Hockey Sticks and Methods for Formed Hockey Sticks

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001]This application relates to U.S. Application Ser. No. 16/576,843, filed Sep. 20, 2019, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/734,510 , entitled “HOCKEY STICK FORMED FROM SHEET MOLDING COMPOUND,” filed on Sept. 21, 2018. The above applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for any and all non-limiting purposes.

FIELD

[0002]This disclosure relates generally to hockey stick blades and the fabrication of hockey stick structures. More particularly, aspects of this disclosure relate to light-weight hockey sticks including light-weight shafts and light-weight blades and forming light-weight hockey sticks including light-weight shafts and light-weight blades.

BACKGROUND

[0003]Hockey stick blades may be made from multiple layers of fiber-reinforced tape that are molded together using epoxy to form a blade structure. In certain examples, it might be desirable to reduce the weight of hockey sticks including the shaft and/or blade. Accordingly, aspects of this disclosure relate to reducing the weight of hockey sticks including reducing the weight of hockey stick blades and shafts and improved methods for production of a molded hockey sticks to reduce the weight of the hockey stick, including reducing the weight of molded shafts and blades.

SUMMARY

[0004]This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. The Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0005]Aspects of the disclosure herein may relate to fabrication of a formed hockey blade structure. In one example, a blade portion may include a heel section, a toe section, a first region and a second region. And the first region may include a plurality of support elements or ribs and wherein the support elements or ribs define a series of openings extending through the blade. The second region may comprise a closed structure and, in one example, include one or more layers of prepreg and a core. The prepreg layers can be wrapped around the core.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006]The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not limited in the accompanying figures in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements and in which:

[0007]FIG. 1 depicts a perspective side view of a hockey stick blade according to one or more aspects described herein.

[0008]FIG. 2 depicts a side schematic of an alternative example hockey stick blade according to one or more aspects described herein.

[0009]FIG. 2A depicts an exemplary core structure of the example hockey stick blade of FIG. 2.

[0010]FIG. 2B depicts a cross-section of the example hockey stick blade of FIG. 2A.

[0011]FIG. 3 depicts a side perspective view of another alternative example hockey stick blade according to one or more aspects described herein.

[0012]FIG. 4 depicts a side perspective view of another alternative example hockey stick blade according to one or more aspects described herein.

[0013]FIG. 5 depicts an example process for formation of the example hockey stick blades discussed herein.

[0014]FIG. 6 depicts an example process for formation of the example hockey stick blades discussed herein.

[0015]FIG. 7 depicts an example hockey stick shaft according to one or more aspects described herein.

[0016]Further, it is to be understood that the drawings may represent the scale of different components of one single embodiment; however, the disclosed embodiments are not limited to that particular scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017]In the following description of various example structures, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration various embodiments in which aspects of the disclosure may be practiced. Additionally, it is to be understood that other specific arrangements of parts and structures may be utilized, and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosures. Also, while the terms “top” and “bottom” and the like may be used in this specification to describe various example features and elements, these terms are used herein as a matter of convenience, e.g., based on the example orientations shown in the figures and/or the orientations in typical use. Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a specific three-dimensional or spatial orientation of structures in order to fall within the scope of this invention.

[0018]Aspects of this disclosure relate to systems and methods for the production of hockey stick blades and/or the hockey stick shafts. Additionally, aspects of this disclosure may also be applied to production of additional sporting implements using one or more of support ribs, openings, sheet molding compound (“SMC”), bulk molding compound (“BMC”), cores, foams, epoxy, carbon fiber, prepreg, among other structures and materials. These additional sporting implements may include, among others, tennis rackets (or other types of sports rackets), baseball bats, lacrosse sticks, golf clubs, or field hockey sticks, among others.

[0019]FIG. 1 depicts a side perspective view of a hockey stick blade 100 which connects to a hockey stick shaft through a hosel section 111. The hockey stick blade 100 can include a heel section or region 110, a mid-section or mid-region 112, and a toe section or region 114. The hockey stick blade 100 can also include a first region 101 and a second region 103. In this example, the first region 101 can be a top section of the blade portion, and the second region 103 is a bottom section of the blade. And in this example, the first region 101 can include a plurality of support elements or ribs 105. Also, the plurality of support elements or ribs 105 may define a series of openings 107 extending through the blade 100. In one example, the second region 103 may be formed as a solid structure, for example, the second region 103 can be provided with a closed front face and a closed rear face. And in one example, the second region 103 can be formed as a uniform and/or homogenous structure.

