Abstract:
A fastening mechanism for connecting a sports attachment to a shaft is provided. The fastening mechanism comprises an aperture formed in the shaft. A fastening member is mounted to the sports attachment with at least a portion of the fastening member receivable within the aperture. A biasing mechanism biases at least a portion of the fastening member in the aperture wherein the fastening member is releasably maintained within the aperture thereby releasably connecting the sports attachment to the shaft.

Description:
The present application claims benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/144,295, filed on Jul. 16, 1999, entitled “Device for Making Sports Stick Attachments Removable”. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to a fastening mechanism for connecting together sport attachments and sports shafts and, more particularly, it relates to a fastening mechanism for releasably connecting sport attachments to sports shafts which is spring-loaded for providing easy connection and removability of the sports attachments from the sports shaft and easy interchangeability of various sports attachments on a single sports shaft. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     In any sport that uses a sports stick of some kind as part of the game, there exists the possibility that the shaft of the sports stick will break or become worn so that a player desires to replace all or part of the sports stick. In hockey, as played both on ice and on other surfaces, it is common for the blade or other sport attachment of the sports stick to break before the shaft. In fact, due to the intense nature of the sport, hockey and lacrosse sticks are subject to a variety of stresses and shocks during play. These stresses and shocks often result in broken blades or heads which require replacement before they can be used. 
     Therefore, in addition to the well-known single piece sports stick, manufacturers have developed sports sticks having separate shafts and replacement blades. To eliminate the need to replace the entire sports stick, hockey and lacrosse stick assemblies have been designed so that only the damaged blade or head need be replaced. Using conventional methods, replacing the damaged blade or head has been time consuming, and requires auxiliary equipment. 
     A variety of mechanisms exist in the art that allow replacement of blades or heads, but all involve of these mechanisms require either heating one or more of the elements or unscrewing the damaged parts and screwing in replacements. One method for attaching a replacement blade to a separate hockey shaft is by way of remeltable glue placed on either the tenon of the replacement blade, or inside the shaft. One difficulty that this method presents is that a means for heating the glue is required for removing and replacing a blade. Therefore, the user must carry a heating apparatus to the play area in order to replace his or her blade. 
     A second method of replacement blade attachment is by way of a tapered setscrew embedded in the tenon of the replacement blade. The screw is accessed through a hole in the shaft and must be turned by a screwdriver. The drawback of this method is that a separate tool is required to remove and replace blades and the correct ancillary equipment must be on hand during play in order to effect the change. 
     A third method employs rubber barbs on the tenon that grip the inside of the shaft when the tenon is inserted. Unfortunately, with this method, there are no means for securely locking the blade to the shaft and the chances for inadvertent dislodgment of the blade from the shaft are greatly increased. 
     A fourth method is set forth in the Selden patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,306, discloses a spring mechanism for releasably locking a replacement hockey blade to a shaft. The Selden patent describes a U-shaped spring that fits over an intermediary shaft connected to the replacement blade and then to the shaft of the stick. While the invention of the Selden patent obviates the need for heating glue to release the blade from the shaft, it adds difficulty in manufacture by the addition of extra elements and connections, and does not adequately allow for fingertip access to the locking mechanism. 
     Accordingly, there exists a need for a fastening mechanism for connecting sport attachments to sports shafts to overcome not only the need for a heating element to soften a glue attachment means, but also the manufacturing and use difficulties presented by the Selden patent. Additionally, a need exists for a fastening mechanism for connecting sport attachments to sports shafts requires no glue or heat gun and no extra tools of any kind. Furthermore, there exists a need for a fastening mechanism for connecting sport attachments to sports shafts, and provides a means for positively releasably locking the sports attachment to the shaft as well as fingertip access to the fastening mechanism. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention is a fastening mechanism for connecting a sports attachment to a shaft. The fastening mechanism comprises an aperture formed in the shaft. A fastening member is mounted to the sports attachment with at least a portion of the fastening member receivable within the aperture. A biasing mechanism biases at least a portion of the fastening member in the aperture wherein the fastening member is releasably maintained within the aperture thereby releasably connecting the sports attachment to the shaft. 
