U.S. patent application number 13/506472 was filed with the patent office on 2013-10-24 for swimming noodle.
The applicant listed for this patent is Loi Hui Cheung. Invention is credited to Loi Hui Cheung.
Application Number | 20130280972 13/506472 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49380513 |
Filed Date | 2013-10-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130280972 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cheung; Loi Hui |
October 24, 2013 |
Swimming noodle
Abstract
A noodle apparatus adapted for using as swimming noodle, toy
and/or cushioning includes a first end portion, a second end
portion, and at least one elongated main body integrally extended
between the first end portion and the second end portion. The main
body is made of deformable and floatable material so that the
swimming noodle is capable of floating on water. The main body has
a predetermined cross section and is twisted in a spirally
extending manner, wherein the elongated main body is arranged to be
selectively stretched to fit a desirable need of a user.
Inventors: |
Cheung; Loi Hui; (Hong Kong,
CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Cheung; Loi Hui |
Hong Kong |
|
CN |
|
|
Family ID: |
49380513 |
Appl. No.: |
13/506472 |
Filed: |
April 19, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
441/129 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 4/143 20130101;
A63H 23/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
441/129 |
International
Class: |
B63B 35/73 20060101
B63B035/73 |
Claims
1. A noodle apparatus, comprising: a first end member; a second end
member; and at least one elongated main body integrally extended
between said first end member and said second end member, wherein
said main body is made of deformable and floatable material so that
said noodle apparatus is capable of floating on water, wherein said
main body has a predetermined cross section and is twisted in a
spirally extending manner, wherein said elongated main body is
arranged to be selectively stretched to fit a desirable need of a
user.
2. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein said first
end member, said second end member and said elongated main body are
made of deformable and floatable material so that said noodle
apparatus is able to float on water.
3. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 2, wherein said first
end member, said second end member, and said elongated main body
have a same predetermined cross sectional area for forming a
uniform appearance along said entire noodle apparatus.
4. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 3, wherein said first
end member, said second end member, and said elongated main body
has a triangular cross sectional shape.
5. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 3, wherein said first
end member, said second end member, and said elongated main body
has a quadrilateral cross sectional shape.
6. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 3, wherein said first
end member, said second end member, and said elongated main body
has an elliptical cross sectional shape.
7. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 4, wherein each of
said first end member, said second end member and said elongated
main body has a through cavity formed therein so as to form a
ring-shaped cross section for each of said first end member, said
second end member and said elongated main body.
8. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 5, wherein each of
said first end member, said second end member and said elongated
main body has a through cavity to formed therein so as to form a
ring-shaped cross section for each of said first end member, said
second end member and said elongated main body.
9. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 6, wherein each of
said first end member, said second end member and said elongated
main body has a through cavity formed therein so as to form a
ring-shaped cross section for each of said first end member, said
second end member and said elongated main body.
10. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 7, further having a
receiving cavity formed within said spirally extending elongated
main body, wherein a user is able to insert an external object into
said through cavity for achieving a predetermined purpose.
11. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 8, further having a
receiving cavity formed within said spirally extending elongated
main body, wherein a user is able to insert an external object into
said through cavity for achieving a predetermined purpose.
12. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 9, further having a
receiving cavity formed within said spirally extending elongated
main body, wherein a user is able to insert an external object into
said through cavity for achieving a predetermined purpose.
13. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 10, further
comprising a plurality of connectors provided on said first end
member and said second end member respectively for attaching said
noodle apparatus onto a supporting object.
14. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 11, further
comprising a plurality of connectors provided on said first end
member and said second end member respectively for attaching said
noodle apparatus onto a supporting object.
15. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 12, further
comprising a plurality of connectors provided on said first end
member and said second end member respectively for attaching said
noodle apparatus onto a supporting object.
16. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 13, further
comprising a coating formed on an exterior surface of said
elongated body for providing color indication.
17. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 14, further
comprising a coating formed on an exterior surface of said
elongated body for providing color indication.
18. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 15, further
comprising a coating formed on an exterior surface of said
elongated body for providing color indication.
19. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 16, wherein said
elongated main body is spirally extending from said first end
member and said second end member, wherein a visible surface of
said elongated main body is substantially increased so as to
increase a visible surface area of said noodle apparatus.
20. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 17, wherein said
elongated main body is spirally extending from said first end
member and said second end member, wherein a visible surface of
said elongated main body is substantially increased so as to
increase a visible surface area of said noodle apparatus.
21. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 18, wherein said
elongated main body is spirally extending from said first end
member and said second end member, wherein a visible surface of
said elongated main body is substantially increased so as to
increase a visible surface area of said noodle apparatus.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a noodle apparatus for
swimming and cushioning, and more particularly to a noodle for
swimming and cushioning which is twisted to form a spirally
extending main body for allowing a user to flexibly accomplish a
desirable purpose.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Arts
[0004] A conventional swimming noodle usually comprises an
elongated body which is made of deformable and floatable material
for floating on a swimming pool or a beach. Conventional swimming
noodles are usually required for partitioning a swimming pool into
several lanes. Moreover, many conventional swimming noodles are
designed for training beginners or for assisting persons with
special needs. For example, some people with leg or back injury may
need exercising in water in order to minimize strain imposed on his
or her back. In these situations, the user may need to do some mild
exercises in water and swimming noodles are needed for guiding or
assisting them.
[0005] There are several disadvantages related to conventional
swimming noodles. First, conventional swimming noodles are fixed in
size and shape so that one swimming noodle is only suitable for one
purpose. For example, a length of a conventional swimming noodle
cannot be altered so that when a shorter or a longer length is
required, another swimming noodle must be acquired. In other words,
conventional swimming noodles do not provide any flexibility in
length for facilitating different needs of an user.
[0006] Second, conventional swimming noodles such as the one
described above are not usually bendable in the sense that when it
is bent to a certain extent, the swimming noodle is vulnerable to
break. As a result, when swimming noodles of curved shape are
needed, the user has to purchase another swimming noodle having
such a desirable shape. In other words, conventional swimming
noodles can only perform one particular or designed function. A
given swimming noodle is usually not capable of performing several
functions. That is to say, conventional swimming noodles fails to
provide flexibility for bending or twisting to performing several
functions to fit the different needs of an user.
[0007] Third, conventional swimming noodles are rigid in shape and
size and are bulky for storage or transportation. Since
conventional swimming noodles lack flexibility for bending or
twisting, it is not possible to alter its shape into a compact size
for storage or transportation.
[0008] Fourth, conventional swimming noodles have a very limited
utility, which is restricted to providing buoyancy through its
elongated body which is fixed in length and shape. Accordingly,
conventional swimming noodles are not suitable for defining a
boundary in water, especially when the boundary required is
irregular in shape, such as a circular boundary for water game.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0009] The invention is advantageous in that it provides a noodle
apparatus adapted to be used as swimming noodle, toys and/or
cushioning, which is twisted to form a spirally extending main body
for allowing a user to flexibly accomplish a desirable purpose.
[0010] Another advantage of the invention is to provide a noodle
apparatus adapted to be used as swimming noodle, toys and/or
cushioning, which is capable of substantially being stretched and
bent so as to allow a user of the present invention to alter a
shape of the main body for suiting different needs.
[0011] Another advantage of the invention is to provide a noodle
apparatus adapted to be used as swimming noodle, toys and/or
cushioning, which is simple in structure and does not involve
complicated manufacturing procedure. As a result, the manufacturing
cost of the present invention can be minimized.
[0012] Another advantage of the invention is to provide a noodle
apparatus adapted to be used as swimming noodle, toys and/or
cushioning, which has extensive utility through its flexibility in
length and shape.
[0013] Another advantage of the invention is to provide a noodle
apparatus which has a substantive flexible body and a length
flexibility such that the noodle apparatus can be extended to be
used as a self floating pool rope.
[0014] Additional advantages and features of the invention will
become apparent from the description which follows, and may be
realized by means of the instrumentalities and combinations
particular point out in the appended claims.
[0015] According to the present invention, the foregoing and other
objects and advantages are attained by providing a noodle
apparatus, comprising:
[0016] a first end member;
[0017] a second end member; and
[0018] at least one elongated main body integrally extended between
the first end member and the second end member, wherein the main
body is made of deformable and floatable material so that the
noodle apparatus is capable of floating on water, wherein the main
body has a predetermined cross section and is twisted in a spirally
extending manner, wherein the elongated main body is arranged to be
selectively stretched to fit a desirable need of a user.
[0019] Still further objects and advantages will become apparent
from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.
[0020] These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the
present invention will become apparent from the following detailed
description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended
claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a noodle apparatus according
to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are schematic views of the noodle
apparatus according to the above preferred embodiment of the
present invention, illustrating the noodle apparatus can be used in
many situations.
