Hockey stick blade and a method of making thereof

• US 7,326,136 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sport Maska Incorporated (Adidas AG)
• Original Assignee: 2946-6380 Quebec Inc.
• Inventors: Belanger, Germain, Lussier, Remi, Jean, Marcel, Gatien, Daniel, Ladouceur, Carol
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham; Mark S
• Application Number:
  US11/255,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20060089215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 473560-563
• US Class Current: 473/563
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/24 Ice hockey
• 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: B29C 70/086 and with one or more layers of pure plastics material, e.g. foam layers applying a non-preformed coating, e.g. a gel-coat, B29C37/0025; with foam blocks B29C70/86
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/345 using matched moulds
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/865 completely encapsulated
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0827 Braided fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/52 Sports equipment ; Games; Articles for amusement; Toys B29L2031/54 takes precedence

Abstract

There is provided a hockey stick blade and a method of making thereof, wherein the blade is made in a composite material comprising a core formed of light weight material, such as foam, and a fiber braid jacket or tubular prepreg cloth, the core being partially hollow to define longitudinal cavities inside the blade assembly.

Claims

1. A hockey stick blade, comprising:

a) a shaft connecting portion;

b) a heel portion;

c) a puck contacting portion consisting of

i) a partly filled core formed of light weight material defining longitudinal spaced apart sections defining longitudinal cavities therebetween;

ii) a jacket formed of a number of braid fiber sleeves, fibers of said jacket having a predetermined directional orientation, said jacket being first pulled over said core sections and said longitudinal cavities to form a jacketed assembly, said jacketed assembly being then tensioned by applying a mold to said jacketed assembly, said tensioned jacketed assembly completely wrapping said spaced apart core sections;

iii) a polymeric material encapsulating said tensioned jacketed assembly to form a molded blade part having opposite side faces, including a side face with a discontinuous surface; and

iv) a cover plate of composite polymeric material secured to said side face with a discontinuous surface of said molded blade;

said jacket providing a continuity of fibers on a full perimeter of the blade while encapsulating the spaced apart core sections, and forming said side face opposite said side face with a discontinuous surface.

2. A hockey stick blade as defined in claim 1, wherein said core is formed of low-density foam.

3. A hockey stick blade as defined in claim 1, wherein a combined height of said core sections is about half that of said blade.

4. A hockey stick blade as defined in claim 1, wherein said fibers of said jacket are bi-directionally oriented.

5. A hockey stick blade as defined in claim 1, wherein said fibers of said jacket are tri-directionally oriented.

6. A hockey stick blade as defined in claim 1, further comprising additional core sections in one or more of said cavities.

7. A hockey stick blade as defined in claim 1, further comprising a roving between two of said number of sleeves along a bottom edge of said blade.

8. A hockey stick as defined in claim 1, wherein said fibers are made of a material selected from a group including carbon, Kevlar, polyethylene, glass and a carbon/Kevlar hybrid.

9. A hockey stick blade as defined in claim 1, wherein said composite polymeric material is thermoplastic.

10. A hockey stick blade as defined in claim 1, wherein said composite polymeric material is thermoset.

11. A hockey stick blade as defined in claim 1, wherein said core encapsulating polymeric material is a thermoset resin.

12. A hockey stick blade as defined in claim 1, further comprising filler elements in said cavities.

13. A hockey stick blade as defined in claim 1, wherein fiber braids of said jacket are pre-tensioned, aligned, and in full contact with said core exterior surface.

14. The hockey stick blade of claim 1, wherein said opposite side faces of the blade are locally in direct liaison inside the core cavities.