Patent Publication Number: US-9833674-B2

Title: Hockey stick

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to and is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/051,200 filed Oct. 10, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,421,441 issued Aug. 23, 2016, which claims priority to, under 35 USC §119, to Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/712,209, filed on Oct. 10, 2012, entitled “IMPROVED HOCKEY STICK”; the contents of both of these of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference for all that they teach and for all purposes. This application is also related to U.S. Pat. No. 8,251,844, filed Dec. 23, 2010, entitled “GOALKEEPER STICK WITH ANGLED SHAFT,” which contents are hereby incorporated by reference for all that they teach and for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a hockey stick and more particularly to a hockey stick used by a goaltender or goalkeeper in the sport of ice hockey. 
     Sticks used by hockey players other than the goalkeeper are very similar, and their construction and design have not changed much over the years, being regulation by governing bodies such as the National Hockey League. The standard ice hockey stick is a piece of equipment used in ice hockey to shoot, pass, and carry the puck. Ice hockey sticks are approximately 65 inches long, composed of a long, slender shaft with a flat extension at one end called the blade. The blade is the part of the stick used to contact the puck, and is typically 15.5 inches long. Stick dimensions can vary widely, as they are usually built to suit a particular player&#39;s size and preference. The blade is positioned at roughly a 135° angle from the axis of the shaft, giving the stick a partly ‘L-shaped’ appearance. The shaft of the stick is fairly rigid, but it has some flexibility to benefit some shots. Also, the blade may be slightly curved in one direction, to aid in retaining or lifting the puck off the playing surface. This can be to the left or right, depending on the player&#39;s preference. 
     Most currently know sticks used by a goalkeeper are formed with a straight shaft attached to the center of a widened portion of the stick called a paddle. The paddle has a heel portion where it is joined to the blade, giving the hockey stick its somewhat L-shape. The goalkeeper has a slightly modified stick from the standard stick used by the other players. The lower part of the stick is wider, the angle is smaller, and the blade is slightly curved towards the direction of the play. According to NHL rules, the blade of the goalkeeper&#39;s stick cannot exceed three and one-half inches (3½″) in width at any point except at the heel, where it must not exceed four and one-half inches (4½″) in width; nor can the goalkeeper&#39;s stick exceed fifteen and one-half inches (15½″) in length from the heel to the end of the blade. The widened portion of the goalkeeper&#39;s stick extending up the shaft from the blade ranges from 22 inches to 32 inches and can be not more that 3.5 inches in width. 
     The prior art discloses other inventions that have modified hockey goalkeeper sticks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,463, (Dolan), describes a notched handgrip formed along a length of the shaft at a position between the widened shaft portion and the handle portion. However, this design constricts movement of the goalkeeper&#39;s hand along the shaft due to the ribbed handgrips on the shaft handle. In Dolan, the fingered handgrip prevents the hand from flowing smoothly along the shaft and does not allow sufficient space for clearance of the goalkeeper&#39;s gloved hand, which, together with the knob on the end of the shaft, prevents the shaft and paddle from laying horizontally on the playing surface. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,157 (Curtis) describes a goalkeeper&#39;s hockey stick having a bent shaft that can rest flush against the surface of the playing surface. Such a design, however, is impractical because the goalkeeper is unable to grip his or her fingers around the upper portion of the shaft while the stick is resting flush against the playing surface. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention, a goalkeeper&#39;s stick is comprised of a shaft, a paddle and a blade. The portion of the shaft where it connects to the paddle is angled to the top portion of the paddle to allow the shaft and paddle to lay horizontally on the playing surface. The angled shaft provides clearance for the goalkeeper to grip that portion of the shaft with the goalkeeper&#39;s gloved hand while allowing both the paddle and the shaft to lay flat on the playing surface so as to block the puck. 