[0023] FIG. 3A and FIG. 3C are schematic diagrams of the noodle
apparatus according to the above preferred embodiment of the
present invention, illustrating different cross sectional shapes of
the noodle apparatus.
[0024] FIG. 4 is an alternative mode of the noodle apparatus
according to the above preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0025] Referring FIG. 1, FIG. 2A to FIG. 2B, and FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C
of the drawings, a noodle apparatus, adapted to be used as swimming
noodle, toy and/or cushioning. According to a preferred embodiment
of the present invention is illustrated, the present invention is
embodied as a noodle apparatus which comprises a first end member
10, a second end member 20, and an elongated main body 30.
[0026] The elongated main body 30 is integrally extended between
the first end member 10 and the second end portion 20, wherein the
main body 30 is made of deformable and floatable material so that
the noodle apparatus is capable of floating on water, wherein the
main body 30 has a predetermined cross section and is twisted in a
spirally extending manner, wherein the elongated main body 30 is
arranged to be selectively stretched to fit a desirable need of a
user.
[0027] According to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the first end member 10, the second end member 20 and
the elongated main body 30 are preferably made of the same
deformable and floatable material so that the entire noodle
apparatus is able to float on water. Moreover, the first end member
10, the second end member 20, and the elongated main body 30 have a
same predetermined cross sectional area for forming a uniform
appearance along the entire noodle apparatus.
[0028] It is worth mentioning that the predetermined cross
sectional shape mentioned above can be embodied as a wide variety
of shapes, and preferably circular cross sectional shape. However,
the first end member 10, the second end member 20, and the
elongated main body 30 may have a triangular cross sectional shape
(FIG. 3B), hexagonal cross sectional shape, elliptical cross
sectional shape (FIG. 3C), quadrilateral cross sectional shape
(FIG. 3A), or any other cross sectional shapes.
[0029] Moreover, the first end member 10, the second end member 20,
and the elongated main body 30 are preferably solid. However, they
can also be manufactured as forming a hollow structure so that each
of the first end member 10, the second end member 20 and the
elongated main body 30 has a through cavity 31 formed therein so as
to form a loop or a ring-shaped cross section for each of these
members (FIG. 4 of the drawings).
[0030] The elongated main body 30 is twisted during manufacturing
so as to form a spirally extending main body 30 from the first end
member 10 to the second end member 20, wherein the elongated main
body 30 is arranged to be freely stretched or compressed for
altering an overall length of the noodle apparatus.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 2A of the drawings, when the elongated main
body 30 is longitudinally stretched, an overall length of the
noodle apparatus can be substantially increased. Since the
elongated main body 30 is made of deformable material, when it is
stretched to such an extent, the noodle apparatus is not vulnerable
to breakage and a user of the present invention can utilize the
extended noodle apparatus for a desirable purpose. On the other
hand, the elongated main body 30 can be fully compressed to shorten
an overall length of the noodle apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1 of
the drawings. As shown in FIG. 2B of the drawings, the noodle
apparatus can also form a loop or boundary in a swimming pool so as
to partition a predetermined area from the other parts of the
swimming pool.
[0032] In other words, the elongated main body 30 of the noodle
apparatus has a predetermined elasticity so as to allow a user to
stretch or compress to a predetermined extent for accomplishing a
desirable purpose without requiring another noodle apparatus.
[0033] Because of the elasticity possessed by the elongated main
body 30, and because of the spirally extending nature thereof, the
elongated main body 30 is also able to be flexibly bent to form a
curved cross section so as to accomplish a desirable purpose. For
example, the elongated main body 30 may be bent to form a circular
area surrounded by the elongated main body 30, in which a user is
able to swim or perform exercise within this circular area, as
shown in FIG. 2A to FIG. 2B of the drawings.
[0034] Moreover, the noodle apparatus further has a receiving
cavity 40 formed within the spirally extending elongated main body
30, wherein a user is able to insert an external object into the
receiving cavity 40 for specific purposes. For example, a user may
insert an elongated metallic bar into the receiving cavity 40 in
such a manner that the noodle apparatus may act as a protector so
that other people are prevented from accidentally hitting the
metallic bar. From this perspective, one may appreciate that the
noodle apparatus of the present invention may be used for a wide
variety of purposes, and not just those related to swimming. Note
that this receiving cavity 40 is formed irrespective of whether the
main body portion 30 is solid or hollow in structure.
