Modular Diving Fin with Rail-Based Blade and Foot Pocket Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional diving fins with integrated blade and foot pocket are cumbersome to travel with, require multiple sets for different conditions, and incur high tooling costs due to complex connectors that are prone to breaking, necessitating separate blades for each foot pocket size.
Innovation Solution
A modular diving fin design featuring rails extending from the blade to the foot pocket, with a male-female connection system and a fastening element, allowing for easy disassembly and reassembly, reducing load on the connection point and enabling a single blade size to fit various foot pockets, thus simplifying manufacturing and travel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If modular fins with separate blade and foot pocket are used, then ease of travel and adaptability are improved, but connection reliability deteriorates due to weak connection points prone to breaking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the blade and foot pocket into a single integrated piece made from a single sheet of material, eliminating the connection point entirely. This resolves the reliability issue by removing the weak connection while maintaining modular functionality through the integrated design that can still be detached if needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated fin is segmented into functional zones (blade section, foot pocket section, and connecting region) that can be configured in different arrangements. The segmentation allows adaptability through different configurations while maintaining structural integrity through the continuous material construction.
2Reliability
If complex connectors are used to strengthen the connection between blade and foot pocket, then connection reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the blade and foot pocket into one integrated structure, eliminating the need for separate connectors entirely. This resolves the contradiction by removing the complex connector components while maintaining or improving reliability through the unified construction that has no weak connection points.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different sized blades are manufactured for different foot pocket sizes, then adaptability is improved, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal blade design that can accommodate multiple foot pocket sizes through a single standardized blade configuration. The blade is designed with a universal interface that works with various foot pocket dimensions, eliminating the need to manufacture multiple blade sizes and reducing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes in the material properties and geometric configuration of the integrated fin to achieve size adaptability. By varying the dimensions and shape parameters within the integrated structure, the same blade design can effectively serve multiple foot pocket sizes without requiring separate blade components.
Data Source
AI summary
A disclosed diver fin includes a blade and a foot pocket, distinct from one another and releasably connected to one another by one or more rails extending from a leading edge of the blade to the foot pocket. The rails extend from either side of the foot pocket and extend parallel to one another at least partway along the length of the blade towards a trailing edge of the blade. Each rail includes two sections: a first rail section, extending from the leading edge of the blade and terminating in a free end, and a second rail section, extending from the foot pocket and terminating in a free end. The free end of one rail section includes a female recess, and the free end of the other rail section terminates in a male extension, slidably receivable in the female recess. The disclosed fin is reconfigurable to accommodate different diving conditions.