Patent Application
20140302951
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to lacrosse equipment and related technology, with particular discussion about a lacrosse head and pocket that integrates two types of stringing material.
Players in the game of lacrosse use a stick with a shaft and an end, or head, that is configured with a pocket to catch, transport, and deliver a ball. Prior to about 1970, lacrosse sticks were hickory wooden box and field sticks. This construction typically integrates the head with the shaft. These sticks also include leather thongs and braided nylon or polyester laces that were woven onto the head to form the pocket. Over time, and in connection with the rise in popularity of the game, manufacture of lacrosse sticks migrated to molded plastic heads and metal shafts of varying alloys. For the pocket, however, these conventional sticks often incorporate the woven, traditional-style of leather thongs and nylon laces or, alternatively, a single piece of machine-woven nylon mesh.
Pocket construction is of particular importance because the pocket is integral to the fundamental skills of the game. The leaders and lacing of traditional-style pockets, for example, can provide exceptional feel and hold of the ball. These features are important for players to catch and cradle the ball, as well as to retain the ball while the player dodges to evade their opponents. On the other hand, although mesh material provides much less support (than leather leaders and lacing), the mesh-style pockets often have a much smoother release. Player often migrate to mesh-style pockets to improve accuracy for throwing and shooting the ball.
Stringing arrangements exist that deviate from pockets of exclusively the traditional-style and mesh-style. In some cases, the arrangement may combine mesh in between the leather thongs of the traditional-style pocket. Other pockets may combine mesh materials that have different properties (e.g., stiffness). In other examples, the arrangement incorporates peripheral components, e.g., plastic plates and/or inserts, that take the place of part of the pocket in the lacrosse head.
This disclosure describes embodiments of a stringing arrangement that renders a pocket that combines features of both traditional-style and mesh-style pockets. These embodiments offer a hybrid design that improves the “feel” and “hold” of a ball over current mesh-style pockets with a smoother release of the ball over traditional-style pockets. In one embodiment, the combination utilizes mesh material at the top of the pocket and traditional-style stringing at the bottom of the pocket. Unlike conventional technology, however, the embodiments proposed below introduce unique features to combine these two technologies without disrupting the transition of the ball from the pocket.
This disclosure describes, in one embodiment, a lacrosse head that comprises a body comprising a peripheral structure circumscribing an opening having an upper portion and a lower portion. The peripheral structure has a base, two sides extending from the base and disposed on either side of a center line of the peripheral structure, and a scoop coupled with the sides and spaced apart from the base. The lacrosse head can also comprise a stringing arrangement disposed in the opening. The stringing arrangement can comprise a mesh member that populates substantially all of the opening in the upper portion, one or more string members forming an interwoven pattern that populates substantially all of the opening in the lower portion, and an interface region in which the mesh member couples with the interwoven pattern.
This disclosure also describes, in one embodiment, a lacrosse head that comprises a body with a peripheral wall circumscribing an opening having a first portion and a second portion. The first portion can comprise a piece of mesh material that populates substantially all of the opening. The second portion can comprise a leader member and a string member configured in an interwoven pattern. The first portion and the second portion terminate at an interface region in which the piece of mesh material couples with the interwoven pattern.
This disclosure further describes, in one embodiment, a stringing arrangement that is configured for use in a lacrosse head. The stringing arrangement comprises a piece of mesh material, a plurality of leader members, and a string member that forms an interwoven pattern that includes the plurality of leader members. The interwoven pattern can couple at a bottom part of the piece of mesh material.
This brief description of the invention is intended only to provide a brief overview of subject matter disclosed herein according to one or more illustrative embodiments, and does not serve as a guide to define or limit the scope of the invention. This brief description is provided to introduce an illustrative selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This brief description is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the invention, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the invention.
