Hockey stick

• US 8,608,597 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2011
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ToVi LLC
• Original Assignee: Scott L. Heitmann, Tzvi Avnery
• Inventors: Avnery, Tzvi, Heitmann, Scott L.
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAHAM, MARK S
• Application Number:
  US13/227,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20130065714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 473560-563, 264/239, 264/241
• US Class Current: 473/563
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/08 Paddle tennis, padel tennis or platform tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/22 Field hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/24 Ice hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 59/48 with perforated surfaces
• 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 60/50 with through-holes A63B60/18 takes precedence; for stringing purposes A63B49/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/021 characterised by the shape of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/36 Moulds for making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/543 Fixing the position or configuration of fibrous reinforcements before or during moulding for non-woven fabrics D04H3/08
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/10 Thermosetting resins
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/12 of short lengths, e.g. chopped filaments, staple fibres or bristles
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/52 Sports equipment ; Games; Articles for amusement; Toys B29L2031/54 takes precedence

Abstract

A blade for a hockey stick which can readily absorb impact from the puck, and can allow the user to feel the puck on the blade in contrast to conventional carbon fiber blades. The blade can include a blade member integrally formed of composite material having discontinuous fibers bonded within thermosetting resin. The blade member can have a blade periphery surrounding a central blade region. The central blade region can have a plurality of openings arranged in a pattern to form series of elongate criss crossing ribs that extend between and connect different sides of the blade periphery to each other. The fibers in the blade periphery can be in a generally jumbled orientation, and the fibers in the central blade region can be positioned within the ribs in a manner wherein each rib contains a plurality of fibers that substantially extend in said each rib'"'"'s elongate direction.

Claims

1. A blade for a hockey stick comprising;

a blade member integrally formed of composite material having discontinuous fibers bonded within thermosetting resin, the blade member comprising a blade periphery surrounding a central blade region, the central blade region having a plurality of openings arranged in a pattern to form a series of elongate criss crossing ribs that extend between and connect different sides of the blade periphery to each other, the fibers in the blade periphery being in a generally jumbled orientation, and the fibers in the central blade region being positioned within the ribs in a manner wherein each rib contains a plurality of fibers that substantially extend in said each rib'"'"'s elongate direction.

2. The blade of claim 1 in which the plurality of openings in the central blade region are arranged in a diagonal pattern relative to the blade member to form a series of elongate criss crossing diagonal ribs.

3. The blade of claim 2 in which the openings are rectangular openings that are each oriented at an angle as a diamond shape.

4. The blade of claim 1 in which the fibers are about 1-3 inches long.

5. The blade of claim 1 in which the fibers are selected from the group consisting of carbon fiber, glass fiber and aramid fiber.

6. The blade of claim 1 in which the blade member has opposite front and rear blade faces, at least a portion of the blade periphery having a layer of unidirectional fibers laminated thereon, on at least one of the front and rear blade faces.

7. The blade of claim 1 in which the blade member includes a series of spaced raised protrusions on at least a front blade face.

8. The blade of claim 7 in which the raised protrusions extend about 0.04 inches and are spaced about ⅛

to ¼

inches apart from each other.

9. The blade of claim 1 in which the blade member is formed from a sheet of prepregnated composite material.

10. The blade of claim 1 in which about 33% to 63% of the central blade region is open area formed by the plurality of openings.

11. A blade for a hockey stick comprising;

a blade member integrally formed of composite material having discontinuous carbon fibers bonded with thermosetting resin, the blade member comprising a blade periphery surrounding a central blade region, the central blade region having a plurality of openings arranged in a diagonal pattern relative to the blade member to form a series of elongate criss crossing diagonal ribs that extend between and connect different sides of the blade periphery to each other, the fibers in the blade periphery being in a generally jumbled orientation, and the fibers in the central blade region positioned within the ribs in a manner wherein each rib contains a plurality of fibers that substantially extend in said each rib'"'"'s elongate direction.

12. A hockey stick comprising;

a blade including a blade member integrally formed of composite material having discontinuous fibers bonded within thermosetting resin, the blade member comprising a blade periphery surrounding a central blade region, the central blade region having a plurality of openings arranged in a pattern to form a series of elongate criss crossing ribs that extend between and connect different sides of the blade periphery to each other, the fibers in the blade periphery being in a generally jumbled orientation, and the fibers in the central blade region being positioned within the ribs in a manner wherein each rib contains a plurality of fibers that substantially extend in said each rib'"'"'s elongate direction; and

a shaft connected to the blade.

13. A method of forming a blade for a hockey stick comprising;

integrally forming a blade member from composite material having discontinuous fibers within thermosetting resin to have a blade periphery surrounding a central blade region, the central blade region having a plurality of openings arranged in a pattern to form a series of elongate criss crossing ribs that extend between and connect different sides of the blade periphery to each other;

forming the blade periphery in which the fibers are in a generally jumbled orientation; and

orienting the fibers in the central blade region within the ribs in a manner wherein each rib contains a plurality of fibers that substantially extend in said each rib'"'"'s elongate direction.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising forming the blade member from a sheet of prepregnated composite material.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising molding the sheet of prepregnated composite material in a mold, and forming the plurality of openings in the central blade region with mold protrusion members, the mold protrusion members also positioning and orienting the fibers within the ribs.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising forming the plurality of the openings in the central blade region in a diamond pattern relative to the blade member, thereby forming a series of elongate criss crossing diagonal ribs.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising forming the openings as rectangular openings that are each oriented at an angle as a diamond shape.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising forming the blade member from composite material having fibers about 1-3 inches long.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising selecting the fibers from the group consisting of carbon fiber, glass fiber and aramid fiber.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising laminating a layer of unidirectional fibers on at least a portion of the blade periphery, and on at least one of front and rear blade faces of the blade member.

21. The method of claim 13 further comprising forming a series of spaced raised protrusions on at least a front blade face.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising forming the raised protrusions to extend about 0.04 inches and about ⅛

to ¼

inches apart from each other.

23. The method of claim 13 further comprising forming the central blade region with about 33% to 63% open area with the plurality of openings.

24. A method of forming a blade for a hockey stick comprising;

integrally forming a blade member from composite material having discontinuous carbon fibers within thermosetting resin to have a blade periphery surrounding a central blade region, the central blade region having a plurality of openings arranged in a diagonal pattern relative to the blade member to form a series of elongate criss crossing diagonal ribs that extend between and connect different sides of the blade periphery to each other;

forming the blade periphery in which the fibers are in a generally jumbled orientation; and

orienting the fibers in the central blade region within the ribs in a manner wherein each rib contains a plurality of fibers that substantially extend in said each rib'"'"'s elongate direction.

25. A method of forming a hockey stick comprising;

integrally forming a blade member of a blade from composite material having discontinuous fibers within thermosetting resin to have a blade periphery surrounding a central blade region, the central blade region having a plurality of openings arranged in a pattern to form a series of elongate criss crossing ribs that extend between and connect different sides of the blade periphery to each other;

forming the blade periphery in which the fibers are in a generally jumbled orientation;

orienting the fibers in the central blade region within the ribs in a manner wherein each rib contains a plurality of fibers that substantially extend in said each rib'"'"'s elongate direction; and

connecting a shaft to the blade.