CA2294301A1

CA2294301A1 - Hockey stick

Info

Publication number: CA2294301A1
Application number: CA 2294301
Authority: CA
Inventors: Alois Pieber; Johann Fischer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Fischer GmbH
Priority date: 1998-07-15
Filing date: 1999-06-08
Publication date: 2000-01-15

Abstract

A hockey stick including a shaft 1 and a blade 2, wherein the shaft 1 within the blade 2, and/or the blade 2, comprises a lightweight core 13 based on honeycombs of impregnated plastic or paper.

Description

Hockey Stick The invention relates to a hockey stick according to the preamble of claim 1.
The term hockey stick covers both ice hockey sticks and street hockey sticks or the like.
Hockey sticks, as a rule, are produced of multi-layer wooden assemblies, with pure wooden sticks made of laminarly bonded veneers being employed in the lower price categories. In order to meet higher demands, glass fiber reinforced plastics or carbon fiber reinforced 1o plastics or combinations thereof are used in the more highly stressed zones of the wooden stick so as to increase its resistance. Also the blade of the hockey stick usually comprises a wooden core consisting of laminated woods or of solid wood and harnesses of glass fiber reinforced or carbon fiber reinforced plastics on both sides. Those designs are relatively cheap to produce, yet have relatively high dead weights adversely affecting the playing properties.
In order to reduce the weights of hockey sticks, hollow sections of aluminum comprising glass fiber reinforced or carbon fiber reinforced plastic coatings have been used. Structures of that type are, however, relatively complex to produce and hence expensive.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a hockey stick which combines the characteristics of cheap production and low weight in an ideal manner while reducing or avoiding the drawbacks of known hockey sticks.
This object is achieved by the measure defined in the characterizing clause of claim 1. Such lightweight cores have very high strengths and extremely low weights and, in addition, are relatively cheap to produce.
When incorporating the lightweight cores in the blades, the openings of the honeycombs according to a further characteristic feature of the invention are opened towards the face of the 3o blade.

