SLEEVE ADAPTED TO BE FITTED AROUND A HOCKEY STICK BLADE
A sleeve and method of fitting the sleeve around at least a portion of a blade of a hockey stick is provided. The sleeve has an integral tubelike body made of an elastomeric rubber. In addition, the sleeve has an inner surface and an outer surface, as well as a first opening end and a second opening end. The tubelike body is elastically deformable and configured to frictionally fit the inner surface around at least a portion of the blade so that the outer surface of the sleeve is substantially free of superficial interruptions. In addition, the outer surface is free of superficial interruptions and made of an elastomeric rubber to enhance deflection of a puck by the outer surface.
The present invention relates to a sleeve for a hockey stick blade.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn a first embodiment, a sleeve adapted to be fitted around at least a portion of a hockey stick blade is provided. The sleeve has an integral tubelike body having an inner surface and an outer surface as well as a first opening end and a second opening end. In addition, the sleeve is made of elastomeric rubber and is elastically deformable and configured to fit the inner surface around at least a portion of the hockey stick blade, frictionally engaging the portion of the blade. Furthermore, the outer surface of the sleeve is substantially free of superficial interruptions to enhance deflection of a puck by the outer surface.
In another embodiment, a hockey stick and a sleeve assembly are provided. The hockey stick has a shaft and a blade. The blade has a toe and a heel. The assembly includes an integral tubelike sleeve having an inner surface and an outer surface as well as a first opening end and a second opening end. The sleeve is made of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber which is elastically deformable and configured to fit the inner surface of the sleeve around at least a portion of the blade of the hockey stick when the sleeve is at a temperature between −25 and 45 degrees Celsius. The inner surface is configured to frictionally engage at least a portion of the blade. In addition, the outer surface of the sleeve is substantially free of superficial interruptions to enhance deflection of a puck by the outer surface.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of fitting the sleeve around at least a portion of a blade of the hockey stick is provided. The method includes providing the blade of the hockey stick, and a sleeve made of rubber. The sleeve has an inner surface and an outer surface as well as a first opening end and a second opening end. The method further includes elastically deforming the sleeve when the sleeve is at a temperature between −25 and 45 degrees Celsius, moving the toe of the blade into the opening ends of the sleeve, and positioning the blade relative to the sleeve, such that the inner surface engages at least a portion of the blade between the toe and the heel so that the sleeve fits around the portion of a blade.
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The ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber may be a suitable material due to its strength, durability and cold resistance to −65 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, EPDM rubber may enhance fitting and conformity of the sleeve 14 around the blade 18. Furthermore, the tubelike body 30 made of EPDM rubber may be used to protect the blade 18 of the hockey stick 12 from wear, water, and friction from a surface, such as an ice surface (not illustrated) or from impact with a puck or other objects. In addition, the tubelike body 30, preferably made of EPDM rubber and fitted around the blade 14 of the hockey stick 12 provides a user with increased puck-handling control as well as shock absorption from a puck contacting the sleeve 14. The EPDM rubber may have a Shore A harness between 30 and 90. Furthermore, the EPDM rubber may have an ultimate tensile strength of at least 25 MPa. The elastomeric rubber of the sleeve 14 may be cut away for sizing. A user may manually cut away the elastomeric rubber with scissors, a razor, a knife, or other suitable tool.
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The body 30 of the sleeve 14 being molded from elastomeric rubber may be deformed and allowed revert to a relaxed configuration at a temperature between −25 and 45 degrees Celsius. In addition, the sleeve 14 may be configured to be removed from the blade 18 of the hockey stick 12 at a temperature between −25 and 45 degrees Celsius. The deforming and/or removing of the body 30 of the sleeve 14 may be accomplished either manually by a user or with a hand tool adapted to fit the inner surface 32 of the sleeve 14 around at least the portion of the blade 18.
