Patent Application
20180199637
The invention is in the field of learn to swim, more particularly learn to swim Outfits that incorporates Costumes and integrated Floaties.
Life preservers have been around for well over a century, and have concentrated on cost-effective function. Everyone is familiar with the orange life preserver you place your arms through, with fasteners, straps, or clips to secure the Garment around the chest. Other life preservers have blow tubes through the wearer can blow to inflate a flexible reservoir with air. The floatation is predominantly on the chest so the face of a wearer is facing up and out of the water. Life preservers are uncomfortable Garments, however.
A young child can find such a Garment frightening and very restricting and uncomfortable. Resistant children cry when forced to do things they don't want to do, and they can be traumatized by the experience of having adults force this contraption on their bodies. If a child enthusiastically wants to engage in an activity, the outcome is more likely to be a positive experience for both the child and adults alike.
The learn to swim category of products has been around for quite some time. Garments and Outfits can be styled as Costumes for a child to wear while learning to swim, and can be used for dress-up and role playing to enhance the learning experience. These Garments can also include floatation as part of the Costume. The Costumes can include printing to enhance the authenticity of the Costume.
The current state of the art includes Garments that are full body, tops, bottoms, accessory items such as trainers, vests, puddle jumpers, and other learn to swim devises. Some of these are Character Branded with printed Characters, logos, etc. These would be what we are calling Two-dimensional Costumes, where the material used for the Costume, Outfit or Garment construction are single or multiple layers of fabrics that can be sewn together. There can be objects also attached to the fabric, but this is not what would be considered three-dimensional in the context of the invention.
The present invention incorporates flotation within an integrated Three-dimensional Swim Costume that is non-threatening and fun for a child to wear. The Costume can also aid in teaching a child to swim as well, make the child less fearful of water, and thus more inclined to enter the water and learn to swim.
In one embodiment the invention is a Three-dimensional Swim Costume that includes a three-dimensional Floaty component that functions to aid in learn to swim training. The incorporation of the Floaty component is hidden within the three-dimensionality of the Garment or Outfit will not appear an obtrusive component. This hidden but three-dimensional attribute is a key feature because many children are threatened by the appearance of traditional floaties. In this camouflaged or hidden or concealed form, the Garment or Outfit is less threatening to a child, and actually makes the Garment or Outfit more attractive and fun for a child to wear and learn to swim while wearing. Another key component of the invention is an inner mesh liner that secures the Garment to the wearer and/or child learning to swim. The Three-dimensional Swim Costume can be styled in any number of popular motifs or designs, from role-playing superheroes to cartoon characters, mermaids, and more. The Three-dimensional Swim Costume can incorporate any number of additional attached or associated features that are three-dimensional features such as scales to simulate a fish or mermaid, sequins, fins, straps, and appendages. The Three-dimensional Swim Costume can also incorporate a range of unattached accessories such as gloves, webbed gloves, hat, footwear, goggles, masks, a snorkel, and attachable appendages. The Three-dimensional Swim Costume can also be viewed as a platform for attachments or can incorporate waterproof or water resistant compartments to even house electronics that shouldn't get wet. The three-dimensional Garment can be made from a range of quick dry materials and/or fabrics in part or in whole including but not limited to nylon, spandex, rayon, synthetic material, natural material, hard plastic, foam, and sequins.
The present invention among other things will improve the users experience or enhance it bringing the learn-to-swim device into a more true to theme experience. The present invention turns the standard of the dress-up and role-play to a costume experience. The three-dimensional styling utilizing three-dimensional costume materials, components, and construction will enhance authentication of the Garment, and this in turn will further entice the learner to wear the trainer.
The Three-dimensional Swim Costume can be used for swim training and can help a child build confidence in the water. The Three-dimensional Swim Costume can facilitate and be used in a three stage swim system comprising swim level 1, which involves an introduction to the water, swim level 2, which is the process of learning to swim, which can cover a number of standard swimming strokes, and swim level 3, which is the development of greater swimming skill and confidence.
The present invention is a swim training Three-dimensional Swim Costume and System with integrated flotation device comprising: at least one Three-dimensional Costume component with at least one flotation attachment area, either internal or external; at least one integrated and/or hidden three-dimensional flotation component comprising: at least one front layer; at least one back layer; at least one buoyant floatation element contained within and/or between said at least one front layer and said at least one back layer; said at least one back layer and/or said at least one front layer attaching to said at least one flotation attachment area; at least one attachment and/or securing strap. The swim training Three-dimensional Swim Costume and System with integrated flotation device may further comprise an inner mesh liner to keep said swim training three-dimensional swim costume and system with integrated flotation device secure on the wearer. The swim training Three-dimensional Swim Costume and System with integrated flotation device may be made in whole or in part from at least one of in whole or in part a fast drying material such as nylon, spandex, rayon, foam, synthetic material, natural material, hard plastic, sequins, waterproof and/or water resistant materials, in whole or in part. The swim at least one three-dimensional flotation component may be in whole or in part at least one of at least one air-filled bladder, at least one sealed compartment of air, at least one three-dimensional shape filled with air, at least one buoyant component, at least one volume of closed cell foam, at least one volume of cork and/or cork-like material, at least one volume of Styrofoam. The swim training Three-dimensional Swim Costume and System with integrated flotation device may further comprise or incorporate rigid waterproof or water resistant elements and/or bones and/or components to provide skeletal structure to flexible material, in whole or in part. The swim training Three-dimensional Swim Costume and System with integrated flotation device may further comprise accessories, gloves, webbed gloves, at least one hat, footwear, goggles, masks, a snorkel, attachable appendages, permanently attached appendages, tentacles, body parts, at least one noise making device. The swim training Three-dimensional Swim Costume and System with integrated flotation device may further be comprised of at least one auxiliary waterproof or water resistant container and or designated volume of space to house electronics and/or other objects. The electronics may be at least one of a sound module producing speech and/or music and/or sound effects, a lighting system producing at least one pattern of lights, a radio receiver, a walkie-talkie and/or two way communication system, a smart device and/or smart phone. The swim training Three-dimensional Swim Costume and System with integrated flotation device may be further styled as at least one of a cartoon character, a mermaid, a superhero, an animal, a princess, a fairy, an elf, a goblin, a witch, a wizard, eveningwear.
A three-stage method of learning to swim that incorporates the wearing of the swim training Three-dimensional Swim Costume and system with integrated flotation device of claim 1 comprising the following steps: Swim level 1, which is an introduction to the water; Swim level 2, which is learning to swim; Swim level 3, which is developing greater swim skill and confidence.
A method of learning to swim that incorporates wearing the wearing of the swim training Three-dimensional Swim Costume and System with integrated flotation device of claim 1 that can provide both unobtrusive floatation for added safety while inducing a child to engage in a fun play pattern involving one or more of the following: fantasy role-playing, splashing, interacting with other swimmers of varying skill levels, humor, testing limits of interaction with water, gaining confidence and developing trust of water, learning to be comfortable with the aquatic environment.
The swim training Three-dimensional Swim Costume and System with integrated flotation device can also be used strictly for dress-up and role-play or for leisure swimming and water-play other than swim training.
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention should not be limited to the described preferred embodiments. Rather, various changes and modifications can be made within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
All of the material in this patent document issue subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all other copyright rights whatsoever are reserved.
Outfit: is a set of clothing that goes well together.
Character Branded Outfit: is an Outfit that has in at least one location an image or motif of a Character.
Garment: is an item of clothing.
Character branded Garment: is a Garment that has in at least one location an image or motif of a Character.
Character Branded: is a Character's image printed or integrated on or in a product.
Costume: is something you wear to make yourself look like something or someone and/or if you're dressing up to affect a personality or you are playing a role. A costume can also be a reproduction of a Character incorporating a level of authenticity either within or upon a Garment or Outfit or a Garment or Outfit with at least one accessory. A costume can have variable levels of authenticity depending on context and usage.
Printed Costume: is a Two-dimensional Costume with printing forming a Costume and/or components of a Costume.
Two-dimensional Costume: a Costume made from material with no particular attention to any portion of the Costume that touches human skin being thicker than one or more layers of fabric. A Two-dimensional Costume may have attached objects that add to the thickness of the material, but there is no particular design imperative to encase a volume of space to either enhance the three-dimensional appearance of the wearer or to create a low-density volume that provides buoyancy as well as three-dimensionally enhancing the authenticity of the Costume as with a three-dimensional Costume.
Two Dimensional Printed Costume: at least one Outfit or Garment transformed to a two dimensional Character Costume by the printing forming the image or images necessary to create a level of authenticity together forming the Costume and/or components of the Costume.
Character: is a known or unknown animated image, a cartoon or comic image, a living or deceased celebrity, a superhero, a monster, an alien, a fictional being, a real or imaginary animal, person, place, or thing.
Printing: in the context of this invention is printing on fabric, embossing, silk-screening or other method of applying an image on material or fabric used in a Garment, Outfit, or Costume.
Three-dimensional Costume: everything a Two-dimensional Costume is with the addition of at least one depth component to at least one portion of the Garment and/or Outfit and/or Costume and/or components of the Costume. A Three-dimensional Costume is a Costume that provides for a higher level of Character authenticity by the utilizing or adding of three dimensional materials either integrated or associated with or attached to. A three-dimensional Costume significantly improves upon the role play and dress up experience incorporating texture, fabric, a greater involvement of the sense of feel so that more senses are used other than vision.
Three-dimensional Swim Costume: Is a Three-dimensional Costume designed to include swimming, water, and water play use which may incorporate fabric and materials that are in whole or in part waterproof or water resistant, Three-dimensional Swim Costume is also sometimes called a Three-dimensional Swimming Costume.
Three-dimensional Swim Costume and System: Is a Three-dimensional Costume and System designed to include swimming, water, and water play use which may incorporate fabric and materials that are in whole or in part waterproof or water resistant.
A floaty (or floaties) is a floatation toy or device used in water, a pool and/or ocean, and this can be a tube or toroid shape filled with air, a Character in the shape of an animal or other creature, object, or icon, an air mattress, a dry bag or bladder, a buoyant tube or object that can provide extra buoyancy to a person when held, laid upon, or interfaced with. A floaty can be made from a shell that contains air or a material that contains sufficient air incorporated within or is of sufficiently low density as to provide buoyancy.
As used herein, the term “and/or,” when used in a list of two or more items, means that any one of the listed items can be employed by itself, or any combination of two or more of the listed items can be employed. For example, if a device is described as containing components A, B, and/or C, the composition can contain A alone; B alone; C alone; A and B in combination; A and C in combination; B and C in combination; or A, B, and C in combination.
