# US 11,077,346 B2 · Hockey stick and hockey stick shaft with first and second bends > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,077,346 B2 - Document ID: US11077346B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/249,382 - Filed: 2016-08-27 - Published: 2017-05-04 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-03 - Applicants: Andrew Oman - Inventors: Andrew Oman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077346B2 ## CPC - A63B 59/70: with bent or angled lower parts for hitting a ball on the ground, on an ice-covered surface, or in the air, e.g. for hockey or hurling - A63B 60/34: with the handle axis different from the main axis of the implement - A63B 2102/24: Ice hockey - A63B 2210/50: Size reducing arrangements for stowing or transport - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) ## Abstract A hockey stick includes a shaft that includes an upper portion, a lower portion, and a transition portion disposed between the upper portion and the lower portion. The upper portion includes an upper end, where a line that is tangent to the upper end is non-linear with the lower portion and is substantially parallel with the lower portion. A midpoint of the shaft is included in at least one of the lower portion and the transition portion. The hockey stick also includes a blade that extends from the lower portion of the shaft, where a first plane defined by the lower portion and at least a point on the transition portion is generally transverse to a second plane defined by the blade. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hockey stick, comprising: a shaft that includes an upper portion, a lower portion, and a transition portion disposed between the upper portion and the lower portion, the upper portion including an upper end, wherein a line that is tangent to the upper end is non-linear with the lower portion and is substantially parallel with the lower portion, and wherein a midpoint of the shaft along a length dimension of the shaft is included in at least one of the lower portion and the transition portion; and a blade that extends from the lower portion of the shaft; wherein, when the hockey stick is viewed from a viewing position with the blade generally extending toward the viewing position, the lower portion of the shaft is offset in a lateral direction from the upper portion of the shaft, the offset in the lateral direction provided by the transition portion of the shaft, wherein the transition portion includes the midpoint of the shaft, and the blade is integrally formed with the shaft and extends from the lower portion of the shaft with a blade curvature that defines a forehand direction and a backhand direction, the lower portion of the shaft being laterally offset in the backhand direction relative to the upper portion of the shaft due to the transition portion of the shaft such that an upper backhand sidewall of the upper portion, which faces in the backhand direction, is positioned further in the forehand direction than both the blade and a lower forehand sidewall of the lower portion, which faces in the forehand direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hockey stick of claim 1, wherein the transition portion is substantially linear. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The hockey stick of claim 1, wherein the transition portion includes a first bend and a second bend. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The hockey stick of claim 3, wherein the first bend is in a first direction and the second bend is in a second direction that is generally opposite the first direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The hockey stick of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first bend and the second bend is a curve. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The hockey stick of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first bend and the second bend includes two or more sub-bends, at least two of the two or more sub-bends having different radii of curvature. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The hockey stick of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first bend and the second bend is a curve selected from the group consisting of a parabolic curve, a hyperbolic curve, an elliptical curve, an involute curve, a catenary curve, a trigonometric curve, a cycloid curve, a polynomial curve, a parametric curve, an exponential curve, a logarithmic curve, and a circular curve. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The hockey stick of claim 5, wherein the first bend has a first radius of curvature and the second bend has a second radius of curvature that is different than the first radius of curvature. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The hockey stick of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first bend and the second bend includes two or more sub-bends, and wherein at least one of the two or more sub-bends is substantially linear. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The hockey stick of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first bend and the second bend comprises a first linear section and a second linear section, wherein the first linear section and the second linear section are contiguous and define an angle between the first linear section and the second linear section. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The hockey stick of claim 3, wherein the first bend includes the midpoint of the shaft. