U.S. patent application number 14/353268 was filed with the patent office on 2014-09-18 for swimming aid apparatus worn on the body.
The applicant listed for this patent is Seok Sun Kang, Hyen Woo Kim, Sung-Jong Lee. Invention is credited to Seok Sun Kang, Hyen Woo Kim, Sung-Jong Lee.
Application Number | 20140273672 14/353268 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48167986 |
Filed Date | 2014-09-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140273672 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lee; Sung-Jong ; et
al. |
September 18, 2014 |
SWIMMING AID APPARATUS WORN ON THE BODY
Abstract
The present invention relates to a swimming aid apparatus worn
on the body. The swimming aid apparatus worn on the body according
to the present invention is worn by the user to provide propulsive
force so that the user can enjoy swimming. Also, a water jet
propeller may be used and stably operated without breaking down or
being damaged by underwater living organisms or foreign substances.
The swimming aid apparatus worn on the body according to the
present invention includes: a body frame worn on the user's body; a
water jet propeller fixed to the body frame to spray water, thereby
generating propulsive force; a battery connected to the water jet
propeller to supply power; and a controller controlling the
operation of the water jet propeller.
Inventors: |
Lee; Sung-Jong; (Busan,
KR) ; Kim; Hyen Woo; (Busan, KR) ; Kang; Seok
Sun; (Changwon, KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Lee; Sung-Jong
Kim; Hyen Woo
Kang; Seok Sun |
Busan
Busan
Changwon |
|
KR
KR
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
48167986 |
Appl. No.: |
14/353268 |
Filed: |
December 2, 2011 |
PCT Filed: |
December 2, 2011 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/KR2011/009290 |
371 Date: |
April 21, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
440/38 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 35/00 20130101;
A63B 35/08 20130101; B63H 11/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
440/38 |
International
Class: |
A63B 35/00 20060101
A63B035/00; B63H 11/00 20060101 B63H011/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 27, 2011 |
KR |
10-2011-0110659 |
Claims
1. A wearable swimming assistance apparatus comprising: a body
frame configured to be worn on a user's body; a water jet propeller
securely fixed to the body frame and configured to spray water to
generate a propulsive force; a battery connected to the water jet
propeller and configured to supply power; and a controller
configured to control the operation of the water jet propeller.
2. The wearable swimming assistance apparatus according to claim 1,
further comprising a buoyant member having a buoyant force greater
than a neutral buoyancy.
3. The wearable swimming assistance apparatus according to claim 2,
wherein the body frame has the underside that abuts against a
user's back or abdomen and a bottom surface so that the water jet
propeller and the battery are disposed on the bottom surface.
4. The wearable swimming assistance apparatus according to claim 3,
wherein the body frame is formed as a block body having an internal
space defined above the bottom surface thereof, and the water jet
propeller is formed at both sides of the block body in such a
manner as to be partially exposed to the outside.
5. The wearable swimming assistance apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the body frame is formed as a combination of two or more
horizontal bars disposed in parallel with each other and two or
more vertical bars disposed in parallel with each other in such a
manner as to intersect the vertical bars.
6. The wearable swimming assistance apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the body frame comprises a fixing band so that the user's
body is fixed to the fixing band, wherein the fixing band comprises
at least one selected from the group consisting of a pair of
shoulder fixing bands fixed at the upper and lower ends thereof to
the upper both sides of the body frame so as to allow the user's
shoulders to be retained in the shoulder fixing bands; a body
fixing band securely fixed at the left and right ends thereof to
the body frame so as to allow the user's body to be retained in the
body fixing band; and a pair of leg fixing bands fixed at the left
and right ends thereof to the lower both sides of the body frame so
as to allow the user's legs to be retained in the leg fixing
bands.
7. The wearable swimming assistance apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the water jet propeller comprises: a housing formed in a
cylindrical tubular shape; an underwater motor pump installed in an
internal space of the housing; a plurality of suction holes formed
on the outer circumferential surface of the housing; and a
injection nozzle formed at a distal end of the housing.
8. The wearable swimming assistance apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the controller comprises an operating switch configured to
control the ON/OFF operation of the water jet propeller.
