Patent Grant
11648449
This invention relates broadly to sporting or athletic equipment. More particularly, this invention relates to athletic equipment used in competitive team sports such as a lacrosse, field hockey or hockey stick, each of which has a relatively long shaft with a free end at one end and a working end at its other. The free end of the shaft and a substantial portion of the long shaft of such sticks are used by the athlete to hold and grip the shaft with his or her two hands spaced apart along the shaft typically “hip-wide” apart. In lacrosse the working end of the stick is a netted head to catch and throw a ball, in field hockey the working end is a curved head to scoop or hit a ball and in ice hockey the working end is a blade to shoot, pass or carry a puck across the ice. The present invention especially relates to a removable sheath-like cover for the hand-held shaft of athletic equipment of the type such, as, e.g., a lacrosse stick, field hockey stick or hockey stick, to provide a better gripping surface along its shaft for the athlete's hands.
Lacrosse is a team sport that is played with either ten players(men's field), six players (men's box), or twelve players (women's field), each of whom uses a netted stick (the crosse) in order to pass and catch a hard rubber ball with the aim of scoring goals (each worth one point traditionally, but Major League Lacrosse uses a two point goal for goals scored from a distance of 16 yards or greater from the goal) by propelling the ball into the opponent's goal. The team scoring the most points after two halves, of varying length from competition to competition, and overtime if necessary, wins.
Most popular in North America, lacrosse is Canada's national summer sport. It has grown in popularity in the United States, becoming the fastest growing sport at the high school and NCAA levels.
Lacrosse sticks generally include a relatively long shaft with a netted head attached to one end of the shaft. The shaft is typically octagonal in cross section and is fitted with an end cap at the end not connected to the netted head.
Traditionally, lacrosse sticks have been made of wood, although today most are made from metals such as aluminum or alloys and/or composites. The players or manufacturers typically wrap the shaft with tape. The tape enhances the grip of the stick and, in the case of wood sticks, also tends to protect the player from splinters. However, the tape is generally unsightly and attracts dirt. When removed, it leaves behind a sticky residue. Many players find themselves replacing the tape frequently.
Notwithstanding the problems associated with the use of tape, lacrosse players at every level of the game have been taping their lacrosse sticks for over five decades without a better solution in sight. In fact, in an article written by Matt DaSilva under the heading “CLASSROOM EQUIPMENT TIPS” appearing in the September, 2006 issue of LaCrosse magazine, the author talks about Jimmy Butter, a longtime equipment manager from Team USA when it embarked on the 2006 International Lacrosse Federation World Championships, who he called “The most respected stringer” in the game and a “sultan of the stick”, who's advice on the how's and whys of taping your stick are taught and highlighted in the article. The bottom line is that taping the handle of a lacrosse stick for better grip is the standard practice today.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sports equipment stick for team sports, especially the shaft of a lacrosse stick, with a sheath-like cover which improves one's grip and avoids the problems of the prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a cover which is lightweight, easy and facile to use, and is relatively inexpensive.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a cover that can absorb impact and shock and minimize splinters in wood shafts.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide such a cover which facilitates imprinting with team names, colors, slogans, inspirational sayings or advertising.
Certain of the foregoing and related objects are attained according to the invention by the provision of a cover for a lacrosse stick, comprising a base cap and a rolled flexible tubular sheath coupled to said base cap, wherein said rolled sheath is configured so that it can be unrolled onto the shaft of a lacrosse stick with the base cap abutting and mounted on the end of the shaft.
Preferably, the sheath is cylindrical, has a pebbled texture on its outer surface and/or is made from a flexible elastic polymer. Desirably, the base cap is cup-shaped.
In a preferred embodiment, a cover for a lacrosse stick comprises a rolled flexible tubular sheath configured so that it can be unrolled onto the shaft of a lacrosse stick, said sheath having a pebbled texture on its outer surface. The sheath is also preferably cylindrical and/or made from a flexible elastic polymer.