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The hockey stick of claim 3, wherein the second bend includes the midpoint of the shaft. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The hockey stick of claim 3, further comprising a middle portion disposed between the first bend and the second bend, the middle portion being generally linear. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The hockey stick of claim 1, wherein the lower portion includes the midpoint of the shaft. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The hockey stick of claim 1, wherein the shaft is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of wood, metal, composite material, aluminum, aluminum alloy, titanium, titanium alloy, fiberglass, Kevlar, Aramid material, carbon fibre, graphite, resin, fiber-reinforced polymer, and fiber-reinforced plastic. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The hockey stick of claim 1, wherein the hockey stick is a one-piece hockey stick in which said midpoint of the shaft along the length dimension of the shaft is positioned relative to the transition portion such that an upper hand gripping region is located in the upper portion and a lower hand gripping region is located in at least one of the lower portion and the transition portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The hockey stick of claim 1, wherein the blade is releasably attached to the shaft. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The hockey stick of claim 1, wherein a first plane defined by the lower portion and at least a point on the transition portion is generally transverse to a second plane defined by the blade. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The hockey stick of claim 1, wherein, when the hockey stick is viewed from a viewing position with the blade generally extending perpendicular to the viewing position, the lower portion of the shaft is offset in a lateral direction from the upper portion of the shaft, the offset in the lateral direction provided by the transition portion of the shaft. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The hockey stick of claim 18, wherein the first plane is further defined by at least a point of the upper portion. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The hockey stick of claim 18, wherein the first plane is substantially orthogonal to the second plane. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The hockey stick of claim 18, wherein the first plane is offset within a range of about 75 degrees to 105 degrees from the second plane. ### Claim 23 A hockey stick, comprising: a shaft that includes an upper portion, a lower portion, and a transition portion disposed between the upper portion and the lower portion, the upper portion including an upper end, wherein a line that is tangent to the upper end is non-linear with the lower portion and is substantially parallel with the lower portion, and wherein a midpoint of the shaft along a length dimension of the shaft is included in at least one of the lower portion and the transition portion; and a blade that extends from the lower portion of the shaft; wherein, when the hockey stick is viewed from a viewing position with the blade generally extending toward the viewing position, the lower portion of the shaft is offset in a lateral direction from the upper portion of the shaft, the offset in the lateral direction provided by the transition portion of the shaft, and wherein the offset is within a range of 1 inch to 4 inches. ### Claim 24 A hockey stick, comprising: a shaft that includes an upper portion, a lower portion, and a transition portion disposed between the upper portion and the lower portion, the upper portion being non-linear with the lower portion and substantially parallel with the lower portion, and wherein a midpoint of the shaft along a length dimension of the shaft is included in at least one of the lower portion and the transition portion; and a blade that extends from the lower portion of the shaft and that has a curvature to define a forehand direction and a backhand direction; wherein the upper portion of the shaft comprises an upper forehand sidewall facing the forehand direction and an upper backhand sidewall facing the backhand direction, and the lower portion of the shaft comprises a lower forehand sidewall facing the forehand direction and a lower backhand sidewall facing the backhand direction, the lower portion of the shaft being laterally offset in the backhand direction from the upper portion of the shaft due to the transition portion of the shaft such that the upper backhand sidewall of the upper portion is positioned further in the forehand direction than both the blade and the lower forehand sidewall of the lower portion. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The hockey stick of claim 24, wherein the transition portion is substantially linear. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The hockey stick of claim 24, wherein the transition portion includes a first bend and a second bend. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The hockey stick of claim 26, wherein the first bend is in a first direction and the second bend is in a second direction that is generally opposite the first direction. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The hockey stick of claim 26, wherein at least one of the first bend and the second bend is a curve. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The hockey stick of claim 28, wherein at least one of the first bend and the second bend includes two or more sub-bends, at least two of the two or more sub-bends having different radii of curvature. