EP3689422A1 - Schwimmflosse mit geöffneter ferse - Google Patents

Schwimmflosse mit geöffneter ferse Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3689422A1
EP3689422A1 EP20151339.7A EP20151339A EP3689422A1 EP 3689422 A1 EP3689422 A1 EP 3689422A1 EP 20151339 A EP20151339 A EP 20151339A EP 3689422 A1 EP3689422 A1 EP 3689422A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
shoe
heel
strap
heel member
swim fin
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP20151339.7A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Sergio Angelini
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Mares SpA
Original Assignee
Mares SpA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Mares SpA filed Critical Mares SpA
Publication of EP3689422A1 publication Critical patent/EP3689422A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B31/00—Swimming aids
    • A63B31/08—Swim fins, flippers or other swimming aids held by, or attachable to, the hands, arms, feet or legs
    • A63B31/10—Swim fins, flippers or other swimming aids held by, or attachable to, the hands, arms, feet or legs held by, or attachable to, the hands or feet
    • A63B31/11—Swim fins, flippers or other swimming aids held by, or attachable to, the hands, arms, feet or legs held by, or attachable to, the hands or feet attachable only to the feet

Definitions

  • the present invention concerns swim fins, and particularly concerns an open-heel shoe swim fin.
  • Swim fins which are made in a very wide variety of shapes and sizes, are divided, among other things, into two main families, that is to say the one of full-foot fins, in which the user's foot is completely inserted up to the heel into a suitable housing, and the one of the open-heel fins, in which only the user's forefoot enters a cavity suitably arranged in the fin, while the heel is surrounded by a strap connected to the foot-pocket sides and provided with a portion or element, named heel element, right suitable to accommodate the user's heel.
  • full-foot fins normally address to the user who practices snorkeling or underwater fishing, where it is important to control the fin movement whereas it is not essential to have the ability to wear dive boots to protect the feet from cold.
  • this last necessity becomes very important when practicing scuba diving to even considerable depths, being therefore advisable to reduce as much as possible the heat loss from the diver's body.
  • the use of dive boots actually prevents the adoption of full-foot fins, which are generally designed to best adapt to the shape of the naked foot and would tend to slip away when another interposed material is present.
  • a problem with the use of open-heel shoe fins lies in the fact that, in this type of fins, the sole portion of the shoe of the fin is made of a relatively more rigid material and in one piece with the paddle portion of the fin, and this configuration makes it so that the same sole portion moves away from and close to the diver's heel during a finning cycle, thus creating a strong feeling of instability, thus losing the functionality (thrust) and simultaneously increasing the load exerted by the strap, i.e. by the heel element, on the heel of the user.
  • the strap that is used to hold the foot in the open-heel shoe is generally made of elastomeric material, and is prone to cause discomfort to the user at the Achilles tendon, due to the very shape of the ankle section.
  • the initial attempt was to make straps having an enlarged central portion, so as to spread over a larger area the tensile load exerted by the strap, then a removable heel element has been inserted on the strap made of elastomeric material.
  • This solution is mainly connected to the possibility of choosing a more comfortable material for the heel element, and at the same time of allowing the two parts to be replaced in distinguished ways.
  • open-heel fins are currently used exclusively in combination with dive boots, as the existing straps and heel elements are not suitable to allow a comfortable and continuous use without the buffering and cushioning effect of neoprene.
  • the open-heel shoe fins are only developed for being used with dive boots, so the material of the shoe itself is rather rigid (to improve the transmission of the force from foot to fin), but this does not make it very comfortable without dive boots. This way, dive boots or two kinds of different fins must be always available.
  • Object of the present invention is thus to provide an open-heel shoe swim fin wherein it is possible to connect the heel element to the shoe of the fin in a more stable way, so that to reduce and control the oscillation of the sole portion with respect to the back portion of the foot of the user, and so that to distribute the load of the connection more efficiently.
  • a further object of the invention is to provide a heel member that is able to overcome the problems highlighted above and to be coupled with a shoe of a sufficiently soft material for being comfortable, thus ensuring greater fitting comfort to the user and simultaneously greater stability and safety in the coupling with the shoe of the fin by means of the strap and thus allowing a comfortable and continuous use both in combination with dive boots and in the absence of dive boots on the feet of the user.
  • Object of the present invention is thus an open-heel shoe swim fin comprising a paddle portion and a shoe portion, said shoe portion comprising a sole portion made in one piece with said paddle portion, first coupling means of the strap being arranged on the sides of said shoe portion, the strap being connected to a heel member, said sole portion of said shoe being provided, in proximity of the end opposite the one facing said paddle portion, with second coupling means of the strap.
  • said strap is connected at an end of said heel member and returned to the heel member itself by coupling the strap of the shoe of the fin with said first and said second coupling means.
  • said strap is connected with said heel member and returned to said heel member by coupling with said first coupling means, and coupled with said second coupling means.
  • Said first and said second coupling means can comprise flaps radially projecting from said shoe portion, which are substantially oriented in parallel to the sole plane of the shoe, and provided with at least one through-slot for connecting with the strap.
  • the walls of the slot have an inclination so that to favor the connection with the strap.
  • a heel member for an open-heel shoe fin comprising a looped-shaped body with a substantially parabolic profile, so that to form a cavity with a substantially parabolic profile inside it, the cavity being adapted for housing the ankle of the user, which is provided in both of its arms with at least one axial duct adapted for housing the strap for the coupling with the shoe of the fin.
