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.
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
Turning now to
With reference now to
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, tubular resilient band 10 is made from a length of an elastic tubular band used in crossbow underwater guns.
With reference again to
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.
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.
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.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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GE2010U000019 | Sep 2010 | IT | national |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 13234565 | Sep 2011 | US |
Child | 15089559 | US |