U.S. patent application number 12/910145 was filed with the patent office on 2011-09-29 for shaft for lacrosse stick.
Invention is credited to Jung-Shih CHANG.
Application Number | 20110237363 12/910145 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44657090 |
Filed Date | 2011-09-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110237363 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CHANG; Jung-Shih |
September 29, 2011 |
SHAFT FOR LACROSSE STICK
Abstract
A shaft for a lacrosse stick comprises an elongated tubular body
and an outer layer. The body is made of rigid materials. The body
can be constructed by one piece or a plurality of sections and have
a top end for attachment to a lacrosse head and a butt end to be
slipped onto by an end cap. The outer layer is made of elastic
materials, such as plastic PU (polyurethane), foam materials which
are wrapped around a predetermined portion of the body. The wall
thickness of the body is designed in a range of 1.00 mm to 3.00 mm.
The thickness of the outer layer is designed in Abstract a range of
0.50 mm to 3.00 mm.
Inventors: |
CHANG; Jung-Shih; (Ta Li
City, TW) |
Family ID: |
44657090 |
Appl. No.: |
12/910145 |
Filed: |
October 22, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/513 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 59/20 20151001;
A63B 2209/00 20130101; A63B 60/00 20151001; A63B 60/48 20151001;
A63B 2209/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/513 |
International
Class: |
A63B 59/02 20060101
A63B059/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 23, 2010 |
CN |
201020158763.6 |
Aug 16, 2010 |
CN |
201020294820 |
Claims
1. A shaft for a lacrosse stick, comprising: an elongated tubular
body made of rigid materials; an outer layer made of elastic
materials being tightly wrapped around the entire exterior surface
of a predetermined portion of said body; the wall thickness of said
body being in a range of 1.00 mm to 3.00 mm; and said outer layer
having a thickness in a range of 0.50 mm to 3.00 mm.
2. The shaft for a lacrosse stick of claim 1, wherein the shaft has
a weight in a range of 180 g to 230 g.
3. The shaft for a lacrosse stick of claim 1, wherein said body has
a weight in a range of 100 g to 135 g.
4. The shaft for a lacrosse stick of claim 1, wherein said outer
layer has a weight in a range of 75 g to 105 g.
5. The shaft for a lacrosse stick of claim 1, wherein the cross
section of said body is circular shaped.
6. The shaft for a lacrosse stick of claim 5, wherein the cross
section of said outer layer is polygonal shaped.
7. The shaft for a lacrosse stick of claim 6, wherein the cross
section of said outer layer is octagon-shaped.
8. The shaft for a lacrosse stick of claim 7, wherein said outer
layer includes a pair of first side walls, a pair of second side
walls, and four arched third side walls.
9. The shaft for a lacrosse stick of claim 8, wherein the thickness
of second side walls is larger than that of first side walls.
10. The shaft for a lacrosse stick of claim 1, wherein the cross
section of said body is oval shaped.
11. The shaft for a lacrosse stick of claim 10, wherein the cross
section of said outer layer is polygonal shaped.
12. The shaft for a lacrosse stick of claim 11, wherein the cross
section of said outer layer is octagon-shaped.
13. The shaft for a lacrosse stick of claim 1, wherein the cross
section of said body is polygonal shaped.
14. The shaft for a lacrosse stick of claim 13, wherein the cross
section of said body is octagon-shaped.
15. The shaft for a lacrosse stick of claim 1, wherein said body
includes a front section and a rear section joined to one end of
said front section.
16. The shaft for a lacrosse stick of claim 15, wherein said outer
layer is tightly wrapped around the entire exterior surface of a
predetermined portion of said front section of said body.
17. The shaft for a lacrosse stick of claim 15, wherein said outer
layer is tightly wrapped around the entire exterior surface of a
predetermined portion of said rear section of said body.
18. The shaft for a lacrosse stick of claim 15, wherein said front
section of said body is made of composite materials.
19. The shaft for a lacrosse stick of claim 17, wherein said rear
section of said body is made of metal materials.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to lacrosse sticks, and, more
particularly, to a shaft for a lacrosse stick.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Traditional lacrosse shafts were constructed of wood. These
wooden shafts suffered from a variety of disadvantages. The first
is that they were susceptible to damage from excess exposure to
water. The second is that these prior wooden shafts were heavy and
somewhat cumbersome. Further, the wooden shafts were also
susceptible to breakage.
[0005] To solve the disadvantages of the traditional wooden
lacrosse shafts, shafts of metallic construction were developed to
replace the wooden lacrosse shafts, particularly in the men's game.
