US20120102692A1

US20120102692A1 - Tightening strap of a diving flipper

Info

Publication number: US20120102692A1
Application number: US12/938,215
Authority: US
Inventors: Li-Jen Feng
Original assignee: TOP MADE Inc
Current assignee: TOP MADE Inc
Priority date: 2010-11-02
Filing date: 2010-11-02
Publication date: 2012-05-03

Abstract

An improved diving flipper's adjustable foot strap with a conveniently located handle which allows the diver to quickly pull the stretchable strap whereby he or she move the strap away from the back of his or her foot in one fluid motion.

The handle also allows, in one fluid motion, the diver to pull the strap back on to his foot thereby securing his foot into the foot pocket.

Methods will show the type of strap material that is used to achieve the objective. Methods will show how the material aids in strap removal and strap fastening. Methods will show why straps need to have adjustments. Methods will show how flippers are adjusted via the raised notches. Methods will show how and why fins are fastened and the level of difficulty to remove a fastened-on flipper without a handle. Methods will show how a handle aids in removing the strap. Methods will show how a handle aids in putting on the strap.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the tightening strap of a diving flipper.
b) Description of the Prior Art
Referring to FIG. 1, an ordinary diving flipper includes a flipper body 100 and a tightening strap 200, wherein two sides of the flipper body 100 may be provided respectively with a female snap receptacle 101 and two sides of the tightening strap 200 are transattached respectively with male snaps 201. The male snaps 201 are inserted into the female snap receptacles 101, so that the tightening strap 200 fastens the diver's foot into the foot pocket. Once the male snaps 201 and female snap receptacle 101 are engaged, the two protruding ends of the tightening strap 200 can be pulled to the level of tightness required to keep the flipper from falling off the diver's foot.
Once the foot is fastened on by the tightening strap 200, which is made of a stretchable material (to aid in securing the flipper to the foot), there are two ways to release the tightening strap 200. One way is to press the male snap 201 thereby disengaging the female snap receptacle 101 and the other way is to grab the tightening strap 200 while tightly fastened on and pull fast and hard in jerking motion until the snap disengages. Both instances require the disengaging of the snaps just to remove the flipper off the foot. Snaps must then be re-engaged in order to tighten on the flipper. An improved tightening strap would eliminate the need to locate the loosened snap and would also reduce the time required to resnap the snap.
With an easier-to-reach system, the diver would be considerably aided when using the flipper underwater. In most instances, disengaging the straps may prove difficult when the strap is securely fastened on to the foot because the average diver needs an adequate level of tightness in order to prevent the flipper from falling off and when the when the flipper is tightened on by the tightening strap 200, removing the flipper can be inconvenient, awkward and time-consuming without a pull ring for instant grabbing. Flipper straps with adjustments indeed ensure an accurate fit however an improvement is required to allow rapid flipper removal with fluidity of motion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This improved diver's tightening strap offers a more fluid way to remove a flipper strap with a centrally-placed pull ring on the back of the strap and includes raised notches on each end of the strap's plane for adjusting the strap's tightness to fasten the flipper on the diver's foot.
While wearing a fastened-on flipper, the diver simply pulls on the handle to slide down the strap. In order to put the strap back on his or her foot, the diver would simply grab the handle and move the strap back against his or her foot. The handle provides enhanced convenience because it is able to stretch the expandable strap away from the back of the diver's foot.
This tightening strap with the handle also allows the diver to adjust the level of tightness via raised notches on the strap.
To enable a further understanding of the said objectives and the technological methods of the invention herein, the brief description of the drawings below is followed by the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a conventional diving flipper.

