Lacrosse head pocket and related method of manufacture
A lacrosse head pocket and a related method of manufacture are provided to facilitate consistent, repeatable and/or custom manufacture of lacrosse equipment. The pocket can be constructed from multiple different sections joined with one another, or can be knitted, weaved or otherwise assembled on an automated assembly machine from strands, and/or can be formed as a unitary textile material having regions/sections with different physical and/or mechanical properties. The pocket can be integrally molded within portions of a lacrosse head to eliminate manually constructed connections between the pocket and lacrosse head. The lacrosse head can be integrally molded with a lacrosse handle to provide a one-piece unitary lacrosse stick. The lacrosse pocket body can include one or more fused pocket areas. Related methods of manufacturing also are provided.
1. A method of making a lacrosse pocket comprising:
mechanically manipulating a plurality of first strands and a plurality of second strands with an automated pocket assembly machine during an automated process to form a lacrosse pocket body during the automated process, the lacrosse pocket body including a predefined, three dimensional, concave shape that is integrally formed in the lacrosse pocket body due to the mechanical manipulation of the plurality of first strands and the plurality of second strands during the automated process, the lacrosse pocket body having a lower pocket portion, an upper pocket portion and a middle pocket portion therebetween;
heating the plurality of first strands so that the plurality of first strands at least partially melt to form a first molten material that fuses individual ones of the plurality of first strands with one another; and
cooling the plurality of first strands so that the first molten material solidifies, thereby forming a fused pocket area of the lacrosse pocket body,
wherein the plurality of first strands form a perimeter of the lacrosse pocket body,
wherein the perimeter is the fused pocket area of the lacrosse pocket body and a remaining region of the lacrosse pocket body remains unfused,
wherein the mechanical manipulation includes knitting the lacrosse pocket body with the assembly machine during a knitting process.
2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of second strands do not melt during the heating step,
wherein the plurality of second strands are located inward from the perimeter, forming the remaining region of the lacrosse pocket body,
wherein the fused pocket area is reinforced relative to and less elastic than the remaining region.
3. The method of claim 1 comprising:
forming the fused pocket area so that the fused pocket area forms a runner extending away from the middle pocket portion toward the upper pocket portion.
4. The method of claim 1 comprising:
forming the fused pocket area so that the fused pocket area is of a lesser thickness than a thickness of a remaining region of the lacrosse pocket body.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first strands are constructed from a thermoplastic polymer material.
6. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of second strands are constructed from a non-melting material,
wherein the plurality of second strands do not melt during the heating step.
7. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of first strands are constructed from a first thermoplastic polymer with a first melting temperature, and a second thermoplastic polymer with a second melting temperature that is less than the first melting temperature,
wherein the second thermoplastic polymer melts to form the first molten material during the heating step.
8. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the lacrosse pocket body includes an outer perimeter edge,
wherein the fused pocket area is formed inward from the outer perimeter edge,
wherein the fused pocket area is more rigid than a remaining portion of the lacrosse pocket body so as to interact with and support a lacrosse ball in the lacrosse pocket.
9. A method of manufacturing a lacrosse pocket comprising:
mechanically manipulating a plurality of strands with an automated pocket assembly machine during an automated process to form a unitary textile material, the unitary textile material including a first region and a second region joined with one another as integral parts of the same unitary textile material, the first region having a first set of physical properties, the second region having a second set of physical properties different from the first set of physical properties, the unitary textile material forming an upper pocket portion adapted to connect to a lacrosse head scoop, a lower pocket portion adapted to connect to a lacrosse head base, and a middle pocket portion located between the upper pocket portion and the lower pocket portion, the middle pocket portion having a predefined, three dimensional concave contour that is integrally formed in the lacrosse pocket due to the mechanical manipulation of the plurality of strands during the automated process,
fusing the plurality of strands to one another in the first region, and
leaving the plurality of strands unfused to one another in the second region,
wherein the mechanical manipulation includes knitting the unitary textile material with the assembly machine during a knitting process.
