US20160213981A1 - Heel strap for swimming flippers - Google Patents
Heel strap for swimming flippers Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20160213981A1 US20160213981A1 US15/089,559 US201615089559A US2016213981A1 US 20160213981 A1 US20160213981 A1 US 20160213981A1 US 201615089559 A US201615089559 A US 201615089559A US 2016213981 A1 US2016213981 A1 US 2016213981A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- elastic band
- tubular elastic
- tubular
- eyelet
- heel strap
- 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.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
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
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B5/00—Footwear for sporting purposes
- A43B5/08—Bathing shoes ; Aquatic sports shoes
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a heel strap for swimming flippers having an open shoe.
- a swimming flipper may be configured as an open shoe with a blade in its front part and an opening in its rear part, into which the diver inserts his foot.
- This type of flipper is typically made from rubber or a similar elastomeric material
- a flipper of this type is particularly suitable for scuba diving and is provided at its rear end with a strap, which secures the diver's heel, in order to retain the foot correctly in the flipper.
- These straps may be of different kinds and may, for example, include a rubber belt provided at both ends with buckles, which are fixed to the sides of the flipper shoe. These buckles, into which the ends of the strap are inserted, provide for a degree of adjustment of the capacity and tension of the strap.
- both ends of the strap must be inserted into the corresponding buckles whenever the flipper is put on and must be removed therefrom whenever the flipper is taken off.
- the strap can suffer from wear over time as an inevitable result of these repeated operations of insertion into the buckles and removal therefrom, and lose tension in the long term, which is detrimental to their effectiveness.
- the object of the present invention is to provide a heel strap for swimming flippers, which overcomes the drawbacks of the straps in the prior art.
- a heel strap according to the invention can be customized and has a markedly greater effectiveness and durability than known heel straps.
- a heel strap for a swimming flipper of the open-shoe type which includes a tubular resilient element with a round cross section connected removably at each end to a device supporting a rigid eyelet, which can be removably attached to a corresponding pivot pin projecting laterally from the flipper.
- the tubular resilient element with a round cross section is an elastic element used in underwater crossbow guns.
- FIG. 1 is a side view of swimming flipper with a heel strap according to the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a top view of the flipper of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is a top view of a heel strap according to the invention.
- FIG. 4 is a rear view from above of the heel strap of FIG. 3 ;
- FIG. 5 illustrates the cross-section of a strap according to the invention
- FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the ratio strength-extension of a strap according to the invention.
- FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the ration strength-extension of a strap in the prior art.
- number 1 indicates a flipper having a blade 2 in its front part and an open shoe 3 made from rubber or similar elastomeric material in its rear part.
- the diver wearing suitable footwear 4 with a sole, inserts his foot into open shoe 3 , and the foot is kept in correct position in flipper 1 by a heel strap 5 according to the present invention.
- FIG. 2 there are provided, at the sides of shoe 3 , two projecting pivot pins 6 in diametrically opposite positions. Each pivot pin has a head 7 of larger diameter in its upper part. Pivot pins 6 can be made, for example, in one piece with the shoe 3 . One end of the heel strap 5 is engaged in one of pivot pins 6 by means of metal attachment eyelet 9 .
- heel strap 5 comprises a tubular resilient band 10 having a round cross section and suitable thickness. As shown in FIG. 5 , heel strap 5 is hollow inside and the diameter d, of the inner lumen is equal or less that the thickness t of the outer wall of heels strap 5 , such that:
- inner diameter d, of tubular resilient band 10 is 3 mm and outer diameter d o is 12, 14, 16 or 18 mm, such that, in those embodiments, t is 4.5, 5.5, 6.5 or 7.5 mm respectively.
- Tubular resilient band 10 may be made of different materials, such as rubber or latex. In one embodiment, tubular resilient band 10 is made from a length of an elastic tubular band used in crossbow underwater guns.
- FIG. 6 illustrates the tested performance of a heel strap according to the invention. It can be seen that an elongation of 100 mm is achieved with the application of a force of about 0.15 kN and that an elongation of 500 mm is achieved with the application of a force of about 0.53 kN.
- FIG. 7 illustrates instead the tested performance of a heel strap according to the prior art. It can be seen that an elongation of 100 mm is achieved with the application of a force of about 0.035 kN, and an elongation of 500 mm is achieved with the application of a force of about 0.0.092 kN.
