Lacrosse pocket

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a mesh netting for a lacrosse head permits the production of reproducible three-dimensional shapes for lacrosse head pockets. The mesh netting may form a self-supporting three-dimensional shape, as knit, prior to being attached to a lacrosse head, and the mesh netting may be able to maintain its three-dimensional shape without additional materials, such as a coating, being added to the stands which form the netting. A three-dimensional warp knitting machine may be used to manufacture the mesh netting.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mesh netting for use as a pocket on a lacrosse head, the mesh netting comprising:
 a plurality of fibers knitted together to form interconnected strands of a mesh netting, the mesh netting including a plurality of openings between the strands;   the mesh netting having a scoop end, a ball stop end, and two opposed sides running from the ball stop end to the scoop end;   wherein at least a subset of the strands forms a region of the mesh netting which has a three-dimensional shape, and, when lying flat, the region is able to maintain its three-dimensional shape against the force of gravity without support from anything other than strands of the mesh netting as knit.   
     
     
         2 . A mesh netting as in  claim 1 , wherein the mesh netting is made of a single, continuous piece of mesh netting. 
     
     
         3 . A mesh netting as in  claim 1 , wherein interconnected strands connect at nodes. 
     
     
         4 . A mesh netting as in  claim 3 , wherein:
 a first strand has a first length; a second strand has a second length and is positioned laterally adjacent to the first strand and is connected to a same node as the first strand; and   the first length is longer than the second length.   
     
     
         5 . A mesh netting as in  claim 1 , wherein all of the interconnected strands comprise substantially the same one or more materials. 
     
     
         6 . A mesh netting as in  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the interconnected strands has a different thickness than at least one other of the interconnected strands. 
     
     
         7 . A mesh netting as in  claim 1 , wherein a first plurality of the interconnected strands have different thicknesses than a second, different plurality of interconnected strands. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A mesh netting as in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the openings has a different perimeter length than at least one other of the openings. 
     
     
         10 . A mesh netting as in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the openings has a different area than at least one other of the openings. 
     
     
         11 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A mesh netting as in  claim 1 , wherein at a first longitudinal position along the mesh netting, an imaginary first plane, which is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the mesh netting, intersects a first set of interconnected strands and a second set of interconnected strands, wherein the first set of interconnected strands have strands which are longer than strands of the second set of interconnected strands, and the longer strands create and support the three-dimensional shape region of the mesh netting. 
     
     
         15 . A mesh netting as in  claim 14 , wherein the longer strands are closer to a lateral center of the mesh netting than the shorter strands are to the lateral center of the mesh netting. 
     
     
         16 . A mesh netting as in  claim 1  in combination with a lacrosse head, wherein the mesh netting is attached to the lacrosse head to form a pocket. 
     
     
         17 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A mesh netting as in  claim 1 , wherein no coating is present on the mesh netting. 
     
     
         23 . A mesh netting as in  claim 1 , further comprising tubes knitted into the mesh, the tubes crossing the mesh laterally and sized to receive shooting strings. 
     
     
         24 . A method of manufacturing a mesh netting for a lacrosse stick head, the method comprising:
 warp knitting fibers to form a mesh netting, the mesh netting including interconnected strands and a plurality of openings between the strands;   the mesh netting having a scoop end, a ball stop end, and two opposed sides running from the ball stop end to the scoop end; wherein   a region of the mesh netting has a three-dimensional shape, and, when the mesh netting lies flat, the region is able to maintain its three-dimensional shape against the force of gravity without support from anything other than fibers of the mesh netting as knit.   
     
     
         25 . A method as in  claim 24 , wherein warp knitting fibers to form a mesh netting comprises using a three-dimensional warp knitting machine to knit the mesh netting. 
     
     
         26 . A method as in  claim 25 , wherein the mesh netting is formed of a single, continuous piece of mesh netting. 
     
     
         27 . A method as in  claim 25 , wherein at least one of the openings has a different size than at least one other of the openings. 
     
     
         28 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A method as in  claim 25 , wherein at least one of the interconnected strands has a different thickness than at least one other of the interconnected strands. 
     
     
         31 . A method as in  claim 24 , further comprising attaching the mesh netting to a lacrosse head to form a pocket. 
     
     
         32 . A method as in  claim 24 , wherein warp knitting fibers to form a mesh netting comprises using a three-dimensional warp knitting machine to warp knit fibers to create the interconnected strands which form a self-supporting three-dimensional shape. 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A mesh netting for use as a pocket on a lacrosse head, the mesh netting comprising:
 a plurality of fibers knitted together to form interconnected strands which form a mesh netting made of a single, continuous piece of mesh material, the mesh netting including a plurality of openings between the strands;   the mesh netting having a scoop end, a ball stop end, and two opposed sides running from the ball stop end to the scoop end; wherein   within the mesh netting as knit, a first opening of the plurality of openings has a different perimeter length than a second opening of the plurality of openings, and the first opening is aligned laterally with the second opening.   
     
     
         35 - 38 . (canceled)