Fin with a harmless foot pocket

Details Fin with a harmless foot pocket Fin with a harmless foot pocket

2000-12-27

2001-08-21

Sotelo, Jesus D. (Department: 3617)

Buoys, rafts, and aquatic devices

Swimming aid to increase stroke efficiency

Foot attached

Reexamination Certificate

active

06276978

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fin, and more particularly to a fin having a foot pocket that on the one hand comfortably covers and protects a diver's toes from harm and on the other hand enables the diver to force his instep against the foot pocket while kicking water.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional fins can be generally divided into two types, namely, a fin
10
with closed foot pocket
40
, as shown in
FIG. 1
, and a fin
20
with open foot pocket
40
, as shown in FIG.
2
. In both types, the foot pocket
40
is integrally connected to a blade
30
of the fin
10
,
20
. The closed foot pocket
40
of the fin
10
has a front portion
41
that is completely connected to the blade
30
without any opening between them and therefore encloses toes of a diver wearing the fin
10
in the foot pocket
40
. On the other hand, the open foot pocket
40
of the fin
20
has a front opening
42
between the foot pocket
40
and the blade
30
to expose the diver's toes.
As known by most people, in skin diving or other types of diving, the diver moves forward under water when he or her alternately swings two legs up and down to kick water. The diver's strength is transferred from thighs via shanks to insteps and toes, enabling insteps and toes to force against the foot pockets
40
and thereby bring the blades
30
to downward move against water. Please refer to FIG.
3
. For a diver wearing fins
10
with closed foot pockets
40
, when one of his or her two legs is moved downward to kick water, the leg's strength is transferred to toes
43
, forcing the same to press against the foot pocket
40
at an inner side of the front portion
41
thereof and bring the blade
30
to downward move against water. It is known that toes are the most vulnerable portions in human's feet. Improperly or overly applying a force with toes tends to cause tiredness and pain of feet. When the toes
43
forcefully press against the closed foot pocket
40
, the diver's sole arches to easily cause sprained toe joints as well as cramped foot and calf.
Please now refer to FIG.
4
. The open foot pocket
40
of the fin
20
allows toes
43
to expose from the front opening
42
thereof. When the diver wears fins
20
with open foot pockets
40
, his or her leg strength of the downward moved leg is transferred to an instep
44
of that leg, making the instep
44
a point of applying force. The instep
44
applies a force on the foot pocket
40
that transfers the force to the blade
30
to complete the movement of kicking water. Since the instep
44
is structurally stronger than toes
43
, it is more advantageous to move the blade
30
with the instep
44
than toes
43
. The fin
20
with open foot pocket has, however, a drawback of dangerously exposing toes
43
and a part of the instep
44
from the front opening
42
of the foot pocket
40
to rocks, coral reefs, sea urchins and the like under sea, resulting in cut wound and/or puncture wound at these areas. Moreover, the front opening
42
of the open foot pocket
40
has a hard and sharp front edge
45
that would be inevitably in contact with and abrade or otherwise compress the instep
44
at some fixed areas thereof when the latter exerts force against the foot pocket
40
, resulting in swollen, blistered, bruised skin and/or soreness and stiffness of the instep
44
. Such harms made by the open foot pockets
40
to the diver's insteps prevent the diver from kicking water with full strength and make diving less interesting.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a fin with a harmless foot pocket to eliminate the drawbacks of the conventional fin with closed or open foot pocket in causing tired and sore toes, sprained toe joints, cramped feet and calves, and wounded skin and cartilage at instep.
The fin with a harmless foot pocket according to the present invention mainly includes a foot pocket that has a slit extended from one side to another side of the foot pocket along a joint of the foot pocket and a blade of the fin, so that a front part of the foot pocket forms a movable protective flap. The movable protective flap allows a diver to easily push it open with toes and to exert strength via instep against the foot pocket during kicking water. The movable protective flap is large enough to provide sufficient space for toes to move in the foot pocket without being compressed while protects the diver's foot against rocks, coral reefs and the like and therefore allows the diver to kick water more powerfully. The movable protective flap also eliminates hard and sharp edge of the foot pocket to protect the diver's foot against cut, bruised or swollen instep that is in contact with the foot pocket.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3178738 (1965-04-01), Trell
patent: 3239857 (1966-03-01), Gwynne
patent: 4954111 (1990-09-01), Cressi
patent: 5108328 (1992-04-01), Hull

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