U.S. patent application number 12/938215 was filed with the patent office on 2012-05-03 for tightening strap of a diving flipper.
Invention is credited to LI-JEN FENG.
Application Number | 20120102692 12/938215 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45995063 |
Filed Date | 2012-05-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120102692 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
FENG; LI-JEN |
May 3, 2012 |
TIGHTENING STRAP OF A DIVING FLIPPER
Abstract
An improved diving flipper's adjustable foot strap with a
conveniently located handle which allows the diver to quickly pull
the stretchable strap whereby he or she move the strap away from
the back of his or her foot in one fluid motion. The handle also
allows, in one fluid motion, the diver to pull the strap back on to
his foot thereby securing his foot into the foot pocket. Methods
will show the type of strap material that is used to achieve the
objective. Methods will show how the material aids in strap removal
and strap fastening. Methods will show why straps need to have
adjustments. Methods will show how flippers are adjusted via the
raised notches. Methods will show how and why fins are fastened and
the level of difficulty to remove a fastened-on flipper without a
handle. Methods will show how a handle aids in removing the strap.
Methods will show how a handle aids in putting on the strap.
Inventors: |
FENG; LI-JEN; (Taipei City,
TW) |
Family ID: |
45995063 |
Appl. No.: |
12/938215 |
Filed: |
November 2, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
24/68SK |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 24/2183 20150115;
A63B 31/11 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
24/68SK |
International
Class: |
A43C 11/00 20060101
A43C011/00 |
Claims
1. A tightening strap of a diving flipper that is made of a
stretchable material to fasten on an attached object, with planes
at two sides of the tightening strap having raised notches to serve
as tensions for adjusting the level tightness of the tightening
strap; a location close to middle of the tightening strap having a
handle which is independent from the tightening strap that when the
two are assembled as one unit, they are assembled on two different
planes; when an object is tightly fastened by the tightening strap
and needing to be quickly released, the diver simply pulls the
handle to stretch the tightening strap to quickly release the
fastened-on object.
2. The tightening strap of a diving flipper according to claim 1,
wherein the handle of the tightening strap is manufactured
separately and has a slotted sleeve on one side which allows the
handle to be assembled on to the body of the tightening strap.
3. The tightening strap of a diving flipper according to claim 1,
wherein the handle and the tightening strap are manufactured as one
unit.
4. The tightening strap of a diving flipper according to claim 1,
wherein the handle is assembled together with individual
components.
5. The tightening strap of a diving flipper according to claim 1,
wherein the handle roughly T-shaped.
6. The tightening strap of a diving flipper according to claim 1,
wherein the tightening strap is assembled together with individual
components.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] a) Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to the tightening strap of a
diving flipper.
[0003] b) Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Referring to FIG. 1, an ordinary diving flipper includes a
flipper body 100 and a tightening strap 200, wherein two sides of
the flipper body 100 may be provided respectively with a female
snap receptacle 101 and two sides of the tightening strap 200 are
transattached respectively with male snaps 201. The male snaps 201
are inserted into the female snap receptacles 101, so that the
tightening strap 200 fastens the diver's foot into the foot pocket.
Once the male snaps 201 and female snap receptacle 101 are engaged,
the two protruding ends of the tightening strap 200 can be pulled
to the level of tightness required to keep the flipper from falling
off the diver's foot.
[0005] Once the foot is fastened on by the tightening strap 200,
which is made of a stretchable material (to aid in securing the
flipper to the foot), there are two ways to release the tightening
strap 200. One way is to press the male snap 201 thereby
disengaging the female snap receptacle 101 and the other way is to
grab the tightening strap 200 while tightly fastened on and pull
fast and hard in jerking motion until the snap disengages. Both
instances require the disengaging of the snaps just to remove the
flipper off the foot. Snaps must then be re-engaged in order to
tighten on the flipper. An improved tightening strap would
eliminate the need to locate the loosened snap and would also
reduce the time required to resnap the snap.
[0006] With an easier-to-reach system, the diver would be
considerably aided when using the flipper underwater. In most
instances, disengaging the straps may prove difficult when the
strap is securely fastened on to the foot because the average diver
needs an adequate level of tightness in order to prevent the
flipper from falling off and when the when the flipper is tightened
on by the tightening strap 200, removing the flipper can be
inconvenient, awkward and time-consuming without a pull ring for
instant grabbing. Flipper straps with adjustments indeed ensure an
accurate fit however an improvement is required to allow rapid
flipper removal with fluidity of motion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] This improved diver's tightening strap offers a more fluid
way to remove a flipper strap with a centrally-placed pull ring on
the back of the strap and includes raised notches on each end of
the strap's plane for adjusting the strap's tightness to fasten the
flipper on the diver's foot.