  • At least one radial cavity communicating with said axial duct is provided on each of said arms, said cavity being suitable for the coupling with an element intended to connect with an end of the strap.
  • said arms are each provided with a further axial duct parallel to the first duct, said radial cavities being in communication with one of the two ducts.
  • said heel member is made in one piece of elastically yielding material, and preferably of polymeric foam, and even more preferably closed-cell polymeric foam.
  • Polymeric foams suitable for making the aforesaid heel member comprise polyurethane and polystyrene.
  • heel element is made of thermoplastic rubber or natural rubber or mixtures thereof.
  • the body of said member is provided with gripping means on the outer wall of its vertex; these gripping means comprise a through opening made near the vertex of said heel member.
  • FIG. 1 denotes the shoe portion of said fin, which is provided with a paddle portion 2.
  • the flap 211 provided with a slot 221 in which the strap 3 is inserted, the strap being connected to an end of the heel member 4, while the other end crosses the slot 121 of the flap 111 projecting from the sole portion 101, before also connecting with the heel member 4, is outwardly projecting on the side 201 of the shoe.
  • Such heel piece 4 provides two arms 104 wherein an axial duct 114 and a radial opening 124 are formed.
  • the heel piece 4 as will become clearer below, comprises an ogive-shaped cavity 304 adapted for housing the heel of the user, between its two arms 104. At the end facing outwardly, the heel member 4 has the grip 204 for favoring the fin to be fitted.
  • FIG. 2 A second embodiment of the fin according to the present invention is shown in figure 2 ; equal numerals correspond to equal parts.
  • the strap 3 is returned in the slot 221 of the flap 211 projecting backward from the side 201 of the shoe 1 towards the heel member 5, which has two coaxial ducts 115 and 125 on the arm 105, and a radial opening 135 with respect to the same arm, through which the end of the strap 3 is connected to the slot 321 formed in the flap 311 projecting from the sole portion 301.
  • the heel member is provided with the ogive 305 at the intersection of the two arms 105 and of the grip 205.
  • FIG 3 A plan view of the heel member of figure 2 is shown in figure 3 ; equal numerals correspond to equal parts.
  • figure 4 which shows the same member from the opposite perspective with respect to that of figure 3 , the ducts 125 open onto the radial cavities 135 formed on the side walls of each arm 105, while the ducts 115 open onto the wall facing the grip 205.
  • the strap provided with a heel piece, is connected to a single point for each side of the shoe. Consequently, this results in the fact that the sole portion near the heel of the diver moves close to and away from the heel itself during the finning cycle, thus making the finning not very comfortable and also less safe.
  • the fin according to the present invention is provided, as proved in both embodiments of figures 1 and 2 , with further coupling means for coupling with the strap, which are arranged in proximity of the heel of the user, and thus able to minimize the oscillation described above and then globally improving the fitting of the fin and its use.
  • the two ends of the strap are connected to the heel member 4 and returned through the slots of the flaps 211 and 111.
  • the embodiment of figure 2 which is functionally equivalent to that of figure 1 , provides the advantage of a more compact arrangement of the strap and thus more effective in preventing possible contacts and tangling of the strap itself.
  • the heel member 5 used in this embodiment has two axial ducts overlapping inside the arm 105, and which allow the forth and back travel of the strap 3 with respect to the slot 221 of the flap 211.
  • the flaps 211, 111 and 311 projecting from the shoe portion of the fin according to the invention are preferably made in one piece with said shoe portion of the fin, usually made of thermoplastic material.
  • a heel member that allows to easily and stably connect the strap to two points for each side of the shoe was advantageously designed.
  • Such member was designed so that to solve the problems encountered in the open-heel shoe fins known in the state of the art.
  • the shape of the body of the heel member according to the present invention ensures a housing that better meets the comfort needs of the anatomical part concerned with respect to that which is provided in the state of the art.
  • the substantially parabolic profile of the cavity comprised between the two arms 105 allows a better distribution of the load exerted by the strap.
  • the fact that the heel member body is made of an elastically yielding material allows the Achilles tendon of the user to rest more "softly" at the vertex of the cavity on one hand and allows the ends of the arms 105 to converge towards the heel of the user on the other, thus enveloping it and thus evenly distributing the load exerted by the strap.
  • the ogive 305 intended to house the heel of the user is adherent to the morphology of the anatomic part in question, and its shape allows the positioning of the Achilles tendon.
  • the geometry is so that, in theory, the tendon itself is unstressed, i.e. the heel piece rests on the sides adjacent to the tendon.
  • the heel member can simply be used by the user who, at the fitting time, will introduce his foot by using the grip provided at the end of the vertex end of the body of the aforesaid member.
  • the device according to the present invention thus provides an effective solution to the problems highlighted at the state of the art, thus ensuring a comfortable fit and further contributing to the rationalization and simplification of the connection with the open-heel shoe of the fin.
  • the body of the heel member is made of elastically yielding material, and preferably of closed-cell polymeric foam, which better adapts to the conditions of high environmental stress to which the device is subjected; preferable polymeric foams are polyurethane foams and polystyrene foams.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
  • Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)
  • Electrical Discharge Machining, Electrochemical Machining, And Combined Machining (AREA)
  • Acyclic And Carbocyclic Compounds In Medicinal Compositions (AREA)
  • Turbine Rotor Nozzle Sealing (AREA)
EP20151339.7A 2019-02-04 2020-01-13 Schwimmflosse mit geöffneter ferse Withdrawn EP3689422A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT102019000001555A IT201900001555A1 (it) 2019-02-04 2019-02-04 Pinna da nuoto a scarpetta aperta

