Vented shaft for a lacrosse stick

Abstract

A vented shaft for a lacrosse stick is disclosed herein. The shaft includes an elongate tube having a wall, an external surface, an internal surface, and an inner hollow defined therein. The wall of the tube has a plurality of holes defined therethrough for permitting fluid communication between the inner hollow and the outside of the tube. The elongate tube also has a designated top end for retaining a closed-loop frame with a net suspended in the frame. Configured as such, the vented shaft is lightweight and thus easy for a lacrosse player to wield during a match.

1 . A shaft for a lacrosse stick, said shaft comprising:
 an elongate tube having a wall, an external surface, an internal surface, and an inner hollow defined therein;   wherein said wall has a plurality of holes defined therethrough for permitting fluid communication between said inner hollow and the outside of said tube.   
   
   
       2 . A shaft according to  claim 1 , wherein said elongate tube comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, magnesium, and titanium. 
   
   
       3 . A shaft according to  claim 1 , wherein said elongate tube has open ends. 
   
   
       4 . A shaft according to  claim 1 , wherein said elongate tube has a designated top end that is structurally adapted for retaining a closed-loop frame and a net suspended in said frame. 
   
   
       5 . A shaft according to  claim 1 , wherein said elongate tube has a designated bottom end that is structurally adapted for retaining a end cap. 
   
   
       6 . A shaft according to  claim 1 , wherein said elongate tube has a cross section with a periphery that is substantially polygonal such that said cross section has a number of peripheral sides and a matching number of peripheral edges with said number being at least three. 
   
   
       7 . A shaft according to  claim 6 , wherein at least some of said peripheral sides are concave. 
   
   
       8 . A shaft according to  claim 6 , wherein at least some of said peripheral edges are rounded. 
   
   
       9 . A shaft according to  claim 6 , wherein said number is numerically even. 
   
   
       10 . A shaft according to  claim 9 , wherein said number is numerically equal to eight. 
   
   
       11 . A shaft according to  claim 9 , wherein said external surface of said elongate tube includes a number of elongate lateral surfaces corresponding to said number of peripheral sides of said cross section, and said holes are defined only through every other elongate lateral surface of said number of elongate lateral surfaces. 
   
   
       12 . A shaft according to  claim 1 , wherein no more than two of said holes are defined through said wall at any cross section along the length of said elongate tube. 
   
   
       13 . A shaft according to  claim 1 , wherein said wall of said elongate tube has a plurality of recesses defined in said external surface. 
   
   
       14 . A shaft according to  claim 13 , wherein at least some of said recesses are spaced apart in a substantially even fashion about the periphery of said elongate tube. 
   
   
       15 . A shaft according to  claim 13 , wherein at least some of said recesses are elongated along the length of said elongate tube. 
   
   
       16 . A shaft according to  claim 13 , wherein at least some of said holes are defined through said wall of said elongate tube at the bottoms of at least some of said recesses. 
   
   
       17 . A shaft according to  claim 1 , wherein at least some of said holes are spaced apart in a substantially even fashion about the periphery of said elongate tube. 
   
   
       18 . A shaft according to  claim 1 , wherein at least some of said holes are elongated along the length of said elongate tube. 
   
   
       19 . A lacrosse stick comprising:
 an elongate tube having a wall, an external surface, an internal surface, and an inner hollow defined therein;   a closed-loop frame retained on a designated top end of said elongate tube; and   a net suspended in said frame;   wherein said wall has a plurality of holes defined therethrough for permitting fluid communication between said inner hollow and the outside of said tube.   
   
   
       20 . A lacrosse stick according to  claim 19 , wherein said wall of said elongate tube has a plurality of recesses defined in said external surface, and at least some of said holes are defined through said wall of said tube at the bottoms of at least some of said recesses.