Hockey Stick Blade and Shaft Constructs Using Boron

Abstract

A sporting implement, such as a blade or shaft for a hockey stick, may include a boron-enhanced fiber material configured to increase the strength and reduce the weight of the structure. This boron-enhanced material may form all or a portion of the sporting implement.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63,214,059, filed Jun. 23, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to fabrication of molded structures. More particularly, aspects of this disclosure relate to hockey stick structures formed partially or wholly with a boron material or a high modulus material. This boron material or high modulus material can be configured to reduce weight and improve mechanical performance of the hockey stick structures.

BACKGROUND

Certain sporting implements may be formed with a central portion or a core. For example, a hockey stick blade can be formed of a core reinforced with one or more layers of synthetic materials such as fiberglass, carbon fiber or Aramid. Cores of hockey stick blades may also be made of a synthetic material reinforced with layers of fibers. The layers may be made of a woven filament fiber, preimpregnated with resin. These structures may include a foam core with a piece of fiber on the front face of the blade and a second piece of fiber on the rear face of the blade, in the manner of pieces of bread in a sandwich.

Reduction of the mass of a hockey stick may improve stick handling and shooting characteristics by allowing the hockey stick to be moved and controlled by a player more rapidly. Materials that result in mass reduction for hockey stick blades and shafts while retaining or improving mechanical properties of strength, stiffness, among others, may be highly desirable. Hockey stick blade weight reduction may be accomplished by augmenting the materials used within the core of the blade, and/or augmenting the material used to surround the core. Similarly, it may be desirable to reduce the weight of the shaft of the hockey stick by augmenting materials used to form that shaft geometries.

SUMMARY

The following presents a general summary of aspects of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention and various features of it. This summary is not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way, but it simply provides a general overview and context for the more detailed description that follows.

Aspects of this disclosure relate to reducing the weight of a hockey stick by using boron in the material used to form the stick blade and/or the stick shaft. This may help a player to move the stick more rapidly, leading to enhanced puck handling, and faster shot making performance.

Other objects and features of the disclosure will become apparent by reference to the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present disclosure and certain advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the following detailed description in consideration with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 schematically depicts an isometric view of an example hockey stick structure that utilizes a boron-enhanced material within blade, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIGS. 2A and 2B describe the core of FIG. 1 in further detail.

FIGS. 3A-3B schematically depict preform structures that include foam cores onto which layers of fiber tape material have been applied, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIGS. 4A-4B schematically depict one example of boron-enhanced fiber material that may be used to form a hockey stick blade and/or hockey stick shaft, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIGS. 5A-5B schematically depict another example of a boron-enhanced fiber tape, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIG. 6 schematically depicts an isometric view of a hockey stick blade preform, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIG. 7A-7B schematically depict an isometric view of another hockey stick blade preform, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIGS. 8A-8C schematically depict alternative geometries of boron-enhanced fiber layers that are integrated into a blade preform, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIG. 9 depicts an example process of manufacturing a blade using a boron-enhanced material, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIG. 10 schematically depicts a hockey stick blade that may include a boron-enhanced fiber material, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIG. 11 schematically depicts another example implementation of a hockey stick blade, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIG. 12 depicts a hockey stick that is constructed using a boron-enhanced fiber material, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIG. 13 schematically depicts a completed portion of a hockey stick shaft, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIGS. 14-17 schematically depict multiple stages of a manufacturing process of the hockey stick shaft of FIG. 13, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIG. 18 schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of the hockey stick shaft of FIG. 13, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIG. 19 schematically depicts another cross-sectional view of the hockey stick shaft of FIG. 13, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIG. 20 schematically depicts another cross-sectional view of the hockey stick shaft of FIG. 13, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIGS. 21A-21B schematically depict a front side and a back side of a hockey stick structure, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIG. 22 schematically depicts a hockey stick with a single boron-enhanced tape element that extends along a portion of a length of the hockey stick shaft, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIG. 23 schematically depicts an alternative implementation of a hockey stick having two discrete areas of boron-enhanced fiber tape, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIG. 24 schematically depicts a portion of a hockey stick shaft that includes one or more layers of fiber tape that include boron, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIG. 25 schematically depicts a portion of a hockey stick shaft that includes one or more layers of boron-enhanced fiber material, according to one or more aspects described herein.

FIG. 26 schematically depicts a structure that may be utilized in the construction of a hockey stick, such as any of the hockey stick structures described throughout this disclosure.

FIG. 27 schematically depicts another structure that may be utilized in the construction of a hockey stick, such as any of the hockey stick structures described throughout this disclosure.

The reader is advised that the attached drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description of various example structures in accordance with the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration of various structures in accordance with the invention. Additionally, it is to be understood that other specific arrangements of parts and structures may be utilized, and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Also, while the terms “top” and “bottom” and the like may be used in this specification to describe various example features and elements of the disclosure, these terms are used herein as a matter of convenience, e.g., based on the example orientations shown in the figures and/or the orientations in typical use. Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a specific three dimensional or spatial orientation of structures in order to fall within the scope of the claims.

In general, as described above, aspects of this disclosure relate to the use of boron to enhance the weight and mechanical properties of a hockey stick. More specifically, aspects of the disclosure pertain to a fiber material that contains boron, which can be used to mold the geometry of a stick blade or stick shaft. More detailed descriptions of aspects of the disclosure follow. It is contemplated that any of the structures described throughout this disclosure may be applied to any portion of a hockey stick, such as a stick blade, a stick shaft, or any sub-portion or sub-portions thereof

FIG. 1 schematically depicts an isometric view of an example hockey stick structure 100 that utilizes a boron-impregnated/boron-containing/boron-enhanced material 108 within blade 104, according to one or more aspects described herein. It is contemplated that the boron-enhanced material 108 and associated production methodologies could be used in conjunction with other structures outside of sporting implements and other types of sporting implements outside of hockey sticks, such as a lacrosse stick, bat, racquet, protective equipment, and the like. The example hockey stick 100 can include a handle or stick shaft 102 and a blade 104. In this example, the blade 104 can include a fiber layer 106, a boron-enhanced material 108, and a core 110. The fiber layer 106 can be an outer skin formed of plies of carbon, which can be preimpregnated with a resin or can be formed as a dry material for use in a resin transfer molding (RTM) operation, the boron-enhanced material 108 can form another fiber layer that includes preimpregnated resin, and may be positioned under the outer layer 106. Alternatively, the boron-enhanced material 108 can form an outer layer such that fiber layer 106 does not cover the boron-enhanced material 108. Further details of the material structure of the boron-enhanced material 108, as well as the geometry and positioning thereof, are discussed in further detail in this disclosure.

