Patent Application
20100190590
1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to sports equipment. More particularly, the invention relates to lacrosse sticks and to the nets used to catch and throw balls. Specifically, the invention relates to a thong used for stringing the head of a lacrosse stick and to a pre-laced pocket and net incorporating the same. The thongs have a plurality of holes defined therein, and the holes extend between the front and rear surfaces of the thong and are adapted to receive one or more lacing members therethrough. The pre-laced pocket is comprised of a plurality of said thongs and a lacing member. The net is comprised of the pre-laced pocket and one or more connector strings to secure the pre-laced pocket to the frame of the head.
2. Background Information
Lacrosse sticks typically comprise a head that is detachably secured to a shaft. The head includes a frame within which a net is strung to create a ball pocket shaped to catch and retain a ball. The type of net used in the frame is a matter of choice. Some players prefer traditionally strung nets while others prefer mesh type structures. The ultimate shape and curvature of the pocket formed by lacing the head in a particular manner are of importance as it affects the catching performance of the stick, the ability to retrieve and capture a ground ball, the throwing performance of the stick, the cradling ability of the stick and the ability of the pocket to be easily broken in when first laced into the head.
A traditional style net is made up of a number of thongs around which a string is laced in a diamond-shaped, cross-lace pattern. The string is knotted in various places to secure the design. Typically the net will include four thongs, or runners, that extend longitudinally between the ball stop, which is adjacent the shaft, and the scoop of the frame. The thongs are generally made from leather or from a synthetic material. Each thong includes a longitudinally aligned splice so that an end thereof may be passed through or around a connector on the scoop, back through the splice and then through an aperture proximate the ball stop. Usually, the first and third thongs secured to the frame are substantially identical in design with the splices being made in substantially the same locations. The second and fourth thongs require an additional splice to be made through the leather in the region of the ball stop. The location of the splice in the second thong differs from that in the fourth thong and cannot be predetermined. The second and fourth thongs are therefore usually cut in situ and the position of the splice is, at least, partially dictated by the number of traditional style knots that are to be made in the string. A traditional knot requires the cross-lace to be woven so that it passes around a thong in two directions.
In traditionally strung lacrosse sticks the ability of the ball pocket to retain its shape and integrity over time and through various temperature and humidity conditions is directly related to the number of knots used in the construction of the pocket in addition to the materials used to fabricate the pocket. The formation of a higher number of knots requires that a longer length of cross-lace be used in the formation of the pocket. Historically, only a single lace is used to construct the pocket. This single lace, as incorporated into a traditional lacrosse pocket, must be around twenty-four feet in length if synthetic cord is used. Stringing a lacrosse head constructed with a single lace is difficult and time consuming. The length of the single cord makes it especially time consuming and difficult to string the first two thirds of the lacrosse head as so much slack cord needs to be managed and manipulated to prevent self entanglement as it is woven and knotted around the thongs. The process also requires skill, patience, and a keen eye to determine at which locations on the thongs the knots should be fashioned. The process also requires a great deal of experience to lace the thongs correctly on the first attempt. An additional consideration when fashioning the pocket is that there are a number of rules and regulations that have to be complied with relating to the number of the knots formed which impacts the pitch between the knots and their locations on each thong. Taking all of these factors into consideration, creating this traditional style of net is a time-consuming endeavor and is of sufficient complexity that many players require professionals to string their nets. This complexity especially causes a lot of problems if a string breaks during a game. If this happens the player must undo each knot in the string before the string can be removed and then must thread and knot a replacement string into the net before he or she can continue playing. Obviously, this is very time consuming and requires sufficient skill to tackle the task. This problem alone causes many players to resort to using the mesh style net instead of the traditional net or causes players to simply use another stick during the game. If the replacement mesh net is not properly broken it will affect the player's performance. It is furthermore extremely difficult to replace the single cross-lace when it gets worn or ripped as the lace is woven back onto itself through knots, around the thongs and through the splices in the thongs. Since the thongs are themselves secured to the frame of the head, it is typical to completely remove the entire pocket and re-lace the same. Depending on the skill level and experience of the end-user, this can take anywhere between two and half and four hours, or even longer.
