CA2264299C

CA2264299C - Hockey stick blade

Info

Publication number: CA2264299C
Application number: CA 2264299
Authority: CA
Inventors: Lloyd Spurrell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-03-02
Filing date: 1999-03-02
Publication date: 2000-08-22
Anticipated expiration: 2019-03-02

Abstract

There is provided a new and useful blade for use on a hockey stick. The blade has a predetermined length, height and thickness and the blade comprises a heel end and a toe end, longitudinally remote from the heel end. Opposing first and second faces extend from the heel end to the toe end along the length of the blade defining a forehand and a backhand side.
A first arcuate portion extends from the heel end in a first direction of curvature so as to form a first concave curvature in the forehand side and a second arcuate portion extends from the first arcuate portion towards the toe end in a second direction of curvature opposite to the first direction so as to form a second concave curvature in the backhand side.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION

HOCKEY STICK BLADE

:FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an improved blade for use on a hockey stick or the like.

BAC]KGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Current designs for hockey stick blades are concerned with increasing puck h~n(lling (or ball h~n~ling in street hockey) control on the forehand side over the control offered by the traditional flat blade stick. Hence the current C-shaped design or structure of the blade has a concave curvalure, which is all on the forehand side. This is true for either 10 right-handed or left-handed sticks. Even goaltenders sticks now have a concave curvature on the forehand side.
The concave curvature on the forehand side of the blade results in a convex curve on the backhand side. This convex curvature increases the difficulty of h~n-lling the puck (or ball in street hockey) on the backhand side. Thus it is more difficult to receive and 15 control a pass on the backhancl side or to pass or shoot from the backhand side as compared to the concave forehand side. Even normal stick h~nflling of the puck or ball, which involves regular movements of the puck or ball between the forehand and backhand is more difficult on the convex side with a C-shaped curve stick, as compared with the traditional flat blade stick.
Lastly, face-offs are often taken with the backhand side of the blade and therefore, the current C-shape has an adverse effect on the ability to control the puck or ball from the face-off. As a result, a player, when taking a face-off, will often reverse the positioning of the player's hands on the stick so that the concave side of the blade comes into contact with the puck or ball (instead of the convex side). This requires that once the face-off is complete, the player's hands must be switched back to the normal orientation, during which time the player does not have full use of the stick.
There have been proposals in the past to address the difficulties associated with the C-shaped blade by introducing an S-shaped blade or a blade which is bifurcated at its toe end. Unfortunately, these proposals do not provide a stick blade which solves the problems of the C-shaped blade in an acl~eptable manner to hockey players in that the blade designs do not improve control on the b~ackhand side in regular play or the designs would actually interfere with the use of the stiick in normal playing conditions. For example, the applicants are aware of one design of an S-shaped blade, described in C~n~di~n Patent 1,305,733 of Melby, issued July 28, 1992 (c:orresponding to U.S. Patent 4,664,379, issued May 12, 1987) which is judged ineffective for use in normal playing conditions because the forehand and backhand concave portions of the blade are located at the wrong ends of the blade. In addition, the following references describe attempts to improve the C-shaped blade design which suffer from the deficiencies noted above:
C~n~ n Patem: 850,516 of Dawe, issued September 1, 1970;
C~n~ n Patenl: 873,488 of Franck and Allen, issued June 15, 1971; and C~n~ n Patem: 1,325,440 of Hughes, issued December 21, 1993.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide, on a hockey stick, a blade which provides increased puc~k h:~n(lling ability on the backhand side, without adversely affecting control on the forehand side.
In one aspect oF the invention, there is provided a blade for use on a hockey stick. The blade has a predetermined length, height and thickness and comprises a heel end and a toe end longitudinally remote from the heel end. Opposing first and second faces extend from the heel end to the toe encl along the length defining a forehand side and a backhand side.
A first arcuate portion extends from the heel end in a first direction of curvature so as to form a first concave curvature in the forehand side and a second arcuate portion extends from the first arcuate portion towards the toe end in a second direction of curvature opposite to the first direction so as to form a second concave curvature in the backhand side.
In another aspect of the invention, the blade comprises a heel end, a toe end and opposing faces defining a forelhand side and a backhand side between the heel end and the toe end. The blade is S-shaped so as to define a concave curvature in the forehand side proximate to the heel end and a concave curvature in the backhand side, proximate to the toe end.

