US PATENT SUBCLASS 473 / 551
.~.~.~ Having hand or finger conforming contour, through-hole for finger, portion overlying back of hand, projecting hand stop or positioner spaced from butt, wrist strap, or nonstandard transverse cross-section

Current as of: June, 1999
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473 /   HD   GAMES USING TANGIBLE PROJECTILE

516  DF  PLAYER HELD AND POWERED, NONMECHANICAL PROJECTOR, PER SE, FOR PROJECTING AERIAL PROJECTILE BY STRIKING; PART THEREOF OR ACCESSORY THEREFOR {8}
524  DF  .~ Racket or paddle; accessory therefor (e.g., a tennis racket, tennis racket press, etc.) {19}
549  DF  .~.~ Handle or grip structure {3}
551.~.~.~ Having hand or finger conforming contour, through-hole for finger, portion overlying back of hand, projecting hand stop or positioner spaced from butt, wrist strap, or nonstandard transverse cross-section

DEFINITION

Classification: 473/551

Having hand or finger conforming contour, through-hole for finger, portion overlying back of hand, projecting hand stop or positioner spaced from butt, wrist strap, or nonstandard transverse cross section:

(under subclass 549) Subject matter wherein the handle or grip has (a) a surface configuration intended to match the gross shape of a user's hand or finger so as to provide a form fit with the user's hand or finger, (b) a hole extending entirely therethrough, through which a user is intended to extend at least one finger for anchoring the user's hand and racket together, (c) a portion spaced outwardly from and extending over the surface area of the handle or grip whereby, upon the user gripping the racket in a normal manner, the extending portion overlies the back of his or her hand, (d) a knob, protrusion, bump, ledge, or similar formation extending above the general surface of the handle or grip and located ahead of the butt of the handle, which knob, protrusion, bump, ledge, or similar formation is intended to form an abutment engageable by the side (as opposed to the top or bottom) of a user's hand or finger to help the user properly locate his or her hand on the racket or limit longitudinal or rotational movement of the racket in his or her hand, (e) a strap or similar element intended to encircle the wrist of a user so as to tether the racket to the user to prevent its separation from the user in the event the user loses his or her grip on the racket, or (f) a gross peripheral cross-sectional shape (as cut through the handle or grip at a right angle to its longitudinal axis thereof) which is other than a square, rectangle, circle, or equiangular octagon.

(1) Note. A means for mounting a wrist strap or similar element to the handle or grip of a racket is also included herein.

(2) Note. Pores, small ventilation holes, grooves, bumps, ridges, knurling, etc. (e.g., the ridge created where the adjacent runs of a wound-strip type of grip overlap, etc.) formed in or on the surface of a handle or grip and which are small (e.g., shallow, narrow, short, etc.) relative to the dimensions of a user's hand or finger, are not considered to constitute a hand or finger conforming contour or a projecting hand stop and are not considered to create a nonstandard cross-sectional shape. Such pores, small ventilation holes, grooves, bumps, ridges, knurling, etc. formed in or on the surface of a handle or grip may be (and often are) for the purpose of improving the frictional characteristics thereof in order to improve the user's grip upon the handle or grip of a racket.

SEE OR SEARCH THIS CLASS, SUBCLASS:

201+, for golf game equipment or device comprising structure relating to a hand-on-grip positioning aid or grip indicator.

553, for a wrist strap or similar element, per se, intended for use in a racket or paddle.