One of the ways in which the industry has attempted to address the issue of complexity of creating a suitable net is by providing a pre-laced pocket that may then be secured by one or more strings into the frame. The pocket includes a number of thongs that are secured to each other by short lengths of cord. The player attaches the pre-laced pocket into the frame by securing the ends of the thongs to the scoop and ball stop and then threads a string between the pocket and the side walls of the frame. A variety of pre-laced pockets have been disclosed in the prior art. Common to the majority of existing styles of pre-laced pockets is the need for complex and automated fabrication. The majority of products on the market feature either two, three or four thongs, each thong consisting of two layers of material, namely a front layer and a rear layer. During formation of the pocket, short lengths of cord are passed between the two layers of material and are pre-tacked in place at fixed intervals from each other. The lengths of cord essentially pass through apertures between the front and rear layers of material, i.e., from one lateral side of the thong to the other lateral side thereof. A fixed length of cord extends between each pair of adjacent thongs and this length does not and cannot change because the cords are glued or otherwise secured into place. The front and rear layers of material secured together in this fashion are then permanently fixed together after the sandwich of materials and laminations is secured together up and down the vertical length of the front and rear surfaces of the thongs. Sometimes, the securement is horizontal and parallel to the cross-members for additional reinforcement of the pocket. The patterns that these cords and thongs form are the subject of a number of patents. Players have been known to remark that some of the styles of currently known pre-laced pockets cannot be “broken-in”. By this it is meant that the pocket cannot be caused to form the compound curvature or hemispherical shape that conforms to the shape of the ball. This shape is advantageous to the player capturing and throwing the ball. The failure to be able to “break-in” the currently known pre-laced pockets is a result of the horizontal members or cross-lacing being secured in place by way of stitches and to the thongs being tied to the cross-lacing through stitching. There is therefore no “give” in the structure that will allow a player to shape the net in their chosen manner. This, obviously, affects the way the player can catch, cradle and throw the ball. Players consequently have to make the decision as to whether they want to use a traditional style net with all of its problems relating to stringing so that they can have improved ball handling performance, or if they want to use one of the currently available pre-formed pockets that can be rapidly replaced and repaired but has lesser ball handling performance.
There is therefore a need in the art for an improved way to string a traditional style net within the head of a lacrosse stick and for an improved pre-laced pocket for incorporation therein.
The device of the present invention comprises a thong used for stringing the head of a lacrosse stick, a pre-laced pocket incorporating said thong and a net incorporating said pre-laced pocket. The thong has a plurality of holes defined therein, said holes extending between the front and rear surfaces of the thong. The holes are configured to receive two lacing members therethrough. The pre-laced pocket is comprised of a plurality of said thongs and the lacing members are threaded through the holes in a diamond-shaped, mirror-imaged cross-laced pattern. The net is comprised of the pre-laced pocket and one or more connector strings that extend between the pre-laced pocket and the head's frame.
The present invention provides a net for the head of a lacrosse stick that is easy to lace in that it incorporates at least two thongs that have apertures formed therein and through which a pair of braided nylon cords are threaded in a mirror-image pattern. Each thong has a front, ball-engaging surface, an opposed rear surface and lateral sides. The apertures are formed in the thongs so that they extend from the front surface through to the rear surface.
In a second embodiment, the net incorporates a pre-laced or pre-strung pocket that tends to more easily form the compound curvature in the longitudinal and latitudinal direction better than other previously known pre-laced pockets. It is believed that one of the reasons for this improved compound curvature formation is that the thongs are not secured to the cross-lacing by stitches. Consequently, the cross-lacing can dynamically conform to the shape of the ball. When the ball is caught, the energy of the impact of the ball on the pocket is absorbed and distributed along the longitudinal and latitudinal members of the pocket and the ball therefore more readily remains in the pocket instead of bouncing out of the net.
Additionally, the formation of the holes in the thongs for placement of the lacing eliminates the guesswork as to where to mate the cross-lacing with the thongs. The cords pass through the holes in the thongs instead of having to be wrapped around the thongs and then knotted to aid in retaining them in the correct position. The holes also have a pitch that indicates and directs where to weave the pair of braided nylon cords to form the pre-laced pocket with consistent and reproducible accuracy. As a result, a novice can string their pocket with the same exactitude as an experienced player. Furthermore, the weaving pattern dictated by the pitch and placement of the holes for the first two thongs is a mirror image of the pattern for the other two thongs. Finally, the pocket is secured into the head using two substantially shorter lengths of nylon cord than is required when lacing a net from scratch. The player can therefore weave the pre-laced pocket into the head without tangling the cord during the process.
