Sports Grip Sensor

Abstract

A sports training device including a pressure sensor mounted on the grip of a tennis racket or golf club is provided. The device includes a peizo-electric force sensor to monitor the grip pressure in a circular sensing area located under where palm meets the index finger. The peizo-electric sensor varies its resistance inversely with force applied is connected to an op-amp that uses a variable resistor to deliver an output voltage proportional to the force applied. This voltage triggers a vibrating motor to spin, thus alerting the user that he or she has squeezed too hard. This variable pressure sensor is connected to an alarm that will immediately notify the user when the grip is too tight. The exact amount of pressure for each player and the sports equipment used will vary widely, but can be adjusted to signal when the pressure is too great for the particular use.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The sports grip of  claim 8 , wherein the handle is a tennis racquet handle. 
     
     
         4 . The sports grip of  claim 8 , wherein the handle is a golf club shaft. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A sports grip, comprising:
 a grip handle with a grip covering;   at least one piezo-electric sensor and sensor circuit including an operational amplifier having a variable resistor with the resistance of the resistor varying inversely with force applied to the grip to deliver an output voltage proportional to the force applied to the sensor mounted to the handle below the grip covering;   a vibrator located in the grip handle and operatively connected to the output of the sensor circuit;   an adjustment control on the handle to control the force necessary to allow the circuit to operate the vibrator; and   the piezo-electric sensor for varying the force necessary to operate the vibrator thereby increasing the vibration to alert a user when he or she has squeezed too hard by applying too much force to the grip.   
     
     
         9 . The sports grip of  claim 8 , wherein the sensor includes two layers of a substrate of a polymer film and a conductive material deposited in the form of a suitable pattern on the polymer film with a layer of a pressure sensitive ink on the pattern and the two layers laminated with an adhesive to form the individual sensor, whereby the pattern on top of the pressure-sensitive ink defines the active sensing area of the sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The sports grip of  claim 9 , wherein the polymer film is a polyester film. 
     
     
         11 . The sports grip of  claim 9 , wherein the conductive material is silver.