WO2006042964A1

WO2006042964A1 - Swim easy

Info

Publication number: WO2006042964A1
Application number: PCT/FR2005/002590
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stéphane SOUQUIERE
Original assignee: Souquiere Stephane
Priority date: 2004-10-19
Filing date: 2005-10-19
Publication date: 2006-04-27
Also published as: FR2876595A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for swimming, designed for a person wishing to swim on a water expanse, characterized in that it comprises means for attaching (10, 14, 16, 20) said person to a fixed point relative to said water expanse.

Description

Swim eazy

The present invention relates to a device for assisting the practice of swimming.

The benefits of swimming are recognized by all specialists, but unfortunately to enjoy these benefits you must be able to swim for a while. The main problem of swimming in the pool is that you have to make half-turns every time you come to a poolside, which implies a temporary stop swimming and therefore a real embarrassment, especially in small basin.

The invention aims in particular to allow to swim as long as desired without having to perform these U-turns regardless of the size of the body of water.

This object of the invention is achieved with a device for assisting the practice of swimming, intended for an individual wishing to swim on a body of water, remarkable in that it comprises means for mooring the individual to a fixed point in relation to the body of water.

Thanks to this characteristic, the swimmer practices swimming without moving and so he does not have to make many more and more difficult turns. Such a device also allows people who have a hesitant swim to stay in an area of the body of water where they have feet. This device also allows many swimmers to swim in a pool of small size, an application of this advantage may allow the development of courses in fitness studios on the model of "biking" or "aquagym ".

Advantageously, these docking means comprise means for connecting the individual to the fixed point which, advantageously, are flexible, elastic, having an elasticity of about fifty percent.

The elasticity of the means of connection makes it possible to prevent the jolts of the movement of the swimming being felt by the swimmer. Advantageously, these connecting means comprise a cable.

Thus, when the movement of the swimmer is not motor, the elastic cable retracts and the swimmer is brought back. When the swimmer's movement is motor, it tightens the elastic cable while advancing slightly.

Advantageously, the mooring means comprise means for fixing the connection means to the swimmer. Advantageously, these fixing means comprise a belt, preferably having a bulge.

An elastic belt allows, in fact, a good hold of the device on the swimmer without hindering his movements.

Advantageously, this elastic belt has at one end a Velcro® band and at its other end a ring.

The combination of the Velcro® band and the ring allows you to attach and detach the belt very quickly.

Advantageously, this belt is made of Neoprene®.

Advantageously, the mooring means comprise means for raising, relative to the individual, the connecting means which, advantageously, are fixed to the fastening means on the individual by means of quick attachment.

The raising means allow the swimmer not to be obstructed in his swimming movements by the connecting means. In addition, with quick attachment means, it is easy to fix / separate these elevation means to / attachment means on the individual.

Advantageously, these raising means are rigid, and preferably tubular. The rigidity of the raising means prevents the connecting means from disturbing the swimmer in his movements.

Advantageously, the cable enters said tubular raising means. Advantageously, the tubular raising means are bent.

The elbow avoids excessive wear of the connecting cable, by friction on the tip of the tube.

Advantageously, the means for docking the swimmer at the fixed point comprise means for fixing the connection means to the fixed point.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will result from examining the following description and the appended figures, given by way of non-limiting examples, in which:

FIG. 1 represents an overall view of one embodiment of the device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 represents a view from above of an attachment element on the swimmer of the device of FIG. 1;

- Figure 3 shows a side view of the element of Figure 2;

FIG. 4 further represents an element of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows a side view of yet another element of the device of FIG. 1; FIG. 6 represents a simulation of the use of the device according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a particular embodiment of the invention. The device comprises a belt 10 on which is fixed by means of a quick coupling system 12 a rigid elbow tube 14. A cable 16, fixed at one end to a ring 18 integral with a plate 20, passes through the tube 14 and is fixed at its other end in the tube 14. One can imagine a variant where the plate 20 does not include a ring, but has a hole drilled in its center.

Figure 2 shows more particularly the belt 10, which may be, for example, Neoprene®. This belt 10 has at one end a Velcro® band 22 and at its other end a ring 24. The Velcro® band itself comprises two separate zones 26, 28, male and female intended to cooperate when they are contiguous to each other. the other. This Velcro® band 22 and this ring 24 could be replaced by another system allowing the closure of the belt, such as, for example, snaps. One can also imagine that the belt 10 has at each end eyelets and that it attaches with the help of a lace.

Moreover, the belt preferably has a bulge 30 around the fastening system 12, visible in FIG.

The fastening system 12 of the tube 14 on the belt 10 resumes, in the example, the principle of mounting a foot of sailboard mat on the float: the tip 32 of the elbow tube 14 is mounted in a housing 34 formed in the bulge 12, and of complementary shape to the tip 32 of the tube 14, and locked in the housing 34 by a pin 36 resiliently mounted.

