Thong for stringing the head of a lacrosse stick and a pre-laced pocket and net incorporating the same

Abstract

A thong used for stringing the head of a lacrosse stick, a pre-laced pocket incorporating said thong and a net incorporating said pre-laced pocket. The thong has a plurality of holes defined therein and which extend between the front and rear surfaces of the thong. The holes are configured to receive a lacing member therethrough. The pre-laced pocket is comprised of a plurality of said thongs and a lacing member threaded through the holes in a diamond-shaped, cross-laced pattern. The net is comprised of the pre-laced pocket and one or more connector strings that extend between the pre-laced pocket and the head's frame.

1 . A thong for use in stringing a head of a lacrosse stick, said thong comprising:
 an elongated member having a first end, a second end, and a middle section extending thereinbetween; said middle section having a front face and a rear face and lateral sides extending therebetween; and   a plurality of holes defined in the middle section of the elongated member, said holes extending between the front face and rear face thereof; and being adapted to receive a lacing member therethrough.   
     
     
         2 . The thong as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said thong has a longitudinal axis extending between the first and second ends; and the thong further comprises:
 a longitudinally-aligned slit spaced a distance inwardly from the first end of the thong; wherein said second end of the thong is threadably received through said slit, whereby said first end of the thong comprises a substantially closed loop that surrounds and defines an aperture therein, and said aperture is adapted to receive a connector member therethrough.   
     
     
         3 . The thong as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of holes in the thong are disposed in a longitudinally aligned row. 
     
     
         4 . The thong as defined in  claim 1 , wherein each hole defined therein is configured to be one of a substantially elliptical shape and a figure-eight shape. 
     
     
         5 . A pre-laced pocket for use in a net of a lacrosse stick head; said pocket comprising;
 a first thong; having a first end, a second end and an elongate middle section; said middle section having a front ball-engaging surface and an opposed rear surface;   a second thong having a first end, a second end and an elongate middle section; said middle section having a front ball-engaging surface and an opposed rear surface;   a plurality of holes defined at spaced intervals in each of the middle sections of said first and second thongs; and wherein each hole extends from the front surface through to the rear surface thereof; and   at least one lace having a length and first and second ends, wherein said lace is threaded through holes in the first and through holes in the second thongs to secure the first and second thongs together.   
     
     
         6 . The pocket as defined in  claim 5 , wherein each thong is an elongated member having a longitudinal axis extending between the first and second ends thereof; and wherein each of said holes is oriented generally at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the associated one of the first and second thongs. 
     
     
         7 . The pocket as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of holes are oriented in a row and said row is one of aligned and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said associated one of the first and second thongs. 
     
     
         8 . The pocket as defined in  claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of holes is one of substantially elliptical and a figure-eight in shape 
     
     
         9 . The pocket as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the lace extends outwardly from the front and rear surfaces of the first and second thongs when threaded through the holes therein. 
     
     
         10 . The pocket as defined in  claim 5 , wherein each of the first and second thongs is manufactured from a single layer of material. 
     
     
         11 . The pocket as defined in  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the first and second thongs is manufactured from at least two longitudinally aligned layers of material, and the front surface is an outer surface of a first layer of material, and the rear surface is an outer surface of a second layer of material, and the holes extend from the outer surface of the first layer of material through to the outer surface of the second layer of material. 
     
     
         12 . The pocket as defined in  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the first and second thongs is manufactured from at least two longitudinally aligned layers of material, and the front surface is an outer surface of a first layer of material, and the rear surface is an outer surface of a second layer of material, and wherein the at least one of the first and second thongs has a pair of opposed lateral sides extending from the first end to the second end thereof; and wherein the holes therein do not extend between the opposed lateral sides. 
     
     
         13 . The pocket as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the first end of each of the first and second thongs is shaped to define an aperture therein and the apertures are adapted to receive a string therethrough to secure said first and second thongs to a portion of the scoop of the lacrosse stick. 
     
     
         14 . The pocket as defined in  claim 5 , further comprising a third and a fourth thong disposed laterally adjacent the first and the second thongs; and wherein each of the third and fourth thongs has a first end, a second end and an elongate middle section; said middle section having a front ball-engaging surface and an opposed rear surface; and wherein a plurality of holes are defined in each of the third and fourth thongs and said holes extend between the front surface and rear surface of each of said third and fourth thongs; and wherein said lace is threaded in a pattern through the holes in each of the first, second, third and fourth thongs to secure the first, second, third and fourth thongs together. 
     
     
         15 . The pocket as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the at least one lace has a first end and a second end and each of the first and second ends is knotted to prevent withdrawal of the lace from its threaded engagement with the first, second, third and fourth thongs. 
     