     The present invention additionally includes a device for releasably securing together a blade and a shaft of a sporting item with the blade having a tenon and the shaft having a hollow portion. The tenon of the blade is receivable within the hollow portion. The device comprises a spring-biased fastener mounted to the tenon and an aperture in the shaft, the aperture extending into the hollow portion and receiving at least a portion of the fastener. 
     The present invention further includes a method for constructing a sports stick. The sports stick has a sports attachment having a tenon and a shaft having a hollow portion with the tenon being receivable within the hollow portion. The method comprises forming an aperture through the shaft into the hollow portion, mounting a fastening member to the tenon of the sports attachment, inserting the tenon of the sports attachment into the hollow portion of the shaft, aligning the fastening member with the aperture in the shaft, and urging at least a portion of the fastening member into the aperture. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a fastening mechanism for connecting sport attachments to sports shafts, constructed in accordance with the present invention, with the fastening mechanism being a spring-actuated button within a housing mounted within a tenon of the sport attachment and being received within an aperture formed in the sports shaft; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional side view illustrating the fastening mechanism for connecting sport attachments to sports shafts of FIG. 1, constructed in accordance with the present invention, with the housing having a domed top wall; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional side view illustrating another embodiment of the fastening mechanism for connecting sport attachments to sports shafts, constructed in accordance with the present invention, with the fastening mechanism being a cupped spring received within the tenon of the sport attachment and being received within the aperture formed in the sports shaft; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional side view illustrating still another embodiment of the fastening mechanism for connecting sport attachments to sports shafts, constructed in accordance with the present invention, with the fastening mechanism being an elongated member having an enlarged portion receivable within the aperture in the sports shaft; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional side view illustrating yet another embodiment of the fastening mechanism for connecting sport attachments to sports shafts, constructed in accordance with the present invention, with the fastening mechanism being an elongated member and extending beyond an end of the tenon of the sports attachment; and 
     FIG. 6 is an sectional end view illustrating still yet another embodiment of the fastening mechanism for connecting sport attachments to sports shafts, constructed in accordance with the present invention, with the tenon of the sport attachment having molded ridges to maintain a tight fit of the tenon within the sport shaft. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 1-6, the present invention is a fastening mechanism, indicated generally at  10 , for releasably connecting together a sports attachment  12 , such as a replaceable blade or head, and a replaceable sport shaft  14  of a sports stick  16  such as an ice hockey stick, a street hockey stick, a field hockey stick, a lacrosse stick, etc. For clarity of description, the discussion herein will discuss the sports stick  16  being a hockey stick assembly, the sport attachment being a hockey stick blade portion, and the sport shaft  16  being a shaft portion of the hockey stick assembly. 
     The shaft portion  14  of the hockey stick assembly  16  has a hollow portion  18 , and can be constructed of a variety of metals and plastics, including fiberglass and other composite materials known in the art. The blade portion  12  consists of a blade area (not shown) for handling a puck or ball and a tenon  20  for insertion into the hollow portion  18  of the hockey shaft portion  14 . The tenon  20  can be either straight or tapered. Preferably, however, to ease in insertion of the tenon  20  of the blade portion  12  into the hollow portion  18  of the shaft portion  14 , the tenon  20  is tapered to match a similar taper on the inside of the hollow portion  18  of the shaft portion  14  of the hockey stick assembly  16 . 
     The tenon  20  extends above shoulders  22  formed on the blade portion  12  of the hockey stick assembly  16 . The shoulders  22  of the blade portion  12  are sized so that a bottom edge  24  of the shaft portion  14  of the hockey stick assembly  16  rests on the shoulders  22  when the tenon  20  is fully inserted into the hollow portion  18  of the shaft portion  14  and the outside of the shoulders  22  are flush with the outside of the shaft portion  14 . 
     There are several embodiments of the fastening mechanism  10  of the present invention which will be described herein. A person skilled in the art will understand that other embodiment are within the scope and spirit of the present invention. The inventor will now describe the fastening mechanism  10  embodiments of the present invention in detail. 