[0020]Forming the first region 101 of support elements or ribs 105 may reduce the amount of mass in the blade 100 as compared to typical hockey stick blades. In this example, the overall weight of the blade can be reduced by about 15% to 45% as compared to a typical hockey stick blade. In one particular example, the overall weight can be reduced by 33%. In one example, an existing blade may weigh around 95 grams. And in one example, the blade weight can be reduced by about 10 grams to 40 grams. And in one particular example, the weight savings can be around 15 grams to 30 grams.

[0021]Also in this example, the mass of the blade 100 may be shifted toward the second region 103 or the bottom of the blade 100. In this example, as alluded to above, the second region 103 can have more mass than the first region 101. In this example, the first region 101 to second region 103 weight ratio can range from to 0.33 to 0.67 and in one particular example the first region 101 to second region 103 weight ratio can be less than or equal to 0.67. In one example, the mass of the first region 101 can be about 20-40 grams and the second region 103 can be about 35 to 60 grams. And in one particular example, the first region can be about 32 grams +/−5 grams and the second region can be about 48 grams +/−5 grams.

[0022]Also the second region 103 may include additional material in order to increase the hardness, and hence the durability, of the second region 103 or the bottom, and/or bottom edge of the blade 100 and/or the overall strength and stiffness of the blade 100. This additional material may include added layers of fiber tape used prior to molding, and/or one or more inserts being used within the blade 100.

[0023]Also in this example, the plurality of support elements or ribs 105 can form struts, supports, braces, or trusses. The ribs 105 in one example can provide part of a framework for the blade 100 and can be designed to resist compression in the framework of the blade 100 in order to maintain the integrity of the blade 100 while reducing the overall mass of the blade 100 as compared to traditional hockey stick blades. Additionally, the first region 101 of the blade 100 can approximate a truss structure such that the forces of compression, tension, torsion, and shear are distributed through the first region 101, were various truss types are contemplated.

[0024]The number of support elements or ribs 105 can be greater than or equal to four, yet other numbers of ribs are also contemplated. In one example, the thickness of the ribs can be at or between 4 mm to 10 mm, but these dimensions can vary depending on the desired strength of the blade 100. The number of ribs and the thicknesses of the ribs can be adjusted to provide a certain flex and strength profile of the blade. For example, it is contemplated that the hockey stick blade 100 can have a more flexible toe region 114 relative to the mid-region 112 of the blade 100 and/or the heel region 110 of the blade 100, a more flexible mid-region 112 relative to the toe region 114 and/or the heel region 110 or a more flexible heel region 110 relative to the mid-region 112 and/or the toe region 114 to have the toe region 114 be more flexible than the mid-region 112 or the heel region 110. Moreover, it is contemplated that the first section or top section 101 be more flexible or less flexible than the second section or bottom section 103 of the blade 100. Accordingly, the number and thicknesses of the ribs can be adjusted to accomplish these different flex profiles of the blade 100 depending on the desired characteristics of the blade 100.

[0025]In one example, the series of openings 107 can be greater than or equal to five, but other numbers of openings are contemplated depending on the number of ribs 105 and the desired properties of the blade 100. As is shown in FIG. 1, the openings 107 can form polynomial shapes of different sizes and in one example, the openings 107 can include one or more triangle shapes or approximate the shape of triangles. Also, in this example, the first region 101 can include an edge 109, which forms a perimeter of the first region 101 of the blade 100, and the ribs 105 can be connected to the edge 109 to support the edge 109 of the blade over the second region 103. Also, multiple pairs of ribs of the plurality of ribs 105 intersect each other at the edge 109 or the perimeter of the blade 100 so that at least two ribs of the plurality of ribs 105 intersect at the edge 109 or the perimeter of the blade 100. Also in this example multiple pairs of the plurality of ribs intersect at angles relative to each other as described herein. In other examples, pairs of adjacent ribs can be provided where the adjacent pairs of ribs have smaller gaps between each pair. Further, in the example of having pairs of adjacent ribs, the individual thicknesses of the pairs of ribs can be formed smaller due to the duplicity of the rib structures.

