ANKLE FLOAT BUOY
A unitary ankle float buoy for immobilizing the legs during swim training. The buoy is formed of a central portion connecting a top wall and a lower wall and a pair of ankle openings disposed on each side of the central portion. The ankle float buoy is designed and configured to be worn upon both ankles of a swimmer below the calf and above the foot.
Not Applicable
STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENTNot Applicable
BACKGROUNDThe present disclosure relates generally to an ankle floatation device, and more particularly to a swim training device that maintains a swimmer's legs in a fixed position to focus on the swimmer's core and shoulder training while swimming.
Typically, swimming utilizes an arm stroke and kicking of the legs to propel the swimmer through water. While the arm stroke generally provides the majority of thrust, strong kicking can often compensate for a weak arm stroke. In order to overcome this compensating ability, it is often desired to remove the legs from the stroke to focus on the core and arm muscles to improve the arm stroke. However, one cannot simply stop kicking, as the legs would sink in the water causing an increased amount of drag that would need to be overcome. Additionally, paraplegic swimmers, or others with inabilities to kick their legs sufficiently, would be aided by a device to maintain and float the legs, while allowing them to swim only using the arm stroke.
In order to overcome these problems, various solutions have been introduced. Traditionally, foam pull buoys have been used. These pull buoys are figure-8 shaped devices that are held between the legs of the swimmer, by the swimmer exerting a closing force with their legs onto the pull buoy. This closing exertion, however, can be uncomfortable and tiring for the user and still allows for a certain degree of kicking being performed by the swimmer. Initial attempts to overcome these deficiencies include further tying straps to the swimmer's leg to maintain the pull buoy in position without requiring a closing exertion from the swimmer and to further limit the kicking ability. However, these straps can be cumbersome and difficult to attach and remove. An advance on this technology was described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,169,000, which discloses a swimming aid training device that includes a buoy assembly that attaches to a swimmer's calf area and a fin assembly to prevent the swimmer from twisting their torso. However, in most swimming strokes, the swimmer's torso rolls from side to side during the arm stroke. This side-to-side roll requires the swimmer to exhibit a great deal of core strength and endurance. If the swimmer lacks the necessary core strength, the swimmer may break form. As such, if one is desiring to increase the strength and proficiency of their core, this device is not ideal. Further, its placement on the calf area does not place the buoyant force at a distal region of the swimmer's legs and, due to the tapering shape of the calf region, requires a difficult to form configuration that tapers from the opening to the exit and is described as a “substantially rotated H-shape”.
As such, there is a need for an improved swim training device that not only allows a swimmer to focus on their arm stroke, but also allows the swimmer to properly work their core, while maintaining their legs in a fixed position with a buoyant force being provided at the ankle region, in an easy to enter and exit configuration, that is further easily and economically manufactured.
BRIEF SUMMARYIn accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is contemplated a unitary ankle float buoy for immobilizing the legs during swim training. The buoy is formed of a central portion connecting a top wall and a lower wall. The top wall extends outward from the central portion in both directions and curves downward at distal ends, while the lower wall extends outward from the central portion in both directions and curves upward at distal ends. Further, the buoy has a pair of ankle openings disposed on each side of the central portion, below the top wall and above the lower wall. Each ankle opening is defined by a sidewall of the central portion, a rear opening, a front opening, and a side opening. The central portion, top wall, and lower wall define a front edge on the side of the buoy having front openings and a rear edge on the side of the buoy having rear openings. The ankle float buoy is designed and configured to be worn upon both ankles of a swimmer below the calf and above the foot. To aid in fitting the buoy on the swimmer's ankles, the rear edge may narrow from the central portion to the distal ends to comfortably accommodate the swimmer's lateral malleolus.
In certain embodiments, the ankle openings may be formed in a substantially straight cylindrical configuration, wherein the front and rear openings, and the portions between the two openings, are substantially the same size. In particular, this substantially straight configuration may be achieved when the buoy is formed from a solid piece of buoyant, resilient foam and the ankle openings are cut from the piece of foam.
In other embodiments, the ankle openings may be formed in a convex configuration, such that the front and rear openings are wider than a segment of the ankle openings located between the front and rear openings. In particular, this convex configuration may be achieved readily when the buoy is formed from a compression molded foam. One benefit of the convex shape may be that the narrower portion between the rear and front openings may assist in securing the buoy to the swimmer as the portion of the ankle between the swimmer's foot and calf region is generally narrower, thereby allowing the convex formation to better fit to the swimmer's anatomy.
These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:
The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and sequences of steps for constructing and operating the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments and that they are also intended to be encompassed within the scope of the invention.
As shown in
As can be seen in
The front edge 12 is defined by the top wall 22, lower wall 24, and central portion 26 on the side of the buoy 10 having front openings 18 and the rear edge 14 is defined by the top wall 22, lower wall 24, and central portion 26 on the side of the buoy 10 having the rear openings 16. In certain embodiments, the rear edge 14 may be contoured to better accommodate the swimmer's lateral malleolus (the outer protrusion of the ankle). In particular, the rear edge 14 may take a convex configuration such that the central portion 26 extends further than the distal ends 30a, 30b along the rear edge 14. By tapering inward at the distal ends 30a, 30b, the buoy 10 may avoid encompassing the swimmer's lateral malleolus during use, thereby providing a more comfortable design than if the buoy 10 were provided in a substantially straight configuration that encompassed the user's lateral malleolus during use.
