Swimming flipper

Abstract

A swimming flipper (1) comprising a foot portion (2) and substantially flat blade portion (3) extending there from, said blade portion (3) having provided on each longitudinal side thereof at least two opposed rails (4/5) extending inwardly and at an angle equal to or less than 90 degrees to the plane of said blade portion (3), and said blade portion (3) having provided at least two ridges (7/8) preferably underneath the blade portion (3) extending longitudinally from the foot portion (2), said foot portion (2) having provided a one-piece strap (6), and said foot portion (2) having provided at least two fixed couplings (11/12) to engage and disengage with the corresponding and opposing couplings of another said flipper portion (1) to interlock and hold two flippers attached to each other.

Claims

1. A swimming flipper comprising: a foot portion, and a substantially flat blade portion extending from said foot portion, said blade portion having provided on each longitudinal side thereof at least two opposed rails, each of said at least two opposed rails extending inwardly towards the plane of said blade portion and at an angle less than 90 degrees to the plane of said blade portion, wherein said rails are mirror opposites of each other in profile and extend substantially the length of each longitudinal edge of said blade portion forming the shape of a sideways V when viewed inwardly from front blade edge of the flipper, said blade portion having provided at least two ridges extending longitudinally from the foot portion, said foot portion having provided a one-piece strap, and said foot portion having provided at least two fixed couplings to engage and disengage with the corresponding and opposing couplings of another swimming flipper to interlock and hold two flippers attached to each other.

2. The swimming flipper according to claim 1, wherein said rails are tapered towards the front and rear of the flipper while broadening out towards the center of the blade portion edges.

3. The swimming flipper according to claim 1, wherein said rails are molded to smoothly merge into the side of the foot portion to minimize their coefficient of friction and potential drag when used.

4. The swimming flipper according to claim 1, wherein said rails above the blade portion are provided a surface area equal to or greater than the surface area of rails below the blade portion.

5. The swimming flipper according to claim 4, wherein said rails above the blade portion are made more flexible and elastic than the other areas of the swimming flipper to enable this area of the rails to flex responsively to the pressure of flowing water, provide comfort to the wearer without loss of propulsion efficiency and provide controlled release of displaced water moving over and around edges of the flipper.

6. The swimming flipper according to claim 1, wherein said blade portion has provided two substantially upright ridges underneath the blade portion extending longitudinally and parallel to said rails from the foot portion equidistant either side of the flipper centerline towards the front blade edge.

7. The swimming flipper according to claim 1, wherein said foot portion has provided said at least two fixed couplings positioned and orientated perpendicularly from the underside of the foot portion and equidistant from either side of the flipper centerline.

8. The swimming flipper according to claim 1, wherein said foot portion has provided a molded and flexible one-piece strap to provide an entrance hole which enables the foot of the wearer to be easily inserted into the cavity of the foot portion.

9. The swimming flipper according to claim 7, wherein said fixed couplings have an internal size inside the receiving coupling that is equal to or smaller than the external size of the opposing coupling to optimize the friction required to hold two flippers attached to each other.

10. A swimming flipper comprising: a foot portion, and a substantially flat blade portion extending from said foot portion, said blade portion having provided on each longitudinal side thereof at least two opposed rails, each of said two opposed rails extending inwardly towards the plane of said blade portion and at an angle less than 90 degrees to the plane of said blade portion, wherein said rails are mirror opposites of each other in profile and extend substantially the length of each longitudinal edge of said blade portion forming the shape of a sideways V when viewed inwardly from front blade edge of the flipper, and said blade portion having provided at least two ridges extending longitudinally from the foot portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a plan perspective view of the swimming flipper according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a side elevation view of the flipper shown in FIG. 1; and

(4) FIG. 3 shows an underside perspective view of the flipper of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(5) Referring to the drawings, the swimming flipper 1 comprises a foot portion 2 and substantially flat blade portion 3. Each longitudinal side of the blade portion 3 has a pair of rails 4 and 5 provided thereon. These rails 4 and 5 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 extend inwardly at an angle equal to or less than 90 degrees above and below the flat blade portion 3 forming the shape of a sideways V when viewed inwardly from the front blade edge 10. The foot portion 2 has provided a moulded and flexible one-piece strap 6 formed to provide an entrance hole that enables the foot of the wearer to be inserted into the cavity of the foot portion 2. The said blade portion 3 is provided two substantially upright ridges 7 and 8 preferably underneath the blade 3 extending longitudinally from the foot portion 2 equidistant from the centreline 9 towards the front blade edge 10 of said flipper portion. The said foot portion 2 is provided at least two couplings 11 and 12 equidistant and either side of the centreline 9 fixed perpendicularly from the underside of the foot portion 2 that engaged and disengaged into the corresponding and opposing couplings of another said flipper 1 portion to interlock and hold flippers attached to each other when not being worn by user. For preference, said rails 4 and 5 extend substantially the length of each longitudinal edge of said flipper 1 portion.

(6) The side rails 4 and 5 are mirror opposites of each other in profile and preferably are tapered towards the front and rear of the flipper 1 while broadening out towards the centre of the flipper portion edges as shown in FIG. 2. The surface area 13 of rails 4 and 5 positioned above the blade portion 3 is equal to or greater than the surface area 14 of rails 4 and 5 positioned below the blade portion 3. Further, the rails 4 and 5 are moulded so as to smoothly merge into the foot portion 2 of the flipper 1 so as to minimise their coefficient of friction.

(7) In use, the side rails 4 and 5 capture, temporarily hold and channel the water being displaced towards the front blade edge 10 of the flipper 1 during both upward and downward movement of the flipper. This channeling of water reduces the loss of displaced water over each side of the blade portion 3 surface by capturing and holding a volume of water for a period of time approximating to the time between each upward and downward movement within the rails 4 and 5, which increases the amount of water being thrust towards the front blade edge 10, which in turn increase the forward propulsive force provided during kicking of the flipper by the wearer. The side rails 4 and 5 further provided increased traction and directional control by increasing the number of surfaces or edges engaging with the water and therefore provide the wearer with the ability to use the flipper 1 to create a rudder like effect when being propelled forward by a wave.

(8) The underside of the blade portion 3 is further provided with at least two substantially upright ridges 7 and 8 extending longitudinally and parallel to rails 4 and 5 from the foot portion 2 equidistant either side of the centreline 9 towards the front blade edge 10 of said flipper 1 portion to provide wearer stability when walking and additional directional control when in water.

(9) In a further preferred form the shoe portion 2 and the rail area 13 positioned above the flat blade portion 3 of the swimming flipper 1 are made more flexible and elastic than the other areas of the flipper portion 1 to enable this area of the rail 13 to flex responsively to the pressure of flowing water, provide comfort to the wearer without loss of propulsion efficiency and to provide controlled release of displaced water moving over and around edges of the flipper 1.

(10) It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described and further embodiments and exemplifications of the invention are possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention described.