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP3689422A1 true EP3689422A1 (de) 2020-08-05

Family

ID=66286800

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP20151339.7A Withdrawn EP3689422A1 (de) 2019-02-04 2020-01-13 Schwimmflosse mit geöffneter ferse

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US20200246663A1 (de)
EP (1) EP3689422A1 (de)
CN (1) CN111514551A (de)
IT (1) IT201900001555A1 (de)
ZA (1) ZA202000423B (de)

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5467508A (en) * 1994-10-18 1995-11-21 Feng; Le-Jang Tightening-up belt
WO1999012612A1 (en) * 1997-09-10 1999-03-18 Edward Scott Apparatus for fastening open heel footwear, including swimming fins
US6123594A (en) * 1999-07-16 2000-09-26 Masse; E. Roger Short motion swim fin
EP2433680A1 (de) 2010-09-22 2012-03-28 Mares S.p.A. Fersenband für Schwimmflossen mit offenem Schuh
US20120102692A1 (en) * 2010-11-02 2012-05-03 Li-Jen Feng Tightening strap of a diving flipper
TWM537920U (zh) * 2016-10-06 2017-03-11 誠加興業股份有限公司 蛙鞋腳帶固定結構
EP3578233A1 (de) * 2018-06-05 2019-12-11 Mares S.p.A. Ferse für schwimmflosse

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5467508A (en) * 1994-10-18 1995-11-21 Feng; Le-Jang Tightening-up belt
WO1999012612A1 (en) * 1997-09-10 1999-03-18 Edward Scott Apparatus for fastening open heel footwear, including swimming fins
US6123594A (en) * 1999-07-16 2000-09-26 Masse; E. Roger Short motion swim fin
EP2433680A1 (de) 2010-09-22 2012-03-28 Mares S.p.A. Fersenband für Schwimmflossen mit offenem Schuh
US20120102692A1 (en) * 2010-11-02 2012-05-03 Li-Jen Feng Tightening strap of a diving flipper
TWM537920U (zh) * 2016-10-06 2017-03-11 誠加興業股份有限公司 蛙鞋腳帶固定結構
EP3578233A1 (de) * 2018-06-05 2019-12-11 Mares S.p.A. Ferse für schwimmflosse

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US20200246663A1 (en) 2020-08-06
ZA202000423B (en) 2020-12-23
CN111514551A (zh) 2020-08-11
IT201900001555A1 (it) 2020-08-04

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