     An aspect of the invention includes A hockey stick for use by the goalkeeper in playing hockey on a playing surface, the stick being comprised of: a shaft having a lower edge and a top edge; a paddle having a first end and a second end, a front face and a back face, a top edge and a bottom edge, and a center portion between the top and bottom edges, the first end being combined with the shaft substantially at the center portion of the paddle; a blade combined with the paddle at the second end and angled from the paddle; a grip portion formed at the first end of the paddle, wherein the grip portion includes a first and second portion of the first end formed on either side of the shaft, wherein a concave is formed in the first portion, wherein a slope is formed with the second portion, wherein a bevel is formed in the front face of the second portion, and wherein the grip portion of the shaft provides a space for the goalkeeper&#39;s hand to grip the shaft at the correct angle of the goalkeeper&#39;s arm while allowing the goalkeeper to extend one or more fingers along a face of the paddle to control the angled hockey stick. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of the goalkeeper stick of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front edge view of the stick of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a view of the stick of  FIG. 1  as it lays on the playing surface to illustrate how it is used to block a puck; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of a stick similar to  FIG. 1  but showing another embodiment of the goalkeeper&#39;s stick; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of a stick similar to  FIG. 1  but showing yet another embodiment of the goalkeeper&#39;s stick; 
         FIG. 6A  is a side view of another embodiment of the goalkeeper&#39;s stick; 
         FIG. 6B  is another side view of the goalkeeper&#39;s stick shown in  FIG. 6A ; and 
         FIG. 7  is three-dimensional view of the goalkeeper&#39;s stick shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The goalkeeper stick show in drawings is a hockey stick for use by a goaltender or goalkeeper in the game of ice hockey. 
     The stick of the invention is comprised of a long, straight shaft  10  having a relatively narrow cross sectional shape with a bottom edge and a top edge. The shaft angles upwardly to form a grip portion  12  that is joined to the top  14  of the rear edge  15  of a wider portion of the stick  10  called the paddle  16 . The paddle  16  has a straight portion  17  and a heel  18  where the curved portion of the paddle  16  joins the blade  20 . The straight portion  17  is in the same plane as the bottom edge of the shaft. The blade  20  has a height and thickness substantially the same as the paddle  16  and may be slightly curved as best seen in  FIG. 2 . From the straight portion  17  of the paddle  16  upwardly to where the grip portion  12  of the shaft  10  joins the paddle  16  the rear edge  15  is angled inwardly toward the paddle  16 . The grip portion  12  thus forms an angled hand grip where the goalkeeper wearing a glove can grip the stick. 
     The shaft  10  can vary in length, but the following are the preferred dimensions of the stick. The stick usually is not more than 63 inches from the heel  18  to the end of the shaft  2 . The grip portion  12  of the shaft  10  is about 8 inches in length so as to accommodate the gloved hand of the goalkeeper. The cross sectional dimensions of both the shaft  10  and the grip portion  12  are about 1.5 inches wide and 0.5 inches thick. The angled rear edge  15  of the paddle  4  is about 2 inches in length, while the length of the paddle  16  from the rear edge  15  to the heel  18  is about 26 inches. The height of the paddle is about 3.5 inches, and the height of the blade  20  is about 3.5 inches except at the heel  18  where it is about 4.5 inches. The length of the blade  20  from the heel  18  to the end of the blade is about 15.5 inches. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , when the stick is used by a goalkeeper to block a shot, the bottom edge of the shaft  10  and straight portion  17  of the paddle  16  are in the same plane and thus can lay horizontally on the playing surface with no gap between the stick anywhere and the playing surface. When a player, the goalkeeper, holds the shaft  10  at the grip portion  12 , there is sufficient space beneath the grip portion  12  and the playing surface that the glove of the goalkeeper does not interfere with the shaft  10  and paddle  16  from being held flush with the playing surface. The cross sectional shape of the grip portion  12  is the same size as that of the shaft  10 , which allows the player&#39;s hand to move smoothly along the entire shaft. Thus, the goalkeeper can quickly slide the gloved hand down the shaft  10  to the grip portion  12  and into the space created beneath the grip portion  12  against the angled portion  22 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , there is shown another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the structure and dimensions of the hockey stick are substantially the same as the hockey stick of the first embodiment of  FIGS. 1-3  with the following exceptions. Where the grip portion  12  is joined to the rear edge  15  of the paddle  16  has been lowered slightly form the top of the rear edge  15  and the rear edge is slightly concave to assist in maintaining the gloved hand of the goal keeper in place. This may also give a slightly different ‘feel’ of the stick by the player, but these modifications do not in any way alter the way in which the hockey stick is used by the player as described above with reference to the first embodiment. 
