Lacrosse head pocket and related method of manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9259883-B1
Application number	US-201514815201-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 31, 2015
Priority date	Aug 7, 2014
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

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 making a lacrosse head with an integral pocket, the method comprising:
knitting with a knitting machine a lacrosse pocket including a lacrosse pocket outer perimeter having a first knit pattern, the pocket outer perimeter including a perimeter flange that is at least 2.0 mm in width,
simultaneously knitting on the knitting machine a lacrosse middle pocket while knitting the lacrosse pocket outer perimeter of the lacrosse pocket, the lacrosse middle pocket having a predefined, three dimensional, concave shape, the middle pocket being located within the pocket outer perimeter and having a second knit pattern, the second knit pattern being different from the first knit pattern;
defining in the middle pocket a bullseye opening that is shaped and sized to at least partially restrain the lacrosse ball within the middle pocket, the bullseye opening being formed at a predefined pocket apex generally centered upon a pocket longitudinal axis, the bullseye opening being the largest dimensioned opening defined by the lacrosse pocket;
removing the lacrosse pocket from the knitting machine;
placing the perimeter flange in a mold, the mold defining a scoop mold cavity, a sidewall mold cavity and a base mold cavity so that the pocket outer perimeter is simultaneously disposed in each of the scoop mold cavity, the base mold cavity and the sidewall mold cavity;
introducing a molten material into the scoop mold cavity, the sidewall mold cavity and the base mold cavity so that the molten material becomes impregnated within the perimeter flange, flowing between interlooped portions of strands within the perimeter flange, with the molten material extending from a first surface of the perimeter flange that faces generally toward the pocket longitudinal axis, to a second surface of the perimeter flange that faces generally away from the pocket longitudinal axis;
allowing the molten material to cure to form a lacrosse head having a scoop disposed in the scoop mold cavity, a sidewall disposed in the sidewall mold cavity and a base disposed in the base mold cavity, and
removing the lacrosse head from the mold with the lacrosse pocket projecting downward from the lacrosse head and being integrally molded therein.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising:
providing a handle mold cavity in fluid communication with the base mold cavity;
introducing the molten material into the handle mold cavity to form a handle integrally joined with the lacrosse head.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the molten material is injected under pressure simultaneously into the handle mold cavity, the scoop mold cavity, the sidewall mold cavity and the base mold cavity.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein before the introducing step, the scoop mold cavity, the sidewall mold cavity and the base mold cavity are empty, except for the outer perimeter flange placed therein and optional locator pins therein.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising defining in the middle pocket a plurality of additional openings forward of the bullseye opening, toward an upper edge portion of the lacrosse pocket, along the pocket longitudinal axis, the additional openings becoming progressively smaller in overall area away from the bullseye opening.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising knitting the first knit pattern with a first strand constructed from a first material having a first elasticity, and knitting the second knit pattern with a second strand constructed from a second material having a second elasticity greater than the first elasticity.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising knitting at least one of a join element and a vertical element adjacent the bullseye opening with an Intarsia knitting technique.

8. A method of making a lacrosse head with an integral pocket, the method comprising:
providing a first spool having wound upon the first spool a continuous first strand constructed from at least one of an aromatic polyamide and an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene;
providing a second spool having wound upon the second spool a continuous second strand constructed from a thermoplastic polymer;
joining the first strand and the second strand with an automated knitting machine;
knitting on the knitting machine a lacrosse pocket including a pocket outer perimeter constructed from the first strand, the pocket outer perimeter including a perimeter flange that is at least 2.0 mm in width, the lacrosse pocket including a middle pocket having a predefined, three dimensional, concave shape adapted to snugly hold a lacrosse ball therein, the middle pocket being located within the pocket outer perimeter and constructed from the second strand, the lacrosse pocket defining a side to side width taken perpendicular to a pocket longitudinal axis, the side to side width being greater between the middle pocket and a scoop pocket portion than in the middle pocket, the pocket outer perimeter curving outwardly in transitioning from the middle pocket toward the scoop pocket portion;
defining in the middle pocket a bullseye opening that is shaped and sized to at least partially restrain the lacrosse ball within the middle pocket, the bullseye opening being bounded by a first vertical element on a first lateral side of a pocket longitudinal axis, a second vertical element on a second, opposing lateral side of the pocket longitudinal axis, and at least one join element extending transverse to the longitudinal axis, connecting the first vertical element and the second vertical element, the first and second vertical elements each having a width;
defining a plurality of locator pin openings in the perimeter flange during the knitting process;
removing the lacrosse pocket from the knitting machine;
placing the perimeter flange in a mold, the mold defining a scoop mold cavity, a sidewall mold cavity and a base mold cavity so that the pocket outer perimeter is simultaneously disposed in each of the scoop mold cavity, the base mold cavity and the sidewall mold cavity;
securing a plurality of mold locator pins within respective ones of the plurality of locator pin openings to hold the lacrosse pocket perimeter flange a preselected distance within the respective scoop mold cavity, sidewall mold cavity and base mold cavity;
introducing a molten material into the scoop mold cavity, the sidewall mold cavity and the base mold cavity so that the molten material becomes impregnated within the perimeter flange, flowing between interlooped portions of the first strand within the perimeter flange, with the molten material extending from a first surface of the perimeter flange that faces generally toward the pocket longitudinal axis, to a second surface of the perimeter flange that faces generally away from the pocket longitudinal axis;
allowing the molten material to cure to form a lacrosse head having a scoop disposed in the scoop mold cavity, a sidewall disposed in the sidewall mold cavity and a base disposed in the base mold cavity, and
removing the lacrosse head from the mold with the lacrosse pocket projecting downward from the lacrosse head and being integrally molded therein.

9. The method of claim 8 comprising:
knitting an opening adjacent the perimeter flange; and
engaging a majority of the width of the perimeter flange with the molten material but preventing the molten material from entering the opening adjacent the perimeter flange.

10. The method of claim 8 comprising knitting with the knitting machine first and second runners into the pocket with a portion of the first strand, but not a portion of the second strand.

11. The method of claim 8 comprising

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

• B29C45/14065

  Positioning or centering articles in the mould · CPC title

• B29C66/919

  characterised by specific temperature, heat or thermal flux values or ranges (specific electrical resistance values B29C66/81262) · CPC title

• B29K2713/00

  Use of textile products or fabrics for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts (B29K2105/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29L2031/5227

  Clubs · CPC title

• B29C66/729

  Textile or other fibrous material made from plastics · CPC title