Lacrosse Handle Gripping Structure for Tactile Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional lacrosse handles with smooth surfaces lack hand positioning assistance and tactile feedback, making it difficult for players to maintain control and orientation of the stick during play, leading to potential performance issues and the need for additional weight from tape for grip enhancement.

Innovation Solution

A lacrosse handle with a raised gripping structure along its lower end, featuring varying patterns and thicknesses, constructed from polymeric materials with ink layers, applied via a water transfer process, providing tactile feedback and improved grip without adding weight.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a smooth outer surface is used on the lacrosse handle, then the player can easily move their hands up and down the handle, but the handle provides little hand positioning assistance and tactile feedback

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehand movement along handleVSAvoidtactile feedback and hand positioning information

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The handle surface is divided into different zones with different properties: the upper portion maintains a smooth surface for easy hand movement, while the lower portion features a raised gripping structure with textured pattern for enhanced tactile feedback and hand positioning. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing smoothness where needed for movement and texture where needed for feedback.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If tape is wrapped on the lacrosse handle to improve grip, then hand positioning and grip are enhanced, but weight is added to the handle and overall balance is affected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegrip stability and hand positioningVSAvoidhandle weight and balance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The gripping function is extracted from the separate tape component and integrated directly into the handle structure itself through the raised gripping structure. This eliminates the need for additional tape material, thereby maintaining the original weight and balance characteristics of the handle while still providing enhanced grip and hand positioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If tape is wrapped on the lacrosse handle to improve grip, then hand positioning is enhanced, but the tape wears out quickly and requires replacement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegrip stabilityVSAvoidgrip structure durability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The gripping structure is merged with the handle as an integrated component rather than a separate consumable element. The raised gripping structure is permanently formed as part of the handle body, eliminating wear and replacement issues associated with tape while maintaining continuous grip enhancement throughout the handle's service life.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Loss of information

If a raised gripping structure is added to the handle, then tactile feedback and hand positioning are improved, but the handle complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetactile feedbackVSAvoidhandle structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The raised gripping structure is implemented as a thin surface layer or coating applied to the handle exterior, rather than a bulky three-dimensional addition. This maintains the overall simple cylindrical form of the handle while providing the necessary tactile complexity on the surface, thereby minimizing increases in structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enhances grip and control by allowing precise hand positioning, reducing the need for tape and maintaining balance, while enabling smooth sliding of the top hand up and down the handle for optimized control.

Implementation Method 1

The polymeric material and ink layers of the decal can be joined with the lacrosse handle via a water transfer process.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectWater transfer process:

Data Source

PatentUS7972227B2Lacrosse handle with gripping structure

Publication Date: 2011.07.05 WARRIOR SPORTS INC

AI summary

A lacrosse handle including a gripping structure that provides a user with an improved grip of the handle. The gripping structure can provide tactile feedback regarding the precise positioning of the lower hand at a particular location between the top end and bottom end of the handle. Optionally, the upper portion of the lacrosse handle may remain substantially bare, allowing a user to easily position and reposition their upper hand by sliding the hand up and down the upper portion of the handle during play. The gripping structure can be formed having one or more layers of a clear lacquer material and one or more ink layers applied to the outer surface of the handle via a wet transfer technique, or other processes.