[0026]In this example, the plurality of ribs or struts 105 can include a first rib 105a, a second rib 105b, a third rib 105c, and a fourth rib 105d. The blade properties can be adjusted in relation to the ribs or struts 105. For example, the number and angles of the ribs or struts 105 may increase or reduce the stiffness of the blade. Also, the ribs 105 can form various angles in relation to each other. Increasing the number of ribs or struts 105 increases the overall weight of the blade. The stiffness, toughness and weight of the blade can be impacted by the number of and dimensions of the ribs or struts 105.

[0027]The first rib 105a and the second rib 105b of the blade can form an angle δ of approximately at or between 90° to 120°. The first rib 105a and the second rib 105b can form an angle α of approximately at or between 80° to 100° relative to each other. And in one particular example, the angle a can be 93.1° such that the first rib 105a and the second rib 105b approximate a right triangle. The second rib 105b and the third rib 105c can extend at an angle β relative to each other in order to form approximately a triangle with the edge 109, and in this example the angle ° can range at or between 85° and 130°. And in one particular example, the angle β can be 118.8°. Also the third rib 105c and the fourth rib 105d can extend at an angle θ of at or between 120° to 140° or an obtuse angle in order to form an approximate obtuse triangle with the second region or section 103. And in one particular example the angle θ can be 131.8°. Additionally, the fourth rib 105d can form an angle λ of approximately at or between 110° to 135° with a solid portion of the blade in the heel area in order to approximate another obtuse triangle. And in one particular example, the angle λ can be 125.5°. However, other angles and triangle types are contemplated. For example, angles δ, α, β, θ, and δ can be acute, right or obtuse angles and range from 5 to 175 degrees. Also, in this example, the openings 107a, 107b, 107c, 107d likewise can form triangular shapes such as equilateral triangles, isosceles triangles, acute triangles, obtuse triangles and right triangles. And in one example, opening 107a can approximate a right triangle shape, opening 107b can approximate an equilateral triangle shape, opening 107c can approximate an obtuse triangle shape, and opening 107d can also approximate an obtuse triangle shape. Also, in this example, opening 107e can approximate a crescent shape where the opposite side of the curve forming the crescent is a right or obtuse angle. Other shapes for openings 107 are contemplated such as various polynomial shapes (e.g. square, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, nonagonal, etc.). Also, various circular shapes, crescent shapes, elliptical shapes are also contemplated for forming the openings 107. Additionally, it is contemplated that the first region can be formed as a lattice structure, such as the structures described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,925,440 granted on Mar. 27, 2018, which is fully incorporated by reference herein.

[0028]Also, in this example, the second region 103 can extend to the hosel section 111 of the hockey stick, and the first region 101 extends adjacent to the hosel section 111 to the toe section 114 of the blade 100. The first region 101 can be formed of a first material and the second region 103 can be formed of a second material, but it is also contemplated that the first region 101 and the second region 103 be formed of the same material.

[0029]In one example, the first region 101 may be formed of one of a fiber-reinforced material, such as prepreg, SMC or combinations thereof. Also, the first region 101 including the edge 109 and the associated ribs 105 may be formed hollow or include a core or cores which can be made of various foams, fiber-reinforced materials, such as prepreg, SMC, BMC, or combinations thereof, such as the cores described in relation to FIG. 2A. In particular, the ribs 105 may include a foam core onto which one or more layers of fiber tape are layered and molded. Additionally or alternatively, the ribs 105 and/or edge 109 may be formed of a solid material (such as a metal, alloy, polymer, fiber-reinforced material, or combinations thereof, among others). It is also contemplated that the ribs 105 and the edge 109 may additionally include an edge reinforcing material that extends around the edges or perimeters of the ribs 105 and/or edge 109. In one example, the edge reinforcing material can be formed by adding one or more additional layers of fiber material around the perimeters of the ribs 105 and/or edge 109 prior to molding of the blade 100. Moreover, it is contemplated that the ribs 105 and or edge 109 can be made of different combinations of the above materials.

