Hockey Stick

Abstract

A blade for a hockey stick which can readily absorb impact from the puck, and can allow the user to feel the puck on the blade in contrast to conventional carbon fiber blades. The blade can include a blade member integrally formed of composite material having discontinuous fibers bonded within thermosetting resin. The blade member can have a blade periphery surrounding a central blade region. The central blade region can have a plurality of openings arranged in a pattern to form series of elongate criss crossing ribs that extend between and connect different sides of the blade periphery to each other. The fibers in the blade periphery can be in a generally jumbled orientation, and the fibers in the central blade region can be positioned within the ribs in a manner wherein each rib contains a plurality of fibers that substantially extend in said each rib's elongate direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hockey stick comprising;
 a blade member integrally formed of composite material having discontinuous fibers bonded with thermosetting resin, the blade member comprising a blade periphery surrounding a central blade region, the central blade region having a plurality of openings arranged in a pattern to form a series of elongate criss crossing ribs that extend between and connect different sides of the blade periphery to each other, the fibers in the blade periphery being in a generally jumbled orientation, and the fibers in the central blade region being positioned within the ribs in a manner wherein each rib contains a plurality of fibers that substantially extend in said each rib's elongate direction, the blade member having opposite front and rear blade faces, at least a portion of the blade periphery having at least one layer of strengthening fiber laminate thereon, on at least one of the front and rear blade faces, the at least one layer of strengthening fiber laminate comprising a layer of unidirectional fibers, and a layer of multidirectional fibers over at least a portion of the layer of unidirectional fibers, wherein the fibers in the layer of multidirectional fibers are oriented transverse to the direction of the fibers in the layer of unidirectional fibers.   
     
     
         2 . The hockey stick of  claim 1  in which the layer of unidirectional fibers extends along the blade periphery from the front blade face to the rear blade face with a generally U-shaped cross section. 
     
     
         3 . The hockey stick of  claim 1  in which the fibers in the layer of multidirectional fibers extend in different first, second and third directions, transverse to each other but lying along a common plane. 
     
     
         4 . The hockey stick of  claim 3  in which the second and third directions are oriented about 60° and 120° apart respectively, from the first direction. 
     
     
         5 . The hockey stick of  claim 4  in which the fibers extending in the first direction in the layer of multidirectional fibers are oriented generally perpendicular to the direction of the fibers in the layer of unidirectional fibers. 
     
     
         6 . The hockey stick of  claim 1  further comprising a shaft connected to the blade member. 
     
     
         7 . The hockey stick of  claim 1  further comprising a tacky adhesive coating on at least a portion of at least one of the front and rear blade faces. 
     
     
         8 . The hockey stick of  claim 7  in which the adhesive coating is hydrophobic. 
     
     
         9 . A sports paddle comprising;
 a paddle member integrally formed of composite material having discontinuous fibers bonded within thermosetting resin, the paddle member comprising a paddle periphery surrounding a central paddle region, the central paddle region having a plurality of openings arranged in a pattern to form a series of elongate criss crossing ribs that extend between and connect different sides of the paddle periphery to each other, the fibers in the paddle periphery being in a generally jumbled orientation, and the fibers in the central paddle region being positioned within the ribs in a manner wherein each rib contains a plurality of fibers that substantially extend in said each rib's elongate direction, the paddle member having opposite front and rear paddle faces, at least a portion of the paddle periphery having at least one layer of strengthening fiber laminate thereon, on at least one of the front and rear paddle faces, the at least one layer of strengthening fiber laminate comprising a layer of unidirectional fibers, and a layer of multidirectional fibers over at least a portion of the layer of unidirectional fibers, wherein the fibers in the layer of multidirectional fibers are oriented transverse to the direction of the fibers in the layer of unidirectional fibers.   
     
     
         10 . A hockey stick comprising:
 a blade member having front and rear blade faces; and   a tacky adhesive coating on at least a portion of at least one of the front and rear blade faces.   
     
