CN111296991A - Multipurpose water shoes - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a multipurpose water shoe. The multipurpose shoe includes: a sole; a tongue and an upper that are part of the upper; and one or more fin portions mounted so as to be displaceable to two or more alternative and predetermined positions with respect to the shoe.

Description

Multipurpose water shoes

Technical Field

The object of the present invention is a shoe suitable for use both on dry ground and in aquatic activities where swim flippers are traditionally used. The invention also features a simple and easy conversion of such a shoe between the two modes of use described above, simply and quickly without having to slide it off the user's foot.

Background

Swimming flippers of various shapes and sizes are divided into two main families, namely full-footed flippers, in which the user's foot is fully inserted into a suitable housing up to the heel, and heelless flippers, in which only the user's forefoot enters a cavity suitably arranged in the flipper, while the heel is surrounded by a retaining device, such as a strap (strap) connected to the side of the foot pocket, and provided with a portion or element just adapted to receive the user's heel, called heel element.

In the full foot fin, the shoe portion also extends in the heel region like a conventional shoe, providing an upper opening for introduction of the foot. The introduction of the foot is due to the elasticity of the material from which the shoe is made, in particular the material from which a portion of the upper is made.

Thanks to the elasticity of the material, and since the forefoot toe area of the shoe is normally left open, there is no need to make a flipper for each foot size, instead the flipper shoe can fit different foot sizes without affecting the comfort of use of the different foot sizes. Another type of flipper, on the other hand, leaves the shoe open at least at the rear, leaving a portion of the heel completely missing, thus forming a pocket for the foot.

Obviously, these two different types of flippers are directed to very different uses; full flippers are typically directed to users of snorkeling or underwater fishing, in which case it is important to control the motion of the flipper without having to have the ability to wear a diving boot to protect the foot from cold. On the other hand, when scuba diving to a considerable depth, the necessity of this latter point becomes very important, and it is therefore recommended to reduce the heat loss of the diver's body as much as possible. However, the use of a diving boot actually precludes the use of full flippers, which are typically designed to best fit the shape of the bare foot, which tend to slip when another insertion material is present.

As part of swimming activity on water or under water, the flippers act as a means of facilitating the movement of the user, thanks to the flippers, being able to expel a greater amount of water from the lower limbs as the limbs exert a thrust on a greater surface, and then swim faster by reaction and generally more efficient in terms of movement.

Thus, in a general embodiment, the flippers are all designed to work in contact with a liquid (typically fresh or salt water) when worn by a user in said liquid. In addition to some or all of the diving activity under water, if the diver needs to be removed from the water, the webbed panels (i.e., the front extensions of the shoes) become an obstacle for the diver: for example, we can consider movement on dry ground, while climbing or descending a ladder on board a boat or before or after a diving phase. The fin panel does not allow the feet to be placed in a narrow space, and in addition, the fin panel itself is an obstacle to the natural movement of the lower limbs of a walking person.

The obstruction to movement not only causes discomfort to the user, but also presents a health hazard to the user when the user encounters a situation in which the foot is snagged or caught during operations other than the above-described aquatic operations.

Discomfort to the user also occurs, for example, in the case of intermittent use in water, such as where people who often enter and exit the water spend time both in the water and on the beach, or if, to contact the water, the user needs to walk on a smooth and impervious area, such as on rocks, before entering the water, where it is difficult not only to wear flippers, but also to walk with the flippers already worn.

US6102336 describes a known device which allows these limitations to be overcome: the object of the prior art consists of an assembly consisting of a fin plate and a shoe made as separate elements and mechanically connected by a support structure comprising a pin cooperating with the fin plate and the shoe. All the components together rotate the fin about the axis of the pin at predetermined 5 intervals up to 45 deg., thereby being able to lift the fin from the ground and bring it closer to the wearer's body, thus facilitating the wearer to walk on the land.

CN200970443Y describes another known device, which is also intended to lift the fin towards the tibia of the user, and comprises, as part of the fin, a pulley which is positioned in a sliding manner in the sole of the flipper. The fin is held in the open position by a locking connection and in the closed position towards the user's tibia by a belt (belt) with a buckle, which must be worn at a suitable height, thus constraining the high part of the tibia and the fin together and in fact creating a critical point in the articulation of the user's leg and foot in walking.