- each end of tubular resilient band 10 is fixedly coupled to a plastic bush 12 , which has a threaded part onto which a plastic cap 11 is screwed for supporting metal attachment eyelet 9 .
- the end of cap 11 is fixed to a metal pivot pin 13 provided with a head 14 , in which a through hole is defined, in a direction orthogonal to pivot pin 13 .
- a second pivot pin 15 in inserted into the through hole and has ends are fixed to two parallel side pieces 16 , which support metal eyelet 9 .
- Pivot pin 15 can rotate with respect to the head 14 , and therefore each of metal eyelets 9 can be rotated with respect to cap 11 to which it is attached and with respect to tubular resilient element 10 .
- Each of the metal eyelets 9 also comprises a first appropriately shaped hole 17 for fitting onto head 7 of a corresponding pivot pin 6 , and a second appropriately shaped hole 8 adapted to be positioned under head 7 of the corresponding pivot pin when the strap has been attached.
- Strap 5 further comprises a rubber element 18 , which includes, on one side, a flat part 19 for supporting the diver's heel and, on another side, a grip ring 20 .
- a through hole 21 into which tubular resilient element 10 of the strap 5 is inserted, is formed in the central part of rubber element 18 .
- a strap according to the invention is highly customizable, since it can be made simply by providing a tubular resilient element 10 with a round cross section, such as an elastic element for crossbow underwater guns, cutting tubular resilient element 10 to size according to the characteristics of the user's foot or the user's footwear, and inserting tubular resilient element 10 into through hole 21 of rubber element 18 provided with heel support part 19 .
- Bushes 12 with the threaded parts on their outer ends are then attached to the ends of resilient element 10 and cap 11 , provided with the metal eyelet 9 which is rotatable in relation to it, is screwed onto each bush.
- the strap is attached in a simple and effective way to pivot pins 6 provided at the sides of flipper 1 , by fitting first hole 17 of greater diameter of metal eyelet 9 onto head 7 of each pivot pin, and then positioning metal eyelet 9 such that second hole 8 of smaller diameter can be placed, on completing the attachment, around pivot pin 6 and, therefore, under head 7 .
- the diver In order to insert his foot into flipper 1 , the diver simply has to grip ring 20 and pull strap 5 , which becomes elastically elongated. When the foot has been inserted, the diver releases ring 20 so that part 19 comes into contact with the heel, thus providing a suitable pressure on the heel. In order to remove the foot from flipper 1 , the diver has to simply grip ring 20 again and to pull strap 5 again, causing strap 5 to become elastically elongated and enabling a removal of the foot.
Abstract
A heel strap for swimming flippers includes a tubular resilient band having a round cross section, which can be coupled at each end to a member supporting a rigid eyelet that can be removably attached to a pivot pin projecting laterally from the flipper.
Description
- The present invention relates to a heel strap for swimming flippers having an open shoe.
- A swimming flipper may be configured as an open shoe with a blade in its front part and an opening in its rear part, into which the diver inserts his foot. This type of flipper is typically made from rubber or a similar elastomeric material
- A flipper of this type is particularly suitable for scuba diving and is provided at its rear end with a strap, which secures the diver's heel, in order to retain the foot correctly in the flipper. These straps may be of different kinds and may, for example, include a rubber belt provided at both ends with buckles, which are fixed to the sides of the flipper shoe. These buckles, into which the ends of the strap are inserted, provide for a degree of adjustment of the capacity and tension of the strap.
- However, these straps have a number of drawbacks, for example, both ends of the strap must be inserted into the corresponding buckles whenever the flipper is put on and must be removed therefrom whenever the flipper is taken off. The strap can suffer from wear over time as an inevitable result of these repeated operations of insertion into the buckles and removal therefrom, and lose tension in the long term, which is detrimental to their effectiveness.
- The object of the present invention is to provide a heel strap for swimming flippers, which overcomes the drawbacks of the straps in the prior art. A heel strap according to the invention can be customized and has a markedly greater effectiveness and durability than known heel straps.
- This object is achieved by a heel strap for a swimming flipper of the open-shoe type, which includes a tubular resilient element with a round cross section connected removably at each end to a device supporting a rigid eyelet, which can be removably attached to a corresponding pivot pin projecting laterally from the flipper.
