U.S. patent application number 11/160369 was filed with the patent office on 2005-12-22 for lacrosse handle.
Invention is credited to Morrow, David.
Application Number | 20050282667 11/160369 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35481349 |
Filed Date | 2005-12-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050282667 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Morrow, David |
December 22, 2005 |
LACROSSE HANDLE
Abstract
A handle for a lacrosse head is provided. The handle includes a
hollow metal tube having an interior surface and an exterior
surface. The hollow metal tube also has a first end for
communicating with a throat portion of a lacrosse head and a second
end opposing the first end. The exterior surface includes a
plurality of sidewalls meeting at a plurality of intersections. The
intersections have cross-sectional widths of greater magnitude than
the sidewalls.
Inventors: |
Morrow, David; (Metamora,
MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ARTZ & ARTZ, P.C.
28333 TELEGRAPH RD.
SUITE 250
SOUTHFIELD
MI
48034
US
|
Family ID: |
35481349 |
Appl. No.: |
11/160369 |
Filed: |
June 21, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60581488 |
Jun 21, 2004 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
473/513 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 59/20 20151001;
A63B 60/10 20151001; A63B 60/06 20151001; A63B 60/08 20151001; A63B
2102/14 20151001; A63B 60/00 20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/513 |
International
Class: |
A63B 059/02; A63B
065/12 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A handle for a lacrosse head comprising: a hollow tube having an
interior surface and an exterior surface, said hollow tube having a
first end for communicating with a throat portion of a lacrosse
head and a second end opposing said first end, said exterior
surface comprising a plurality of sidewalls meeting at a plurality
of intersections, wherein said hollow tube has a first thickness
defined between each of said plurality of intersections and said
interior surface, wherein said hollow tube has a second thickness
defined between at least one of said sidewalls and said interior
surface, and wherein said first thickness has a greater magnitude
than said second thickness.
2. The handle of claim 1, wherein said hollow tube is comprised of
a material selected from the group consisting of an aluminum metal,
a titanium metal, and an alloy.
3. The handle of claim 1, wherein said interior surface is
smooth.
4. The handle of claim 1, wherein a first one of said plurality of
sidewalls comprises a concave surface.
5. The handle of claim 4, wherein a second one of said plurality of
sidewalls comprises a flat surface.
6. The handle of claim 1 wherein said plurality of sidewalls
alternate between adjacent concave and flat sidewalls.
7. The handle of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first
thickness and said second thickness varies along a length of the
handle.
8. The handle of claim 1, wherein said hollow tube has a third
thickness defined between a second one of said sidewalls and said
interior surface, wherein said third thickness varies throughout a
length of said second one of said sidewalls.
9. The handle of claim 1, wherein said internal surface alternates
between flat and concave surfaces.
10. The handle of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality
of intersections comprises a rounded surface.
11. A handle for a lacrosse head comprising: a one-piece hollow
tube having a smooth interior surface and an exterior surface, said
hollow tube having a first end for communicating with a throat
portion of a lacrosse head and a second end opposing said first
end, said exterior surface comprising a plurality of sidewalls
meeting at a plurality of intersections and alternating between
flat sidewalls and concave sidewalls, wherein said hollow tube has
a first thickness defined between each of said plurality of
intersections and said interior surface, wherein said hollow tube
has a second substantially uniform thickness defined between said
flat sidewalls and said interior surface, wherein said hollow tube
has a third varying thickness defined between said concave
sidewalls and said interior surface, and wherein said first
thickness has a greater magnitude than both said second thickness
and said third thickness.
12. The handle of claim 11, wherein said first thickness of said
intersections is formed through at least one of: integrally formed
with said interior and formed through a separate forging process
and added to said interior.
13. The handle of claim 11, wherein at least one of said plurality
of intersections comprises a flat surface.
14. The handle of claim 11, wherein said internal surface
alternates between flat and concave surfaces.
15. The handle of claim 11, wherein at least one of said plurality
of intersections comprises a rounded surface.
16. A handle for a lacrosse head comprising: a one-piece hollow
tube having a smooth interior surface and an exterior surface, said
hollow tube having a substantially octagonal cross section, said
hollow tube having a first end for communicating with a throat
portion of a lacrosse head and a second end opposing said first
end, said hollow tube defining a central axis, said exterior
surface comprising a plurality of sidewalls meeting at a plurality
of intersections and alternating between flat sidewalls and concave
sidewalls, said flat sidewalls flat relative to a first plurality
of internal surface portions, wherein said first plurality of
internal surface portions are substantially flat, said concave
sidewalls concave relative to a second plurality of internal
surface portions, wherein said second plurality of internal surface
portions are substantially concave, and wherein said plurality of
intersections have a greater thickness than said flat sidewalls and
said concave sidewalls with respect to said internal surface.
17. The handle of claim 16, wherein said hollow tube is comprised
of a material selected from the group consisting of an aluminum
metal, a titanium metal, and an alloy.
18. The handle of claim 16, wherein at least one of said plurality
of intersections comprises at least one of a flat surface and a
convex surface.
