Wetsuit Water Catch Device

Abstract

A wetsuit has a plurality of pieces of material that are stitched or glued together to form the wetsuit, a drag-creating section provided on one of the pieces of material. The drag-creating section has a base, and a plurality of water catch devices, each water catch device having a flap piece, with a cavity defined between each flap piece and the base of the piece of material and an opening that leads to the cavity. Each flap piece is constructed such that it can be moved between a collapsed configuration where it is generally flat adjacent the underlying base of the piece of material , and an expanded configuration in which it stretches away from the underlying base of the piece of material. The plurality of water catch devices are arranged in two rows on opposite sides of the base, with the openings of each row of water catch devices facing each other.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Related Cases

This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 12/799,748, filed Apr. 29, 2010, now pending, whose entire disclosure is incorporated by this reference as though set forth fully herein.

2. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to wetsuits, and in particular, to three-dimensional structures that are formed integrally with the wetsuits to increase the drag forces of a swimmer, thereby providing increased forces for propelling a swimmer through the water.

3. Description of the Prior Art

In the wetsuit market today, many devices have been developed that purport to increase swimming efficiency. These devices are usually added pieces of molded materials like silicone or rubber that are attached to the arm or leg by means of stitching or gluing. The three-dimensional shapes of such devices extrude from the arm or leg, thereby increasing the surface area for drag during a swimming stroke which would aid in propulsion through the water to increase swim speed. The drawback to such devices is that, while the drag is increased, the friction also increased proportionally.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

It is one objective of the present invention to provide a structure for use with a wetsuit that increases drag for propulsion while still minimizing friction through the water.

It is another objective of the present invention to provide a structure for use with a wetsuit that allows the wetsuit design to be streamlined and light-weight, and which allows for simplified production and reduced production costs.

To accomplish the objectives set forth above, the present invention provides a wetsuit comprising a plurality of pieces of material that are stitched or glued together to form the wetsuit, a drag-creating section provided on one of the pieces of material. The drag-creating section has a base, and a plurality of water catch devices, each water catch device having a flap piece, with a cavity defined between each flap piece and the base of the piece of material and an opening that leads to the cavity. Each flap piece is constructed such that it can be moved between a collapsed configuration where it is generally flat adjacent the underlying base of the piece of material, and an expanded configuration in which it stretches away from the underlying base of the piece of material. The plurality of water catch devices are arranged in two rows on opposite sides of the base, with the openings of each row of water catch devices facing each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a full body wetsuit showing the water catch devices in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a swimmer's arm showing the cavities of the water catch devices of a drag-creating section of the wetsuit of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a swimmer wearing the wetsuit of FIG. 1 while swimming using a freestyle stroke

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of a water catch device of the wetsuit of FIG. 1 in the collapsed configuration, together with an illustration of a swimmer's stroke.

FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of a water catch device of the wetsuit of FIG. 1 in the opened configuration, together with an illustration of a swimmer's stroke.

FIG. 5 illustrates an arm of the wetsuit of FIG. 1 turned inside out showing how the different water catch sections are constructed and arranged together.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a full body wetsuit showing the water catch devices in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a swimmer's arm showing the cavities of the water catch devices of a drag-creating section of the wetsuit of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 illustrates a swimmer wearing the wetsuit of FIG. 6 while swimming using a freestyle stroke.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a water catch device of the wetsuit of FIG. 6 in the opened configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating general principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to FIG. 1, a wetsuit 10 is shown with a pair of arms 12a, 12b, a torso section 14, and a pair of legs 16a, 16b. The wetsuit 10 can be made in the same manner as any conventional wetsuit, using the same materials as any conventional wetsuit. For example, wetsuits can be made from multiple pieces of material, which are later stitched or glued together to form the wetsuit. The material can be any conventional material that is used for wetsuits, such as NEOPRENE™ or SPANDEX™.

A plurality of drag-creating sections are provided at different locations on the outer surface of the wetsuit. For example, a drag-creating section 18a can be provided on the inner forearm portion of the left arm 12a, another drag-creating section 18b can be provided on the inner forearm portion of the right arm 12b, yet another drag-creating section 20a can be provided on the outer calf portion of the left leg 16a, and a further drag-creating section 20b can be provided on the outer calf portion of the right leg 16b.

FIG. 2 shows the drag-creating section 18a on the left arm 12a. Referring now to FIGS. 2-5, each drag-creating section (e.g., 18a) has a plurality of water catch devices 22. The drag-creating sections 18a and 18b are shown as having four water catch devices 22, and the drag-creating sections 20a and 20b are shown as having five water catch devices 22, though these numbers can be varied depending on the length of the arms and legs, the weight and/or height of the swimmer, intended use of the wetsuit (swimming, surfing or diving), the style of stroke, and other environmental factors (e.g., swimming conditions such as swimming in a pool or open water where there are currents, current flow directions, etc.).