[0008] While wearing a fastened-on flipper, the diver simply pulls
on the handle to slide down the strap. In order to put the strap
back on his or her foot, the diver would simply grab the handle and
move the strap back against his or her foot. The handle provides
enhanced convenience because it is able to stretch the expandable
strap away from the back of the diver's foot.
[0009] This tightening strap with the handle also allows the diver
to adjust the level of tightness via raised notches on the
strap.
[0010] To enable a further understanding of the said objectives and
the technological methods of the invention herein, the brief
description of the drawings below is followed by the detailed
description of the preferred embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a conventional diving
flipper.
[0012] FIG. 2 shows a structural schematic view of the diving
flipper of the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 3 shows a reference picture of how to use the diving
flipper of the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the first embodiment of the
pull-ring handle of the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of the second embodiment of
the pull-ring handle of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] Referring to FIG. 2, the present invention applies to a
diving flipper 10 which includes a flipper body 11 and a tightening
strap 12, wherein two sides of the foot pocket 111 of the flipper
body 11 has a female snap receptacle 112, and the front end of the
female snap receptacle 112 has an insertion hole 1121 and the two
sides respectively have a slot 1122. The tightening strap 12 itself
is made of an expandable material and two ends are transattached
respectively with a male snap 121, and the front end has three fork
yokes 1211, 1212, 1213 to be commonly inserted into the insertion
hole 1121 of the female snap receptacle 112; whereas, the fork
yokes 1211, 1213 at the two sides snap respectively into the slots
1122 of the female snap receptacles 112. Planes at two sides of the
tightening strap 12 body have raised notches 122 to serve as
tensions for adjusting the tightness of the tightening strap 12,
and when pulling the ends 123 of the tightening strap 12, the
notches 122 at different positions can be adjusted for latching
with the male snaps 121 to tighten an attached object (i.e., the
diver's foot). Here, the tightening strap 12 is assembled together
with individual components.
[0017] A handle 30 is located near the middle of the tightening
strap 12 body and the handle 30 is independent from the tightening
strap 12 so that when the tightening strap 12 and the handle 30 are
assembled as one unit, they are assembled on two different planes.
Referring to FIG. 3, when the tightening strap 12 tightens the
attached object A and the attached object A needs to be quickly
released, the diver simply pulls the handle 30 so that the
tightening strap 12 can be loosened from the attached object A.
Likewise, when the diver needs to quickly put on the flipper 10, he
or she simply pulls the handle 30 so that the attached object A can
be fastened on by the tightening strap 12 without operating the
male snaps 121 and female snap receptacle 112, thereby achieving
the objective of quickly releasing or tightening the attached
object A.
[0018] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the first embodiment of the
handle 30 of the present invention, wherein the handle 30 of the
tightening strap 12 is manufactured separately and has a slotted
sleeve 31 on one side of the handle 30 and has a slot 311 by which
the slotted sleeve 31 can be sheathed on the central tube 124 of
the tightening strap 12, thereby illustrating how the handle 30
integrates with the tightening strap 12.
[0019] The handle 30 can be also assembled with more than one
component to form any device that has a sleeve and a handle.
[0020] FIG. 5 shows the schematic view of the second embodiment of
the handle 30' of the present invention, wherein the handle 30' and
the tightening strap 12 are integrated into a single piece so that
when the tightening strap 12 is manufactured, the handle 30' is
attached to the tightening strap 12.
[0021] The aforementioned handle 30, 30' is roughly T-shaped.
[0022] In conclusion, the present invention is the tightening strap
of the diving flipper and is characterized by a handle that is
centrally located on the tightening strap. The handle may be
manufactured as a separate unit from the tightening strap so that
when the two are assembled as one unit they are assembled on two
different planes. The objective is that when the tightening strap
is fastened on to the diver's foot and the flipper needs to be
quickly released, the diver pulls the handle so that the tightening
strap can be quickly pulled away from his or her foot. The handle
can also be used to pull the strap back on to the foot, thereby
securing the foot into the foot pocket. The strap can be removed,
fastened or refastened--all in one fluid motion--quickly and
easily.
[0023] It is of course to be understood that the embodiments
described herein is merely illustrative of the principles of the
invention and that a wide variety of modifications thereto may be
effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following
claims.
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