Swimming aid device

Abstract

A swimming aid device in the form of a monofi monofin is contemplated. The swimming aid device may include first and second fins formed of a resilient material, each fin including an elongated internal space within a fin body, an opening leading to the elongated internal space, a fin blade coupled to and extending away from the elongated internal space, a first and second side heel connectors on opposing sides of the opening leading to the elongated internal space and sized and shaped to mate with each other, a fin blade connector and a fin blade connector receiver on the fin blade and sized and shaped to mate with each other, the combination of the first and second fins forming a monofin.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A swimming aid device, comprising:
 a first fin made of resilient material; and 
 a second fin made of resilient material; 
 wherein each of first fin and the second fin includes:
 an elongated internal space within a fin body, the elongated internal space sized to receive a portion of a swimmer's foot; 
 an opening leading to the elongated internal space, the opening sized to receive a swimmer's foot at the opening; 
 a fin blade coupled to and extending away from the elongated internal space; and 
 a groove on the fin blade, the groove forming a keyed slot; and 
 
 wherein the groove is made of a material harder than the fin body, and an elongated key coupled to one of the first fin and the second fin at a perimeter edge of the fin blade is slidingly engaged with the groove on the fin blade of the other of the first fin and the second fin; and 
 wherein for each of the first fin and the second fin, the groove is formed on a surface of the fin blade that is not on a perimeter of the fin blade. 
 
     
     
       2. The swimming aid device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first fin and the second fin are identical to each other. 
     
     
       3. The swimming aid device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first fin and the second fin further comprises: a left side heel connector positioned adjacent the opening leading to the elongated internal space on a left side of the respective fins, and a right side heel connector positioned adjacent to the opening leading to the elongated internal space on a right side of the respective fins, wherein the left side heel connector and the right side heel connector are sized and shaped to mate with each other. 
     
     
       4. The swimming aid device of  claim 3 , wherein one of the left side heel connector and the right side heel connector is a hook and the other of the left side heel connector and the right side heel connector is a loop. 
     
     
       5. The swimming aid device of  claim 3 , wherein for each of the first fin and the second fin, the groove is formed on a surface of the fin blade that is not on a perimeter of the fin blade. 
     
     
       6. The swimming aid device of claim  5  1, wherein for each of the first fin and the second fin, the elongated key is formed on a perimeter edge of the fin blade. 
     
     
       7. The swimming aid device of  claim 6 , wherein when the left side heel connector of one of the first and second fins is mated with the right side heel connector of the other of the first and second fins and the groove of one of the first and second fins is slidingly engaged with the elongated key of the other of the first and second fins, the elongated internal space of the first fin is angled toward the elongated internal space of the second fin. 
     
     
       8. The swimming aid device of  claim 1 , wherein for each of the first fin and the second fin, the groove is formed on a surface of the fin blade that is not on a perimeter of the fin blade. 
     
     
       9. The swimming aid device of claim  8  1, wherein for each of the first fin and the second fin, the elongated key is formed on a perimeter edge of the fin blade. 
     
     
       10. A swimming aid device, comprising:
 a first fin made of resilient material; 
 a second fin made of resilient material; 
 wherein each of first fin and the second fin includes:
 an elongated internal space within a fin body, the elongated internal space sized to receive a portion of a swimmer's foot; 
 an opening leading to the elongated internal space, the opening sized to receive a swimmer's foot at the opening; 
 a fin blade coupled to and extending away from the elongated internal space; 
 a first side heel connector adjacent a first side of the opening leading to the elongated internal space; 
 a second side heel connector receiver adjacent a second side of the opening leading to the elongated internal space, wherein the first side heel connector and the second side heel connector are sized and shaped to mate with each other; 
 a fin blade connector on the fin blade; and 
 a fin blade connector receiver on the fin blade, wherein the fin blade connector and the fin blade connector receiver are sized and shaped to mate with each other; 
 
 wherein mating connection of the fin blade connector of the first fin with the fin blade connector receiver of the second fin, and mating connection of the first side heel connector of the first fin with the second side heel connector of the second fin forms a monofin of the first fin and the second fin; 
 wherein one of the first side heel connector and the second side heel connector is a hook and the other of the first side heel connector and the second side heel connector is a loop; 
 wherein for each of the first fin and the second fin, the fin blade connector is an elongated key and the fin blade connector receiver is a groove; and 
 wherein for each of the first fin and the second fin, the elongated key is formed on a perimeter of the fin blade and the groove is formed on a surface of the fin blade that is not on a perimeter of the fin blade. 
 
     
     
       11. The swimming aid device of  claim 10 , wherein each of the first fin and the second fin are identical to each other. 
     
     
       12. The swimming aid device of  claim 10 , wherein one of the first side heel connector and the second side heel connector is a hook and the other of the first side heel connector and the second side heel connector is a loop. 
     
     
       13. The swimming aid device of  claim 12 , wherein for each of the first fin and the second fin, the fin blade connector is an elongated key and the fin blade connector receiver is a groove. 
     
     
       14. The swimming aid device of  claim 13 , wherein for each of the first fin and the second fin, the elongated key is formed on a perimeter of the fin blade and the groove is formed on a surface of the fin blade that is not on a perimeter of the fin blade. 
     
