US-20260124510-A1 - LACROSSE HEAD

US20260124510A1US 20260124510 A1US20260124510 A1US 20260124510A1US-20260124510-A1

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein are related to lacrosse heads and more specifically to lacrosse heads having asymmetric flex. In some embodiments, a lacrosse head may include a base portion and a scoop portion positioning opposite to one another, and the base and scoop portions may be connected through first and second sidewalls. Each of the sidewalls may include an upper rail, a lower rail, and one or more struts extending between the upper and lower rails. In some embodiments, the one or more struts of the first sidewall may be constructed to have a different degree of flexure than the one or more struts of the second sidewall to provide an asymmetric flexure profile of the head when exposed to a contact force. This asymmetric flexure profile may cause the rails of the first sidewall to deflect at a greater distance than the rails of the second sidewall.

Inventors

Colton Bell-Cormier
Philippe Buithieu-Martel

Assignees

CASCADE MAVERIK LACROSSE, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20250625

Claims (20)

1 . A lacrosse head comprising: a base portion and a scoop portion positioned opposite to one another; a first sidewall; a second sidewall; wherein each of the first and second sidewalls comprise: an upper rail; a lower rail; and one or more struts extending between the upper and lower rails, wherein the first and second sidewalls are positioned opposite to one another, wherein the first and second sidewalls each extend between the base portion and the scoop portion to connect the base and scoop portions, wherein at least one of the one or more struts of the first sidewall is constructed and arranged to have a greater degree of flexure than at least one of the one or more struts of the second sidewall.
2 . The lacrosse head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one strut of the first sidewall having a greater degree of flexure is configured to increase deflection of the lower rail of the first sidewall relative to the lower rail of the second sidewall in response to a contact force applied to the lower rails of the respective first and second sidewalls.
3 . The lacrosse head of claim 2 , wherein the deflection of the lower rail of the first sidewall is greater than the deflection of the lower rail of the second sidewall by 10% or greater.
4 . The lacrosse head of claim 2 , wherein the at least one strut of the first sidewall has a greater degree of flexure than each of the upper and lower rails of the first sidewall.
5 . The lacrosse head of claim 1 , wherein the base portion includes an opening configured to receive an end portion of a lacrosse stick.
6 . The lacrosse head of claim 2 , further comprising an imaginary plane intersecting each of the base portion, the scoop portion, and each of the first and second sidewalls, wherein the at least one strut of the first sidewall is configured to bend in an inward direction towards the imaginary plane in response to the contact force such that a distance between upper and lower rails of the first sidewall is decreased.
7 . The lacrosse head of claim 6 , wherein the at least one strut of the first sidewall is configured to bend in the inward direction at a greater distance than the at least one strut of the second sidewall in response to the contact force such that the distance between the upper and lower rails of the first sidewall is decreased by a greater distance relative to a distance between the upper and lower rails of the second sidewall.
8 . The lacrosse head of claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower rails of each of the first and second sidewalls converge at the scoop portion.
9 . The lacrosse head of claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower rails of each of the first and second sidewalls converge at the base portion.
10 . The lacrosse head of claim 1 , further comprising one or more openings positioned between the upper rail, the lower rail, and the one or more struts of each of the first and second sidewalls.
11 . The lacrosse head of claim 10 , wherein the one or more openings are constructed and arranged such that the upper and lower rails are only connected to one another through the one or more struts, the base portion, and the scoop portion.
12 . A lacrosse head comprising: a base portion and a scoop portion positioned opposite to one another; a first sidewall; a second sidewall; wherein each of the first and second sidewalls comprise: an upper rail; a lower rail; and one or more struts extending between the upper and lower rails, wherein the first and second sidewalls are positioned opposite to one another, wherein the first and second sidewalls each extend between the base portion and the scoop portion to connect the base and scoop portions, wherein the lower rail of the first sidewall is configured to deflect at a greater distance than the lower rail of the second sidewall in response to a contact force applied to the lower rails of the respective first and second sidewalls.
13 . The lacrosse head of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the one or more struts of the first sidewall is constructed and arranged to have a greater degree of flexure than at least one of the one or more struts of the second sidewall.
14 . The lacrosse head of claim 13 , wherein the at least one strut of the first sidewall has a greater degree of flexure than each of the upper and lower rails of the first sidewall.
15 . The lacrosse head of claim 12 , wherein the deflection of the lower rail of the first sidewall is greater than the deflection of the lower rail of the second sidewall by 10% or greater.
