Swim and exercise paddle improvement

• US 4,913,418 A
• Filed: 11/25/1988
• Issued: 04/03/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Speedshop Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Speedshop Incorporated
• Inventors: Schlueter, Nancy J., Johnson, Ronald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crow, Stephen R.
• Application Number:
  US07/276,347
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 272/71, 272/130, 272/92, 272/1 B, 272/116, 441/56, 441/57, 441/58, 441/59, 441/55, 273/29 R, 273/67 B, 434/254, 128/77, 128/87 R, 128/68
• US Class Current: 482/55
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 31/04 with arrangements for enlarging the propulsive surface

Abstract

A swimmer'"'"'s flexible plastic hand paddle has a surface area larger than a human hand, and a plurality of perforations (approximating the user'"'"'s hand size) which are positioned to an off-set location on the paddle toward the thumb side of the user'"'"'s hand. The edge of the paddle closely approaches the outer edge of the user'"'"'s hand on the thumb side when the hand is in position on the paddle, whereas on the little finger side of the paddle there is a substantially larger (compared to the thumb side of the paddle) area (preferably unperforated) that makes a water foil. The corners of the paddle are rounded and means for attaching the user'"'"'s hand to the paddle and positioned it in a desired position over the perforations are provided. The thickness in a plastic material having a modulus of elasticity of about 130,000 p.s.i. is from 2 to 4 mm., preferably 3 mm.

Claims

1. A swimmer'"'"'s hand paddle comprising:

(a) a surface area substantially wider than the user'"'"'s hand;

(b) means defining, by the orientation of the user'"'"'s hand on said surface area, a thumb side of said area and a little finger side of said area;

(c) a perforated paddle section comprising a plurality of perforations on said surface area, approximately the size of the user'"'"'s hand, displaced to the edge of said surface area on said thumb side;

(d) means for attaching the user'"'"'s hand to the paddle over the area of said perforations, said attaching means positionally adjustable on said plurality of perforations

whereby the user'"'"'s hand feels the flow of the water through said perforations, and the unperforated surface area provides a foil in the little finger side of the paddle.

2. The paddle of claim 1 wherein at least one corner on said little finger side is rounded.

3. The paddle of claim 1 comprising color added to the paddle.

4. The paddle of claim 2 comprising color added to the paddle.

5. The paddle of claim 1 comprising a thickness of about 2-4 mm and a modulus of elasticity of about 130,000 psi.

6. The paddle of claim 2 comprising a thickness of about 2-4 mm and a modulus of elasticity of about 130,000 psi.

7. The paddle of claim 3 comprising a thickness of about 2-4 mm and a modulus of elasticity of about 130,000 psi.

8. The paddle of claim 4 comprising a thickness of about 2-4 mm and a modulus of elasticity of about 130,000 psi.

9. The paddle of claim 1 wherein said perforations comprise a closely spaced array in the paddle area approximating the location of the base of the fingers.

10. The paddle of claim 2 wherein said perforations comprise a closely spaced array in the paddle area approximating the location of the base of the fingers.

11. The paddle of claim 3 wherein said perforations are closely spaced array in the paddle area approximating the location of the base of the fingers.

12. The paddle of claim 4 wherein said perforations comprise a closely spaced array in the paddle area approximating the location of the base of the fingers.

13. The paddle of claim 5 wherein said perforations comprise a closely spaced array in the paddle area approximating the location of the base of the fingers.

14. The paddle of claim 6 wherein said perforations comprise a closely spaced array in the paddle area approximating the location of the base of the fingers.

15. The paddle of claim 7 wherein said perforations comprise a closely spaced array in the paddle area approximating the location of the base of the fingers.