US20130344756A1

US20130344756A1 - Swimmer's training buoy with variable ballast

Info

Publication number: US20130344756A1
Application number: US13/973,302
Authority: US
Inventors: Lawrence James Day
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-07-25
Filing date: 2013-08-22
Publication date: 2013-12-26

Abstract

Aspects of disclosed implementations include a training and teaching aid for swimmers and coaches in the form of a buoy incorporating removable ballasting devices in the form of refillable vessels, or alternatively, weights. The buoy is provided with means for securing the buoy to the body or clothing of the swimmer utilizing the device. Aspects include an optional warning device utilizing a flag or other three-dimensional device that extends from the buoy above the surface of the water while a swimmer is swimming with the buoy in place. Observers such as coaches can use the optional warning device to observe, document and quantify the extent and symmetry of a swimmer's hip and body rotation during swimming to perform stroke analysis and assist in teaching.

Description

PRIORITY

The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/556,306, filed Jul. 24, 2012 which claims priority based on U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/511,462, filed Jul. 25, 2011.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to flotation devices for use by swimmers and swim coaches for teaching and training. More particularly, the invention pertains to flotation device designed to be secured to swimmers' clothing or the swimmers' bodies, and provided with ballasting containers for adjusting the amount of flotation afforded by the device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

For competition swimmers, in particular, effective teaching and training can be facilitated by the use of flotation devices for supporting the swimmer's hips and legs so that an appropriately level position is maintained during training. It is known that improved performance by competitive swimmers can be achieved by training which conditions the swimmer to appropriately position the torso, hips and legs in relation to the surface of the water. To effectively teach the swimmer to recognize appropriate swimming posture, with particular attention to raising the position of the hips and legs in relation to the swimmer's upper body, it is known to utilize flotation devices which are held between the swimmer's legs during training sessions.
One such design is taught by Rademacher in U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,704, which discloses an appropriately formed unitary foam buoy adapted for engagement with and selective retention by the legs of the swimmer. The resiliency of the foam provides the necessary comfort to the swimmer, and the composition of the foam itself provides the necessary flotation. However, this device must be formed of a particular dimension, volume and density to accommodate swimmers of varying weights, body shapes and natural buoyancy. Accordingly, the '704 leg buoy must be manufactured in a variety of different dimensions, to accommodate a large population of swimmers. Further, these buoys can be quickly outgrown by youthful swimmers as they age and develop. Even the same swimmer may benefit from flotation devices which provide variable degrees of buoyancy depending on their stage of training, the strokes being taught and practiced, the anatomy and weight of the swimmer and even the bodies of water in which training is taking place (i.e. salt or fresh water).
A similar device is taught by Hernandez and Lang, U.S. Pat. No. 7,169,000. This device, too, suffers from many of the same limitations of Rademacher. An additional shortcoming of the prior art is the reliance by prior art devices on frictional engagement between the devices and the swimmer's body in order to keep the flotation device in proper position. The lack of securement means on the prior art devices renders them susceptible to becoming dislodged during training, and inconvenience for the swimmer and coach.
There are further limitations in prior art devices. Because swimmers' training is physically demanding, and because swimmers, especially open water swimmers, frequently carry with them personal articles such as identification cards, wallets, spectacles, cell phones and the like, current swimmers' training aids provide no facility for carrying and protecting such personal items, which often must be left poolside, in a locker or changing room, on the beach or in a car where they may be subject to loss or theft. Further, swimmers frequently seek refreshments including hydration and nutrition in the form of food or drink to be used before, during or after the training session. Current flotation training devices are not equipped with the capability of storing and carrying such items.
Another prior art device, Speedo's “Swimmer's Training Buoy With Variable Ballast,” is a training device comprising a unitary buoy adapted for engagement with a swimmer's legs and having a fillable ballast cavity. However, the swimmer is unable to put personal belongings inside the ballast cavity because of the device's small ballast filling aperture. Further, swimmers are unlikely to fill the ballast with refreshments because the ballast's small filling aperture makes access to the ballast compartment difficult. And lastly, similar to the shortcomings of other prior art devices, the device relies on frictional engagement between the device and the swimmer's body to keep the device in proper position. The lack of securement means the device is susceptible to becoming dislodged during training, and an inconvenience for the swimmer and coach.
