FR2928554A1 - PALM OF SWIMMING ADJUSTABLE ACCORDING TO THE SIZE - Google Patents

Abstract

The flipper (1) has a support part (3) integrating a web (4) and a foot-receiving part receiving area (5). A foot-receiving part (2) has a lower foot-receiving part (6) at a reception area of the support part and an upper foot-receiving part (7) independent from the lower foot-receiving part. An adjustable connection unit (8) ensures a connection of the upper foot-receiving part and the support part according to two longitudinal adjustment positions allowing locking of the parts (6, 7) around a foot of a user according to a size of the foot.

Description

The present invention relates to a swimming fin, in particular intended for leisure activities. It relates more particularly to a palm whose footwear is adjustable according to the size of the foot of the user. This fin is intended to equip adults or children for recreational water activities, such as diving, spearfishing, snorkeling, swimming, boogie boarding or snorkeling. It is conceivable, however, that this same fin can be used in various professional activities, by fishermen or divers, or in rescue activities at sea.

A swimming fin is essentially composed of two parts, namely the footwear portion which is intended to receive the foot of the user and the support part whose front has the wing of the fin and whose rear receives the footwear part. Depending on the different types of flippers, the footwear part and the support part are either independent and detachable from each other, or firmly attached to one another or completely integrated. In the latter case, the palm is a one-piece piece in which the two parts footwear and support are in the same material.

Regarding the footwear part, it is imperative that it keeps the foot properly during use, given the constraints exerted when the foot beats. If the footwear is not properly tightened around the foot, there is a major risk that the palm disengages from the foot during use.

In a first type of palm, the footwear consists of a slipper that is subject to the support portion and completely surrounds the foot of the user to know both the heel, the sole of the foot and the neck -of foot. Such a liner is made of plastic and elastic, generally elastomer, so as to be deformed to allow the insertion of the foot and so as to ensure effective tightening of the foot once it is positioned inside the liner . It is found that the introduction of the foot in this shoe is not very practical, the user being forced to pull strongly on the edges of the footwear to deform it and can insert the foot. In addition, such a swimming fin is proposed for a size, that is to say a determined foot size, the adaptation to a slightly larger size can only intervene thanks to the deformation of the material used to make the shoe, with correlatively an increase in the tightening of the foot and possibly an inconvenience for the user because of too much tightening. Finally, the quality of the tightening of the foot, even when the user has the required size, may vary depending on the shape of his instep, a user having a strong instep having his foot too strongly compressed while a user with a low instep can see his foot floated slightly in the footwear.

In a second type of swimming fin, the footwear has only half a slipper, subject to the support part, which surrounds only the forefoot including the instep and the front part of the foot. the base of the feet. In this case, the footwear also has an elastic band, extending the half liner so as to partially enclose the back of the foot. The elasticity of the back band is used to allow the use of a palm having a given size, by users having a foot slightly larger than the size in question. However this does not prevent the disadvantage of too much tightening at the instep, enclosed in the half slipper. In addition, because the band has a relatively small width, the additional tightening at the back of the foot can also be a nuisance for the user. This last disadvantage can be avoided by implementing a rear band which is equipped with an adjustment loop, making it possible to adjust the length of said band and thus the clamping thereof. However, this particular provision does not solve the problem of excessive tightening in the instep which is due to the fact that the half slipper is a preformed piece once and for all, this problem may appear for people having the size adapted to that of the palm according to their instep configuration but especially for people wanting to use a palm with a given size when they have a size greater than this one.

It has already been proposed, by the document US Pat. No. 5,259,798, a palm in which the footwear is closed on the back so as to maintain the heel and is open on the one hand on the front to let the passage to the toes and on the other hand on the top so as to provide a flap that facilitates the introduction of the foot and also adjust the tightening at the instep through fastening straps. The user can therefore adjust the tightening of the footwear part at his instep. Moreover, in theory, this fin, provided for a given size, should be able to be used for larger sizes since the excess length of foot can freely pass through the opening formed at the front of the footwear part. However, the Applicant has found that in this case the maintenance of the foot was no longer ensured in good conditions, insofar as the flap and the fastening straps make the tightening in an area of the foot which is different according to the size of the shoe. 'user.

The first object of the present invention is to provide a palm that is adaptable for feet of different sizes, while overcoming the aforementioned drawback. The second object of the present invention is to provide a palm that is not only adaptable to the length of the foot but also depending on the configuration of the instep. It is a palm that includes a footwear part and a support part, which support part incorporates a wing and a receiving zone of the footwear part. Typically, the footwear portion comprises a footwear portion at the level of the receiving zone of the support portion and at least a high footwear portion, independent of the footwear portion. In addition, said palm comprises adjustable connecting means adapted to ensure the connection of the upper footwear and the support portion, in at least two longitudinal adjustment positions, for clamping said upper and lower footwear around the foot of the user, which is adaptable according to the size of said foot.