19. The handle of claim 16, wherein at least one of said plurality
of intersections comprises a rounded surface.
20. The handle of claim 16, wherein said plurality of intersections
vary in thickness relative to said internal surface as a result of
less material added to said internal surface along a length of the
handle.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present invention claims priority from U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 60/581,488, filed Jun. 21, 2004, and entitled
"Handle With Increased Strength".
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a lacrosse handle
for attachment to a lacrosse head. More particularly, the present
invention relates to a lacrosse handle for attachment to a lacrosse
head that has increased strength and resistance to breakage or
damage.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Original lacrosse handles were constructed of wood. These
wood handles were shaped such that the lacrosse handle and the
lacrosse head were a single one-piece wood structure. These wooden
lacrosse handles suffered from a variety of disadvantages.
Initially, these wooden handles were susceptible to damage from
excess exposure to water such as through warping. Further, these
prior wooden handles were heavy and somewhat cumbersome and also
susceptible to breakage. Moreover, because the wood had to be bent
to form the sidewall and the scoop, a significant amount of time
was involved in forming or making each of these wooden lacrosse
handles, which made them relatively expensive. Because the lacrosse
handle and head were a single structure, if any portion of the head
or the handle broke or was damaged, the entire wooden handle and
head needed to be replaced.
[0004] Subsequently, plastic lacrosse heads were developed which
were intended to be attached to a lacrosse handle. As the lacrosse
heads and the lacrosse handles were separate components that could
be manufactured separately, if either the lacrosse handle or the
lacrosse head became damaged or was broken, each component could be
replaced individually. The original handles for attachment to these
plastic heads were constructed of wood. These handles were also
susceptible to water damage and were relatively heavy and
cumbersome.
[0005] Thereafter, metal lacrosse handles were developed for
attachment to the plastic lacrosse heads. The initial metal handles
were less expensive than the prior wood handles. However, they were
relatively heavy, which provided disadvantages from both a
playability and a safety standpoint. Current lacrosse handles are
constructed of a lighter metal, such as aluminum or titanium. These
lacrosse handles typically take the form of a hollow metal tube,
and are formed by extrusion or similar processes. While having a
relatively light weight, the hollow handles are susceptible to
breakage or damage. Additionally, these conventional handles also
are formed with a uniform wall thickness along the entire length of
the tube. In other words, the cross-sectional thickness of the
handles from one end to the other end is the same. Moreover, the
top and bottom halves of these conventional handles are
symmetrical. This is disadvantageous in that the handle does not
assist a player in determining the orientation of the handle and
thus the attached lacrosse head in the player's hand.
[0006] Therefore, a need exists for a lacrosse handle that has
increased durability without significantly increasing the weight
thereof. A need also exists for a lacrosse handle that provides a
player with tactile feedback as to the orientation of the handle in
the player's hand.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is therefore one advantage of the present invention to
provide an improved handle for a lacrosse head that provides
tactile stimuli or feedback such that a player can sense the
orientation of a lacrosse head attached to the handle without the
need for visual inspection.
[0008] It is another advantage of the present invention to provide
a lacrosse handle having increased strength and durability. In
other words, additional material (metal) added to the interior of
the sidewall intersections results in a decrease in dents and
cracks where they most frequently occur.
[0009] It is a related advantage of the present invention to
provide a lacrosse handle for a lacrosse head having increased
strength and durability that does not require a significant
increase in the weight of the handle.
[0010] It is yet another advantage of the present invention to
provide a handle for a lacrosse head that yields improved
playability and handling.
[0011] It is still another object of the present invention to
provide a lacrosse handle for attachment to a lacrosse head that
has a varying or non-uniform wall thickness.
[0012] In accordance with the above and the other advantages of the
present invention, a handle for a lacrosse head is provided. The
handle includes a hollow metal tube having an interior surface and
an exterior surface. The hollow metal tube has a first end for
communicating with a throat portion of a lacrosse head and a second
end opposing the first end. The exterior surface includes a
plurality of sidewalls meeting at a plurality of intersections. The
hollow tube has a first thickness defined between each of the
plurality of intersections and the interior surface. The hollow
tube has a second thickness defined between at least one of the
sidewalls and the interior surface. The first thickness has a
greater magnitude than the second thickness.
[0013] Other advantages of the present invention will become
apparent when viewed in light of the detailed description of the
preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the attached
drawings and appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] For a more complete understanding of this invention,
reference should now be made to the embodiments illustrated in
greater detail in the accompanying drawings and described below by
way of examples of the invention.
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lacrosse stick including a
lacrosse head attached to a lacrosse handle in accordance with one
embodiment of the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a section of a lacrosse
handle in accordance with another embodiment of the preset
invention.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lacrosse handle of
the embodiment of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows 3-3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] In the following figures, the same reference numerals are
used to identify the same components in the various views.