In another example of the shortcomings of the prior art, the Kiefer Corporation's Safer Swimming Buoy teaches a device used for swimmers to store personal items while in the water, which comprises a floatable waterproof bag, a strap, and a waist belt for connecting the device to the swimmer. However, the device does not teach the support of the swimmer's legs and hips. Rather, the waterproof bag floats behind the swimmer's legs, and is towed by a swimmer by a strap connected between a waist belt and floatable bag.
Lastly, another limitation of the prior art devices is the lack of a warning element substantially above the surface of the water, which is needed to increase the visibility of the swimmer to observers, coaches and even watercraft.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the problems found in the prior art and provides an improved buoy which is readily adjustable for use by different swimmers, and whereby the buoyancy of the device can be adjusted by the user, where a warning device that oscillates with hip rotation of a swimmer indicates to observers or nearby watercraft that a swimmer is nearby, where the device is capable of carrying refreshments or other materials, and where the device is removably secured to the swimmer to avoid dislodgment during use.
In an embodiment, the buoy is formed with a foam member adapted for engagement with and retention by the legs of the swimmer. The buoy is in the form of a pair of spaced apart cylindrical elements having generally circular cross-section. The generally circular cross-section elements are interconnected by a connecting piece, and the entire buoy is of unitary construction, formed either by molding, extrusion, heat melt process or die cutting. The buoy includes an attachment device for securing the buoy to the swimmer's body or clothing. The buoy contains one or more compartments to accommodate one or more corresponding vessels which can be inserted in and removed from the compartments, and which vessels can be selectively filled with material which may be used to vary the buoyancy of the buoy, as well as maintaining a water-tight storage compartment, or utilized as a storage vessel for consumable liquids, such as water or sports drinks. The shape of the buoy accommodates the legs of the swimmer, providing flotation to the hips and legs of the swimmer. Ideally, the foam material is of sufficient resilience to be comfortably carried between the swimmer's legs without causing discomfort or irritation.
Aspects of disclosed embodiments include forming the buoy in a non-unitary fashion, where the generally circular cross-section elements are separated and interconnected using straps or other means to interconnect the elements. In an aspect of disclosed embodiments, the buoy can be formed from two asymmetric elements, where one element includes a compartment to accommodate one or more corresponding vessels and an attachment device for securing the buoy to a swimmer's body or clothing. The second element can include a compartment to accommodate a corresponding vessel as described above and attach to the first element using straps, which can be adjustable, or other means to connect the two elements. By adjusting the two elements that form the buoy, the buoy can be made to frictionally fit between a swimmer's legs, thereby assisting the attachment device in holding the buoy in position with respect to the swimmer's body.
Other aspects of disclosed embodiments include forming the buoy in three parts, where two of the parts include generally circular cross-section elements including compartments to accommodate two or more corresponding vessels and a third element that includes an attachment device for securing the buoy to a swimmer's body or clothing. The three elements can be held together using a strap, which can be adjustable or other means to connect the three elements. By adjusting the three elements that form the buoy, as discussed above, the buoy can be made to frictionally fit between a swimmer's legs, thereby assisting the attachment device in holding the buoy in position with respect to the swimmer's body.
Another aspect of disclosed embodiments includes the ability to interconnect an elastic loop with an existing swimming buoy to permit the swimming buoy to interconnect with a swimmer's legs to hold the swimming buoy in proximity to a swimmer in an improved fashion. The loop can also be used in conjunction with an ad hoc swimming buoy, which can be fashioned from any generally buoyant material that can comfortably be carried between a swimmer's legs as they swim.
By utilizing one or more removable vessels in combination with the buoy, a single sized buoy can provide a wide range of buoyancies to accommodate the needs of an equally wide range of swimmers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a buoy embodying the concept of the present invention, showing its placement and orientation in relation to the body of the typical swimmer.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the buoy of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the buoy of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the buoy of FIG. 1 showing the warning device and buoy in relation to the body of the typical swimmer.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a buoy embodying the concept of the present invention, showing its attachment to a swimmer's legs.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the buoy of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the buoy of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the buoy of FIG. 5 showing the warning device and buoy in relation to the body of the typical swimmer.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation showing a two-element buoy.

