Blade portion for a hockey stick

Abstract

A blade portion for a hockey stick comprising a wooden shank portion, a blade element made of synthetic material and a ground contacting portion comprising a first segment formed of the lower edge of the wooden shank portion and a second segment formed of the lower edge of the blade element extending from the front side of the wooden shank portion to the distal end of the blade element.

The embodiments of the invention for which an exclusive privilege or property is claimed are defined as follows:  
     
         1  A blade portion for a hockey stick, comprising: 
 (a) a wooden shank portion having: 
 (i) a longitudinal axis;  
 (ii) inner and outer sides extending along said longitudinal axis;  
 (iii) rear and front sides between said inner and outer sides;  
 (iv) a groove on said front side, said groove extending along said longitudinal axis; and  
 (v) a lower edge extending from said rear side to said front side;  
 
 (b) a blade element made of synthetic material, said blade element including; 
 (i) a proximal end portion, said proximal end portion having a tongue received in said groove;  
 (ii) a distal end portion remote from said proximal end portion; and  
 (iii) a lower edge extending from said front side to said distal end portion, the lower edge of said wooden shank portion being a first lower edge, the lower edge of said blade element being a second lower edge; and  
 
 (c) a ground contacting portion extending from said rear side to said distal end portion, said ground contacting portion comprising a first segment formed of said first lower edge and a second segment formed of said second lower edge.  
 
     
     
         2 . A blade portion as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said ground contacting portion includes a protective layer on said first and second lower edge.  
     
     
         3 . A blade portion as defined in claims  1  or  2 , wherein said blade element comprises inner and outer surfaces extending from said front side to said distal end portion.  
     
     
         4 . A blade portion as defined in  claim 3 , said inner and outer surfaces are continuous with said inner and outer sides respectively for defining respective inner and outer puck engaging portions.  
     
     
         5 . A blade portion as defined in  claim 4 , said blade portion comprising an inner layer recovering said inner puck engaging portion and an outer layer recovering said outer puck engaging portion.  
     
     
         6 . A blade portion as defined in  claim 5 , wherein said inner and outer layers are made of a material having higher rigidity than said blade element.  
     
     
         7 . A blade portion as defined in  claim 6 , wherein said inner layer is thicker than said outer layer.  
     
     
         8 . A blade portion as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said inner and outer layers are first inner and outer layers, said blade portion further comprising second inner and outer layers recovering said first inner and outer layers respectively.  
     
     
         9 . A blade portion as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said blade element is made of foam.  
     
     
         10 . A blade portion as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said foam comprises glass fibers.  
     
     
         11 . A blade portion as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said first inner and outer layers include material selected from the group consisting of wood, glass fibers, carbon fibers, kevlar, aluminum, graphite and aramid.  
     
     
         12 . A blade portion as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said second inner and outer layers are made of woven materials.  
     
     
         13 . A blade portion as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said woven materials is selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, carbon fibers, graphite, carbon fibers, quartz fibers and a mixture of carbon fibers, of quartz fibers and of polyethylene fibers.  
     
     
         14 . A blade portion as defined in claims  1  or  2 , wherein said shank comprises a tenon adapted to be inserted into a hollow hockey stick shaft.  
     
     
         15 . A blade portion as defined in claims  1  or  2 , wherein said shank is integrally formed with a wooden hockey stick shaft.  
     
     
         16 . A method of manufacturing a blade portion for a hockey stick comprising: 
 (a) shaping a groove in a wooden shank portion;    (b) making a blade element made of a synthetic material;    (c) shaping a tongue in said blade element;    (d) affixing said blade element to said wooden shank portion by inserting said tongue in said groove; and    (e) recovering a portion of inner and outer sides of said wooden shank portion and inner and outer surfaces of said blade element with respective inner and outer layers including material selected from the group consisting of wood, glass fibers, carbon fibers, kevlar, aluminum, graphite and aramid.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising molding said blade portion.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising trimming said blade portion.  
     
     
         19 . A hockey stick comprising a blade portion as defined in claims  1  or  2 .