Hydrodynamic human-powered propulsion mechanism
OwnerMark A. McCordinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One embodiment of improved swim fins consists of a right foot attachment (101) with an outer right blade (111) and an inner right blade (112) which is arranged such that it does not mechanically interfere with an inner left blade (113). The blades may include a pivot mechanism (220) that allows the blades to maintain an optimal angle of attack as the swimmer moves their legs up and down. In another embodiment, a right blade (1011) and a left blade (1013) are attached to the feet of a person who is propelled by the blades above the surface of the water as they pump their feet up and down, forming a human-powered hydrofoil. Other embodiments are described and shown.
Claims20
A pair of devices for propelling a body of a person through water, consisting of:
- a. a left foot attachment and a right foot attachment;
- b. a set of four blades, consisting of a left outer blade attached to an outside of the left foot attachment, a left inner blade attached to an inside of the left foot attachment, a right outer blade attached to an outside of the right foot attachment, and a right inner blade attached to an inside of the right foot attachment;
- c. a left pivot mechanism and a right pivot mechanism whereby the left inner blade and the left outer blade can change an angle with respect to the left foot attachment, and the right inner blade and the right outer blade can change an angle with respect to the right foot attachment, as the person moves the left foot attachment and the right foot attachment either upwards or downward;
- wherein the right inner blade is positioned such that the right inner blade can pass the left inner blade without contact as the person moves the right foot attachment and the left foot attachment past each other up and down in a swimming motion.
A pair of devices for propelling a body of a person through water, consisting of:
- a. a left foot attachment and a right foot attachment;
- b. a left blade with an inner portion and an outer portion, attached to the left foot attachment, and a right blade with an inner portion and an outer portion, attached to the right foot attachment, where the left blade and the right blade are longer in a lateral direction perpendicular to the body than in a longitudinal direction parallel to the body;
- c. a center of pressure of the left blade which is substantially centered on said left foot attachment in the lateral direction;
- a center of pressure of the right blade which is substantially centered on said right foot attachment in the lateral direction;
- wherein the center of pressure of the left blade and the center of pressure of the right blade are both substantially equally far from the body of the person in the longitudinal direction;
- d. a left pivot mechanism and a right pivot mechanism allowing the left blade to change an angle with respect to the left foot attachment and the right blade to change an angle with respect to the right foot attachment as the person moves the left foot attachment and the right foot attachment either upwards or downwards;
- wherein the inner portion of the right blade is positioned such that the inner portion of the right blade can pass the inner portion of the left blade without contact as the person moves the right foot attachment and the left foot attachment past each other up and down in a swimming motion.
A pair of devices for propelling a body of a person above the surface of the water, powered by said person, consisting of:
- a. a left blade connected to a left foot attachment and a right blade connected to a right foot attachment;
- b. a left connecting post disposed between the left blade and the left foot attachment and a right connecting post disposed between the right blade and the right foot attachment;
- c. A left pivot mechanism connected to the left blade and a right pivot mechanism connected to the right blade allowing the left blade to change an angle with respect to the left foot attachment, and the right blade to change an angle with respect to the right foot attachment, as the person moves the left foot attachment and the right foot attachment up and down.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.