FR2525114A1 - Table tennis training bar - has central rigid core sandwiched between 2 removable layers and with removable playing surfaces - Google Patents

Abstract

The table tennis bat is for training players and has a central rigid core (1) that is sandwiched between 2 rigid layers (2,3). These are joined removably to the core and can be held by hooked pile fasteners, autobonding material, studs fitting into holes or by any other suitable means. The layers have an outer playing surface (4,5) which can be of any type and is removable so that it can be changed at will. It is held by autobonding material or hooked pile fasteners. The playing surface may comprise of bands of material with different characteristics.

Description

 The present invention relates to a table tennis racket more particularly intended for the training of players, of the type comprising a rigid central core sandwiched between two rigid plies on the external face of which a racket coating is attached.

 All the table tennis rackets currently used are of the type described above. The rigid plies are in fact glued to the central core, and the coverings are themselves glued to the outer face of the plies.

 Due to the multiplicity of coatings offered to the player today, each coating having a very specific specificity corresponding to this or that type of game, it is necessary that the player can train according to all the possible effects provided by these coatings so as not to be surprised by unexpected bullet effects in competition. This is all the more the case as the two coverings of the same racket are generally of a different nature, the player being able to turn his racket under the table and thus quickly change the type of play.

It is therefore necessary that the player can in training find the conditions of the competition
- change of coating surface during the same match,
- change of surface from one player to another.

 It is imperative to be able to adapt immediately to these changes.

 However, for the moment there is no effective and inexpensive means allowing the implementation of such training.

Indeed there are thousands of possible coverings, and with the current design of table tennis rackets it would require almost as many rackets as coverings to be able to test each of these during training.
This is not acceptable for a club, let alone for a player.

 The only training device used at the moment is the ball-throwing robot. l1 does not in fact allow the effects of bullets to be reproduced as they are produced during competition. The robot certainly makes it possible to educate the reflex, but it cannot reproduce all the effects of the various coatings. It gives the balls always the same effects, that is to say those for which it is designed, the balls not being thrown by a racket coating.

 French patent 1189845 has also proposed a table tennis racket comprising an inflatable structure which, depending on the inflation pressure which can be varied by action on a valve, modifies the degree of rebound of the ball on racket. Such a device does not however meet real needs, because on the one hand the coating is always the same for a given racket, and on the other hand it does not reproduce the rebound conditions of a racket with normal rigid core.

 The invention proposes to remedy these various drawbacks of known devices, and to provide a table tennis racket for training which makes it possible to get used to both all the coverings and to all the changes of coverings.

 According to the invention, this result is obtained with a table tennis racket more particularly intended for the training of players, of the type comprising a rigid central core sandwiched between at least two rigid plies on the external face of which is attached a racket covering, characterized in that the folds are removably attached to the central core.

 By this structure, it is thus possible to very quickly change a ply and therefore the covering that it carries and to replace it with another.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, and still with the same concern of allowing adaptation to a change in playing condition, the coating, which will for example be glued to the external face of each ply, may be alternated, this is that is to say to comprise several zones of coatings of different nature.

 It is clear that such a racket cannot be used in competition, subject to a modification of the regulations currently in force.

The invention will be better understood using the description below made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view showing the structure of a racket according to the invention,
- Figure 2 is a plan view of an alternate coating.

The racket comprises in this embodiment
- a central rigid core (1),
- two folds (2,3) taking the oar (1) in sandwich.

 The core (I) and the folds (2,3) will be made of any conventional material known to those skilled in the art.

 On the outer face of each ply (2,3) there is a coating (4,5) whose nature can be chosen at will from the wide range available.

 The coating is for example glued to the fold, but it would also be conceivable to use a coating of the self-adhesive type, which can therefore itself be changed a certain number of times. It would also be possible, without departing from the scope of the invention, to use a coating provided on its face opposite the fold with an attachment means of the hook and loop type cooperating with a structure complementary to the fold (attachment "VELCRO" type).

 According to the essential characteristic of the invention, the fold and the coating that it supports are removably attached to the central core.

 Any attachment can be used: attachment by pins and holes, Velcro attachment, attachment by groove and rod, by sliding in almond tail, by sticker, by snap etc ...

 In the case of attachment by studs and holes, the assembly structures may for example be attached to the fold and the central train, for example in the form of molded pegs.

 Thanks to this original design, the coating of a racket can be varied as desired.

 There is shown in Figure 2, a coating according to a second characteristic of the invention. It consists of the assembly of a plurality of covering strips (6,7,8) the number, nature, shape and orientation of which are indifferent on each face.

 Thus one can vary on the same racket the playing conditions during the game, which accustoms the player to immediately adapt to varying playing conditions.

 It will be understood that multiple modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus it would be conceivable to remove the central core, the two folds being joined together and fixed directly, removably, on the handle. Similarly, a plurality of folds can be provided on each side of the central core1

Claims (5)

 CLAIMS 1. Table tennis racket more particularly intended for training players, of the type comprising a rigid central core sandwiched between at least two rigid plies on the external face of which is attached a racket coating, characterized in that the folds (2,3) are removably attached to the central core (1). 2. Table tennis racket according to claim 1, characterized in that the folds are made integral with the central core by an attachment selected from the group consisting of attachment by nipple and hole, attachment groovebaguette, attachment by sliding in tail d 'dovetail, hooking by loops and hooks, hooking by sticker, snap hooking. 3. Table tennis racket according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the covering (4,5) is glued to the corresponding fold (2,3). 4. Table tennis racket according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the coating (4,5) is removably attached to the fold (2,3). 5. Table tennis racket according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the covering (4,5) consists of a plurality of covering strips of different natures,