Patent Application
20210205681
The present invention relates generally to hockey sticks, and more particularly to devices enabling length adjustment to the shaft of a hockey stick.
In the sport of hockey, it is known to customize the length of a hockey stick for a particular player by adding a wooden or composite extension to the hollow shaft of a composite hockey stick at the handle end thereof. Such commercially available extensions have a narrowed stem at the bottom end that plugs into the hollow interior of the hockey stick shaft at the handle end thereof for glued attachment thereto. A wider upper body of the extension remains outside the shaft at the handle end thereof, thereby forming the manually gripped part of the extension. Composite extensions can have an open upper end into which the stick's original end cap can be plugged, if desired. Once the extension is installed, the increased effective length of the stick remains fixed, since the extension has no length-adjustment mechanism.
Canadian Patent Application 2,793,732 of Ruffo takes an alternative approach to length-customization by proposing a length-adjustable hockey stock that can be varied in overall length throughout its life, thus allowing young players to start with a relatively short stick length, then in later years increase the effective length of the stick rather than having to incur the additional cost of a larger new stick. However, the solution relies on a particular redesign of the stick shaft itself, particularly a multi-piece shaft construction having cross-sectionally smaller upper and lower shaft sections that are inserted into a cross-sectionally larger central shaft section. The central shaft section is equipped with a series of holes at which the smaller shaft sections can be secured at selectable positions with spring pins. The degree to which the smaller shaft sections protrude from the central sections adjusts the overall shaft length of the stick. Since Ruffo relies on redesign of the stick itself, the reference provides no solution by which players can vary the length of their existing hockey sticks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,336 by Tashjian discloses another length-adjustable hockey stick, where an extension is insertable into the handle end of a hollow hockey stick shaft, like the wood and composite extensions mentioned above. However, instead of being glued in place, the reference uses apertures in the sidewalls of the shaft together with telescopic axial adjustment of the extension's position to lock the extension in one of a predetermined number of selectable positions using a hinged two-piece locking pin. While offering more adjustability than the aforementioned fixed-length wood and composite inserts, Tashjian once again requires a specialized stick construction with appropriately configured pin apertures for cooperation with the locking pin. Therefore, like Ruffo, Tashjian provides no solution for length adjustment of a player's existing hockey stick.
In both references, re-adjustment of the stick length is also a multi-step process, requiring an initial unlocking action on a spring pin or lock pin, followed by careful manual extension or collapse to one of a predetermined number of selectable securement positions in which pin apertures of the different components align with one another. In the case of Tashjian's hinged two-piece locking pin, finessed removal is particularly required for the unlocking step.
Accordingly, there remains room for improvement concerning length adjustability of a hockey stick, particularly in terms of an aftermarket solution for existing sticks that enables length-variability post-installation, and solutions for quick-re-adjustment between different lengths.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a hockey stick extension device comprising:
a mounting component configured for installation on a shaft of a hockey stick at a handle-end thereof; and
a slider component telescopically mated with the mounting component for sliding axial movement therealong between a retracted position minimizing a combined axial length of the mounting component and the slider component, and an extended position maximizing said combined axial length of the mounting component and the slider component;
whereby with the mounting component installed at the handle-end of the shaft of the hockey stick, sliding movement of the slider component from the retracted position to the extended position increases an overall effective shaft length of the hockey stick.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an extendable/collapsible hockey stick comprising:
a shaft having a blade end and an opposing handle end;
a slider component supported on said shaft adjacent the handle end thereof in a slidable manner movable axially along said shaft between a retracted position of minimal axial protrusion from said handle end of the shaft, and an extended position of greater axial protrusion from said handle end of the shaft to increase an overall effective shaft length of the hockey stick;
wherein the slider component is biased into either said extended position or said retracted position.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an extendable/collapsible hockey stick comprising:
a shaft having a blade end and an opposing handle end;
a slider component supported on said shaft adjacent the handle end thereof in a slidable manner movable axially along said shaft between a retracted position of minimal axial protrusion from said handle end of the shaft, and an extended position of greater axial protrusion from said handle end of the shaft to increase an overall effective shaft length of the hockey stick;
wherein the slider component is telescopically supported on said shaft in externally fitted relation over the handle end thereof.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided an extendable/collapsible hockey stick comprising:
a shaft having a blade end and an opposing handle end;
a slider component supported on said shaft adjacent the handle end thereof in a slidable manner movable axially along said shaft between a retracted position of minimal axial protrusion from said handle end of the shaft, and an extended position of greater axial protrusion from said handle end of the shaft to increase an overall effective shaft length of the hockey stick;
wherein the slider component is self-locking in at least one of the retracted and extended positions through cooperation of a depressible locking element carried on the shaft and a cooperating lock opening in the slider, the depressible locking element being biased into a locking position that engages into said cooperating lock opening when aligned therewith.
