OFFSET LACROSSE HEAD
A lacrosse head including a sidewall having at least one upper rail, extending between a base and a scoop, including a primary rail and a secondary rail. The secondary rail can diverge from the primary rail at a junction as the primary rail extends from the scoop toward the base. The primary and secondary rails can define an aperture therebetween, where the aperture accentuates the offset configuration of the head. The bifurcated upper rail can also enhance the strength of the sidewall at or near the base.
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This application claims priority benefit to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/110,324, filed on Oct. 31, 2008.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to lacrosse equipment, and more particularly a lightweight lacrosse stick head having increased strength and enhanced ball feel.
Conventional lacrosse sticks include a head joined with a handle. The head includes a frame that forms a region within which a lacrosse ball can be caught, held or shot. The head can take the form of an open frame having a base with an interior surface that defines a ballstop, a pair of sidewalls that extend from the base, and a lip that interconnects the sidewalls, remotely from the base, to form a scoop. The frame can define holes that secure a lacrosse net around the rear of the frame. A throat can project from the base of the frame for attachment to a handle, which can define a central longitudinal axis.
In many lacrosse heads, all or a major portion of the base or sidewalls can be curved or offset downward as these elements transition to the scoop. While this downward scooped configuration is appealing, it can in some cases present challenges with regard to maintaining the desired strength of the head in the areas of the downward transition.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a lacrosse head of lightweight design having increased strength and improved ball feel.
In one embodiment, the lacrosse head can include a sidewall having an upper rail including a primary rail and a secondary rail. The primary rail can extend generally linearly from a base of the head toward a scoop of the head when viewed from a side perspective. The secondary rail can separate and diverge upwardly from the primary rail at a junction near the base. In another embodiment, the secondary rail can extend in an upwardly angled manner or an upwardly curved manner away from the primary rail, toward the base. Optionally, the secondary rail can join the base distal from the junction.
In yet another embodiment, the lacrosse head can include a longitudinal axis extending from the base to the scoop. The primary rail can be substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis from the base to the scoop.
In another further embodiment, the longitudinal axis can be located in a horizontal plane. The primary rail can extend from the base toward the scoop in this horizontal plane, and the scoop can contour downwardly with respect to this horizontal plane.
In a further embodiment, the lacrosse head can define another horizontal plane offset from and parallel to the longitudinal axis. The secondary rail can extend along this horizontal plane before transitioning downward toward the primary rail at a junction. In yet a further embodiment, the primary rail, secondary rail, and optionally the junction and the base can cooperate to define an aperture which visually emphasizes to a viewer the downward transition of the secondary rail toward the primary rail. With this construction, the viewer can readily recognize the lacrosse head as having an offset construction.
In another further embodiment, the secondary rail can diverge from the primary rail at an acute angle opening toward the base. The secondary rail can join the base at a distance above and separate from the primary rail to define an aperture therebetween. The aperture can be a variety of different shapes, such as a polygonal, circular, elliptical or triangular shape.
The present invention provides a head that is simple, lightweight and strong. With the divergent upper sidewall structure, the head is provided with an offset or scooped structure that includes an improved “double bar offset” reinforced frame, which refers to the spatially separated primary and secondary rails being located in the offset region of the head. This can add strength and rigidity to the head. In addition, this configuration visually augments the offset feature of the head, which can appeal to many lacrosse equipment consumers.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention, when view in accordance with the accompanying drawings and appended claims.
Referring now to
As depicted in
The base 14 can include one or more reinforcing members 36 disposed between a portion of the throat 34 and at least one of the ballstop 16 and the sidewall 18. Optionally, the reinforcing member 36 can be a continuous and unitary extension of the sidewall 18, defining an aperture bounded by a portion of the reinforcing member 36, throat 34, and ballstop 16. As shown in
Referring again to
As shown in
As shown in
Referring again to
The primary rail 26 can be a unitary extension of the ballstop 16, and can also extend from the base 14 or ballstop 16 toward the scoop 22 within the first horizontal plane 47 defined by the longitudinal axis 46 as noted above. As the primary rail 26 extends from the base 14 or ballstop 16 toward the scoop 22, the primary rail 26 can also be positioned at or below the longitudinal axis 46 when viewed from a side perspective. However, as desired, the primary rail 26 can vary to a position at or above the longitudinal axis 46 when viewed from a side perspective.
In another embodiment as shown in
Returning to the current embodiment of
The secondary rail 28 can join, fork from, diverge or branch from the primary sidewall 26 at the junction 27 in or near the ballstop 18. Optionally, the junction 27 can be located between the base 14 and the scoop 22 at a portion of the primary rail 26 extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis 46 in plan view, or elsewhere in the head as desired. Additionally, each secondary rail 28 can be of a circular, polygonal, elliptical, rectangular, or beveled cross-section that is generally uniform or varies as it extends from the base 14 or ballstop 16 to the junction 27.
The lacrosse head 10 can further define a curvilinear or polygonal aperture bounded by the primary rail 26, secondary rail 28, junction 27 and base 14 or ballstop 16. Beginning with the end defined by the junction 27 of the primary and secondary rails 26, 28, the aperture can extend generally toward the base 14 and can terminate in a polygonal edge with beveled interior corners. As shown in the current embodiment of
Returning to the current embodiment of
As shown in
The lacrosse head 10 can be of an open frame, monolithic construction and formed from one or more of a variety of compounds such as nylon, urethane, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyketone or polybutylene terephalate. The desired lacrosse head 10 can be formed by first selecting its shape and configuration. After the shape and configuration is selected, a mold having a mold cavity can be formed in the shape of the head 10 to be formed.
