Offset lacrosse head

Abstract

A lacrosse head including a sidewall having at least one upper rail, extending between a base and a scoop, including a primary rail and a secondary rail. The secondary rail can diverge from the primary rail at a junction as the primary rail extends from the scoop toward the base. The primary and secondary rails can define an aperture therebetween, where the aperture accentuates the offset configuration of the head. The bifurcated upper rail can also enhance the strength of the sidewall at or near the base.

1 . A lacrosse head comprising:
 a throat adapted to connect to a lacrosse handle;   a base joined with the throat, the base including a ballstop and having a longitudinal axis;   a scoop distal from the base, wherein the longitudinal axis extends toward the scoop;   a pair of sidewalls extending from the base and joined with the scoop, each sidewall including an upper rail and a lower rail separated from one another by a distance, the upper rail including a primary rail and a secondary rail, the primary rail extending from the scoop to the base generally parallel to the longitudinal axis when viewed from a side perspective, the secondary rail extending from the primary rail at a junction, the secondary rail extending in at least one of an upwardly angled manner and an upwardly curved manner away from the longitudinal axis between the junction and the ballstop, the secondary rail being joined with the base at a distance above and separate from the primary rail so that the secondary rail and the primary rail define an aperture therebetween, the aperture also being located between the junction and the ballstop, whereby the aperture visually accentuates the divergence of the secondary rail from the primary rail so that a viewer readily recognizes that the lacrosse head is of an offset construction.   
   
   
       2 . The lacrosse head of  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal axis lies within a plane that bisects the upper and lower halves of the throat. 
   
   
       3 . The lacrosse head of  claim 2 , wherein the primary rail extends from the base toward the scoop at least partially within the plane. 
   
   
       4 . The lacrosse head of  claim 2 , wherein the scoop contours downwardly with respect to the plane. 
   
   
       5 . The lacrosse head of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary rail gradually curves downward from an upper surface of the ballstop toward the primary rail. 
   
   
       6 . The lacrosse head of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary rail is a unitary extension of a front portion of the base. 
   
   
       7 . A lacrosse head comprising:
 a throat adapted to connect to a lacrosse handle;   a base joined with the throat, the base including a ballstop;   a scoop distal from the base;   a sidewall including an upper rail having a primary rail and a secondary rail, the primary rail extending substantially linearly from the ballstop toward the scoop when viewed from a side perspective, the secondary rail extending from the primary rail as a separate rail at a junction near or in the ballstop, the secondary rail extending in at least one of an upwardly angled manner and an upwardly curved manner toward the ballstop, the secondary rail being joined with the base distal from the junction.   
   
   
       8 . The lacrosse head of  claim 7 , further comprising a longitudinal axis extending from the base toward the scoop, wherein the primary rail is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis from the base to the scoop. 
   
   
       9 . The lacrosse head of  claim 8 , wherein the longitudinal axis lies within a first horizontal plane that bisects the upper and lower halves of the throat, and subsequently a handle joined with the throat. 
   
   
       10 . The lacrosse head of  claim 9 , further comprising a second horizontal plane offset from and parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the secondary rail extends along a portion of its length within the second horizontal plane before transitioning downward toward the junction. 
   
   
       11 . The lacrosse head of  claim 10 , wherein the secondary rail diverges from the primary rail at an acute angle opening toward the base. 
   
   
       12 . The lacrosse of  claim 11 , wherein the secondary rail is a unitary extension of a forward portion of the base. 
   
   
       13 . The lacrosse head of  claim 12 , wherein the primary rail, secondary rail, junction and base cooperate to define an aperture which visually emphasizes to a viewer the downward transition of the secondary rail toward the primary rail, whereby the viewer can readily recognize the lacrosse head as having an offset construction. 
   
   
       14 . The lacrosse head of  claim 13 , wherein the scoop contours downwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis. 
   
   
       15 . A lacrosse head comprising:
 a throat adapted to connect to a lacrosse handle;   a base joined with the throat, the base including a ballstop and having a longitudinal axis;   a scoop distal from the base, wherein the longitudinal axis extends toward the scoop;   a pair of sidewalls extending from the base and joined with the scoop, each sidewall including an upper rail and a lower rail separated from one another by a first distance, the upper rail forking at a junction near the base into a primary rail and a secondary rail that are separated by a second distance, the primary rail remaining at or above the longitudinal axis from the junction to the base, the secondary rail extending in at least one of an upwardly angled manner and an upwardly curved manner from the junction toward the base.   
   
   
       16 . The lacrosse head of  claim 15 , wherein the secondary rail and the primary rail define an aperture therebetween, the aperture also being bounded by at least one of the junction and the base. 
   
   
       17 . The lacrosse head of  claim 16 , wherein the secondary rail forks from the primary rail at an acute angle. 
   
   
       18 . The lacrosse head of  claim 17 , wherein the secondary rail is a unitary extension of a forward portion of the base. 
   
   
       19 . The lacrosse head of  claim 18 , wherein the longitudinal axis lies within a plane that bisects the upper and lower halves of the throat, and subsequently a handle joined with the throat. 
   
   
       20 . The lacrosse head of  claim 19 , wherein the primary rail extends from the junction to the scoop generally parallel to the longitudinal axis when viewed from a side perspective.