Certain of the foregoing and related objects are also attained according to the invention by the provision of a kit comprising a lacrosse stick having a shaft and a netted head and a rolled flexible tubular sheath configured so that it can be unrolled onto the shaft of said lacrosse stick. The kit advantageously further comprises a cup-shaped cap coupled to said sheath. Most desirably, said cap is integrally formed with said sheath and said sheath is cylindrical.
In yet a further embodiment of the invention, a cover for athletic equipment having a shaft comprises a base cap and a rolled flexible tubular sheath coupled to said base cap, wherein said rolled sheath is configured so that it can be unrolled onto the shaft with the base cap abutting and mounted on the end of the shaft. Here, too, the sheath is preferably cylindrical and has a pebbled texture on its outer surface and/or is made from a flexible elastic polymer. The base cap is desirably cup-shaped.
As noted above, the present invention provides a preferably unitary cap and rolled sheath cover. The cap is mounted on the free end or butt of a lacrosse stick and the sheath is unwrapped or unrolled onto the stick to the desired length or the entire length of the stick. The cap and sheath are preferably made from injection molded rubber, neoprene or other polymers that permit production in various thickness, colors and lengths. The elasticity of the material preferably gives it memory and durability. The diameter of the sheath is preferably smaller than the diameter of the lacrosse stick so that it stretches to a tight fit. After the sheath is unrolled to the desired length, excess material may be cut off, if desired.
As further noted above, the sheath is preferably provided with a pebbled texture. The pebbled texture enhances grip and channels away moisture. This also enhances player performance in wet weather conditions. The material is also temperature neutral so that it can enhance performance in cold weather conditions. The invention eliminates the need for tape and makes old lacrosse sticks look new again. The sheath can be quickly and easily removed from a lacrosse stick for use on another stick or for storage until used again. Unlike tape, the invention does not leave behind any damaging residual adhesive.
According to alternate embodiments of the invention, the sheath is color coordinated to team colors. The sheaths may also be imprinted with, e.g., team names, slogans, inspirational sayings or advertising.
Certain of the foregoing and related objects are also attained according to the present invention by the provision of a removable cover for athletic equipment in the form of a stick used in competitive sports having a shaft with a free end which is intended to be held by both hands of a player during play, comprising a cap configured and dimensioned for removably mounting on the free end of the shaft of the athletic equipment, wherein said cap is generally cup-shaped and comprises a generally planar end wall with an outer peripheral edge and a generally tubular upstanding side wall having a first end and a second end, said first end of said side wall being attached to said end wall generally adjacent to said outer peripheral edge of said end wall; and a flexible, resilient membrane-like tubular sheath which is configured and dimensioned to be rolled over onto itself to form a rolled configuration and having two opposite ends, one end of which is attached to said side wall of said cap and the other end of which defines a free end, wherein said tubular sheath is dimensioned and configured so that it can be unrolled longitudinally onto and along the shaft of the athletic equipment with said cap abutting and mounted on the free end of the shaft and said tubular sheath being dimensioned and configured to afford a tight friction fit over the shaft when unrolled and which can be rolled longitudinally in the opposite direction along the shaft towards its free end and onto said sidewall of said cap when fully rolled up, to permit removal of said cap and sheath from the free end of the shaft of the athletic equipment, and wherein the end wall and said side wall of said cap have a thickness which is greater than the thickness of said tubular sheath. Desirably, the sheath has a thickness less than ¼ of an inch. Most desirably, the sheath has a thickness in the general range of between about 0.010 and 0.050 inches and in a preferred range of about 0.025 to 0.035 and ideally about 0.030 inches.
In a preferred embodiment, the sheath is cylindrical and made from a flexible elastic polymer. The sheath may be imprinted. It also may have a textured outer surface. Moreover, it may be integrally formed with the cap. Alternatively, one end of said sheath may be attached to said cap or sidewall thereof via a friction fit.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the second end of said sidewall of said cap is slotted to define a plurality of fingers to facilitate mounting the cap on the free end of the shaft. Preferably, the sidewall has a recessed annular section between said first and second ends thereof and a relatively rigid, annular reinforcement ring at least partially received in said recessed annular section of said sidewall. Desirably, the ring is metallic.