[0030]Likewise, the second region 103 can be formed of a fiber-reinforced material, prepreg, SMC, BMC, or combinations thereof. Also, in accordance with the disclosure herein, the second region 103 may be formed hollow or include a core or cores which can be made of various foams, fiber-reinforced materials, such as prepreg, SMC or combinations thereof.

[0031]Additionally, the structure of the blade 100 may be provided with a texturing similar to that of hockey tape so that the user can optionally use the resulting hockey stick without hockey tape thereby reducing the overall weight of the hockey stick since tape need not be applied to the blade prior to use.

[0032]Also, in one example, the first region 101 can be formed stiffer than the second region 103, such that the second region 103 is allowed to flex relative and along the first region or section 101 when a shot is taken, this allows the stick to create a ‘sling shot’ effect to create a faster or harder shot or pass. In one example, the openings 107 in combination with one or more of the support elements or ribs 105 may also allow the blade 100 to exhibit enhanced flexing and energy transfer capabilities. In particular, the openings 107 and ribs 105 may allow the blade 100 to have flexing characteristics similar to a “slingshot” during a shooting or other puck-striking (or ball-striking) motion. In one example, the openings 107 and ribs 105 can separate a first area (portion) of the blade 100 that has a first stiffness from a second area (portion) of the blade 100 that has a second stiffness. In one example, a difference in blade stiffness across the blade height 120 may be facilitated by the presence of the openings 107 and support elements or ribs 105 can allow the blade 100 to behave in a manner comparable to a slingshot, and result in more energy being transferred to the puck/ball. When described herein, a comparatively stiffer portion which in this case may be at the top section of the blade 100 may be comparatively stiffer than an equivalent area of a hockey stick blade that does not include the openings 107. Similarly, the comparatively more flexible portion, which in this case may be at the bottom of the blade 100 may be comparatively more flexible than an equivalent area of a hockey stick blade that does not include openings 107. Accordingly, the comparatively stiffer portion of the blade 100 may brace against the flexing of the comparatively less stiff portion of the blade 100 during a shooting action. As such, the interaction between the comparatively stiff and flexible portions of the blade 100 may result in more energy being transferred to a puck/ball, when compared to a conventional hockey stick blade implementation. In turn, this increased energy transfer may result in faster puck/ball motion.

[0033]FIG. 2 shows an alternative example to FIG. 1 in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements with similar features and functionality as described in relation to FIG. 1. Blade 200 is similar to the example hockey stick blade 100 shown in FIG. 1 and can include all of the same features with similar functionality as the example in FIG. 1 as discussed herein, except blade 200 may comprise an optional internal rib or bridge 213, which is schematically shown. It is contemplated that the internal rib or bridge 213 may extend substantially from the heel section 210 to the toe section 212 of the blade 200. In this example rib or bridge 213 can provide a reinforcement structure within the blade 200. For example, the rib or bridge 213 can be added in order to increase the strength and durability of the blade 200. Additionally, it is also contemplated that multiple ribs or bridge structures be provided within the second portion of the blade. The additional rib or ribs may be placed parallel or at angles to rib or bridge 213 similar to ribs 205a to 205d. Moreover, the rib or bridge 213 and/or the additional rib or ribs may be formed continuous or disjointed depending on the desired characteristics of the blade 200.

[0034]In certain examples, the rib or bridge 213 may be formed between a foam core or foam core portions as described in relation to FIGS. 2A and 2B using an adhesive or an epoxy (including an epoxy strip or epoxy core), among others. Further, the bridge or rib structure 213 may be formed between a foam core or foam core portions using one or more materials such as fiber-reinforced material, one or more polymers, ceramics, metals or alloys, among others. In the example of fiber-reinforced material, the rib or bridge 213 may, in one example, be formed from one or more layers of a fiber-reinforced material that extends between foam core portions or within the foam core itself. Additionally, it is contemplated that a plurality of ribs or bridges may be positioned within the blade structure. Additionally, it is contemplated that no foam or core structure is provided within the blade 200 for the rib or bridge 213 in the second region 203 of the blade 200.