9. The wearable swimming assistance apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the body frame has the underside that abuts against a
user's back or abdomen and a bottom surface so that the water jet
propeller and the battery are disposed on the bottom surface.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a wearable swimming
assistance apparatus, and more particularly, to such a wearable
swimming assistance apparatus which can be worn by a user to enable
him or her to enjoy swimming while receiving a propulsive force,
can be operated stably without a failure or damage caused by
underwater organisms or foreign substances through the use of a
water jet propeller, and can be easily worn even by infants or
children who have a low swimming proficiency to enable them to
enjoy swimming.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Recently, many people without distinction of age or sex
enjoy swimming as part of exercises or leisure activities. Since
such swimming is performed under or on the water, poor swimmers
spend much time in learning how to flow on water before swimming
and raising the level of swimming proficiency. Thus, people who are
unskilled in swimming or have a low swimming proficiency have a
limitation in enjoying swimming.
[0003] In an effort to solve this problem, an appliance or
apparatus capable of assisting the swimming movement has been
developed. as examples of such swimming assistance apparatus, there
have been invented Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0699013
entitled "The Auxiliary Apparatus for Swimming", Korean Patent
Registration No. 10-0883892 entitled "The Auxiliary Apparatus for
Swimming", Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-0232785
entitled "A Swimming Apparatus, Korean Utility Model Registration
No. 20-0367463 entitled "Swimming Board, Korean Utility Model
Registration No. 20-0429350 entitled "A Swimming Auxiliary
Apparatus", and Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-0440240
entitled "Swimming Assistance Vest".
[0004] However, such a conventional swimming assistance appliance
or apparatus entails a problem in that it causes an inconvenience
of operation due to complexity of configuration thereof, or has a
limitation in that since it has only a simple function of
increasing a positive buoyancy, people who are unskilled in
swimming or have a low swimming proficiency cannot enjoy swimming
comfortably and freely.
[0005] In the meantime, the number of people is currently
increasing who enjoy scuba diving, water skiing, yacht, and the
like owing to quality enhancement of a leisure culture. These water
leisure sports also have a limitation in that many people do not
enjoy them due to high cost. Therefore, there is a need for the
development of a technology that enables users to experience
various water leisure sports even at a low cost.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Technical Problem
[0006] Accordingly, the present invention has been made in order to
solve the above-described problems occurring in the prior art, and
it is an object of the present invention is to provide a novel
wearable swimming assistance apparatus which uses a water jet
propeller to simplify a configuration thereof, enables a user to
easily enjoy swimming through the ON/OFF manipulation of an
operating switch, can be applied to various water leisure sports
through the use of the water jet propeller while promoting the
reduction of the cost.
[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
wearable swimming assistance apparatus in which water sucked in
through suction holes arranged on the outer circumferential surface
of a cylindrical water jet propeller is sprayed to the outside
through an injection nozzle at a lower end of the water jet
propeller to generate a propulsive force so that a failure, a
damage or an erroneous operation of the propeller due to underwater
organisms or foreign substances can be prevented, thereby ensuring
the stable and smooth operation of the apparatus.
Technical Solution
[0008] To achieve the above object, in one aspect, the present
invention provides a wearable swimming assistance apparatus
including: a body frame configured to be worn on a user's body; a
water jet propeller securely fixed to the body frame and configured
to spray water to generate a propulsive force; a battery connected
to the water jet propeller and configured to supply power; and a
controller configured to control the operation of the water jet
propeller.
[0009] The wearable swimming assistance apparatus according to the
present invention may further include a buoyant member having a
buoyant force greater than a neutral buoyancy. In the wearable
swimming assistance apparatus according to the present invention,
the body frame may have the underside that abuts against a user's
back or abdomen and a bottom surface so that the water jet
propeller and the battery are disposed on the bottom surface.
Herein, the body frame may be formed as a block body having an
internal space defined above the bottom surface thereof, and the
water jet propeller may be formed at both sides of the block body
in such a manner as to be partially exposed to the outside.
[0010] Alternatively, the body frame may be formed as a combination
of two or more horizontal bars disposed in parallel with each other
and two or more vertical bars disposed in parallel with each other
in such a manner as to intersect the vertical bars.
