Training fin device for swimming

• US 4,948,385 A
• Filed: 12/30/1988
• Issued: 08/14/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Martin P. Hall
• Original Assignee: Martin P. Hall
• Inventors: Hall, Martin P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bartz, Clifford T.
• Application Number:
  US07/292,468
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 441/55, 441/75, 441/61-65, 36/11.5, 36/8.1, 36/113
• US Class Current: 441/64
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 31/11 attachable only to the feet

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a training fin for swimming which includes a foot section having an enclosure for retaining a user'"'"'s foot in the fin and a tail section attached to the foot section. The tail section has a surface area of approximately between 0.5 and 1.0 times the surface area of the foot section.

Claims

1. A training fin for swimming, comprising:

a foot section having an enclosure means for retaining a user'"'"'s foot to the fin, the foot section having a predetermined surface area defined by that portion of the foot section which directly covers the foot and specifically excluding any overhand of the foot section; and

a tail section attached to the foot section, the tail section surface area being between 0.5 and 1.0 times the surface area of the foot section.

2. A training fin as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tail section comprises a tapered plane having a base at the juncture of the tail and foot sections, the tapered plane terminating at a finishing edge and wherein the tail section is tapered from the base to the finishing edge.

3. A training fin as set forth in claim 2, wherein there is a constant taper from the base to the finishing edge.

4. A training fin as set forth in claim 2, wherein the base is between 5/8" and 3/4" thick and finishing edge is between 1/8" to 3/16" thick.

5. A training fin as set forth in claim 3, wherein the tapered plane is an increasingly flexible plane from base to finishing edge.

6. A training fin as set forth in claim 3, wherein the tapered plane is flat and smooth.

7. A training fin as set forth in claim 3, wherein the tail section has diverging outside edges extending from the base to the finishing edge which diverge from the base to the finishing edge.

8. A training fin as set forth in claim 7, wherein the finishing edge is at least 1.5 times as wide as the base as a result of the diverging outside edges.

9. A training fin as set forth in claim 8, wherein the outside edges have a trim edge adjacent the juncture of each outside edge and the finishing edge and wherein the trim edges are parallel to one another.

10. A training fin as set forth in claim 2, wherein the tapered plane joins the foot section at a predetermined angle.

11. A training fin for swimming, comprising:

a foot section having an enclosure means for retaining a user'"'"'s foot to the fin, the foot section having a predetermined surface area defined by that portion of the foot section which directly covers the foot and specifically excluding any overhand; and

a tail section attached to the foot section, the tail section surface area being between 0.5 and 0.8 times the surface area of the foot section.

12. A training fin for swimming, comprising:

a foot section defined by an enclosure for retaining a user'"'"'s foot to the fin and having a predetermined surface area defined by that portion of the foot section which directly covers the foot; and

a tail section attached to the foot section, the tail section surface area being between 0.5 and 1.0 times the surface area of the foot section.