[0035]As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, hockey stick blade 200 can be provided with one or more core structures. FIG. 2A illustrates an example core structure and FIG. 2B illustrates a perspective cross-sectional view of the blade of FIG. 2. In this example, the hockey stick blade 200 includes a first core 201a, which forms a core structure for the first region 201 and a second core 203a, which forms a core structure for the second region 203. As discussed herein, the cores 201a and 203a can be formed of materials such as foam, epoxy or combinations of foams and epoxies. It is also contemplated that the cores can be formed of differing materials where one is formed of epoxy and the other of foam, for example. And in certain examples, the cores 201a, 203a can be formed to have the same or different densities in order to provide stronger regions of the blade. For instance, a higher density foam can be used in higher impact regions such as the bottom section of the blade where most impacts occur. Also in this example, the cores 201a, 203a be separated by the rib or bridge 213 and, as such, a gap 213a is present between the cores 201a, 203a. It is also contemplated that the cores 201a, 203a could be further separated by additional ribs or gaps in other examples. And in one example, the first core 201a can be separated into individual elements corresponding to the ribs 205.

[0036]FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative example to FIG. 1 in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements with similar features and functionality as described in relation to FIG. 1. Blade 300 is similar to the example hockey stick blade 100 shown in FIG. 1 and can include all of the same features with similar functionality as the example in FIG. 1 as discussed herein, except blade 300 can include different opening types and shapes and different orientations of the support members or ribs 305. Similar to the above examples, blade 300 may include a first region 301 and a second region 302, which may be constructed with the same or different materials, for example, including fiber-reinforced materials such as prepreg, SMC, BMC and combinations thereof. Again, in this example, second region 303 may extend from the from the heel region 310 to the toe section 314 of the blade 300. And the first region 301 may be integrally molded with second region 303. Also in this example, the openings 307a-307e may form multiple polynomials, different polynomial sizes, and the multiple polynomials can be of different types. For example, the openings 307a, 307b, 307c, and 307e can approximate triangular shapes and opening 307d can approximate a parallelogram shape. Also the support elements or ribs 305 can be positioned at various angles relative to one another, the second region 303, and the edge 309 or the perimeter of the blade 300.

[0037]FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative example to the hockey stick blade of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative example to FIG. 1 in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements with similar features and functionality as described in relation to FIG. 1. Blade 400 is also similar to the example blade 100 shown in FIG. 1 and can include all of the same features with similar functionality as the example in FIG. 1 as discussed herein, except blade 400 illustrates yet another example of different opening types and shapes and different orientations of the support members or ribs 405. Also in this particular example, blade 400 can be formed with fewer support elements or ribs 405 and openings 407. Additionally, the carbon fiber materials forming the blade can differ from each other and can be positioned in different orientations. Similar to the above examples, blade 400 may include a first region 401 and a second region 403, which may be constructed with the same or different materials, for example, including fiber-reinforced materials such as prepreg, SMC, BMC and combinations thereof. Again, in this example, second region 403 may extend from the heel region or section 410 to the toe section 414 of the blade 400. And the first region 401 may be integrally molded with second region 403. Also in this example, the openings 407a-407e may form multiple polynomials, different polynomial sizes, and the multiple polynomials can be of different types. For example, the openings 407a, 407b, 407c, and 407e can approximate triangular shapes and opening 407d can approximate a parallelogram shape. Also, the support elements or ribs 405 can be positioned at various angles relative to one another, the second region 403, and the edge 409 or the perimeter of the blade 400.

