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EP-4328128-B1 - PADDLE HEAD GUARD SYSTEM

EP4328128B1EP 4328128 B1EP4328128 B1EP 4328128B1EP-4328128-B1

Inventors

  • KAPHEIM, ROBERT T.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20230726

Claims (15)

  1. A paddle head guard system (20, 220, 320, 420) comprising: a paddle head guard (22, 222, 422, 522) sized to at least partially cover an outer edge portion (36, 536) of a paddle head (34, 534) configured to strike a projectile, characterized in that the guard (22, 222, 422, 522) comprises a moldable and hardenable band (26, 426, 526) configured to be hardened after being wrapped over the outer edge portion (36, 536) of the paddle head (34, 534), wherein the moldable and hardenable band (26, 426, 526) is formed from a composition that is hardenable to a hardness value of at least 70 on a Shore A scale in response to being removed from an airtight package (24).
  2. The paddle head guard system (20, 220, 320, 420) of claim 1, further comprising the airtight package (24) containing and sealed about the paddle head guard (22, 222, 422, 522) to maintain the moldable and hardenable band (26, 426, 526) in a non-hardened state prior to being removed from the airtight package (24) and applied to the paddle head.
  3. The paddle head guard system (220, 420) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the paddle head guard (222, 422) further comprises an adhesive layer (240, 440) supported by the moldable and hardenable band (222, 422), the adhesive layer (240, 440) being configured to bond the guard (222, 422) to the outer edge portion (36) of the paddle head (34), optionally wherein the adhesive layer (240, 440) and the moldable and hardenable band have a combined thickness of no greater than 1.5 mm.
  4. The paddle head guard system (220, 320, 420) of claim 3, wherein the paddle head guard (222, 422) further comprises a film (242, 342) manually peelable from the adhesive layer (240, 440) to expose adhesive layer (240, 340, 440).
  5. The paddle head guard system (320) of claim 1 or 2 further comprising a bonding strip (338) comprising: an adhesive layer (340) having a first face for bonding to the moldable and hardenable band (26) and a second face for bonding to the outer edge portion (36) of the paddle head (34); a first film (342-2) adhered to and manually peelable from the first face of the adhesive layer (340); and a second film (342-1) adhered to and manually peelable from the second face of the adhesive layer (340).
  6. The paddle head guard system (20, 220, 320, 420) of any preceding claim, wherein the paddle head guard (22, 222, 422, 522) has a thickness of no greater than 2.0 mm, and/or wherein the paddle head guard (22, 222, 422, 522) has a weight of no greater than 13 g.
  7. The paddle head guard system (20, 220, 320) of any preceding claim, wherein the moldable and hardenable band (26) is: flat; has a weight of no greater than 13 g; has a width of no greater than 45 mm; and has a length of no greater than 350 mm.
  8. The paddle head guard system (20, 220, 320) of any preceding claim, wherein the moldable and hardenable band (26, 526) is imperforate.
  9. The paddle head guard system (420) of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the moldable and hardenable band (426) is perforate, and/or wherein the moldable and hardenable band (426) has a three-dimensional face (472).
  10. The paddle head guard system (420) of any preceding claim, wherein the moldable and hardenable band (426, 526) has a non-uniform thickness along its length, and/or wherein the moldable and hardenable band (426) has a non-uniform weight density along its length.
  11. The paddle head guard system of claim 10, wherein the band (426) has a greatest thickness at a midpoint and has a reduced thickness at opposite longitudinal ends.
  12. The paddle head guard system of claim 10, wherein the band (426) comprises a series of perforations (474) along its length, wherein particular perforations (474-2) near a midpoint are smaller than particular perforations (474-1) at opposite longitudinal ends of the band (426).
  13. A paddle (30, 530) comprising: a paddle head (34, 534) having an outer edge portion (36, 536), the paddle (30, 530) comprising a handle; and the paddle head guard system (20, 220, 320, 420) according to claim 1 or any one of claims 3-12 when these claims are not dependent on claim 2, the paddle head guard system (20, 220, 320, 420) being secured to the outer edge portion (36, 536), wherein the guard (22, 222, 422, 522) is elongate and at least partially covers the outer edge portion (36, 536) of the head (34, 534), the guard (22, 222, 422, 522) being hardened to a hardness value of at least 70 on a Shore A scale in response to being removed from the airtight package (24) and after being wrapped over the outer edge portion (36, 536), wherein the guard (22, 222, 422, 522) has a thickness of no greater than 2.0 mm, optionally wherein the outer edge portion (34) is smooth and bounds a pair of opposite faces.
  14. The paddle of claim 13, wherein the band (426) has a greatest thickness at a midpoint and has a reduced thickness at opposite longitudinal ends.
  15. A method comprising: removing a paddle head guard (20, 220, 320, 420) from an airtight package (24), wherein the paddle head guard (20, 220, 320, 420) begins to harden in response to being removed from the airtight package (24); bending and wrapping the paddle head guard (20, 220, 320, 420) about an edge portion (36, 536) of a paddle head (34, 534); and hardening the paddle head guard (20, 220, 320, 420) to a hardness value of at least 70 on a Shore A scale while the paddle head guard (20, 220, 320, 420) is wrapped about the edge portion (36, 536) of the paddle head (34, 534).

