BLADE OF/FOR A HOCKEY STICK

• US 20120283054A1
• Filed: 05/05/2011
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sport Maska Incorporated (Adidas AG)
• Original Assignee: Sport Maska Incorporated (Adidas AG)
• Inventors: JEANNEAU, Philippe, Gosselin, Pascal
• Granted Patent: US 8,801,550 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/563
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/24 Ice hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 59/70 with bent or angled lower parts for hitting a ball on the ground, on an ice-covered surface, or in the air, e.g. for hockey or hurling
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/004 Striking surfaces coated with high-friction abrasive materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/48 with corrugated cross-section

Abstract

A blade of/for a hockey stick having: a toe, a heel, rear face, and front face. The front face has a striking surface intermediate the toe and the heel, and a plurality of front protrusions forming a front face textured zone extending along a portion of the front face proximate the toe and the striking surface. The front protrusions are shaped to be engageable with a puck to hinder slippage of the puck along the front face when the puck is in contact with the front protrusions. The front face also has a front face reduced-texture zone (which may be at least one of a front face non-textured zone and a front face less-textured zone). The rear face may optionally be similarly configured.

Claims

1. A hockey stick comprising:

a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end opposite the proximal end; and

a blade connected to the proximal end of the shaft, the blade having

a toe,

a heel,

rear face, and

front face, the front face having

a striking surface intermediate the toe and the heel,

a plurality of front protrusions forming a front face textured zone extending along a portion of the front face proximate the toe and along the striking surface, the front protrusions being shaped to be engageable with a puck to hinder slippage of the puck along the front face when the puck is in contact with the front protrusions, and

a front face reduced-texture zone.

2. The hockey stick of claim 1, wherein the front face textured zone is formed along a lower portion of the striking surface and along an upper portion of the front face proximate the toe.

3. The hockey stick of claim 2, wherein the front face reduced-texture zone is formed by a remainder of the front face.

4. The hockey stick of claim 1, wherein the front face reduced-texture zone is a front face non-textured zone.

5. The hockey stick of claim 1, wherein the front face reduced-texture zone is a front face less-textured zone.

6. The hockey stick of claim 1, wherein the front protrusions are integrally formed with the blade.

7. The hockey stick of claim 1, further comprising a layer of synthetic material applied to the front face;

the front protrusions being integrally formed with the layer of synthetic material.

8. The hockey stick of claim 7, wherein the layer of synthetic material is a layer of polyurethane.

9. The hockey stick of claim 1, wherein the front protrusions generally have a shape of at least one of a cone, a truncated cone, a segment of a sphere, a pyramid, and a truncated pyramid.

10. The hockey stick of claim 1, wherein the rear face has a plurality of rear protrusions defining a rear face textured zone extending along a portion of rear face opposite the striking surface and along a portion of the rear face proximate the toe;

the rear protrusions being shaped to be engageable with the puck to hinder slippage of the puck along the rear face when the puck is in contact with the rear protrusions.

11. The hockey stick of claim 10, wherein the rear face textured zone is formed along a lower portion of the rear face opposite the striking surface and along a lower portion of the rear face proximate the toe.

12. The hockey stick of claim 11, wherein a rear face reduced-texture zone is formed by a remainder of the rear face.

13. The hockey stick of claim 12, wherein the rear face reduced-texture zone is a rear face non-textured zone.

14. The hockey stick of claim 12, wherein the rear face reduced-texture zone is a rear face less-textured zone.

15. The hockey stick of claim 10, wherein the rear protrusions are integrally formed with the blade.

16. The hockey stick of claim 10, further comprising a layer of synthetic material applied to the rear face;

the rear protrusions being integrally formed with the layer of synthetic material.

17. The hockey stick of claim 16, wherein the layer of synthetic material is a layer of polyurethane.

18. The hockey stick of claim 10, wherein the rear protrusions generally have a shape of at least one of a cone, a truncated cone, a segment of a sphere, a pyramid, and a truncated pyramid.

19. A hockey stick blade, having:

a toe,

a heel,

rear face, and

front face, the front face having

a striking surface intermediate the toe and the heel,

a plurality of front protrusions forming a front face textured zone extending along a portion of the front face proximate the toe and the striking surface, and

a front face reduced-texture zone.

20. The hockey stick blade of claim 19, wherein the front face textured zone is formed along a lower portion of the striking surface and along an upper portion of the front face proximate the toe.

21. The hockey stick of claim 20, wherein the front face reduced-textured zone is formed by a remainder of the front face.

22. The hockey stick of claim 19, wherein the front face reduced-texture zone is a front face non-textured zone.

23. The hockey stick blade of claim 19, further comprising a layer of synthetic material applied to the front face;

the front protrusions being integrally formed with the layer of synthetic material.

24. The hockey stick blade of claim 19, wherein the front protrusions generally have a shape of at least one of a cone, a truncated cone, a segment of a sphere, a pyramid, and a truncated pyramid.

25. The hockey stick blade of claim 19, wherein the rear face has a plurality of rear protrusions defining a rear face textured zone extending along a portion of rear face opposite the striking surface and along a portion of the rear face proximate the toe.

26. The hockey stick blade of claim 25, wherein the rear face textured zone is formed along a lower portion of the rear face opposite the striking surface and along an upper portion of the rear face proximate the toe.

27. The hockey stick of claim 26, wherein a rear face reduced-texture zone is formed by a remainder of the rear face.