FIGS. 2A and 2B describe the core 110 of the stick 100 in further detail. FIG. 2A shows a side view of the example core 110, and FIG. 2B shows a cross-sectional view of the core 110. As discussed below, in one example, the core 110 can be formed of a suitable foam. The core 110 can include a first core face 132, a second core face 134, a top core edge 136 and a bottom core edge 138.

In certain examples, the core 110 can be an epoxy core and can be made of a B-staged epoxy resin, which can include additives and expandable microspheres. During the formation of the core, the expandable microspheres cause the core to expand when exposed to heat and create compaction force to compress plies forming the outer layer together. As will be discussed below, in one example, the epoxy core can be preformed inside a metal mold at 60° to 70° C. for 1 min so it has a shape that is close to the final geometry of the sporting implement, which in this case is a blade. An example epoxy core with expandable microspheres is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,364,988, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for any and all non-limiting purposes.

In other examples, the core can be formed of a polymethacrylimide (PMI) foam, and may be a low density or a high density foam. In one example, a core structure is described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,295,890, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for any and all non-limiting purposes. It is further contemplated that additional or alternative foam types may be used in the hockey blade core 110.

FIGS. 3A-3B schematically depict preform structures 300 and 350 which include foam cores onto which layers of fiber tape material have been applied. These preform structures are subsequently molded into a hockey stick blade, such as blade 104. In certain examples, the fiber tape material may include boron-enhanced fiber tape. FIG. 3A schematically depicts the preform structure 300 with fiber tape 302 wrapped in a substantially vertical wrapping configuration. Preform 350 depicts an alternative wrapping configuration that includes at least two layers of fiber tape 352 and 354 with an alternative wrapping pattern. It is contemplated that the angles of the fiber tape depicted in FIG. 3B may have any angle value. Further, it is contemplated that alternative orientations of the fiber tape may be utilized, without departing from the scope of these disclosures. The depicted fiber tape of FIG. 3B may be implemented with different thicknesses/widths, without departing from the scope of these disclosures. Additionally, the fiber tape used to form the geometry of the preform structures 300 and 350, and ultimately the geometries of the molded hockey stick blade, such as blade 104, may be wrapped or may be layered using without wrapping around the top 360 and bottom 362 of the preform 350. As such, the preform 350 may be formed by applying one or more layers of a first preform structure 2900 comprising one or more layers of fiber tape that may be continuous or discontinuous in length. It is contemplated that any pattern for wrapping or applying the fiber tape around the foam core may be utilized.

In certain examples, the fiber tape described throughout this disclosure may be boron-enhanced fiber tape. FIGS. 4A-4B schematically depict one example of boron-enhanced fiber tape/fiber material 400 that may be used to form a hockey stick blade 104 and/or hockey stick shaft 102. The fiber tape includes multiple boron fibers 402 (depicted in FIG. 4A as boron fibers 402a-402h. It is contemplated that any number of fibers may be utilized, without departing from the scope of these disclosures. It is noted that FIGS. 4A-4B schematically depicts cross-sections through the length of the fibers 402a-402h. In the depicted fiber material 400, the boron fibers 402a-402h are schematically depicted as being unidirectional, and substantially expending in a single, same direction. However, the boron fibers 402a-402h may extend in different directions relative to one another within the fiber material 400, without departing from the scope of these disclosures. The fiber material 400 may additionally include a resin matrix 404 within which the boron fibers 402a-402h are encapsulated/entrained. This resin 404 may be any resin material suitable for molding to form the geometries of the hockey stick blade 104 and/or hockey stick shaft 102. In certain examples, the boron fibers 402a-402h may be formed by a deposition process that deposits boron onto a substrate material. In one example, a boron layer 408 may be deposited onto a tungsten 406 substrate. Additional or alternative materials may be utilized as the substrate 406. Further, it is contemplated that the relative thicknesses of the boron layer 408 and substrate 406 may differ to those schematically depicted in FIG. 4A, without departing from the scope of these disclosures. In the depicted implementation of FIG. 4A, multiple boron strands or fibers 402a-402h are schematically depicted in a regular configuration. It is contemplated that different configurations of the boron fibers may be utilized, in FIG. 4B schematically depicts one such configuration whereby the boron fibers 402a-402h are more closely packed together.

It is contemplated that any density of boron fibers 402 and resin 404 may be utilized in the fiber tape 400, without departing from the scope of these disclosures. Further, in certain implementations, the boron fibers 402 may not utilize the schematically depicted substrate 406 onto which boron is deposited, and all or a portion of the boron fibers 402a-402h may be wholly formed from boron. It is further contemplated that where boron is described in this disclosure, it may refer to elemental boron, or a boron compound.

FIG. 5A schematically depicts another example of a boron-enhanced fiber tape 500, according to one or more aspects described herein. In particular, the fiber tape 500 may include boron fibers 402 and resin 404, similar to fiber tape 400, but fiber tape 500 may additionally include carbon fibers 502a-502g. As depicted, the carbon fibers 502a-502g separate layers of boron fibers 402a-402d from 402e-402 h. Accordingly, the positioning of the carbon fibers 502a-502g may be regular or irregular within the resin matrix 404. In certain examples, the boron fibers 402a-402h and the carbon fibers 502a-502g may extend in a same direction, or may extend in nonparallel or orthogonal directions such that the fiber tape 500 has differing mechanical properties along different axes.

FIG. 5B schematically depicts the boron-enhanced fiber tape 500 with irregularly spaced boron fibers 402 and carbon fibers 502, according to one or more aspects described herein. While the depicted cross-sections of the carbon fibers 502 and boron-enhanced fibers 402 have differing sizes, it is contemplated that the fiber tape 500 may be utilized with entrained fibers of any relative sizes. Further, it is contemplated that the non-boron fibers 502 may include fiber types in addition to or as an alternative to carbon fibers, such as glass fibers, or Aramid fibers, among others.