Description

FIELD The present disclosure relates to a paddle head guard system. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a paddle head guard system comprising a paddle head guard sized to at least partially cover an outer edge portion of a paddle head. BACKGROUND Paddles are used in a variety of sports to strike a projectile. Such paddles comprise a handle supporting a head. The head has an outer edge surrounding a hitting area of the paddle. The outer edge may be subject to wear and damage when the outer edge of the head contacts a playing surface or the ground during play. WO 2009/142796 A1 discloses a head guard system suitable for a paddle and comprising a paddle head guard suitable to at least partially cover an outer edge portion of a paddle head. SUMMARY The present invention is defined herein in accordance with the appended independent claims. Optional features of the invention are set out in the dependent claims. An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a paddle head guard system comprising a paddle head guard sized to at least partially cover an outer edge portion of a paddle head configured to strike a projectile, the guard comprising a moldable and hardenable band configured to be hardened after being wrapped over the outer edge portion of the paddle head, wherein the moldable and hardenable band is formed from a composition that is hardenable to a hardness value of at least 70 on a Shore A scale in response to being removed from an airtight package. The paddle head guard system may further comprise the airtight package containing and sealed about the paddle head guard to maintain the moldable and hardenable band in a non-hardened state prior to being removed from the airtight package and applied to the paddle head. The paddle head guard may further comprise an adhesive layer supported by the moldable and hardenable band. The adhesive layer may be configured to bond the guard to the outer edge portion of the paddle head. The paddle head guard system may further comprise a bonding strip. The bonding strip may comprise an adhesive layer. The adhesive layer may have a first face for bonding to the moldable and hardenable band. The adhesive layer may have a second face for bonding to the outer edge portion of the paddle head. The bonding strip may comprise a first film adhered to and manually peelable from the first face of the adhesive layer. The bonding strip may comprise a second film adhered to and manually peelable from the second face of the adhesive layer. The adhesive layer and the moldable and hardenable band may have a combined thickness of no greater than 1.5 mm. The paddle head guard may further comprise a film manually peelable from the adhesive layer to expose adhesive layer. The paddle head guard may have a thickness of no greater than 2.0 mm. The paddle head guard may have a weight of no greater than 13 g. The moldable and hardenable band may be flat. The moldable and hardenable band may have a weight of no greater than 13 g. The moldable and hardenable band may have a width of no greater than 45 mm. The moldable and hardenable band may have a length of no greater than 350 mm. The moldable and hardenable band may be imperforate. The moldable and hardenable band may be perforate. The moldable and hardenable band may have a three-dimensional face. The moldable and hardenable band may have a non-uniform thickness. The moldable and hardenable band may have a non-uniform weight density. Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a paddle comprising: the paddle head having the outer edge portion, the paddle comprising a handle; andthe paddle head guard system according to the aspect above secured to the outer edge portion, wherein the guard is elongate and at least partially covering the outer edge portion of the head, the guard being hardened to a hardness value of at least 70 on a Shore A scale in response to being removed from the airtight package and after being wrapped over the outer edge portion, wherein the guard has a thickness of no greater than 2.0 mm. The outer edge portion may be smooth. The outer edge portion may bound a pair of opposite faces. Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method comprising: removing a paddle head guard from an airtight package, wherein the paddle head guard begins to harden in response to being removed from the airtight package;bending and wrapping the paddle head guard about an edge portion of a paddle head; andhardening the paddle head guard to a hardness value of at least 70 on a Shore A scale while the paddle head guard is wrapped about the edge portion of the paddle head. It will be appreciated that features described in relation to one aspect may be equally combined with any other aspect described herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a top view of an example paddle head guard system illustrating an example head guard contained in an example airtight package which is transparently shown for purposes of