Patent ID: 7931548
Filing Date: 2011-04-26
Classification: A63B

Abstract:
1. A lacrosse stick frame element comprising: a scoop portion having an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion including an upper surface and said lower portion including a lower surface; a pair of opposing sidewall portions coupled to said scoop portion, each of said pair of sidewall portions having an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion including an upper surface and said lower portion including a lower surface; a ball stop portion coupled to each of said pair of opposing sidewall portions and having an upper portion and a lower portion and an inner surface, said ball stop portion including a tail drop, said upper portion including an upper surface and said lower portion including a lower surface; a throat region coupled to said ball stop portion and extending rearwardly away from said scoop portion, said throat region including an upper surface that is tangential to a first horizontal reference plane, said throat region including a lower surface that is tangential to a second horizontal reference plane, said first horizontal reference plane parallel to said second horizontal reference plane; a vertical reference plane extending perpendicular to said first horizontal reference plane and said second horizontal reference plane; and a net joined with the pair of opposing sidewall portions and the ball stop portion; wherein said lower surface of said lower portion of said ball stop portion corresponding to said tail drop is lowered with respect to said first horizontal reference plane and said second horizontal reference plane and wherein said tail drop includes a tail drop lowermost surface, wherein the tail drop lowermost surface is lowered with respect to a lowermost surface of each of said pair of sidewall portions, wherein said tail drop transitions at a curve to the pair of sidewall portions and the sidewall portions remain above the tail drop, wherein said tail drop includes a plurality of tail drop net securing structures, wherein said pair of opposing sidewall portions include a plurality of sidewall net securing structures, wherein all of the tail drop net securing structures are lower than all of the plurality of sidewall net securing structures, wherein at least one of the plurality of tail drop net securing structures is recessed rearwardly with respect to the upper surface of the ball stop portion so that the at least one of the plurality of tail drop net securing structures is displaced rearwardly relative to the vertical reference plane while at least a portion of the upper surface is disposed in the vertical reference plane, wherein at least a portion of said inner surface of said ball stop portion is slightly recessed outwardly, away from the scoop portion at an angle Δ defined between the vertical reference plane and a line extending between a point on said upper surface of said ball stop portion and a point on said lower surface of said ball stop portion, wherein said angle Δ is between about 0 and 7 degrees, wherein the net is joined with the plurality of net securing structures of the tail drop and the sidewall portions in a configuration so that a lacrosse ball disposed in the net is impaired from abrading a net portion immediately adjacent the plurality of tail drop net securing structures, and so that the lacrosse ball engages the net and at least a portion of the inner surface of the ball stop portion when the ball is located adjacent the ball stop portion, and wherein the plurality of tail drop net securing structures are lowered sufficiently below the plurality of sidewall net securing structures so that the net portion immediately adjacent the plurality of tail drop net securing structures is void of an abrupt curve, whereby the lacrosse ball adjacent the ball stop portion is further prevented from abrading the net adjacent the plurality of tail drop structures.