BRIEF I)ESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon referring to the drawings in which:-FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a hockey stick incorporating the blade of the present invention;
FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;
FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the blade of the present invention; and FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of another alternate embodiment of the present invention.
While the invention will be described in conjunction with illustrated embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to such embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCR][PTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the followin~ description, similar features in the drawings have been given similar reference numerals.
Turning to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a blade 2 suitable for use on a hockey stick 4, for ice hockey, floor hockey or street hockey. The blade 2 may be manufactured as an integral part of the stick 4 or may be manufactured separately and purchased to be attached to a shaft 6 of an existing stick 4. Regardless, the shaft 6 of the stick 4 has a top portion 8 and a bottom portion 10, in a conventional fashion. The blade 2 extends from the bottom portion 10 of the shaft 6. In normal parlance, the end of the blade 2 proximate to the bottom portion 10 is referred to as the heel end 12 and the other end of the blade 2, remote from the heel end 12 is the toe end 14. The blade 2 thus defines opposing first and second faces 16 and 18. T]he blade 2 preferably has a predetermined length "l", height "h"
5 and thickness "t".
In accordance ~ith the present invention, the blade 2 has an elongated S-shape from its heel end 12 to its toe end 14. That S-shape is defined by a first arcuate portion 20 extending from the heel end 12 and a second arcuate portion 22 extending from the first arcuate portion 20 in a direction of curvature opposite to the direction of curvature of that first arcuate 10 portion 20.
In Figure 1, the stick 4 illustrated is for a right-handed shot. The opposing faces 16 and 18 thus define a forehand side 30 and a backhand side 32 respectively. The first arcuate portion 20 defines a concave curvature in the forehand side 30 extending from the heel end 12.
Consequently, the second arcuate portion 22 defines a concave curvature in the backhand face 32, proximate to the toe end 14 of the blade 2.
The blade 2 illuitrated in Figure 2 is for a left-handed shot so that the forehand side 40 and the backhand side 42 are reversed from the configuration of the blade 2 in Figure 1. For a blade with this orientation, therefore, the S-shape curve is reversed in direction so that the first arcuate portion 20 still defines a concave curvature in the forehand side extending 20 from the heel end 12 and the second arcuate portion 22 defines the concave curvature in the backhand side 42, proximate to the toe end 14 of the blade 2.