Each water catch device 22 is created by providing a flexible panel 26 that covers the base 24 or a base portion 26b of another panel 26 in a manner which defines a cavity 28 therebetween. More specifically, each panel 26 can have three portions, a flexible flap piece 26a, a base portion 26b, and an inter-joining section 26c between the flap piece 26a and the base portion 26b, as best shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. The proximal-most panel 26 can be stitched to the base 24, and the next adjacent panel 26 can have its cavity 28 opening towards the rear of the previous (proximal) panel 26 in a manner where the panel 26 is stitched (by stitching 30) or otherwise connected to the base portion 26b of the previous (proximal) flap piece 26. In this manner, the water catch devices 22 on each drag-creating section are arranged directly adjacent each other (i.e., one directly behind the other in series). As used herein, “distal” is closer to the hands or feet, with “proximal” being closer to the torso.

The flap piece 26a is constructed such that it can be expanded and collapsed to allow water to enter and leave the cavity 28. This is facilitated by providing the surface area of the flap piece 26a to be greater than the surface area of the underlying base 24 or base portion 26b so that the flap piece 26a can expand. The flap piece 26a can be moved between the collapsed configuration (see FIG. 4A) where it is generally flat adjacent the underlying base 24 or base portion 26b, and an expanded configuration (see FIG. 4B) in which it stretches away from the underlying base 24 or base portion 26b.

The flap pieces 26a assist the swimmer (wearing the wetsuit 10) in generating drag, while minimizing undesirable friction. For example, in a swim stroke for the freestyle stroke (see FIGS. 3 and 4A), when the arm enters the water, the water catch devices 22 are moving in a first direction where the streamlined orientation of the flap piece 26a will enable it to stay flat due to water pressure (i.e., water pushing against the outer surface of the flap piece 26a), thereby keeping friction through the water at a minimum. Conversely, during the pull phase of the freestyle stroke (see FIG. 4B), the water catch devices 22 are moving in a second opposite direction where the water flows into the cavities 28, thereby increasing the surface area of the water catch devices 22 exposed to the water and provides additional drag on the arms and legs.

The water catch devices 22 are oriented on the arms and legs of the wetsuit 10 in a manner to provide additional drag only during portions of a stroke where the swimmer's arms and legs are moving in a rearward direction, thereby providing propulsion through the water in a forward direction. For example, the water catch devices 22 for the arms 12a, 12b in FIG. 1 are all oriented with the cavities 28 opening towards the lower back of the body, and the water catch devices 22 for the legs 16a, 16b oriented with the cavities 28 opening towards the lower front of the body. Such an orientation is best suited for use in a freestyle stroke.

The structure and arrangement of the drag-creating sections and their water catch devices 22 allows for the provision of a wetsuit that helps to increase drag for propulsion while still minimizing friction through the water, and a wetsuit design that can be streamlined and light-weight, and which allows for simplified production and reduced production costs. In particular, each drag-creating section has a plurality of water catch devices 22 that are arranged (in series) one immediately behind the other. This arrangement allows less material to be used for the wetsuit 10 as each panel 26 itself defines a cavity 28 and a base portion 26b. Less material used means less material waste, and reduces the stitching area as well. In addition, this arrangement provides a clearer and slicker outer surface as the stitching 30 is not visible from the exterior, thereby helping to reduce friction and providing a more streamlined wetsuit outer surface.

FIGS. 6-9 illustrate another embodiment of the drag-creating sections according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, a wetsuit 110 is shown with a pair of arms 112a, 112b, a torso section 114, and a pair of legs 116a, 116b. The wetsuit 110 can be made in the same manner as any conventional wetsuit, using the same materials as any conventional wetsuit. For example, wetsuits can be made from multiple pieces of material, which are later stitched or glued together to form the wetsuit. The material can be any conventional material that is used for wetsuits, such as NEOPRENE™ or SPANDEX™.

A plurality of drag-creating sections are provided at different locations on the outer surface of the wetsuit. For example, a drag-creating section 118a can be provided on the inner forearm portion of the left arm 112a, another drag-creating section 118b can be provided on the inner forearm portion of the right arm 112b, yet another drag-creating section 120a can be provided on the outer calf portion of the left leg 116a, and a further drag-creating section 120b can be provided on the outer calf portion of the right leg 116b.

FIG. 7 shows the drag-creating section 118a on the left arm 112a. Referring now to FIGS. 7-9, each drag-creating section (e.g., 118a) has a plurality of water catch devices 122. The drag-creating sections 118a and 118b are shown as having three four water catch devices 122, and the drag-creating sections 120a and 120b are shown as having four water catch devices 22, though these numbers can be varied depending on the length of the arms and legs, the weight and/or height of the swimmer, intended use of the wetsuit (swimming, surfing or diving), the style of stroke, and other environmental factors (e.g., swimming conditions such as swimming in a pool or open water where there are currents, current flow directions, etc.).