So that the manner in which the features of the invention can be understood, a detailed description of the invention may be had by reference to certain embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the drawings illustrate only certain embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the scope of the invention encompasses other equally effective embodiments. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis generally being placed upon illustrating the features of certain embodiments of the invention. In the drawings, like numerals are used to indicate like parts throughout the various views. Thus, for further understanding of the invention, reference can be made to the following detailed description, read in connection with the drawings in which:
The discussion below contemplates various stringing arrangements for a lacrosse head that incorporate both mesh material found in mesh-style pockets and nylon lacing and leathers found in traditional-style pockets. This combination offers the benefits of each pocket style, namely the feel and hold of the traditional-style pocket and the smooth release commonly associated with the mesh-style pocket.
As noted herein, the stringing arrangement 100 combines different stringing implements together into the hybrid design to form a pocket in the lacrosse head 102. These stringing implements may include, for example, mesh material and stringing material (also, “traditional stringing”). The hybrid design leverages favorable properties of these stringing implements to provide the pocket with characteristics that are robust. Use of the traditional stringing, for example, can improve feel and hold of the ball in the lower region 110, where the ball is likely to reside when the end user traverses the playing field. The mesh material in the upper region 108, on the other hand, improves release of the ball from the pocket that is favorable for passing and shooting.
Configurations of the stringing arrangement 100 separates the pocket into regions having areas that are each less than the total area of the opening 106. These configurations, for example, locate the first member 122 over a first area and the second member 124 over a second area. In one construction, the first area is less than the second area, wherein the first area can cover about 40% or less of the total area of the opening 106. The second area may cover the remaining 60%.
Examples of the stringing arrangement 100 can also include one or more additional stringing implements that are interwoven through the apertures 132. These stringing elements can secure the piece 130 to the scoop 114 and sidewalls 116, 118 of the lacrosse head 102. In other configurations, the stringing implements can traverse across the opening 106. These transverse implements (also “shooting strings”) are useful to promote accurate and repeatable release of ball from the pocket, e.g., for passing and shooting. Notably, the lattice-style structure of the mesh material arranges the apertures 132 to provide uniform structure that supports and positions the shooting strings in the opening 106. This structure provides reliable and consistent placement of the shooting strings that is of particular advantage in light of contemporary rule changes that limit the number and restrict the arrangement of the shooting strings in the pocket.
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The embodiments here leverage construction of the stringing arrangement 100 to minimize interference as the ball moves across the transition 156, e.g., from the lower region 110 to the upper region 108. The construction may, for example, result in tension on the piece 130 of mesh material in a direction 158 that is directed generally toward the base 112. This tension may arise from the traditional member 138. For example, in one construction, the string members from the traditional member 138 are woven into the apertures 132 at the bottom 136 of the mesh member 128 in a manner that applies a force onto the mesh member 128. This force can maintain tension on the mesh member 128, drawing the mesh member 128 generally downwardly toward the base 112 to minimize any interference that might otherwise prevail because of the combination of two different styles of stringing materials.
In view of the foregoing, the embodiments proposed herein combine the mesh-style pocket and the traditional style pocket into a hybrid pocket design. Examples of this pocket can come pre-installed on the lacrosse head as part of, for example, stock or custom stringing services. In other implementations, the parts for the stringing arrangement may be packaged as a kit (also “kit of parts”) in which the parts (e.g., the piece of mesh material, the stringing members, the leathers, etc.) are combined in varying levels of integration. For example, the kit may be configured with the mesh member and the traditional member in pre-strung form, requiring only that the end user secure the peripheral edges of the peripheral wall of the lacrosse head. This configuration may integrate certain fastening elements (e.g., hook-and-loop fastener, clips, buttons, snaps, etc.) on one or more parts of the stringing arrangement (e.g., the leader members). These fastening elements can allow for releasable engagement of the pre-strung form to the lacrosse head.
As used herein, an element or function recited in the singular and proceeded with the word “a” or “an” should be understood as not excluding plural said elements or functions, unless such exclusion is explicitly recited. Furthermore, references to “one embodiment” of the claimed invention should not be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/808,999, filed on Apr. 5, 2013 and entitled “LACROSSE POCKET.” The content of this application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61808999 | Apr 2013 | US |
