Hockey stick formed from sheet molding compound
A construct for a hockey blade formed from layers of sheet molding compound material. The sheet molding compound material may be manufactured to have longer average fiber lengths entrained within the sheet molding compound material with random orientation in order to enhance the mechanical properties of the formed hockey stick blade.
1. A method of fabricating a formed hockey blade structure, comprising:
positioning preform layers in a mold wherein the preform layers comprise a first sheet molding compound material formed by introducing randomly oriented fiber strands having a first average fiber length in between layers of resin paste and solidifying a resultant composite into a flexible sheet and a second sheet molding compound material formed by introducing randomly oriented fiber strands having a second average fiber length, longer than the first average fiber length, in between layers of resin paste and solidifying a resultant composite into a second flexible sheet;
positioning the second sheet molding compound material to be integrally molded only at a heel area and middle area of the hockey blade structure and positioning the first sheet molding compound material to be integrally molded only at a remainder of the hockey blade structure;
positioning a foam core between a selected two of the preform layers of the sheet molding compound material in the mold to be integrally molded within the hockey blade structure;
positioning one or more layers of fiber tape between each layer of the preform layers or a subset of the preform layers;
heating and cooling the mold; and
removing a formed hockey blade structure from the mold;
wherein the formed hockey blade structure has an outer face comprising a back face and a front face.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first average fiber length measures 10 mm or less in length.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second average fiber length measures at least 2 mm in length.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hockey blade structure is formed from less than five preform layers.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fiber tape is pre-impregnated with resin and comprises unidirectional fibers.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fiber strands comprise carbon fibers.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fiber strands comprise glass fibers.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heating and cooling the mold and removing the formed hockey blade structure from the mold is completed in less than 10 minutes.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming rib structures in a preform layer, selected from the preform layers, by removing material from the preform layer prior to positioning the preform layers in the mold.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
positioning polymer inserts in the mold to be integrally molded within the hockey blade structure.
11. A hockey stick blade structure formed by a method comprising the steps of:
utilizing a first sheet molding compound material formed by introducing randomly oriented fiber strands having a first average length in between layers of resin paste and solidifying a resultant composite into a first flexible sheet;
utilizing a second sheet molding compound material formed by introducing randomly oriented fiber strands having a second average length, longer than the first average length, in between layers of resin paste and solidifying a resultant composite into a second flexible sheet;
wherein the first sheet molding compound material and the second sheet molding compound material comprise preform layers and wherein the second sheet molding compound material is positioned to be integrally molded only at a heel area and middle area of the hockey stick blade structure and the first sheet molding compound material is positioned to be integrally molded only at a remaining area of the hockey stick blade structure;
positioning the preform layers in a mold and positioning at least one fiber tape layer between the preform layers;
positioning a foam core between a selected two of the preform layers in the mold to be integrally molded within the hockey stick blade structure;
heating and cooling the mold and
removing a formed hockey blade structure from the mold, wherein the heating and cooling the mold and removing the formed hockey blade structure from the mold is completed in less than 10 minutes;
wherein the hockey blade structure has an outer face comprising a back face and a front face.
12. The hockey stick blade structure of claim 11 , wherein the first average length is less than 10 mm and the second average length is greater than 20 mm.
13. The hockey stick blade structure of claim 11 , wherein the hockey stick blade structure is formed from less than five preform layers.
14. The hockey stick blade structure of claim 11 , wherein the fiber tape is pre-impregnated with resin and has unidirectional fibers.
15. The hockey stick blade structure of claim 11 , wherein the fiber strands comprise carbon fibers.
16. The hockey stick blade structure of claim 11 , wherein the fiber strands comprise glass fibers.
17. A hockey stick blade structure formed by a method comprising the steps of:
utilizing a first sheet molding compound material formed by introducing randomly oriented fiber strands having a first average length in between layers of resin paste and solidifying a resultant composite into a first flexible sheet;
utilizing a second sheet molding compound material formed by introducing randomly oriented fiber strands having a second average length, longer than the first average length, in between layers of resin paste and solidifying a resultant composite into a second flexible sheet;
wherein the first sheet molding compound material and the second sheet molding compound material comprise preform layers and wherein the second sheet molding compound material is positioned to be integrally molded only at a lower half of the hockey stick blade structure and the first sheet molding compound material is positioned to be integrally molded only at a remaining half of the hockey stick blade structure;
positioning the preform layers in a mold;
positioning a foam core between a selected two of the preform layers in the mold to be integrally molded within the hockey stick blade structure;
heating and cooling the mold and
removing a formed hockey blade structure from the mold;
wherein the hockey blade structure has an outer face comprising a back face and a front face.
18. The hockey stick blade structure of claim 17 , wherein the first average length is less than 10 mm and the second average length is greater than 20 mm.
19. The hockey stick blade structure of claim 17 , wherein the hockey stick blade structure is formed from less than five preform layers.
20. The hockey stick blade structure of claim 17 , further comprising positioning at least one fiber tape layer between the preform layers.
21. The hockey stick blade structure of claim 20 wherein the fiber tape is pre-impregnated with resin and has unidirectional fibers.
22. The hockey stick blade structure of claim 17 , wherein the fiber strands comprise carbon fibers.
23. The hockey stick blade structure of claim 17 , wherein the fiber strands comprise glass fibers.
24. A hockey stick blade structure formed by a method comprising the steps of:
utilizing a first sheet molding compound material without fiber strands;
utilizing a second sheet molding compound material formed by introducing randomly oriented fiber strands in between layers of resin paste and solidifying a resultant composite into a second flexible sheet;
wherein the first sheet molding compound material and the second sheet molding compound material comprise preform layers and wherein the second sheet molding compound material is positioned to be integrally molded only at a heel and a middle region of the hockey stick blade structure and the first sheet molding compound material is positioned to be integrally molded only at a remainder of the hockey stick blade structure;
positioning the preform layers in a mold;
positioning a foam core between a selected two of the preform layers in the mold to be integrally molded within the hockey stick blade structure; and
heating and cooling the mold and removing a formed hockey blade structure from the mold;
wherein the hockey blade structure has an outer face comprising a back face and a front face.
25. The hockey stick blade structure of claim 24 , wherein the hockey stick blade structure is formed from less than five preform layers.
26. The hockey stick blade structure of claim 24 , further comprising positioning at least one fiber tape layer between the preform layers.
27. The hockey stick blade structure of claim 26 wherein the fiber tape is pre-impregnated with resin and has unidirectional fibers.
28. The hockey stick blade structure of claim 24 , wherein the fiber strands comprise carbon fibers.