FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to lacrosse sticks. The present invention more particularly relates to the elongate shafts that are incorporated within such lacrosse sticks and manually wielded by participants in the sport of lacrosse.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
According to convention, a lacrosse stick basically includes both an elongate handle and a head. The elongate handle, often simply called the “shaft,” has both a designated top end and a designated bottom end. The head, in turn, is mounted on the designated top end of the elongate handle and includes both a closed-loop frame and a net suspended substantially within the confines of the frame. Together, the closed-loop frame and the net form an open pocket suited for receiving, holding, and releasing a lacrosse ball.
During play in a lacrosse game or match, a participant generally wields a lacrosse stick by gripping the lower portion of the elongate handle with one or both hands. In doing so, a participant playing in, for example, an “attack” or “attackman” position is able to scoop up, catch, carry, pass, and make shots on goal with a ball by using the head mounted on the top end of the elongate handle. An opposing participant playing in, for example, a “defense” or “defenseman” position commonly engages and closely guards an attackman who has the ball. In doing so, the defenseman vigorously attempts to both intercept the ball and prevent the attackman from advancing the ball upfield and scoring a goal. During such engagement, sharp direct blows and also indirect glancing blows are frequently inflicted at various points along the lengths of both participants' lacrosse stick handles as the defenseman, for example, stick checks the attackman.
To better enable lacrosse players to be deft in their stick-wielding and ball-handling skills, manufacturers of lacrosse sticks conventionally fabricate the elongate handle or shaft of each lacrosse stick from lightweight materials. To even further reduce the weight of lacrosse sticks, manufacturers also typically fabricate each lacrosse stick so that the shaft is generally hollow. In fabricating the shafts of lacrosse sticks in this manner, however, manufacturers must be careful not to unduly reduce the overall strength and robustness of the shafts. In this way, the sticks are not prematurely bent or broken during lacrosse games wherein sharp direct blows and/or indirect glancing blows are frequently inflicted along the lengths of participants' lacrosse sticks.
Though manufacturers to date have been somewhat successful in improving the wieldability of lacrosse sticks, there is still room for improvement. In particular, it is desirable to make the shafts of lacrosse sticks even lighter while still largely maintaining the overall strength and robustness of the sticks. At the same time, it is also desirable to manufacture the shafts so that their overall form and surface contours facilitate easy gripping and thereby minimize slippage in a player's hands.
In view of the above, there is a present need in the art for an improved lacrosse stick shaft that is lightweight, robust, and easy to grip.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a vented shaft for a lacrosse stick. In one embodiment, the shaft includes an elongate tube having a wall, an external surface, an internal surface, and an inner hollow defined therein. The wall of the elongate tube has a plurality of holes defined therethrough for permitting fluid communication between the inner hollow and the outside of the tube.
In addition, the present invention also provides a lacrosse stick. In one embodiment, the lacrosse stick includes an elongate tube, a closed-loop frame, and a net. The elongate tube has a wall, an external surface, an internal surface, and an inner hollow defined therein. The closed-loop frame is retained on a designated top end of the elongate tube, and the net is suspended in the frame. The wall of the elongate tube has a plurality of holes defined therethrough for permitting fluid communication between the inner hollow and the outside of the tube.
Furthermore, it is believed that various alternative embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the detailed description of the best mode contemplated for practicing the invention, as set forth hereinbelow, is reviewed in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawing figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention is described hereinbelow, by way of example, with reference to the following drawing figures.
FIG. 1 illustrates a frontal view of a lacrosse stick. In this view, the lacrosse stick is shown to include a vented shaft, a closed-loop frame mounted on the top end of the shaft, and a net suspended within the frame;
FIG. 2 illustrates a frontal view of the shaft depicted in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the shaft depicted in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 illustrates an offset side view of one section of the shaft depicted in FIG. 3. In this view, multiple holes defined through the wall of the shaft are highlighted;
FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional view of one of the holes defined through the wall of the shaft depicted in FIG. 4; and
FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the shaft depicted in FIG. 3.
LIST OF PARTS AND FEATURES
To facilitate an understanding of the present invention, a list of parts and features highlighted with numeric designations in FIGS. 1 through 6 is set forth hereinbelow.
