Graphically Designed Protective System for Sports Equipment

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/673,161, filed April 20, 2005.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of grips or handles for sports equipment having a gripping end, such as hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks, golf clubs and tennis rackets. In particular, the present invention relates to the means for incorporating a printed media or design element into grips for sporting equipment such as hockey sticks and lacrosse sticks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many participants in athletic events desire to customize the tools of their sports by applying decals and other informative means, such as inscribing their name or adding a particular design. The present invention meets this need by allowing users to customize their sports equipment with unique graphics that not only allows the user to personalize the equipment, but also provides improved grip of the equipment, thus increasing control of the sports equipment and subsequently the object in play. Moreover, the present invention meets the need of sports teams desiring to unify the team by allowing users to customize their sports equipment to contain the team's logo, mascot, color, and/or design.

There is a need in the local sporting clubs, schools, private sporting organizations, and major sporting franchises for an effective yet easy to use graphically-designed protective system that allows users to customize their equipment. Other inventions and patented items require users to take apart their equipment and add decorative label, thus forcing the user to spend more time preparing the equipment than actually using it. Still other inventions and patented items require special manufacturing processes to allow users to customize their equipment. The present invention overcomes these disabilities by providing the user a simple, effective, and decorative product that any user can apply without difficulty.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the previous product disadvantages by offering the user/athletic participant a customized, specialized, easy-to-use product.

A preferred embodiment of the invention includes a customized graphic designed sports equipment protection system with two components. The first component includes a customized graphical design that is created by a graphic artist and is then printed onto a vinyl, adhesive-backed material (decal). The second component is a heat-shrinkable polymer tube that is slipped over the piece of sporting equipment on top of the vinyl, adhesive-backed first component that has been attached to the piece of sporting equipment. Once the heat- shrinkable polymer tube is in place, it is reduced in size to a customized fit by using any commercially available hand-held hair dryer.

Another embodiment of the invention includes a customized graphical design that is created by a graphic artist and is then printed onto a vinyl, adhesive-backed material ("decal"). The decal also contains a protective layer of polymer material on the top portion of the decal, thus providing the decal with the desired protection. The decal is then applied to the user's equipment.

Accordingly, several objectives and advantages of the invention are to provide an easily customizable, easy-to-use, and easy to apply product that allows the user to customize his/her equipment, protects the equipment from normal wear and tear, and provides a better gripping surface on the equipment, thus providing the user better control. Further objectives and advantages will become apparent from a study of the description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing of the adhesive-backed graphically designed and printed vinyl material as it would be applied to a hockey stick;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the polymer tube as it would be applied to a piece of sporting equipment, in this instance a hockey stick;

FIG. 3 is a perspective drawing of the adhesive backed graphically designed and printed vinyl material as it would be applied to a lacrosse stick;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the polymer tube as it would be applied to a piece of sporting equipment, in this instance a lacrosse stick.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views of the Graphically-designed adhesive-backed vinyl material (decal) with a protective layer of polymer material

DRAWINGS - Reference Numerals

10 Graphically-designed adhesive-backed vinyl material (decal)

12 Heat-shrmkable polymer tubing

14 Graphically-designed adhesive-backed vinyl material (decal)

16 Heat-shrinkable polymer tubing

18 Front side

20 Adhesive layer

22 Back side

24 Front side.

26 Protective layer of polymer material

28 Adhesive layer

30 Back side

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, there is shown a preferred embodiment of a graphically designed protective system for sports equipment generally shown at 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention. Preferably, the present invention includes a graphically-designed adhesive-backed vinyl material (decal) 10 having a front side 18 and back side 22 and at least a pair of ends. Preferably, a back side 22 is affixed to the to the sports equipment by use of an adhesive layer 20. A heat-shrinkable polymer tubing 12 having an interior void extending the length of the tube and having at least two ends with similar openings is shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

Turning now to FIG. 6, there is shown an alternative embodiment of the graphically designed protective system for sports equipment invention. As discussed above, the alternative embodiment of the invention does not include a heat-shrinkable polymer tubing 12 having an interior void extending the length of the tube and having at least two ends with similar openings. Rather, the alternative embodiment includes a protective layer of polymer

material 26 pre-manufactured onto the graphically designed protective system for sports equipment having a front side 24 and back side 30 and at least a pair of ends, but still providing improved grip, control, and protection for the user.

The method of using the graphically designed protective system for sports equipment 10 is as follows. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3 the user first positions the back side 22 of the graphically designed protective system against a piece of sports equipment such as a hockey stick or lacrosse stick, so the graphically designed protective system fits over the portion of the sports equipment where the user desires it to be placed. Next, the user peels off the back side 22 of the graphically designed protective system revealing an adhesive layer 20. The user then applies the graphically designed protective system by pressing it onto the piece of sports equipment such that the adhesive layer makes contact with the equipment. The user then takes the heat-shrinkable polymer tubing 12 and slides it over the piece of equipment, such that it covers the top layer 18 of the graphically designed protective system. The user then heats the heat-shrinkable polymer tubing 12 with a commercially available hand-held hair dryer to the point where the tube will shrink onto the sports equipment. A method for applying the alternative embodiment consists of the user positioning the back side 30 of the graphically designed protective system against a piece of sports equipment such as a hockey stick or lacrosse stick, so the graphically designed protective system fits over the portion of the sports equipment where the user desires it to be placed. Next, the user peels off the back side 30 of the graphically designed protective system revealing an adhesive layer 28. The user then applies the graphically designed protective system by pressing it onto the piece of sports equipment such that the adhesive layer makes contact with the equipment.

Having thus described the present invention, various modifications and improvements will become apparent to those having skill in the art that do not depart from the scope of the present invention.