Lacrosse stick head with protected string attachment feature

Abstract

An improved head for attachment to a lacrosse stick is provided. The head has a bar-shaped string attachment feature on a pocket-facing side of the transverse wall (or “scoop”) 212 joining the sidewalls at the distal end of head 204 to provide a protected area for the attachment of vertically-oriented strings and/or shooting strings forming the lacrosse stick pocket. The string attachment feature provides the additional advantage of negating the necessity for through-holes in scoop 212 that typically weaken what is already a vulnerable portion of head 204 due to its likelihood of receiving repeated impacts with the playing surface or other equipment during play. The improved string attachment member further advantageously provides more “give”, or flexibility, to the pocket strung thereon.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A head for a lacrosse stick comprising:
 a closed-loop generally V-shaped frame having two side walk joined on one end to a stop member and diverging therefrom to a transverse scoop joining the opposing ends of said side walls opposite of said stop member to define an internal area for supporting a lacrosse pocket therein, said transverse scoop having an inside face angled toward said internal area and an outside face,   at least one deal elevated above the inside face of said transverse scoop for securing said lacrosse pocket thereto.   
     
     
         2 . The head for a lacrosse stick according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one cleat comprises a single cleat extending along at least one half of said transverse scoop. 
     
     
         3 . The head for a lacrosse stick according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one cleat comprises a single cleat extending within a range of from 75-90% of a length of said transverse scoop. 
     
     
         4 . The head for a lacrosse stick according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one cleat comprises a plurality of cleats aligned end-to-end and extending along at least one half of said transverse scoop. 
     
     
         5 . The head for a lacrosse stick according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one cleat comprises a plurality of cleats aligned end-to-end and extending within a range of from 75-90% of a length of said transverse scoop. 
     
     
         6 . The head for a lacrosse stick according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one cleat comprises an elongate raised rail supported on opposing endwise struts. 
     
     
         7 . The head for a lacrosse stick according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one cleat comprises an elongate raised rail supported by a surface feature of said transverse scoop. 
     
     
         8 . The head for a lacrosse stick according to  claim 7 , wherein said at least one cleat comprises an elongate raised rail supported at one end by an endwise strut and at another end by a surface feature of said transverse scoop. 
     
     
         9 . The head for a lacrosse stick according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one cleat comprises an elongate rail molded into said transverse scoop. 
     
     
         10 . The head for a lacrosse stick according to  claim 9 , wherein said elongate rail traverses a plurality of through-holes through said transverse scoop. 
     
     
         11 . The head for a lacrosse stick according to  claim 1 , wherein said transverse scoop is a continuous molded member devoid of through-holes. 
     
     
         12 . The head for a lacrosse stick according to  claim 9 , wherein said elongate rail traverses a plurality of recesses molded in said transverse scoop. 
     
     
         13 . A lacrosse stick head, comprising:
 two laterally extending rails that join to form a stop member at a first end and are connected by a solid transverse element without openings at a second end, said transverse element being substantially perpendicular to said laterally extending rails, said transverse element having an inner surface facing said stop member;   a cleat disposed on said inner surface, a portion of said cleat being substantially parallel to said transverse element, said parallel portion and said inner surface having a gap between them;   wherein said gap is adapted to accept the attachment of strings for lacrosse stick pocket.   two laterally extending rails that join to form a stop member at a first end and are connected by a solid transverse element without openings at a second end, said transverse element being substantially perpendicular to said laterally extending rails, said transverse scoop having an inner surface facing said stop member;   a cleat disposed on the inner surface of said scoop, at least a portion of said cleat being substantially parallel to said transverse scoop, the parallel portion of said cleat and the inner surface of said scoop having a gap between them;   wherein said cleat is configured for attachment of strings for a lacrosse stick pocket.   
     
     
         14 . The lacrosse stick head according to  claim 13 , wherein said two laterally extending rails extend along at least one half of said transverse scoop. 
     
     
         15 . The lacrosse stick head according to  claim 13 , wherein said two laterally extending rails extending within a range of from 75-90% of a length of said transverse scoop. 
     
     
         16 . The lacrosse stick head according to  claim 13 , wherein said two laterally extending rails are supported centrally on said transverse scoop by a raised surface feature of said transverse scoop. 
     
     
         17 . The lacrosse stick head according to  claim 13 , wherein said two laterally extending rails are integrally-molded into the transverse scoop. 
     
     
         18 . The lacrosse stick head according to  claim 17 , wherein said two laterally extending rails are recessed in the transverse scoop. 
     
     
         19 . The lacrosse stick head according to  claim 18 , wherein said two laterally extending rails traverse a plurality of through-holes through said transverse scoop. 
     
     
         20 . The lacrosse stick head according to  claim 13 , wherein said transverse scoop is a continuous molded member devoid of through-holes. 
     
     
         21 . The lacrosse stick bead according to  claim 13 , wherein said two laterally extending rails traverse a plurality of recesses molded in said transverse scoop.