The rules for dimensions of hockey sticks and blades are set by the governing bodies of the various hockey leagues or associations, such as the National Hockey League (NHL) and the C:~n~ n Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) and those dimensions areconsequently quite standardized. For example, the CAHA rules dictate that the blade for a stick for a position player shall not exceed 12.5 inches (31.75 cm) in length "l" and shall be between 2 inches (5.08 cm) and 3 inches (7.62 cm) in height "h". In addition, the curvature of the blade shall not exceed 0 5 inches (1.27 cm) between the blade and any line drawn from a fixed point on the heel end of the blade to the toe end of the blade.
Working within the above dimensions to optimize performance of the blade 2 on both the forehand side 30 and backhand side 32, as seen in Figure 3, the first arcuate portion 20 is preferably aboul 10 inches (25.4 cm) in length "L1" and the second arcuate portion 22 is about 5 inches (12.7 cm) in length "L2". In each case, the depth of curvature "d" from a line drawn between the heel end 12 and the toe end 14 (as depicted by the phantom lines) and the blade 2 is preferably .5 inches (1.27 cm). It will be noted by those skilled in the art that in order to measure the curvature on the forehand side within the meaning of the rules, the line is drawn between the heel end 12 and any point along the convex curvature in the forehand side 30 resulting fro m the second arcuate portion 22, rather than a point at the toe end 14 itself. A similar procedure may be employed to measure the concave curvature in the backhand side 32, except that the line is drawn between the toe 14 and any point along the convex curvature in the backhand side 32.
Figure 4 illustrates an embodiment of the blade 50 for use on a goalkeeper's stick 52 (shown as a left-handed shot). As with the embodiments illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the blade 50 has an elongated S-shape with the first arcuate portion 54 defining a concave curvature in the forehand side~ 56, extending from the heel end 58, and the second arcuate portion 60 defining a concave curvature in the backhand side 62, proximate to the toe end 64, all within current regulations as expressed above. The goalkeeper may thus benefit from the advantages described above which result from the curvature at the toe end 64 of the blade 50, on the backhand side.
Regardless of whether a right-handed or left-handed hockey stick is used, the player (not shown) will benefil: from having a concave curvature on the backhand side 32 (or 42) of the blade 2, at the toe end 14, in face-off situations, in receiving and controlling a pass of the puck (not shown) on the backhand side 32 (or 42) and in directing the puck by way of a pass or a shot from the backhand side 32 (or 42). In normal use, a forehand shot or pass would be preferably from the -first arcuate portion 20 and a backhand shot or pass would be preferably from the second arcuate portion 22. As shown by the dimensional breakdown of the blade in Figure 3, however, this benefit is provided to the player without losing a significant amount of blade space on the forehand side 30 (or 40) of the blade 2, as compared with conventional stick blades (not shown) which cannot, by regulation, exceed 12.5 inches (31.75 cm) in length. The blade 2 of the present invention thus provides a superior alternative to the conventional stick blade for ice hockey, street hockey, floor hockey or other types of recreational hockey.
Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided in accordance with the invention a hockey stick blade that fully satisfies the objects, aims and advantages set forth above. While the invention h~ls been described in conjunction with illustrated embodiments thereof, it is evident that manv alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A blade for use on a hockey stick, said blade having a predetermined length, height and thickness and said blade comprising a heel end;
a toe end longitudinally remote from said heel end;
opposing first and second faces extending from said heel end to said toe end along said length and defining a forehand side and a backhand side of said blade, a first arcuate portion extending from said heel end in a first direction of curvature so as to form a first concave curvature on said forehand side; and a second arcuate portion extending from said first arcuate portion towards said toe end in a second direction of curvature opposite to said first direction so as to form a second concave curvature on said backhand side.

2. The blade of Claim 1 wherein said predetermined length is about 12.5 inches (31.75 cm).

3. The blade of Claim 1 wherein said first arcuate portion is about 10 inches (25.4 cm) in length.

4. The blade of Claim 1 wherein said second arcuate portion is about 5 inches (12.7 cm) in length.

5. The blade of Claim 3 or 4 wherein said first and second concave curvatures have a depth of curvature of about 0.5 inches (1.3 cm).

6. A hockey stick comprising:
a shaft having a top and a bottom portion;
a blade connected to said bottom portion, said blade comprising opposing faces defining a forehand side and a backhand side and having a heel portion proximate to said bottom portion and extending outwardly toward a toe portion and having a first arcuate section extending from said heel portion in a first direction of curvature so as to form a concave curvature in said forehand side and a second arcuate section extending from said first arcuate section in a second direction of curvature, opposite to said first direction so as to form a concave curvature in said backhand side and terminating at said toe end.

7. A blade for use on a hockey stick, said blade comprising a heel end, a toe end and opposing faces defining a forehand side and a backhand side between said heel end and said toe end, wherein said blade is S-shaped so as to define a concave curvature in said forehand side proximate to said heel end and a concave curvature in said backhand side, proximate to said toe end.