Advantageously, the boron-enhanced fiber tape 400 may provide desirable mechanical properties when integrated into a hockey stick, such as stick 100. These mechanical properties may include enhanced strength and reduced waiter mass when compared to a fiber tape that uses carbon fibers. Specifically, a boron-enhanced fiber tape, such as tape 400 may exhibit

FIG. 6 schematically depicts an isometric view of a hockey stick blade preform 600. It is contemplated that the same structural elements of the blade preform 600 may be implemented within a hockey stick shaft, such as shaft 102. In certain examples, the blade preform 600 includes a foam core 602, which may be a polymethacrylimide (PMI) foam. In one specific example, a Resin Infusion Manufacturing Aid (RIMA) low density PMI foam may be utilized in the foam core 602. This type of foam is a high strength foam that can withstand the shear and impact forces that result when a hockey blade strikes a hockey puck. However, it is contemplated that additional or alternative foam materials may be utilized to construct the foam core 602, without departing from the scope of these disclosures. In an alternative example, the foam core 602 may be removed following one or more molding processes of the hockey stick blade. As such, the blade structure (e.g. blade structure 104) may be formed of composite structures; with boron-enhanced fiber structures. In this alternative example, the foam 602 may be removed by one or more mechanical processes (one or more machine tools may be utilized to remove the foam core 602, chemical processes (the foam 602 may be degraded/dissolved by the addition of/exposure to a reactant/catalyst/solvent.

The blade preform 600, and the blade that will be molded therefrom, has a longitudinal length extending between a tow 606 and a heel 608. Further, the hockey stick blade preform 600 has a blade height extending between a top portion 610 and a bottom portion 612. The blade preform 600 additionally includes a front side/front face 614 and a back face/back side 616. It is contemplated that the hockey stick blade preform 600 may be similar to preforms 300 and 350. As such, the blade preform 600 may be wrapped with fiber tape 604. As discussed in relation to preforms 300 and 350, this fiber tape 604 may be implemented with different widths, and may be layered with multiple layers having differing orientations. In one example, the fiber tape 604 may be a carbon fiber tape that includes carbon fiber strands encapsulated within a resin matrix. In another example, the fiber tape 604 may be a boron-enhanced fiber tape similar to tapes 400 and 500.

FIG. 7A schematically depicts an isometric view of another hockey stick blade preform 700. The preform 700 may be similar to preforms 600, and may additionally include a boron-enhanced fiber patch 702. As such, the fiber tape 604 of the preform 700 may be carbon fiber tape and may not contain boron. The boron-enhanced fiber patch 702 may be positioned at locations on the hockey stick blade 700 that offer the most advantageous performance benefits, including enhanced blade strength. In one example, the boron-enhanced fiber patch 702 may be positioned on the backside 616 of the preform 700. In alternative examples, boron-enhanced fiber patches similar to patch 702 may be positioned on the front side 614 of the preform 700.

It is contemplated that patch 702 may be positioned anywhere on the back side 616, without departing from the scope of these disclosures. In certain examples, the boron-enhanced fiber patch 702 may be implemented as separate patch elements 702a-702c, as depicted in FIG. 7B. The specific geometry and location of these patch element 702a-702c may vary, without departing from the scope of these disclosures.

The foam core 602 may be wrapped with a first layer or layers of carbon or fiber tape 604. The first layer of carbon or fiber tape may extend continuously along the first core face 614, top core edge 610, second core face 616 and bottom core edge 612 of the foam core 602, such that the wrapped core has a first wrapped face, a second wrapped face, a top wrapped edge and a bottom wrapped edge. Optionally, a non-sticky veil can be applied to the first wrapped face and second wrapped face to assist with a stitching or tufting process. The wrapped foam core can then be stitched or tufted with a thread. A boron-enhanced layer 702 (or 702a-c) may extend continuously or discontinuously along the core 602, in may be implemented with any geometries.

The wrapped preform may be placed in a mold, and the mold heated to an appropriate temperature. In one example, the mold may be heated to between 135 to 165 degrees C., and in one particular example, the mold can be heated to 160 degrees C. The resin in the preimpregnated tape 604 and/or 702 melts, flows through the woven veil, if used, crosslinks and bonds the layers of fiber tape together. Additionally, when the mold is heated, the resin in the preimpregnated tape can flow along the threads and into the core. When this resin cools, it creates additional strength in the z-axis of the structure (approximately perpendicular to the plane of the front surface 614/back surface 616. Carbon fiber thread, which may be used in one example, shrinks when it is heated. Carbon fiber thread results in a more homogenous structure because the carbon fiber thread shares properties with the carbon fiber tape. The thread can also create a stiffening agent that gives additional resistance against shearing. The mold is then cooled, and the formed structure is removed from the mold.

FIGS. 8A-8C schematically depict alternative geometries of boron-enhanced fiber patches/layers 804, 806 and 808 that are integrated into the blade preform 802, with preform 802 similar to preform 700.

An example process of manufacturing a blade in accordance with the disclosure is illustrated in FIG. 9. A foam core, similar to foam core 110, may be formed at block 902. In one example, one or more layers of carbon fiber may be applied to the core at block 904. These one or more layers of carbon fiber may be similar to fiber layers 604. Boron-enhanced fiber elements may be applied to the blade preform at block 906, with these boron-enhanced fiber elements similar to elements 702, and 702a-c. In one example, additional carbon fiber layers may be applied to the blade preform at block 908. Further, the blade preform may be placed in a molded to be heated and cooled to impart a final blade geometry. It is contemplated that any molding parameters may be utilized with the disclosures described herein

FIG. 10 schematically depicts a hockey stick blade 1000 that may include a boron-enhanced fiber material 1002, according to one or more aspects described herein. In particular, FIG. 10 schematically depicts an internal view of the hockey stick blade 1000 with an outer surface of the blade removed. As such, in one example, area 1002 may include boron fiber, which provides for enhanced strength and reduced weight, as previously described. A carbon-fiber tape 1004 may be positioned between a core of the blade 1000 and the boron-enhanced portion 1002. In another example, the boron-enhanced layer 1002 may not be layered on top of the carbon fiber tape 1004, such that the layer 1002 is in direct contact with a core of the blade 1000.

FIG. 11 schematically depicts another example implementation of a hockey stick blade 1100. The hockey blade 1100 is shown having a toe region 1106, a middle region 1108 and a heel 1110. The hockey blade 1100 can be formed of a first lower density foam core portion 1102 and a boron-enhanced element 1103. The core portion 1102 can be stitched using a thread 1112. The boron-enhanced element 1103 can be formed of fiber tape material that has boron fibers entrained within an epoxy resin.

