GB2318981A

GB2318981A - Web-fingered swim-glove

Info

Publication number: GB2318981A
Application number: GB9623079A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Arthur Henry Price
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-11-06
Filing date: 1996-11-06
Publication date: 1998-05-13
Also published as: GB9623079D0

Abstract

The webs of the swim-glove are so arranged that during the return stroke the webs fold to the rear of the hand and so allow the fingers to be closely packed to minimise resistance through the water. A perimeter bead can be moulded into the glove material in such an arrangement that the material of the web takes up a backward bias. Further beads can be moulded in to improve strength of the glove.

Description

wEB-FIN('1ERD SWTM-GLOVE This invention is a device designed specifically for people who swim, to assist them in so doing by providing a means whereby increased power is obtained in each swimming stroke of the hand/arm whatever the swimming style.

This invention is essentially a glove which completely encloses the hand and fits tightly with a degree of stretch inherant in the glove material so as not to allow the incursion of water between the glove-material and the skin of the swimmers hand. A web, or membrane, is formed between the fingers of the glove, including the thumbs, so as to thereby provide the swimmer with a greatly increased hand-area which will allow a larger area of water to be manipulated during each power-stroke of the swimming action. This will naturally increase the power available to the swimmer throughout the period of swimming activity.

The efficiency of the Web-Fingered Swim-Glove is determined by the increased area of the hand when fitted with this invention compared with the hand in it's natural state allied to the ability of the Glove to perform as do the feet of aquatic birds in that the webs open wide during the power-stroke and then close completely as the digits come together at the end of this stroke before the swimmer then brings his hand back through the water in a forward motion to the start of the next stroke with minimal water-resistance, which is important so as not to have the effect of slowing-down the forward momentum that has just been created by the backwards-moving powerstroke.

A bead is moulded into the perimeter of the Glove so as to provide an increased tension-factor between the digits which will both strengthen the glove and allow more power to be transmittable to the water. Further, less prominent beads are moulded directly into the webs so as to increase upon this factor and these beads and any of them can be of variable thickness so as to enable gloves with variable stretch and tension-factors/performance-capabilities to be produced.

The perimeter bead is formed in such a way as can be seen in the drawings where it curves around the finger-tips in a backward-curve so as to allow the webs to lie in a backwards bias away from the palms and towards the backs of the hands and this, in conjunction with the way the webs themselves are formed extending across from the palm-face plane and curving slightly around the digits, is designed so that the webs do so lie in a backwards bias as will be seen in the drawing number 3, side-view, fingers partially open.

Drawing number 2 shows how, at the end of each power-stroke, when the digits come together, the webs will continue further in their backward-bias to adopt the mode desired for the return of the hand through the water with minimal resistance.

Drawing number 1 is a palm-view of the Glove.

Extra beads are moulded into the wrist area so as to increase water-excluding properties in this area. These are also necessary as a strengthening factor, the gloves being made in a thin material so as to thereby allow the hand to retain as much of its natural feel as possible and obtain maximum "duck-foot effect" as described above and shown in drawing number 2.

Claims

EB-FINGERD SWIM-GLOVE

CLAIMS 1. A swim-glove made of a thin material having a degree of stretchability with webbed-fingers which webs are formed as described so as to allow the digits to come fully together at the end of each stroke.
2. A web-fingered swim-glove incorporating beads moulded into the webs so as to allow gloves to be produced with variable stretchability and tension-factors built-into them.

3 A swimming-sid in the for of a glove having curved and flexible web portions located between the finger-accommodating portions of the glove which curved and flexible web-portions are operable in a umber similar to a duck's foot in that the webs open during the swiers power-stroke and then close for minimal water-resistance on the swi-ers return-stroke which effect is facilitated or enhanced by the curved design of the webs as they shape around the fingers and also by the design of the periieter-beads as they curve around the finger tips in a backwards bias.

4 A swiing-aid in the fore of a glove having curved and flexible web portions located between the finger-accommodating portions of the glove and which web-portions are constructed with integral beads or strengthening-strands moulded into the web-portions and extending around the finger-portions and becoming integral with the perimeter bead so as to provide the glove and its webs with a strengthening factor which can be variable.

2. A web-fingered swim-glove incorporating beads moulded into the webs so as to allow gloves to be produced with variable stretchability and tension-factors built-into them.

Amendments to the clams have been fled as folks CLAIMS 1. A swim-glove made of a thin material having a degree of stretchability with webbed-fingers which webs are formed as described so as to allow the digits to come fully together at the end of each stroke.