Sports equipment handle and equipment associated therewith

Abstract

A handle is provided for sports equipment such as a lacrosse or hockey stick which includes cushioning and grip ribs. In one embodiment, the shaft of the handle defines one or more regions of reduced diameter or thickness including a plurality of elongate longitudinal grooves extending around the periphery thereof in circumferentially spaced-apart relationship. Interior cushioning ribs are defined in the region of the grooves by a layer of cover or coating material which is applied to the surface of the shaft and fills the grooves. In another embodiment, the shaft includes tapered regions in the shaft and the layer of cover or coating material fills the tapered regions to define cushioning ribs.

1 . A sports equipment handle comprising: 
 an elongated shaft comprised of a first material and including at least one longitudinally extending region located between adjacent, circumferentially adjacent exterior shaft surfaces; and    a cover comprised of a second material and that surrounds and overlies portions of said exterior surfaces in a manner whereby said handle has outer surface portions including said cover that are substantially uniform and said cover includes at least one portion of the increased thickness over said region.    
     
     
         2 . The handle of  claim 1  wherein: 
 said shaft defines on exterior surface portions a plurality of elongated, flattened polygonal surfaces with said longitudinally extending region being defined between each circumferentially adjacent pair of said polygonal surfaces; and    said cover defines a plurality of elongated longitudinal cushioning ribs overlying each of said longitudinally extending regions.    
     
     
         3 . The handle of  claim 2  which is associatable with a lacrosse head.  
     
     
         4 . A handle for sports equipment comprising in combination: 
 (a) an elongated, unitary, hollow shaft having generally polygonal exterior surface portions that are individually generally flattened and that longitudinally extend circumferentially adjacent said exterior surface portions adjoining along relatively narrow edge regions that extend longitudinally therebetween, said shaft being comprised of a first material that is relatively rigid and shape retaining, and    (b) a cover adhered to and extending over said exterior surface portions of said shaft in a manner whereby said so covered shaft has outside surface portions that are substantially uniform, and said cover includes longitudinally extending portions that overlie said edge regions and that are generally radially thickened relative to circumferentially adjacent portions of said cover, said cover being comprised of a second material that is resilient, cushioning, soft and seemingly relatively tacky when contacted with another surface.    
     
     
         5 . The handle of  claim 4  wherein said shaft defines octagonal said exterior surface portions.  
     
     
         6 . The handle of  claim 5  wherein said shaft has two diametrically opposed and parallel exterior surface portions of substantially equal width, and the six remaining surface portions have a total width which is greater than the width of each of said parallel exterior surface portions with three of said six exterior surface portions each being on each side of said parallel exterior surface portions.  
     
     
         7 . The handle of  claim 4  wherein each of said edge regions defines a radially inwardly extending groove and said cover is radially thickened over each said groove and defines a longitudinally radially inwardly extending ridge adjacent outside surface portions of said so covered handle.  
     
     
         8 . The handle of  claim 4  where each of said edge regions defines an exteriorly convex curvature extending circumferentially between circumferentially adjacent said polygonal exterior surface portions and said cover is radially thickened over each said convex curvature and defines a longitudinally radially inwardly extending ridge adjacent outside surface portions of said so covered handle.  
     
     
         9 . The handle of  claim 4  wherein at least some of said edge regions each define a radially outwardly extending ridge and said cover is radially thickened between circumferentially adjacent said ridges so that said outside surface portions of the so covered handle extend uniformly between said circumferentially adjacent said ridges.  
     
     
         10 . The handle of  claim 9  wherein said cover is discontinuous over portions of said ridges.  
     
     
         11 . The handle of  claim 4  in which said shaft is inwardly tapered at each opposite end region thereof.  
     
     
         12 . The handle of  claim 11  wherein said cover is radially thickened in each of said tapered opposite end regions.  
     
     
         13 . The handle of  claim 12  where one end region of said so covered shaft is received in a socket cavity of a lacrosse head.  
     
     
         14 . The handle of  claim 12  wherein one end region of said so covered shaft is received in a socket cavity of a hockey stick head.  
     
     
         15 . The handle of  claim 12  wherein one end region of said so covered shaft is received in a socket cavity of a tennis racket head.