Patent Application
20110218060
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a lacrosse head and stick.
2. Background Art
Lacrosse heads typically include a frame with a series of openings along the scoop and sidewalls of the frame for securing a net thereto. The size and shape of these openings may affect a user's ability to string the net onto the lacrosse head. Some openings on conventional lacrosse heads are small or awkwardly shaped so as to make stringing of the lacrosse net more difficult. In addition, the size and shape of these openings may affect the performance of the lacrosse stick. For example, the size and/or shape of these openings may affect the stiffness, flexibility, and/or aerodynamic response of the lacrosse head during play. Accordingly, a need exists for lacrosse heads and lacrosse sticks incorporating lacrosse heads that provide for improved openings along the scoop and sidewalls of the frame for securing a net thereto.
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a lacrosse head, comprising: a frame having a base, a pair of sidewalls extending from the base, and a scoop connecting the pair of sidewalls opposite the base, the scoop defining an aperture for receiving a portion of a net, an inner scoop surface, and an outer scoop surface. The aperture includes an upper edge and a lower edge, the lower edge having a first notch, a second notch, and a center portion intermediate to the first notch and the second notch.
Embodiments of the present invention further relate to a lacrosse head having a base portion; a pair of sidewalls extending from the base portion; a scoop connecting the pair of sidewalls opposite the base portion, the scoop having an inner surface and an outer surface; and a plurality of apertures formed in the scoop, each of the plurality of apertures having rounded first and second end portions and a center portion intermediate the end portions. The apertures have a void area and the total void area of the plurality of apertures comprises at least about 30% of the total area of the scoop.
Embodiments of the present invention further relate to a lacrosse head, comprising: an apertured portion, wherein the apertured portion defines an aperture for receiving a portion of a net, the aperture having an upper edge and a lower edge, the lower edge having a first notch, a second notch, and a center portion intermediate to the first notch and the second notch. The apertured portion may be disposed in a scoop or sidewall portion of the head.
Embodiments of the present invention may also relate to a lacrosse stick, comprising: an elongated shaft having a butt end and a head end, and a port formed through the head end; and a head attachable to the shaft. The head may comprise: a base portion, a pair of sidewalls extending forwardly from the base portion, a scoop connecting the pair of sidewalls opposite the base portion, and a throat portion extending from the base portion for axially receiving the head end of the shaft, the throat portion having a front portion and a back portion, wherein the front portion defines a front aperture and the back portion defines a back aperture, and an opening. When the head is joined to the shaft, the port formed in the head end of the shaft is aligned with both the front aperture and the back aperture such that a void extends through the head and the shaft.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate the present invention and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention.
The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to indicate identical or functionally similar elements. References to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “an example embodiment”, etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.
The following examples are illustrative, but not limiting, of the present invention. Other suitable modifications and adaptations of the variety of conditions and parameters normally encountered in the field, and which would be apparent to those skilled in the art, are within the spirit and scope of the invention.
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In one embodiment, the head 10 comprises injection molded plastic, such as, for example, nylon or nylon composite. In addition to, or instead of, nylon or nylon composite, other suitable materials, including, but not limited to, other plastic, other thermoplastic such as, for example, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), or thermoplastic copolyester elastomer (TPC), composite (e.g., glass, carbon, or kevlar fiber-containing composite), wood, metal such as, for example, titanium or stainless steel, and combinations thereof may be used. In alternative embodiments, the head 10 may be made from multiple materials. For example, in one embodiment, at least a portion of the sidewalls 24 and/or 26, and/or the scoop 28 may be overmolded with a suitable material, such as, for example, nylon, other plastic, other thermoplastic such as, for example, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), or thermoplastic copolyester elastomer (TPC), composite (e.g., glass, carbon, or kevlar fiber-containing composite), wood, metal such as, for example, titanium or stainless steel, and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the material comprising the overmolded portion of the head 10 may have different properties than the material comprising the non-overmolded portion of the head 10. For example, the overmolded portion of the head 10 may be more or less stiff than the non-overmolded portion. In one embodiment, the head 10 is a unitary structure that is injection molded using known techniques.
A plurality of apertures 25 is formed through each of the sidewalls 24 and 26 and a plurality of apertures 30 is formed through the scoop 28 to provide for securing a lacrosse net 40 (as shown, for example, in
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In one embodiment, one or both of the first notch 36 and the second notch 38 may extend below the center portion 37 of the lower edge 34. The center portion 37 may separate the first notch 36 and the second notch 37, and, accordingly, may keep adjacent strings of the lacrosse net separated during stringing of the lacrosse net 10 and during play. In this manner, the center portion 37 may define a net-separating portion that may allow for proper positioning of the lacrosse net during use of the lacrosse head 10 and may facilitate stringing of the lacrosse net.