[0038]An example formation process is depicted in relation to FIGS. 5 and 6, which could be adopted for any of the examples discussed herein. In certain examples, the first regions or sections 101, 201, 301, 401 and second regions or sections 103, 203, 303, 403 may be formed from one or more layers of carbon fiber tape that are preimpregnated with resin, and wrapped around an optional core or multiple cores, such as foam or epoxy (examples of which is described herein), before being heated and cooled in a mold. Also the first regions or sections 101, 201, 301, 401 and the second regions or sections 103, 203, 303, 403 can be co-molded and heated and cooled together in a mold to form the desired geometry of the final blade structure. Accordingly, the blade can be formed with any desired curvatures depending on player characteristics, etc. Additionally, the first regions or sections 101, 201, 301, 401 with their respective ribs 105, 205, 305, 405 can be formed first with a prepreg, SMC, or BMC material or injection molded and then the second regions or sections 103, 203, 303, 403 can be co-molded together with the first regions or sections 101, 201, 301, 401.

[0039]In other examples, the first regions or sections 101, 201, 301, 401 can be formed by molding rings or ring-shaped pieces that correspond to the size and shape of the openings defined by the ribs 105, 205, 305, 405. The rings or ring-shaped pieces can be inserted into the foam, which can then be wrapped with a prepreg material.

[0040]In yet another example, the first regions or sections 101, 201, 301, 401 can be formed by 3D printing. And in one particular example, the first regions or sections 101, 201, 301, 401 can be printed with a hollow shell, which defines a cavity or cavities and a carbon tow can be injected through the cavity or cavities. Other types of materials could be injected through the cavity or cavities such as various foam types in order to achieve the desired properties of the blade.

[0041]In accordance with the above examples, it is contemplated that a covering can be applied to the blade to cover one or more of the openings of the first regions or sections 101, 201, 301, 401. The covering in one example, may be a carbon-fiber material such as pre-preg which is wrapped around the blade prior to the molding process or applied as a sheet of material to cover one or more of the openings of the first regions or sections 101, 201, 301, 401. It is also contemplated that the carbon fiber material or pre-preg may only be applied to certain sections of the blade such as the toe section, the mid section, the heel section, the upper half or the lower half and various combinations thereof. Moreover, it is completed that only certain openings 107a-107d, 207a-207e, 307a-307e, 407a-407d of the various openings 107a-107d, 207a-207e, 307a-307e, 407a-407d be covered by one or more layers of carbon-fiber materials such as pre-preg.

[0042]In an alternative example, it is contemplated that the entire blade may be similar to the first section discussed herein. In this example, the blade could be formed with an outer perimeter or edge which defines the shape of the blade and a plurality of ribs connecting a top portion of the outer perimeter or edge with the bottom portion of the outer perimeter or edge. In this example, like the examples discussed herein the ribs may define a plurality of angles of openings such as the openings and angles as discussed herein. It is contemplated that a covering can be applied to the blade to cover the openings in the lower section and/or upper section of the blade. The covering in one example, may be a carbon-fiber material such as pre-preg which is wrapped around the blade prior to the molding process. It is also contemplated that the carbon-fiber material or pre-preg may only be applied to certain sections of the blade such as the toe section, the mid section, the heel section, the upper half or the lower half and various combinations thereof. Moreover, it is contemplated that the covering include a texturing to mimic the texture of hockey tape such that a hockey tape may be optionally applied to the blade prior to using the resulting hockey stick.

[0043]It is also contemplated that a central rib or multiple central rib structures could be provided which approximately dissects or dissect the blade into an upper section and a lower section. The central rib may extend from a heel portion to a toe portion of the blade. And a first set of ribs may connect the top or upper portion of the outer perimeter or edge of the blade with the central rib. And a second set of ribs may connect the bottom or lower portion of the outer perimeter or edge of the blade with the central rib. In this example, the first set of ribs and the second set of ribs may define a plurality of openings like in the examples discussed herein. Also in this example, it is contemplated that a covering can be applied to the blade to cover the openings defined by the ribs. The covering in one example, may be pre-preg which may be wrapped around the blade or cut into sheets of material prior to the molding process. It is also contemplated that the pre-preg may only be applied to certain sections of the blade such as the toe section, the mid section, the heel section, the upper half or the lower half and various combinations thereof.

[0044]It is also contemplated that different combinations of wrapped core structures and ribs be placed in different areas of the blade. For example, the toe section, the mid section, the heel section and combinations thereof could be formed of a series of ribs and openings or as a wrapped core structures and/or hollow sections of carbon fiber materials.

