Hockey stick blade

Abstract

A hockey stick blade comprising an elongated fiber-reinforced polymer body having a fiber-reinforced polymer front face element and a fiber-reinforced polymer rear face element. The rear face element is spaced apart from the front face element. The blade also comprises a plurality of elongated longitudinal cavities within the body between the front face element and the rear face element. The longitudinal cavities have curved ends in transverse cross-section. The longitudinal cavities define at least one fiber-reinforced polymer structural member interconnecting the front face element and the rear face element. The at least one structural element is biconcave in transverse cross-section. The hockey stick blade has a neck, a heel and a toe. A method of bladder molding a hockey stick blade is also disclosed.

1 . A hockey stick blade comprising:
 an elongated fiber-reinforced polymer body having a fiber-reinforced polymer front face element and a fiber-reinforced polymer rear face element, the rear face element being spaced apart from the front face element; and   a plurality of elongated longitudinal cavities within the body between the front face element and the rear face element, the longitudinal cavities defining at least one fiber-reinforced polymer structural member interconnecting the front face element and the rear face element, the at least one structural element being biconcave in transverse cross-section;   the hockey stick blade having a neck, a heel and a toe.   
     
     
         2 . The hockey stick blade of  claim 1 , wherein each of the longitudinal cavities has an oblong circle shape in transverse cross-section. 
     
     
         3 . The hockey stick blade of  claim 1 , wherein the front face element, the rear face element, and each of the structural members interconnecting the front face element and the rear face element are a single unitary structure. 
     
     
         4 . The hockey stick blade of  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal cavities extend within the neck of the blade. 
     
     
         5 . The hockey stick blade of  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal cavities extend an entire longitudinal length of the blade. 
     
     
         6 . The hockey stick blade of  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal cavities extend solely with a central portion of the blade. 
     
     
         7 . The hockey stick blade of  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal cavities are cavities left over after removal of bladders having been used during a bladder molding operation during formation of the hockey stick blade. 
     
     
         8 . The hockey stick blade of  claim 1 , wherein two of the longitudinal cavities are connected at ends thereof via a U-shaped cavity. 
     
     
         9 . The hockey stick blade of  claim 1 , wherein the least one fiber-reinforced polymer structural member interconnecting the front face element and the rear face element includes at least three fiber-reinforced structural members interconnecting the front face element and the rear face element. 
     
     
         10 . The hockey stick blade of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the cavities are filled with a gas different than ambient air. 
     
     
         11 . The hockey stick blade of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the cavities are filled with a liquid, a gel, a solid, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The hockey stick blade of  claim 1 , wherein one or both of the rear face element and the front face element includes a material different from a material of the at least one fiber-reinforced polymer structural member interconnecting the front face element and the rear face element. 
     
     
         13 . A hockey stick comprising:
 a hockey stick shaft having a proximal end and a distal end; and   the hockey stick blade of  claim 1 , the neck of the blade adjoining the distal end of the hockey stick shaft.   
     
     
         14 . A hockey stick blade comprising:
 a bladder-molded elongated fiber-reinforced polymer body having a neck, a heel and a toe and also including:
 a fiber-reinforced polymer front face element; 
 a fiber-reinforced polymer rear face element, the rear face element being spaced apart from the front face element; and 
 at least one fiber-reinforced polymer structural member interconnecting the front face element and the rear face element and extending longitudinally within the blade, the at least one fiber-reinforced polymer structural member and the front and rear face elements defining a plurality of elongated longitudinal cavities within the body. 
   
     
     
         15 . The hockey stick blade of  claim 14 , wherein the front face element, the rear face element, and each of the structural members interconnecting the front face element and the rear face element are a single unitary structure. 
     
     
         16 . The hockey stick blade of  claim 14 , wherein at least two of the longitudinal cavities are connected at ends thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The hockey stick blade of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of elongated longitudinal cavities are further defined by an air bladder proximate to the at least one fiber-reinforced polymer structural member and the front and rear face elements. 
     
     
         18 . The hockey stick blade of  claim 14 , wherein one or both of the rear face element and the front face element includes a material different from a material of the at least one fiber-reinforced polymer structural member interconnecting the front face element and the rear face element. 
     
     
         19 . The hockey stick blade of  claim 14 , wherein at least some of the cavities are filled with a gas different than ambient air. 
     
     
         20 . The hockey stick blade of  claim 14 , wherein at least some of the cavities are filled with a liquid, a gel, a solid, or a combination thereof.