Pickleball paddle with reinforced core

Abstract

A pickleball paddle including a handle portion and a head portion is disclosed. The head portion is operably connected to the handle portion and includes a core portion, a first layer, a second layer, and a reinforcing member. The core portion defines an edge, a first surface, and a second surface. The first layer is disposed adjacent the first surface of the core portion and is made from a first material. The second layer is disposed adjacent the second surface of the core portion, is parallel to the first layer, and is made from the first material. The reinforcing member is disposed within the core portion and is in contact with the first layer and the second layer. A first section of the reinforcing member is oriented at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the first layer.

1 . A pickleball paddle, comprising:
 a handle portion; and   a head portion operably connected to the handle portion, the head portion including:
 a core portion defining an edge, a first surface, and a second surface; 
 a first layer disposed adjacent the first surface of the core portion, the first layer made from a first material; 
 a second layer disposed adjacent the second surface of the core portion and parallel to the first layer, the second layer made from the first material; and 
 a reinforcing member disposed within the core portion and in contact with the first layer and the second layer, a first section of the reinforcing member oriented non-perpendicularly relative to the first layer. 
   
     
     
         2 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 1 , wherein the first section of the reinforcing member is part of a triangular shape. 
     
     
         3 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 1 , wherein the first section of the reinforcing member is part of a trapezoidal shape. 
     
     
         4 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a majority of the reinforcing member is oriented at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the first layer. 
     
     
         5 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 1 , wherein the core portion includes a plurality of at least one of triangular prisms or trapezoidal prisms. 
     
     
         6 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 1 , wherein the first material is the same as the reinforcing member. 
     
     
         7 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 1 , wherein the first material is a fiber-reinforced composite. 
     
     
         8 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 3 , wherein the reinforcing member is a fiber-reinforced composite. 
     
     
         9 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing member is a fiber-reinforced composite. 
     
     
         10 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 1 , wherein reinforcing member is at least partially imbedded in the core portion. 
     
     
         11 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 1 , further comprising an edge guard secured to a perimeter of the head portion. 
     
     
         12 . A pickleball paddle, comprising:
 a handle portion; and   a head portion operably connected to the handle portion, the head portion including:
 a core portion defining an edge, a first surface, and a second surface; 
 a first layer disposed adjacent the first surface of the core portion, the first layer made from a first material; 
 a second layer disposed adjacent the second surface of the core portion, the second layer made from the first material; and 
 a reinforcing member disposed within the core portion and in contact with the first layer and the second layer, the reinforcing member including a grid structure defining a plurality of open spaces. 
   
     
     
         13 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 12 , wherein the first layer and the second layer are made from a fiber-reinforced composite. 
     
     
         14 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 12 , wherein the reinforcing member is made from a fiber-reinforced composite. 
     
     
         15 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 12 , wherein the core portion includes foam disposed within the plurality of open spaces defined by the reinforcing member. 
     
     
         16 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 12 , wherein a first section of the reinforcing member is oriented at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the first layer. 
     
     
         17 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 12 , wherein the core portion includes foam, and wherein the foam on a first side of the reinforcing member is in direct contact with foam on a second side of the reinforcing member. 
     
     
         18 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 12 , further comprising an edge tube disposed along a perimeter of the head portion, the edge tube including a sleeve at least partially surrounding foam. 
     
     
         19 . The pickleball paddle according to  claim 18 , wherein the sleeve and the reinforcing member are made from a fiber-reinforced composite. 
     
     
         20 . A pickleball paddle, comprising:
 a handle portion; and   a head portion operably connected to the handle portion, the head portion including:
 a core portion defining a first surface and a second surface; 
 a first layer disposed adjacent the first surface of the core portion, the first layer made from a first material; 
 a second layer disposed adjacent the second surface of the core portion and parallel to the first layer, the second layer made from the first material; and 
 a reinforcing member including a plurality of sections, each section of the reinforcing member threaded through the core portion and disposed in contact with the first layer and the second layer. 
   
     
     
         21 . A pickleball paddle, comprising:
 a handle portion; and   a head portion operably connected to the handle portion, the head portion including:
 a core portion defining an edge, a first surface, and a second surface, the core portion made from foam and including a plurality of strips; 
 a first layer disposed adjacent the first surface of the core portion, the first layer made from a first material; 
 a second layer disposed adjacent the second surface of the core portion, the second layer made from the first material; and 
 a reinforcing member disposed within the core portion and in contact with the first layer and the second layer, 
 wherein at least a portion of the foam from a first strip of the plurality of strips of the core portion is separated from the foam from a first adjacent strip of the plurality of strips of the core portion by the reinforcing member, and wherein at least a portion of the foam on an edge of the first strip of the core portion is free from separation from the foam from a second adjacent strip of the plurality of strips of the core portion by the reinforcing member. 
   
     
     
         22 . A pickleball paddle, comprising:
 a handle portion; and   a head portion operably connected to the handle portion, the head portion including:
 a core portion defining an edge, an inner portion, an outer portion, a first surface, and a second surface, the core portion made from foam and including a plurality of strips, each strip of the plurality of strips having a first lateral side and a second lateral side; 
 a first layer disposed adjacent the first surface of the core portion, the first layer made from a first material; 
 a second layer disposed adjacent the second surface of the core portion, the second layer made from the first material; and 
 a reinforcing member disposed within the core portion and in contact with the first layer and the second layer, 
 wherein the inner portion of the core portion includes at least one strip of the plurality of strips having the reinforcing member on both the first lateral side and the second lateral side, and wherein the outer portion of the core portion includes the reinforcing member on at most one lateral side of the outer portion.