Lacrosse net

Abstract

A modified form of a lacrosse net provides increased adherence, integrity, and “give” as a result of a coating applied to the fibers. In one form, the fibers are manually coated by brushing them with a natural latex mixture followed by evaporation of the volatile components, which gives the coated fibers a tacky and energy absorbent nature. The soft nature of the coating may also aid in dissipating energy during impact with the ball, and this could contribute to the sense of increased “feel.” There are many natural and synthetic polymers that might be capable of delivering similar benefits, including conventional synthetic elastomers, e.g., butyl rubber. Thermoplastic elastomers are a growing field of interest in coating technologies, and with the appropriate tuning, they can be made with all of the same properties as the natural rubber coating. A brush-on method delivers the desired coating thickness and properties, but other methods, such as dip coating and spray coating, may increase feasibility for scaling-up the process. In one arrangement, the entire fiber is composed of a rubbery material. The resulting properties may not be exactly what is desired, however, because the underlying integrity of the nylon fiber would be absent, and this might result in netting with a “springy” feel.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]N / ASTATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0002]Not ApplicableINCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC[0003]Not ApplicableBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0004]1. Field of the Invention[0005]The invention relates generally to netting for lacrosse sticks and, in one of its aspects to material or a coating material for the netting.[0006]2. Description of Related Art[0007]Netting for lacrosse sticks are made of many materials, but typical materials are leather or nylon. The different materials give a different feel to the stick and netting during play.BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION[0008]A modified form of a lacrosse net provides increased adherence, integrity, and “give” as a result of a coating applied to the fibers. In one form, the fibers are manually coated by brushing them with a natural latex mixture followed by evaporation of the volatile components. Natural latex is essentially a mixture o...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]A modified form of a lacrosse net provides increased adherence, integrity, and “give” as a result of a coating applied to the fibers. In one form, the fibers are manually coated by brushing them with a natural latex mixture followed by evaporation of the volatile components. Natural latex is essentially a mixture of small natural rubber particles suspended in water with the aid of a surfactant. When the aqueous media is evaporated after application, the remaining coating is composed largely of natura...

Problems solved by technology

Regarding the method of application, a brush-on method certainly delivers the desired coatin...

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