Abstract:
A hockey puck having aerodynamic pins located on each surface is provided for play on synthetic ice. The pins utilize dish shaped heads which provide substantially frictionless movement for the puck. The pins in one surface are mounted in offset relationship compared to the pin heads mounted in the opposing surface. Each pin is held in the puck by an interference fit making the pins easy to replace.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to the field of hockey practice devices and more specifically to the field of hockey pucks. Hockey pucks are traditionally made of rubber and have two flat surfaces. Hockey pucks for use on surfaces, other than ice, have rollers or pins which permit the puck to glide on the surface. 
   Hockey pucks which include rollers are disclosed in the patents to Creasy U.S. Pat. No. 2,444,810, White U.S. Pat. No. 3,090,109, Felber U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,204 and De Masi, Jr. et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,144. These pucks include balls or rollers. Dolan U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,769 discloses a plurality of ball bearings imbedded in a puck. The balls, bearings or rollers permit the users to advance the puck along the street or on pavement. 
   Plastic pucks made with pins are also used on cement or asphalt. These pucks are molded with interlocking pins or the puck is molded separately and the pins are inserted through each end of the hole formed during the molding process and the pins are joined by locking the fasteners together. The pins are made with heads which form bearing surfaces. Unfortunately, the pins often break off causing the user to either replace the pins or dispose of the entire puck. Moreover, with the limitations provided by traffic laws and trespassing, this type of street or playground hockey is no longer a popular game.  
   Synthetic ice offers a user the advantage of playing hockey at home in the basement or on the driveway or outside on any flat surface. There is a need in the industry of a hockey puck for use on synthetic ice. The currently used pucks have failed to meet the needs of the industry by providing lightweight pucks having pins which can be used without breaking during play.  
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to a hockey puck having a conventional rubber body and aerodynamic pins which include heads which extend beyond each surface the puck. The puck is designed for use on synthetic ice made of high density polyethylene. The pin heads positioned on one surface are offset compared to the pin heads positioned on the opposing surface. Each pin has a stem which is held in the puck by an interference fit making the pins easy to replace. 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of making a conventional hockey puck designed for use on synthetic ice. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a rubber hockey puck having bearing surfaces designed for sliding on synthetic ice. 
   It is still another object of the present invention to provide a rubber hockey puck having replaceable bearings. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a pin having an aerodynamic head used for play on synthetic ice. 
   The present invention overcomes the problems pending with the prior art by providing an inexpensive conventional hockey puck for use on synthetic ice. The hockey puck has aerodynamic bearings located on each surface of the puck. The pins heads mounted on one surface are offset in relationship to the pin heads mounted on the opposing surface. Each pin is held in the puck by an interference fit making the pins easy to replace.  

   
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a synthetic ice hockey puck of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a bottom plan view of the synthetic ice hockey puck of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the synthetic ice hockey puck of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the present invention taken along lines  1 — 1  of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of the synthetic ice hockey puck of the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of a pin used in the synthetic ice hockey puck of the present invention.  
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   A conventional rubber hockey puck designed for use on synthetic ice is depicted in  FIGS. 1–3 . Synthetic ice is well known and is made of high molecular weight polyethylene such as a 5100 series high molecular weight polyethylene sold by General Electric. The surface of the synthetic ice provides a frictionless playing surface for the hockey puck of the present invention. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1–3 , a hockey puck  10  for use on synthetic ice is illustrated. The puck  10  has a body  11  made of rubber. The type of rubber and size is identical to well known hockey pucks for use on ice. 
   The puck  10  includes two surfaces  12 ,  13 , which will be referred to as a top face  12   a  and a bottom face  13   a  for purposes of understanding this invention. Obviously, during play the puck  10 , turns over frequently and during play neither face is referred to top or bottom. Projecting above each surface is a plurality of pins  17   a ,  17   b  which serve as a bearing surface for the puck as it slides on the synthetic ice. Each pin  17   a ,  17   b  has a head  18   a ,  18   b  which forms a bearing surface  18   c  and a stem  19  as shown in  FIG. 4 .  
   Turning now to  FIG. 4 , the process of making the puck will now be described. In order to provide a frictionless surface for play on synthetic ice, holes  14  and  15  have drilled into the puck from each surface  12   a  and  13   a . The holes  14 ,  15  formed in the top surface  12  are offset from the holes on the bottom surface  13 . The body  11  of the puck  10  also has and side wall  16  which is substantially flat and a top ridge  16   a  and a bottom ridge  16   b.    
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , a cross sectional view of lines  1 — 1  of  FIG. 3  depicts a plurality of holes  14  and  15  which have been drilled into each face  12   a ,  13   a  of the puck  10  and into the puck body. Each hole  14 ,  15  have a diameter of approximately one eighth of an inch and a depth of approximately three quarters of an inch. A wall  20  is formed in each hole and flanges or ribs  21  are formed in the walls of each hole. The flanges or ribs  21  are the intended result of using a knurled bit during drilling of each hole. The flanges  21  are used to provide an interference fit and assist in securing the stem  19  of each pin  17  inside the hole against the wall. The ribs made be coated with oil before the pins are inserted to make the pins easier to remove. 
   Again referring to  FIG. 4 , the pins  17   a ,  17   b  may be further secured in the holes  14 ,  15  by adhesive. During the manufacturing process, the holes are filled with enough adhesive to secure each pin without overflow onto either surface of the puck. The adhesive flows between the flanges  20  of the hole  14 ,  15  to lock the pins  17   a ,  17   b  to the wall  20  in the hole. The locking force provided by the adhesive and the flanges prevents the pin from breaking during play.  
   As illustrated in all the drawings and forming part of the present invention, the pins  17   a  mounted in the top face  12   a  are offset to the pins  17   b  mounted in the bottom face. Accordingly, the top heads  22  which extend from the surface  12   a  are offset from the bottom heads  23  which extend from the surface  13   a . The heads  22 ,  23  projecting from each surface are mounted offsetting relationship to enable the use of the puck despite the loss of one bearing surface  18   c . Moreover, as a pin  17   a  rides on the surface  12  of the synthetic ice there is no direct contact with the pin  17   b  mounted indirectly below in the opposite surface  13 . Accordingly, and unlike prior art pucks, any contact on the pins mounted in the top surface  12  does not directly affect the pins riding on the synthetic ice. As the user of the puck may contact the pins  17   a  projecting from the top surface with a hockey stick, the pins  17   b  on the bottom surface are not directly pounded into the synthetic ice. 
   Turing now to  FIG. 6 , an aerodynamic pin of the present invention is illustrated and will be described, acknowledging that pin heads  18   a  and  18   b  are identical. Each pin  17   a ,  17   b  is made of high density polyethylene material by injection molding. The pin heads  18   a ,  18   b  are formed with a round bearing portion  31  having a dish portion  32  which forms an acute angle relative to the ice surface of 20 degrees or less during contact. The dish portion of each pin forms substantially frictionless contact points  33  for the puck on the ice without cutting or chafing the head. 
   The stem of the pin  19  is approximately one half inch in length and has a rough surface to provide a locking contact surface for the adhesive. In the preferred  embodiment, each head has a height of less than one eighth of an inch and never more than a quarter of an inch. By providing a limited height on the head of each pin, the pins are less likely to break while the puck more resembles the puck used without pins as used in ice hockey. Moreover, the user is less likely to break the pins with his stick by using shorter projecting pins. 
   In any of the embodiment described above, the pins may be made with florescent material for decorative purposes of to assist the user during play at dark. The formation of the pins provide the puck with a longer life than pucks of the prior art. The aerodynamic heads further increase the speed of the puck and the fun of the game.