One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
With reference to the drawings, and particularly with initial reference to the exploded view of
The mounting component 12 features a lower base stem 20 whose external periphery is of rectangular shape specifically dimensioned for mated receipt thereof in the handle end of a hollow hockey stick shaft, preferably with glued affixation thereto, much like the stems of the fixed-length wooden or composite stick extensions referenced in the background above. The external periphery of the lower base stem is therefore composed of four peripheral stem walls 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D. Atop the lower base stem 20, the mounting component 12 features an enlarged head 22 whose outer periphery is also of generally rectangular shape, but is of slightly larger size than the base stem 20 so as to overhang the periphery of the cross-sectionally smaller base stem 20. The outer periphery of the enlarged head 22 features three rigidly interconnected walls 22A, 22B, 22C residing on three sides of its generally rectangular periphery. The bottom ends of these three peripheral walls 22A, 22B, 22C respectively create an overhanging shoulder 26 at the top end of each respective side of the base stem 20. These three overhanging shoulders 26 abut against the handle end of the hockey stick shaft when the base stem 20 is inserted into the hollow interior thereof, as can be seen in
The fourth side of the generally rectangular head 22 of the mounting component 12 lacks a rigidly-fixed wall like those 22A, 22B, 22C on the other three sides of the head 22. Instead, the fourth side of the enlarged head 22 features a resiliently depressible lock tab 28 that forms part of a quick-release locking mechanism that automatically locks the slider component 14 relative to the mounting component 12 whenever slid into the fully retracted position. The depressible lock tab 28 is joined only to the corresponding peripheral stem wall 20D that underlies the lock tab 28 on the same side of the base stem 20. The lock tab 28 is a seam lessy integral extension of this corresponding stem wall 20D, preferably as part of a unitarily molded plastic body that defines the entirety of the mounting component 12. The lock tab 28 is otherwise unconnected to the three rigid peripheral head walls 22A, 22B, 22C in order to allow resilient flexing of the lock tab 28 relative to the rest of the head 22. As shown in the drawings, the lock tab 28 is thicker than the underlying stem wall 20D.
Over a mast majority of the stem's axial length, all four peripheral stem walls 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D are rigidly interconnected to one another to maintain the fixed rectangular shape of the stem 20. However, at an uppermost portion of the stem wall 20D to which the lock tab 28 is joined, this particular stem wall 20D is separated from the two adjacent stem walls 20B, 20C by respective slots 30A, 30B that extend downwardly into the stem 20 from the top end thereof at the two corners of the stem at which these three adjacent stem walls 20B, 20C, 20D meet. This way, the separated uppermost portion of the stem wall 20D forms a living hinge by which the lock tab 28 can be flexed from a normal default position angling obliquely upward and outward from the underlying stem wall 20D, and thus angling obliquely away from the opposing peripheral head wall 22A, to an inwardly deflected position standing more upright from the underlying stem wall 20D in more parallel relation to the opposing head wall 22A. The normal outwardly angled position of the lock tab 28 can be seen in
The slider component 14 is basically a hollow rectangular shell composed of four perimeter walls 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D and having open top and bottom ends 14E, 14F. As shown in the cross-sectional views of
In the perimeter wall 14D of the slider component 14 that corresponds to and faces the tab-supporting peripheral wall 20D of the mounting component's base stem 20, the slider component 14 features a lock opening 34 at the top of this perimeter wall 14D. This lock opening 34 is sized to accommodate receipt of the lock tab 28 therein for the purpose of automatically locking the slider component 14 and mounting component together when the slider component is received in its fully retracted position. This self-locking relationship between the slider component 14 and the mounting component 12 when the slider component 14 is fully retracted is shown in
The closure cap 18 is installed on the slider component 14 during assembly of the device 10 in order to close off the otherwise open top end 14E of the slider component 14, but only after the mounting component 12 has been inserted into the slider component 14 through this initially open top end 14E thereof. The closure cap 18 features a top closure wall 18A for spanning over the open top end 14E of the slider component 14, and a pair of lug walls 18B, 18C that depend downwardly from the top closure wall 18A at opposite sides thereof. Each lug wall 18B, 18C features a respective securement aperture 38 therein for mating receipt thereby of a matching securement boss 40 on the exterior of a corresponding perimeter wall 14B, 14C of the slider component 14. To install the closure cap 18, the lug walls 18B, 18C are flexed slightly away from one another during lowering thereof over the respective sides of the slider component 14, and then released once the securement apertures 38 are aligned over the securement bosses 40. The flexible lug walls 18B, 18C, via resiliently flexible and seamlessly integral connection thereof with the top closure wall 18A as part of unitarily molded plastic piece, return from their flexed-apart positions back to their default parallel positions to one anther, thereby enveloping the securement bosses 40 within the securement apertures 38 in order to secure the closure cap 18 to the slider component 14. The closure component 18 in the illustrated embodiment is therefore easily installed in a snap-fit manner, though the particular details of its attachment to the slider component 14 may be varied.