As noted above, lacrosse handles of conventional construction typically have all or a major portion of a head disposed below the central longitudinal axis, often in plane with the leading portion of the base. The current embodiment as depicted in
The above description is that of the current embodiment of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. Any reference to elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.
Claims
1. A lacrosse head comprising:
- a throat adapted to connect to a lacrosse handle;
- a base joined with the throat, the base including a ballstop and having a longitudinal axis;
- a scoop distal from the base, wherein the longitudinal axis extends toward the scoop;
- a pair of sidewalls extending from the base and joined with the scoop, each sidewall including an upper rail and a lower rail separated from one another by a distance, the upper rail including a primary rail and a secondary rail, the primary rail extending from the scoop to the base generally parallel to the longitudinal axis when viewed from a side perspective, the secondary rail extending from the primary rail at a junction, the secondary rail extending in at least one of an upwardly angled manner and an upwardly curved manner away from the longitudinal axis between the junction and the ballstop, the secondary rail being joined with the base at a distance above and separate from the primary rail so that the secondary rail and the primary rail define an aperture therebetween, the aperture also being located between the junction and the ballstop, whereby the aperture visually accentuates the divergence of the secondary rail from the primary rail so that a viewer readily recognizes that the lacrosse head is of an offset construction.
2. The lacrosse head of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal axis lies within a plane that bisects the upper and lower halves of the throat.
3. The lacrosse head of claim 2, wherein the primary rail extends from the base toward the scoop at least partially within the plane.
4. The lacrosse head of claim 2, wherein the scoop contours downwardly with respect to the plane.
5. The lacrosse head of claim 1, wherein the secondary rail gradually curves downward from an upper surface of the ballstop toward the primary rail.
6. The lacrosse head of claim 1, wherein the secondary rail is a unitary extension of a front portion of the base.
7. A lacrosse head comprising:
- a throat adapted to connect to a lacrosse handle;
- a base joined with the throat, the base including a ballstop;
- a scoop distal from the base;
- a sidewall including an upper rail having a primary rail and a secondary rail, the primary rail extending substantially linearly from the ballstop toward the scoop when viewed from a side perspective, the secondary rail extending from the primary rail as a separate rail at a junction near or in the ballstop, the secondary rail extending in at least one of an upwardly angled manner and an upwardly curved manner toward the ballstop, the secondary rail being joined with the base distal from the junction.
8. The lacrosse head of claim 7, further comprising a longitudinal axis extending from the base toward the scoop, wherein the primary rail is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis from the base to the scoop.
9. The lacrosse head of claim 8, wherein the longitudinal axis lies within a first horizontal plane that bisects the upper and lower halves of the throat, and subsequently a handle joined with the throat.
10. The lacrosse head of claim 9, further comprising a second horizontal plane offset from and parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the secondary rail extends along a portion of its length within the second horizontal plane before transitioning downward toward the junction.
11. The lacrosse head of claim 10, wherein the secondary rail diverges from the primary rail at an acute angle opening toward the base.
12. The lacrosse of claim 11, wherein the secondary rail is a unitary extension of a forward portion of the base.
13. The lacrosse head of claim 12, wherein the primary rail, secondary rail, junction and base cooperate to define an aperture which visually emphasizes to a viewer the downward transition of the secondary rail toward the primary rail, whereby the viewer can readily recognize the lacrosse head as having an offset construction.
14. The lacrosse head of claim 13, wherein the scoop contours downwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis.
15. A lacrosse head comprising:
- a throat adapted to connect to a lacrosse handle;
- a base joined with the throat, the base including a ballstop and having a longitudinal axis;
- a scoop distal from the base, wherein the longitudinal axis extends toward the scoop;
- a pair of sidewalls extending from the base and joined with the scoop, each sidewall including an upper rail and a lower rail separated from one another by a first distance, the upper rail forking at a junction near the base into a primary rail and a secondary rail that are separated by a second distance, the primary rail remaining at or above the longitudinal axis from the junction to the base, the secondary rail extending in at least one of an upwardly angled manner and an upwardly curved manner from the junction toward the base.
16. The lacrosse head of claim 15, wherein the secondary rail and the primary rail define an aperture therebetween, the aperture also being bounded by at least one of the junction and the base.
17. The lacrosse head of claim 16, wherein the secondary rail forks from the primary rail at an acute angle.
18. The lacrosse head of claim 17, wherein the secondary rail is a unitary extension of a forward portion of the base.
19. The lacrosse head of claim 18, wherein the longitudinal axis lies within a plane that bisects the upper and lower halves of the throat, and subsequently a handle joined with the throat.
20. The lacrosse head of claim 19, wherein the primary rail extends from the junction to the scoop generally parallel to the longitudinal axis when viewed from a side perspective.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 28, 2009
Publication Date: May 6, 2010
Applicant: WARRIOR SPORTS, INC. (Warren, MI)
Inventors: Matthew M. Winningham (Royal Oak, MI), Joshua G. Schmidt (Royal Oak, MI)
Application Number: 12/360,938
International Classification: A63B 59/02 (20060101);