10. The method of claim 9 ,
wherein during the fusing step a portion of individual ones of the plurality of strands melts to form a molten material that at least one of encapsulates an adjacent strand and mixes with a second molten material of an adjacent strand,
wherein during the fusing step the first region becomes less elastic than the second region.
11. The method of claim 9 ,
wherein the first region is in the form of a runner extending from the middle pocket portion through the upper pocket portion, wherein due to the fusing of the plurality of strands in the first region, the runner is less elastic than a remainder of the middle pocket portion.
12. A method of manufacturing a lacrosse pocket comprising:
providing first and second strands;
mechanically manipulating the first and second strands with an automated pocket assembly machine during an automated process to form a lacrosse pocket including a predefined, three dimensional, concave shape integrally formed in the lacrosse pocket due to the mechanical manipulation of the first and second strands during the automated process; and
fusing at least one of the first strands and the second strands to form a fused pocket area in the lacrosse pocket and leaving at least one of the first strands and the second strands unfused to form an unfused pocket area in the lacrosse pocket,
wherein the fused pocket area is less elastic than the unfused pocket area,
wherein the mechanical manipulation includes knitting the lacrosse pocket with the assembly machine during a knitting process.
13. The method of claim 12 , comprising:
forming the fused pocket area inwardly from a perimeter flange of the lacrosse pocket a preselected distance.
14. A method of making a lacrosse pocket comprising:
providing first and second strands having first and second lengths, the first strands having a thermal shrinkage greater than the second strands;
mechanically manipulating the first and second strands with an automated pocket assembly machine during an automated process to form a lacrosse pocket body during the automated process, the lacrosse pocket body including a predefined, three dimensional, concave shape that is integrally formed in the lacrosse pocket body due to the mechanical manipulation of the first and second strands during the automated process, the lacrosse pocket body having a lower pocket portion, an upper pocket portion and a middle pocket portion therebetween;
heating at least a first portion of the lacrosse pocket body to a first temperature to induce shrinkage of the length of the first strands in the first portion; and
cooling the first portion, thereby forming a first, tightened pocket area in which the length of the first strands has decreased and a second pocket area in which the length of the first and/or second strands remain unchanged,
wherein the first strands in the first portion of the lacrosse pocket body fuse with one another and the second strands in a second portion of the lacrosse pocket body do not fuse with one another,
wherein the mechanical manipulation includes knitting the lacrosse pocket body with the assembly machine during a knitting process.
15. A method of making a lacrosse pocket comprising:
mechanically manipulating a plurality of first strands and a plurality of second strands with an automated pocket assembly machine during an automated process to form a lacrosse pocket body, the lacrosse pocket body including a predefined, three dimensional, concave shape integrally formed in the lacrosse pocket body due to the mechanical manipulation of the plurality of first strands and the plurality of second strands during the automated process, the lacrosse pocket body having a lower pocket portion, an upper pocket portion and a middle pocket portion therebetween;
heating the plurality of first strands so that the plurality of first strands at least partially melt to form a first molten material that fuses individual ones of the plurality of first strands with one another; and
cooling the plurality of first strands so that the first molten material solidifies, thereby forming a fused pocket area of the lacrosse pocket body,
wherein the plurality of second strands form a perimeter of the lacrosse pocket body,
wherein the fused pocket area is located inward from the perimeter and the perimeter remains unfused,
wherein the mechanical manipulation includes knitting the lacrosse pocket body with the assembly machine during a knitting process.
16. A method of manufacturing a lacrosse pocket comprising:
providing first and second strands;
mechanically manipulating the first and second strands with an automated pocket assembly machine during an automated process to form a lacrosse pocket including a predefined, three dimensional, concave shape that is integrally formed in the lacrosse pocket due to the mechanical manipulation of the first and second strands during the automated process; and
fusing at least some of the first strands or the second strands to form a fused pocket area inward from a perimeter of the lacrosse pocket and leaving at least some of the first strands or second strands to form a remaining unfused pocket area in the lacrosse pocket,
wherein the fused pocket area is less elastic than the unfused pocket area,
wherein the mechanical manipulation includes knitting the lacrosse pocket with the assembly machine during a knitting process.