- 10 lacrosse stick
- 12 shaft (of lacrosse stick)
- 14 head (of lacrosse stick)
- 16 closed-loop frame (of head)
- 18 net (of head)
- 20 end cap
- 22 elongate tube (of shaft)
- 24 wall (of tube)
- 26 external surface (of tube)
- 28 internal surface (of tube)
- 30 inner hollow (of tube)
- 32 hole(s) (in wall)
- 34 outside (of tube)
- 36 designated top end (of tube)
- 38 designated bottom end (of tube)
- 40 mounting bore (in frame)
- 42 mounting bore (in tube)
- 44 cross section (of tube)
- 46 periphery (of cross section)
- 48 peripheral side(s) (of cross section)
- 50 peripheral edge(s) (of cross section)
- 52 elongate lateral surface(s) (of tube)
- 54 recess(es) (in external surface)
- 56 bottom(s) (of recess(es))
- 58 periphery (of tube)
- 60 central axis (of tube)
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 illustrates a frontal view of a lacrosse stick 10. As shown in this view, the lacrosse stick 10 includes a shaft 12, a head 14, and a end cap or end cap 20. The shaft 12 comprises an elongate tube 22 that has a designated top end 36 and a designated bottom end 38. The designated top end 36 of the tube 22 is structurally adapted for retaining the head 14, and the designated bottom end 38 is structurally adapted for retaining the end cap 20. It will be understood that the top and the bottom end preferably have the same configuration. The head 14 itself includes both a closed-loop frame 16 and a net 18. The frame 16 is mounted and fastened on the top end 36 of the tube 22 via bores 40 and 42, which are respectively defined in the frame 16 and the tube 22. The net 18 is suspended substantially within the confines of the frame 16. The end cap 20 itself is made of a resilient material, such as rubber or plastic. Composed of such, the end cap 20 is tightly fitted over the bottom end 38 of the elongate tube 22 and thereby retained on the tube 22.
FIGS. 2 through 6 illustrate various views of the shaft 12 depicted in FIG. 1. As shown in these views, the elongate tube 22 of the shaft 12 is substantially hollow and open-ended and thus has a wall 24, an external surface 26, an internal surface 28, and an inner hollow 30 defined therein. The wall 24 of the tube 22 has a plurality of holes 32 (i.e. vents) defined therethrough for permitting the communication of fluid (for example, air, water, or moisture) between the inner hollow 30 and the outside 34 of the tube 22.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 through 6, the elongate tube 22 has a cross section 44 with a periphery 46 that is substantially octagonal. Configured as such, the cross section 44 of the tube 22 thus has eight peripheral sides 48 and a matching number of eight peripheral edges 50. In other possible embodiments, however, such an elongate tube may alternatively have a cross section with a periphery that is shaped as another type of polygon instead of an octagon. In such other embodiments, the polygonal cross section may have an alternative number of peripheral sides and a matching number of peripheral edges with the alternative number being at least three. In still other possible embodiments, an elongate tube may alternatively have a cross section with a periphery that is circular, oval, or elliptical. In general, however, an elongate tube having a cross section with a periphery that is at least partially polygonal is somewhat preferred, for such provides multiple lateral surfaces and edges along the length of the tube that facilitate easy gripping and thereby minimize slippage in a player's hands.
As best shown in FIG. 6, the peripheral sides 48 of the cross section 44 of the elongate tube 22 are somewhat concave. Configured as such, the tube's cross section 44 thereby facilitates easy gripping with a player's fingers while also minimizing slippage in a player's hands. As also shown in FIG. 6, the peripheral edges 50 of the tube's cross section 44 are somewhat rounded. Configured as such, the tube's cross section 44 also thereby reduces the possibility of a player's hands becoming blistered while gripping the periphery 58 of the tube 22 during play. In this way, therefore, the periphery 46 of the tube's cross section 44 is generally rendered as being substantially curvilinear.
As further shown in FIGS. 2 through 6, the wall 24 of the elongate tube 22, in addition to having holes 32, also has a plurality of recesses 54 defined in the external surface 26. In general, having such holes 32 and recesses 54 defined in the wall 24 of the tube 22 serves to reduce the overall weight of the tube 22. In addition thereto, such holes 32 and recesses 54 also facilitate easy gripping of the tube's periphery 58 with a player's fingers. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 through 6, the holes 32 are respectively defined through the wall 24 of the tube 22 at the bottoms 56 of the recesses 54. In other possible embodiments, however, the wall of such an elongate tube may instead have only holes or only recesses defined therein. In still other possible embodiments, the wall of a tube may have both holes and recesses defined therein that may or may not coincide with each other in terms of location in the tube's wall and/or on the tube's outer periphery. In general, holes and/or recesses may be selectively defined in the wall of an elongate tube according to desired design goals and/or intended use of a given lacrosse stick.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, both the holes 32 and the recesses 54 are generally shaped and oriented so as to be elongated along the central axis 60 (i.e. length) of the elongate tube 22. Shaped and oriented as such, the holes 32 and the recesses 54 help minimize the total weight of the elongate tube 22 while at the same time not unduly reducing the overall strength and robustness of the tube 22. In particular, by shaping and orienting the holes 32 and recesses 54 so that they are generally elongated along the tube's axis 60 instead of perpendicular thereto, the likelihood of the tube 22 being easily bent or broken at a point along its axis 60 when struck by another player's stick is thereby minimized. In other possible embodiments, however, the holes and/or recesses defined in an elongate tube may alternatively be shaped in other forms, depending on desired design goals and/or intended use of the tube. Such other shapes or forms may include, for example, circles, ovals, ellipses, polygons, or various combinations thereof.