The preferred embodiments of the invention, illustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principles, are set forth in the following description and are shown in the drawings and are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.
b is a side view of the thong of
a is a front view of a pre-laced pocket for incorporation into the net of a head of a lacrosse stick;
b is a rear view of the pre-laced pocket of
c is a side view of the pre-laced pocket of
Referring to
Each of the scoop 14, ball stop 17, and sidewalls 18, 20 define a plurality of holes therein. Scoop 14 defines a plurality of holes 22, ball stop 17 defines a plurality of holes 24 (
In accordance with a specific feature of the present invention, a plurality of holes 36 are punched out or cut into the leather. Holes 36 are spaced at intervals from each other along the length of thong 30. The plurality of holes 36 is substantially aligned with or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the associated one of the first and second thongs 30. The holes 36 extend from the front surface to the rear surface of the thongs and are consequently generally disposed at right angles to the plane of the front surface of thong 30. Alternatively, the first and second thongs 30 may be manufactured from a synthetic material and may comprise more than longitudinally aligned layers of material. However, even in these instances, holes 36 extend from the front, ball engaging surface of the thong through to the opposed, non-ball-engaging rear surface. Holes 36 therefore extend through all of the longitudinally aligned layers of material that are disposed between the front and rear surfaces of the thongs. Holes 36 do not extend from one lateral side edge of the thong to the other lateral side edge thereof.
In accordance with a specific feature of the present invention, each hole is punched in thong 30 in a specific location and at a consistent pitch. For example in a thong that is 450 mm in length, 2.8 cm wide and around 0.2 cm thick, an uppermost hole 36a is punched through thong 30 so that its uppermost end is at a distance of 15 mm from the uppermost end of the thong. Hole 36a is 3 mm×6 mm×R1.5 mm in size. The uppermost end of splice 38 is situated 25 mm from the uppermost end of the thong. Splice 38 is 20 mm long. The thong is folded along a foldline that is spaced a distance of 20 mm from the lowermost end of splice 38. The uppermost end of hole 36b is spaced 15 mm below the foldline. Hole 36b is 3 mm×6 mm×R1.5 mm. An additional seven holes are punched through thong 30. Each hole has the same dimensions, i.e., 3 mm×6 mm×R1.5 mm and the holes are spaced 25 mm apart from each other. The lowermost hole 36e preferably is substantially circular in shape having a diameter or 3 mm. It should be noted that lowermost end 30b of thong 30 may be cut at a 45 degree angle to make it easier to thread thong through the holes 24 in the ball stop 17 of head. It will be understood that this pattern of the holes may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Since the pattern of the holes in the thongs 30 is provided, there is no need for the player, or a manufacturer, to figure out where to make knots around the thongs. Because of these features, it is possible to rapidly weave a net that provides consistent performance.
A first hole 36a is formed in thong 30 proximate first end 30a of thong 30 and a second hole 36b is formed a spaced distance “D” therefrom. A longitudinally aligned slit 38 is cut into the leather between first and second holes 36a, 36b and preferably situated closer to first hole 36a. Third and subsequent holes 36c, 36d through 36e are spaced at substantially constant intervals relative to each other. The plurality of holes 36 are oriented in a row that is substantially aligned with or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the associated one of the first and second thongs 30. Each hole 36 is substantially elliptical in shape.
Referring to
In like manner, a second string 32 is threadably engaged in the holes 26 in sidewall 18. Once again, the second string 32 is not pulled taut and is permitted to form a plurality of second loops 42. This process is repeated all along sidewall 18 until string 32 exits through hole 26c (
Referring to
Referring to
It should also be noted that as part of the lacing procedure, in each thong 30, lace 52a or 54b is pulled through the aligned pair of holes 36a and 36b. This causes first end 30a of thong 30 to be held in abutting contact with the region of the thong 30 that defines hole 36b and toward hole 36c. The free ends of each lace 52 are each tied in a knot 53 proximate ball stop 17. There is a decided advantage to this feature of “abutting contact” resulting from drawing the two opposing surfaces together by the lacing between holes 36a and 36b that draws the tail of the thong against the length of the thong distal to the loop. The abutment helps in the retrieval of ground balls by reducing friction between the underside of the pocket/net and the playing surface and it is easier to lower the head of the stick parallel to the ground and scoop under a ground ball. In a traditional pocket, there is friction between the floating tails (which are not tied to the underside of the thongs distal to the loop ends) and the natural grass, synthetic turf and/or concrete surfaces upon which a lacrosse match may be contested. The floating tails in a traditionally strung pocket can provide an uneven underside to a pocket as some may twist left while others may twist right, while some twist forward while some may in fact be momentarily pressured back in a desirable fashion against the underside of the thong distal to the loop. This unevenness may result in miss-played ground balls where the pocket cannot be lowered entirely parallel to the playing surface and the ball hops over or out of the pocket/net.