FIG. 10 is a side elevation showing a three-element buoy.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a buoy with a loop in relation to the body of the typical swimmer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A buoy according to the present invention is generally indicated by the numeral 10 in FIGS. 1 through 8 of the drawings. As shown in the drawings, the buoy is shaped and configured so as to be positioned between the legs 14 of the swimmer 12. Preferably, the buoy is formed as a unitary body from a flexible polyethylene foam or any highly buoyant material, which may be formed by molding, extrusion, heat melt process, die cutting or any other method known to those skilled in the art. Preferably the buoy 10 is formed of a suitable resilient and non-abrasive foam material so as to provide sufficient flotation to the swimmer's legs while at the same time minimizing irritation or discomfort. The buoy 10 is formed so as to have a first cylindrical portion 16 and a second cylindrical portion 18 interconnected by a connecting portion 20, creating a rounded hour glass shaped cross-section. The connecting portion 20 of the buoy 10 serves to form concave portions 22 which engage the interior aspects of the legs of the swimmer utilizing the device. When positioned by the swimmer, the connecting portion 20 is sandwiched between the legs 14 of the swimmer, with cylindrical portions 16 and 18 extending anterior and posterior to the swimmer's legs 14. This positioning is best depicted in FIG. 1, wherein the body 12 and legs 14 of the swimmer are shown in ghost view in relation to the buoy 10.
Also depicted in FIG. 4 is a removable warning device 24, which extends from the buoy 10 perpendicular to the body 12 of the swimmer. The warning device 24 includes a flag support 26, which extends substantially above the surface of the water for visibility, and a flag, three dimensional object or objects or other visual annunciators 28 on flag support 26. The flag 28 may be made of plastic, wood, fiberglass, canvas, cotton, nylon, or any other suitable material for exposure to moisture and sun. Preferably, the flag 28 is attached to the flag support 26 by adhesive, but the flag may also be attached by mechanical fasteners. Further, the flag support 26 may be made of plastic, wood, fiberglass, or any other suitable material for exposure to moisture and sun, and may be constructed in segments for compact storage. Preferably the flag support 26 is inserted into a flag pole cavity 30 located on the first cylindrical portion 16. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the flag support cavity 30 may be placed elsewhere on the buoy 10. Although the shapes of the flag support 26 and flag support cavity 30 are cylindrical in the preferred embodiment, any cross-sectional shape may be incorporated, such as rectangular, triangular, or any other polyhedron.
As shown in FIG. 4, the removable warning device 24 can be inserted into one side of the buoy 10. This means that if a swimmer is swimming in a prone position (face down), the buoy 10 would have to be positioned between the swimmer's legs 14 so that the hole 30 is facing upwards to permit the removable warning device 24 to be inserted into the hole 30 and be visible above the surface of the water. In the case where a swimmer desires to swim in a supine position (face up), the buoy can be reversed to position the hole 30 upwards when the swimmer is on their back, thereby permitting the removable warning device 24 to be visible above the surface of the water. Removable warning device 24 can be used by swimming coaches or other observers to observe, document and quantify the extent and symmetry of a swimmer's hip and body rotation while swimming to perform stroke analysis and other teaching tasks.
As shown in FIG. 8, the warning devices 24 can have in addition to or in place of a flag 28 one or more three-dimensional objects 28′. The three-dimensional objects 28′ can be attached to the flag support 26 and serve to attract attention by being visible above the surface of the water and the swimmer's body. The three-dimensional objects 28′ can be made of plastic, wood, fiberglass, metal or any other material for exposure to moisture and sun and be shaped as a sphere, cube, or other generally compact three-dimensional shape. The three-dimensional object 28′ can be made of or painted or otherwise coated to provide the three-dimensional object with a readily seen or reflective color. In other implementations the three-dimensional object can incorporate a light or lights to make the swimmer's movements visible in low-light conditions. As with the flag 28, the three-dimensional object 28′ is supported by a support 26 inserted into a flag cavity 30 located on either the first cylindrical portion 16 or second cylindrical portion 18. It is also contemplated that the flag support 26 can be employed without a flag 28 or three-dimensional objects 28′, and can be made more visible by painting or applying reflective material to the flag support 26 itself.