Thus, according to the particular arrangement of the present invention, it is sufficient for the user, depending on the size of his foot, to select the longitudinal adjustment position that suits him so as to move the upper footwear in relation to the means adjusting the binding and tightening the upper and lower footwear around his foot. Certainly it is known from document EP.682.545 a palm equipped with a high footwear independent of the footwear portion which is at the receiving zone of the support portion. However in this document, the connecting means for clamping said footwear are fixed and no indication is given regarding the adaptation of said palm according to the size of the foot. According to an alternative embodiment, the connecting means of the palm of the present invention comprise: a) on the one hand at least one set of at least two pairs of attachment means, the two pairs being distant one of the other, and each pair consisting of two hooking means respectively equipping the one and the other of the two sides of the support part close to the receiving zone and b) secondly, for each play, a clamping element which is adapted to cooperate with the two coupling means of the same pair. The position of each pair of attachment means determines a longitudinal adjustment position and the distance, taken in the longitudinal direction of the palm, between the two pairs of attachment means determines the unitary attitude of adaptation of the palm to variations of size. In a certain type of fin, the wing is not an extension of the receiving zone of the footwear part as is the case in the documents US.5.259.798 and EP.682.545; it is in a plane that is angularly inclined relative to the general direction of the receiving zone of the footwear part. To do this the wing is extended by two lateral arms which end towards the rear of the receiving zone of the footwear part. In this case, preferably according to the present invention, the pairs of attachment means of a first game equipping the two said side arms. According to a preferred embodiment, the bearing portion comprises, towards the front of the receiving zone, two lateral flanges which are equipped with coupling means couples of a second set. Thus, in this embodiment , clamping of the upper and lower foot parts around the foot of the user is made in two different places thanks to the two sets of couples of attachment means. Generally the first set allows the backward clamping of the instep while the second set allows the forward clamping of the instep near the toes. This arrangement ensures a particularly effective maintenance of the foot. Advantageously, in the aforementioned embodiments, there are provided in the lateral arms and in the lateral flanges of the support portion three sets of couples of attachment means, which corresponds to three longitudinal adjustment positions. In an alternative embodiment, the fin of the present invention comprises two upper foot parts, one anterior and the other posterior, and for each upper footwear, adjustable connecting means. In particular in the embodiment in which the bearing portion comprises two lateral arms and two lateral flanges, as indicated above, the adjustable connecting means for the upper back footwear portion comprise the first set of pairs of means of attachment. hooking equipping the lateral arms and the adjustable connecting means for the front upper footwear portion comprise the second set of pairs of hooking means equipping the lateral flanges. Preferably, the clamping element is a strap which comprises means for closing it on itself and the attachment means consist of a slot formed in the support part and allowing the passage of said strap.

Preferably in this case, for each strap, the connecting means also comprise a positioning loop which is mounted on the upper fitting part corresponding to said strap. The strap in question passes in the loop with a reduced clearance so that the passer actually ensures precise positioning of the strap on said upper footwear.

The means for closing the strap itself are, in particular, self-gripping elements of the hook and loop type, for example those which are well known under the name Velcro.

In the embodiment of a swimming fin whose supporting portion comprises two arms, preferably the slots on each arm are parallel to each other, offset from each other by a given distance and

15 substantially inclined forward. The offset determines the distance between the different adjustment positions. The inclination forwards substantially corresponds to the inclination of the top of the instep so as to obtain a good application of the strap on the upper footwear.

The present invention will be better understood on reading the description which will be made hereafter of a preferred embodiment of a palm of

swimming equipped with adjustment means allowing its adaptation according

of the foot of the user, illustrated by the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of said

palm in a first setting position corresponding to a small size;

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the palm of FIG. 1 in a second adjustment position corresponding to a size of medium size and

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the palm of FIG. 1 in a third adjustment position corresponding to a large size.

The swimming fin 1 comprises a footwear portion 2 and a so-called support portion 3 which comprises a wing 4 and a receiving zone 5 of the footwear portion 2. In the embodiment which is described and illustrated below, As a non-limiting example, the wing is not an extension of the reception zone 5; it is angularly offset, being inclined downwards with respect to the plane formed by the general direction of said receiving zone 5. To this end, the bearing portion 3 comprises two lateral arms 11 which extend the wing 4 laterally to 5a of the receiving zone 5. In addition, the bearing portion 3 comprises, towards the front 5b of the receiving zone, two lateral flanges 15 which are themselves connected to the rear of the wing 4 by two auxiliary lateral arms 16. According to the present invention, the footwear part 2 of the palm is made up of a lower part 6 and an upper part 7 which are independent of one another; it is the lower part 6 which is applied to the support part 3 along the entire receiving zone 5, being fixed or fixable thereto or integrated therewith by overmolding, in particular when the footwear part 2 is formed from a material of the elastomer type, different from that in which the bearing portion 3 is formed. As shown in the figures, the back 6a of the lower footwear portion 6 has a shell-like configuration for accommodate the back of the foot, including the heel.