16 . The lacrosse head of claim 12 , further comprising an imaginary plane intersecting each of the base portion, the scoop portion, and each of the first and second sidewalls, wherein the upper and lower rails of the first sidewall are configured to deflect in an inward direction towards the imaginary plane in response to the contact force such that a distance between upper and lower rails of the first sidewall is decreased.
17 . The lacrosse head of claim 16 , wherein the upper and lower rails of the first sidewall are configured to deflect in the inward direction towards the imaginary plane at a greater distance than the upper and lower rails of the second sidewall in response to the contact force.
18 . The lacrosse head of claim 12 , wherein the upper and lower rails of each of the first and second sidewalls converge at the scoop portion.
19 . The lacrosse head of claim 12 , wherein the upper and lower rails of each of the first and second sidewalls converge at the base portion.
20 . The lacrosse head of claim 12 , further comprising one or more openings positioned between the upper rail, the lower rail, and the one or more struts of each of the first and second sidewalls.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/717,709, filed Nov. 7, 2024, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. FIELD Disclosed embodiments generally relate to lacrosse heads, and more specifically relate to lacrosse heads having asymmetric flexure profiles and related methods of use. BACKGROUND Lacrosse heads typically include a base portion configured to engage a lacrosse stick shaft and a scoop portion positioned distally relative to the base portion. The base portion may be connected to the scoop portion using one or more sidewalls. In conventional lacrosse heads, the heads are typically constructed to be of a symmetrical shape having a symmetrical flexure profile. SUMMARY According to some embodiments, a lacrosse head having a base portion and a scoop portion positioned opposite to one another is provided. The lacrosse head may include a first sidewall and a second sidewall positioned opposite to one another, where each of the first and second sidewalls extend between the base portion and the scoop portion to connect the base and scoop portions. Each of the first and second sidewalls may include an upper rail, a lower rail, and one or more struts extending between the upper and lower rails. In some embodiments, at least one of the one or more struts of the first sidewall may be constructed and arranged to have a greater degree of flexure than at least one of the one or more struts of the second sidewall. According to some embodiments, a lacrosse head having a base portion and a scoop portion positioned opposite to one another is provided. The lacrosse head may include a first sidewall and a second sidewall positioned opposite to one another, where each of the first and second sidewalls extend between the base portion and the scoop portion to connect the base and scoop portions. Each of the first and second sidewalls may include an upper rail, a lower rail, and one or more struts extending between the upper and lower rails. In some embodiments, the lower rail of the first sidewall may be configured to deflect at a greater distance than the lower rail of the second sidewall in response to a contact force applied to the lower rails of the respective first and second sidewalls. It should be appreciated that the foregoing concepts, and additional concepts discussed below, may be arranged in any suitable combination, as the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. Further, other advantages and novel features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of various non-limiting embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures may be represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a top view of a lacrosse head, according to some embodiments; FIG. 2 is a front right perspective view of the lacrosse head of FIG. 1, according to some embodiments; FIG. 3 is a front left perspective view of the lacrosse head of FIG. 1, according to some embodiments; FIG. 4A is a rear right perspective view of the lacrosse head of FIG. 1, according to some embodiments; FIG. 4B is an enlarged perspective view of region 4B of FIG. 4A, according to some embodiments; FIG. 5 is a rear left perspective view of the lacrosse head of FIG. 1, according to some embodiments; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the lacrosse head of FIG. 1 being subjected to an applied force, according to some embodiments; and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the lacrosse head of FIG. 1 being subjected to an applied force, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Conventional lacrosse heads typically include a base portion configured to engage a lacrosse stick shaft, a scoop portion configured to be positioned distally relative to the base, and sidewalls configured to connect the base portion to the scoop portion. A mesh may then be secured to the lacrosse head for receiving and cradling a lacrosse ball during play. During a game of lacrosse, players may partake in a “face-off” event, where two opposing players may contest one another to obtain possession of the ball. In particular, during a face-off, the opposing players may align their lacrosse heads adjacent to the ball on the ground while awaiting a signal from a referee to battle for the possession of the ball, and upon receipt of the signal the players will attempt to “clamp” the ball (or otherwise secure the ball) to obtain possession before their opponent. The term clamping as used herein may refer to the positioning of the lacrosse head and/or mesh against the ball during a face off to block acce