     
         16 . The pocket as defined in  claim 15 , further comprising a first connector string extending outwardly from one of the first and second thongs; and wherein said first connector string is adapted to be secured to a frame of the lacrosse stick head. 
     
     
         17 . The pocket as defined in  claim 16 , further comprising a second connector string extending outwardly from the other of first and second thongs; and wherein said second connector string is adapted to be secured to the frame of the lacrosse stick head at a location spaced from the first connector string. 
     
     
         18 . The pocket as defined in  claim 17 , wherein each of the first and second thongs has a first end and a second end; and wherein the pocket further includes a third connector string that extends outwardly away from proximate the first ends of the first and second thongs; and wherein said third connector string is adapted to be secured to the frame of the lacrosse stick head intermediate the first and second connector strings. 
     
     
         19 . A head of a lacrosse stick, wherein said head comprises a frame having:
 a throat region having an aperture adapted to receive a shaft therein; and a ball stop opposite said aperture;   a scoop disposed opposite said ball stop;   a first and a second sidewall extending between the ball stop and the scoop, said ball stop, scoop and first and second sidewalls surrounding and defining an interior cavity thereinbetween;   a plurality of holes defined in each of the ball stop, scoop, first and second sidewalls;   a net for engagement with said frame; wherein said net comprises:
 a first thong extending between a hole in the scoop and a hole in the ball stop; 
 a plurality of first holes defined in the first thong, said holes extending between a front, ball engaging surface of the first thong and a rear surface of the first thong; 
 a second thong extending between a second hole in the scoop and a second hole in the ball stop; 
 a plurality of second holes defined in the second thong, said second holes extending between a front, ball engaging surface of the second thong and a second surface of the first thong; 
   at least one lace threaded through the plurality of first and second holes in the first and second thongs to secure the first and second thongs together; and   at least one connector string extending between the first and second thongs and the sidewalls of the frame.   
     
     
         20 . A head of a lacrosse stick, wherein said head comprises a frame having:
 a throat region having an aperture adapted to receive a shaft therein; and a ball stop opposite said aperture;   a scoop disposed opposite said ball stop;   a first and a second sidewall extending between the ball stop and the scoop, said ball stop, scoop and first and second sidewalls surrounding and defining an interior cavity thereinbetween;   a plurality of holes defined in each of the ball stop, scoop, first and second sidewalls;   a pre-laced pocket comprising a plurality of thongs adjustably secured together by a lace,   a first connector string extending between the pre-laced pocket and the first sidewall;   a second connector string extending between the pre-laced pocket and the second sidewall.   
     
     
         21 . The head of a lacrosse stick as defined in  claim 20 , wherein the thongs in the pre-laced pocket each have a first end and a second end; and wherein the head further includes a third connector string that is secured to the first end of the pre-laced pocket and retains said first end of the pre-laced pocket proximate the scoop of the head; and wherein the second end of the pocket is secured to the ball stop of the head. 
     
     
         22 . The head of the lacrosse stick as defined in  claim 20 , wherein the pre-laced pocket comprises:
 a first thong; having a first end, a second end and an elongate middle section; said middle section having a front ball-engaging surface and an opposed rear surface;   a second thong, having a first end, a second end and an elongate middle section; said middle section having a front ball-engaging surface and an opposed rear surface;   a plurality of holes defined at spaced intervals in each of the middle sections of said first and second thongs; and wherein each hole extends from the front surface through to the rear surface thereof; and   at least one lace having a length and first and second ends, wherein said lace is threaded through holes in the first and second thongs to secure the first and second thongs together.   
     
     
         23 . The head of the lacrosse stick as defined in  claim 22 , wherein a pair of laces are threaded through holes in the first and second thongs to connect the same together, and the pair of laces are cross-laced into a mirror-image diamond-shaped pattern. 
     
     
         24 . The head of the lacrosse stick as defined in  claim 22 , further comprising:
 a third thong having a first end, a second end and an elongate middle section; said middle section having a front ball-engaging surface and an opposed rear surface;   a fourth thong, having a first end, a second end and an elongate middle section; said middle section having a front ball-engaging surface and an opposed rear surface;   a plurality of holes defined at spaced intervals in each of the middle sections of said third and fourth thongs; and wherein each hole extends from the front surface through to the rear surface thereof; and wherein the lace further is threaded through holes in the third and fourth to secure the first, second, third and fourth thongs together.   
     
     
         25 . The net as defined in  claim 24 , wherein the first thong is disposed adjacent the second thong, the third thong is disposed adjacent the second thong and the fourth thong is disposed adjacent the third thong; and wherein the lace passes twice through each hole in each of the first, second, third and fourth thongs.