[0045]It is also contemplated that the structures, techniques, and methods described herein can be applied to hockey stick shafts in order to reduce the overall weight of the hockey stick shaft. FIG. 7 illustrates one such example, where one or more layers of pre-preg are wound around a mandrel (not shown) to create a frame or truss structure 700. In the example, the frame or truss structure 700 can include a plurality of ribs 705. It is contemplated that the ribs can be arranged similar to the ribs discussed in relation to the blade in the examples herein. Yet in this example, the frame or truss structure 700 can be formed with vertically extending ribs 711 which can form the four corners of the hockey stick shaft. It is also contemplated that multiple ribs can be provided in each of the four corners in order to reinforce the shaft in the four corners of the shaft. Also, multiple internal ribs could be used within the hollow internal area of the shaft in order to reinforce certain regions of the shaft. Additionally, it is also contemplated that the frame or truss structure could be wrapped with one or more layers of pre-preg, SMC, or BMC in order to cover the openings defined by the plurality of ribs 705. Also similar to the above blade examples, it is also contemplated that the hockey stick shaft could be formed of combinations of open rib structures and solid structures like the homogenous sections above.

[0046]Moreover, the frame or truss structure 700 could be formed using similar techniques as discussed herein such as by 3D printing. And in one particular example, the frame or truss structure 700 forming the shaft can be 3D printed first as a hollow shell, which defines a cavity or multiple cavities and a carbon tow can be injected through the cavity. Other types of materials could be injected through the cavity such as various foam types in order to achieve the desired properties of the blade like in the above examples.

[0047]In another example, a first section of the shaft could be formed of a frame having a plurality of ribs which define a series of openings and a second section of the shaft could be formed with multiple layers of pre-preg being wrapped around a mandrel. In this example, the four corners of the shaft could be formed of individual ribs with a plurality of ribs interconnecting the four corners of the shaft. In another example, the shaft could be formed with two faces or sides where the plurality of ribs interconnect the two faces or sides. In these examples, the angles and shapes of the ribs could be designed in accordance with the examples as discussed herein. In yet another alternate example the entire shaft or a majority of the shaft could be formed of a frame having a plurality of ribs defining a series of openings.

[0048]Also like in the above blade examples, it is contemplated that a covering can be applied to the shaft to cover one or more of the openings formed in the shaft by the plurality of ribs. Like in the above examples, the covering may be pre-preg, SMC, or BMC, which is wrapped around the shaft prior to the molding process or applied as one or more sheets of material to cover one or more of the openings. It is also contemplated that the pre-preg may only be applied to certain sections of the shaft such as the distal, middle or proximal portions of the shaft and various combinations thereof.

[0049]Additionally in accordance with the disclosure herein, it is contemplated that a shaft be connected to the blade structures discussed herein. Both the blade structures and the shaft structures can be formed from carbon fiber materials. The blade and shaft structures described throughout this disclosure may use materials in addition to or as an alternative to carbon fiber, including fiberglass, Aramid, and/or other composite or fiber-reinforced materials, among others. It is further contemplated that any of the structures described throughout these disclosures may use one or more materials in a tape form, or formed as discrete elements prior to one or more molding processes. Additionally or alternatively, the tape and/or discrete elements, and may be preimpregnated with resin or another adhesive, or may have resin or another adhesive applied to the tape and/or discrete pieces. In one example, the shaft and blade structures can be formed from one or more layers of carbon fiber tape that are preimpregnated with resin and heated and cooled in a mold in order to impart the desired geometries of the final blade or shaft structures. In the example of multiple layers of carbon fiber tapes or materials, it is contemplated that the fibers contained within the carbon fiber tapes or materials in the different layers be oriented in the same directions, perpendicular or at angles with respect to adjacent layers. Additionally, similar to the blade, the shaft structures may include one or more internal foam core structures around which the fiber tape is wrapped and molded in order to give the shaft structure its final form. In certain examples, the blade structures discussed herein may be molded separately to the shaft structure, and subsequently rigidly coupled to shaft structures. Alternatively, the blade structures may be co-molded with the shaft structures. In another implementation, the blade structure may be removably coupled to the shaft structure. As such, blade structures and shaft structures may be interchangeable and replaceable.