US6672920 also describes a fin with an adjustable fin plate made of an at least partially rigid boot provided with hooking elements deriving from the application for skiing activities, positioned substantially near the ankle where the foot is worn and responsible for rotating and maintaining the position of the fin plate, including a position substantially flush with the sole and a standing position close to the fibula of the user.

The known techniques described in these documents introduce the possibility of changing the position of the fin plate with respect to the shoe by locking the fin plate in a predetermined position, the prior art being implemented by means of hinging mechanisms, such as pins, pulleys and hooking elements, which create high complexity and partially solve the problem of bulkiness of the fin plate only when the fin plate is in the closed position or in any case in a position different from the underwater operating position.

Disclosure of Invention

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to create a multipurpose shoe capable of limiting the discomfort of the shoe when the user is not performing underwater activities, while maintaining the efficacy of the drainage during swimming and therefore the thrust exerted by the user.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a device that can be easily and quickly converted from an underwater mode of action to an underwater mode of action in a durable, lightweight, easy to manufacture and use embodiment.

In some preferred embodiments (one of which will be described below), the invention makes it possible to manufacture wearable flippers with a fin panel that can be folded or in any case repositioned in a position so as not to impede the movement of the user after the water has emerged, for example when the user is on dry ground or on a boat, or when climbing stairs or going downstairs. Advantageously, this object is achieved without involving joint mechanisms or articulated equipment which, in aquatic and/or marine environments, would inevitably be subjected to degradation phenomena close to said mechanisms, such as oxidation, erosion, corrosion or aggregate formation, for example due to use in water (such as saltpeter, chlorine and ozone).

Thus, the present invention solves the above-mentioned limitations by means of a swim fin having a shoe, which comprises a sole; a tongue and upper (shoe vamp) that are part of the upper; and one or more fin portions mounted to be displaceable to two or more predetermined positions relative to the shoe.

According to an embodiment, the fin panel in question can be made in one piece, but also by combining sub-pieces, the assembly of which, in combination with the shoe, creates a body that can fulfill the swimming and/or buoyancy aid purposes in relation to/of the swim fin. In the following, unless otherwise mentioned, the term "web" can refer both to the form of a single piece and to the form of a combined sub-piece, without affecting the use and functionality of the invention.

In the description, the areas or portions of the flipper may be said to be identified by surface or volume references: for clarity of explanation, the flippers are intended to be worn by a user in an upright position on dry ground while walking forward; as a result, the fin panel is located at the front of the flipper, the sole is located at the bottom, and the like.

The invention thus takes the form of a swim fin for a user or diver who fits the fin plate by wearing the fin on a single foot with the aid of a shoe, and is shaped so as to improve the hydrodynamic thrust of the lower extremities of the user immersed in water.

It is possible to identify important parts constituting the shoe, which can be partially opened as described above, including:

a sole, i.e. the bottom of the shoe;

an upper, i.e. the body of the shoe, which matches the sole and wraps the user's foot completely or partially;

an upper, a central portion of the shoe overlying the instep;

a tongue, a top portion of the upper proximate the foot portal.

The invention is characterized by a fin panel which is capable of assuming more than one predetermined position, i.e. at least one additional shoe-fin panel configuration relative to the position of the prior art flipper, wherein the sole and the fin panel are substantially located on the same plane when at rest, i.e. when they are not acted upon by external forces such as those caused by the motion of the user in the water.

While this configuration is suitable for diving sports, it can impede the movement of a user out of the water wearing it and performing one or more actions typically performed on the ground (such as walking stairs or walking on the ground); the present invention overcomes these limitations by providing a fin whose fin panel can be positioned so as not to impede the movement on dry ground, while being easily and quickly repositionable by the user for the purpose of aiding propulsion when the same user is close to or even submerged in water.

Accordingly, a person wearing the fin shoes having the features of the present invention can walk on the shore or on the rock without giving up the fin helping the underwater activities. Thus, a user who is constantly entering and exiting the water and/or spending time both on the water and on the beach does not have to change shoes each time he changes the environment, but only needs to change the position of the flippers.