The buoy 10 is preferably formed from a buoyant and resilient material in order to provide floatation assistance to the swimmer while maintaining its shape during use, but being readily deformable to allow for easy entry and exit of the swimmer's ankle 25. For example, the buoy may be formed from a foam polymer such as polyethylene or ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA)
As shown in phantom in
In an alternative embodiment, shown in
As such, it can be seen from the unique configuration disclosed herein, the buoy may be easily placed upon the user and removed from the user without a need for complicated and cumbersome straps or other attaching devices. Further, the configuration allows for easy and economy in the manufacturing process in that complex geometries and shapes are not necessary to maintain the position of the buoy on the user's ankles. Additionally, the placement of the buoy on the swimmer's ankle region, as opposed to the calf or thigh region, places the source of buoyancy at a distalmost portion of the leg region, thereby providing buoyancy in a location that is able to maintain the swimmer in proper alignment within the water. In addition to the use of a buoyant material in forming the buoy, it is envisioned that the buoy may further be configured in such a fashion to act as a hydrofoil. That is, the outer shape of the buoy may be optimized such that the lift generated by propulsion through the water while in use is substantially larger than the drag generated by the buoy. By shaping the buoy in such a manner, it further acts in a manner to maintain the swimmer's body in proper alignment during use.
The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein, including various ways of forming the ankle float buoy and various sizes of the ankle float buoy for swimmers of different ages and sizes. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.
Claims
1. A unitary ankle float buoy for immobilizing the legs during swim training, said buoy comprising:
- a central body;
- a left set of jaws comprising a first left jaw element comprising a first end attached to a left upper outside edge of the central body and extending away from the central body to a second end which curves downward, and a second left jaw element with a first end attached to a left lower outside edge of the central body and mirroring the first jaw element;
- a left gap formed between the second end of the first left jaw element and the second end of the second left jaw element;
- a right set of jaws comprising a first right jaw element comprising a first end attached to a right upper outside edge of the central body and extending away from the central body to a second end which curves downward, and a right second jaw element with a first end attached to a right lower outside edge of the central body and mirroring the first jaw element; and
- a right gap formed between the second end of the first right jaw element and the second end of the second right jaw element;
- wherein the first left jaw element, the second left jaw element, the first right jaw element, and second right jaw element all have a closed position to which the jaw elements are biased and return to without application of an outside force.
2. The unitary ankle float buoy of claim 1, wherein a rear edge narrows from the central body to a distal end to comfortably accommodate a swimmer's lateral malleolus.
3. The unitary ankle float buoy of claim 1, wherein a space between the first right jaw element and the second right jaw element forms a right ankle opening, and a space between the first left jaw element and the second left jaw element forms a left ankle opening.
4. The unitary ankle float buoy of claim 3, wherein the buoy is formed from a solid piece of buoyant, resilient foam.
5. The unitary ankle float buoy of claim 1, wherein a left ankle gap between the first left jaw element and the second left jaw element is wider in a middle of the left jaw elements than at left gap.
6. The unitary ankle float buoy of claim 5, wherein the buoy is formed from a compression molded foam.
7. The unitary ankle float buoy of claim 3, wherein the left ankle gap is formed in a substantially straight cylindrical configuration.
8. The unitary ankle float buoy of claim 1, wherein, when viewed form the front, the left set of jaws forms a substantially reverse-C shape and the right set of jaws forms a substantially C shape.
9. An ankle float buoy, comprising:
- a top half, comprising: a central body element; a left wing element extending away from the central body element, comprising a width, a first end attached to the central body element, and a second end opposite the first end; a right wing element extending away from the central body element in an opposite direction to the left wing element the right wing element comprising a width, a first end attach to the central body element, and a second end opposite the first end;
- a bottom half, comprising: a central body element mirroring the top half central body element; a left wing element mirroring the top half left wing element, the bottom half left wing element comprising a width, a first end attached to the bottom half central body element, and a second end opposite the first end; and a right wing element mirroring the top half central body element, the bottom half right wing element comprising a width, a first end attached to the bottom half central body element, and a second end opposite the first end;
- wherein the width of the left wing top half element tapers from the first end to the second end, the width of the right wing top half element tapers from the first end to the second end, the width of the left wing bottom half element tapers from the first end to the second end, and the width of the right wing bottom half element tapers from the first end to the second end.
10. The ankle float buoy of claim 9, wherein the top half and the bottom half are molded from a foam polymer.
11. The ankle float buoy of claim 10, wherein the top half and the bottom half are integrated.
12. The ankle float buoy of claim 9, wherein, when viewed form the front, the left set wing of the top half and the left wing of the bottom half form a substantially reverse-C shape and the right wing of the top half and the right wing of the bottom half form a substantially C shape.
13. The ankle float buoy of claim 9, wherein the second end of the top half left wing element and the second end of the bottom half left wing element form a gap, and the second end of the top half right wing element and the second end of the bottom half right wing element form a gap.
14. The ankle float buoy of claim 9, wherein the top half right wing element, top half left wing element, the bottom half right wing element, and bottom half left wing element are biased to a closed position.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 30, 2015
Publication Date: Apr 28, 2016
Inventors: Matthew V. DiLorenzo (Plainview, NY), Philip M. Bayer (Brooklyn, NY), Kyle D. Sola (Brooklyn, NY), Yang Wang (Syosset, NY)
Application Number: 14/985,008