FLOATER PADDLE
An apparatus has a body configured to accept a portion of a forearm therein and configured to restrict movement of the forearm, a handle connected to the body, the handle configured for being gripped by a hand, and a first side extension connected to the body and extending generally radially from the body.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/510,153 filed on 23 May 2017 by Danilo P. Gerona, titled “FLOATER PADDLE,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUNDSome swimming and floating devices exist that can fit over the hand of a user. However, existing swimming and floating devices are not well-suited for providing both floatation as well as a propulsion aid (i.e., swimming). Instead, existing devices are configured as gloves or devices that primarily increase a water contact surface area near a distal end of the hand.
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The body 102 comprises an at least partially tubular structure that, while lightweight and water resistant, is generally elastically deformable. Alternative embodiments may comprise substantially rigid inner components and/or outer shells, and the shells may be filled with air or buoyant materials. As shown, the body 102 is sufficiently rigid without the addition of stiffer structures to substantially maintain its shape during the intended uses as a swimming and/or floatation aide worn on an arm of a user. The body 102 comprises a hand entrance rim 108 near the rear of the body 102. The handle 104 comprises a bar, rod, or other lengthwise structure sized and shaped to be easily gripped by a human hand and, in this embodiment, the handle 104 is formed integrally with the body 102. A user can grip the handle 104 while a portion of the user's forearm is at least partially caged within the tubular portion of the body 102, thereby allowing the user to manipulate the floater paddle 100. In alternative embodiments, the handle 104 may be bonded, glued, and/or otherwise affixed to the body 102. As mentioned above, the body 102 is somewhat tubular insofar as the body 102 is open to a front-located hand opening 105 sized and shaped to allow the hand, wrist, and/or arm of a user to extend out from the body 102 into the hand opening 105 that is defined as an open space between the front opening of the tubular portion of the body 102 and the handle 104. The tubular portion of the body 102 comprises somewhat flattened or narrower left and right side extensions 106 as viewed from the front.
In operation, a human user of the floater paddle 100 can use the floater paddle 100 by inserting a hand into the tubular portion of the body 102 primarily by passing the hand and/or wrist through the substantially circular opening defined by the hand entrance rim 108. Next, a user can further increasingly insert a forearm into the body 102 until the user's hand, fingers, thumb, and/or wrist extend out of the tubular portion of the body 102, into the hand opening 105 and/or into contact with the handle 104. Next, the user can grasp the handle 104 with fingers and a thumb so that the user can manipulate the floater paddle 100 and/or move the floater paddle relative to water. In cases where the user is floating in a body of water, the floater paddle 100 can be utilized as a floating aid by drawing the floater paddle 100 to a location near the user's torso and/or chest while in an upright position or to near the user's torso when floating in a supine or prone position. The user can alternatively utilize the floater paddle 100 to improve locomotion in the body of water by performing swimming type strokes while the floater paddle 100 is installed on the user's arm. More specifically, the floater paddle 100 can be used to dig through water so that the broader left-right surface area and/or profile of the body 102 combined with the side extensions 106 increases resistance of passing the floater paddle 100 through the water. In other words, while the floater paddle 100 is being worn as described above, a user can swim further, faster, and/or otherwise more effectively by utilizing the increased surface (as compared to a human arm and/or hand alone) to apply more force to the water, thereby resulting in improved propulsion and/or locomotion. Without removing the floater paddle 100 from the user's arm, a user can switch between utilizing the floater paddle 100 as a highly effective floatation device (such as when drawn to a position near the user's body) and a swimming device (when used to increase locomotive effect in the water).
It will be appreciated that while the floater paddle 100 is described above as comprising particular types of materials, it is contemplated that any other suitable material and/or combination of materials can be utilized to improve the floatation and swimming capabilities of a user. In some cases, a foam material can be coated and/or encased within a rubber material (of the type sometimes used for diving flippers or the like). In some cases, the body 102, handle 104, and/or side extensions 106 can be coated and/or otherwise provided with a smooth exterior that lowers resistance to movement through water (such as, but not limited to, vinyl, plastic, and/or polyethylene). In some cases, the exterior coating can be compressed into the outer surface of the foam or other primary material of the body 102, handle 104, and/or side extensions 106.
While the body 102 is shown as comprising a generally tubular shape, alternative embodiments of a body can comprise any other suitable structures and/or material that can effectively at least partially cage a portion of a user's forearm so that when the user's forearm is at least partially caged by the body 102 while the user grips the handle 104, the floater paddle 100 is captured relative to the user's arm.
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While the handle 104 is shown as comprising a substantially parallel orientation relationship relative to the directionality of the substantially radially extending side extensions 106 (as viewed from the front),
While the body 102 is shown as comprising completely closed ring type tubular structure,
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The floater paddle bodies described above generally comprise tubular, ring-like, and/or split-ring type structures for at least partially caging a portion of a user's forearm. However, it will be appreciated that any other suitable structure for restricting lateral displacement of the user's forearm axis 1010 (for example, as the floater paddle 100 is viewed from the front and back) is hereby contemplated. The body structures need not encircle the forearm, but rather, need only provide lateral displacement restriction of the forearm and cocking displacement of the forearm relative to the user's wrist so that when the user grips the handle of the floater paddle, the body and attached side extensions are limited in their movement relative to the forearm.
