[0001] Flippers for the human feet as appliance for diving or swimming are exclusively conceived
for the watermedium. On the mainland the diver with worn flippers can hardly move.
It is recommended to go backwards. The stumble is mostly not to be avoided.
[0002] Flipper according to DE-OS 3438808 hat a joint for placing the blade in the form
of carrying wing of big stretch. These carrying wings have a symmetrical cross-section
and are swinging adjusted with torsion-springs. The introduced flipper from DE-PS
2009381 under the sole enlarges the propeling surface of the feet. The detachable
blade according to EP-0572853 is a classic construction of flippers. These are eventually
prolonged along the shin of the shank and are firmly fixed with belt. The flippers
according to DE-GM 1928422 have a trough-like or spoon-like section-forming pointed
downwards. A pressure wave as additional propulsion is generated by every upstroke.
[0003] The diver with these flippers can badly go forwards on the land. The proposition
of this present invention consists of designing new shoes for the swimmers and the
divers so that the going on the land may be made easy. Morover it is important to
mention that the ascending of stairs in water or on land with worn shoes is even possible.
[0004] The proposition in accordance with this invention is solved by the treats of the
claim.
[0005] These swim-shoes have at first the general shape of shoes with shoe-instep,shoe-heel
and sole. The shoe-instep here is extended unwards in vaulted and stable prolongation.
The longitudinal vault can be random any one. The epicycloid would be most appropriate.
The vault of cross-sections for the swim-blade (6) is profitably as half ellipse to
shape.
[0006] This has a double effect. On one hand the side shorter axis contribute to the rigidity
against bending. The swim-blade (6) is in the transition zone (10) additionally reinforced
by a rib (9). On the backside (II) of the swim-blade (6) a three-cornered rib (8)
a flow facilitating configuration is assigned for stiffening this swim-blade (6) in
the upper zone. Following are the detailed explanations of the invention guided by
figures according to the upset and the effect.
[0007] Figure 1 shows the construction principle of the swim-shoes made from technical rubber.
The shoes have parts made form different kinds of rubber which are vulcanized together.
[0008] In the shoe-sole (2,3) there are moulded-on parts made of harder and more resistant
to wear rubbers. The shoe-heel (1), the shoe-leg (4) and the shoe-instep (5) are made
of soft rubber. The harder vaulted swim-blade (6) is moulded-on on the shoe-instep
(5). The left and the right shoe are generally symmetrical like the normal shoes,
but are not alike. This type is for instance thought up for the rescue-swimmer who
have to wear the shoes during stand-by operation. In case of emergency the rescue-swimmer
would use a vehicle. The upwards pointed swim-blade (6) allows a lot of movableness.
The treading on the brakepedal by car driving is no more a impediment. These swim-shoes
are equiped with a sharp point under the shoe-sole (3) when the occasion arises. At
high sea the rescue-swimmer could defend himself against the attack of sharks while
he would have to keep his hands free. The deep-diver could stand on the sea-bottom
with these swim-shoes and move forwards. He would earn on this way some more movableness
by his dangerous work in water.
[0009] Figure 2 shows a variant of swim-shoes without shoe-heel and point according to the
invention. The elastic shoe-leg (14) fixes additionally the shoes. This cheaper version
is for instance made from one kind of rubber with about 75 shore A hardness in one-piece
vulcanized and has a symmetrical shoe-design. The right and the left shoe are alike.
The elasticity of the rubber allows largely the ductility of the shoe-instep (5).
The diver or the swimmer can ascend directly the under water found ladder after a
diving roung. The rescue-swimmer could run right away with worn swim-shoes during
a operation. Some seconds time is sometimes very precious for the survival of a drowning
person.
[0010] Figure 3 shows the cheapest variant of the swim-shoe according to the present invention
made from soft plastic. The portion of softening agent in plastic is so dosed that
the elasticity and the ductility are still warrented. The shoe-leg (14) is made from
technical rubber with molded-on tetragonal holes (14a) which might fasten provisionally
in the hook (15) of the shoes. The same shoe is appropriate for the right and the
left foot. The detail-drawing X indicates that the injection-dies could be composed
of two parts.
[0011] Figure 4 shows the cross-sections of the swim-blade (6) on different level and of
the shoe-instep (5). At the upper part of the swim-blade (6) the cross-section A-A
shows the flattened half-ellipse with the rib (8) on the backside (II). Lower the
cross-section B-B shows the deepened half-ellipse with likewise a rib (8) on the backside.
When the swim-blade (6) moves according to the direction R against the fluid, the
water flows in and is deflected by the shorter axis (11,11a) into the middle. The
water collides there, it means, the velocity of flow is steadily reduced into the
middle there until practically zero at one spot. In the middle of inside (I) the velocity
of flow is very little, so the pressure is maximum. The following water is restrained
and flows away from the swim-blade (6). The shape of the cross-section C-C has a initially
little rib (9) in the middle of the inside (I). D-D is the cross-section of the swim-blade
(6) at the transition zone (10) between the foot and the human shank. The deformation
is there as result of the transverse force (Fs) maximum. Therefore the inside rib
(9) is shaped specially big. This rib has two elliptic side -contours (9a) which can
deflect the water sidewards. Then the water collides in two separate pouchs. The cross-sections
E-E and F-F obtain the similar effect after deformation in the human foot. The impact
pressure takes rise on this way in the inside (I) of the swim-blade (6). The diver
receives a certain transverse force (Fs) by each paddling. By beginning far back on
the contrary the water is deflected sidewards by the oblique borderings (8a) of the
outside rib (8) on the backside (II). The impact pressure on this side is much smaller,
since the velocity of flow is bigger.
[0012] Figure 5 shows the position of the lower limbs at the beginning in frog style. The
swimmer moves the swim-shoes in the opposite swimming direction by stretching out
the legs. The transverse force (Fs) arises as reaction of the water on the inside
(I) of the propulsive swim-blade (6). The diver or the swimmer is driven forwards
in the swimming direction by (Fs). The pressure build-up on the inside (I) is optimized
through the design of the cross-section D-D with great rigidity against bending in
the transition zone (10).
[0013] Figure 6 shows the position of the lower limbs in crawl style. The swimmer obtains
by every descending stroke of the leg a propulsive transverse force (Fs),whose orientation
is much influenceable by the position of the feet througt the foot-joint (Fg).
[0014] Figure 7 shows the straight treadle of a diver with the swim-shoes in deep sea. The
beginning far back occurs in circle like by biking. The friction loss against the
flowing is here minimized. The diver could also swing the both legs simultaneously
as in dolphin style.
1. Swim-shoes for diver or swimmer with the usual shape of shoes (Fig. 1) made of elastic
rubber or thermo-elastic plastic with out-sole (3), shoe-leg (4 , 14) and shoe-instep
(5), with a directly from the upper shoe-instep (5) as upward prolongation und through
the foot-joint (Fg) oscillatory of the developed longways vaulted swim-blade (6),
whose cross-section has primarily the form of a half-ellipse, at which the swim-blade
(6) presents a rib-like elevation (9) in the middle field on the inside (I), and on
the outside (II) in field of the free edge of the swim-blade (6) one rib-like elevation
with two straight side-contours (8a) tangential to the out-side half-ellipse is applied.
2. The swim-shoes after claim 1 are characterized in that the out-sole (3) bears a horizontally
jutting out point (7) (Fig. 1).
