SPORTS STICK

Field of Invention

Background of the Invention

The Present invention relates to an improved sports stick and more specifically a sports stick made out of reinforced epoxy composite materials. The invention also relates to the process of producing the sports stick using reinforced epoxy composite materials.

Description of the Prior Art

Sports sticks, for example hockey sticks, known in the prior art have been made from wood. A wood stick is solid and can be made from a multi ply lamination in order to improve strength. Wood has been a convenient and traditional material to use but it is limited in strength and weight. Recent developments have improved sports sticks by making them out of metal such as aluminum and steel. Such sticks are typically made from a one piece extruded metal tube, to which a blade and handle can be attached. The hollow tubular construction offers a lighter weight and also easy attachment for the blade and handle.

More recent sports sticks are made up of composite materials such as fiber reinforced resins like carbon fiber in an epoxy resin. Composite materials are attractive alternatives, because a large selection of fiber types and resin types is possible to make available a multitude of options, which have the advantage of being stiffer, stronger, and less susceptible to environmental changes than more traditional materials.

Further in the known prior art sports are made using composite materials using pultrusion process, wherein the sports sticks are made of two tubes with an internal wall in between.

US Patent. No. 4,086,115 discloses a tubular hockey stick manufactured using fiberglass fibers in a polyester resin made using a pultrusion process.

US Patent Nos. 5,419,553 and 5,303,916 disclose an improved hockey stick made from composite materials, made by means of a pultrusion process, with the addition of specific fiber orientation in order to improve the stiffness and strength of the stick.
US Patent Nos. 5,549,947, 5,688,571, 5,888,601, 6,129,962 describes a continuous manufacturing operation to produce a hockey stick with continuous fiber reinforcement.

The limitations of making sports sticks using a pultrusion process are that fiber placement cannot be changed along the length of the structure and the cross-section cannot be varied along its length.

Therefore there exist a need for sports sticks that are manufactured using composite materials that would overcome the limitations and deficiency mentioned the prior art above and present inventions provides the same.

Summary of the Invention

One or more of the problems of the prior art can be overcome by the various embodiment of the present invention.

In view of the foregoing commonality inherent in the known types of composite sports stick systems of known designs and configurations now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved sport stick. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved sport stick which will have all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Accordingly it is the primary object of the present invention to provide for a sports stick that is made of using reinforced epoxy composite materials.
It is another object of the present invention to provide for an improved method of manufacturing a sports stick which is more economical and provides a wider range of performance options in terms of stiffness, strength, vibration damping and appearance.
It is another object of the invention to provide for a sports stick that is made of using of biodegradable short Agave (Agave Americana) fibers reinforced epoxy composite material.

It is another object of the present invention to provide for the process of making the sports stick wherein the mould should be covered with polythene sheet to avoid contact between resin and wood surface and helped easy removal of the composite material. 3mm length of Agave fiber composites is treated with 5% NaOH. The Agave Fiber and epoxy resin are thoroughly mixed for sufficient tune and equally laid on the mould.

It is yet another object of the present invention, wherein the Agave fiber composites have better mechanical properties; it is used to fabricate a sports stick.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide for the process of making the sports stick wherein the mould will be left undisturbed for a period of 24 hours to cure. Upon the curing of the fiber and epoxy composite materials the sports stick made of

Agave fiber reinforced epoxy composite hockey will be obtained.
It is yet another object of the invention, wherein the use of Agave fiber in composites will help produce a new generation of esuriently appliances.
It is another object of the invention, wherein bio-degradable sports stick such us hockey stick, ice-hockey stick, golf stick etc. can be manufactured.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved reinforced epoxy composite sports stick which will have all of the advantages of the prior art of known designs and configurations and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide new and improved reinforced epoxy composite sports stick which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved reinforced epoxy composite sport stick which is of durable and reliable construction.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

Detailed Description of the Drawings:

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

Figure 1: Illustrates the hockey stick mould made of wood.

Figure 2: Illustrates Agave fiber reinforced epoxy composite hockey stick that is bio degradable.

Detailed Description of the Invention:

With reference now to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the new and improved reinforced epoxy composite sports stick embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention will be described.

The present invention is a reinforced epoxy composite sports stick which is molded to form the desired shape and the process of manufacturing the reinforced epoxy composite sports stick.

In an another embodiment a sports stick which is more economical and provides a wider range of performance options in terms of stiffness, strength, vibration damping and appearance is made of using of biodegradable short Agave (Agave Americana) fibers reinforced epoxy composite material.

In an another embodiment the process of manufacturing is detailed wherein, the mould is covered with polythene sheet to avoid contact between resin and wood surface and 3mm length of Agave fiber composites is treated with 5% NaOH. The Agave Fiber and epoxy resin are thoroughly mixed for sufficient time and equally laid on the mould. The mould will be left undisturbed for a period of 24 hours to cure. Upon the curing of the fiber and epoxy composite materials the sports stick made of Agave fiber reinforced epoxy composite hockey will be obtained. The Agave fiber composites have better mechanical properties; it is used to fabricate a sports stick. Agave fiber in composites will help produce a new generation of ecofriendly appliances which are bio-degradable.

Claims

We Claim,

1. A sports stick made up of reinforced epoxy composite materials which is bio-degradable, have better mechanical property, durable and ecofriendly.

2. A sports stick according to claim 1, is made up of composite material and the said material is the biodegradable short Agave (Agave Americana) fibers reinforced epoxy composite material.

3. A sports stick according to claim 1, is more economical and provides a wider range of performance options in terms of stiffness, strength, vibration damping by using the biodegradable short Agave (Agave Americana) fibers reinforced epoxy composite material.

4. A sports stick according to claim 1, is molded to form the desired shape.

5. A method of manufacturing a sports stick made up of reinforced epoxy composite materials, wherein the mould is covered with polythene sheet to avoid contact between resin and wood surface and 3mm length of Agave fiber composites is treated with 5% NaOH. The Agave Fiber and epoxy resin are thoroughly mixed for sufficient time and equally laid on the mould.

6. A method of manufacturing a sports stick made up of reinforced epoxy composite materials according to claim 5, wherein the mould will be left undisturbed for a period of 24 hours to cure. Upon the curing of the fiber and epoxy composite materials the sports stick made of Agave fiber reinforced epoxy composite hockey will be obtained. The
Agave fiber composites have better mechanical properties; it is used to fabricate a sports stick. Agave fiber in composites will help produce a new generation of ecofriendly appliances which are bio-degradable.