The core portion 1102 extends from the heel 1110 of the blade to the toe region 1106 of the blade. The core portion 1102 can be formed thickest at the heel 1110 of the blade and can taper from the heel 1110 of the blade to the toe region 1106 of the blade. Forming the core portion 1102 thickest or widest in the heel 1110 compensates for the loss of stiffness due to the lower density and lower modulus of the foam. The boron-enhanced element 1103 may extend from the toe region 1106 of the blade to the heel 1110 of the blade 1100. It is understood, however, that other arrangements and ratios of the core portion 1102 and boron-enhanced element 1103 can be formed to accomplish different stick characteristics, weights, and strengths.

In other examples, the core of the blade can be manufactured by forming a construct of multiple cores or foams. Different combinations of core materials are used to create distinct recipes of core mixtures. The different mixtures can be used to create a blade with zones of varying density and stiffness. Core mixtures with higher density materials can be placed in the areas of the blade subject to greater forces and impacts, such as the bottom or heel, to create stronger blade regions. For instance, the bottom of the blade and the heel of the blade are typically subject to the most force and impact from striking the ice or a hockey puck. For example, the different cores can be placed on various locations of the blade to create a blade with zones of varying density, such as the top or the toe of the blade to reduce weight. Higher density foam can be placed along the bottom of the blade where the blade is subjected to high impacts and lower density foam can be placed at an upper portion of the blade where the blade is subject to fewer impacts. One such example core is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,289,662, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for any and all non-limiting purposes.

In another example, a blade for a hockey stick may include an outer layer, a core, and a boron-enhanced material positioned between the core and the outer layer. The boron-enhanced material can partially cover a surface of the core, or alternatively, the boron-enhanced material can cover an entire surface of the core.

The systems and methods described herein may be utilized to form hockey stick shaft structures in whole or in part from one or more boron materials. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the materials, structures, and methods of forming those materials and structures described throughout this disclosure may be applied to forming a hockey stick shaft in addition to a hockey stick blade structure.

FIG. 12 depicts a hockey stick 1200 that includes a stick shaft 1202 that is attached to a blade 1204. In certain examples, boron may be used to form part or all of the stick shaft 1202 in order to enhance the performance of the stick 1200.

FIGS. 13-17 schematically depict different stages of a manufacturing process of a portion of the hockey stick shaft 1202, according to one or more aspects described herein. In particular, FIG. 13 schematically depicts a completed portion of a stick shaft 1202, which may be coupled to the blade 1204. The stick shaft 1202 has a longitudinal axis, schematically depicted as axis 1302, which extends along the length of the shaft 1202. In in one implementation, the stick shaft 1202 may be constructed from multiple layers of fiber tape. The fiber tape may be pre-impregnated with resin, and/or may have resin applied between layers during one or more manufacturing processes. It is contemplated that fiber tape, as described herein, may include carbon fibers and/or glass fibers, among others. It is further contemplated that fiber tape may have any thickness, length, and/or width values, without departing from the scope of these disclosures. The fiber tape may additionally include any polymer material as a matrix through which the fibers are woven and held. Additionally, the stick shaft 1202 may be constructed from one or more layers of boron-enhanced fiber material. This boron-enhanced fiber material may have unidirectional fibers of boron, or may have multidirectional fibers with a regular or irregular fiber spacing and density. Advantageously, the boron-enhanced fiber material may allow for the weight of the stick shaft 1202 to be reduced while maintaining mechanical performance properties of the shaft 1202. It is contemplated that this boron-enhanced material may be positioned as one or more layers within a multi-layer construct of the stick shaft 1202, with the multi-layer construct otherwise referred to a layup pattern. As such, the one or more boron-enhanced material layers may be added to layers of other fiber enhanced materials. The boron-enhanced material layers may be positioned proximate to one another, or may be separated from one another by one or more layers of different materials, such as carbon fiber tape layers, among others. In one example, the one or more layers of boron-enhanced material may be positioned in a lower third of the layers of the stick shaft 1202 layer layup, with “lower” referring to the inner most third of the layers toward an inner cavity of the shaft 1202. In another example, the boron-enhanced material may be positioned as one or more layers within the middle third of the layers of layup material layers. In yet another example, the boron-enhanced material layers may be positioned within the upper third of the layers of the layup material. Further, the boron-enhanced material may be positioned as multiple layers across a full thickness of a layer layup of a sidewall of the shaft 1202. For example, one or more layers of boron-enhanced material may be positioned in the lower third number of layers of a full thickness the sidewall of the shaft 1202, and within a middle third of the layers, and within an upper third of the layers, or a combination thereof.

In one example, layers of material used to construct the stick shaft 1202 may be primarily fiber-reinforced tape layers, with those layers extending around a full perimeter of the stick shaft 1202. In certain examples, the boron-enhanced fiber material that is used within the shaft 1202 may be positioned on a single surface of the shaft 1202, or multiple surfaces of the shaft without extending around a full perimeter of the shaft 1202. However, it is contemplated that in certain examples, the boron-enhanced material may extend around a full perimeter of the shaft 1202. In one example, the boron-enhanced material may be positioned along a fold length of the shaft 1202, or may be positioned at a specific area of the shaft 1202 in order to tailor the flexing characteristics of the shaft and add strength at certain areas of the shaft 1202. In one example, the layers of tape that make up the shaft 1202 may be angled relative to one another in order to enhance the mechanical performance of the shaft 1202 along different directions. In certain examples, the boron-enhanced material used as one or more layers within the multi— layer layup of the shaft 1202 may be oriented such that the longitudinal length of the fibers of the boron-enhanced material extend along the longitudinal axis 1302.