       FIG. 5  shows yet another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the structure and dimensions of the hockey stick are substantially the same as the hockey stick of the first embodiment of  FIGS. 1-3  with the following exceptions. Similar to the hockey stick of  FIGS. 1-3 , the grip portion  12  is joined to the rear edge  15  of the paddle  16  at the top of the rear edge  15 , but the rear edge  15  of the paddle  16  slopes inwardly toward the heel  18  of the paddle  16 . This provides a slightly larger area for the gloved hand of the goal keeper and may provide a slightly different feel that some players prefer. However, these modifications do not in any way alter the way in which the hockey stick is used by the player as described above with reference to the first embodiment. 
     Having thus described the invention in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various revisions can be made to the preferred embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is our intention, however, that all such revisions and modifications that are evident to those skilled in the art will be included within the scope of the following claims. 
       FIG. 6A  through  FIG. 7  show yet another embodiment of the hockey stick. According to the rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the shaft  10  of the goalie hockey stick must attach to a center portion  30  of the paddle  16 . Thus, another design for the goalie hockey stick is shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B , which complies with the rules of the IIHF. 
     The structure and dimensions of the hockey stick may be substantially the same as the hockey stick of the other embodiments of  FIGS. 1-5  with the following exceptions. The shaft  10  can be connected to a center portion  30  of the paddle  16 . The grip portion  12  can be joined to and bisect the rear edge  15  of the paddle  16  at a middle or center portion  30  of the rear edge  15 . A first portion  32  of the rear edge  15  of the paddle  16  can be curved toward the heel  18  of the paddle  16 . The configuration of the first portion  32  creates a concave which may assist in maintaining a proper or better position for the gloved hand of the goaltender. This configuration of the first portion  32  of the rear edge  15  may also provide a slightly larger area for the gloved hand of the goal keeper and may provide a slightly different feel that some players prefer. A second portion  22  of the rear edge  15  may slope towards the end of the shaft and/or away from the blade  20 . One or more of the faces of the second portion  22  may be beveled to allow for a more comfortable position and grip for the player. 
       FIG. 6A  may show a front face  24  of the stick, and  FIG. 6B  may show a back face  26  of the stick. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the treatment of the faces  24 ,  26  of the stick, especially at the grip location  12 , may be different. For example, the second portion  22  of the rear edge  15  may be beveled from the edge  16  towards the center portion  30 . The bevel  28  may extend the length of the sloped second portion  22 . The bevel  28  may be included on the front face  24  but not on the back face (not shown in  FIG. 7 ) of the stick, as is shown in  FIG. 7 . As can be appreciated from  FIG. 7 , a bevel may also be formed in the front face  24  of the first portion  32 . 
     The bevel  28  and configuration of the first portion  32  of the rear edge  15  may allow a goaltender to grip the stick in a more ergonomically correct manner. Further, the goalie may extend one or more fingers along the front face  24  of the paddle  16 , to better control the rotation of the stick when struck by a puck on the blade  20 . Thus, the improved grip is both more comfortable for players and allows for better control of the stick. 
     These modifications do not in any way alter the way in which the hockey stick is used by the player as described above with reference to the other embodiments.