[0011] In the wearable swimming assistance apparatus according to
the present invention, the body frame may include a fixing band so
that the user's body is fixed to the fixing band, wherein the
fixing band may include at least one selected from the group
consisting of a pair of shoulder fixing bands fixed at the upper
and lower ends thereof to the upper both sides of the body frame so
as to allow the user's shoulders to be retained in the shoulder
fixing bands; a body fixing band securely fixed at the left and
right ends thereof to the body frame so as to allow the user's body
to be retained in the body fixing band; and a pair of leg fixing
bands fixed at the left and right ends thereof to the lower both
sides of the body frame so as to allow the user's legs to be
retained in the leg fixing bands.
[0012] In the wearable swimming assistance apparatus according to
the present invention, the water jet propeller may include: a
housing formed in a cylindrical tubular shape; an underwater motor
pump installed in an internal space of the housing; a plurality of
suction holes formed on the outer circumferential surface of the
housing; and a injection nozzle formed at a distal end of the
housing.
[0013] In the wearable swimming assistance apparatus according to
the present invention, the controller may include an operating
switch configured to control the ON/OFF operation of the water jet
propeller.
Advantageous Effects
[0014] The wearable swimming assistance apparatus of the present
invention has an advantageous effect in that it uses a water jet
propeller to simplify a configuration thereof, thereby improving
durability of the apparatus and promoting easiness of manipulation
of the apparatus. In addition, the manufacturing cost of the
apparatus can be reduced so that the user can enjoy various kinds
of water leisure sports even at a low cost. In particular,
according to the wearable swimming assistance apparatus of the
present invention, infants or children who are unskilled in
swimming or have a low swimming proficiency can easily wear the
swimming assistance apparatus so that they can enjoy swimming
safely or variously, thereby promoting of the popularization of
water leisure activities based on families.
[0015] Further, the wearable swimming assistance apparatus of the
present invention has an advantageous effect in that water sucked
in through suction holes arranged on the outer circumferential
surface of a cylindrical water jet propeller is sprayed to the
outside through an injection nozzle at a lower end of the water jet
propeller so that a failure, a damage or an erroneous operation of
the propeller due to underwater organisms or foreign substances can
be prevented, thereby ensuring the stable and smooth operation of
the apparatus.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The above as well as the other objects, features and
advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the
following detailed description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0017] FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) the basic configuration and operation of
a wearable swimming assistance apparatus according to the present
invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a wearable
swimming assistance apparatus according to an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the inner
configuration of a wearable swimming assistance apparatus according
to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an outer
appearance of a water jet propeller used in the wearable swimming
assistance apparatus according to the present invention; and
[0021] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a wearable
swimming assistance apparatus according to another embodiment of
the present invention.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0022] Hereinafter, the preferred embodiments of the present
invention will be described in further detail with reference to
FIGS. 2 to 5. In the meantime, in the detailed description and the
accompanying drawings, illustration and explanation on the
construction and operation which a person skilled in the art can
easily understand from a general swimming assistance apparatus will
be briefly made or will be omitted to avoid redundancy. In
particular, in the detailed description and the accompanying
drawings, illustration and explanation on the detailed technical
construction and operation of elements, which have no direct
connection with the technical features of the present invention,
will be omitted, and only the technical constructions directly
related with the present invention will be briefly illustrated and
explained.
[0023] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a wearable
swimming assistance apparatus according to an embodiment of the
present invention, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating
the inner configuration of a wearable swimming assistance apparatus
according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is
a perspective view illustrating an outer appearance of a water jet
propeller used in the wearable swimming assistance apparatus
according to the present invention.
[0024] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, a body frame of the wearable
swimming assistance apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the
present invention is formed as a block body 10a having the
underside that abuts against a user's back or abdomen. On the
bottom surface of the block body 10a are disposed a water jet
propeller 20, a battery 30, a controller 40, and a buoyant member
50. The block body 10a constituting the body frame 10 defines an
internal space above the bottom surface thereof. Herein, the block
body 10a has a waterproof function to prevent water from being
introduced into the block body 10a from the outside so that the
battery 30, the controller 40, and the buoyant member 50 disposed
within the block body 10a can be operated normally.
[0025] The water jet propeller 20 is provided in pair in such a
manner as to be exposedly disposed at both sides of the block body
10a. A part of each water jet propeller 20 is disposed within the
block body 10a and the remaining part of the water jet propeller 20
is disposed at the outside of the block body 10a.