FIG. 14 schematically depicts a first stage of a manufacturing process of the stick shaft 1202. Accordingly, FIG. 14 schematically depicts a stick shaft preform 1402 that includes first layer of fiber tape 1404 that is used to construct a shaft preform structure. In one example, the first layer of fiber tape 1404 may be wrapped around a mandrel structure (not depicted). This mandrel structure may be removed prior to or following a molding process of the stick shaft preform 1402 to form the completed stick shaft 1202. As depicted, the wrappings of the first layer of fiber tape 1404 are oriented at a relatively large angle 1406 relative to the longitudinal axis 1302. FIG. 15 schematically depicts a second stage of a manufacturing process of the stick shaft 1202. Accordingly, FIG. 15 schematically depicts the stick shaft preform 1402 that includes a second layer of fiber tape 1504 that is used to construct a shaft preform structure. In one example, the second layer of fiber tape 1504 may be wrapped around the first layer 1404. As depicted, the wrappings of the second layer of fiber tape 1504 are orientated at an angle 1506 relative to the longitudinal axis 1302. Further, angle 1506 may be less than angle 1406. However, it is contemplated that angles 1406 and 1506 may have any values, without departing the scope of these disclosures.

In one implementation, the closer angle 1506 is to 0 degrees, the higher the mechanical stiffness of the second layer of fiber tape 1504, once molded. However, in order to achieve a described stiffness profile, a combination of different orientations of layers of fiber tape (e.g., layers 1404 and 1504) may be used within stick shaft 1202. In one example, the shaft 1202 may be manufactured from layers of fiber tape that are positioned with a higher angle 1406 at an inner layer 1404, and a lower angle 1506 at an outer layer 1504. Further, the lower the angle 1506, the greater the interlaminar shear force experienced between the layers of fiber tape upon mechanical loading (flexing) of the shaft 1202. This interlaminar shear results in mechanical weakening and failure of the stick shaft 1202 following repeated and/or high levels of mechanical loading. It therefore may be desirable to increase the strength of the stick shaft without adversely increasing the mass or flexing characteristics of the shaft 1202. In certain examples, it may be desirable to decrease the mass of the stick 1200 without adversely affecting the mechanical performance of the stick, such as the strength and flexibility of the shaft 1202. In one example, in order to enhance the mechanical performance of the stick shaft 1202, one or more layers of the boron-enhanced material 1604 may be used within the preform 1402, as depicted in FIG. 16. In one example, the boron-enhanced material 1604 may be positioned between two of more layers of fiber tape (e.g. between layers 1604 and 1704).

The boron-enhanced material 1604 is schematically depicted in FIG. 16 as having one geometry. However, the boron-enhanced material 1604 may be implemented with any geometry, and may be positioned as a layer that extends along a whole length of the stick shaft 1202 along the longitudinal axis 1302. In one example, the boron-enhanced layer 1604 includes fibers that have longitudinal lengths that are oriented approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis 1302.

In one example, the boron-enhanced material 1604 may represent one or more layers of tape that includes boron. In certain examples, the boron-enhanced material 1604 may be a material that includes both boron fibers and carbon fibers, among others. In certain examples, the boron-enhanced material 1604 may be utilized to reduce a linear density of the stick shaft 1202. The linear density may be described as a mass per unit length of the stick shaft 1202. In one example, the boron-enhanced material 1604 may reduce a linear density of the stick shaft 1202 by between 10% and 15%. In certain specific examples, a stick shaft that does not use the boron-enhanced material 1604 may have a linear density of approximately 1.75−1.9 g/cm (or 4.4-4.8 g/inch), and a stick shaft that utilizes the boron-enhanced material 1604 may have a linear density of approximately 1.5-1.6 g/cm. (or 3.8-4.1 g/inch) in certain examples, the linear density of the boron-enhanced stick shaft may utilize an increased number of layers of boron material and a linear density may be reduced to 1.1-1.3 g/cm, or 1.3-1.55 g/cm. It should be understood that any linear density within the described ranges may be utilized, without departing from the scope of these disclosures. It should also be understood that these linear densities may be applicable to the hockey stick as a whole, such as hockey stick 1200, or to a portion of the hockey stick such as one or more of the hockey stick shaft 1202 or the hockey stick blade 1204e. It is contemplated that different linear densities may be utilized in the stick 1200, without departing from the scope of these disclosures.

In certain examples, the boron-enhanced material 1604 may be used on a back side of the stick shaft 1202. In this example, the back side of the stick shaft 1202 may be defined as the side that faces backward when the stick 1200 is being used to shoot a forehand shot. When loaded during a shooting motion, the stick shaft 1202 may be subjected to tensile forces on a front side of the stick shaft 1202, and compressive forces on a back side of the stick shaft 1202. Accordingly, the boron-enhanced material 1604 may be utilized to enhance the mechanical performance of the shaft 1202 in compression at the back of the stick 1202. In certain examples, the boron-enhanced material 1604 may have a compression strength of 6000 MPa or above. As discussed, the boron-enhanced material 1604 may be positioned on all or part of a back surface of the stick shaft 1202. In other examples, a boron-enhanced material may be positioned all around a perimeter of a stick shaft, such as stick shaft 1202.

FIG. 17 schematically depicts a third layer of fiber tape 1704 that is used to construct the stick shaft preform 1402 that is molded to form the shaft structure 1202. As depicted, the fiber tape 1704 is oriented at an angle 1706 relative to the longitudinal axis 1302. As is the case with all of the angles 1406 and 1506, angle 1706 may have any value, without departing from the scope of these disclosures. In certain examples, angles 1406, 1506 and 1706 may measure approximately 45°, 30°, 25°, 19°, or 0°. In another example, any of angles 1406, 1506 and 1706 may measure between 0° and 90°. It is further contemplated that angles 1406, 1506 and 1706 represent angles between the longitudinal axes of the fiber tapes and the longitudinal axis 1302 of the shaft 1202. Further, it is contemplated that the longitudinal axes of the fiber tapes correspond to the directional along which the fibers of the fiber tapes are primarily aligned. In one example, the third layer of fiber tape 1704 is wrapped on top of the second layer of fiber tape 1504, such that the boron-enhanced material 1604 is positioned between the layers 1504 and 1704, or a portion thereof 1701 It is contemplated that the construction methodology described throughout this disclosure for a hockey stick blade, such as blade 1204, may be utilized to construct a hockey stick shaft, such as shaft 1202 or any other portion of a hockey stick.

FIG. 18 schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of the hockey stick shaft 1202. As depicted, the shaft 1202 is constructed from fiber tape layers 1404, 1504, and 1704, in addition to boron-enhanced material 1604. In the depicted implementation, the boron-enhanced layer 1604 is positioned at a back side of the shaft 1202. In the depicted implementation, the boron-enhanced layer 1604 serve to reinforce the back side of the shaft 1202 during compression when the stick 1200 is used to shoot a puck/ball. It is contemplated that the boron-enhanced layer 1604 may be implemented as additional or alternative portions within the shaft 1202, without departing from the scope of these disclosures. Further, it is contemplated that the three fiber tape layers 1404, 1504, and 1704 represent a schematic implementation of the shaft 1202, and as such, additional layers of fiber tape and/or boron-enhanced layers of reinforcing material similar to material 1604 may be used, without departing from the scope of these disclosures.

