Hockey Stick

• US 20060281592A1
• Filed: 07/11/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bauer Hockey, LLC
• Original Assignee: Jas D Easton Incorporated
• Inventors: DeLap, Christopher K., Goldsmith, Edward M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,850,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/563
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/24 Ice hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• 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 60/52 with slits
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/345 using matched moulds
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/44 using isostatic pressure, e.g. pressure difference-moulding, vacuum bag-moulding, autoclave-moulding or expanding rubber-moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/46 using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/865 completely encapsulated
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/5227 Clubs

Abstract

A hockey stick having a composite blade and a shaft is disclosed. The composite blade includes a heel section that is recessed relative to the front and back faces of the blade. The recessed heel section is configured to be received by a hockey stick shaft or an adapter member configured to connect the blade to the shaft. The composite blade preferably comprise a foam inner core overlaid preferably with substantially continuous fibers disposed in a matrix material and may include an internal bridge structure extending from one side of the blade to the other. The blade may also be preferably comprised of a core comprising non-continuous fibers disposed within a matrix material. In another aspect, processes for manufacturing the previously described hockey stick blade(s) are described.

Claims

1. A method for making a hockey stick blade configured to be attached to a hockey stick shaft comprising:

providing a plurality of foam inner core elements;

wrapping two or more of the inner core elements with an adhesive tape comprising one or more plies of continuous fibers imbedded in a tacky resin matrix to form tubular structures;

employing the adhesive properties of the tape to secure the tubular structures relative to one another to form a hockey stick blade pre-form structure;

placing the hockey stick blade pre-form structure into a mold having the desired exterior shape of a hockey stick blade;

curing the pre-form structure in the mold for a selected period of time and at a selected temperature to obtain a cured blade structure; and

removing the cured blade structure from the mold.

2. A method for making a hockey stick blade configured to be attached to a hockey stick shaft comprising:

providing a plurality of inner core elements;

wrapping the inner core elements with an adhesive tape comprising continuous fibers pre-impregnated with a resin matrix, to form a plurality of substructures of the blade;

employing the adhesive properties of the tape to secure the substructures relative to one another to form a hockey stick blade pre-form structure;

placing the hockey stick blade pre-form structure into a mold configured to impart the desired exterior shape of a hockey stick blade;

curing the blade pre-form structure in the mold for a selected period of time and at a selected temperature to cure the blade structure; and

removing the cured blade structure from the mold.

3. A method for making a hockey stick having a blade configured to be attached to a hockey stick shaft comprising:

providing a plurality of inner core elements;

wrapping one or more of the inner core elements, with an adhesive tape comprising continuous fibers pre-impregnated with a resin matrix, to form blade substructures;

forming a hockey stick blade pre-form structure by employing the adhesive properties of the tape to assist in securing the blade substructures relative to one another;

placing the hockey stick blade pre-form structure into a mold configured to impart the desired exterior shape of a hockey stick blade;

curing the pre-form structure in the mold for a selected period of time and at a selected temperature to cure the blade structure; and

removing the cured blade structure from the mold.