     
         11 . A hockey stick comprising;
 a blade member comprising a blade periphery surrounding a central blade region, the blade member having opposite front and rear blade faces, at least a portion of the blade periphery having at least one layer of strengthening fiber laminate thereon, on at least one of the front and rear blade faces, the at least one layer of strengthening fiber laminate comprising a layer of unidirectional fibers, and a layer of multidirectional fibers over at least a portion of the layer of unidirectional fibers, wherein the fibers in the layer of multidirectional fibers are oriented transverse to the direction of the fibers in the layer of unidirectional fibers.   
     
     
         12 . A method of forming a hockey stick comprising;
 integrally forming a blade member of a blade from composite material having discontinuous fibers within thermosetting resin to have a blade periphery surrounding a central blade region, the central blade region having a plurality of openings arranged in a pattern to form a series of elongate criss crossing ribs that extend between and connect different sides of the blade periphery to each other;   forming the blade periphery in which the fibers are in a generally jumbled orientation;   orienting the fibers in the central blade region within the ribs in a manner wherein each rib contains a plurality of fibers that substantially extend in said each rib's elongate direction, the blade member having opposite front and rear blade faces; and   forming at least a portion of the blade periphery with at least one layer of strengthening fiber laminate thereon, on the at least one of the front and rear blade faces, the at least one layer of strengthening fiber laminate comprising a layer of unidirectional fibers, and a layer of multidirectional fibers over at least a portion of the layer of unidirectional fibers, wherein the fibers in the layer of multidirectional fibers are oriented transverse to the direction of the fibers in the layer of unidirectional fibers.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  in which the layer of unidirectional fibers extends along the blade periphery from the front blade face to the rear blade face with a generally U-shaped cross section. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  in which the fibers in the layer of multidirectional fibers extend in different first, second and third directions, transverse to each other but lying along a common plane. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  in which the second and third directions are oriented about 60° and 120° apart respectively from the first direction. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  in which the fibers extending in the first direction of the layer of multidirectional fibers are oriented generally perpendicular to the direction of the fibers in the layer of unidirectional fibers. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising connecting the shaft to the blade member. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising applying a tacky adhesive coating on at least a portion of at least one of the front and rear blade faces. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  in which the adhesive coating is hydrophobic. 
     
     
         20 . A method of forming a sports paddle comprising;
 integrally forming a paddle member from composite material having discontinuous fibers within thermosetting resin to have a paddle periphery surrounding a central paddle region, the central paddle region having a plurality of openings arranged in a pattern to form a series of elongate criss crossing ribs that extend between and connect different sides of the paddle periphery to each other;   forming the paddle periphery in which the fibers are in a generally jumbled orientation;   orienting the fibers in the central paddle region within the ribs in a manner wherein each rib contains a plurality of fibers that substantially extend in said each rib's elongate direction, the paddle member having opposite front and rear paddle faces; and   forming at least a portion of the paddle periphery with at least one layer of strengthening fiber laminate thereon, on at least one of the front and rear paddle faces, the at least one layer of strengthening fiber laminate comprising a layer of unidirectional fibers, and a layer of multidirectional fibers over at least a portion of the layer of unidirectional fibers, wherein the fibers in the layer of multidirectional fibers are oriented transverse to the direction of the fibers in the layer of unidirectional fibers.   
     
     
         21 . A method of forming a hockey stick comprising:
 forming a blade member having front and rear blade faces; and   applying a tacky adhesive coating on at least a portion of at least one of the front and rear blade faces.   
     
     
         22 . A method of forming a hockey stick comprising;
 providing a blade member with a blade periphery surrounding a central blade region, and opposite front and rear blade faces; and   forming at least a portion of the blade periphery with at least one layer of strengthening fiber laminate thereon, on the at least one of the front and rear blade faces, the at least one layer of strengthening fiber laminate comprising a layer of unidirectional fibers, and a layer of multidirectional fibers over at least a portion of the layer of unidirectional fibers, wherein the fibers in the layer of multidirectional fibers are oriented transverse to the direction of the fibers in the layer of unidirectional fibers.