Abstract:
A hockey stick having one or more channels defined in the upper and lower minor longitudinal surfaces of the stick handle. The channels improve the strength and durability of the stick without requiring complex molding or fabrication equipment.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/421761, filed on Dec. 10, 2010. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to sporting equipment and, more particularly, to a hockey stick having reinforcing channels extending longitudinally along a portion of the stick. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    A hockey stick is a piece of equipment used in field hockey, ice hockey or roller hockey to move the ball or puck. Sticks are approximately 1500-2000 millimeters long, composed of a long, slender shaft and a flat extension at one end called the blade. The curved part where the blade and the shaft meet is called a taper. The blade is the part of the stick used to contact the puck, and is typically 250 to 400 millimeters long. 
         [0006]    Sticks have traditionally been made from wood, but in recent years, sticks made of more expensive materials such as aluminum, Aramid (kevlar), fiberglass, carbon fiber, and other composite materials have become common. In addition to weighing less, composite sticks can be manufactured with more consistent flexibility properties than their wooden counterparts. Composite sticks, despite their greater expense, are now commonplace at nearly all competitive levels of the sport, including youth ice hockey. Many professionals also use composite stick technology rather than the old wooden sticks. These new sticks are lighter, and provide a quicker release of the puck, resulting in a harder, better shot. However, composite sticks may be more susceptible to breaking and, due to the costs of materials and manufacturing, are costly to replace when they break. 
         [0007]    Some conventional systems for improving the strength and durability of composite sticks involve combining composite materials and wood. Such systems are expensive to manufacture and thus produce costly sticks. Other designs involve the use of complicated stick shapes and cross-sections that require specialized tooling and manufacturing processes. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a simple composite stick design that is easy and therefore less costly to manufacture while improving the strength and durability of the stick. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is therefore a principal object and advantage of the present invention to provide a stick design that has improved strength and resistance to breakage. 
         [0009]    In accordance with the foregoing objects and advantages, the present invention provides a stick design comprising at least one channel defined in a minor longitudinal surface of the stick. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention comprises a pair of opposing channels formed in both the upper and lower minor longitudinal surfaces of the stick. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, multiple channels are formed in the upper and lower minor longitudinal surfaces of the stick. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         [0010]    The present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a first embodiment of a hockey stick according to the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view of a first embodiment of a hockey stick according to the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a partial perspective view of a first embodiment of a hockey stick according to the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a cross-section taken along line A-A of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a partial perspective view of a second embodiment of a hockey stick according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout, there is seen in  FIG. 1  a hockey stick  10  according to the present invention. Stick  10  includes a handle  12  having a rectangular cross-section forming opposing major and minor opposing surfaces and a curved blade  14  extending from one end of handle  12 . The minor opposing surfaces typically form a top  16  and bottom  18 , while the major surfaces form a left side  20  and a right side  22 . As seen in  FIG. 1 , top  16  of handle  12  includes a least one channel  24  formed therein and, as seen in  FIG. 2 , bottom  18  of handle  12  may include a second channel  26  formed therein. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , channel  24  comprises a groove  28  defined by opposing ridges  30  and  32  formed in top  16 . Similarly, channel  26  comprises a groove  34  defined by opposing ridges  36  and  38 . In a standard hockey stick  10 , handle  12  is approximately 1190 millimeter in length, 30 millimeters in width, and 19.5 millimeters in depth. Preferably, grooves  28  and  34  of channels  24  and  26 , respectively, are each about 726 millimeters in length, 8 millimeters in width, and 3 millimeters in depth. Thus, grooves  28  and  34  have a length that is about 60 percent of the handle length, a width that is about 25 percent of the handle width, and a depth that is about 15 percent of the handle depth. These percentages may be varied from zero to fifteen percent or so to adjust or tailor the performance of stick  10 . The radius of curvature in opposing ridges  30  and  32  and angle of formation of groove may also be modified, e.g., groove may be designed to be trapezoidal in cross-section or to have a different geometric configuration. 
         [0018]    There is seen in  FIG. 5  an alternative embodiment of the present invention comprises a plurality of independent grooves  40  formed in the top and/or bottom minor surfaces of handle  12 . Grooves  40  are configured as described above with respect to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , but are reduced in length so that two or more grooves may be formed in the minor surfaces of handle  12 . For example, each groove  40  may have dimension of about 178 millimeters in length, 8 millimeters in width, and 3 millimeters in depth. Thus, each groove  40  has a length that is about 15 percent of the handle length, a width that is about 25 percent of the handle width, and a depth that is about 15 percent of the handle depth. As explained above, these percentages may be varied from zero to fifteen percent or so to adjust or tailor the performance of stick  10 . 
         [0019]    Stick  10  is preferably manufactured by bladder molding, but it should be recognized by those of skill in that art that other known processes may be used. The inclusion of channels  24  and  26  in a stick  10  manufactured in this manner has provided a measurable improvement in the strength of stick  10  and its resistance to impact, as measured by dropping a 20 lb weight from a height of 250 mm (increasing by 50 mm after five successful tests).