As shown in FIGS. 2 through 6, the holes 32 and recesses 54 are both defined in the wall 24 of the elongate tube 22 so as to generally be spaced apart in a substantially even fashion about the periphery 58 of the tube 22. In this way, the unintended creation of any inherent weak spots in the elongate tube's structure is largely prevented. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 though 6, the elongate tube 22 has a cross section 44 with a polygonal periphery 46 that includes an even number of peripheral sides 48. As a result, the external surface 26 of the tube 22 correspondingly includes an even number of elongate lateral surfaces 52. As best shown in FIGS. 2 through 4, the holes 32 and recesses 54 in this embodiment are defined in the wall 24 of the tube 22 so that the holes 32 and recesses 54 are located only in every other elongate lateral surface 52 of the tube 22. By locating the holes 32 and recesses 54 in the lateral surfaces 52 of the tube 22 in this alternating manner, the holes 32 and recesses 54 are thereby spaced apart in a substantially even fashion in the tube's outer periphery 58, with hole-riddled lateral surfaces 52 interspaced with uniform lateral surfaces 52. In this configuration, the structurally weaker hole-riddled lateral surfaces 52 are thereby strongly reinforced and structurally sustained by the uniform lateral surfaces 52. As a result, the likelihood of the tube 22 being easily bent or broken at a point along its axis 60 when struck is thereby further minimized. In view of such, since a tube's elongate lateral surface that is particularly situated on the front of a lacrosse stick typically receives the most blows and “punishment” during a lacrosse game, it is generally preferable that such an elongate lateral surface be substantially uniform (i.e., without large holes and recesses). For example, the lacrosse stick 10 shown in FIG. 1 is purposely constructed so that the elongate lateral surface 52 on the front of the stick 10 is substantially uniform in structure and is without large holes and recesses.
Moreover, as shown in the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 2 through 6, the holes 32 and recesses 54 are defined through the wall 24 of the elongate tube 22 so as to generally be spaced apart in a substantially even fashion along the length of the tube 22. In this embodiment, no more than two of the holes 32 are defined through the wall 24 of the elongate tube 22 at any cross section selected along the length of the tube 22. Such a configuration is generally preferable, for it further helps prevent the unintended creation of any excessively weak spots in the elongate tube's structure. Furthermore, depending on desired design goals and performance requirements, it may even be preferable in other embodiments for no more than one hole to be defined through an elongate tube's wall at any cross section selected along the length of the tube.
In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 2 through 6, the elongate tube 22 is preferably made of a lightweight material such as, for example, aluminum or an aluminum alloy. To fabricate the tube 22, an open-ended elongate tube with an inner hollow and a cross-sectional periphery that is substantially octagonal is initially created from an aluminum alloy via, in large part, an extrusion process. After extrusion, one or more colored paints may optionally be selected and anodized onto the external surface of the tube for visual aesthetic purposes. Thereafter, the tube may be clamped and held in one or more various positions upon an immobilizing fixture so that holes and recesses may then be defined into the wall of the tube with a CNC milling machine. Once milling is completed, various colored paints and graphics may be optionally applied to the tube's external surface via one or more conventional processes to further enhance visual aesthetics. Once fabricated in this manner, the tube 22 is then ready to receive both the head 14 and the end cap 20 to thereby complete the lacrosse stick 10.
Furthermore, though the elongate tube 22 in the above-described embodiment is preferably made of lightweight aluminum or an aluminum alloy, such a tube may instead be fabricated from one or more other materials in alternative embodiments. Such other materials may include, for example, titanium, magnesium, composites, nano-materials or various other suitable materials. Depending on the particular material(s) utilized to fabricate a particular tube, various alternative and/or additional manufacturing processes may be necessary. For example, in one or more of such other processes, the holes and recesses defined in the wall of a tube may instead be pre-formed via one or more molding steps.
In summary, the present invention provides an improved lacrosse stick shaft that is lightweight, robust, and easy to grip.
While the present invention has been described in what is presently considered to be its most practical and preferred embodiment or implementation, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed hereinabove. On the contrary, the present invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the claims appended hereinbelow, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as are permitted under the law.
Patent Application
20080305898
