Appeal No. 2003-0918 Page 6
Application No. 09/395,659
Figure 1 of Kuebler is a plan view of a tennis racket 10 having a stringing frame
12 comprising a profile bar 14 which is bent approximately to an oval shape, and a
frame crosspiece 16 which completes that oval; arranged in the oval of the frame 12 is
stringing comprising mutually crossing longitudinal and transverse strings 18 and 19
which pass through the frame 12 and the frame crosspiece 16. Outside the frame 12
the two end portions 15 of the profile bar 14 laterally define a free area 20, which is
triangular in plan view, of a throat or heart zone which has the end portions 15 and the
frame crosspiece 16. At the ends thereof which are remote from the frame, on the axis
A of the racket, the end portions 15 merge into a handle neck 22 which is adjoined by a
handle 24 with a handle strip winding 28 which covers over a handle cap 26.
In order to be able to supply the tennis player with information about the position
of the handle 24 and thus the tennis racket 10 in the hand, the longitudinal edges of the
handles are provided with longitudinal ribs 36, as shown in Figure 3 of Kuebler, which
can be felt even through relatively thick foam. The longitudinal ribs 36 can be
continuous or interrupted. Figure 4 of Kuebler shows a plurality of cross-sectional
shapes, illustrated for the sake of clarity of the drawing in the form of portions of the
wrapping tape or strip 34, more specifically substantially round longitudinal ribs 36 with
an undercut configuration, round longitudinal ribs 36a without an undercut configuration,
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Last modified: November 3, 2007