Advantageously, the outer peripheral edge of said end wall extends radially beyond the peripheral edge of said sidewall thereof to define a peripherally-extending knob which is configured and dimensioned to abut the free end of the shaft of the athletic equipment. Preferably, the tubular sidewall has an octagonal cross-section or another polygonal cross-section.
Most desirably, the sheath is adhesive-less or the adhesive is applied only to the inner end of the sheath so it is adhesively affixed to the end cap.
Most advantageously, the tubular sheath is made of a stretchable material which has an inner diameter or width no greater than the diameter or width of the shaft of said athletic equipment so that said sheath stretches to a tight friction fit over the shaft when unrolled.
Most advantageously, the athletic equipment is a lacrosse stick, hockey stick, or field hockey stick used in team sports.
Certain of the foregoing and related objects are also attained according to the present invention by the provision of a method for removably attaching a removable cover for athletic equipment of the type described above which method comprises the steps of mounting the flexible resilient membrane-like tubular sheath in a rolled up configuration onto said sidewall of said cap; mounting said cap onto a free end of said shaft of the stick with said cap abutting and mounted on the free end of the shaft; and unrolling said sheath mounted on said cap longitudinally and directly onto and along the shaft of said stick.
Preferably, the method additionally including the steps of rolling up said sheath mounted on said shaft of said stick in the opposite longitudinal direction such that it is rolled over onto itself to form a rolled up configuration and is thereby again mounted on said sidewall of said cap, and removing said cap and rolled up sheath from said free end of said shaft of the stick.
The method is advantageously used with either a lacrosse stick, a field hockey stick or an ice hockey stick.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the detailed description taken in conjunction with the provided figures.
Certain of the foregoing and related objects are also attained according to the present invention by the provision of a removable cover for a lacrosse stick of the type having an elongated hollow shaft having an outer surface and an inner surface and an interior channel extending therethrough and a free end portion with an open end which serves as a handle portion of said lacrosse stick, comprising an end cap configured and dimensioned to be removably mountable in a friction fit manner on said free end portion of said hollow shaft, said end cap having a head portion and an elongated, resilient hollow body portion attached to said head portion and insertable into said open end of said free end portion of said hollow shaft; and a flexible, resilient, membrane-like, tubular sheath removably mountable on said outer surface of said free end portion of said hollow shaft and movable thereon between a furled position in which said sheath is rolled longitudinally on and along said free end portion of said hollow shaft onto itself to form a rolled-up tubular sheath disposed adjacent to said end cap, and an unfurled position, in which said rolled-up tubular sheath is unrolled longitudinally on and along said outer surface of said free end portion of said hollow shaft, said tubular sheath being dimensioned and configured to create a friction fit when mounted on and along said free end portion of said hollow shaft. The open end of said free end portion of said hollow shaft opens onto said interior channel of said hollow shaft, and said tubular sheath has a free end portion at one end thereof which is foldable over said free end of said hollow shaft and insertable into said interior channel thereof so that it forms a flap which covers and lies over said inner surface of said free end portion of said hollow shaft.
In addition, end cap head is removable securable to said tubular sheath and said foldable end portion thereof and said end cap body portion is configured and dimensioned to resiliently engage and bias said tubular sheath flap against said inner surface of said free end portion of said hollow shaft.