Mention was made earlier that the tube like body 30 may be molded from an elastomeric rubber, such as EPDM rubber. As used herein, the term “rubber” includes any of a number of natural or synthetic high polymers having suitable properties of deformation (elongation or yield under stress) and elastic recovery. Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, pp. 1016-1018, 11th Ed. (1987). As used herein, the term “rubber” is not restricted to original natural rubber, but also to any material having mechanical properties substantially similar to those of natural rubber, regardless of its chemical constitution. As used herein, the term “elastomer” or “elastomeric” includes synthetic materials having rubber-like properties.
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While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A sleeve adapted to be fitted around at least a portion of a hockey stick blade, the sleeve comprising:
- an integral tubelike body made of elastomeric rubber and having an inner surface and an outer surface as well as a first opening end and a second opening end, the body being elastically deformable and configured to fit the inner surface around at least a portion of the hockey stick blade;
- wherein the outer surface is substantially free of superficial interruptions to enhance deflection of a puck by the outer surface, and the inner surface is configured to frictionally engage at least a portion of the blade.
2. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein a distance between the first opening end and the second opening end is about 6-10 inches.
3. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric rubber comprises ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber.
4. The sleeve of claim 3, wherein the ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber has a Shore A harness between 30 and 90 and an ultimate tensile strength of at least 25 MPa.
5. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the body can be deformed and revert to a relaxed configuration at a temperature between −25 and 45 degrees Celsius and a distance between the inner surface and the outer surface of the body is between 0.01 and 0.1 of an inch.
6. The sleeve of claim 5, wherein the temperature is between 0 and 30 degrees Celsius and the distance is between 0.03 and 0.05 of an inch.
7. The sleeve of claim 6, wherein the elastomeric rubber comprises ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber and the distance is between 0.035 and 0.045 of an inch.
8. The sleeve of claim 7, wherein a distance between the first opening end and the second opening end is about 6-10 inches, and the ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber has a Shore A harness between 30 and 90 and an ultimate tensile strength of at least 25 MPa.
9. The sleeve of claim 8, wherein the distance is about 8-9 inches.
10. The sleeve of claim 9, wherein the integral tubelike body is configured to be removed from the hockey stick blade.
11. A hockey stick and a sleeve assembly comprising:
- a hockey stick having a shaft and a blade, wherein the blade has a toe and a heel;
- an integral tubelike sleeve made of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber and having an inner surface and an outer surface as well as a first opening end and a second opening end, the sleeve being elastically deformable and configured to fit the inner surface around at least a portion of the blade of the hockey stick when the sleeve is at a temperature between −25 and 45 degrees Celsius;
- wherein the outer surface is substantially free of superficial interruptions to enhance deflection of a puck by the outer surface, the inner surface being configured to frictionally engage at least a portion of the blade.
12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the sleeve is configured to be removed from the hockey stick blade.
13. The sleeve of claim 11, wherein a distance between the inner surface and the outer surface of the body is between 0.035 and 0.045 of an inch and a distance between the first opening end and the second opening end is about 8-9 inches.
14. A method of fitting a sleeve around at least a portion of a blade of a hockey stick, the method comprising:
- providing a blade of a hockey stick, wherein the blade has a toe and a heel;
- providing a sleeve made of an ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber and having an inner surface and an outer surface as well as a first opening end and a second opening end;
- elastically deforming the sleeve when the sleeve is at a temperature between −25 and 45 degrees Celsius;
- moving the toe of the blade into the opening ends of the sleeve; and
- positioning the blade relative to the sleeve, such that the inner surface frictionally engages at least a portion of the blade between the toe and the heel;
- so that the sleeve fits around the portion of a blade.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of providing the sleeve includes a step of forming the sleeve from an ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the steps of moving and positioning include a step of sliding the sleeve over the blade.
17. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising a step of cutting away at least a portion of the sleeve.
18. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising a step of cutting away at least a portion of the sleeve, wherein the step of providing the sleeve includes a step of forming the sleeve from an ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber and the steps of moving and positioning include a step of sliding the sleeve over the blade.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 15, 2008
Publication Date: Jan 21, 2010
Inventor: Sandor John Onodi (Southgate, MI)
Application Number: 12/173,083
International Classification: A63B 59/14 (20060101);