     Button in a Housing 
     In this embodiment of the fastening mechanism  10  of the present invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fastening mechanism  10  has at least one spring-actuated button  26  slidably engaged within a housing  28  mounted within the tenon  20  of the blade portion  12 . The housing  28  is preferably comprised of two parts that mate together either by press-fitting, screwing together, or other means. The button  26  is seated within the housing  28  with a spring  29  urging the button  26  in a general direction through an open end  38  of the housing  28 . The spring  29  is preferably a coil spring, although other types of springs are within the scope of the present invention. 
     The button  26  can be cylindrical or any other shape consistent with the object of the invention, and the button  26  can have a hollow core  30  and one open end  32 . Preferably, about the open end  32  of the button  26  is an annular retaining lip  34 . The housing  28 , likewise, includes a corresponding retaining lip  36  on the open end  38  of the housing  28  to engage the annular retaining lip  34  of the button  26 . 
     The entire fastening mechanism  10  of the present embodiment of the present invention is sized and shaped to fit into the tenon  20  of the blade portion  12 , such that when the tenon  20  is received within the hollow portion  18  of the shaft portion  14 , the button  26  engages an aperture  40  provided in the shaft portion  14 . In the shaft portion  14  of the hockey stick assembly  16 , the aperture  40  is provided through one or more sides of the shaft portion  14  so that when the tenon  20  of the replacement blade portion  12  is fully inserted into the hollow portion  18  of the shaft portion  14 , the spring-loaded button  26  in the fastening mechanism  10  will extend through the shaft aperture  40  providing a secure releasable lock against accidental removal of the blade portion  12  from the shaft portion  14 . 
     The housing  28  of the fastening mechanism  10  can be circular and can have a domed top wall  42  (as illustrated in FIG. 2) so that when the tenon  20  is inserted into the hollow portion  18  of the shaft portion  14 , the domed top wall  42  of the housing  28  creates a snug fit between the tenon  20  and the shaft portion  14 . The entire fastening mechanism  10  can be made of metal or plastic, or any other material consistent with the object of the invention. 
     While the fastening mechanism  10  of the present invention has been described and illustrated as having one (1) button  26  and one (1) corresponding housing  28 , it is within the scope of the present invention to provide more than one (1) button  26  and more than one (1) corresponding housing  28 . Additional buttons  26  and corresponding housings  28  further releasably secure the blade portion  12  to the shaft portion  14  of the hockey stick assembly  16 . 
     To release the blade portion  12  from the shaft portion  14 , the button or buttons  26  are depressed while the shaft portion  14  and the blade portion are pulled apart in a direction generally away from each other. Preferably, the shaft aperture  40  is surrounded by a fingertip access depression  44  to aid in the removal of the blade portion  12  from the shaft portion  14 . In hockey and other sports there is often contact between sticks and other sticks, players&#39; equipment, pucks, balls and the like. The fingertip access depressions  44  allow for protection of the button or buttons  26  of the fastening mechanism  10  and for ease of access to the buttons  26  by the user. If the buttons  26  of the fastening mechanism  10  protrude beyond the shaft portion  14 , it is more than likely that the buttons  26  would encounter contact from one of the above sources and the blade portion  12  of the hockey stick assembly  16  could become undesirably detached from the shaft portion  14 . 
     In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the button or buttons  26  of the fastening mechanism  10  protrude from the shaft portion  14  no further outward than the depth of the fingertip access depressions  44 . This feature also allows a player to place tape or other means over the area of the fingertip access depressions  44  to further protect the buttons  26  of the locking mechanism  10  from accidental release. 
     Cupped Spring 
     In another embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the spring-actuated fastening mechanism  10  is a “cupped” spring device  46 . The cupped spring device  46  can be made of steel or any other appropriate elastomer material which can be deformed for insertion into the aperture  40  of the shaft portion  14  of the hockey stick assembly  16 , but returns to its original shape upon release of the force causing the deformation. Preferably, the cupped spring device  46  has a round cross-sectional configuration, although a cupped spring device  46  having other cross-sectional configurations including, but not limited to, rectangular, etc., are within the scope of the present invention. 