Further as depicted in FIG. 1, swimmers generally, while training, wear layered clothing including swimming trunks 32 having leg openings 34 and a crotch element 36 positioned between the leg openings 34. To secure the buoy 10 to the swimmer 12, in one embodiment a fastener 38 engages a through-hole 40 in the buoy 10. Fastener 38 then loops around the crotch 36 of swimming hunks 32. Fastener 38 may be a strap, a string, a buckle, a ring, a hook and loop-type fastener, a clip, or any other suitable removable fastener configured to allow the buoy 10 to be secured and/or separated from swimming trunks 32. The through-hole 40 extends through the connecting portion 20 at a point approximately midway between the opposing ends of the buoy as shown in FIG. 3.
With reference now to FIG. 2, it will be appreciated that buoy 10 is provided with at least one cavity 42. Although in an embodiment the cavity is cylindrical, any cross-sectional shape may be incorporated, such as squares, rectangles, triangles or any other polyhedron. Each cavity 42 is provided with a relief opening 44 to allow air to escape from and enter into the cavity 42 when a removable vessel 46 is inserted into or removed from the cavity 42. Vessel 46 is preferably a resealable vessel of a size appropriate to create a friction fit between the exterior walls of vessel 46 and the interior walls of cavity 42. In this fashion, vessel 46 may be securely held in position within cavity 42, while at the same time being selectively removable from cavity 42 by extraction of the vessel 46 from the cavity. Preferably, vessel 46 is provided with a resealable cap 48 which is sealably affixed to vessel 46 with the incorporation of a flexible seal 50. Typically, vessel cap 48 is threadably attached to vessel 46, but other methods of attachment, such as press fits or bayonet fits may also be incorporated. In the preferred embodiment, a fastening ring 52 may be provided on vessel cap 48, to allow vessel cap 48 to be secured to the buoy 10, or to carry a flexible strap to facilitate carrying of the vessel 46, or insertion or removal of the vessel 46 from the buoy 10.
In use, the buoy is employed by swimmers by positioning the buoy in between the legs of the swimmer 12, and is secured to the swimmer's body or clothing by a fastener 38 which can be attached to clothing 32, or to the swimmer's body 12 utilizing other attachment means, such as a belt or strap. The swimmer's legs 14 engage the outer surface of the buoy, and hold the buoy 10 in position between the swimmer's legs 14, so that the first cylindrical portion 16 is anterior to the swimmer's body and the second cylindrical portion 18 is posterior to the swimmer's body. Because of the hour glass cross-sectional shape of the buoy 10, the buoy 10 is restricted from movement upwardly or downwardly in relation to the swimmer's legs 14, thereby providing a comfortable yet secure positioning of the buoy between the swimmer's legs 14.
In a second embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the buoy 10 is equipped with one or more through-holes 40. The through-holes 40 can be grommeted 41 to add strength and wear resistance to the through-holes 40. The grommets 42 can be made of plastic or other materials that provide the appropriate level of wear and water resistance. Means other than grommets 41 to reinforce the through-holes 40 are also contemplated, including applying a coating of wear-resistant plastic material to the through-holes 40 or providing one or more fittings to attach to the buoy 10 that provide a ring or other attaching means to permit loops 54 to be attached to the buoy 10. The loops 54 can also be attached to the buoy 10 using a shaft that extends through a hole in the connecting portion 20 and attaches to one or more loops 54 on either side of the connecting portion 20.
Loops 54 permit the buoy 10 to be attached to a swimmer by inserting one or more of a swimmer's legs 14 into the loops 54. The loops 54 can be made of a stretchable material such a rubber or elastic tubing, for example, with one loop 54 provided for each of the swimmer's two legs 14. Other materials can also be used to form the loops including plastic or elastic bands. In embodiments of this disclosure the loops 54 can also be made of non-stretchable material such as nylon webbing with adjustments or adjustable closures to permit the loops to be arranged about the swimmers' legs 14 to attach the buoy 10. The loops 54 can be made of a continuous loop of stretchable material and designed to be each stretched into place about a swimmer's leg 14 as shown in FIG. 5, where one of the loops 54 is shown in position about the swimmer's leg 14. In another embodiment, each loop 54 can be provided with a clasp or closure permitting it to be opened in order to be placed around the swimmer's legs 14. The loop 54 can also be supplied with one or more clasps or closures permitting it to be adjusted around a swimmer's legs 14 in cases where the elastic nature of the loop 54 may not be sufficient to form a tight fit around the swimmer's legs 14. The clasps or closures may be straps, strings, buckles, rings, hook and loop-type fasteners, clips, or any other suitable removable fasteners configured to allow the loop 54 to be secured, adjusted and/or separated from the swimmer's legs 14.
