Collapsible Leg-Mounted Diving Fin for Land Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current diving fin designs that mount over the foot are cumbersome and difficult to put on and take off, especially in challenging environments, restricting movement on land and in water, and pose risks during entry and exit from water, particularly for military and rescue divers.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible, leg-mounted diving fin system that collapses up to and around the lower leg, allowing for easy deployment and retraction without bending, using composite materials like fiberglass and aluminum, and integrating with a supportive boot for enhanced functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If diving fins are mounted over the end of the foot, then the fins can provide propulsion in water, but it becomes extremely difficult to walk on land and through the surf
Solution Approach 1:
The diving fin is designed with collapsible sections that allow it to dynamically change its configuration between a compact form for land travel and an extended form for water propulsion. The fin collapses up to and around the lower leg when not in use, and deploys to full length when needed in water, enabling the diver to adapt to different environmental requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The fin structure employs a nested configuration where sections are stacked one within another when collapsed, similar to nested dolls. The fin blade sections are contained within the boot section when collapsed around the lower leg, creating a compact profile that resembles a slightly wider version of the calf area.
2Ease of operation
If diving fins are mounted over the foot, then they can be used for propulsion, but putting them on and taking them off becomes a difficult and cumbersome task
Solution Approach 1:
The fin is pre-positioned in a collapsed state around the lower leg before water entry, eliminating the need to bend down and put it on feet later. The diver can deploy the fin by simply pulling it down from the collapsed position on the leg, a quick action that does not require bending or complex manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of mounting the fin on the foot and collapsing it upward, the invention inverts the approach by mounting the collapsed fin on the lower leg and deploying it downward to the foot. This inversion simplifies the deployment action to a simple pull-down motion and allows the fin to be retrieved by pulling it upward from the foot.
3Adaptability or versatility
If diving fins are mounted on the foot, then they provide propulsion, but the diver is restricted in choices of boot or sock like booties they can wear
Solution Approach 1:
The fin mounting system is extracted from the foot and relocated to the lower leg. This extraction allows the diver to wear any type of boot or sock-like bootie on the foot without interference from the fin structure, as the fin now mounts independently on the lower leg above the foot.
4Reliability
If diving fins are mounted on the foot, then they can be used for diving, but the diver must bend down with all equipment to put them on, which is difficult in rough conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The fin is pre-positioned in a collapsed state around the lower leg before water entry, eliminating the need to bend down and put it on feet later. The diver can deploy the fin by simply pulling it down from the collapsed position on the leg, a quick action that does not require bending or complex manipulation.
Data Source
AI summary
A diving fin system is provided. The fin system includes without limitation a collapsible, leg mounted diving fin. The fin system includes a first section mounted to lower leg and a second section and a third section that can collapse up to and around the lower leg. When collapsed, it can have a very low profile such that it looks like a slightly wider version of the calf area of the leg. It can be also be a three-piece deploying fin, wherein the first section is maintained coupled to the lower leg, the second section slides and rotates to couple to the top of a foot and the third section rotates away from the second section to form the fin blade for use in diving, such as scuba diving.