     The cupped spring device  46  is seated in an “upside down” manner within a hole or depression  48  formed in the tenon  20  of the blade portion  12  of the hockey stick assembly  16 . Likewise, the cupped spring device  46  can fitted with a button or protrusion  50  that can be depressed during insertion of the tenon  20  into the hollow portion  18  of the shaft portion  14  and releasably engage the aperture  40  in the shaft portion  14  of the hockey stick assembly  16 . 
     Longitudinal Locking Mechanism 
     In another preferred embodiment of the fastening mechanism  10  of the present invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the fastening mechanism  10  consists of an elongated strip  52  of spring-like plastic or other material. The elongated strip  52  is situated along the tenon  20  of the blade portion  12  of the hockey stick assembly  16  and has a substantially flat length  53  fitted with a protruding button or enlarged portion  54  at one end of the elongated strip  52  and attached to the tenon  20 . The tenon  20  preferably includes a groove  56  formed longitudinally on one side of the tenon  20  for receiving at least a portion of the flat length  53  and the elongated strip  52 . It is within the scope of the present invention for the enlarged portion  54  to be any shape including, but not limited to, round, square, wedge-shaped, etc. 
     The flat length  53  of the elongated strip  53  of the fastening mechanism  10  of the present invention is mounted along the tenon  20  of the blade portion  12  so that the enlarged portion  54  is situated either entirely over the groove  56  in the tenon  20 , as illustrated in FIG. 4, or extending over the end of the tenon  20 . Also, the flat length  53  of the fastening mechanism  10  is situated so that when the tenon  20  of the blade portion  12  is fully inserted into the hollow portion  18  of the shaft portion  14 , the enlarged portion  54  of the elongated strip  52  aligns with the fingertip access aperture  40  in the shaft portion  14 . It is within the scope of the present invention that more than one (1), i.e., two (2) or more, such elongated strips  52  may be employed on opposite or contiguous sides of the tenon  20  of the blade portion  12  of the hockey stick assembly  16 . It is within the scope of the present invention to include one (1) or more of such elongated strips  52  on the tenon  20  of the blade portion  12 . 
     Mechanism Molded In 
     The fastening mechanism  10  can be laminated or molded into the tenon  20  of the blade portion  12  of the hockey stick assembly  16 . It is within the scope of the present invention that the fastening mechanism  10  be constructed of the same material as or a material compatible with a moldable and suitably strong material to serve as a blade portion  12  for a hockey stick assembly  16 . 
     The tenon  20  of the blade portion  12  can be manufactured separately from the rest of the blade portion  12 . The tenon  20  can be injection molded or formed by any other method. The injection molded tenon  20  can have the fastening mechanism  10  molded directly during the injection molding process. In this manner, the tolerances can be controlled. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 6, the tenon  20  can be provided with longitudinal ridges  58  on each or any side of the tenon  20  for tolerance control. The shoulder  22  of the tenon  20  can have several raised areas, dots, lines, etc., also to take up slack, and ensure a snug fit between the shoulder  22  of the tenon  20  and the shoulder bottom edge  24  of the shaft portion  14 . 
     There are many advantages of providing a fastening mechanism  10  of the present invention. No tools are required for easy and safe quick-release action between the blade portion  12  and the shaft portion  14 . No heat needs to be applied. Manufacturing tolerances can be controlled. Fingertip depressions on the shaft portion  14  protect from accidentally dislodgment. Simple, one-piece construction provides greater stability and security of the tenon-shaft portion connection because the tenon  20  can be full-length and does not require ancillary stubs or attachments. Tolerance absorption because of the pressure of the domed top housing  28  or cupped spring device  46  against the inside of the hollow portion  18  of the shaft portion  14  and snug fit from the mating tapers of the tenon and the shaft portion  14 . 
     The foregoing exemplary descriptions and the illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been explained in the drawings and described in detail, with varying modifications and alternative embodiments being taught. While the invention has been so shown, described and illustrated, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that equivalent changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention, and that the scope of the present invention is to be limited only to the claims except as precluded by the prior art. Moreover, the invention as disclosed herein, may be suitably practiced in the absence of the specific elements which are disclosed herein.