In one embodiment of the present invention, one or more of the apertures 30 are oversized as compared to conventional lacrosse head apertures (such as, for example, sidewall apertures 25). The relative size of the plurality of apertures 30 may be defined as a percentage of the total area of the scoop 28 if the apertures were otherwise filled. In one embodiment, the total area of the scoop 28 may be defined as the area between the left side of the left-most aperture 30 and the right side of the right-most aperture 30, as illustrated, for example, by the area bounded by the vertical dotted lines shown in
In one embodiment, the plurality of apertures 30 formed in the scoop 28 comprises at least about 30% of the total area of the scoop 28. For example, the total area of the scoop 28 may be approximately 6186 mm2 and the total void area of the plurality of apertures 30 may be approximately 1817 mm2. In another embodiment, the plurality of apertures 30 formed in the scoop 28 comprises at least about 40% of the total area of the scoop 28. In yet another embodiment, the plurality of apertures 30 formed in the scoop 28 comprises at least about 50% of the total area of the scoop 28. In another embodiment, the plurality of apertures 30 formed in the scoop 28 may comprise a percentage in the range of from about 30% to about 50% of the total area of the scoop 28.
In one embodiment, the apertures 30 may be oversized so as to facilitate stringing of the lacrosse net 40. Conventional lacrosse head apertures may be typically sized such that they have an area that is only about at most twice the cross-sectional area of the net's string, which may be about 3-4 mm in diameter. This may lead to difficulty in stringing the net through the aperture, particularly when the end of the string may be frayed or worn. In one embodiment, one or more apertures 30 may have an area more than about four (4) times the cross-sectional area of the string. In one embodiment, each of one or more apertures 30 may have an area more than about five (5) times the cross-sectional area of the string.
In one embodiment, because the apertures 30 may provide for less material in the scoop 28 and provide for a greater area of open holes, the size of the apertures 30 may further provide for improved aerodynamics of the head 10. In one embodiment, one or more apertures 30 may be sized to provide the desired aerodynamics effects of the head 10. For example, the apertures 30 may be sized such that less air resistance is imparted upon the head 10 during use. In addition, one or more apertures 30 may be sized to provide the desired weight of the head 10.
In one embodiment, one or more apertures 30 may be configured to provide the desired stiffness of the head 10. The stiffness of a head may be tested in two orientations: lateral (side to side) and vertical (top to bottom). In one embodiment, a general procedure for testing the lateral flex and vertical flex of the head 10 having one or more apertures 30 is as follows. For lateral flex testing, the head is placed directly on a fixture plate (sidewall facing down). The head is impacted with an impact head for five (5) cycles and displaced 50 mm (in the direction of sidewall toward sidewall) to generate forces that may be representative of a lacrosse head during use. An average stiffness can be calculated by averaging data collected from impacts, such as impacts 1, 3, and 5. In some embodiments, the lacrosse head 10 having one or more apertures 30 has an average lateral stiffness of less than about 5 N/mm or less than about 4 N/mm. In other embodiments, the lacrosse head 10 having one or more apertures 30 has an average lateral stiffness of at least about 3.5 N/mm. Thus, in some embodiments, the lacrosse head has an average lateral stiffness of about 3.5 to about 5 N/mm, about 3.5 to about 4 N/mm, or about 3.9 N/mm.
For vertical flex testing, the head is oriented vertically such that the scoop contacts a fixture plate. The head is impacted for five (5) cycles and displaced 40 mm (in the direction of throat toward scoop) to generate forces that may be representative of a lacrosse head during use. An average stiffness can be calculated by averaging data collected from impacts, such as impacts 1, 3, and 5. In some embodiments, the lacrosse head 10 having one or more apertures 30 has an average vertical stiffness of at least about 10 N/mm, at least about 13 N/mm, or at least about 15 N/mm. For example, in some embodiments, the lacrosse head 10 having one or more apertures 30 has an average vertical stiffness of about 10 to about 20, about 13 to about 18, about 14 to about 16, or about 15.5 N/mm. In some embodiments, the lacrosse head 10 having one or more apertures 30 has an average lateral stiffness of about 3.5 to about 4 N/mm and an average vertical stiffness of at least about 13 N/mm.
In one embodiment, one or more apertures 30 may be configured to provide the desired stiffness for head 10 for different game playing positions. For example, the apertures may be configured to provide a stiffer head 10 for one position (e.g., defense) or to provide a less stiff head 10 for another position (e.g., attack). The apertures 30 may also be configured to provide a more or less compliant scoop 28, which may, for example, effect ball control or a player's ability to pick the ball off of the ground.
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In some embodiments, the scoop 28 may include one or more oversized apertures 30 and one or more conventional apertures 25. For example, as shown in
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The shapes, configurations, and combinations of apertures 30 shown in
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When the lacrosse head 10 is attached to the shaft 50, the port 56 is aligned with both the back aperture 214 and the front aperture 216 such that a void extends through both the head 10 and the shaft 50. In one embodiment, a portion of the shaft 50 may be visible through the back aperture 214 and/or the front aperture 216. In some embodiments, the alignment of the port 56 and the back aperture 214 and the front aperture 216 may provide for improved aerodynamics of the lacrosse stick during play.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the present invention. For example, in one embodiment, a conventional lacrosse head without apertures formed in the throat portion may be attached to a shaft having a port formed in its head end. One or more support members may be used to support the attachment of the head to the shaft. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance.
The breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