Referring to
As shown in
At this point, the net 12 is completely strung within the head 10. The player may adjust the thongs 30 by loosening them at the ball stop 17 to form longitudinal curvature around the ball. The lateral compound curvature around the ball is provided by the dynamic movement of the cross-lacing through holes 36, strings 60 and 64 through loops 62a and 62b, and loops 40 and 42. The player can deliberately shape the net and/or the energy of the ball itself may shape the net. Shooter strings (not shown) may also be threaded in any manner known in the art. Another advantage of the present invention is that if either one of the laces 52a, 52b break during a game, it is very easy for a player to rapidly remove the damaged component. This is possible because the player can clearly see which hole 36 in the thongs 30 the broken lace extends from, and can therefore easily figure out how to unravel the pattern. Once again, the holes 36 in the thongs 30 make it much easier to weave a replacement lace into the net as it is easy to see into which of the holes 36 the replacement lace must next be threaded.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that there are many alternative ways and patterns in which net 12 may be strung and that individual players can adjust the pattern as they desire to do so. The actual configurations of the patterns shown herein are by way of illustration only and do not form part of the present invention. The holes 36 in the thongs 30 give the player a quick and easy guide to follow so that they can string the net quickly and consistently, no matter which stringing pattern they chose to embrace.
a-20c show a second embodiment of the present invention. In these figures, a pre-laced pocket 100 in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. Pre-laced pocket 100 incorporates at least two thongs 130 that are substantially identical in structure and function to the thongs shown in
a shows a front view of the pre-laced pocket 100.
Pocket 100 is provided so that the consumer does not need to thread the intricate interior region of the net, specifically, the region that is used to form the ball pocket thereof. The manner of securing pocket 100 into the head is shown in
As with the first embodiment, lateral adjustment is made possible between pocket 100 and side string loops 140, 142 by string 160, 164. If pocket 100 was attached directly to sides 118, 120 of the head, lateral adjustment of the pocket would be impossible. This type of lateral adjustment was not possible with the pre-sewn pockets disclosed in the prior art. The ability to laterally adjust the pocket allows the pocket 100 to be broken in and shaped by the impact of the ball on the net. In the prior art designs, all of the horizontal and vertical members in the pocket are tied to each other with stitching or some other form of securement. Then, when the ball strikes the net in those previously known devices, it is essentially hitting a hard surface and the tendency is for the ball to bounce back out of the net like a ball hitting a tennis racquet. This is one of the reasons why the previously known pockets could not be broken in easily.
Pocket 100 of the present invention also provides for a rapid and relatively easy repair to the net. For example, if the first connector string 160 breaks during a game, then all the player has to do is untie the knots 165 at either end of first connector string 160, pull the first connector string 160 out of the connector loops 162a and first loops 140, and then thread a replacement connector string between the connector loops 162a and first loops 140. There is no need to remove any other components from the net. If the lace 152 breaks, on the other hand, then the player would detach each of the first, second and third connector strings, and would detach and remove the second ends 130b of the thongs 130 from ball stop 117. A replacement pocket could then be connected into the head in the manner previously described. There is thus no need to untie a plurality of knots in the region of the thongs, nor is there any need for a time consuming and intricate re-lacing of the pocket region. Consequently, the player can rapidly repair the damage to the net and can get back in the game. Additionally, because the pocket 100 is pre-laced, the tension between the thongs 130 and the lace 152 is pre-set. The net will therefore have a consistent “feel” and substantially identical ability to catch and retain the ball before and after this repair.
Both
It should be noted that the variations shown in
It will be understood that once pocket 100 is fully secured into head 110, shooter strings (not shown) can be threaded onto net by wrapping the same around the exterior of thongs 130 as is known in the art.
One of the advantages of the present invention is that the nature of the pocket is such that it does not need to be “broken in” by a player. Consequently, if a player decides during the course of a game that it is necessary to replace the pocket in the net, the old pocket can be quickly removed and a new one secured in place and the player is able to immediately use the stick.
In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.
Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.