- In one embodieng, the tubular resilient element with a round cross section is an elastic element used in underwater crossbow guns.
- The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.
-
FIG. 1 is a side view of swimming flipper with a heel strap according to the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is a top view of the flipper ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is a top view of a heel strap according to the invention; -
FIG. 4 is a rear view from above of the heel strap ofFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 5 illustrates the cross-section of a strap according to the invention; -
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the ratio strength-extension of a strap according to the invention; and -
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the ration strength-extension of a strap in the prior art. - Detailed descriptions of embodiments of the invention are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, the specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to employ the present invention in virtually any detailed system, structure, or manner.
- With reference first to
FIG. 1 , number 1 indicates a flipper having ablade 2 in its front part and anopen shoe 3 made from rubber or similar elastomeric material in its rear part. The diver, wearingsuitable footwear 4 with a sole, inserts his foot intoopen shoe 3, and the foot is kept in correct position in flipper 1 by aheel strap 5 according to the present invention. - Turning now to
FIG. 2 , there are provided, at the sides ofshoe 3, two projectingpivot pins 6 in diametrically opposite positions. Each pivot pin has ahead 7 of larger diameter in its upper part.Pivot pins 6 can be made, for example, in one piece with theshoe 3. One end of theheel strap 5 is engaged in one ofpivot pins 6 by means ofmetal attachment eyelet 9. - With reference now to
FIGS. 3 and 4 ,heel strap 5 comprises a tubularresilient band 10 having a round cross section and suitable thickness. As shown inFIG. 5 ,heel strap 5 is hollow inside and the diameter d, of the inner lumen is equal or less that the thickness t of the outer wall ofheels strap 5, such that: -
di≦t - In different, non-limiting embodiments of the invention, inner diameter d, of tubular
resilient band 10 is 3 mm and outer diameter do is 12, 14, 16 or 18 mm, such that, in those embodiments, t is 4.5, 5.5, 6.5 or 7.5 mm respectively. - Tubular
resilient band 10 may be made of different materials, such as rubber or latex. In one embodiment, tubularresilient band 10 is made from a length of an elastic tubular band used in crossbow underwater guns. -
FIG. 6 illustrates the tested performance of a heel strap according to the invention. It can be seen that an elongation of 100 mm is achieved with the application of a force of about 0.15 kN and that an elongation of 500 mm is achieved with the application of a force of about 0.53 kN. -
FIG. 7 illustrates instead the tested performance of a heel strap according to the prior art. It can be seen that an elongation of 100 mm is achieved with the application of a force of about 0.035 kN, and an elongation of 500 mm is achieved with the application of a force of about 0.0.092 kN. - With reference again to
FIGS. 1-4 , each end of tubularresilient band 10 is fixedly coupled to aplastic bush 12, which has a threaded part onto which aplastic cap 11 is screwed for supportingmetal attachment eyelet 9. The end ofcap 11 is fixed to ametal pivot pin 13 provided with ahead 14, in which a through hole is defined, in a direction orthogonal topivot pin 13. - A
second pivot pin 15 in inserted into the through hole and has ends are fixed to twoparallel side pieces 16, which supportmetal eyelet 9.Pivot pin 15 can rotate with respect to thehead 14, and therefore each ofmetal eyelets 9 can be rotated with respect tocap 11 to which it is attached and with respect to tubularresilient element 10. - Each of the
metal eyelets 9 also comprises a first appropriatelyshaped hole 17 for fitting ontohead 7 of acorresponding pivot pin 6, and a second appropriately shapedhole 8 adapted to be positioned underhead 7 of the corresponding pivot pin when the strap has been attached. -
Strap 5 further comprises arubber element 18, which includes, on one side, aflat part 19 for supporting the diver's heel and, on another side, agrip ring 20. A throughhole 21, into which tubularresilient element 10 of thestrap 5 is inserted, is formed in the central part ofrubber element 18. - A strap according to the invention is highly customizable, since it can be made simply by providing a tubular
resilient element 10 with a round cross section, such as an elastic element for crossbow underwater guns, cutting tubularresilient element 10 to size according to the characteristics of the user's foot or the user's footwear, and inserting tubularresilient element 10 into throughhole 21 ofrubber element 18 provided withheel support part 19.Bushes 12 with the threaded parts on their outer ends are then attached to the ends ofresilient element 10 andcap 11, provided with themetal eyelet 9 which is rotatable in relation to it, is screwed onto each bush. - The strap is attached in a simple and effective way to pivot
pins 6 provided at the sides of flipper 1, by fittingfirst hole 17 of greater diameter ofmetal eyelet 9 ontohead 7 of each pivot pin, and then positioningmetal eyelet 9 such thatsecond hole 8 of smaller diameter can be placed, on completing the attachment, aroundpivot pin 6 and, therefore, underhead 7. - In order to insert his foot into flipper 1, the diver simply has to grip
ring 20 and pullstrap 5, which becomes elastically elongated. When the foot has been inserted, the diver releasesring 20 so thatpart 19 comes into contact with the heel, thus providing a suitable pressure on the heel. In order to remove the foot from flipper 1, the diver has to simply gripring 20 again and to pullstrap 5 again, causingstrap 5 to become elastically elongated and enabling a removal of the foot. - While the invention has been described in connection with the above described embodiments, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular forms set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the scope of the invention. Further, the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments that may become obvious to those skilled in the art and the scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.