FIG. 18 schematically depicts the boron-enhanced material 1604 between fiber tape layers 1504 and 1704. However, it is to be understood that the boron-enhanced material 1604 may be an innermost layer, or an outermost layer, and each of elements 1404, 1504, and 1704 may represent one or more layers of fiber tape that may include resin or to which a resin may be applied. Further, the boron-enhanced material 1604 is schematically depicted in FIG. 18 as being on one side of the hockey stick shaft 1202. In another implementation, a layer of boron-enhanced material 1604 may extend around a one or more edges of the shaft 1202, as schematically depicted in FIG. 19. In another example, the boron-enhanced material 1604 may extend around an entire perimeter of the shaft 1202, as schematically depicted in FIG. 20.

Advantageously, the boron-enhanced material 1604 may be configured to maintain the mechanical performance characteristics of the hockey stick 1200, specifically the stick shaft 1202 while allowing for the overall stick weight to be reduced. This weight reduction may be accomplished by removing one or more layers of fiber material that would otherwise be needed to form the stick shaft 1202. In another example, the weight reduction may be accomplished by using a same number of layers of fiber tape that have a reduced density, including a reduced linear density, as previously described. It is contemplated that the densities of the layers of fiber and boron-enhanced tape that are used to construct the stick shaft 1202 may have varying densities, or may have a uniform densities, without departing from the scope of these disclosures. In one example, the boron-enhanced material 1604 may increase a strength of the stick shaft 1202, including an impact strength. In specific examples, the boron-enhanced material may improve compressive strength and result in enhanced durability and lifetime of the stick shaft 1202.

FIGS. 21A and 21B schematically depict a front side and a back side of the hockey stick 2100, according to one or more aspects described herein. It is contemplated that hockey stick 2100 may be similar to the hockey sticks described throughout this disclosure that include a boron-enhanced material. In one specific example, hockey stick 2100 may be similar to hockey stick 1200. FIG. 21A schematically depicts a front side of the hockey stick 2100, with the front side defined by the curvature of the hockey stick blade 2104. In one example, the hockey stick blade 2104 has a front face 2108 with a concave geometry. The hockey stick shaft 2102 is rigidly coupled to the blade 2104, and has a front surface 2106. When loaded during a shooting or passing motion (or another loading event such as a player leaning on the stick 2100 among others), the hockey stick blade 2104 and shaft 2102 are subjected to impact forces. In one example, the front surface 2106 is flexed during a shooting or passing motion and subjected to tensile forces. FIG. 21B schematically depicts a back side of the hockey stick 2100 such that the blade 2104 has a convex back surface 2112. When loaded during a shooting or passing motion, a back surface 2110 of the stick shaft 2102 may be subjected to compressive forces. Further, the back surface 2110 of the stick shaft 2102 may include one or more boron-enhanced fiber tape elements 2114 configured to enhance mechanical performance in compression. As depicted, the boron-enhanced element 2114 may be a continuous element positioned within the stick shaft 2102 and along a full length of the stick shaft 2102.

In other examples, the boron-enhanced fiber tape 2114 may be implemented as multiple discrete elements extending along one or more portions of the stick shaft 2102. FIG. 22 schematically depicts the hockey stick 2100 with a single boron-enhanced tape element 2114 that extends along a portion of a length of the hockey stick shaft 2102. FIG. 23 depicts an alternative implementation of the hockey stick 2100 having two discrete areas of boron-enhanced fiber tape indicated as elements 2114a in 2114b. It is contemplated that the hockey stick 2100 may have additional areas of boron-enhanced fiber tape on the back side 2110 of the shaft 2102, without departing from the scope of these disclosures.

FIG. 24 schematically depicts a portion of a hockey stick shaft 2400 that includes one or more layers of fiber tape that include boron, otherwise referred to as a boron-enhanced material 2402. As depicted, the boron-enhanced material 2402 is positioned primarily on a back surface of the hockey stick shaft 2400 and extending around a portion of the corners of the shaft geometry. In other examples, the boron-enhanced material 2402 may only extend along a planar structure and not around one or more corners of the shaft. In yet other examples, the boron-enhanced material may be configured to be positioned on the nonplanar surfaces of a hockey stick shaft, such as a shaft that has non-quadrilateral cross-sectional shaft geometry. For example, a boron-enhanced material may be configured to be positioned on a back surface of a stick shaft that has a pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, nonagonal cross-sectional geometry, among others. It is contemplated that the hockey stick shaft 2400 may be similar to the shafts described throughout this disclosure.

FIG. 25 schematically depicts a portion of a hockey stick shaft 2500 that includes one or more layers of boron-enhanced fiber material 2502. In the depicted implementation of FIG. 25, the boron-enhanced fiber material 2502 extends around a full perimeter of the shaft 2500. This implementation may be used as an alternative to that described in FIG. 24, and may be utilized with any of the hockey stick shafts described throughout this disclosure. It is further contemplated that the cross-sectional geometry of the hockey stick shaft 2500 may be non-quadrilateral, and the boron-enhanced fiber material 2502 may extend around a full perimeter of the non-quadrilateral cross-sectional geometry, without departing from the scope of these disclosures.

The use of boron -containing fiber tape described throughout this disclosure may be implemented on a stick blade or stick shaft. Further, the boron-containing fiber tape may be implemented on a single surface or multiple surfaces of the stick blade and/or stick shaft. Where a hockey stick is described as containing a boron material, such as a boron-enhanced fiber tape material, it may be assumed that the boron-enhanced fiber material is positioned on a single surface or multiple surfaces. Further, the boron-enhanced fiber material may be included as part of a multilayer construction that includes multiple layers of one or more of boron-enhanced fiber tape, fiber-reinforced tape that includes carbon fiber and/or glass fiber material among others. As previously described, the boron-enhanced material may be integrated into various layering patterns and constructions, and may be positioned toward the interior, the middle or the exterior of the layers, or a combination of different layers within a multi-layer layup. In one example, a layup/layering structure of a hockey stick shaft may include the following layers listed as extending from interior to exterior: 1-5 layers of glass-fiber tape, 1-8 layers of carbon fiber tape, 1-4 layers of baron-enhanced fiber tape, 1-2 layers of glass fiber tape on an exterior of the shaft.

