Lacrosse Head Sidewall Bottom Rail Tension Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lacrosse heads face challenges in achieving optimal tension in the pocket, particularly when using mesh pockets designed for one size on heads of different widths, leading to insufficient tension in the upper section of narrower heads.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a sidewall bottom rail with a downwardly-facing surface that shifts outwardly in the upper head section, and inwardly-facing surfaces with stringing holes set back from the longitudinal centerline plane, allowing for increased tension without widening the head, enabling the use of mesh pockets designed for wider heads on narrower ones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the head width is increased to provide sufficient pocket tension in the upper section, then the tension is improved, but the head width becomes larger than desired
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom rail is designed with different characteristics in different sections: the upper section has an outwardly flared configuration with increased distance from the centerline to the inwardly-facing surface, while the lower section maintains a standard configuration. This local differentiation allows increased pocket tension specifically in the upper section without increasing the overall head width.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of increasing head width uniformly across all sections, the invention modifies the geometry in the vertical dimension by creating an outward flare in the upper section bottom rail. This dimensional change allows the inwardly-facing surface to be positioned farther from the centerline in the upper section, increasing pocket tension locally without affecting overall head width.
2Force
If mesh pockets designed for wider heads are used on narrower heads, then pocket tension is improved, but the tension in the lower section becomes inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom rail geometry is locally optimized with the upper section having an outward flare to increase tension, while the lower section maintains a standard configuration to preserve tension consistency. This allows mesh pockets from wider heads to be used effectively while maintaining proper tension distribution throughout the pocket.
Data Source
AI summary
Lacrosse head sidewalls are arranged to apply additional tension to a pocket in an upper section of the head. A sidewall bottom rail includes an outward shift of an inwardly-facing surface and/or a downwardly-facing surface such that one or both of these features is spaced further from a longitudinal centerline plane of the head as compared to a head with no such outward shift.