Claims (13)
1. A heel strap for swimming flippers of open shoe type, comprising:
a tubular elastic band having a circular cross-section and an inner lumen defined by an outer wall; and
a rigid eyelet connected at each end of the tubular elastic band, the eyelets having an opening constructed such that each eyelet removably attaches onto a pin fixed one to each side of the flipper,
wherein the inner lumen of the tubular elastic band has a diameter that is equal or less than a thickness of the outer wall.
2. The heel strap according to claim 1 , wherein the eyelets are rotatably connected to the ends of the tubular elastic band such that each eyelet is allowed to rotate at least partially relative to the end of the tubular elastic cord to which it is connected.
3. The heel strap according to claim 1 , wherein the eyelet has a first hole of greater diameter and second hole of smaller diameter.
4. The heels strap according to claim 1 , further comprising a member mounted on the tubular elastic band midway along a length thereof at a location corresponding to a back of a user's foot, the tubular elastic band passing through an opening in the member defined in a tubular extension extending alongside an outer wall of the member, the member having,
an inner wall positioned to face and support a heel of the user, and
a gripping element extending outwardly from the tubular extension, for the user to grip the tubular elastic band and pull the band away from the user's foot.
5. The heel strap according to claim 4 , wherein the gripping element is an annular gripping element.
6. The heel strap according to claim 4 , wherein the tubular extension has a plurality of parallel slots such to facilitate curving of the tubular extension.
7. A heel strap for swimming flippers of open shoe type, comprising:
a tubular elastic band having a circular cross-section and an inner lumen defined by an outer wall;
a rigid eyelet connected at each end of the tubular elastic band, the eyelets having an opening constructed such that each eyelet removably attaches onto a pin fixed one to each side of the flipper; and
an externally threaded bush connecting to each end of the tubular elastic band, each eyelet having a cap which is internally threaded and is threadly engaged to the external threads of the bush.
8. The heel strap according to claim 7 , wherein the cap includes a first pin extending outwardly therefrom away from the end of the tubular elastic band, and a cross pin pivotally connected to the first pin and rotatable relative there to, the eyelet being connected to the cross pin and pivotal relative thereto.
9. The heel strap according to claim 7 , wherein the eyelets are rotatably connected to the ends of the tubular elastic cord such that each eyelet is allowed to rotate at least partially relative to the end of the tubular elastic band to which it is connected.
10. The heel strap according to claim 7 , wherein the eyelet has a first hole of greater diameter and second hole of smaller diameter.
11. The heels strap according to claim 7 , further comprising a member mounted on the tubular elastic band midway along a length thereof at a location corresponding to a back of a user's foot, the tubular elastic band passing through an opening in the member defined in a tubular extension extending alongside an outer wall of the member, the member having,
an inner wall positioned to face and support a heel of the user, and
a gripping element extending outwardly from the tubular extension, for the user to grip the tubular elastic band and pull the band away from the user's foot.