Finally, a single floater paddle can be grasped by a user and used as a kickboard by gripping a first side extension with a first hand of a user, gripping a second side extension with a second hand of the user, and floating prone in a body of water with the user's arms extended so that the body of the floater paddle is located forward relative to the user's head.
At least one embodiment is disclosed and variations, combinations, and/or modifications of the embodiment(s) and/or features of the embodiment(s) made by a person having ordinary skill in the art are within the scope of the disclosure. Alternative embodiments that result from combining, integrating, and/or omitting features of the embodiment(s) are also within the scope of the disclosure. Where numerical ranges or limitations are expressly stated, such express ranges or limitations should be understood to include iterative ranges or limitations of like magnitude falling within the expressly stated ranges or limitations (e.g., from about 1 to about 10 includes, 2, 3, 4, etc.; greater than 0.10 includes 0.11, 0.12, 0.13, etc.). For example, whenever a numerical range with a lower limit, Rl, and an upper limit, Ru, is disclosed, any number falling within the range is specifically disclosed. In particular, the following numbers within the range are specifically disclosed: R=Rl+k*(Ru−Rl), wherein k is a variable ranging from 1 percent to 100 percent with a 1 percent increment, i.e., k is 1 percent, 2 percent, 3 percent, 4 percent, 5 percent, . . . 50 percent, 51 percent, 52 percent, . . . , 95 percent, 96 percent, 97 percent, 98 percent, 99 percent, or 100 percent. Moreover, any numerical range defined by two R numbers as defined in the above is also specifically disclosed. Use of the term “optionally” with respect to any element of a claim means that the element is required, or alternatively, the element is not required, both alternatives being within the scope of the claim. Use of broader terms such as comprises, includes, and having should be understood to provide support for narrower terms such as consisting of, consisting essentially of, and comprised substantially of. Accordingly, the scope of protection is not limited by the description set out above but is defined by the claims that follow, that scope including all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims. Each and every claim is incorporated as further disclosure into the specification and the claims are embodiment(s) of the present invention.
Claims
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a body configured to accept a portion of a forearm therein and configured to restrict movement of the forearm;
- a handle connected to the body, the handle configured for being gripped by a hand;
- a first side extension connected to the body and extending generally radially from the body;
- a second side extension connected to the body and extending generally radially from the body in a direction opposite to the direction in which the first side extension extends from the body;
- wherein no portion of the body extends forward of the handle;
- wherein the second side extension is substantially identical to the first side extension; and
- wherein the portion of the body configured to accept the portion of the forearm is substantially symmetrical about an axis of the forearm.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the handle extends along a direction substantially parallel to the direction in which the first side extension extends relative to the body.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the body, the handle, and the first side extension are buoyant.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
- a second side extension connected to the body.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second side extension extends generally radially from the body in a direction opposite relative to the direction in which the first side extension extends away from the body.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body, the handle, the first side extension, and the second side extension are formed integrally.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the body, the handle, the first side extension, and the second side extension comprise a foam material having a substantially constant density.
8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first side extension is selectively attachable and removable from the body.
9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second side extension is substantially a mirror image of the first side extension.
10. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second side extension extends a maximum radial distance from the body less than a maximum radial distance that the first side extension extends from the body.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the body, the handle, and the first side extension is inflatable.
12. The apparatus of claim 11,
- wherein the second side extension is inflatable.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:
- an inflation port.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each of the body, the handle, the first side extension, and the second side extension are constructed to form an interconnected bladder space that is inflatable via the inflation port.
15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the body, the handle, and the first side extension comprise an embedded stiffener.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the embedded stiffener comprises a rod.
17. A method, comprising:
- providing a body configured to accept a user's forearm and configured to restrict movement of the forearm;
- providing a handle attached to the body, wherein no portion of the body extends forward of the handle;
- inserting a user's hand through the interior space of the body so that the body at least partially restricts movement of the user's forearm; and
- gripping the handle using the user's hand that is associated with the portion of the user's forearm that restricts movement of the forearm.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:
- utilizing a buoyancy of at least one of the body and the handle to assist the user in floating in a body of water.
19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:
- providing at least one side extension attached to the body and extending radially away from the body; and
- utilizing the side extension as a paddle to provide locomotion within a body of water.
20. A method, comprising:
- providing a body configured to receive a portion of a user's forearm and configured to restrict movement of the forearm;
- providing a handle attached to the body, wherein no portion of the body extends forward of the handle;
- providing a first side extension extending radially from the body;
- providing a second side extension extending radially from the body, wherein the second side extension is substantially identical to the first side extension;
- gripping the first side extension with a first hand of a user;
- gripping the second side extension with a second hand of the user;
- floating prone in a body of water with the user's arms extended so that the body is located forward relative to the user's head.
Type: Application
Filed: May 23, 2018
Publication Date: Apr 16, 2020
Inventor: Danilo P. Gerona (McKinney, TX)
Application Number: 16/616,027