Aquatic Device

Abstract

An aquatic device capable of floating in the water at the side of a pool and having a head rest at a distal end providing floating support for the head of a person while he exercises or practices swimming with his head on the head rest and his body stretched out in the water. The device preferably includes an anchoring structure for attaching the device to the side of the pool, and float means pivotally connected to the anchoring structure allowing pivotal movement of the device while floating and also allowing it to be raised out of the water.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Training aids and exercising aids for swimmers have been proposed previously. One device of this type includes a ring which is worn around the waist of the swimmer and which is suspended from a frame to support the person while he practices swimming or while he exercises. Such a device has drawbacks. Since the entire body of the swimmer is supported, the frame means from which the ring is suspended tends to become awkward and too bulky for use in home pools. Also, it is believed that it is unnecessary to support the entire body of the swimmer for some exercising and training purposes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a device which provides floating support for the head of a person rather than his entire body. Since the device floats, it need not have a bulky frame nor extensive anchoring means. Also, the floating action provides inherent resiliency for following the movements of the person. The preferred embodiment of the device comprises float means for causing the device to float in the water, anchor means at one end of the float means for attaching the device to the side of a pool, and head rest means on the float means providing floating support for the head of a person while he exercises or practices swimming with his head on the head rest means and his body stretched out in the water. The float means may be pivotally connected to the anchor means to allow the float means to move pivotally in the water and also to allow the device to be raised out of the water to a rest position. In one form of the device, the float means includes both a frame and floatable members attached to the frame, the floatable tubes being eccentrically mounted on a portion of the frame and rotatable to different positions to adjust the level at which the device floats. The float members may also be axially movable if desired.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simpler, less cumbersome device for use by swimmers in exercising and training than has heretofore been available.

Another object of the invention is to provide a floating exercising and training aid for swimmers.

A further object of the invention is to enable the device to float in the water while it is attached to the side of a pool.

Another object of the invention is to allow adjustment of the level at which the device floats in the water.

A further object of the invention is to enable the device to be raised out of the water to a rest position at the side of the pool.

Still another, and no less important, object of the invention is to make the device useful both for professional purposes and also for use by novices and children in a home pool.

Other objects of this invention will appear from the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an aquatic device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the aquatic device;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the device;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the head rest portion of the device;

FIG. 8 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the float tubes of the device in a different position to adjust the level at which the device floats;

FIG. 9 is an another elevational view similar to FIG. 2 showing the float tubes in still another position; and

FIG. 10 is an elevational view showing the device in a raised position at the side of the pool.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The device illustrated in the drawings constitutes one of the possible embodiments of the invention. The device includes float means generally designated 20 which, in this embodiment, consists of a frame 22 in the form of a loop, and float members 24 and 26 mounted on the loop 22. The float means 20 has head rest means 28 at the distal end thereof. At the other end of the float means 20, the ends 30 and 32 of the loop 22 are pivotally attached to a pivot means 34 which is carried by anchors 36 and 38.

The anchors 36 and 38 serve to attach the device to the side 40 of a pool. This may be any kind of a pool--not necessarily a home swimming pool--but the device is suitable for use in home pools if desired.

The loop 22 has two generally parallel tubular arms 42 and 44, and a crossarm 46 (FIGS. 4 and 7) which bends or curves around between the parallel arms 42 and 44. The head rest 28 consists of the crossarm 46 and a tubular pad 48 carried on the crossarm.

The pivot means 34 is shown most clearly in FIG. 6, and it may be seen there that it consists of a rigid rod 50 having tubular sleeves 52, 54 and 56 on the outside thereof with end caps 58 and 60 over the ends of sleeves 52 and 56. There is a space between sleeves 52 and 54 and another space between sleeves 54 and 56, and the ends 30 and 32 of the loop 22 fit in these spaces. The rod 50 extends through openings in the ends 30 and 32 of the loop, and the openings allow for pivotal movement of the loop on the rod 50 while the entire float means 20 floats in the water. The pivotal connection of the float means to the anchoring structure also allows the entire float means to be raised out of the water to a rest position against the side of the pool as shown in FIG. 10.

