Hockey stick blade having rib stiffening system

• US 7,476,167 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Warrior Sports Incorporated (Warrior Lacrosse Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Warrior Sports Incorporated (Warrior Lacrosse Incorporated)
• Inventors: Garcia, Gregory Isaac
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham; Mark S
• Application Number:
  US11/755,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20070281809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 473560-563
• US Class Current: 473/563
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/22 Field hockey
• 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: A63B 60/08 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A composite hockey stick blade having a rib stiffening system. The rib stiffening system consists of one or more internal wall structures, or ribs, located within strategic portions of the rear face of the paddle that provides localized regions of increased longitudinal stiffness located within the overall structure of the paddle. These ribs may also control the torsional rigidity of the paddle. The ribs also reduce the weight of the blade without reducing the stiffness and rigidity of the blade. The hockey stick blade may be utilized as a replacement blade for a two-piece hockey stick, or may be a portion of a one-piece hockey stick.

Claims

1. A hockey stick blade comprising:

a hosel;

a heel section coupled to said hosel; and

a paddle portion coupled to said heel section, said paddle portion comprising a front face and a rear face and having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a tip region, said rear face including an external surface and a first rib defined in said external surface and extending toward said front face, said first rib including a visible, substantially rounded bottom, a depth defined between said external surface and said bottom, a width, and a longitudinal length, said depth varying along said longitudinal length, said first rib providing a region of increased stiffness within said paddle portion in an area of said paddle associated with said first rib, the amount of said increased stiffness within said paddle portion varying along said longitudinal length corresponding to said variation in depth of said first rib.

2. The hockey stick blade of claim 1, wherein said first rib includes a first portion that extends substantially horizontally along a portion of said rear face substantially parallel to both said top surface and said bottom surface, and a second portion curving from said first portion and extending semi-vertically along said rear face in a direction from a first position closer to said bottom surface to a second position closer to said top surface.

3. The hockey stick blade of claim 2, further comprising a second rib that extends semi-vertically along said rear face in a direction from a first position closer to said bottom surface to a second position closer to said top surface, wherein the distance between said first rib and said second rib varies along a portion of said longitudinal length of said first rib.

4. The hockey stick blade of claim 1, wherein said first rib extends semi-vertically along said rear face in a direction from a first position closer to said bottom surface to a second position closer to said top surface.

5. The hockey stick blade of claim 2, further comprising a second rib that extends substantially horizontally along a portion of said rear face and is substantially parallel to said first rib, wherein the distance between said first rib and said second rib varies along a portion of said longitudinal length of said first rib.

6. The hockey stick blade of claim 4, wherein said first rib is located near said tip region of said paddle portion.

7. The hockey stick blade of claim 1, wherein said depth of said first rib within said rear face does not exceed 80% of the total thickness of said paddle portion.

8. The hockey stick blade of claim 1, wherein said first rib is generally x-shaped.

9. The hockey stick blade of claim 1, wherein said first rib includes a blending region.

10. The hockey stick blade of claim 1, wherein said first rib intersects within a second rib in said rear face.

11. The hockey stick blade of claim 1, wherein said first rib includes a widened region.

12. The hockey stick blade of claim 1, wherein said paddle portion is formed having an inner foam core overlaid with a plastic wrap.

13. The hockey stick blade of claim 12, wherein said plastic wrap comprises a fiber reinforced prepreg material.

14. The hockey stick blade of claim 12, wherein said inner foam core is comprised of a first material, said first material selected from the group consisting of a syntactic foam or a non-syntactic foam.

15. The hockey stick blade of claim 1, wherein said hockey stick blade comprises a replaceable hockey stick blade.

16. A composite hockey stick blade comprising:

an inner core constructed of a first material;

an outer layer covering said inner core, said outer layer being constructed of a second material;

the hockey stick blade including;

a hosel;

a heel section coupled to said hosel;

a paddle portion coupled to said heel section and extending in a longitudinal direction, said paddle portion comprising a front face, a rear face having an external surface, a top edge, a bottom edge and a tip region; and

a stiffening system including a groove defined in said external surface of said rear face of the hockey stick blade, said groove including a visible, substantially rounded bottom, and a first portion that provides localized longitudinal stiffening of said paddle portion and a second portion that provides torsional rigidity of said tip region,

wherein said first portion of said groove extends generally longitudinally along at least a portion of said paddle portion and said second portion of said groove extends at an angle with respect to a longitudinal axis defined by a length of the hockey stick blade.