[0026] Herein, each water jet propeller 20 according to an
embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 20a formed
in a cylindrical tubular shape, an underwater motor pump 20b
installed in an internal space of the housing 20a, a plurality of
suction holes 20c formed on the outer circumferential surface of
the housing 20a, and a injection nozzle 20d formed at a distal end
of the housing 20a. Thus, the underwater motor pump 20b is driven
so that water is sucked into the housing 20a from the outside
through the suction holes 20c and is sprayed to the outside through
the injection nozzle 20d by the drive of the underwater motor pump
20b to thereby generate a propulsive force. The water jet propeller
20 is formed in a cylindrical shape which is lightweight and is
small-sized so that the size and weight of the wearable swimming
assistance apparatus 100 can be reduced in its entirety.
[0027] As described above, the wearable swimming assistance
apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention
is configured such that water sucked into the cylindrical water jet
propeller 20 through the suction holes 20c formed on the
circumferential surface of the water jet propeller 20 is sprayed to
the outside through the injection nozzle 20d installed at the lower
end of the water jet propeller 20 to generate a propulsive force,
so that the introduction of underwater organisms or foreign
substances into the propeller can be minimized and the underwater
organisms or the foreign substances can be prevented from being
entangled with the propeller, thereby preventing a failure, a
damage, or an erroneous operation of the propeller.
[0028] The controller 40 includes a control box 42 in which various
kinds of electric and electronic circuit devices for performing a
control function are disposed, and an operating switch 44 that
controls the ON/OFF operation of the water jet propeller 20. The
control box 42 is securely fixed to the body frame 10 so as to be
connected to the water jet propeller 20, and the operating switch
44 is disposed on top surface of the body frame 10 so as to be
exposed to the outside of the body frame 10 so that the user can
manipulate the operating switch 44 in a simple and easy manner. To
this end, the operating switch 44 is disposed at a distal end of a
switch band 46 extending to the outside in such a manner as to be
connected to the controller 40. Thus, the user can easily
manipulate the operating switch 44 in a state of wearing the
wearable swimming assistance apparatus 100.
[0029] In this case, the operating switch 44 may use an ON/OFF
switch that performs only an ON/OFF operation, but may use a volume
switch that can control the propulsive force of the water jet
propeller 20 along with the control of the ON/OFF operation.
[0030] The buoyant member 50 is formed of Styrofoam having a
buoyant force greater than a neutral buoyancy.
[0031] In the meantime, the wearable swimming assistance apparatus
100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a
fixing band 60 formed on the body frame 10 so that the user's body
can be fixed to the fixing band 60. The fixing band 60 includes a
pair of shoulder fixing bands 61 that are fixed at the upper and
lower ends thereof to the upper both sides of the body frame 10 so
as to allow the user's shoulders to be retained in the shoulder
fixing bands 61, a body fixing band 63 that is securely fixed at
the left and right ends thereof to the body frame 10 so as to allow
the user's body to be retained in the body fixing band 63, and a
pair of leg fixing bands 62 that are fixed at the left and right
ends thereof to the lower both sides of the body frame 10 so as to
allow the user's legs to be retained in the leg fixing bands
62.
[0032] In the wearable swimming assistance apparatus 100 according
to an embodiment of the present invention, the shoulder fixing
bands 61, the body fixing band 63, and the leg fixing bands 62 are
all formed on the body frame 10, but at least one selected from the
shoulder fixing bands 61, the body fixing band 63, and the leg
fixing band 62 may formed on the body frame 10.
[0033] The coupling state between the user's body and the body
frame 10 may be firmly maintained by the fixing band 60.
[0034] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a wearable
swimming assistance apparatus according to another embodiment of
the present invention.
[0035] Referring to FIG. 5, the wearable swimming assistance
apparatus 100 according to another embodiment of the present
invention is configured such that the body frame 10 is formed as a
panel strip structure implemented as a combination of a horizontal
bar 10b and a vertical bar 10c.
[0036] Herein, the body frame 10 according to another embodiment of
the present invention is configured such that two vertical bars 10c
are coupled between two horizontal bars 10b. In this case, the two
horizontal bars 10b are disposed in parallel with each other in
such a manner as to be spaced apart from each other, and the two
vertical bars 10c are also disposed in parallel with each other.