FIG. 6 shows the buoy 10 having one or more cavities 42 into which vessels 46 can be placed. The cavities 42 can have relief openings 44 which permit air to escape from and enter into the cavity 42 when a removable vessel is inserted into or removed from the cavity 42. Vessel 46 can include a resealable cap 48 having a flexible seal 50 and a fastening ring 52. FIG. 6 also shows holes, 40 having grommets 41. One or more of holes 40 can be used to attach a loop 54 of stretchable material to be used to attach the buoy 10 to a swimmer's legs 14. FIG. 6 also shows hole 30 having a grommet 31 into which a flag support 26 has been inserted. The flag support 26 is removably inserted into hole 30, meaning that the flag support 26 of warning device 24 can be removed from the buoy 10 if desired. Hole 30 is formed in buoy 10 in close proximity to one or more cavities 42. When vessels 46 are placed in cavities 42, the close fit afforded vessels 46 by cavities 42 can permit the vessels 46 to cause pressure against the hole 30, thereby increasing the friction on flag support 26 and securing it from falling out of the hole 30.
FIG. 7 is an end view of buoy 10 showing a first cylindrical portion 16, a second cylindrical portion 18 and connecting portion 20 having concave section 22 connections connecting first cylindrical portion 16 with second cylindrical portion 18. The connecting portion 20 has one or more holes 40 having grommets 41 to provide a means to connect stretchable loop 54 to buoy 10. In this embodiment, the stretchable loop 54 forms a single continuous loop that is inserted through hole 40. The stretchable loop 54 can be sized appropriately to permit a friction fit between the hole 40 and the stretchable loop 54, thereby preventing the loop from falling out of the hole 40. In other embodiments of this disclosure the stretchable loop 54 can be prevented from being separated from the buoy 10 using clips, retainers, clasps or other means to capture the stretchable loop and keep it attached to the buoy 10. In embodiments of this disclosure, the stretchable loop 54 can be made in two or more parts, with a loop for each side of the buoy 10 and attachments provided at the surface of concave section 22 to attach the loops to the buoy 10.
FIG. 7 also shows a hole 30 having a grommet 31, created in the second cylindrical portion 18 or in the first cylindrical portion 16 of the buoy 10. The purpose of hole 30 is to provide attachment for flag support 26 using hole 30 and grommet 31 that permits the flag support 26 to support a flag 28 or three-dimensional objects 28′ above the water while the buoy 10 is in use. As discussed above, the hole 30 is formed in the buoy from a surface of one cylindrical portion of the buoy, through both cylindrical portions to a depth short of the opposite surface of the buoy. The hole 30 is formed close to, or in contact with the cavities 42 into which vessels 46 can be inserted. Inserting vessels 46 into cavities 42 can apply pressure to the hole 30 and thereby provide additional friction pressure on the flag support 26 to prevent it from accidentally coming out of the hole 30. Since the warning device 24 extends from only one side of the buoy 1, the choice of whether to position the buoy 10 and the warning device 24 to extend from the front or back of the swimmer's body will depend upon which position permits the warning device to extend above the surface of the water given the stroke the swimmer chooses.
FIG. 8 shows a swimmer 12, swimming with a buoy 10 according to disclosed implementations attached to the swimmer's legs 14 using stretchable loop 54. The buoy 10 also has a warning device 24 having a flag support 26 and three-dimensional objects 28′ attached. The three-dimensional object can be painted or coated to reflect light or have reflective devices attached. The three-dimensional object can also have lights or sound-making devices attached to draw attention to the swimmer in cases where ambient light levels are low, such as at night.
The amount of buoyancy created by the buoy 10 is dependent on the buoyancy of the foam material constituting the first cylindrical portion 16, second cylindrical portion 18 and connecting portion 20, together with the buoyancy of the contents of the vessels 46. For maximum buoyancy, vessels 46 contain only air at atmospheric pressure and provide buoyancy corresponding to the weight of the water displaced by the empty vessel 46.
At the other end of the buoyancy spectrum, vessels 46 may be filled with a heavy dense material, such as iron or stone, which will result in a completed assembly of buoy 10 and vessels 46 providing only negative buoyancy. Alternatively, vessels 46 can be replaced with fixed weights (not shown) of a physical configuration complimentary in shape and dimension to the interior shape and dimension of cavity 42.
Between these two extremes, vessels 46 may be completely or partially filled with fluid, such as water which provide greater amount of buoyancy than that accomplished by the use of weights, but a lesser amount of buoyancy accomplished by the use of empty vessels 46 alone. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that by selection of the weights, vessels and contents utilized with the buoy 10, the amount of buoyancy available to the swimmer 12 can be precisely adjusted.