The top closure wall 18A features an internal spring boss 42 of cylindrical shape projecting perpendicularly downward from the underside of the closure wall 18A at a central point thereon in order to receive the top end of the coil spring 16 during assembly of the device. The mounting component 12 features a hollow internal cavity 44 opening thereinto from the top end of the mounting component's enlarged head 22. This cavity 44 spans a majority of the mounting component's axial length, but bottoms out at a cavity floor 44A near the bottom end of the mounting component 12. An upright spring boss 46 of cylindrical shape stands perpendicularly upward from the cavity floor 44A at a central point thereon so as to lie in alignment with the internal spring boss 42 of the closure cap 18 on a central longitudinal axis 48 of the device when assembled. In this assembled state of the device, the mounting component 12 and the slider component 14 are slidable relative to one another in an axial direction defined by this central longitudinal axis 48 that is shared by the mounting and sliding components, and is also shared by the hockey stick shaft once the device is installed thereon, as shown in
The spring-biased movement of the slider component 14 toward its fully extended position is shown in
Through comparison of
Referring to
In the collapsed state of the device 10 shown in
The extension device 10 can be installed on any existing hockey stick with a hollow shaft, without requiring any modification to the structure of the stick itself. Adjustment of the extension length from its minimum value to its maximum value can be performed near instantaneously, through use of the quick-release lock mechanism that requires only mere depression of the lock tab 28 in order to release the device from its self-locked condition. The user input required to make this lengthening adjustment of the hockey stick is further minimized in the illustrated embodiment through the spring-biasing of the slider component 14 into its fully extended position. Accordingly, the device requires no manual pulling of the slider component into its extended position, and will instead automatically pop into this position upon release of the self-locking mechanism by the simple push-button action on the resiliently depressible lock tab 28. Return of the hockey stick to the minimal extension length LMIN simply requires manual pushing of the slider component 14 in the downward direction to collapse the device 10 against the spring force. No further lock-actuating input is required due to the self-latching action of the locking mechanism once the fully retracted position is reached. As a result, adjustment can be made even on the fly during gameplay, for example lengthening the hockey stick for greater effectiveness during defensive play, and shortening the hockey stick for stick handing situations requiring greater maneuverability.
That being said, as an alternative to spring-biasing in the lengthening direction, or to supplement the use of the spring force to maintain the fully extended position, a second lock hole may be added to the slider component 14 closer to the bottom end thereof so as to also provide a self-locking action in the fully extended position. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more additional lock openings could be added at intermediate locations along the slider component to enable self locking at one or more positions of intermediate extension, thereby enabling user-selectable extension to various degrees. In another alternative with spring-biased functionality, rather than a compression spring biasing the slider component 14 in the extension direction, a tension spring hooked between the mounting component 12 and the slider component 14 could be employed to bias the slider in the retraction direction, with the lock opening 34 instead being situated lower in the slider component 14 for automatic locking of the slider component 14 in the extended position, rather than in the retracted position.
Also, while the illustrated embodiment has the slider component 14 fitted externally around both the mounting component 12 and the stick shaft 100, in another embodiment, the slider component 14 may alternatively be rearranged as an internal component that slides into an axially longer mounting component 12 during collapse of the device 10, in which case the depressible lock tab 28 may be relocated on the slidable component 14 near the upper end thereof, and the lock hole 34 accordingly relocated to the enlarged head 22 of the mounting component 12 that sits outside the stick shaft 100 at the handle end thereof. However, a benefit of the illustrated embodiment with the externally situated slidable component 14 is that in both the collapsed and extended state of the device 10, the capped slidable component 14 serves as the manually gripped uppermost area of the hockey stick, thus providing the same grip feel in both the extended and collapsed states, whereas an internal slidable component would inherently need to be smaller in cross-section than the stick shaft 100 itself, meaning that the player would having a smaller gripping area in the device's extended state than in the device's collapsed state, in the latter of which the stick shaft would be gripped directly.
While the illustrated embodiment employs an integrally molded, resiliently flexible lock tab as the selectively depressible locking element for latching with the lock opening 34 in the slider, preferably as part of an embodiment in which both the mounting component 12 and the slider component 14, and preferably also the closure cap 18 thereof, are plastic molded components, a ball-detent or other self-latching, quick-release lock mechanism may alternative be employed to lock the device in one or more of its positions.
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/958,046, filed Jan. 7, 2020, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62958046 | Jan 2020 | US |