Preferably, said head portion of said end cap is substantially donut-shaped and has a central opening extending therethrough and said hollow body portion thereof defines an interior through passage opening onto said central opening of said end cap head portion, and wherein said removable cover further comprises a removable plug mountable in a friction fit manner in said central opening of said donut-shaped head portion of said end cap which is dimensioned and configured to lock said end cap in a fixed, non-rotatable manner. Desirably, said plug has a head portion and an elongated shaft portion joined to said head portion. Advantageously, said head portion of said plug is removably mountable in said central opening of said donut-shaped head portion and said elongated shaft portion thereof is insertable into said open end of said free end portion of said hollow shaft and said through passageway of said hollow body portion of said end cap, said elongated shaft portion of said plug being dimensioned and configured so that upon insertion it biases said body portion of said end cap against said flap of said resilient tubular sheath and, in turn, against said inner surface of said free end portion of said hollow shaft. It is preferable that said end cap elongated hollow shaft portion comprises a plurality of spaced, apart, flexible, resilient fingers.
In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, said donut-shaped head portion of said end cap has an outer portion with a centrally-disposed, bowl-shaped surface formed therein which defines a concave recess adjacent to, surrounding, and opening onto, said central opening thereof. Desirably, said removable plug has an enlarged head portion which is fully receivable within said concave recess of said head portion of said end cap when mounted thereon and said enlarged head portion of said plug has a substantially flat top surface.
Most advantageously, said plug has a double-step neck portion disposed between and joined to said plug head portion and said plug shaft, said double-step neck portion having an inner step which serves as a stop and which engages said bowl-shaped surface of said end cap when said plug is fully mounted in said end cap and an outer step spaced from said bowl-shaped surface which serves as a tool placement point to aid removal of said plug. Preferably, said donut-shaped head portion of said end cap has an inner portion with a recessed channel by which it is removably mountable in a friction-fit manner on said open end of said free end portion of said elongated hollow shaft so that it grips and holds said free end portion of said sheath disposed on said outer surface of said hollow shaft adjacent to said open end of said free end portion of said elongated hollow shaft and so that it also grips and holds said flap thereof disposed in said interior channel of said elongated hollow shaft against said inner surface of said hollow shaft.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, said elongated hollow shaft of the lacrosse stick is of the type having an octagonal cross-section, and wherein recessed channel and said central opening of donut-shaped head portion of said end cap are octagonally-shaped and wherein said hollow shaft of said plug has an octagonal cross-section. In addition, said end cap and said plug are made of plastic and said sheath is made of a flexible elastomeric material.
Certain of the foregoing and related objects are also attained according to the invention by the provision of a lacrosse stick comprising: an elongated hollow shaft having a free end portion with an open end which serves as a handle portion of said hollow shaft, said hollow shaft having an outer surface and an inner surface and an interior channel extending therethrough; and which includes a removable cover as described above.
Turning now to
According to the presently preferred embodiment, the sheath 14 may provide a pebbled texture 16 on its outer surface. The pebbled texture enhances grip and channels away moisture. This also enhances player performance in wet weather conditions. The material is preferably also temperature neutral so that it can enhance performance in cold weather conditions. The invention eliminates the need for tape and makes old lacrosse sticks look new again. Unlike tape, the invention does not leave behind any damaging residual adhesive. It also improves the safety of the stick as it provides a full sheath to protect the player from splintering wood shafts caused by checking during the game. The sheath can be quickly and easily removed from a lacrosse stick for use on another stick or it can be stored, e.g., in a pouch (not shown) until used again.
