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 natural rubber, which in addition to providing the expected, albeit small (due to the integrity of the underlying nylon fibers), increase in elasticity, also yields a fiber finish with an increased coefficient of friction, giving rise to the “tacky” feeling that results in increased ball control. It is important to note, however, that the tacky nature of the coating does not cause it to be overly “sticky,” such that it would become quickly obscured by dirt or other foreign materials. Rather, a nice balance is present.

[0009]The tacky and energy absorbent nature of the modified fibers provides the greatest benefit over the conventional technology in which the netting is composed of either leather or uncoated nylon. The tackiness results from the rubber coating generally existing at a temperature above its glass transition temperature (Tg) during normal use. From an application point of view, this is the temperature above which a natural or synthetic polymer transforms from a hard, often brittle plastic, to a soft, malleable, and often tacky material. Because room temperature is well above the Tg of natural rubber, the fibers are coated with a material that provides the observed tackiness and elasticity even when wet. 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.”

[0010]There are many natural and synthetic polymers that have Tg values below room temperature and might be capable of delivering similar benefits. In general, conventional synthetic elastomers, e.g., butyl rubber, can offer some of the same advantages, provided there is an application method that is equally facile. 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. The benefit of thermoplastic elastomers lies in that fact that they are completely synthetic, relatively inexpensive, easily-processed, and, most importantly, can be precisely tailored for specific properties through variation of composition. While the natural latex coating is inexpensive and can be applied easily, thermoplastic elastomers can be prepared with a finely-tuned balance of elasticity and tackiness in order to impart a combination of properties that approaches that of an ideal coating. More generally, a coating composed of any polymer that provides increased fiber integrity, elasticity, and tackiness, regardless of Tg or elasticity would be a candidate for the coating.

[0011]Regarding the method of application, a brush-on method certainly delivers the desired coating thickness and properties, but other methods may increase feasibility for scaling-up the process. Certainly dip coating and spray coating are attractive because they are fast and could be incorporated into a continuous industrial process. By varying the concentration and / or viscosity of the solution from which the coating is applied, it may be possible to control the thickness of the coating. To a limit, a thicker coating would dissipate impact energy more efficiently and give a better sense of feel.

Problems solved by technology

Regarding the method of application, a brush-on method certainly delivers the desired coating thickness and properties, but other methods may increase feasibility for scaling-up the process.

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