The upper footwear part 7 is intended to partially wrap the top of the foot, in particular the instep as can be seen in FIG. 1. The geometrical configuration of the upper footwear portion 7 is substantially complementary to that of the low footwear portion. 6. In the case of a longitudinal adjustment corresponding to a small size, the rear edges 7a and lower 7b of the upper footwear portion 7 are in the immediate vicinity of the lower footwear portion 6 and corresponding edges 6b and 6c.

In FIG. 1, which corresponds to such a setting, it is clearly seen that between the two footwear 6 and 7, there is only a very small gap, said parts perfectly enveloping the foot with the exception of toes.

According to the present invention, the fin 1 comprises adjustable connecting means 8 adapted to ensure the connection of the upper footwear portion 7 and the support portion 3, in at least two longitudinal adjustment positions and able to allow clamping of said upper 7 and lower 6 footwear parts around the foot 17 of the user, said clamping being adaptable depending on the size of the foot. In the example illustrated, the adjustable connecting means 8 comprise two sets of three pairs of attachment means, respectively formed in the two lateral arms 11 for the first set and in the two lateral flanges 15 for the second set, close to the reception zone 5; in this case, each attachment means is a slot, referenced 10 with respect to the slots in the two lateral arms 11 and referenced 14 for those made in the two lateral flanges 15; there are therefore three slots 10 in the left lateral arm and, with the same arrangement, three slots made in the right lateral arm, not visible in the figures, thereby constituting three pairs of slots 10. Each pair determines a longitudinal adjustment position . The rightmost pair of slots 10a in Fig. 1, which is closest to the shell 6a, corresponds to the setting for a smaller foot. In contrast, the leftmost pair of slots 10c of Figure 1, that is to say the farthest from the shell 6a, corresponds to the setting for a larger foot; it is the same for the three pairs of slots 14 formed in the left lateral rim 15, visible in Figure 1 and in the right side edge not visible.

The adjustable connecting means 8 also comprise, for each set, a clamping element which, in this case, is a strap, respectively, 9 for the first set and 13 for the second set, having closure means on it. The width and thickness of the strap 9, 13 are determined to allow it to pass through each of the slots 10, 14.

Before its use, the straps 9 and 13 are not closed on themselves, leaving unobstructed upper footwear 7; the user can thus easily place his foot on the footwear part 6 and come wedge his heel inwardly of the rear shell 6a; considering that this user has a size which corresponds to a small size, the straps 9 and 13 are passed over the upper footwear part 7 in the pairs corresponding to the slots 10a and 14a, the more right. To obtain an adequate tightening, it is sufficient for the user to seize the first strap 9, to put it in tension to obtain a tightening of the upper footwear part 7 against the back of the instep and to close this strap on itself by applying the self-gripping elements 12 against each other. Each slot 10 is slightly inclined forwards with respect to the general direction of the receiving zone 5, corresponding to the general direction of the sole of the foot 17. This inclination corresponds to the average inclination of the instep of the instep. the user so as to allow a good application of the strap on the upper footwear, thus avoiding the possible slippage of the strap during use. It is the same, to a lesser extent, with respect to the slots 14 for the second strap 13 which bears on the front of the upper footwear part 7, behind the toes. If the user has a foot size which corresponds to a larger size, he can, thanks to the invention, modify the longitudinal adjustment of the connecting means. To do this, he moves the straps 9 and 13 of a pair of slots 10 and 14 to each other. Figure 2 illustrates the corresponding setting for a size of medium size, the straps 9 and 13 being passed through the pairs of intermediate slots 10b and 14b. It can be seen that, with respect to FIG. 1, the upper footwear portion 7 has shifted slightly to the left and upwards with respect to the lower footwear portion 6 due to the relative increase in the volume of the foot 17. Figure 3 illustrates the setting of the palm 1 for a size corresponding to a large size; the straps 9 and 13 are passed in the pairs of slots 10c and 14c farthest from the rear shell 6a; the offset between the upper footwear part 7 and the lower footwear part 6 is even more important both longitudinally and in height. In this position, the anterior end of the foot 17a is slightly recessed with respect to the front end 6b of the lower footwear portion 6. Because of the structure of the fin 1 with the wing 4 angularly offset from the portion 3 of the footwear part 2, there is no impact on the operation of the palm during the flapping of the foot, unlike what could happen in the case of a palm in which the blade is in the extension of the support receiving zone of the footwear part, as described in the document US-5,259,798. Indeed, in this case, if the palm was used for a larger size, the toes would apply on the wing itself of the palm, which could disrupt the proper functioning thereof.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment which has been described above as a non-exclusive example. In particular, to maintain in a good position each of the straps 9, 13 on the upper footwear portion 7, there may be provided loops, not shown, fixed on the top of said foot portion 7, preventing the slippage of the straps 9 and 13 when using the fin 1. In addition, the footwear portion 2 may comprise not only one upper footwear as described above but an upper front footwear and a rear footwear, independent one of the other. In this case, there is obligatorily for each upper footwear, adjustable means of connection. In the example described above and illustrated, the adjustable connecting means for the upper back footwear portion comprise the first set of couples of attachment means formed in the side arms, while the adjustable connecting means for the footwear part. upper front would comprise the second set of pairs of attachment means formed in the lateral flanges 15.

