Patent ID: 6974397

Claim:
A racket comprising: a racket frame comprising a racket handle portion orientated along a longitudinal axis of the racket, a racket head portion allowing for the attachment thereto of generally longitudinally directed strings and generally laterally directed strings to form a string bed of the racket, and a racket throat area joining the handle portion with the head portion; and a self-powered piezoelectric damping system comprising two transducer elements laminated to the racket frame and at least one first circuit located within the racket handle portion and electrically connected to the transducer elements by way of a Y-shaped flex circuit, the first circuit including at least one storage element configured to store power extracted from the two transducer elements; wherein stored power is supplied back to the transducer elements, and all electrical power supplied to the transducer elements is derived from power extracted from mechanical deformation of the racket; and wherein the transducer elements convert said electrical power to mechanical power, said mechanical power being adapted to actively stiffen said racket.