Hydrodynamic Human-Powered Propulsion Mechanism
OwnerMark A. McCordinventor
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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 device for propelling a person through water, consisting of
- a. a pair of foot attachments;
- b. a set of four blades, consisting of a left outer blade attached to the outside of the left foot attachment, a left inner blade attached to the inside of the left foot attachment, a right outer blade attached to the outside of the right foot attachment, and a right inner blade attached to the inside of the right foot attachment;
- c. a pivot mechanism allowing the blades to articulate with a limited motion, whereby said blades present a substantially optimal angle of attack to the water with both upward and downward strokes of a person's legs;
- d. a geometrical arrangement whereby the inner portions of the blades are arranged such that they do not physically interfere with each other as the legs of the swimmer pass each other up and down.
A device for propelling a person through water, consisting of
- a. a pair of foot attachments;
- b. a left blade attached to the left foot attachment, and a right blade attached to the right foot attachment, where each blade is longer in the direction perpendicular to the body than in the direction parallel to the body;
- c. a lateral center of effort of the left blade which is substantially centered on said left foot attachment;
- a lateral center of effort of the right blade which is substantially centered on said right foot attachment;
- and a longitudinal center of effort of the left blade and a longitudinal center of effort of the right blade which are both substantially equally far from the person's body.
- d. a pivot mechanism allowing the blades to articulate with a limited motion, whereby the blades present a substantially optimal angle of attack to the water with both upward and downward strokes of the legs;
- e. a geometrical arrangement whereby the inner portions of the blades are arranged such that they do not physically interfere with each other as the legs of the person pass each other up and down.
A human-powered hydrofoil device for propelling a person above the surface of the water, consisting of
- a. a left blade connected to a left foot attachment and a right blade connected to a right foot attachment;
- b. a connecting post disposed between each blade and foot attachment that allows the person to stay above the water while the blades remain submersed in the water;
- c. A pivot mechanism allowing each blade to change its angle of attack with respect to the water as a person moves their feet up and down, whereby the blades maintain a substantially optimal angle of attack through the water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.