The two float tubes 24 and 26 and the head rest 28 may be made of foam plastic material which is highly buoyant. The float members 24 and 26 are preferably tubes which are eccentrically mounted on the parallel arms 42 and 44. The tubes have a friction fit on the arms 42 and 44 so that the tubes will stay in any given position but can be adjusted to different positions. Thus, in FIG. 2, the tubes are adjusted to a position wherein the thickest part thereof is above the water line (WL) and the device floats with the head rest 28 partially submerged in the water. On the other hand, in FIG. 8 the tubes 24 and 26 have been rotated 180.degree. as compared to FIG. 2 so that the thickest portion of the tubes faces downwardly into the water. The tubes have also been slid upwardly along the parallel arm portions 42 and 44. With the float members 24 and 26 in the position shown in FIG. 8, the float means 20 floats on the water with the head rest portion 28 raised slightly above the water line. In FIG. 9, the float tubes 24 and 26 are in the same axial position as in FIG. 2, but they have been rotated so that the thickest portion of the tubes faces downwardly into the water. With the float tubes in this position, the float means 20 floats on the water with the head rest portion 28 approximately at the water level. Other positions of the float tubes are clearly possible.

As shown in FIG. 5, the anchor means 36 and 38 may consist of rubber suction cups 62 and 64 mounted on short rods such as the rod 66 shown in FIG. 5. The rod 66 is fastened to the cup 64 and the rod 50 with a bolt 68.

Referring to FIG. 7, it may be seen that the bent crossarm 46 which connects the two parallel arms 42 and 44 together at the distal end of the device may be a separate curved tubular member which is fastened to arms 42 and 44 with bolts 70 and 72. It should be clear that it is not essential to make the crossarm 46 in a curved configuration and it is also not essential that it be a separate piece. In fact, it is contemplated that the entire flotation means could be a single piece of material with the floating structure built into it.

Thus, the invention provides an aquatic device for use as a training aid or as an exercising aid which is relatively simple in construction, versatile in use, and readily marketable. The device has relatively few parts, and can be manufactured from available components. Since the device floats on the water, the person may use the device merely by resting his head on the head rest portion of the device with his body stretched out in the water from the head rest portion. A swimmer may float on his back with his head resting on the head rest and exercise by kicking and paddling with his arms and feet. Alternatively, the swimmer may place his forehead on the head rest portion of the device and exercise or practice swimming in a face down position. When the device is not in use, it may be elevated to a raised position leaning against the side of the pool as shown in FIG. 10. The device illustrated in the drawings has adjustable float tubes which can be set in any of a variety of positions to regulate the level at which the float means floats in the water. Since a portion of the device floats, it gives or yields as the person moves while he practices swimming or exercises. This makes the device relatively comfortable to use.

Claims

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An aquatic device for use by swimming in exercising and training, comprising float means for causing the device to float in the water including a frame and float members carried on said frame, anchor means at one end of said float means for attaching the device to the side of a pool, and head rest means on said float means at a distal end thereof providing floating support for the head of a person while he exercises or practices swimming with his head on said head rest means and his body stretched out in the water, said frame comprising a loop having free ends pivotally attached to said anchor means and a bend at the distal end thereof carrying said head rest means.

2. The aquatic device as claimed in claim 1 in which said float members comprise floatable tubes eccentrically mounted on said loop and rotatable to different positions to adjust the level at which the device floats.

3. The aquatic device as claimed in claim 2 in which said float tubes have a friction fit on said loop and are movable axially of said loop to different positions.

4. The aquatic device as claimed in claim 3 in which said loop is pivotal upwardly out of the water to a raised position at the side of the pool.

5. An aquatic device for use by swimmers in exercising and training, comprising anchor means for affixing the device to the side of a pool, support means pivotal on said anchor means and projecting therefrom to extend out from the side of the pool over the water, head rest means at the distal end of said support means, and flotation means on said support means, said support means including a loop having free ends pivotally connected to said anchor means and a transverse portion at the distal end thereof carrying said head rest means, said flotation means being mounted on said loop between said head rest means and said free ends.

6. The aquatic device as claimed in claim 5 in which said loop is pivotal upwardly out of the water to a raised position at the side of the pool.

7. An aquatic device for use by swimmers in exercising and training, said device comprising anchor means to be attached to the side of a pool, pivot means carried by said anchor means, a support loop pivotally connected to said pivot means at one end thereof, said loop having a head rest portion at an end of said loop opposite said pivoted end, and floats carried by said loop intermediate said pivoted end and said head rest portion.

8. The aquatic device as claimed in claim 7 in which said floats comprise floatable tubes eccentrically mounted on said loop.

9. The aquatic device as claimed in claim 8 in which said tubes have a friction fit on said loop and are rotatable and axially movable to different positions.