The advantage of such construction was that the metal shafts could
be mass produced with uniform quality, strength and weight, and
were generally stronger than wood shafts.
[0006] However, these metal shafts still have some drawbacks. For
example, the rigid metal construction can transmit shock to a
player's hands when the lacrosse stick is subjected to a sudden
impact, e.g. slashing by an opponent. Further, if the external
force is great enough, the shaft can even break.
[0007] Accordingly, U.S. Pat. No. 7,621,832 introduces an improved
shaft which includes an outer surface having one or more
predetermined portions with a coating coupled thereto. The coating
is utilized for strengthening the tubular member, preventing damage
thereto, and decreasing vibrations therein. However, when putting
to use, the expecting advantages can not be found because it is
difficult to prepare a suitable thickness for the coating coupled
to the outer surface of the shaft.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to
provide a shaft for a lacrosse stick that is lightweight, stronger
and more durable than existing shaft.
[0009] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
lacrosse shaft that has increased impact strength as compared to
prior lacrosse handles.
[0010] It is still another object of the present invention to
provide a lacrosse shaft that absorbs shock that would otherwise be
transferred to a player's hands.
[0011] The foregoing objects are accomplished by means of a shaft
for a lacrosse stick which comprises an elongated tubular body and
an outer layer. The body is made of rigid materials, such as
lightweight metals or composite materials. The body can be
constructed by one piece or a plurality of sections and have a top
end for attachment to a lacrosse head and a butt end to be slipped
onto by an end cap. The outer layer is made of elastic materials,
such as plastic PU (polyurethane), foam materials which are wrapped
around a predetermined portion of the body, for example, it can be
wrapped around one predetermined section of the body. The wall of
the body is designed to have a thickness in a range of 1.00 mm to
3.00 mm. The outer layer is designed to have a thickness in a range
of 0.50 mm to 3.00 mm.
[0012] In another general aspect, a shaft for a lacrosse stick
embodied according to the present invention has a body and an outer
layer wrapped around a predetermined portion of the body. The size
of the body and the size of the outer layer are matched by each
other in such a way that the shaft has a total weight in a range of
180 g to 230 g.
[0013] In another general aspect, a shaft for a lacrosse stick
embodied according to the present invention has a body with a
weight in a range of 100 g to 135 g and an outer layer with a
weight in a range of 75 G to 105 G.
[0014] In another general aspect, a shaft for a lacrosse stick
embodied according to the present invention has body and an outer
layer wrapped around a predetermined portion of the body. The cross
section of the outer layer is polygonal shaped. Particularly, the
thickness of sidewalls of the outer layer is non-uniform
distributed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] Other objects, features and advantages will become better
apparent from the drawing and the more detailed description of the
following description of the preferred embodiments and the
accompanying drawings in which:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lacrosse stick having a
shaft in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the shaft shown in FIG.
1 along line 2-2 in FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the shaft shown in FIG.
1 along line 3-3 in FIG. 2;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the shaft shown in FIG.
1 along line 4-4 in FIG. 2;
[0020] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a lacrosse
shaft in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
[0021] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the shaft shown in FIG.
5 along line 6-6 in FIG. 5;
[0022] FIG. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a lacrosse
shaft in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
[0023] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the shaft shown in FIG.
7 along line 8-8 in FIG. 7;
[0024] FIG. 9 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a lacrosse
shaft in accordance with a fourth preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
[0025] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the shaft shown in FIG.
9 along line 10-10 in FIG. 9;
[0026] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the shaft shown in FIG.
9 along line 11-11 in FIG. 9; and
[0027] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the shaft shown in FIG.
9 along line 12-12 in FIG. 9.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] Referring, firstly, to FIGS. 1-4, a lacrosse stick 1
includes a shaft 10, a lacrosse head 12 and an end cap 14.
[0029] Shaft 10 includes a body 102 and an outer layer 104. Body
102 has a front section 106 and a rear section 108 (as shown in
FIG. 2).
[0030] Front section 106 can be an elongated polygonal tube such as
an octagon tube and made of rigid materials, such as graphite or
other composite materials.
[0031] In this embodiment, front section 106 is an octagon tube
having a pair of first side walls 110, a pair of second side walls
112 and four arched third side walls 114. First side walls 110 are
opposite to each other with a first distance about 20 mm. Second
side walls 112 are also opposite to each other with a second
distance about 24.9 mm. Each of first side walls 110 has a length
being longer than that of each of second side walls 112. One end of
each of first side walls 110 and one end of each of second side
walls 112 are connected by one of third side walls 114.