According to preferred embodiments of the invention, the color of the sheaths and/or caps is coordinated to the desired team colors. The sheaths may also be imprinted with, e.g., team names, logos, slogans, inspirational sayings or advertising, etc. For example,
Referring now to
As before, the cap 612 and sheath 614 are preferably made from injection-molded rubber, synthetic rubber, neoprene or other synthetic plastic polymers that permit production in various thickness, colors and lengths. The elasticity of the material preferably gives it memory and durability. As before the sheath 614 is preferably cylindrical and is dimensioned to enable a friction fit on the shaft 11 of the lacrosse stick which, as shown in
However, in this seventh embodiment of the invention as seen best in
As further shown in
The cap 610 is further modified to allow for relatively minor variations in configuration and dimensions of the sport shaft 11 on which it is mounted. More particularly, the tubular side wall 611 of the cup-shaped cap 612 in this embodiment has an octagonal cross-section which is dimensioned and configured to match the octagonal wall of the lacrosse stick shaft 11 so that it fits snugly over and on the octagonal end 15 of the shaft 11 and also in a friction fit manner. The outer portion of sidewall 611 of the cap 612 is provided with a plurality of spaced-apart fingers 618 which defined a plurality of longitudinally-extending slots 619 formed therebetween. The width of the fingers 618 are preferably dimensioned to generally match the width of the octagonal sides of the end of shaft 11 of the lacrosse stick which may vary and the slots 619 are similarly arranged so that they are generally aligned with the seven corners of the octagonal shaft 11. As can be appreciated, the fingers 618 and slots 619 allow some flexibility and sufficient clearance, if needed, if the general dimensions of the respective walls 611 of the cap 612 and shaft 11 are somewhat off relative to one another, thereby allowing the cap 612 to still fit on the end wall 15 of the shaft 11 despite any relatively small variations in its configuration or dimensions.
The reinforcing ring 620 may be needed in situations where the cap 612 is not made of a sufficiently rigid plastic material to stand up to the radially-inwardly-directed force of the furled sheath 614 mounted thereon which might otherwise crush or cause the sidewall of cap 611 to buckle, preventing the end cap 612 from being fully mounted on the end 15 of the lacrosse stick 11, Obviously, if the cap sidewall 611 of the cap 612 is sufficiently rigid and strong enough to resist such deformation as may be caused by the furled sheath 614, the recessed section 617 and stiffening ring or collar 620 would not be needed.
Turning now to FIGS, 18A-18E, 19A-19D and 20, therein illustrated in an eighth embodiment of the invention comparable to the seventh embodiment shown in
End plug 730 is of the general type sold by Vertical Lax Inc. of Altamont, New York, which is solely used for locking the end cap 712 in a fixed, non-rotatable manner on the butt end 15 of the handle portion of the lacrosse stick 11, but in this invention it is used to also lock the sheath in place. More specifically, in the present embodiment end plug 730 of the hollow shaft employs a double step 733 consisting of lower step 735 and upper step 736, the latter of which is adjacent its head 732 for engagement with the end cap 712 and for assisting in the removal of the plug 732 when the sheath 714 is to be removed and replaced. In addition, in the present invention, the end cap head 713 has an outer bowl-shaped concave recess 715 in which the end plug head 732 is fully received when installed as more fully described below.
As seen best in
In this embodiment, the end cap 712 comprises an enlarged, rounded, generally donut-shaped end member or annular collar 713 defining an octagonal central opening 716 ringed by preferably, four spaced-apart resilient fingers 718 extending rearwardly therefrom. Fingers 718 are intended to be inserted into the cavity 13 of stick 11 and engage in a spring-like, biasing manner with the inner flap 714a (
Furthermore, as further seen in
As a result of this manner of engagement and construction, plug 730 creates an extremely rigid fixed cover assembly which will not twist in the user's hands which is extremely important during play. Moreover, plug 730 and the donut-shaped head portion 713 of end cap 712 are rigidly fixed upon the handle end 15 of lacrosse stick 11 in a manner which prevents user from injuring or slashing his/her hand on the free end 15 of the lacrosse stick which is typically made of metal today.
As a result of the foregoing and in order to use this cover assembly 700, the user would initially unroll the rubber sleeve or sheath 714 from a coiled position (
When it is decided to remove the sleeve 714 and replace it with another sleeve 714, the user would place an elongated tool, such as a screwdriver or the like (not shown), into the bowl-shaped recess 715 of the enlarged head 713 of the end cap 712 which recess 715 surrounds the plug head 732 and its neck portion 733. By manipulating the screwdriver flat head underneath the second step 736 of the plug 730 and then applying thereto an upward or outward pivoting action, the screwdriver flat head tip engages the second step 735. Then, a further rearward pivoting of the flat head pries the head 732 of the plug upwardly or outwardly so that the plug 730 would disengage from the end cap 712. At that point, the end cap 712 could then also be removed from the cover assembly 700 following which the sheath 714 could then be rolled up and removed. The process can be repeated whenever a new sleeve 714 is needed to be placed on the handle portion 721.