FIG. 26 schematically depicts a structure 2600 that may be utilized in the construction of a hockey stick, such as any of the hockey stick structures described throughout this disclosure. In one example, the structure schematically depicted in FIG. 26 may comprise a portion of a stick shaft, such as stick shaft 102, or a stick blade, such as stick blade 104. In one example, the structure 2600 may comprise a portion of a stick shaft, such as a fraction of a length of a full stick shaft. In alternative implementations, the structure 2600 may be utilized to construct a full length of a stick shaft.

The hockey stick structure 2600 may comprise multiple materials that may be utilized to enhance the performance of a hockey stick, such as hockey stick 100. In one example, the structure 2600 comprises two or more layers fiber-reinforced materials that are oriented at different angles relative to one another, and relative to a longitudinal axis 2602. In one example, the longitudinal axis 2602 may extend along a longitudinal length of a hockey stick shaft, or substantially parallel to a stick blade length that extends between a heel and a toe of a stick blade. Schematically depicted in FIG. 26 are two layers of fiber-reinforced materials. A first fiber-reinforced material is denoted material 2604, and is applied to the structure 2600 such that the fibers of material 2604 extend at an angle 2606 relative to the longitudinal axis 2602. In one example, the angle 2606 may be in the range of between 0° and 25°. However, alternative ranges for angle 2606 may be utilized, such as any value in a range between 0° and 35°, between 0° and 40°, or between 0° and 45°. A second fiber-reinforced material is denoted material 2608, and this material has fibers that extend at an angle 2610 relative to the longitudinal axis 2602. The angle 2610 may have a range between 65° and 90°. In alternative implementations, the angle 2610 may have a value of 0°, or range between 0° and 35° or between 0° and 35°, which may allow material 2608 to exhibit enhanced mechanical properties along one or multiple axes/directions relative to the longitudinal axis 2602. However, alternative ranges for angle 2610 may be utilized, such as any value in a range between 45° and 180°. As depicted, second material 2608 is layered under first material 2604. However, it is contemplated that second material 2608 may be layered on top of first material 2604, without departing from the scope of these disclosures. Further, the structure 2600 may utilize additional layers in additional layers of fiber-reinforced material and/or alternative materials in addition to at first layer 2606 and second layer 2608.

In one example, the first fiber-reinforced material 2604 may comprise a boron-enhanced material such as any of the boron-enhanced materials described throughout this disclosure (e.g., material 108). The second fiber-reinforced material 2608 may comprise any fiber-reinforced material with a high Young's modulus. In one example, a high

Young's modulus is defined as a value of 300 GPa or more. A medium Young's modulus may be value of between 250 and 300 GPa, and a low Young's modulus may be of value of less than 250 GPa. In other examples, a high Young's modulus may be defined as a value of greater than 250 GPa, or greater than 200 GPa. Accordingly, the second fiber-reinforced material 2608 may comprise a boron-reinforced material, and/or a carbon fiber-reinforced material with a high Young's modulus. In certain examples, the first fiber-reinforced material 2608 may comprise a boron-enhanced material and/or a carbon fiber-reinforced material.

In one example, the first fiber-reinforced material 2604 may comprise a boron-enhanced material that includes at least 5 filaments per inch (fpi). Further, the boron-enhanced material 2604 may include between 5 and 250 filaments per inch. In yet another example, the boron-enhanced material 2604 may include between 0.1 and 300 filaments per inch. These filament density values may be applied to any of the boron-enhanced materials or other fiber-reinforced materials that use additional or alternative fibers to boron, such as carbon fibers, described throughout this disclosure. Further, the boron-enhanced and/or carbon fiber materials described throughout this disclosure may have varying density values. In one example, the density values may be at least 4 grams per square meter (gsm), at least 10 gsm, or at least 20 gsm, among others.

In one example, the second material 2608 may be configured to enhance resistance of the hockey stick structure 2600 to failure by compression such that a hollow shaft structure of which the structure 2600 forms a portion, may resist high loading forces without failure, and/or resist same loading forces using material that reduces the overall mass of the hockey stick. In one example, the second material 2608 may be configured to enhance the hoop strength of the hockey stick shaft. In one example, the first material 2604 may be configured to enhance the compressive strength of the hockey stick shaft when loaded during a shooting or passing action. It is understood that enhancement of strength may be exhibited as a retention of strength characteristics but a reduction in mass of the structures of the hockey stick.

In one example, the second material 2608 may be configured to be applied to/wrapped around a structure having a corner radius of at least 3 mm, at least 4 mm, at least 5 mm, or at least 6 mm, without departing from the scope of these disclosures. In one example, the second material 2608 may exhibit differing mechanical performance characteristics to the first material 2604 or different mechanical performance characteristics to conventional materials. In one example, each of the first material 2604 and second material 2608 may have Young's moduli that are at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25% larger than a fiber-reinforced material with a standard Young's modulus. Although the example above is discussed in relation to a hockey stick shaft, it is also contemplated that this example could be applied to a hockey stick blade or both a hockey stick blade and a hockey stick shaft to form the hockey stick.

FIG. 27 schematically depicts a hockey stick structure 2700 that is similar to structure 2600 as previously described such that similar elements of structure 2700 are labeled with the same numbers as the corresponding elements of structure 2600. Stick structure 2700 additionally includes an intermediate fiber-reinforced layer 2702 between the first fiber-reinforced material 2606 and second fiber-reinforced material 2608. In one example, the intermediate layer 2702 may comprise a fiber material with a medium value Young's modulus. This medium value of Young's modulus may be between 250 GPa and 200 GPa. In another example, the medium value of the Young's modulus of the intermediate layer 2702 may be defined relative to the Young's moduli of first layer 2606 and second layer 2608. Both of the first layer 2606 and second layer 2608 may have comparatively high Young's moduli relative to the intermediate layer 2702, and may have same or different Young's moduli values relative to one another. In another example, one of the first layer 2606 and the second layer 2608 may have a high Young's modulus value of greater than 300 GPa or a value that is comparatively high relative to the other layers of the structure 2700, and the other of the first layer 2606 and the second layer 2608 may have a low Young's modulus value of less than 250 GPa, or a value that is comparatively low relative to the other layers of the structure 2700. It is contemplated that any difference values may be used to delineate between low, medium, and high Young's moduli. In one example, a difference of at least 5 GPa, or at least 10 GPa may be used, or a difference of at least 5% or at least 10% may be used. Further, it is contemplated that the difference in values between low and medium and medium and high may be different to one another. It is contemplated that the fibers of the intermediate layer 2702 may comprise boron fibers carbon fibers, or any other suitable fiber material having the desired mechanical properties including tensile and/or compressive strength. Further, the intermediate layer 2702 and the fibers thereof may extended any angle relative to the longitudinal axis 2602.

