Grip for Sporting Equipment

The present invention relates to overgrips, more particularly to such grip which are need for twining with a handle of game racket.

The handles of many equipments, bicycles, hand tools or sport rackets are made of wood, metal or plastic that they are too hard and uncomfortable for gripping. A conventional overgrip, as shown in FIG. 1, is used to twine about a handle to provide a protection layer. The conventional grip 10 is in strip form with two inclined sides 11, 12. It includes a foamed polyurethane strip layer 13 and a mat cloth strip layer 14 adhered to the foamed polyurethane strip layer 13.

Since the rider of bicycle and the holder of game racket, golf club or handtool have to firmly grip the handles during sporting, the thin layers of foamed polyurethane strip and mat cloth strip of the conventional grip are not soft enough to produce a cushioning effect for the great gripping force from the user's hands. Thus, the user's hands will be hurted or feeled uncomfortable by the hard wooded or metallic handle. Furthermore, the conventional grips cannot provide shock absorbing effect and are easy to fray at the edges.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a more pliant and effective grip for sporting equipment, which can also provide softer cushioning effect for the holders.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a resilient grip for sporting equipment which can also provide shock absorbing effect and not easy to fray out.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a grip which comprises a first mat cloth strip layer, a foamed polyurethane strip layer, and a second mat cloth strip layer adhered between the first mat cloth strip layer and the foamed polyurethane strip layer. The two longitudinal sides of said gripping strip are in inclined forms respectively that the foamed polyurethane strip layer has a largest width. At least a recess member which extending substantially along the length of the grip is disposed centrally between the lateral edges of the first mat cloth strip layer. A layer of silicon elastomer with a thickness at least equal to the depth of the recess is applied to the recess to form an intermediate cushion body between the first and second mat cloth strip layer.

The present invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description thereof, when read in accompanying with the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a prior art grip.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a grip of a preferred embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a grip of the above embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a grip of an alterative embodiment according to the present invention.

A typical embodiment of a grip for sporting equipment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. The grip comprises a first mat cloth strip 31, a foamed polyurethane strip 32, and a second mat cloth strip 40. The thickness of the first mat cloth strip 31 is 1.2 mm approximately, the foamed polyurethane strip 32 is 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm approximately, and the second mat cloth strip 40 is 0.5 mm approximately. An elongate recess 33 which extends substantially along the length of a first side of the first mat cloth strip 31 is disposed centrally between the lateral edges thereof. The depth of the recess 33 is approximately 1 mm. The foamed polyurethane strip 32 is attached to the second side of the first mat cloth strip 31. A resilient element 34, conforming in shape and dimension with the recess 33, is a layer of silicon elastomer, ie. The A-type commonly use in caulking compound. The resilient element 34 is applied to the corresponding recess 33 so as to form a film or elastomer 30 upon curing. The thickness of the resilient element 34 should substantially equal to the depth of the recess 33.

The second mat cloth strip 40, approximately 0.5 mm in thickness, is adhered to the first side of the first mat cloth strip 31. As shown in FIG. 3, the two longitudinal edges of the grip are cut to form two inclined sides 21 and 22 inwardly from the foamed polyurethane strip 32 respectively. A adhesive member, such as a double faced tape 41 having two adhesive sides, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, is adhered to the second mat cloth strip 40 by one of its adhesive sides. Thus, the grip can stick and twin with a handle (not shown) by means of the other adhesive side of the tape 41.

An alterative embodiment of a grip for sporting equipment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 4. The grip also comprises a first mat cloth strip 31', a foamed polyurethane strip 32', a second mat cloth strip 40', and a double faced tape 41' that all attach together as recited in the previous embodiment. In which, a plurality of circular recesses 33' are formed at spaced position along the length of the first mat cloth strip 31'. More than one resilient element 34' are made of silicon elastomer, such as the A-type commonly use in caulking compound. Each the resilient element 34' is disposed in the corresponding recess 33' which has conformed in, shape and dimension with the resilient element 34'. The grip is also stuck and twined with a handle by means of the double faced tape 41.

According to the improved structure of the aforesaid embodiments of the present invention, a more pliant and effective grip for sporting equipment is obtained. Since the grip of the present invention provides two layers of mat cloth strips and at least a layer of silicon elastomer therebetween which can provide good resilient effect. The grip of a sporting equipment, such as tennis racket, can absorb portion of the shock and provide softer cushioning effect for the holder. Besides, the presentation of the resilient element within the grip can also prevent the grip to be fraied out easily.