SWIMMING AID AND METHODS OF USE
A swimming aid for the shin or shins of a swimmer. In an embodiment of the invention, the aid is wearable by inserting a leg through the swimming aid. In an alternative embodiment, the swimming aid further includes a zipper or other means of closure.
Various swimming aids are available. They support and/or provide flotation to the back, arms, thighs and feet. The drawbacks of the available swimming aids are that they are not easy to use, reduce the hydrodynamic motion of the swimmer, increase drag and hinder the continuous act of swimming by allowing the lower part of the leg to sink. Fins, on the other hand, increase flotation of the feet but do not provide a natural swimming experience to the swimmer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to embodiments of the present invention a swimming aid that provides upward force and floats the swimmer from the shins is disclosed.
According to embodiments of the present invention the swimming aid keeps all parts of both legs parallel to the water level and substantially on the same elevation as the rest of the body by floating the legs from the shins, thereby aiding the swimmer swim, for example during free style swimming.
According to further embodiments of the present invention the swimming aid of the present invention is evenly distributed along the shin and maintains the hydrodynamic movement of the swimmer.
According to some embodiments of the present invention the floatation the swimming aid provides is proportional to the swimmers weight.
According to some embodiments of the present invention the swimming aid of the present invention is made of a support material which does not completely soak. According to one embodiment of the present invention the non soaking material is NEOPRENE. In one embodiment the support material encapsulates the floating material EPE Foam. In an alternative embodiment a sheet of the support material is connected to a sheet of the floating material.
According to some embodiments of the present invention the swimming aid of the present invention is multilayered, the outer layer in the support material, the next layer is the floatation material, and then another layer of the support material. In other embodiments it includes two layers, a support material and the floatation material. In yet another embodiment the swimming aid is made of a single layer or multiple layers of the floating material. In some embodiments the swimming aid generally follows the contour of the shin.
According to some embodiments of the present invention the swimming aid of the present invention is wearable on the shin. According to other embodiments it is fastened to the shins.
The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with objects, features, and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings in which:
In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention.
Reference is made to
In certain embodiments, swimming aid 10 is of decreasing diameter from one end to the other. In certain embodiments, swimming aid 10 is worn such that the end with the smaller diameter is positioned towards the wearer's feet. Reference is made to
Flotation material may be contained within one or more compartments. In one embodiment, the flotation compartments do not entirely cover the outside of the swimming aid 10. As seen in the latitudinal cross section 30, the floatation material is preferably encapsulated within the support material, such as NEOPRENE. In one embodiment the floatation material is EPE Foam used also in packaging. EPO Foam is light weight, has low density and is relatively non-absorbing of water. In another embodiment of the present invention the EPE Foam may be a layer of substantially similar size and shape as the NEOPRENE layer and connected thereto so as to form a two layer swimming aid. Other flotation materials can be used as well.
According to embodiments of the present invention the size the swimming aid is proportional to the swimmer's height, for example smaller ones will fit a child swimmer while bigger ones an adult swimmer. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the weight of the swimming aid is also proportional to the swimmer size, primarily to his or her weight. In one embodiment, in order to keep a 170 lb swimmer leveled with the water, the device may provide 1.5 lb upward force per shin. For a 120 lb swimmer, the device may provide 0.75 lb of upward force per shin.
Reference is made to
Reference is made to the 12 images (numbers 1-12) of
It will be appreciated that the swimming aid of the present invention allows an amateur swimmer, who normally can swim a certain number of laps of free style swimming, significantly increase the number of laps he can swim thereby improving his swimming skills and exercise longer. It will also be appreciated that the swimming aid of the present invention allows a professional swimmer on every level improve his or her skills by leveling the legs with the water more easily with the swimming aid thereby focusing on exercising the torso and hands movement.
While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.
Claims
1. A swimming aid for the shin of a swimmer.
2. The swimming aid of claim 1 wherein the swimming aid is a conical frustum, tapering cone, or an irregular conical frustum or cone tapering irregularly.
3. The swimming aid of claim 2 wherein the swimming aid is wearable by inserting the leg of the swimmer there through.
4. The swimming aid of claim 3 wherein the swimming aid comprises a zipper along a longitudinal axis to allow easier wearing thereof.
5. The swimming aid of claim 1 comprising a floatation material encapsulated within a support material.
6. The swimming aid of claim 5 wherein the floatation material is EPE foam.
7. The swimming aid of claim 5 wherein the support material does not completely soak.
8. The swimming aid of claim 7 wherein the support material is NEOPRENE.
9. The swimming aid of claim 4 wherein a flap is placed inward of the zipper so the zipper does not touch the swimmer's skin.
10. The swimming aid of claim 9 wherein the flap is made of NEOPRENE.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 3, 2013
Publication Date: May 28, 2015
Inventor: Aharon Ron YEHUDA (New York, NY)
Application Number: 14/405,557
International Classification: A63B 31/12 (20060101); B63C 9/135 (20060101);