FIG. 2 shows a structural schematic view of the diving flipper of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a reference picture of how to use the diving flipper of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the first embodiment of the pull-ring handle of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of the second embodiment of the pull-ring handle of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 2, the present invention applies to a diving flipper 10 which includes a flipper body 11 and a tightening strap 12, wherein two sides of the foot pocket 111 of the flipper body 11 has a female snap receptacle 112, and the front end of the female snap receptacle 112 has an insertion hole 1121 and the two sides respectively have a slot 1122. The tightening strap 12 itself is made of an expandable material and two ends are transattached respectively with a male snap 121, and the front end has three fork yokes 1211, 1212, 1213 to be commonly inserted into the insertion hole 1121 of the female snap receptacle 112; whereas, the fork yokes 1211, 1213 at the two sides snap respectively into the slots 1122 of the female snap receptacles 112. Planes at two sides of the tightening strap 12 body have raised notches 122 to serve as tensions for adjusting the tightness of the tightening strap 12, and when pulling the ends 123 of the tightening strap 12, the notches 122 at different positions can be adjusted for latching with the male snaps 121 to tighten an attached object (i.e., the diver's foot). Here, the tightening strap 12 is assembled together with individual components.
A handle 30 is located near the middle of the tightening strap 12 body and the handle 30 is independent from the tightening strap 12 so that when the tightening strap 12 and the handle 30 are assembled as one unit, they are assembled on two different planes. Referring to FIG. 3, when the tightening strap 12 tightens the attached object A and the attached object A needs to be quickly released, the diver simply pulls the handle 30 so that the tightening strap 12 can be loosened from the attached object A. Likewise, when the diver needs to quickly put on the flipper 10, he or she simply pulls the handle 30 so that the attached object A can be fastened on by the tightening strap 12 without operating the male snaps 121 and female snap receptacle 112, thereby achieving the objective of quickly releasing or tightening the attached object A.
FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the first embodiment of the handle 30 of the present invention, wherein the handle 30 of the tightening strap 12 is manufactured separately and has a slotted sleeve 31 on one side of the handle 30 and has a slot 311 by which the slotted sleeve 31 can be sheathed on the central tube 124 of the tightening strap 12, thereby illustrating how the handle 30 integrates with the tightening strap 12.
The handle 30 can be also assembled with more than one component to form any device that has a sleeve and a handle.
FIG. 5 shows the schematic view of the second embodiment of the handle 30′ of the present invention, wherein the handle 30′ and the tightening strap 12 are integrated into a single piece so that when the tightening strap 12 is manufactured, the handle 30′ is attached to the tightening strap 12.
The aforementioned handle 30, 30′ is roughly T-shaped.
In conclusion, the present invention is the tightening strap of the diving flipper and is characterized by a handle that is centrally located on the tightening strap. The handle may be manufactured as a separate unit from the tightening strap so that when the two are assembled as one unit they are assembled on two different planes. The objective is that when the tightening strap is fastened on to the diver's foot and the flipper needs to be quickly released, the diver pulls the handle so that the tightening strap can be quickly pulled away from his or her foot. The handle can also be used to pull the strap back on to the foot, thereby securing the foot into the foot pocket. The strap can be removed, fastened or refastened—all in one fluid motion—quickly and easily.
It is of course to be understood that the embodiments described herein is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that a wide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A tightening strap of a diving flipper that is made of a stretchable material to fasten on an attached object, with planes at two sides of the tightening strap having raised notches to serve as tensions for adjusting the level tightness of the tightening strap; a location close to middle of the tightening strap having a handle which is independent from the tightening strap that when the two are assembled as one unit, they are assembled on two different planes; when an object is tightly fastened by the tightening strap and needing to be quickly released, the diver simply pulls the handle to stretch the tightening strap to quickly release the fastened-on object.

2. The tightening strap of a diving flipper according to claim 1, wherein the handle of the tightening strap is manufactured separately and has a slotted sleeve on one side which allows the handle to be assembled on to the body of the tightening strap.

3. The tightening strap of a diving flipper according to claim 1, wherein the handle and the tightening strap are manufactured as one unit.

4. The tightening strap of a diving flipper according to claim 1, wherein the handle is assembled together with individual components.

5. The tightening strap of a diving flipper according to claim 1, wherein the handle roughly T-shaped.

6. The tightening strap of a diving flipper according to claim 1, wherein the tightening strap is assembled together with individual components.