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The hockey stick of claim 28, wherein at least one of the first bend and the second bend is a curve selected from the group consisting of a parabolic curve, a hyperbolic curve, an elliptical curve, an involute curve, a catenary curve, a trigonometric curve, a cycloid curve, a polynomial curve, a parametric curve, an exponential curve, a logarithmic curve, and a circular curve. ### Claim 31 (depends on 28) The hockey stick of claim 28, wherein the first bend has a first radius of curvature and the second bend has a second radius of curvature that is different than the first radius of curvature. ### Claim 32 (depends on 26) The hockey stick of claim 26, wherein at least one of the first bend and the second bend includes two or more sub-bends, and wherein at least one of the two or more sub-bends is substantially linear. ### Claim 33 (depends on 26) The hockey stick of claim 26, wherein at least one of the first bend and the second bend comprises a first linear section and a second linear section, wherein the first linear section and the second linear section are contiguous and define an angle between the first linear section and the second linear section. ### Claim 34 (depends on 26) The hockey stick of claim 26, wherein the first bend includes the midpoint of the shaft. ### Claim 35 (depends on 26) The hockey stick of claim 26, wherein the second bend includes the midpoint of the shaft. ### Claim 36 (depends on 26) The hockey stick of claim 26, further comprising a middle portion disposed between the first bend and the second bend, the middle portion being generally linear. ### Claim 37 (depends on 24) The hockey stick of claim 24, wherein a first plane defined by the lower portion and at least a point on the transition portion is generally transverse to a second plane defined by the blade. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The hockey stick of claim 37, wherein the first plane is substantially orthogonal to the second plane. ### Claim 39 (depends on 37) The hockey stick of claim 37, wherein the first plane is further defined by at least a point of the upper portion. ### Claim 40 (depends on 37) The hockey stick of claim 37, wherein the first plane is offset within a range of about 75 degrees to 105 degrees from the second plane. ### Claim 41 (depends on 24) The hockey stick of claim 24, wherein the offset is within a range of about 1 inch to about 4 inches. ### Claim 42 (depends on 24) The hockey stick of claim 24, wherein the transition portion includes the midpoint of the shaft. ### Claim 43 (depends on 24) The hockey stick of claim 24, wherein the lower portion includes the midpoint of the shaft. ### Claim 44 (depends on 24) The hockey stick of claim 24, wherein the shaft is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of wood, metal, composite material, aluminum, aluminum alloy, titanium, titanium alloy, fiberglass, Kevlar, Aramid material, carbon fibre, graphite, resin, fiber-reinforced polymer, and fiber-reinforced plastic. ### Claim 45 (depends on 24) The hockey stick of claim 24, wherein the hockey stick is a one-piece hockey stick in which said midpoint of the shaft along the length dimension of the shaft is positioned relative to the transition portion such that an upper hand gripping region is located in the upper portion and a lower hand gripping region is located in at least one of the lower portion and the transition portion. ### Claim 46 (depends on 24) The hockey stick of claim 24, wherein the blade is releasably attached to the shaft. ### Claim 47 (depends on 24) The hockey stick of claim 24, wherein, when the hockey stick is viewed from a viewing position with the blade generally extending perpendicular to the viewing position, the lower portion of the shaft is offset in a lateral direction from the upper portion of the shaft, the offset in the lateral direction provided by the transition portion of the shaft. ### Claim 48 A one-piece hockey stick, comprising: a shaft that includes an upper end, a lower portion, and a transition portion disposed between the upper end and the lower portion, wherein a line that is tangent to the upper end is non-linear with the lower portion and is substantially parallel with the lower portion, and wherein a midpoint of the shaft along a length dimension of the shaft is included in at least one of the lower portion and the transition portion such that an upper hand gripping region is located in the upper end and a lower hand gripping region is located in at least one of the lower portion and the transition portion; and a blade integrally formed with the shaft and extending from the lower portion of the shaft with a blade curvature that defines a forehand direction and a backhand direction; wherein the upper end of the shaft comprises an upper forehand sidewall facing the forehand direction and an upper backhand sidewall facing the backhand direction, and the lower portion of the shaft comprises a lower forehand sidewall facing the forehand direction and a lower backhand sidewall facing the backhand direction, the lower portion of the shaft being laterally offset in the backhand direction from the upper end of the shaft due to the transition portion of the shaft such that the upper backhand sidewall of the upper end is positioned further in the forehand direction than both the blade and the lower forehand sidewall of the lower portion.