[0019] In the embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3, a
lacrosse stick 6 having a lacrosse head 8 coupled to a lacrosse
handle 10 having areas of increased wall thickness is shown. The
lacrosse handle 10 is preferably an eight-sided structure that is
generally symmetrically shaped on either side of a handle
centerline as is well known in the art. It will be understood,
however, that the lacrosse handle can take on a variety of
different shapes. The lacrosse handle 10 is preferably constructed
of metal, such as aluminum or titanium. However, the handle may be
formed of a variety of other materials, such as a variety of
alloys. The handle is preferable formed by an extrusion process,
however, a variety of other suitable manufacturing processes may
also be utilized. The handle 10 also is preferably constructed as a
hollow metal tube with a top portion 12 and a bottom portion 16.
The top portion 12 and the bottom portion 16 are generally defined
by a centerline 14 of the handle 10. The lacrosse handle 10 has a
varying wall thickness providing increased strength, as discussed
in more detail later.
[0020] The lacrosse handle 10 of the present invention has a
generally octagonal cross-section (illustrated in FIG. 3) having
sections/sidewalls 20, 22 with a uniform wall thickness and other
sections/sidewalls 24, 26, 27, 28, 30, 32 with a non-uniform wall
thickness. Further, the intersections 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52,
54 where the sidewalls meet are areas having the greatest wall
thickness. In accordance with the present invention, material is
generally added only to the interior of the intersections 40, 42,
44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, and this material is here embodied as metal
or other sturdy material.
[0021] More specifically, the lacrosse handle 10 of the present
invention essentially includes a hollow tube having a generally
octagonal cross-section defining an interior surface 60 and an
exterior surface 62. Therefore, there are a plurality of sidewalls,
here embodied as eight sidewalls 20 (first one of the plurality of
sidewalls), 22, 24 (second one of the plurality of sidewalls), 26,
27, 28, 30, 32, each having an exterior side and an interior side,
and eight intersections 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54 where the
sidewalls 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 30, 32 meet.
[0022] There are four sidewalls 20, 22, 27, 32 having a flat
exterior side and the other four sidewalls 24, 26, 28, 30 have a
concave exterior side. Further, the flat and concave exterior sides
alternate around the circumference of the handle 10 defining the
exterior surface 62 of the handle 10. Important to note is that the
flat and concave exterior sides need not alternate around the
circumference, and any combination or number of flat and concave
sides may be used.
[0023] The additional material added to the intersections 40, 42,
44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54 adds only a small amount of weight to the
overall weight of the handle 10. An external area of each of the
intersections 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54 is either flattened or
rounded for providing increased comfort to a lacrosse player when
grasping the handle 10. The thickness of the intersections can be
added in a variety of different ways; for example, the
intersections may be formed integral with the handle or formed in a
subsequent forging process and added therein.
[0024] The interior surface 60 of the handle 10 is a smooth
surface, and one embodiment thereof includes a plurality of
sections 50 also alternating between flat sections 52 and concave
sections 54. Each of the flat sections 52 is in substantially
parallel relation to a flat section of the exterior, and each of
the concave sections 54 is in substantially parallel relation to a
concave section of the exterior. The concave sections 54 are,
however, generally less concave than the concave sections of the
exterior. Another embodiment includes all the internal sections
flat with respect to the exterior.
[0025] In accordance with one embodiment, each of the intersections
40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54 includes a first wall thickness
(t.sub.1) and each of the sidewalls 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 30, 32
has a second wall thickness (t.sub.2) or a varying third wall
thickness (t.sub.3). In conventional lacrosse handles, the first
wall thickness and the third wall thickness are the same. In fact,
in conventional lacrosse handles, the wall thickness is the same
along the length of the handle. The first wall thickness is greater
than the second and third wall thicknesses.
[0026] The increased wall thickness (t.sub.1) provides a tactile
stimuli or feedback such that a player using the handle 10 can
sense in what direction the handle 10 is configured in the player's
hand, i.e. whether the portion having an increased wall thickness
is facing upward or downward or somewhere in between. As the
lacrosse handle 10 is attached to a lacrosse head, the player can
also sense the direction the lacrosse head is facing, based solely
on the feel of the weight of the handle in the player's hands. This
feature eliminates the need for a player to look at the lacrosse
head to determine its orientation during play thereby allowing the
player to focus on the game.
[0027] While one way of varying the handle thickness for providing
tactile stimuli or feedback is disclosed above and shown in FIGS. 1
through 3, it will be appreciated that the lacrosse handle wall
thickness can be varied in other ways to provide this tactile
feedback. It will be understood that that the increased thickness
can extend along any portion of the length of the handle as
desired. Alternatively, the increased wall thickness does not need
to be uniform from one end of the handle to the other, i.e. the
magnitude of the increase may vary. It will be understood that the
handle 10 can take on a variety of other configurations to allow a
player to sense the direction the attached head is facing,
including having a side of the lacrosse handle having larger wall
thickness than the other side.
[0028] While particular embodiments of the invention have been
shown and described, numerous variations and alternate embodiments
will occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended
that the invention be limited only in terms of the appended
claims.
* * * * *