Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Shaft for a hockey stick and method of fabrication therefor
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to hockey sticks or like-game
sticks. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with hockey
stick
shafts having properties varying along a length thereof and a method of
fabrication therefor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The art offers a variety of hockey sticks. Typically, hockey
sticks comprise a shaft and a blade. The cross section of the shaft is
traditionally rectangular so as to prevent undesired rotation of the shaft in
the
hands of a player. The cross-sectional dimensions of the hockey stick shaft
are
usually fixed within a narrow range by the requirement that the player must
have a good grip on the shaft.
[0004] It is a common practice to make the shaft with a constant
rectangular geometry from a first extremity thereof to a second extremity
thereof, with a height and a width yielding an ergonomic perimeter standardly
comprised between 90 and 95 mm. The rectangular shape of the shaft allows
assembling either a left or a right blade, and, as mentioned hereinabove,
allows
a resistance to a rotation of the stick in the hands of the player, in direct
relation
to a pressure exerted by the hand of the player.
[0005] The shear gripping force of the hands allows the player to
control the stick in a number of shots, such as the slap shop, the snap shot
and
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the wrist shop. Such shots require a controlled rotation of the stick, and are
therefore dependent on the quality of grip of the gloved hand on the stick.
The
wrist shop for example requires a maximum grip on the shaft for an enhanced
precision. The snap shot is performed very rapidly and also requires a perfect
control of the grip on the shaft of the stick through a movement of the wrists
in
order to generate energy of speed and a satisfactory precision. The slap shot
requires the stick to be rigid, both in flexion and in torsion.
[0006] It has been shown that, when performing a slap shot, first
energy is built up in the stick during a contact between the blade and the ice
or
the ground, before the blade hits the puck, due to a flexion of the shaft.
Then
the energy is released and transferred to the puck upon contacting the blade.
The puck in turn, when contacting the blade, creates a torsion of the shaft,
which resistance to deformation in torsion must be high in order to propel the
puck at a high speed.
[0007] Therefore, in spite of previous efforts, there seems to be
some room for improvement in the art for a new hockey stick shaft combining
an optimized grip and a high rigidity in flexion and in torsion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] There is provided a hockey stick shaft having a proximate
end portion, a central portion and a tapering distal end portion with a blade
mounting part, comprising at least one of longitudinally oriented high tensile
strength wires and of fibers on at least one part of at least one plane
surface
thereof.
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[0009] There is further provided a method for fabricating a shaft for a
hockey stick, comprising the step of inserting at least one of: longitudinally
oriented high tensile strength wires and of: fibers on at least one part of at
least one plane surface thereof.
[0010] Other objects, advantages and features of the present
invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-
restrictive description of embodiments thereof, given by way of example only.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0011] Generally stated, there is provided a hockey stick shaft
having varying properties along a length thereof, from a proximate end portion
to a tapering distal end portion thereof.
[0012] A hockey stick generally comprises a longitudinal shaft
provided with a proximate end portion a central portion, a tapering distal end
portion, and a blade mounted to the distal end portion. The present invention
is
mainly concerned with the longitudinal shaft, so that the other parts of the
stick
will not be described in detail herein, since they are believed well known to
people skilled in the art.
[0013] Each parts of the hockey stick have different functions and
are submitted to specific applied forces, and that the hands of the player are
not located on a same edge of the shaft simultaneously.
[0014] The shaft of the present invention comprises high tensile
strength wires generally longitudinally oriented on at least parts of at least
one
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of the walls of the shaft. The wires are longitudinally oriented inside a
thickness
of the walls in cases of a hollow shaft for example.
[0015] It is found that such an addition of wires yields a dramatic
increase in the resistance in flexion and in the toughness of the shaft, at a
constant weight.
[0016] When wires are provided in walls of opposite surfaces of the
shaft submitted to tension and compression forces generated by the flexion of
the shaft, they provide a reinforcing system able to limit an amplitude of
deformation of the shaft. Due to a high tensile strength and to a high modulus
of elasticity thereof, the wires therefore make the shaft tougher and even
more
resistant in flexion, with a minimized increase in weight.
[0017] The wires may be metallic, including non-ferrous, wires. They
may be made in aluminum, brass or steel for example, as required by
performance and process criteria including the weight of the shaft, the way
the
wires are embedded into the material of the shaft, the target cross section
and
diameter of the shaft, for example. The wires may further be in organic or
inorganic material.
[0018] In case of a laminated composite shaft, an optimized quality
of bonding between the wires and a resin matrix of the laminated composite
may be achieved by using brass electroplated steel wires, twisted wires or a
mesh comprising wires at 0 and 90 degrees for example.
[0019] The wires may be encapsulated, embedded or mechanically
incorporated into the material of the selected surfaces) of the shaft.
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[0020] It is to be noted that embedding wires extending along the
length of the shaft may further hold broken pieces of the shaft together in
the
event of a transverse sectional breakage thereof for example. Since they are
encapsulated, embedded or mechanically incorporated into the material of at
least one surface of the shaft and due to their high tensile strength, the
wires
indeed maintain a structural integrity even upon total breakage of the section
of
shaft, thereby preventing broken pieces, which generally have cutting edges,
to
be separated apart. Thus, risks of injuries due to exposed cutting edges of
the
broken pieces are reduced.
[0021] Alternatively, organic or inorganic fibers, in the form of
integral molded rovings or of premolded cables added during molding, may be
provided on at least longitudinal parts of at least one plane surface of the
shaft,
longitudinally oriented inside a thickness of the walls of the shaft, as a way
to
increase a toughness in flexion (higher rigidity) thereof at a relatively
constant
weight.
[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is
therefore provided a method for fabricating a shaft for a hockey stick,
comprising the step of inserting at least one of: longitudinally oriented high
tensile strength wires and of: fibers on at least one part of at least one
plane
surface thereof.
[0023] The shafts of the present invention may be hollow composite
laminated shafts or hollow wood shafts for example.
[0024] People in the art will appreciate that the hockey stick shafts
according to the present invention meet standard requirements of the art,
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including an ergonomic circumference, rigidity, weight, and adequate position
of a center of gravity thereof.
[0025] Although the present invention has been described
hereinabove by way of embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without
departing from the nature and teachings thereof as described herein.