It will also be appreciated that vessels 46 may be utilized as a container for refreshments, such as potable water or other beverage, or personal belongings like identification cards, wallets, spectacles, GPS devices, and cell phones.
In another embodiment, cavities 42 will be formed of a complimentary size to a standard drink container, such as an aluminum soft drink can or plastic sports drink bottle. Aspects of disclosed implementation can also envision using a sleeve or other close-fitting cover for a container that might be smaller than the cavity to permit the container to be securely held by the cavity 42 in spite of being undersized.
FIG. 9 shows aspects of disclosed implementations where the buoy 10 is formed from two portions 60 and 62. In this implementation the two portions 60 and 62 are asymmetric, with both portions having cavities 42 for vessels 46. One portion 60 has the holes 40 and grommets 41 for loops 54 for attaching the buoy 10 to a swimmer's legs 14. In other implementations the portion 60 has a fastener 38 for attaching to a swimmer's clothing as discussed above. The two portions 60, 62 can have one or more straps 64 having adjustment means such as adjustable clasps 66. This permits the buoy to be adjusted to fit a swimmer's legs and body more exactly. The fit of the buoy 10 to the swimmer's legs and body can be approximate since the buoy 10 is attached to a swimmer using a fastener 38 or loops 54. The clasps 66 can be straps, strings, buckles, rings, hook and loop-type fasteners, clips, or any other suitable removable fastener configured to allow the straps 64 to be secured, adjusted and/or separated.
FIG. 10 shows aspects of disclosed implementations where a buoy 10 is formed from three portions 70, 72 and 74. Two portions 70 and 72 have cavities 42 for vessels 46 and the third portion 74 has loops 54 for attaching the buoy 10 to a swimmer's legs 14 or a fastener 38 for attaching to a swimmers clothing. The three portions 70, 72 and 74 can have one or more straps 76 or other means to hold the three portions together along with adjustable clasps 78. The three portion buoy can be adjusted to fit a swimmer's body in addition to being attached to a swimmer's clothing or legs or both. The clasps 78 can be straps, strings, buckles, rings, hook and loop-type fasteners, clips, or any other suitable removable fastener configured to allow the straps 76 to be secured, adjusted and/or separated.
FIG. 11 shows an aspect of disclosed embodiments wherein a loop 54 is added to a buoy 80. The buoy 80 can be an existing swim buoy or any buoyant object operative to fit between a swimmer's legs 14. The loop 54 can be formed of stretchable material such a rubber or elastic tubing as discussed above. The loop 54 can be added to the buoy 80 by means of a hole 81 that can be found or formed in the buoy 80 to permit the loop 54 to be passed through the hole 81 in a similar fashion as that shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9. The hole 81 can be reinforced using a grommet 82 to prevent the loop 54 from damaging the hole 81, since the buoy 80 can be made of a lightweight foam or plastic material, for example, that could deform or rip in response to stress from loop 54 without a grommet 82. As with the implementations discussed above, the loop 54 can be stretched to fit over a swimmer's leg or legs 14 to hold the buoy 80 in proximity to the swimmer's legs 14.
Aspects of disclosed embodiments permits a loop 54 to be applied to existing swimming buoys, for example, thereby improving the ability of the existing swimming buoy, which may be designed to be held mainly by a frictional fit between the swimmer's legs 14, to be held in proximity to a swimmer's legs 14 in an improved manner. This aspect of disclosed embodiments also permits the use of a generally buoyant object as an ad hoc swimming buoy. For example, a life vest can be employed as a swimming buoy according to disclosed embodiments by adding a loop 54 to hold the life vest in proximity to a swimmer's body by interconnecting the loop 54 with the swimmer's legs and the life vest used as an ad hoc swimming buoy.
It will be appreciated then that the above-described invention provides a swimmer's training and coach's teaching aid which provides a selectable, variable degree of buoyancy, while at the same time providing means for securing the training aid to the body of the swimmer, and provides storage for weights, variable ballast, refreshments or personal items, and provides a single component which can be customizable for use by swimmers of different sizes and density.
Having thus described my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications and variations may be made of the inventive concept of the invention, without departing from the invention herein claimed.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A buoy for supplementing buoyance of a swimmer's legs and hips comprising:

a foam member adapted for engagement with and selective retention by the legs of the swimmer; and

at least one cavity formed in said buoy adapted to engage at least one vessel, whereby said vessel may be selectively filled with ballast.

2. The buoy of claim 1, which further comprises a fastener for interconnecting said buoy with a garment worn by a user.

3. The buoy of claim 2, wherein said fastener comprises a fabric loop.

4. The buoy of claim 2, wherein said fastener comprises a hook and loop fastener.

5. The buoy of claim 2, wherein said fastener comprises a snap hook.

6. The buoy of claim 2, wherein said fastener comprises a strap.

7. A buoy for supplementing buoyancy of a swimmers' legs and hips comprising:

a foam member adaptive for engagement with and selective retention by the legs of the swimmer; and

at least one cavity formed in said buoy adapted to engage at least one removable weight.

8. The buoy of claim 1, wherein said at least one cavity is sized to accommodate a vessel of a size of a commercially available beverage container.

9. The buoy of claim 1, further comprising:

a warning device removably attached to the buoy.

10. The buoy of claim 9, wherein said warning device comprises a flag and flag support oscillates with the swimmer's hip rotation.

11. The buoy of claim 9, wherein said warning device comprises three-dimensional objects attached to the flag support of claim 10.

12. The buoy of claim 9, wherein said warning device is removably attached to said buoy with a grommeted hole.

13. The buoy of claim 9, wherein said warning device is used to document a swimmer's hip and body rotation while swimming.

14. The buoy of claim 1 further comprising:

one or more loops of stretchable material for interconnecting said buoy with one or more legs of a user.

15. The buoy of claim 14 wherein the one or more loops of stretchable material engage the buoy with grommeted through-holes.

16. The buoy of claim 14 wherein the loops of stretchable material include rubber tubing.

17. The buoy of claim 1 further comprising:

one or more straps for interconnecting said buoy with one or more legs of a user.

18. The buoy of claim 17 wherein the one or more straps include clasps for adjusting the one or more straps.

19. The buoy of claim 1 wherein the foam member is formed of two portions, and wherein the two portions each have at least one cavity.

20. The buoy of claim 1 wherein the foam member is formed of three portions, and wherein two of the three portions each have at least one cavity.

21. An apparatus for selective retention of a buoy for supplementing buoyance of a swimmer's legs and hips comprising:

a loop of material operative to interconnect the buoy with the swimmer's legs;

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the loop comprises elastic material.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising:

a hole in the buoy for interconnecting the loop with the buoy; and

a grommet for reinforcing the hole.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 which further comprises a fastener for interconnecting said buoy with a garment worn by a user.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said fastener comprises a fabric loop.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said fastener comprises a hook and loop fastener.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said fastener comprises a snap hook.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said fastener comprises a strap.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

a warning device removably attached to the buoy.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said warning device comprises a flag and flag support.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said warning device comprises one or more three-dimensional objects.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said warning device is removably attached to said buoy with a grommeted hole.

33. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said warning device is used to document a swimmer's hip and body rotation while swimming.