The two horizontal bars 10b and the two vertical bars 10c are
respectively provided in pairs at the upper and lower portions of
the body frame 10 in such a manner as to be coupled to each other
by upper and lower connection bars 10d.
[0037] Meanwhile, the battery 30 according to another embodiment of
the present invention may be disposed within a waterproof case
having an entrance 32 so that the battery can be waterproof.
[0038] The invention described above is not limited to the
above-described embodiment and the accompanying drawings, but it
will be understood by those skilled in the art that various
substitutions, modifications and changes can be made without
departing from the technical scope of the invention, as defined by
the appended claims.
[0039] While the wearable swimming assistance apparatus according
to the preferred embodiments of the present invention has been
described and illustrated in connection with specific exemplary
embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be
readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that it is merely
illustrative of the preferred embodiments of the present invention
and various modifications and changes can be made thereto within
the technical spirit and scope of the present invention.
[0040] FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) are schematic diagrammatic views
illustrating the basic configuration and operation of a wearable
swimming assistance apparatus according to the present
invention.
[0041] Referring to FIG. 1, the wearable swimming assistance
apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes a body
frame 10, a water jet propeller 20, a battery 30, a controller 40,
and a buoyant member 50.
[0042] The body frame 10 allows the water jet propeller 20, the
battery 30, and the controller 40 to be fixedly mounted thereon.
The body frame 10 can be configured in various manners such as a
plate structure, a block structure, a bag structure, a vest
structure, and a plurality of panel strips. The body frame 10 is
worn on a user's body. For example, the body frame 10 may be worn
on the user's back region as shown in FIG. 1(a), and may be worn on
the user's chest and abdomen region as shown in FIG. (b). To this
end, the body frame 10 includes a fixing band 60 so that the user's
body can be securely fixed to the body frame 10 by means of the
fixing band 60.
[0043] The water jet propeller 20 is securely fixed to the body
frame 10. The water jet propeller 20 sprays water to generate a
propulsive force. Herein, a pair of water jet propellers 20 may be
installed at both sides of the body frame 10, and a single water
jet propeller 20 may be installed at the center of the body frame
10. The water jet propeller 20 is formed in a small-sized
cylindrical shape which is lightweight so that the wearable
swimming assistance apparatus 100 has a volume and a weight which
are less than predetermined values.
[0044] The battery 30 is connected to the water jet propeller 20 to
supply power. The battery 30 may be securely fixed to the body
frame 10 so as to be connected to the water jet propeller 20, or
may be securely fixed to the water jet propeller 20. In addition,
the battery 30 may use a general battery but preferably use a
rechargeable battery for the purpose of economic efficiency. In the
meantime, the wearable swimming assistance apparatus 100 according
to the present invention is configured to have a waterproof battery
or a battery 30 built in a waterproof case depending on whether to
use under or on the water.
[0045] The controller 40 serves to control the operation of the
water jet propeller 20. The controller 40 includes an operating
switch 44 that performs an ON/OFF operation to control the
operation of the water jet propeller 20.
[0046] The buoyant member 50 is securely fixed to the body frame
10. The buoyant member 50 provides a buoyant force to the swimming
assistance apparatus 100 so that the body of the user who wears the
wearable swimming assistance apparatus 100 can float on the
water.
[0047] The wearable swimming assistance apparatus 100 according to
the present invention as constructed above allows the body frame 10
to be securely fixed to the user's body and the operating switch 44
disposed on the controller 40 to be turned on to operate the water
jet propeller 20 so as to assist the user's swimming operation
under or on the water. In addition, the user receives the
propulsive force automatically from the water jet propeller 20 of
the wearable swimming assistance apparatus 100 so that he or she
can move under or on the water even without a separate swimming
operation.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0048] According to the wearable swimming assistance apparatus of
the present invention, the manufacturing cost of the apparatus can
be reduced so that the user can enjoy various kinds of water
leisure sports even at a low cost.
[0049] Further, according to the wearable swimming assistance
apparatus of the present invention, infants or children who are
unskilled in swimming or have a low swimming proficiency can easily
wear the swimming assistance apparatus so that they can enjoy
swimming safely or variously, thereby promoting of the
popularization of water leisure activities based on families.
* * * * *