Swimming Block Front Foot Support for Jump Distance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional swim starting blocks primarily support the rear foot, limiting the use of the front foot muscles for kick-off, resulting in reduced jumping distance and increased toe injuries due to concentrated force application.
Innovation Solution
A novel front foot support that can be attached to existing starting blocks, providing a horizontal or substantially horizontal surface for the front foot, allowing full foot engagement and reducing pressure concentration, with features like grooves for water drainage and anti-slip surfaces to enhance stability and power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional starting blocks only support the rear foot, then the structure is simple, but the swimmer cannot fully utilize front foot muscles for kick-off
Solution Approach 1:
The starting block is divided into two distinct functional zones: a rear foot support ledge and a front foot support surface. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function - the rear ledge provides backward lean support while the front surface enables forward foot engagement, together improving jumping performance without requiring complete structural redesign
Solution Approach 2:
The front foot support surface is designed to serve multiple purposes: it provides a stable platform for front foot placement, enables muscular engagement for kick-off, and works in conjunction with the rear foot support to create a unified starting position. This multi-functionality improves productivity without proportionally increasing complexity
2Reliability
If the starting block only directs support to the rear foot, then the design is simple, but toe injuries occur due to concentrated force application
Solution Approach 1:
The front foot support surface extends the support structure in a new dimension - forward from the rear foot ledge. This dimensional extension distributes the force application area from just the toes to the entire front foot, reducing pressure concentration and injury risk while maintaining structural simplicity through additive design
3Ease of operation
If the front foot support surface is horizontal, then full foot engagement is enabled, but the support structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The front foot support surface is designed with specific local qualities - a horizontal orientation and sufficient width - that are optimized for front foot engagement. This localized optimization improves ease of operation without requiring the entire starting block structure to be redesigned, maintaining overall simplicity while enhancing specific functional areas
Data Source
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AI summary
A swim block for allowing a user to jump or dive into a swimming pool or other body of water from a vertical distance higher than the swimming pool, the swim block adapted to allow a user to jump or dive off the swim block with more force and distance when entering the pool, comprising: a base adapted for positioning on a surface near or adjacent to a portion of a perimeter area of the swimming pool, the base having an upper end; and a swim platform having a bottom surface in contact with the upper end of the base such that the swim platform is positioned at a vertical distance higher than the swimming pool, the swim platform having an upper surface and a front portion, the front portion of the swim platform having curved or rounded shape and terminates into the upper surface; wherein the base extends downward from the bottom surface of the swim platform and positions the swim platform above the swimming pool at the portion of the perimeter area of the swimming pool.