12. The heel strap according to claim 11 , wherein the gripping element is an annular gripping element.
13. The heel strap according to claim 11 , wherein the tubular extension has a plurality of parallel slots such to facilitate curving of the tubular extension.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US15/089,559 US20160213981A1 (en) | 2010-09-22 | 2016-04-03 | Heel strap for swimming flippers |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
ITGE2010U000019 | 2010-09-22 | ||
ITGE20100019 ITGE20100019U1 (en) | 2010-09-22 | 2010-09-22 | HEEL BELT FOR SWIMMING FINS OF THE OPEN SHOE TYPE |
US13/234,565 US20120071047A1 (en) | 2010-09-22 | 2011-09-16 | Heel Strap for Swimming Flippers of the Open-Shoe Type |
US15/089,559 US20160213981A1 (en) | 2010-09-22 | 2016-04-03 | Heel strap for swimming flippers |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/234,565 Continuation-In-Part US20120071047A1 (en) | 2010-09-22 | 2011-09-16 | Heel Strap for Swimming Flippers of the Open-Shoe Type |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20160213981A1 true US20160213981A1 (en) | 2016-07-28 |
Family
ID=56433048
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US15/089,559 Abandoned US20160213981A1 (en) | 2010-09-22 | 2016-04-03 | Heel strap for swimming flippers |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20160213981A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN107174800A (en) * | 2017-07-13 | 2017-09-19 | 朱光 | A kind of intelligent speed changing Navigating System for being used to swim |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4868954A (en) * | 1982-07-23 | 1989-09-26 | Nippon Notion Kogyo Co., Ltd. | Swivel joint assembly |
US20030144071A1 (en) * | 2002-01-28 | 2003-07-31 | Dodge David J. | Sports equipment having a tubular structural member |
US6923697B1 (en) * | 2002-06-18 | 2005-08-02 | John L. Wagner | Universal open-heel dive fin replacement heel strap |
-
2016
- 2016-04-03 US US15/089,559 patent/US20160213981A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4868954A (en) * | 1982-07-23 | 1989-09-26 | Nippon Notion Kogyo Co., Ltd. | Swivel joint assembly |
US20030144071A1 (en) * | 2002-01-28 | 2003-07-31 | Dodge David J. | Sports equipment having a tubular structural member |
US6923697B1 (en) * | 2002-06-18 | 2005-08-02 | John L. Wagner | Universal open-heel dive fin replacement heel strap |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN107174800A (en) * | 2017-07-13 | 2017-09-19 | 朱光 | A kind of intelligent speed changing Navigating System for being used to swim |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US7735256B2 (en) | Fish lure break away system | |
US8657727B1 (en) | Resistance training exercise device including governor | |
US9655783B2 (en) | Strap attachment systems and goggles including same | |
EP2433680B1 (en) | Heel strap for swimming flippers of the open-shoe type | |
US7587827B2 (en) | Automatic swing-away knife sheath retaining strap | |
TWI430780B (en) | Ear plugs and neck with the earbuds | |
US7803028B2 (en) | Multi-use adjustable bellows-shaped aperture strap | |
US20070283594A1 (en) | Footwear with exchangeable fastening system | |
EP3045211A1 (en) | Safety device for exercise resistance band | |
US6923697B1 (en) | Universal open-heel dive fin replacement heel strap | |
US5597336A (en) | Unique swim fin | |
US20150151163A1 (en) | Friction-attached aquatic accessory | |
US20160213981A1 (en) | Heel strap for swimming flippers | |
US20070266596A1 (en) | Molded shoe with unitary strap attachment connector | |
US20160249693A1 (en) | Ball glove thumb guard device | |
CN107771043A (en) | There is provided the ski boots of the lateral performance of enhancing and with combination | |
KR100715441B1 (en) | Shoes having wire tightener | |
WO2016094930A1 (en) | Swim fin | |
US9004966B2 (en) | Swim fin attachment | |
US11330924B2 (en) | Device and method for aiding putting on a ski boot | |
US9943727B2 (en) | Semi-rigid foot pocket with non-invasive flipper attachment system | |
US20220134187A1 (en) | Underwater propulsion device removably fixed to a flipper | |
US20190366160A1 (en) | Heel element for swim fins | |
US10086235B2 (en) | Swim or a scuba diving fin | |
WO1994015676A1 (en) | Unique swim fin |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |