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A lacrosse head including a spine element that is at least partially embedded or encapsulated in a base and sidewalls of the lacrosse head. The spine element can terminate short of a scoop of the lacrosse head. Where the lacrosse sidewalls are of an open frame construction and include a non-string h

A lacrosse head including a spine element that is at least partially embedded or encapsulated in a base and sidewalls of the lacrosse head. The spine element can terminate short of a scoop of the lacrosse head. Where the lacrosse sidewalls are of an open frame construction and include a non-string hole, the spine element can define a spine element hole that is aligned with the non-string hole. The spine element can also include a transverse element that spans from an upper rail to a lower rail of the sidewalls adjacent a cross member of the sidewalls. The base and sidewalls can include viewing apertures through which some of the spine element can be viewed, while other parts of the spine element remain concealed. The spine element can be constructed from one plastic, while the remainder of the head can be constructed from a different plastic.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A lacrosse head comprising: a throat adapted to connect to a lacrosse handle;a base joined with the throat, the base including a ball stop, the ball stop extending from an upper ball stop rim to a lower ball stop rim;a scoop distal from the base;a first sidewall and a second sidewall, each extend

1. A lacrosse head comprising: a throat adapted to connect to a lacrosse handle;a base joined with the throat, the base including a ball stop, the ball stop extending from an upper ball stop rim to a lower ball stop rim;a scoop distal from the base;a first sidewall and a second sidewall, each extending from the base toward the scoop and joined with one another distal from the base at the scoop, each first and second sidewall being of an open frame construction and defining a non-string hole, each first and second sidewall including an upper rail and a lower rail, and a cross member extending between and joined with the upper rail and the lower rail,a spine element at least partially embedded in the ball stop, the first sidewall and the second sidewall, the spine element including a spine base from which a first upper element and a second upper element, and a first lower element and a second lower element, extend forwardly toward but terminate short of the scoop, the first upper element and the second upper element being at least partially embedded and concealed in the upper rails of the respective first and second sidewalls, the first lower element and the second lower element being at least partially embedded and concealed in the lower rails of the first and second sidewalls, the spine element including a first transverse element that is joined with the first upper element and the first lower element forward of the ball stop, the first transverse element extending between the upper rail and lower rail of the first sidewall, and being at least partially embedded and concealed in the cross member of the first sidewall, the spine element including a second transverse element that is joined with the second upper element and the second lower element forward of the ball stop, the second transverse element extending between the upper rail and lower rail of the second sidewall, and being at least partially embedded and concealed in the cross member of the second sidewall,wherein the first transverse element is structurally interlocked with the cross member of the first sidewall to impair relative movement between the first transverse element and the cross member of the first sidewall, the first transverse element being at least partially exposed and visible to a viewer of the lacrosse head first sidewall,wherein the second transverse element is structurally interlocked with the cross member of the second sidewall to impair relative movement between the second transverse element and the cross member of the second sidewall, the second transverse element being at least partially exposed and visible to the viewer of the lacrosse head second sidewall,wherein the spine element defines a first spine hole that is at least partially aligned with the non-string hole of the first sidewall,wherein the first spine hole is bounded by the spine base, the first upper element, the first transverse element, and the first lower element of the spine,wherein the spine element defines a second spine hole that is at least partially aligned with the non-string hole of the second sidewall,wherein the second spine hole is bounded by the spine base, the second upper element, the second transverse element, and the second lower element of the spine. 2. The lacrosse head of claim 1 wherein the spine base includes a first spine base region including a first spine base region periphery, the first spine base region being exposed for viewing by a viewer, at least a portion of the first spine base region periphery being immediately adjacent and bounded by the first sidewall. 3. The lacrosse head of claim 2 wherein the spine base is of a first thickness and the first spine base region is of a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness. 4. The lacrosse head of claim 3 wherein the first thickness transitions to the second thickness at the first spine base region periphery. 5. The lacrosse head of claim 1 wherein at least one of the upper rails and the lower rails define a rail hole, wherein at least one of the first upper element, the second upper element, the first lower element and second lower element, is exposed and viewable through the rail hole. 6. The lacrosse head of claim 5 wherein the at least one of the upper rails and the lower rails are of a first color and the at least one of the first upper element, the second upper element, the first lower element and second lower element, is of a second, different color, whereby a viewer of the lacrosse head can readily perceive that the lacrosse head includes a spine element at least partially embedded within at least a portion of the first and second sidewalls by viewing the color differentiation between the first and second colors. 