17. A composite hockey stick blade comprising:

an inner core constructed of a first material;

an outer layer covering said inner core, said outer layer being constructed of a second material;

the hockey stick blade including;

a hosel;

a heel section coupled to said hosel;

a paddle portion coupled to said heel section and extending in a longitudinal direction, said paddle portion comprising a front face, a rear face having an external surface, a top edge, a bottom edge and a tip region; and

a stiffening system including a groove defined in said external surface of said rear face of the hockey stick blade, said groove including a visible, substantially rounded bottom, and a first portion that provides localized longitudinal stiffening of said paddle portion and a second portion that provides torsional rigidity of said tip region,

wherein said first portion extends in a longitudinal direction along at least a portion of said paddle portion and said second portion curves at an angle from said first portion and extends semi-vertically in a direction from a first position closer to said bottom surface to a second position closer to said top surface.

18. The hockey stick blade of claim 17, wherein said stiffening system includes a plurality of separate grooves, wherein the distance between said grooves varies along the longitudinal length of said paddle portion.

19. A composite hockey stick blade for a hockey stick comprising:

a hosel section for communicating with a handle portion;

a paddle portion coupled to said hosel section, said paddle portion consisting of an inner core constructed of a first material and an outer layer covering said inner core, which is constructed of a second material;

said paddle portion having a front face, a rear face, an upper surface, a tip region, a bottom surface, and a heel surface;

a stiffening system formed in said rear face of said paddle portion, said stiffening system including at least one rib that is defined in said rear face and extends inwardly toward said front face, said at least one rib including a visible, generally rounded bottom, a width, a depth, and a longitudinal length, said width varying along said longitudinal length;

wherein said stiffening system provides localized stiffening at predetermined regions of said paddle portion that corresponds to a location of said at least one rib, the amount of said localized stiffening varying corresponding to said variations in width.

20. The hockey stick blade of claim 19, wherein said inner core is formed of a syntactic foam.

21. The hockey stick blade of claim 19, wherein said inner core is formed of a non-syntactic foam.

22. The hockey stick blade of claim 19, wherein said outer layer consists of a fiber reinforced prepreg material.

23. The hockey stick blade of claim 19, wherein said at least one rib has a first portion that extends substantially longitudinally along at least a portion of said rear face of said paddle portion.

24. The hockey stick blade of claim 23, wherein said at least one rib includes a second portion that extends generally at an angle with respect to said first portion and generally between said upper surface and said lower surface.

25. The hockey stick blade of claim 23, wherein said stiffening system includes a second rib portion located generally adjacent a tip region of said paddle portion.

26. The hockey stick blade of claim 25, wherein said second rib portion has a generally x-shaped configuration.

27. The hockey stick blade of claim 19, wherein said stiffening system includes a plurality of ribs that extend longitudinally along a length of said paddle portion in a direction from said heel surface toward said tip region.

28. The hockey stick blade of claim 19, wherein said stiffening system includes an upper rib that extends longitudinally along a length of said paddle portion in a direction from said heel surface toward said tip region and a lower rib that extends longitudinally along said length of said paddle portion in said direction from said heel surface toward said tip region.

29. The hockey stick blade of claim 19, wherein said depth of said at least one rib as measured from said rear face does not exceed 80% of the thickness of said paddle portion.

30. The hockey stick blade of claim 27, wherein said plurality of ribs intersect one another.

31. A composite hockey stick blade for a hockey stick comprising:

a hosel section for communicating with a handle portion;

a paddle portion coupled to said hosel section, said paddle portion consisting of an inner core constructed of a first material and an outer layer covering said inner core, which is constructed of a second material;

said paddle portion having a front face, a rear face, an upper surface, a tip region, a bottom surface, and a heel surface;

a stiffening system formed in said rear face of said paddle portion, said stiffening system consisting of at least one rib that extends inwardly toward said front face;

wherein said stiffening system provides localized stiffening at predetermined regions of said paddle portion that corresponds to a location of said at least one rib, wherein said stiffening system includes an upper rib that extends longitudinally along a length of said paddle portion in a direction from said heel surface toward said tip region and a lower rib that extends longitudinally along said length of said paddle portion in said direction from said heel surface toward said tip region, wherein said upper rib includes a widened region located adjacent said tip region that extends generally upwardly toward said upper surface.

32. A composite hockey stick blade for a hockey stick comprising:

a hosel section for communicating with a handle portion;

a paddle portion coupled to said hosel section, said paddle portion consisting of an inner core constructed of a first material and an outer layer covering said inner core, which is constructed of a second material;

said paddle portion having a front face, a rear face, an upper surface, a tip region, a bottom surface, and a heel surface;

a stiffening system formed in said rear face of said paddle portion, said stiffening system consisting of at least one rib that extends inwardly toward said front face;

wherein said stiffening system provides localized stiffening at predetermined regions of said paddle portion that corresponds to a location of said at least one rib, wherein said stiffening system includes an upper rib that extends longitudinally along a length of said paddle portion in a direction from said heel surface toward said tip region and a lower rib that extends longitudinally along said length of said paddle portion in said direction from said heel surface toward said tip region, wherein said lower rib includes a widened region located adjacent said tip region that extends generally downwardly toward said lower surface.