In sports that utilize equipment having an elongated shaft, the shaft must ideally be both lightweight and strong. However, these two requirements are often incompatible, in that reduction in weight often may cause a loss of strength and vice versa. Ideally, a shaft should have sufficient strength to withstand the stresses and deformation that arise during use and the impacts that it may be subjected to during play. This is particularly true in contact sports such as ice hockey, field hockey, lacrosse, ringuette, and others. Ideally, the elongated shafts used in those sports, must be able to withstand a large number of impacts, which impacts may often be concentrated at the edges, i.e. the corners or angles thereof formed by the meeting of two adjacent lateral sides of the shaft which, over time, may result in increased damage to the structure of the shaft and ultimately, premature failure thereof. The same concerns apply to the blade of a stick, which is subjected to many impacts, particularly on the upper surface.
Hockey sticks (including goalie sticks), field hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks, ringuette sticks and other such sports sticks may have shafts which may be made from a variety of materials including wood, aluminum, plastic and composite materials such as fiberglass, graphite and Kevlar™ or a combination of any of them. Some shafts are full (i.e not hollow), while others comprise four (relatively) thin side walls forming a peripheral box having a hollow core. Most blades are full, i.e. not hollow. Alternatively, some shafts and some blades have a composite construction having various layers of materials sandwiched as a core. Materials are usually selected for their physical properties in an attempt to improve performance, longevity, etc. . . . Some composite shafts may have lower durability, but are still popular because of their light weight and superior stiffness. Wood shafts are cheap, but are not especially light, stiff or durable while aluminum shafts can have a relatively short life as they are prone to bending failure. Cost is often a criterion in material selection. All of these shafts may be particularly vulnerable to failure along their edges, i.e. where one side surface intersects with an adjacent side surface, often at 90°. Impacts are often concentrated at these edges, precisely where there is less material to absorb and dissipate said impacts. The same problem is experienced by the blades. Lastly, sticks that are the subject of repeated impact on their edges rapidly become worn and tired-looking, with paint and decals worn off, and nicks and gouges therein. Some players do not like their equipment looking shabby.
There is therefore a need for a sports apparatus shaft that has an increased ability to withstand impact along its edges.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sports shaft where there is provided added protection at the edges thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a sports shaft where there is removed some material along at least one longitudinal edge thereof, which material is replaced with another material more suited for absorbing and resisting impacts.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a sports shaft where the shape of the shaft is such that grooves are provided along at least one of the edges so as to provide a volume to be filled with a material more suited for absorbing and resisting impact.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a blade shaft wherein at least one groove is provided along the upper edge so as to provide a volume to be filled with a material more suited for absorbing and resisting impact.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a sports shaft wherein bumpers are selectively provided on the edges thereof to absorb and distribute the shock of an external impact, ideally in a direction perpendicular to the line of action of impact.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a sports shaft wherein said bumpers are made from an elastomeric material.