located below a sweet spot of the striking blade. 
     
     
         16 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 13 , wherein the at least one recess comprises a plurality of recesses arranged spaced-apart in parallel to each other. 
     
     
         17 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 13 , wherein the lattice structure further comprises a second at least one recess extending laterally from the first side of the lattice structure to the second side of the lattice structure on a second surface of the lattice structure. 
     
     
         18 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 17 , wherein the first at least one recess is shaped differently than the second at least one recess, or a number of recesses in the first at least one recess is different from a number of recesses in the second at least one recess. 
     
     
         19 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 17 , wherein locations of recesses in the first at least one recess overlap locations of recesses in the second at least one recess, or locations of recesses in the first at least one recess are staggered in relation to locations of recesses in the second at least one recess. 
     
     
         20 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 17 , wherein a number of recesses in the first at least one recess is different from a number of recesses in the second at least one recess.