As a further advantage of the invention, a user who must walk on rock to reach the water is not forced to take off the shoes on the shore and then wear the traditional swim flippers when reaching the seaside.

In a preferred embodiment, said one or more predetermined positions comprise a closed position in which said one or more web portions are completely or partially adhered to a surface portion located at the top of said upper, and preferably to said upper and/or said tongue of said shoe. In this position (defined herein as the closed position), the fin is then partially or completely attached to a portion of the upper and advantageously covers a portion of the central area of the upper close to or at the upper. This may minimize obstruction to extraaquatic motion and provide additional protection against foreign matter entering the instep area.

In another non-exclusive and advantageous embodiment, the one or more web portions are made integral with the sole and extend in the sagittal direction of a user wearing the shoe in the upright position. The result is an overall reinforcement of the flipper, an optimization of the processes involved in the production steps and an additional protection of the wearer's foot, which may benefit from the sturdiness of the sole itself, the protection of the foot from external substances and/or excessive twisting during movement in water (which often leads to muscular soreness, such as cramping of the foot).

The variant of the aforementioned embodiment provides the further advantage of making the whole fin in one piece, thereby having the production, assembly and service life of the finished product.

A further non-exclusive embodiment provides that the flipper is equipped with at least one or a combination of reinforcement devices that provide elastic and plastic properties to help maintain one or more known positions of the flipper relative to the shoe. Preferably, the device has the following shape and is made of the following materials: can be deformed by a simple gesture of a user without the need for special tools, e.g. by hand force only; at the same time, the same reinforcing means are characterized by a sufficient modulus of elasticity and yield point to remain in a preset position when subjected only to the forces of the user when moving in or out of water.

Variants of the aforementioned embodiments may comprise reinforcing means shaped as a plate partially inserted into the cavity obtained in the sole, these structures operating as ribs along at least part of the longitudinal axis of the flipper and preferably made of metal and/or polymeric material such as, for example, polycarbonate.

Advantageously, the attachment of the fin to the upper can be improved by a fastening element assisting in fastening the fin to the top surface of the upper when the fin is in the closed position. This is particularly useful when the embodiments of the fin panel include a resiliently flexible end that would be difficult to maintain in adherence with the upper, particularly when subjected to stresses caused by movement of the user's lower limbs.

In this sense and even more advantageously, the invention can be implemented by comprising a plurality of hooking and unhooking mechanisms, which are arranged on the periphery of the web or of a portion thereof and cooperate with corresponding mechanisms on the surface of the shell of the upper. For example, it may involve a slot arranged on the surface of the web, preferably near the periphery, which cooperates with a simple hooking system made even integrally on the upper, such as projections or hooks acting as push-buttons, which can be coupled or uncoupled with corresponding slots of the flipper by a short manual gesture of the user.

The applicant has also found that the functionality of the flipper as a whole, whether during use in water (flipper open) or during use outside water (flipper closed), can be associated with a specific flipper geometry that optimizes the action of the hydrodynamic thrust, while being ergonomic and aesthetically pleasing. As a result, an embodiment has been identified which can be combined with the previous embodiments, wherein portions of the fin or of the fin itself are made symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal direction and have a footprint (footprint) comprising a concave configuration in the vicinity of the intersection between the longitudinal axis and the end of the fin itself, such concave configuration being substantially shaped as a planar development of at least a portion of said upper. This particular embodiment, of which the variants are shown in the figures, optimizes the functionality of the fin panel in the open position and creates a geometry such that the fin panel itself in the closed position is ergonomic and satisfactorily attached to the shoe in the vicinity of the instep wearing the foot.

Drawings

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description of some illustrative embodiments thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 shows a top view of an embodiment comprising a shoe and a fin plate in an open position;

fig. 2 shows the same embodiment, with the fin panel in the closed position to cover a portion of the upper in the upper and tongue areas;

fig. 3 and 4 show side perspective views of the embodiment in the opened and closed states of the fin panels, which have been shown in fig. 1 and 2, respectively.