This particular embodiment, which dissociates the upper footwear into two separate parts, allows a finer adjustment of the tightening of the footwear part on the foot, allowing a better adaptation according to the specific conformation of the foot, including the neck-de -foot, of the user.

The clamping element being a strap having means for closing it on itself, the attachment means are not necessarily a slot which is formed in both sides of the support part. It may be a slot in the form of a light in a loop which is itself fixed on the side of the support part near the receiving area. In this case, there is no risk of alteration of the mechanical properties of the support portion, which would be due to the presence of the slots, especially in the lateral arms of the support portion. Finally, other types of attachment means may be envisaged provided that they are able to cooperate with a suitable clamping element. It could for example be pads protruding from the sides of the support part near the reception area; in this case, the clamping element could be an elastic strap each end of which would be provided with an opening allowing its attachment to one of the pads.

Claims (11)

1. Palm (1) comprising a footwear part (2) and a bearing part (3), said support part incorporating a wing (4) and a receiving zone (5) of the footwear part (2), and the footwear part (2) comprising: - a lower footwear part (6) at the receiving region of the support part (3), and - at least one upper footwear part (7) independent of the part 10 low footwear (6), characterized in that it comprises adjustable connecting means (8) adapted to ensure the connection of said upper footwear (7) and the support portion (3), in at least two positions longitudinal adjustment, allowing clamping said upper (7) and low footwear (6) around the foot of the adaptable user according to the size of said foot. 2. Swimming fin according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting means (8) comprise: on the one hand at least one set of at least two pairs of hooking means, the two pairs being distant from each other, and each pair being constituted by two hooking means respectively equipping both of the two sides of the bearing part (3) close to the receiving zone ( 5), and on the other hand, for each set, a clamping element (9), said element being able to cooperate with the two hooking means of the same pair, each pair of hooking means (10). ) constituting a longitudinal adjustment position. Swimming fin according to Claim 2, characterized in that the support part (3) comprising two lateral arms (11) connecting the wing (4) to the rear (5a) of the receiving zone (5). , the pairs of attachment means (10) of a first game equip both said side arms (11). 30 Swimming fin according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the bearing part (3) comprising two lateral flanges (15) connecting the winding (4) to the front (5b) of the receiving (5), the pairs of attachment means (14) of a second game equip said lateral flanges (15). Swimming fin according to claims 3 and 4 comprising, in the lateral arms (11) and in the lateral flanges (15) of the support part (3), three sets of couples of attachment means (10, 14) corresponding to three longitudinal adjustment positions. 6. Swimming fin according to one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that it comprises two upper footwear parts (7), one anterior and the other posterior and, for each upper footwear part (7), adjustable connecting means (8). 7. Swim fin according to claims 3, 5 and 6 wherein the adjustable connecting means (8) for the upper footwear part (7) comprises the first set of couples of attachment means formed in the lateral arms (11). ) and the adjustable connecting means (8) for the upper footwear part (7) comprise the second set of coupling means couples formed in the side flanges (15). 8. Swimming palm according to any one of claims 2 to 7 characterized in that the clamping element is a strap (9, 13) having means (12) for closing it on itself and in that the attachment means consist of a slot (10,14) allowing the passage of said strap (9,13). 9. Swimming pool according to claim 8 wherein the connecting means (8) comprise, for each strap (9,13), a positioning guide mounted on the upper footwear (7) corresponding to said strap. 10. Swimming pool according to one of claims 8 and 9 wherein the closure means of the strap (9,13) on itself are self-gripping elements (12) type loops and hooks. 11. Swimming fin according to claim 3 and one of claims 8 to 30, characterized in that the slits (10) on each arm (11) are parallel to each other and substantially inclined forwards.