[0032] Rear section 108 is also an elongated octagon tube and made
of aluminum, aluminum alloy, or titanium. The size of rear section
108 is slightly larger than that of front section 106 so that the
distal end of front section 106 can be securely inserted into the
front end of rear section 108.
[0033] Each section of body 102 has a length about 402 mm. Each
sidewall of sections 106,108 has a thickness about 2.30 mm. When
front and rear sections 106, 108 are joined together to construct
body 102, the total length of body 102 is about 762 mm and the
total weight of body 102 is about 120 g.
[0034] Outer layer 104, in this embodiment, is made of PU foam
material. It is tightly wrapped around the entire exterior surface
of a predetermined portion of front section 106 with a thickness
about 1.80 mm so that the weight of outer layer 104 can be in the
range of 75.0 g to 105 g.
[0035] Referring secondly to FIGS. 5 and 6, there is shown an
improved lacrosse shaft 20 according to the second embodiment of
the claimed invention. Lacrosse shaft 20 includes a body 202 and an
outer layer 204.
[0036] Body 202 is, in this embodiment, an elongated circular tube
and made of composite materials. The length of body 202 is about
756 mm and the wall thickness of body 202 is about 1.50 mm so that
the weight of body 202 can be about 110 g.
[0037] Outer layer 204, in this embodiment, is made of PU foam
material and tightly wrapped around the exterior surface of a
predetermined portion 201 of body 202. The length of outer layer
204 is about 711 mm. The cross section of outer layer 204 is
octagon-shaped. It has a pair of first side walls 206, a pair of
second side walls 208, and four arched third side walls 210.
[0038] The thickness of outer layer 204 is distributed in a
non-uniformly way. The thickness of second side walls 208 is larger
than that of first side walls 206. In this embodiment, the
thickness of each of first side walls 206 is about 1.50 mm, the
thickness of each of second side walls 208 is about 3.90 mm and the
thickness of each third side walls 210 is between 1.5 mm and 3.90
mm so that the weight of outer layer 204 can be about 105 g.
[0039] Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, there is shown an improved
lacrosse shaft 30 according to the third embodiment of the claimed
invention. Lacrosse shaft 30 includes a body 302 and an outer layer
304.
[0040] Body 302 is, in this embodiment, made of composite materials
and an elongated oval tube with a length about 756 mm, a wall
thickness about 3.00 mm and a weight about 115 g.
[0041] Outer layer 304, in this embodiment, is also made of PU foam
material and tightly wrapped around the exterior surface of a
predetermined portion 306 of body 302. In other words, the length
of outer layer 304 is about 558 mm. The cross section of outer
layer 304 is also octagon-shaped and has a uniform side wall
thickness about 1.55 mmm. The weight of outer layer 304 is about 85
g.
[0042] Lastly, please referring to FIGS. 9 to 12, there is shown an
improved lacrosse shaft 40 according to the fourth embodiment of
the claimed invention. Lacrosse shaft 40 includes a body 402 and an
outer layer 404. Body 402, like body 102 of shaft 10, has a front
section 406 and a rear section 408.
[0043] Front section 406 is made of composite materials and is an
octagon tube with a length about 406 mm and a uniform side wall
thickness about 2.00 mm.
[0044] Rear section 408 is also made of composite materials. It is
an elongated circular tube with a length about 406 mm, an external
diameter about 19.5 mm and an internal diameter 17.0 mm. In
combination, the rear end of rear section is inserted into the
front end of front section 406. Between them is disposed a lining
410 so that front section 406 and rear section 408 can be securely
joined together to form body 402 with a length about 762 mm a
weight about 115 g.
[0045] Outer layer 404, in this embodiment, is also made of PU foam
material. It is tightly wrapped around the entire exterior surface
of a predetermined portion 403 of rear section 408 with a length
about 355 mm. The cross section of outer layer 404 is
octagon-shaped. Speaking detailedly, outer layer 404 has a pair of
first side walls 414, a pair of second side walls 416 and four
arched third side walls 418. The thickness of second side walls 416
is larger than that of first side walls 414. In this embodiment,
the thickness of each of first side walls 206 is about 2.00 mm, the
thickness of each of second side walls 416 is about 3.00 mm and the
thickness of each third side walls 210 is between 2.00 mm and 3.00
mm so that the weight of outer layer 404 can be about 90 g.
[0046] It is understood that for being designed to have an
elongated tube-shaped body made of rigid materials and an elastic
outer layer with a suitable shape and thickness, the disclosed
lacrosse shafts herein are lightweight, stronger and more durable
than existing shaft. Moreover, the lacrosse shaft provided by the
present invention is beneficial for absorbing shock during
play.
* * * * *