Ball game racket frame, ball game racket, and method for manufacturing a ball game racket frame

Abstract

A ball game racket frame includes a head portion, a grip portion and a shaft portion which connects the grip portion and the head portion. The ball game racket frame is at least partially made of at least one layer of a plurality of fibers which are randomly orientated and intertwined within the layer. According to further aspects, a ball game racket includes the ball game racket frame according to any of the embodiments described herein and a string bed plane comprising a plurality of strings which are attached to at least a portion of the head portion of the ball game racket frame. The string bed plane provides at least one striking surface for striking a game ball. According to yet further aspects, a method for manufacturing a ball game racket frame is disclosed.

1 . A ball game racket frame including a head portion, a grip portion and a shaft portion which connects the grip portion and the head portion, wherein the ball game racket frame is at least partially made of at least one layer of a plurality of fibers configured as a fiber veil formed of a non-woven fabric material, wherein the fibers are randomly orientated and intertwined within the at least one layer, wherein the at least one layer is embedded between layers of prepregs of a composite material, and wherein the fiber veil is at least partially transparent or at least partially translucent before incorporation into the ball game racket frame. 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The ball game racket frame according to  claim 1 , wherein the layer(s) of fibers which are randomly orientated and intertwined, including any bonding material which may be provided in the layer(s) to bond the fibers together, account for at least 20 vol % of a total volume of the ball game racket frame in at least one cross-section of the ball game racket frame. 
     
     
         5 . The ball game racket frame according to  claim 1 , wherein the fibers, which are randomly orientated and intertwined, have an average length of no more than 30 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The ball game racket frame according to  claim 1 , wherein each fiber of the fibers, which are randomly orientated and intertwined, has a length of no more than 30 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The ball game racket frame according to  claim 1 , wherein the ball game racket frame is at least partially made of at least one layer of a plurality of substantially unidirectionally orientated fibers in at least one or more sections of the ball game racket frame. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The ball game racket frame according to  claim 1 , wherein the ball game racket frame is at least partially made of:
 a plurality of fibers which are braided; and/or   a plurality of fibers which are woven.   
     
     
         10 . The ball game racket frame according to  claim 1 , wherein the layer of fibers, which are randomly orientated and intertwined, has a ratio of a strength or a stiffness of the layer of fibers in a first direction to a strength or a stiffness of the layer of fibers in a second direction of no more than 12, the first direction extending substantially perpendicularly to the second direction. 
     
     
         11 . The ball game racket frame according to  claim 1 , wherein the layer of fibers, which are randomly orientated and intertwined, has a ratio of a strength or a stiffness of the layer of fibers in a first direction to a strength or a stiffness of the layer of fibers in a second direction from 1.4 to 12, the first direction extending substantially perpendicularly to the second direction. 
     
     
         12 . The ball game racket frame according to  claim 1 , wherein the ball game racket frame includes a plurality of layers of the at least one layer of fibers, which are randomly orientated and intertwined, and a plurality of layers of fiber-reinforced prepregs, wherein the plurality of layers of fibers, which are randomly orientated and intertwined, and the plurality of layers of fiber-reinforced prepregs are stacked intermittently in at least a section of the ball game racket frame. 
     
     
         13 . The ball game racket frame according to  claim 1 , wherein the layer of fibers which are randomly orientated and intertwined, including any bonding material which may be provided to bond the fibers together, has an area weight of 20 to 150 g/m2. 
     
     
         14 . The ball game racket frame according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one cross-section of the ball game racket frame includes at least two layers of the fibers which are randomly orientated and intertwined, wherein a first layer of the at least two layers, which is arranged further from a center of the cross-section than a second layer of the at least two layers, has a greater thickness than the second layer. 
     
     
         15 . The ball game racket frame according to  claim 1 , wherein, at least in a section of the ball game racket frame, the layer of fibers, which are randomly orientated and intertwined, has an average ratio of a length of the fibers in a fiber extension direction to a total length of the layer of fibers in the fiber extension direction of no more than 0.5. 
     
     
         16 . The ball game racket frame according to  claim 1 , wherein the fibers which are randomly orientated and intertwined account for at least 20 wt % of a total weight of at least a segment of the ball game racket frame. 
     
     
         17 . The ball game racket frame according to  claim 1 , wherein the fibers which are randomly orientated and intertwined account for at least 20 vol % of a total volume of the ball game racket frame in at least one cross-section of the ball game racket frame. 
     
     
         18 . The ball game racket frame according to  claim 1 , wherein a proportion of the fibers which are randomly orientated and intertwined and which have a length of no more than 30 mm account for at least 20 wt % of a total weight of at least a segment of the ball game racket frame. 
     
     
         19 . A ball game racket including the ball game racket frame according to  claim 1  and at least one striking surface for striking a game ball. 
     
     
         20 . A method for manufacturing a ball game racket frame, including the following steps:
 a) providing at least one layer of a plurality of fibers configured as a fiber veil formed of a non-woven fabric material, where the fibers are randomly orientated and intertwined within the at least one layer, wherein the at least one layer is embedded between layers of prepregs of a composite material, and wherein the fiber veil is at least partially transparent or at least partially translucent before incorporation into the ball game racket frame;   b) forming the ball game racket frame at least partially from the at least one layer of fibers.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further including:
 c) providing at least one layer of a fiber-reinforced prepreg; wherein the ball game racket frame is formed at least partially from the at least one layer of fiber-reinforced prepreg.   
     
     
         22 . A ball game racket frame including a head portion, a grip portion and a shaft portion which connects the grip portion and the head portion, wherein the ball game racket frame is at least partially made of at least one layer of a plurality of fibers configured as a fiber veil formed of a non-woven fabric material, wherein the fibers are randomly orientated and intertwined within the at least one layer, wherein the at least one layer is embedded between layers of prepregs of a composite material, and wherein the fiber veil is at least partially transparent or at least partially translucent. 
     
     
         23 . The ball game racket frame of  claim 22 , wherein the layer(s) of fibers which are randomly orientated and intertwined, including any bonding material which may be provided in the layer(s) to bond the fibers together, account for at least 20 vol % of a total volume of the ball game racket frame in at least one cross-section of the ball game racket frame.