     
       15. The swimming aid device of claim  14  10, wherein when the first side heel connector of one of the first and second fins is mated with the second side heel connector of the other of the first and second fins and the groove of one of the first and second fins is slidingly engaged with the elongated key of the other of the first and second fins, the elongated internal space of the first fin is angled toward the elongated internal space of the second fin. 
     
     
       16. The swimming aid device of  claim 12 , wherein for each of the first fin and the second fin, the fin blade connector is a protruding hook and the fin blade connector receiver is an aperture extending through the fin blade. 
     
     
       17. The swimming aid device of  claim 16 , wherein for each of the first fin and the second fin, the elongated key is formed on a perimeter of the fin blade and the groove is formed on a surface of the fin blade that is not on a perimeter of the fin blade. 
     
     
       18. The swimming aid device of  claim 10 , wherein for each of the first fin and the second fin, the fin blade connector is an elongated key and the fin blade connector receiver is a groove. 
     
     
       19. A method of forming a monofin, the method comprising:
 providing two identical swim fins, each fin comprising first and second fins made of resilient material, each of the first and second fins comprising:
 an elongated internal space within a fin body, the elongated internal space sized to receive a portion of a swimmer's foot; 
 an opening leading to the elongated internal space, the opening sized to receive a swimmer's foot at the opening; 
 a fin blade coupled to and extending away from the elongated internal space; 
 a first side heel connector adjacent a first side of the opening leading to the elongated internal space; 
 a second side heel connector receiver adjacent a second side of the opening leading to the elongated internal space, wherein the first side heel connector and the second side heel connector are sized and shaped to mate with each other; 
 a fin blade connector on the fin blade; 
 a fin blade connector receiver on the fin blade; 
   matingly connecting the first side heel connector of the first fin to the second side heel connector of the second fin; and   matingly connecting the fin blade connector of the first fin with the fin blade connector receiver of the second fin.   
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein matingly connecting the first side heel connector of the first fin to the second side heel connector of the second fin comprises coupling a hook connector of the first side heel connector to an eye receiver of the second side heel connector, and wherein matingly connecting the fin blade connector of the first fin with the fin blade connector receiver of the second fin comprises slidingly engaging an elongaged key of the fin blade connector with a groove of the fin blade connector receiver. 
     
     
       21. A swimming aid device comprising:
 a pair of interlocking fins each configured to receive a respective foot of a wearer, wherein each of the interlocking fins comprises:
 a male lock positioned on a lateral side of the fin; and 
   a female lock positioned on an opposing lateral side of the fin;   wherein the pair of interlocking fins are configured to interlock by mating engagement of the male lock of one interlocking fin with the female lock of the other interlocking fin,   wherein, the pair of interlocking fins are configured such that, when interlocked and worn by the wearer, the wearer's heels are angled away from each other.    
     
     
       22. The swimming aid device of claim 21, wherein the male and female lock are positioned on a distal portion of each of the interlocking fins.  
     
     
       23. The swimming aid device of claim 22, wherein the male and female lock extend less than half of a total length of each identical fin.  
     
     
       24. The swimming aid device of claim 21, wherein the male lock is on a perimeter edge of a fin blade of each of the interlocking fins.  
     
     
       25. The swimming aid device of claim 21, wherein a fin blade of one interlocking fin overlaps with the fin blade of the other interlocking fin in the interlocked configuration.  
     
     
       26. The swimming aid device of claim 21, wherein the male lock comprises an elongate key and the female lock comprises an elongate groove, and wherein the elongate groove of one interlocking fin is configured to slidably receive the elongate key of the other interlocking fin.  
     
     
       27. A swimming aid device, comprising:
 a first fin made of resilient material;   a second fin made of resilient material;   wherein each of first fin and the second fin includes:
 an elongated internal space within a fin body, the elongated internal space sized to receive a portion of a swimmer's foot; 
 an opening leading to the elongated internal space, the opening sized to receive a swimmer's foot at the opening; 
 a fin blade coupled to and extending away from the elongated internal space; 
 a first side heel connector adjacent a first side of the opening leading to the elongated internal space; 
 a second side heel connector receiver adjacent a second side of the opening leading to the elongated internal space, wherein the first side heel connector and the second side heel connector are sized and shaped to mate with each other; 
 a fin blade connector on the fin blade; and 
 a fin blade connector receiver on the fin blade, wherein the fin blade connector and the fin blade connector receiver are sized and shaped to mate with each other; 
   wherein mating connection of the fin blade connector of the first fin with the fin blade connector receiver of the second fin, and mating connection of the first side heel connector of the first fin with the second side heel connector of the second fin forms a monofin of the first fin and the second fin;   wherein one of the first side heel connector and the second side heel connector is a hook and the other of the first side heel connector and the second side heel connector is a loop;   wherein for each of the first fin and the second fin, the fin blade connector is a protruding hook and the fin blade connector receiver is an aperture extending through the fin blade; and   wherein for each of the first fin and the second fin, the elongated key is formed on a perimeter of the fin blade and the groove is formed on a surface of the fin blade that is not on a perimeter of the fin blade.