Although the use of boron-enhanced fiber material is discussed throughout this disclosure, it is also contemplated that such boron-enhanced material could be substituted with other types of materials with similar properties, for example, fiber materials with high Young's modulus values, for example greater than 300 GPa.

The reader should understand that these specific examples are set forth merely to illustrate examples of the disclosure, and they should not be construed as limiting this disclosure. Many variations in the connection system may be made from the specific structures described above without departing from this disclosure.

While the invention has been described in detail in terms of specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and methods. Thus, the spirit and scope of the invention should be construed broadly as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A blade for a hockey stick comprising:

an outer layer;

a core; and a boron-enhanced layer covering a first portion of the core; and a carbon-fiber layer covering a second portion of the core.

2. The blade of clause 1, wherein the boron-enhanced layer comprises a fiber tape having boron fibers encapsulated in a resin matrix.

3. The blade of clause 1, wherein the boron-enhanced layer extends along a back face of the blade.

4. The blade of clause 3, wherein the boron-enhanced layer comprises a fiber density of at least 5 fibers per inch.

5. The blade of clause 1, wherein the boron-enhanced layer comprises a density of at least 4 grams per square meter.

6. A hockey stick comprising:

a first boron-containing material configured to be molded to form a portion of the hockey stick, the boron-containing material having a strength value at least 30% higher than a second carbon fiber-reinforced portion of the stick.

7. The blade of clause 6, wherein the portion of the hockey stick is the stick shaft.

8. The blade of clause 6, wherein the portion of the hockey stick is the stick blade.

9. The blade of clause 6, wherein the boron-enhanced material comprises a boron fiber density of at least 5 fibers per inch.

10. A hockey stick structure, comprising:

a blade, molded from a first composite material, the first composite material further comprising: a first fiber layer having first fibers extending in a first direction; a second fiber layer having second fibers extending in a second direction, non-parallel to the first direction;

a shaft, integrally formed with the blade, the shaft molded from a second composite material, the second composite material further comprising: a third fiber layer having third fibers extending in a third direction; a fourth fiber layer having fourth fibers extending in a fourth direction, non-parallel to the third direction; and a boron-enhanced layer extending along a back side of the shaft and positioned between a portion of the third fiber layer and the fourth fiber layer, wherein the boron-enhanced layer has fifth fibers extending in a direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the shaft,

wherein the third fiber layer, and fourth fiber layer, and the boron-enhanced layer are molded to one another by an epoxy resin.

11. The hockey stick structure of clause 10, the shaft further comprising:

a plurality of additional fiber layers and a plurality of additional boron-enhanced layers, wherein the plurality of additional boron-enhanced layers are positioned between at least 5% of the additional fiber layers.

12. The hockey stick structure of clause 10, wherein the first, second, third and fourth fibers are carbon fibers.

13. The hockey stick structure of clause 10, wherein the first, second, third and fourth fibers are glass fibers.

14. The hockey stick structure of clause 10, wherein the shaft has a linear density of at least 1.5 g/cm.

15. The hockey stick structure of clause 10, wherein the blade has a linear density of at least 1.5 g/cm.

16. A hockey stick structure, comprising:

a blade, molded from a first composite material, the first composite material further comprising: a first fiber layer having first fibers extending in a first direction; a second fiber layer having second fibers extending in a second direction, non-parallel to the first direction;

a shaft, integrally formed with the blade, the shaft molded from a second composite material, the second composite material further comprising: a boron-enhanced layer extending along a back side of the shaft and configured to be compressed as the shaft is flexed during a shot or passing motion.

17. The blade of clause 16, wherein the boron-enhanced layer comprises a fiber density of at least 5 fibers per inch.

18. The blade of clause 16, wherein the boron-enhanced layer comprises a density of at least 4 grams per square meter.

19. A hockey stick structure, comprising:

a blade, molded from a first composite material, the first composite material further comprising: a first fiber layer having first fibers extending in a first direction; a second fiber layer having second fibers extending in a second direction, non-parallel to the first direction;

a shaft having a longitudinal axis and being integrally formed with the blade, the shaft molded from a second composite material, the second composite material further comprising: a third fiber layer having third fibers extending in a third direction; and a fourth fiber layer having fourth fibers extending in a fourth direction, non-parallel to the third direction.

20. The hockey stick structure of clause 19, wherein the third direction is between 0 and 25 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis, and the fourth direction is 65 degrees or greater relative to the longitudinal axis.

21. The hockey stick structure of clause 19, wherein the third fiber layer comprises boron fibers.

22. The hockey stick structure of clause 19, wherein the fourth fiber layer has a Young's modulus above 300 GPa.

23. A hockey stick structure, comprising:

a shaft having a longitudinal axis and being integrally formed with the blade, the shaft molded from a composite material, the composite material further comprising:

a first fiber layer having a first Young's modulus; and

a second fiber layer having a second Young's modulus which is greater than the first Young's modulus and wherein the second fiber layer extends along a back side of the shaft and configured to be compressed as the shaft is flexed during a shot or passing motion.

24. The hockey stick structure of clause 23, further comprising a third fiber layer having a third Young's modulus between the first and the second Young's moduli values.

25. The hockey stick structure of clause 23, wherein the second fiber layer extends in a second direction that is approximately 65 degrees or greater relative to the longitudinal axis.

26. The hockey stick structure of clause 23, wherein the second fiber layer extends in a second direction that is approximately 90 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis.

27. The hockey stick structure of clause 23, wherein the second fiber layer comprises a boron-enhanced layer.

28. The hockey stick structure of clause 23, wherein the second fiber layer has a Young's modulus above 300 GPa.