Thus, the connection between the belt 10 and the tube 14 is rigid, that is to say that the tube can not in any case tilt relative to the belt.

The fastening system 12 is such that the disengagement of the tip 32 of the tube 14 can be achieved by means of a push button or a small lever not shown in the figure, and known per se by the windsurfers users.

In any case, this disengagement must not be possible by simply pulling the tube 14.

A system including a pin could also be considered to block the tube 14 in the housing 34 of the belt. Figure 4 shows the elastic cable 16. This could, for example, have a yield of fifty percent, that is, it could lengthen by about half its length at rest.

FIG. 5 shows the tube 14. This tube is bent at one end and has, at the other end, the end piece 32. This tube 14 is hollow, in order to be able to receive the cable 16, and rigid. The tip 32 of the tube 14 can be unscrewed in order to reveal a portion of the tube 14 whose diameter is smaller, however, can pass the cable 16. Thus, by making a node of larger diameter than the diameter of the tube 14, the cable 16 is fixed to the tube 14 and the tip 32 of the tube 14 can then be screwed on. This operation is not to be carried out at each use and the cable 16 thus secured to the tube 14 is advantageously left between the uses of the device according to the invention.

Other solutions could make it possible to attach the cable 16 to the tube 14, such as the use of a clamping ring or two clamping screws that grip the cable 16 in the tube 14.

One could, moreover, consider a solution where the cable would be just attached to the free end of the tube, without it necessarily being bent.

We will now describe the mode of operation of the invention, shown in Figure 6, and its advantages.

The swimmer wishing to use the device according to the invention must first fix the plate 20 at a fixed point outside the body of water. For example, this plate could be fixed to the ground with suction cups, not shown in the drawing.

Such a fixing means on the ground makes it possible not to have to use a too heavy plate that would be difficult to transport, the low mass being compensated by the force exerted by the suction cups. However, it can also be imagined that this plate is heavy enough that no ground fixing system is necessary. However, the device according to the invention can also be used without this element, by attaching the cable 16 directly to any fixed element relative to the water plane. One can, for example, consider the case where the user attaches the cable 16 to a pool scale.

The user then fixes the tube 14 to the belt 10, by inserting the tip 32 into the housing 34, which activates the quick coupling system 12.

With such a fastening system on the belt 10, the assembly is very easy. In addition, several users of different body sizes, which therefore use different belts, can use the same tube 14 and thus also the same cable 16. Moreover, this fastening system ensures that the tube 14 does not lean relative to swimmer when it uses the device according to the invention.

The attachment of the belt is facilitated by Velcro® 22 and the ring

24. It is sufficient, to fasten the belt 10, to pass the Velcro® 22 in the ring 24 and fold it so that the two zones 26, 28 cooperate.

It is therefore very easy to attach the belt and detach.

The user can then choose:

- If he wants to swim on his stomach, he attaches the belt 10 so that the tube 14 is on his back.

If he wants to swim on his back, he attaches the belt of the aorta to the tube 14 on his belly.

Thus equipped, the user begins to swim on the water in the usual way, as long as the cable 16 is not stretched. When it is tight and the swimmer movement is no longer motor, the cable 16 retracts and pulls the swimmer slightly backwards. When the swimmer's movement becomes motor again, it tightens the cable 16 while moving slightly.

Thus, the swimmer performs small oscillations. He therefore needs little room to swim continuously without making U-turns.

Claims

1. Device for assisting the practice of swimming, intended for an individual wishing to swim on a body of water comprising means (10, 14, 16, 20) for mooring said individual at a fixed point relative to said plane of water, said mooring means (10, 14, 16, 20) including means for connecting said individual to said fixed point (16), means (10) for securing said individual said connecting means (16) and means (14) to elevate, relative to said individual, said connecting means (16), characterized in that said raising means (14) comprise a tube fixed to said fixing means (10).

2. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that said connecting means (16) are flexible.

3. Device according to claim 2 characterized in that said connecting means (16) are elastic.

4. Device according to claim 3 characterized in that said connecting means (16) have an elasticity of about fifty percent.

5. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that said connecting means (16) comprise a cable.

6. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that said fixing means on said individual comprise a belt (10).

7. Device according to claim 6 characterized in that said belt (10) comprises a bulge (30) on which are fixed said connecting means (16).

8. Device according to one of claims 6 and 7 characterized in that said belt (10) comprises a Velcro® strip (22) at one end and a ring (24) at its other end.

9. Device according to claim 8 characterized in that said belt (10) is made of Neoprene®.

10. Device according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said raising means (14) are fixed to said fixing means on said individual (10) by quick attachment means (12).

11. Device according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said raising means (14) are rigid.

12. Device according to claims 5 and 11 characterized in that said cable (16) enters said tube (14).

13. Device according to claim 12 characterized in that said tube (14) is bent.

14. Device according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said docking means (10, 14, 16, 20) comprise means (20) for fixing said connecting means to said fixed point.