Each water catch device 122 is created by providing a flexible panel 126 that covers a base 124 in a manner which defines a cavity 128 therebetween. More specifically, each panel 126 is made of a flexible flap piece whose side edges (other than the front edge that opens) are stitched or otherwise joined to the base 124 in a manner such that two rows of aligned water catch devices 122 are provided at opposite side edges of the base 124, with the openings for all the cavities 128 facing the center of the base 124 (i.e., all the openings for the cavities 128 are facing each other) with a space S between the two rows of water catch devices 122.

Thus, the water catch devices 122 differ from the water devices 22 in the orientation of the openings of the cavities 128 and 28, respectively. While all the cavities 28 of the water catch devices 22 are arranged in series with their openings all facing the rear (i.e., away from the hand and towards the shoulder), the cavities 128 of the water catch devices 122 are aligned perpendicular to the cavities 28 orientation of the water catch devices 22, with the cavities 128 facing each other.

The flap piece for the panels 126 is constructed such that it can be expanded and collapsed to allow water to enter and leave the cavity 128. This is facilitated by the highly flexible material that can be expand when under some force. An example of such a material is NEOPRENE™ that has been laminated with a fabric. The flap piece can be moved between the collapsed configuration where it is generally flat adjacent the underlying base 124 (similar to that shown in FIG. 4A), and an expanded configuration in which it stretches away from the underlying base 124 (similar to that shown in FIG. 4B).

The flap pieces of the panels 126 assist the swimmer (wearing the wetsuit 110) in generating drag, while minimizing undesirable friction. For example, in a swim stroke for the freestyle stroke (see FIGS. 8 and 9), when the arm enters the water, the water catch devices 122 are moving in a first downward direction where the orientation of the flap pieces (i.e., perpendicular to the water surface) causes the flap pieces to expand because the openings of the cavities are moving vertically from top to bottom as the arm (or leg) enters the water, thereby increasing the volume inside the cavities 128 to “catch” more water. Conversely, during the pull phase of the freestyle stroke (see FIG. 8), the water catch devices 122 in the arm are moving in a second direction (perpendicular to the first direction) where the water in the cavities 128 is being emptied back into the pool, river, lake or ocean. The same applies for the water catch devices 122 in the leg, but it should be noted that for leg movement, both the upward and downward motions are force generating (i.e., there is no pull phase), whereas the cavities 128 only create more propulsion for one direction only. In this regard, for the arm movement there is a pull phase and a recovery phase; during the recovery phase, the arm leaves the water and the cavities 128 are emptied before re-entering the water.

In other words, the water catch devices 122 are oriented on the arms and legs of the wetsuit 110 in a manner to provide additional drag only during portions of a stroke where the swimmer's arms and legs are moving in a downward direction, thereby providing propulsion through the water in a forward direction. For example, the water catch devices 122 for the arms 112a, 112b in FIG. 6 are all oriented with the cavities 128 opening towards each other, and the water catch devices 122 for the legs 116a, 116b oriented with the cavities 128 opening towards each other. Such an orientation is best suited for use in a freestyle stroke.

The structure and arrangement of the drag-creating sections and their water catch devices 122 allows for the provision of a wetsuit that helps to increase drag for propulsion while still minimizing friction through the water, and a wetsuit design that can be streamlined and light-weight, and which allows for simplified production and reduced production costs. In particular, each drag-creating section has a plurality of water catch devices 122 that are arranged in two rows with their openings facing each other. This arrangement allows less material to be used for the wetsuit 110 as each panel 126 itself defines a cavity 128. Less material used means less material waste, and reduces the stitching area as well. In addition, this arrangement provides a clearer and slicker outer surface as the stitchings are not visible from the exterior, thereby helping to reduce friction and providing a more streamlined wetsuit outer surface.

While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wetsuit, comprising: a plurality of pieces of material that are stitched or glued together to form the wetsuit; anda drag-creating section provided on one of the pieces of material, the drag-creating section having a base, and a plurality of water catch devices, each water catch device having a flap piece, with a cavity defined between each flap piece and the base of the piece of material and an opening that leads to the cavity, and each flap piece constructed such that it can be moved between a collapsed configuration where it is generally flat adjacent the underlying base of the piece of material, and an expanded configuration in which it stretches away from the underlying base of the piece of material;wherein the plurality of water catch devices are arranged in two rows on opposite sides of the base, with the openings of each row of water catch devices facing each other.

2. The wetsuit of claim 1, wherein the surface area of the flap piece is greater than the surface area of the underlying base of the piece of material or the underlying base portion.

3. The wetsuit of claim 1, wherein the piece of material is a first arm piece of material and the drag-creating section is a first drag-creating section, the plurality of pieces of material further including a second arm piece of material, and further including a second drag-creating section provided on the second arm piece of material, the second drag-creating section having a plurality of water catch devices that are arranged in two rows on opposite sides of the base of the second drag-creating section, with the openings of each row of water catch devices of the second drag-creating section facing each other.