[0050]It is contemplated that any combination of the various manufacturing processes and techniques described in this disclosure may be used to form any of the blades or shafts discussed herein including the associated hockey stick structures, or portions thereof. In particular, the described manufacturing processes may be utilized to impart variable flexing characteristics on the blades 100, 200, 300, 400 by defining the stiffness characteristics of one or more portions of the blade structure (e.g., ribs 105, 205, 305, 405 among others). Further, any combination of the described manufacturing processes may be used to produce the ribs 105, 205, 305, 405 or bridges, e.g., rib or bridge 213 as discussed above in relation to FIG. 2 of the described blades herein. In one specific implementation, a microlattice structure or another structural geometry may be formed as a bridge element within the blade 200, similar to bridge 213 where such microlattice structures are described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,925,440 again which is fully incorporated by reference herein. The structural features (e.g., microlattice structure) formed by the use of, among others, additive manufacturing processes, may allow for the stiffness characteristics of the blades 100, 200, 300, 400 to be varied between different portions of the blades 100, 200, 300, 400 and in some cases may allow the stiffness to be increased without an increase in structural mass, when compared to structures formed by alternative processes. Additionally, the use of additive manufacturing may facilitate mass reduction in combination with increased stiffness by forming internal supports scaffolding (lattices) within, for example, the blades 100, 200, 300, 400 that are stiffer and lighter than alternative structures.

[0051]In one example an apparatus may include a blade portion comprising a heel section and a toe section, a first region and a second region. The first region may include a truss, the truss may have a plurality of ribs, and the ribs may define a series of openings extending through the blade portion and at least two ribs of the plurality of ribs can intersect and form an angle relative to each other. The second region can include one or more layers of prepreg and a core, and the prepreg layers can be wrapped around the core. The first region may be a top section of the blade portion, and the second region can be a bottom section of the blade portion. The second region may have more mass than the first region. The plurality of ribs may be greater than or equal to four and the series of openings can be greater than or equal to five. The first region can include an edge and the ribs can be connected to the edge. The first region to second region weight ratio can be less than or equal to about 0.67. The first region may be formed of a first material and the second region may be formed of a second material. The first region may be one of prepreg, SMC or combinations thereof. A first rib and a second rib of the plurality of ribs may extend at an acute angle relative to each other. The apparatus may include a hosel and the second region can extend to the hosel and the first region can extend adjacent to the hosel to the toe section of the blade portion. The second region may include a rib extending from the heel section to the toe section of the blade portion. The first region may be stiffer than the second region. And at least two ribs of the plurality of ribs may intersect at a perimeter of the blade portion. The openings may include multiple polynomials and the polynomials can be of different types. The polynomials can be of different sizes and approximate one or more triangles.

[0052]In another example, a method can include forming a blade structure with a first region with a plurality of ribs and a series of openings extending through the blade structure; forming a second region by wrapping one or more layers of prepreg around a core; placing the first region and the second region into a mold; and heating the mold to form a blade portion.

[0053]The method may further comprise forming an upper edge and connecting the upper edge to the second region with the plurality of ribs, forming the first region of a first material and forming the second region of a second material. Also, in the example method, the first region and the second region can be wrapped with one or more layers of prepreg material.

[0054]In another example, an apparatus can include a blade portion having a heel section and a toe section, a first region and a second region, an edge extending from an area adjacent to the heel section to the toe section. The first region may include a plurality of support elements and the support elements can define a series of openings extending through the blade portion. The second region may include one or more layers of prepreg and a core and the prepreg layers can be wrapped around the core. The support elements may support the edge and connect the second region to the edge. In this example, the support elements may support the edge above the second region. The second region may include an internal rib extending from the heel section to the toe section.

[0055]The present disclosure is disclosed above and in the accompanying drawings with reference to a variety of examples. The purpose served by the disclosure, however, is to provide examples of the various features and concepts related to the disclosure, not to limit the scope of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that numerous variations and modifications may be made to the examples described above without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.