Lacrosse head pocket and related method of manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10300357-B2
Application number	US-201514815035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2015
Priority date	Aug 7, 2014
Publication date	May 28, 2019
Grant date	May 28, 2019

Abstract

A lacrosse head pocket and a related method of manufacture are provided to facilitate consistent, repeatable and/or custom manufacture of lacrosse equipment. The pocket can be constructed from multiple different sections joined with one another, or can be knitted, weaved or otherwise assembled on an automated assembly machine from strands, and/or can be formed as a unitary textile material having regions/sections with different physical and/or mechanical properties. The pocket can be integrally molded within portions of a lacrosse head to eliminate manually constructed connections between the pocket and lacrosse head. The lacrosse head can be integrally molded with a lacrosse handle to provide a one-piece unitary lacrosse stick. Related methods of manufacturing also are provided.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A method of manufacturing a custom lacrosse pocket comprising:
providing a first lacrosse pocket joined with a first lacrosse head via laces strung manually by a human between the first lacrosse pocket and the first lacrosse head, the first lacrosse pocket including a first boundary, a first three dimensional concave contour having a first location of a first apex between a scoop portion and a base portion of the pocket, and a first ball channel curvature;
imaging the first lacrosse pocket with an imaging device;
generating first lacrosse pocket data, the first lacrosse pocket data pertaining to at least one of the first boundary, the first three dimensional concave contour, the first location of the first apex, and the first ball channel curvature of the first lacrosse pocket;
storing the first lacrosse pocket data in a memory; and
utilizing the first lacrosse pocket data to guide mechanical manipulation of a plurality of flexible, elongated strands with an automated pocket assembly machine, thereby forming a second lacrosse pocket including the plurality of strands,
wherein the second lacrosse pocket includes at least one of a second three dimensional concave contour corresponding to the first three dimensional concave contour immediately upon formation, a second apex located in a second location corresponding to the first apex located in the first location immediately upon formation, and a second ball channel curvature corresponding to the first ball channel curvature immediately upon formation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said imaging the first lacrosse pocket with an imaging device includes generating, based on light reflected from the first lacrosse pocket, model information relating to a three-dimensional digital structure of the first lacrosse pocket.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the imaging device is incorporated into a point-of-sale device, and wherein said imaging the first lacrosse pocket is included in the step of generating a point of sale request with a point-of-sale interface that is carried out on the point-of-sale device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the point-of-sale device is a portable device having a digital camera.

5. The method of claim 2 comprising:
communicating the model information to a translation processor;
generating the first lacrosse pocket data from the translation processor based on the model information, said generating including determining one or more features of the three-dimensional digital structure of the first lacrosse pocket and generating the first lacrosse pocket data to substantially reproduce the one or more features in the second lacrosse pocket formed with the automated pocket assembly machine.

6. The method of claim 5 comprising:
determining a reference frame for the three-dimensional digital structure of the first lacrosse pocket;
measuring the one or more features relative to the reference frame; and
generating the first lacrosse pocket data based on measurements of the one or more features, wherein the reference frame is based on a longitudinal axis of the three-dimensional digital structure.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the one or more features of the three-dimensional digital structure include at least one of a location of an apex, a location and width of a widest portion of the lacrosse pocket relative to the longitudinal axis, a curvature and a dimension of a middle pocket, and a curvature and a dimension of a shooting ramp.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said determining the reference frame includes identifying the longitudinal axis of the three-dimensional digital structure and identifying a face plane of the three-dimensional digital structure.

9. The method of claim 5 comprising: determining, based on the model information, a first lacrosse head associated with the first lacrosse pocket; and adapting the first lacrosse pocket data to generate the second lacrosse pocket such that the second lacrosse pocket is constructed to fit a second lacrosse head, wherein the one or more features of the three-dimensional digital structure of the first lacrosse pocket are substantially reproduced in the second lacrosse pocket, wherein the first lacrosse head is configured differently from the second lacrosse head.

10. The method of claim 1 comprising:
placing a second outer perimeter of the second lacrosse pocket in a mold cavity;
introducing a molten polymeric material from an external supply into the mold cavity to substantially fill the mold cavity, the molten polymeric material encapsulating the second perimeter;
allowing the molten polymeric material to cure to form a cured second lacrosse head having a scoop and a base attached via at least one sidewall; and
removing the cured second lacrosse head from the mold cavity with the second lacrosse pocket secured thereto, without the second lacrosse pocket having been manually strung to the cured second lacrosse head with laces manipulated by a human.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising knitting a plurality of second lacrosse pockets, each including the second three dimensional concave contour corresponding to the first three dimensional contour immediately upon formation, the second apex located in a second location corresponding to the first apex located in the first location, and the second ball channel curvature corresponding to the first ball channel curvature immediately upon formation.

12. The method of claim 1 comprising:
identifying a professional lacrosse player possessing the first lacrosse pocket;
forming a plurality of the second lacrosse pockets that are identical to the first lacrosse pocket; and
providing the plurality of second lacrosse pockets to the professional lacrosse player.

13. The method of claim 12 comprising:
integrally molding individual ones of a plurality of second lacrosse heads to individual ones of the plurality of second lacrosse pockets; and
providing the plurality of second lacrosse heads to the professional lacrosse player with respective ones of the plurality of lacrosse head pockets.

14. The method of claim 1 comprising:
identifying a professional lacrosse player possessing the first lacrosse pocket;
forming a plurality of the second lacrosse pockets that are identical to the first pocket; and
providing the plurality of second lacrosse pockets to a plurality of amateur lacrosse players who admire the professional lacrosse player.

15. The method of claim 14 comprising:
providing individual ones of the plurality of second lacrosse pockets with respective individual ones of a plurality of second lacrosse heads.

16. The method of claim 1 comprising:
identifying a first lacrosse player who plays lacrosse using the first lacrosse pocket;
forming a plurality of the second lacrosse pockets that are identical to the first pocket; and
forming a plurality of cured second lacrosse heads, each integrally molded over at least a portion of respective one of the plurality of second lacrosse pockets.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising:
receiving an order from the first lacrosse player for at least one cured second lacrosse head; and
providing the plurality of cured second lacrosse heads to the first lacrosse player, with the corresponding plurality of second lacrosse pockets respectively joined thereto.

18. A method of manufacturing a custom lacrosse pocket comprising:
providing first lacrosse pocket data pertaining to a first lacrosse pocket, the f

Assignees

• Warrior Sports Inc

Inventors

• Morrow David K
• Huffa Bruce
• Burns Thomas H
• Janisse Richard J
• Slater Sean J
• Kohler Dale W
• Herman Craig M

Classifications

• B29C66/1122

  Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints (B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29C65/02

  by heating, with or without pressure · CPC title

• B29C70/688

  the inserts being meshes or lattices (B29C70/82, B29C70/683 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29C66/81427

  comprising a single ridge, e.g. for making a weakening line; comprising a single tooth · CPC title

• B29K2677/00

  Use of {PA, i.e.} polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides {or derivatives thereof,} for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts · CPC title