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Ball stop for a lacrosse head

Ball stop for a lacrosse head description/claims

This is a Utility Patent Application filed for the invention by Paul Gait, a citizen of Canada, residing at 5 Normandy Dr., Altamont, N.Y. 12009, has invented a new and useful “Ball Stop for a Lacrosse Head.” This Utility Patent Application claims benefit of previously filed provisional patent application No. 60/931,224 filed May 22, 2007 entitled Curved Ball Stop for Lacrosse Head; and provisional patent application No. 60/940,681 filed May 29, 2007 entitled Curved Ball Stop for Lacrosse Head.

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a lacrosse head having a ball stop. More particularly, the present invention relates to a ball stop integrated into the base of the lacrosse head which allows for greater control in manipulating a lacrosse ball during participation in the sport. Furthermore, the invention is designed so as to provide a greater contact of the base of the stop with the ball while the lacrosse ball is held within the lacrosse stick while also improving pocket geometry.

2. Background Art

The lacrosse game originated with the American-Canadian Native Americans. Traditionally, a lacrosse stick has a handle portion attached to a head with the head consisting generally of a frame and a pocket. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a well constructed lacrosse head is essential in both the general play by and especially the success of participants of the sport of lacrosse. Generally, the lacrosse head can be described as a basket that attaches to the end of the handle that is used to catch, transport, and deliver the ball as desired. The lacrosse head not only catches the ball and holds the ball during play, but is also used during the defensive maneuvers and to obtain the ball during a face off. As such, the lacrosse head is subjected to both large and varying forces during the game. Typically, lacrosse heads are formed of some type of plastic material which is rigid although can slightly deform so as not to crack or break under the typical stresses experienced during participation in lacrosse games.

To this end, there has been a variety of different patents acquired for improvements for lacrosse heads. Some such prior art patents improve the strength and durability characteristics of lacrosse heads while other prior art patents allegedly provide an improved lacrosse head design resulting in greater ball control, better shooting, passing, or other elements of the game. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,397 issued to Brine discloses a lacrosse head having extending tabs on the inner edge of the side walls. These tabs are used to aid in attachment of the pocket to the lacrosse head.

Morrow (U.S. Pat. No. 6,066,056) discloses a lacrosse head having lips and ridges to protect the lacing of the basket or web.

Hexemer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,550, discloses a lacrosse head having a plurality of concavities and apices.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,549 issued to Dill et al. discloses certain notches on the inner edge of the side walls to better control the ball.

Dorfi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,843, discloses a lacrosse head wherein the base of the head includes an accurate recess along its backside to form with the netting a socket for receiving and retaining the lacrosse ball.

Unfortunately, prior art lacrosse heads are not as effective for maintaining ball control as the ball stops of the prior art have not been designed to sufficiently conform pocket geometry to achieve desirable ball-handling characteristics. Furthermore, the prior art does not provide a variety of styles of improved ball stops for maintaining the ball within the pocket of the lacrosse head, and additionally, shaping the pocket of lacrosse head to conform to the size characteristics of a lacrosse ball. Yet furthermore, the prior art does not include connection points for pockets while providing a stable platform for a lacrosse ball.

What is desired, therefore, is an improved ball stop for a lacrosse head which assists in improving pocket geometry and ball control for when a user has a lacrosse ball within the pocket of the lacrosse head. Furthermore, an improved ball stop is desired so that the player may have a lacrosse head with a larger ball stop base for maintaining the lacrosse ball. Indeed, a combination of characteristics including improving the geometry of the pocket of lacrosse head better than contemplated in the prior art has been found to be necessary for improving ball control when manipulating a lacrosse ball. Also desired, is a ball stop designed with similarities to the dimensions of a lacrosse ball.

The present invention provides a ball stop for lacrosse head which is uniquely capable of improving pocket geometry as well as providing a stable base for a lacrosse ball to rest thereon. The inventive ball stop allows for the pocket to attach in the throat area in a shape better suited to maintain a lacrosse ball therein and further provides a combination of improved ball handling and improved pocket orientation. In addition, the ball stop for a lacrosse head provides a stable base for a ball to rest thereon as the inner surface area of the novel ball stop is greater than that of ball stops of the prior art lacrosse heads.

More particularly, the inventive lacrosse head with ball stop base includes a ball stop adjacent to the throat and has an inner surface extending from the front opening of the lacrosse stick to a point beyond the rear second edges of the pair of side walls. The ball stop may assist in improved pocket geometry as the pocket may attach to the second edge of the ball stop, and thus, may attach in an extended curved arrangement. Generally, the novel ball stop for lacrosse head may be curved in one or more planes preferably following the shape of the opening of the lacrosse head as well has having a curved edge for the attachment of the pocket thereto though may also be extended and substantially straight. Preferably, the ball stop provides for an improved platform and/or pocket for a lacrosse ball.

The ball stop may be curved in a longitudinal direction or latitudinal direction or both with the longitudinal direction being the plane which extends from the throat to the scoop of the lacrosse head and with the latitudinal plane extending from one sidewall to the other. Furthermore, the extended second edge of the ball stop may curve toward the throat in addition to having a curved-shaped edge. Alternatively, the portion of the ball stop nearer the second edge may curve toward the scoop, thus necessitating longer runners or attachments for the pocket. In further embodiments the ball stop may be substantially straight yet be of an extended design from the sidewalls.

Yet furthermore, the ball stop may have a first edge and a second edge with the distance from the first edge to the second edge of the ball stop greater than the distance of the first edge of one of the sidewalls of the pair of side walls to the second edge of the same sidewall of the pair of side walls.

More specifically, the ball stop of the lacrosse head includes a second edge which intersects the second edge of the pair of side walls at two points. Preferably, the second edge of the ball stop extends from these intersection points with a curvature, thus extending to a point beyond the pair of side walls. In an alternative embodiment, the second edge is substantially straight nearer the portion of the intersection points and then extends in a curvature thus forming the curved ball stop. In a further embodiment, the ball stop is substantially straight in its extension.

In even further embodiments, the ball stop for a lacrosse head provides a displacement from the holes on the ball stop to the holes on the side walls. The ball stop advantageously creates an improved pocket about the lacrosse ball. Generally, this displacement allows for the pocket to have a geometry which maintains a lacrosse ball in an improved manner. Furthermore, in embodiments including the ball stop of the present invention, the ball stop may have a low curved surface allowing for increased distance at the ball stop for the maintenance of a lacrosse ball and may have a raised area to promote improved ball control.

Advantageously, the ball stop for lacrosse head is preferably utilized to improve pocket geometry at the throat area of lacrosse stick. The ball stop with the improved surface area provides for a greater contact point for a held lacrosse ball within the pocket of a lacrosse stick while providing a connection for the base of the pocket. An object of the invention, therefore, is a ball stop for a lacrosse head having characteristics which improve ball control and provide greater ease for the user for manipulating the ball within the head of the lacrosse stick.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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