As can be appreciated, various modifications may be made as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, although the end caps are typically round or cylindrical, they could be configured to have a cross-section similar to that of the shaft on which it is mounted, such as octagonal for lacrosse sticks, although other shapes, such as round, oval, rectangular, or hexagonal are also sometimes used, such as for the shafts of other athletic equipment, such as ice hockey and field hockey sticks.
In addition, although the sheaths 614, 714 of the cover may possibly have a thickness of about 1/16 to ¼ inches, the same can be varied to suit the particular use or application and/or the official sport regulations governing such equipment. In fact, it has been discovered that, most advantageously, the sheath may have a thickness less than ¼ of an inch and even less than 1/16 of an inch, Most advantageously, it has been found that the thickness of the sheath made of extruded rubber is preferably in the range of 0.010 to 0.050 inches and most desirably is about 0.030 inches.
The sheath is preferably made from injection-molded, vulcanized rubber, neoprene of other polymers that permit production in various thicknesses, colors and lengths. The elasticity of the material preferably gives it memory and durability. The diameter of the sheath is preferably smaller than the diameter or width of the shaft of the athletic equipment employed so that it stretches to a tight fit. The enlarged end cap 613 preferably has a diameter of about 1 1/2 inches and the sidewall of cap 612 has a length of about 3 inches. The recessed inner portion is preferably about 1 ¼ inches in length and the outer portion of the sidewall is desirably about 1 ¾ inches with the slots having a length of about 1 inch. The cap end wall 613 preferably has an overhang of about ¼″ and a thickness or height of about the same. If a further disc-shaped or domed-shaped end piece (not shown) is used to create a neater appearance, it is desirable that the height of the end wall 613 and end piece does not exceed a maximum height of ¾″ and preferably, ½″ or less, so as not to appreciably extend the effective length of the stick 11. The end cap 712 and plug 730 can be of generally comparable dimensions. For example, the end cap 712 can have a length of about 1 ½-2 inches and the plug can have a similar length of about 1 ½-2 inches. The enlarged generally round or oval head 713 also preferably has a width of about 1 ½ inches.
It should also be realized that although the cover 700 preferably includes both the end cap 712 and plug 730, for certain applications some benefits of the invention may also be achieved by utilizing just the end cap 712 (i.e., without plug 730), but without having a central opening 716 so it entirely covers the free end of the lacrosse stick like the cup-shaped embodiments previously discussed herein.
Thus, while particular embodiments of the invention have been described, it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto, as it is intended that the invention be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise. It will therefore be appreciated by those skilled in the art that yet other modifications could be made to the provided invention without deviating from its spirit and scope as claimed.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 16/384,460, filed Apr. 15, 2019, which in turn is a continuation-in-part application of application Ser. No. 15/498,795, filed Apr. 27, 2017, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 14/463,168, filed Aug. 19, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,636,558, issued on May 2, 2017, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 13/544,081, filed Jul. 9, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,814,730, issued on Aug. 26, 2014, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 12/892,144, filed Sep. 28, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,241,154, issued Aug. 14, 2012, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/975,288, filed on Oct. 18, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,828,680, issued on Nov. 9, 2010, which claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/852,777, filed Oct. 19, 2006, the contents of each of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2038840 | Hall | Apr 1936 | A |
| 2160656 | Hall | May 1939 | A |
| 4185375 | Brown | Jan 1980 | A |
| 5118107 | Bucher | Jun 1992 | A |
| 5145171 | Head | Sep 1992 | A |
| 5542676 | Howe, Jr. | Aug 1996 | A |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16384460 | Apr 2019 | US |
| Child | 17340698 | US | |
| Parent | 15498795 | Apr 2017 | US |
| Child | 16384460 | US |
