Buoys – rafts – and aquatic devices – Swimming aid to increase stroke efficiency – Foot attached
Patent
1996-09-26
1998-09-22
Avila, Stephen
Buoys, rafts, and aquatic devices
Swimming aid to increase stroke efficiency
Foot attached
A63B 3108
Patent
active
058106294
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates generally to swimming aids and more particular, though not exclusively, to swimming aids which are often referred to swim fins or flippers and which are worn on the foot. The invention in another aspect relates to a method of manufacturing such swimming aids.
Swimming aids of the type referred to have been known for many years. Generally such aids are formed from a moulded elastomer such as rubber or synthetic rubber. The efficiency of such swimming aids however, is in essence, limited by the properties of the elastomer used. In order to provide stronger swim fins or flippers it has been necessary in the past to simply increase the amount of elastomer. Not only does this substantially increase the weight of the swim fin but also the cost.
Conventional surfing flippers use a combination of hard and soft rubber in their construction in order to develop power. This is done by using hard rubber in the distal free end of the fin, and soft rubber in the support area of the foot. The hard rubber displaces the water, and the soft rubber provides the needed flex. The lesser the amount of soft support rubber the more the fin will try to bend along the delineation of hard and soft rubber, thus placing the full force created by the kicking action of the user across the toes of the foot, rather than across the bridge of the foot. Likewise, using harder rubber around the foot cavity will aid displacing this force further up the foot, but reduce the advantages of the flex.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved swimming aid which alleviates one or more of the aforementioned disadvantages.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a swimming aid which includes a main body having a support section by which the swimming aid is carried by the user and a fin section which extends away from the support section and includes a distal free edge portion and a spaced apart side edge portions extending between the distal free edge portion and the support section, and at least one elongated substantially resilient element extending from the support section towards the distal free edge portion of the fin.
Preferably, the support section includes a cavity or pocket into which the main part of the users foot can be received and a heel support for retaining the users foot in position.
Preferably, the side edge portions of the fin section taper inwardly upwards towards one another from the distal free edge thereof in the direction towards the support, the side edge portions terminating towards the end portion of the support remote from the distal end of the fin.
In one form, a part of each side portion which is disposed adjacent the support may be configured so as to form a "wing section" which tapers upwardly from the upper surface and forms a channel between the outer peripheral edge and the wall of the support.
The inwardly tapered side edge portions of upper and lower surfaces of the preferred form together with its extension adjacent the support forming the "wing section" are designed to (1) enhance the water catchment and control the direction of water flow over upper surface towards the distal leading edges leading to improved thrust, (2) aid the neutralisation of pressures by allowing free movement from the edge along the back of the fin towards the centre leading faster less strenuous up kick (or, return stroke).
During the down ward kick, water is captured in the wing section and directed from as far back as the ankle area down the channel towards the distal blade area of the foot, the wing section in the design effectively does three things:
(1) It increases the surfaces area of the fin thus increasing the thrust potential but without a proportional increase in load pressures on the lower calf muscles and ligaments as the effect required to displace this increased area of water is carried more evenly along the foot (because of the location of the wing section along the side of the foot cavity) thus reducing the load pressures dictated by the physics of le
REFERENCES:
patent: 2099973 (1937-11-01), De Corlieu
patent: 3411165 (1968-11-01), Murdoch
patent: 3422470 (1969-01-01), Mares
patent: 4007506 (1977-02-01), Rasmussen
patent: 4954112 (1990-09-01), Negrini et al.
patent: 5358439 (1994-10-01), Paolo
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