Water walking apparatus

• US 5,607,331 A
• Filed: 02/01/1995
• Issued: 03/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Damar Leisure Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Damar Leisure Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Lekhtman, David
• Primary Examiner(s): BASINGER, SHERMAN D
• Application Number:
  US08/382,124
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 441/76, 441/77, 440/18, 440/21, 440/23, 440/38
• US Class Current: 440/23
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 11/06 of reciprocating type
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 16/12 using hand levers, cranks, pedals, or the like, e.g. water cycles, boats propelled by boat-mounted pedal cycles

Abstract

A float member has a top surface, a bottom surface, a front end and a rear end. A pair of elongated chambers extend in the float member between the top surface and the bottom surface. Each elongated chamber has respective openings at the top surface and bottom surface and rear end. Flap valves are provided for permitting water to enter through the bottom openings of the elongated chambers and foot pumps are provided for ejecting water through the rear ends of the chambers.

Claims

1. Water walking apparatus for moving a user across water, comprising:

a float member having top and bottom surfaces with a front and rear end and defining a longitudinal axis;

a pair of left and right elongated chambers extending between the top and bottom surfaces and defining top and bottom openings respectively, wherein each chamber has a major axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the float;

each chamber communicating with an exhaust opening at the bottom of the float that is directed towards the rear end;

valve means at the bottom opening of each left and right chamber extending along the major axis of each chamber for permitting water to enter through said bottom openings;

a flexible bladder membrane extending across each chamber to define a sub-chamber with said valve at the bottom opening within each left and right chamber; and

a foot engageable piston in each left and right chamber supported on said bladder membrane whereby, when pressure is applied by a person'"'"'s foot to said piston, water is displaced from the sub-chamber through the exhaust opening to create a jet action for moving said float across the water.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said foot operated piston for ejecting water include;

a piston extending into each said first and second chamber through said top opening.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 and wherein said valve means are one way valves mounted at the bottom openings of said left and right chambers;

said one way valve means being pivotally mounted to permit the entry of water into said chambers through said bottom openings and the ejection of water from said chambers through said exhaust openings when a respective piston is forced down a respective chamber when filled with water, closing the one way valves;

whereby said apparatus is jet propelled by the action of said user.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 and including an inverted U-shaped upstanding handle fixedly mounted on the top surface of said float member.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein a flexible bladder is located within each said chamber and extends over the bottom opening and said one way valve means is formed in a bottom wall of said bladder coincident with said bottom opening and the exhaust opening includes a short tube extending from one end of the bladder.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein the float includes an elongated beam extending along the longest dimension of each of the bottom openings to bisect the opening and the one way valve means on the bottom wall of the bladder includes a pair of panels formed therein and hinged to move between a valve closed position engaging the beam and closing the opening on both sides of the beam thereby preventing water in the bladder from escaping through the bottom opening and a valve open position spaced from the beam inwardly of the bladder to allow water to flood into the bladder.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein the piston sits on the bladder in the chamber such that when a downward pressure is applied to the piston from the top opening and the float is on water, the piston causes the bladder to collapse and the one way valve to close due to the weight of the water in the bladder on the panels while forcing the water to exit as a jet through the tube at the end of the bladder, and when the pressure on the piston is released water will flood the bladder through the one way valve by moving the panels to a valve open position and thus fill the bladder.