[0035] It is also worth mentioning that since the elongated main
body 30 is spirally extending from the first end member 10 and the
second end member 20, a visible surface 32 of the elongated main
body 30 is substantially increased as compared with conventional
swimming noodle. The reason is that for conventional swimming
noodle, the main portions are not spirally extending, and they may
immerse into the water and therefore become invisible to swimmers.
However, since the elongated main body 30 of the noodle apparatus
of the present invention is spirally extending, the visible surface
area can be substantially increased and maximized. When the visible
surface 32 is coated with a predetermined material having a
predetermined color, such as florescent material, the noodle
apparatus is maximally visible to swimmers and other people.
[0036] The first end member 10 and the second end member 20 can be
made to have any shape in order to suit user's need or marketing
circumstances. For example, each of the first end member 10 and the
second end member 20 can also be shaped and crafted to have a
spirally extending structure. However, the first end member 10 and
the second end member 20 may be made to be elongated in structure
for fastening to other objects.
[0037] Referring to FIG. 4 of the drawings, the noodle apparatus
comprises an elongated body 30 extended between a first end member
10 and a second end member 20. In particular, the elongated body 30
is made of deformable and floatable material so that the noodle
apparatus is capable of floating on water. The elongated body 30
has a circular cross-section having a diameter D1 and is twisted in
a spirally extending manner such that a circular receiving cavity
40 having a diameter D2 is formed through the spirally extending
elongated body 30. The diameter D2 is greater than the diameter D1
such that an enhanced buoyancy level is provided to the elongated
body 30 by the provision of the receiving cavity 40. In other
words, the floating ability of the noodle apparatus is increased
dramatically through the spirally extending elongated body 30.
[0038] When the elongated body 30 is stretched to extend between
towards the first and the second end member 10, 20, the diameter D2
is decreased until a minimum diameter is reached. In other words,
the overall thickness of the elongated body 30 is at least
increased by the minimum diameter and at least an additional
floating ability is provided through the provision of the minimum
diameter.
[0039] The noodle apparatus may further comprise a connector 50 at
one or both of the first end member 10 and the second end member 20
for attaching the noodle apparatus into a supporting object to
secure into position. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 of the
drawings, the connector 50 is a clipping hook arranged for hooking
the noodle apparatus onto a rod shaped supporting object.
Accordingly, the noodle apparatus can be used for lane partition in
the pool or the like.
[0040] It is worth mentioning that when two connectors 50 are
provided at both the first end member 10 and the second end member
20 respectively, the two clipping hook at the first end member 10
and the second end member 20 can be interconnected to form a
floating ring which is self supporting and floating on water to
define a play area which is partitioned through the floating ring
formed by the noodle apparatus.
[0041] The elongated body 30 of the noodle apparatus has a smooth
exterior surface which is safe to touch and hold by an user. The
deformable and floatable material which is used to manufacture the
elongated body 30 can inherently provide the smooth exterior
surface without any additional step of manufacture. In other words,
when the noodle apparatus is used for lane partition, no rough
surface will be exposed to the user and injury relating to
scratching or cutting is eliminated. Compared to using regular rope
with floater for lane partition, the noodle apparatus of the
present invention provided a safe and convenience alternative.
[0042] In addition, the noodle apparatus may further comprises a
coating 33 on the exterior surface of the elongated body 30 for
providing color indication such that the lane partition is
highlighted and appeared prominent to the user in the pool or in
water.
[0043] It is worth mentioning that the noodle apparatus of the
present invention can be used in other circumstances apart from
swimming noodle, for example, the noodle apparatus can be used as a
toy for children to play, a floating device by connecting multiple
noodle apparatuses together, or used for packaging in which the
noodle apparatus can be used for wrapping an object, such as a leg
or a post of a furniture, to prevent the object from accidentally
damaging because of external impact. In addition, the noodle
apparatus of the present invention can be used to embed an object,
such as a wooden or a metallic rod, so that it acts as a protective
cushion for preventing others from hitting the object, that serves
as a safety device for use in a wide variety of circumstances.
[0044] One skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment
of the present invention as shown in the drawings and described
above is exemplary only and not intended to be limiting.
[0045] It will thus be seen that the objects of the present
invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. Its
embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of
illustrating the functional and structural principles of the
present invention and is subject to change without departure from
such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all
modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the
following claims.
* * * * *