Abstract:
A simple, cost-effective and minimally intrusive solution to the problem of lacrosse stick netting adjustment is provided. A fastener provides a lightweight, flexible strap for binding laces, thongs, mesh or strings on a lacrosse stick. A player will no longer need to wrap the strings in athletic tape or tie the strings in knots, which increases efficiency and convenience when an adjustment to the netting is required.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a fastener for restraining strings on a lacrosse stick, and in particular, provides a lightweight fastener that prevents strings from slipping, loosening, or becoming untied. 
         [0003]    2. Brief Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    In the sport of lacrosse, the lacrosse stick is the primary piece of equipment for a player. The lacrosse stick can be briefly described as including a cylindrical shaft with an enclosed V-shaped head attached to one end of the stick. Within the head of the stick there is string, mesh and/or leather thong “netting” that forms a pocket. A lacrosse player catches a ball in the pocket and is able to throw the ball to another player. Rules differ between the men&#39;s and women&#39;s game, however, both men and women need to be able to adjust the depth of the pocket by tightening and loosening the strings. 
         [0005]    In the women&#39;s game, it is against the rules for participants to have any depth to their pocket. Accordingly, prior to the start of games or sometimes randomly throughout the course of play, referees may require the participants to present their lacrosse sticks for inspection in order to confirm that the pocket of their stick is in compliance with the rules. If the referee finds the pocket to be in violation, a penalty may be assessed and the player is required to tighten the strings or mesh until the pocket is acceptable. 
         [0006]    In the men&#39;s game, players are allowed to have some depth to their pocket, but there are rules as to the depth and players can be penalized for being in violation of those rules. The pocket of the stick is not generally checked prior to a game, but may be checked at the charge of the opposing team or upon the suspicion of a referee. The construction of a men&#39;s lacrosse stick is similar to that of a women&#39;s stick and thus may require adjustment of the pocket in a similar manner. 
         [0007]    Both men and women may wish to adjust the netting of the lacrosse head to be in accordance with their preferences. The netting is tied off in several places on the lacrosse stick head. Players may find that the stick does not allow them to throw or catch to their liking, which will prompt them to either tighten or loosen the strings accordingly. This process of tightening and loosening the netting of the lacrosse stick may occur to bring the stick within compliance of the rules or in order to adjust the netting to the player&#39;s preferences. 
         [0008]    When engaging in an adjustment, the player has typically wrapped athletic tape around the strings or tied them in a knot. Thus, the player must either unwrap the tape on the strings or untie the knots of the netting. This is time consuming and inconvenient to the individual as well as to the other participants waiting to start the game. Once the player has sufficiently tightened the strings to conform to the rules, they must then re-wrap the strings with athletic tape or retie the knots. 
         [0009]    One solution to the problem is offered by Lemire in U.S. Pat. No. 6,641,492 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,686, which are herein incorporated by reference. Lemire provides a lace system that restrains the leather thongs from sliding by adding an extra piece to the typical lacrosse stick head. The lace lock system includes channels that align and position the thongs over ridges and a compression strap that locks the thongs against the ridges. A disadvantage of Lemire is that it incorporates considerable additional weight to the top end of the stick. 
         [0010]    Important considerations for technology related to a lacrosse stick are weight and strength. When a piece of equipment is too bulky or heavy, a player loses maneuverability and speed. Therefore, a solution to the above-described problem must have a minimal presence on the lacrosse stick. Additionally, any sort of clasp, or hook mechanism, especially metal, should be avoided on the lacrosse stick because it could present a safety hazard to other players. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    The present invention provides a fastener for binding strings of a lacrosse stick. The fastener includes a flexible strip having two sides, a first attaching element located on a first side of the flexible strip and a second attaching element on a second side of the flexible strip. The first attaching element and the second attaching element are located at opposite ends of the flexible strip such that when the flexible strip is wrapped around an object, the first attaching element and the second attaching element may join, keeping the flexible strip bound around the object. The first attaching element and the second attaching element include Velcro, magnets, clips or a sticky substance. 