Detailed Description

The listed figures are therefore illustrative of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a fin for swimming or underwater activities and which can also be used outside the water, and therefore a non-limiting description of the support, such a fin being equipped with a tilting fin panel capable of assuming different positions, in particular a closed position (fig. 2 and 4) and an open position (fig. 1 and 3).

Referring to fig. 1, the illustrated embodiment object can be viewed from a top view, which can be the user's viewing post in an upright position, with the user's sagittal axis generally parallel to the axis X depicted in the figure and the user's forehead pointing in the direction depicted by the arrow at said axis X.

The present invention comprises a fin panel 1 made as an accessory to a shoe 2, characterized in that it allows the fin panel 1 to assume a plurality of static positions with respect to the shoe, depending on the environment in which it is to work. The present invention allows a wearer to shape a portion of the fin panel by applying an appropriate deformation force so as to bring the fin panel closer to or into contact with the top of the upper in a configuration that is automatically maintained until a subsequent opposite action is applied by the user, while still having the elastic characteristics of the shape and material characteristic of swim flippers.

Thus, in the embodiment of fig. 1, a fin according to the present invention is shown, which comprises a fin plate 1 extending forwardly with respect to a shoe 2, the separation profile of the two portions being defined in the vicinity of the toes 25.

The shoe, which in this embodiment is of the full foot type, covers at least a part of the front and rear part of the foot, the shoe comprising a sole 3 and an upper 2, the upper being the top part of the shoe without said sole.

The upper 21 and tongue 22 can be identified as the front of the surface of the upper that covers the bottom and top of the foot; depending on the embodiment, these portions can be made integral with the upper, or can be only partially joined to the upper, according to the choice of the person skilled in the art, without affecting the uniqueness of the invention.

In this embodiment, the multipurpose shoe includes an optional plate-like structure 41 to reinforce a portion of the top surface of the fin panel 1, and such structure extends toward the shoe in a cavity 42 shown by a dotted line in fig. 3. The structure 41 has the function of reinforcing the fin panel and is made of a material having plasticity such that it deforms under the applied external force to overcome the yield point in the vicinity of the toes 25.

The plate-shaped reinforcing structure 41 in the embodiment object of the figures can be co-moulded and/or at least partially made in one piece with the web, the shoe and the sole; other embodiments, not limiting and not exclusive, provide a fin panel and shoe, possibly made in one piece, with alternative elastic characteristics, thus not requiring an optional reinforcing structure.

In the object of the present invention, the user applies the external force while intentionally flexing the fin panel 1, and changes the fin panel 1 from the open position O shown in fig. 1 and 3 to the closed position C shown in fig. 2 and 4.

As can be seen from a comparison between fig. 1, 2 and 3, 4, when the fin panel 1 is in the closed position, the fin panel 1 is attached to the vamp 2 and covers most of the upper 21 and tongue 22. In this configuration, the fin corresponds to a shoe for use on dry ground, in which the front fin is unnecessary and hinders movement.

Advantageously, additional protection is provided by the webbed panel 1 in the closed position against foreign substances, whether solid and/or fluid, affecting the foot on which the shoe is worn. This benefit is even more pronounced in other embodiments of the shoe that provide a front opening generally near the toes of the shoe 25. In this context, the application of the closing fin panel will prevent the phalanges or a portion of the phalanges from being directly exposed to foreign objects, thereby reducing the risk of injury or injury outside of the water.

In addition to the plate-like structure, the embodiment object of the drawings further includes three mechanisms to help hold the end of the fin 1 at the shoe when the fin is in the closed position. In particular, on a portion of the free peripheral edge of the fin panel 1, there are three hooking means 101, 102, 103, such as slots or fastening clips or semi-snap fasteners, corresponding counterparts 201, 202, 203, intended to be permanently positioned on the upper 21 and/or tongue 22 or also made integral with the upper 21 and/or tongue 22, by being elastically stressed to hook or engage. When the mechanisms are hooked or engaged with each other to make the combination 301, 302, 303 shown in fig. 2 and 4, they allow the peripheral portion of the web 1 to be kept fully adhered to the upper 2, thereby providing the stability benefit of the assembly as a whole, in particular for those ends which would be unstable without the mechanisms 301, 302, 303 due to the elastic properties of the materials from which they are made.