7. The lacrosse head of claim 1 wherein the spine base extends from adjacent the upper ball stop rim to adjacent the lower ball stop rim. 8. A lacrosse head comprising: a throat adapted to connect to a lacrosse handle;a base joined with the throat;a scoop distal from the base;a pair of sidewalls extending from the base and joined with one another distal from the base at the scoop, each sidewall being of an open frame construction and including at least one non-string hole, each sidewall including an upper rail and a lower rail separated from one another by a distance, each sidewall including a cross member joined with the upper rail and the lower rail; anda rigid, pre-molded spine element at least partially embedded in the base, the upper rail and the lower rail and the cross member of each of the pair of sidewalls,wherein the spine element terminates short of the scoop,wherein the spine element is at least partially concealed in each of the base, the upper rail, the lower rail and the cross member,wherein the spine element defines a spine element hole that is at least partially aligned with the non-string hole of the open frame construction,wherein the spine element includes a spine transverse element extending from the upper rail to the lower rail of a sidewall generally parallel to the cross member,wherein the spine transverse element is located forward of the spine element hole,wherein the spine element includes a spine base extending at least partially within the base,wherein the spine base includes a spine base region that is immediately adjacent the spine element hole, rearward of the hole, the spine base region providing deflection resistance and strength to the spine base. 9. The lacrosse head of claim 8 wherein the spine element includes a projection and wherein each of the sidewalls include a corresponding recess into which the projection interfits to prevent relative movement between the spine element and the sidewalls. 10. The lacrosse head of claim 9 wherein the projection and corresponding recess are concealed from view in a finished lacrosse head. 11. The lacrosse head of claim 8 wherein the spine transverse element is joined with the cross member. 12. The lacrosse head of claim 11 wherein at least one of the spine transverse element and the cross member define a groove, wherein the other of the spine transverse element and the cross member are at least partially positioned within the groove so that the spine transverse member and the cross member are physically interlocked together. 13. The lacrosse head of claim 8 wherein the spine element is constructed from a homogeneous plastic material that is void of fibers, strands and reinforcement structures. 14. The lacrosse head of claim 8 wherein the spine element includes a spine base region, the spine base being of a first thickness and the spine base region being of a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness. 15. The lacrosse head of claim 8 wherein the base, scoop and pair of sidewalls are constructed from a first polyamide, and wherein the spine element is constructed from a second polyamide that is different from the first polyamide, wherein the second polyamide is void of any reinforcing strands, reinforcing fibers or reinforcing structures, andwherein the first polyamide is void of any reinforcing strands, reinforcing fibers or reinforcing structures except for the spine element. 16. The lacrosse head of claim 8 wherein the base, scoop and pair of sidewalls are constructed from a nylon-6,6 polyamide, and wherein the spine element is constructed from a polypthalamide. 17. The lacrosse head of claim 8 wherein the base, scoop and pair of sidewalls are constructed from a plastic having the mechanical property of at least 40% elongation at break, and wherein the spine element is constructed from a plastic having the mechanical property of about 5% to about 15% elongation at break. 18. A lacrosse head comprising: a throat adapted to connect to a lacrosse handle;a base joined with the throat, the base including a ball stop, the ball stop extending from an upper ball stop rim to a lower ball stop rim;a scoop distal from the base;a pair of sidewalls extending from the base and joined with one another distal from the base at the scoop, each sidewall being of an open frame construction and including at least one non-string hole, the pair of sidewalls, base and scoop formed from a first plastic material; anda spine element at least partially molded into and encapsulated by the base and the pair of sidewalls, the spine element terminating short of the scoop, the spine element defining a spine element hole that is aligned with the non-string hole, the spine element formed from a second plastic material different from the first plastic material,wherein each of the sidewalls includes an upper rail and a lower rail joined by a cross member,wherein the spine element includes an upper element that extends along and is at least partially encapsulated by the upper rail,wherein the spine element includes a lower element that extends along and is at least partially encapsulated by the lower rail,wherein the spine element includes a transverse member that extends from and joins the upper element and the lower element of the spine element,wherein the transverse member of the spine element is immediately adjacent the cross member,wherein the transverse member of the spine element defines a groove, the groove extending generally from adjacent the upper element toward the lower element of the spine element,wherein the cross member is positioned in the groove defined by the spine element, and extends generally parallel to the transverse member of the spine element. 19. The lacrosse head of claim 18 wherein the second plastic material is formed in a separate forming operation before the spine element is molded into and encapsulated by the base and pair of sidewalls. 20. The lacrosse head of claim 18 wherein the spine element extends from the upper ball stop rim to the lower ball stop rim, and around a substantial portion of the ball stop. 21. The lacrosse head of claim 18 wherein the first plastic is a nylon-6,6 polyamide, and wherein the second plastic is a heat stabilized polypthalamide. 22. The lacrosse head of claim 18 wherein the first plastic has the mechanical property of at least 40% elongation at break, and wherein the second plastic has the material property of about 5% to about 15% elongation at break.