Lacrosse head with fiber reinforcement

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments relate to a lacrosse head and a method of manufacture to form the same. A lacrosse head may include a scoop, a throat, and a pair of opposed sidewalls configured to interconnect the scoop to the throat, each sidewall having an interior edge and an exterior edge. The lacrosse head may further include a hub connected to the throat, the hub including a socket configured to receive a stick. Additionally, at least one of the scoop, throat, pair of opposed sidewalls, and hub comprise a matrix material embedded with a plurality of substantially randomly dispersed reinforcing fibers. A method of forming a lacrosse head may include forming a mold assembly having a positive side and a negative side, mixing a composite matrix material by feeding chopped reinforcing fibers randomly into a resinous material, setting the matrix material into the mold assembly, and closing the mold assembly.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method of forming a lacrosse head, comprising:
 forming a mold assembly having a positive side and a negative side, the negative side having a first cavity surface corresponding to an outer surface of the lacrosse head;   mixing a composite matrix material by feeding chopped reinforcing fibers randomly into a resinous material;   setting the matrix material into the negative side of the mold assembly;   closing the mold assembly by applying the positive side to the negative side, thereby defining a closed space corresponding to the lacrosse head;   applying thermal heat and pressure across the mold assembly, thereby curing the composite matrix material into a hardened shape corresponding to the lacrosse head; and   opening the at least one mold to reveal a cured product in the shape of the lacrosse head.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 inserting a sacrificial material into the matrix material after the matrix material has been set into the negative side of the mold assembly.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 inserting parallel strand reinforcing into the matrix material after the matrix material has been set into the negative side of the mold assembly.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 inserting at least one group of weave fibers into the matrix material after the matrix material has been set into the negative side of the mold assembly.   
     
     
         20 . A method of forming a lacrosse head, comprising:
 forming a preform carrier mold assembly having a positive side and a negative side, the negative side having a first cavity surface substantially corresponding to an outer surface of the lacrosse head;   mixing a composite matrix material by feeding chopped reinforcing fibers randomly into a resinous material;   setting the composite matrix material into the negative side of the preform carrier mold assembly;   closing the preform carrier mold assembly by applying the positive side to the negative side, thereby defining a closed space substantially corresponding to the lacrosse head;   applying thermal heat and pressure across the preform carrier mold assembly, thereby roughly curing the matrix material into a hardened preform shape corresponding to the lacrosse head;   opening the preform carrier mold to reveal a roughly cured product in the shape of the lacrosse head;   forming a mold assembly having a positive side and a negative side, the negative side having a first cavity surface corresponding to an outer surface of the lacrosse head, wherein the mold assembly has surface feature tolerances averaging about 0.13 mm, and transition radii tolerances within about 0.6 mm to 1.2 mm;   setting the roughly cured product into the negative side of the mold assembly;   closing the mold assembly by applying the positive side to the negative side, thereby defining a closed space corresponding to the lacrosse head; and   applying thermal heat of about 135° C. to about 180° C. and pressure of about 60 bars to about 80 bars across the mold assembly, thereby curing the composite matrix material into a hardened shape corresponding to the lacrosse head.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 inserting a sacrificial material into the composite matrix material after the composite matrix material has been set into the negative side of the preform carrier mold assembly.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 inserting parallel strand reinforcing into the composite matrix material after the composite matrix material has been set into the negative side of the preform carrier mold assembly.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 inserting at least one group of weave fibers into the composite matrix material after the composite matrix material has been set into the negative side of the preform carrier mold assembly.