The fin panel 1 of the fin shoe object of the present invention also has a concave peripheral shape 110 in the distal end of the shoe. The concave shape 110 allows an improved coupling of the fin plate 1 with the upper 2 in the closed position C, since this concave area is defined as a planar development of a portion of the inlet profile 26 of the shoe. Advantageously, the above construction prevents the ends of the fin plate from undesirably interfering with the tops of the metatarsals of the user. In addition, the same shape improves the hydrodynamic thrust of the fin in the open position a and also provides a higher aesthetic level for the viewer.

In view of the above, it will be apparent that the preset objects are achieved according to the embodiments of the present invention.

The object of the invention is to make possible numerous modifications and variants, all of which fall within the inventive concept expressed in the claims. All the details can be replaced by technically equivalent elements and the materials can be different according to requirements, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

Although the object has been described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings, the reference numerals used in the description and the claims are intended to improve the understanding of the invention and do not limit the scope of the protection claimed.

Claims (14)

1. A multi-purpose shoe, comprising: a sole (3); a tongue (22) and an upper (21) as part of the vamp (2); and one or more fin portions (1), characterized in that said one or more fin portions are mounted so as to be displaceable to two or more alternative and predetermined positions with respect to the shoe.

2. A utility shoe according to claim 1, wherein the one or more predetermined positions comprise a closed position (C) in which the one or more web portions (1) are completely or partially adhered to a surface portion located at the top of the upper (2), and preferably to the upper (21) and/or the tongue (22) of the shoe.

3. The multipurpose shoe according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the one or more web plates (1) are made integrally with the sole (3) and the one or more web plates (1) extend in the sagittal direction of a user wearing the shoe in an upright position.

4. Multipurpose shoe according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said one or more webbed portions (1) and said sole (3) are made in one piece with said shoe.

5. The multipurpose shoe of one or more of the preceding claims, including at least one reinforcement device or a combination of reinforcement devices that provides elastic and plastic properties to help the web panel maintain one or more known positions relative to the shoe.

6. The multipurpose shoe according to claim 5, wherein the reinforcement means comprises one or more structures made at least partially integral and/or co-moulded with the shoe and/or the fin plate and/or the sole, said structures operating as ribs along at least a portion of the longitudinal axis (X) of the flipper.

7. Multipurpose shoe according to claim 5, in which the reinforcing means comprise one or more plate-like structures (4) partially inserted into the cavity obtained in the sole, said structures operating as ribs along at least part of the longitudinal axis (X) of the flipper.

8. Multipurpose shoe according to one or more of the preceding claims, in which the reinforcing means are made of metal and/or polymeric material, such as for example polycarbonate.

9. The multipurpose shoe according to one or more of the preceding claims, comprising fastening elements which cooperate when the web panel is in the closed position, so as to fasten the web panel to the top surface of the upper.

10. Multipurpose shoe according to one or more of the previous claims, wherein said fastening elements comprise a plurality of holes or slots or the like (101, 102, 103), said holes or slots or the like (101, 102, 103) being provided in the vicinity of the free peripheral edge of the web plate or of a portion thereof and being designed to hook or engage, by being elastically pressed, corresponding protruding elements or the like (201, 202, 203) of the hook type on the shell surface of the upper.

11. The multipurpose shoe according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the fin panel is longitudinally symmetrical and has a footprint comprising an inwardly concave configuration (110) near the intersection between the longitudinal axis and the end of the fin panel itself, such inwardly concave configuration being shaped substantially as a planar development of at least a portion of the tongue (22).

12. The multipurpose shoe according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the sole and/or the web panel are made with an average thickness of between 2mm and 10mm, and preferably 4 mm.

13. Multipurpose shoe according to one or more of the previous claims, wherein said shoe has at least one opening in the front part of the upper, preferably in the vicinity of the extremity (25).

14. The multipurpose shoe according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the shoe has at least one opening in the rear of the upper in the vicinity of the end opposite to the end facing the web and possibly equipped with a retaining device which retains the web at the foot of the user.

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