         [0012]    The invention also provides a method of binding strings of a lacrosse stick. The method includes restraining one or more strings on the lacrosse stick to a point of convergence and wrapping the strings with a fastener. First and second attaching element on the fastener are affixed to each other in order to keep the strings bound. The first attaching element and the second attaching element may comprise, for example, Velcro, magnets, clips or a sticky substance; 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The above and other objects, features and advantages of certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  illustrates a top view and a bottom view of an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of the present invention in use; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  illustrates an additional embodiment of the invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  illustrates an embodiment of the present invention in use, where the strings of a lacrosse stick are bound by the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  illustrate an embodiment of the present invention in use; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  illustrates an additional use for the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0020]    The following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention will be made in reference to the accompanying drawings. In describing the invention, an explanation of related functions or constructions known in the art is omitted for the sake of clarity in understanding the concept of the invention that would otherwise obscure the invention with unnecessary detail. 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the fastener  141  includes a top side and a bottom side  130 . The top side  120  includes an attaching element  100 , while the bottom side  130  of the fastener  141  has an additional attaching element  110 . The attaching element can include any type of fastener, such as a magnet, Velcro®, a sticky substance, a tie, clip or any other manner of attaching which allows for repetitive fastening and unfastening. 
         [0022]      FIG. 2  demonstrates the basic use of the fastener. The lacrosse head  140  is connected to a lacrosse shaft  150 . The lacrosse head  140  has a mesh, string, or leather thong netting that creates a pocket for catching and throwing a lacrosse ball. The fastener  141  may be wrapped around the strings  160  and shaft  150  as demonstrated by arrow W 1 , in which the strings are secured against the shaft  150 . Preferably, the strings are aligned with shaft  150 , and the fastener  141  is then wrapped around both the strings  160  and the shaft  150 . The attaching element  100  and  110  are spaced and sized such that when the fastener  141  is tightly wrapped around the strings  160  and shaft  150 , the attaching element  100  and  110  join, thus keeping the fastener  141  bound. The attaching element may be optionally spaced apart such that a single wrap around the strings  160  will be sufficient to join the attaching means, or attaching element  100  and  110  may be spaced such that multiple wraps around the strings  160  will be necessary to join the attaching means. 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  shows an additional embodiment where the fastener  142  has a hole  170  in one end  180 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , this enables a user to pull the opposite end  190  through the hole  170  demonstrated by arrow W 2 , thus tightening the fastener  142  around the strings  160  and shaft  150  (not shown in  FIG. 5 ). The fastener  142  may also be wrapped around just the strings  160  as demonstrated by arrow W 3  in  FIG. 6 . The attaching element  100  and  110  are positioned such that when the fastener  142  is wrapped tightly around the strings  160  and shaft  150 , they meet and hold the fastener  142  in place. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  shows an embodiment of the invention where the strings  160  are bound together, but not to the shaft  150 . The flexibility of fastener  141  or fastener  142  is an aspect of the invention. The strings  160  must be strung through the bottom of the head  140  at divergent points  200 ; however, in order to effectively constrain the strings  160 , they must be brought to a point of convergence  210 . The strings  160  will extend in a V-shape from the point of convergence  210  towards the head  140 . To allow for this while remaining tight at the point of convergence  210 , fastener  141  or fastener  142  is made from a flexible material including, rubber, elastic, synthetic thread, leather or the like. The flexibility of the fastener  141  and  142  enables the strings  160  to remain tightly bound at the point of convergence  210  while allowing the strings  160  to extend towards the bottom of the head  140  at divergent points. The flexibility also facilitates the attachment of the strings  160  to the shaft  150 , to prevent the strings from moving during play. 
         [0025]    In a further embodiment of the invention, fastener  141  or fastener  142  may be used to bind the strings  161  that hold the mesh  162  of the netting of the head  140  as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . The strings  161  can be tied off at several locations of the head  140  and are used in the case of mesh netting as well as leather thong netting. In this embodiment, fastener  141  or fastener  142  will bind one or more strings  161 , known as the shooting strings, and allow easy adjustment of pocket depth. 
         [0026]    Using the invention herein described, a player will no longer need to wrap the strings of a lacrosse stick in athletic tape or tie the strings in knots. A player will be able to quickly unbind the strings, mesh, and/or leather thongs of the lacrosse stick. Thus a player will be able to efficiently and conveniently adjust the netting of the lacrosse stick when required to comply with the rules or conform to their preferences. 
         [0027]    While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.