According to one characteristic feature of the invention, thin wooden covers or the like, or lateral cover laminates, are arranged between regions of the lightweight cores. They further increase strength without substantially increasing weight.
In an advantageous manner, the hockey stick is outwardly covered by glass fiber reinforced or carbon fiber reinforced plastics. Thereby, the resistance is even more increased.
According to a further characteristic feature of the invention, it is provided that inserts of solid wood are inserted in the region of the conus, that is the site following upon the blade of the o stick. The insert may be configured as a one-part or multi-part insert.
These inserts of solid wood allow for an enhanced force transmission.
These and further characteristic features of the invention will be explained in more detail by way of the annexed drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention.
~5 Therein:
Fig. 1 is a top view on a hockey stick of conventional design in a schematic illustration, Fig. 2 is a side view of the stick according to Fig. 1, z0 Fig. 3 is a section through the stick along line III-III of Fig. 2, having the structure according to the invention, Fig. 4 is a section through the shaft along line IV-IV of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a section similar to that of Fig. 4, showing the modified structure of the shaft, Fig. 6 is a top view on the blade of the stick, including a cutout visualizing the internal 25 structure of the blade, Fig. 7 is a section along line VII-VII of Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a construction variant of the shaft of the stick.
The hockey stick comprises a shaft 1 as well as a blade 2 which projects from the shaft 1 3o under an angle, preferably of between 90° and 140°. Both the shaft 1 and the blade 2 each have as an essential component a lightweight core 13 based on honeycombs made, in particular, of plastic or paper strips coated with resinous systems. It is, of course, also possible to use other lightweight materials. In the embodiment of the hockey stick according to Fig. 3, the shaft 1 comprises a wooden insert 3 on its blade-side end. As shown in Fig. 2, the wooden insert 3 constitutes a conically extending connection piece between the shaft 1 and the blade 2. That wooden insert 3 may be formed of one or several layers, said layers being located substantially parallel with the hitting face. Yet, any other layer orientation is also feasible. In the instant embodiment of the hockey stick, a lateral cover of the hockey stick may be obviated at least in the transition part between the lightweight core 13 of the shaft 1 and the lightweight core 13 of the blade 2.
Fig. 4 depicts a section of the shaft 1 of the hockey stick in a diagrammatic illustration, wherein the shaft 1 on each outer side comprises a laminate 10 in opposed relationship and, following thereupon, a wooden veneer plate 12 and, between the wooden veneer plates 12, a honeycomb-shaped lightweight core 13 which is covered by one wooden veneer plate 12' on each of its two outer sides. The structure of the lightweight core corresponds to the core according to Swiss Patent CH 666 410, according to which the core is comprised of ~ 5 consecutive layers, each of which is made of a corrugated and a consecutively arranged plane paper or plastic strip which is impregnated and, preferably, comprises a coating of resin or a resinous system. As illustrated, the corrugated strips may be mutually offset by half a wavelength, wherein the wavy strips with the plane strips may be glued with the plane strips in the region of the wave troughs and the wave crests, respectively.
Preferably, the lightweight core 13 has the same height as the wooden veneer plate 12' so as to prevent the lightweight core 13 from being compressed or damaged or destroyed by the wooden veneer plates 12 during the assemblage of the shaft 1. The lightweight core 13 is incorporated in a manner that the openings of the honeycombs are located opposite the wooden veneer plates 12. The wooden veneer plates 12, 12' also may be replaced with laminates of glass fiber reinforced or carbon fiber reinforced plastics (GFK/CFK laminates) similar to the laminates 10.
In the variant according to Fig. 5, intermediate layers 4 of wooden veneers or GFK/CFK
laminates or similar materials are also provided between the honeycomb layers, i.e., between the corrugated strips 13', either instead of the plane strips 13" present in the preceding exemplary embodiment of the lightweight core 13 or in addition to the same. In the latter case, the plane strips 13" may be present on one side or on both sides of the intermediate layer 4. , A simple cover of wood, GFK/CFK laminates and similar materials may be provided on one side or on both sides as a front-side cover instead of the wooden veneer plates 12 and the laminate 10.
In the embodiment of the blade 2 according to Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawing, the lightweight core 13 is surrounded by a sheath S of fiber reinforced plastic, said lightweight core being provided with a wooden or plastic insert 6 and 6', respectively, on the longitudinal side ends within the sheath 5. The lightweight core 13 in terms of construction corresponds to the lightweight core 13 of the shaft 1 according to Fig 4 or 5, the openings or the honeycombs t0 being located on the hitting side and on the opposite side, respectively.
It goes without saying that various constructive changes may be realized within the scope of invention. Thus, it is feasible to enclose the lightweight core 13 directly, or upon arrangement of an intermediate layer, by an envelope 7 of fiber reinforced plastic, for instance tightly ~ 5 braided fibers, as illustrated in Fig. 8.

Claims

Claims:

1. A hockey stick including a shaft and a blade with at least one core based on honeycombs being incorporated in the blade (2) and/or in the shaft (1), characterized in that the core is a lightweight core (13) of plastic or paper honeycombs coated with resinous systems.

2. A hockey stick according to claim 1, characterized in that the openings of the honeycombs are oriented towards the face of the blade (2) with the lightweight cores (13) being incorporated in the blade (2).

3. A hockey stick according to claim 1, characterized in that thin wooden veneers or the like, or lateral cover laminates, are arranged between regions of the lightweight cores.

4. A hockey stick according to claim 1, characterized in that the lightweight core (13) is encompassed by a sheath (5) known per se, which is made of glass fiber reinforced or carbon fiber reinforced plastics.

5. A hockey stick according to claim 4, characterized in that the lightweight core (13) is provided with a wooden or plastic insert (6 and 6', respectively) on the longitudinal side ends within the sheath (5).

6. A hockey stick according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lightweight core (13) directly, or upon interposition of an insert, is enclosed by an envelope (7) of fiber reinforced plastic, for instance tightly braided fibers.