Wet suit boot

A wet suit boot having a foot portion attached to a tongue and an ankle portion in which the ankle portion includes two wrap-around flaps one of which is releasably connectable to the outside of the tongue and the other of which is releasably connectable to the outside of the first flap.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention is in the field of wet suit boots. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Wet suits worn by surfers, divers, sailboarders and other water sports 
enthusiasts are normally made of closed cell foam elastomer, which permits 
water to flow into the wet suit through sleeve, ankle and neck openings 
but inhibits the circulation of such water due to the tight-fitting nature 
of the suit. The water that has entered the suit thereby forms a thin, 
non-circulating film between the body of the diver and the suit. This film 
of water is heated by the body of the diver and, in effect, forms a layer 
of thermal insulation. Because the thermal insulating property of the wet 
suit can only be achieved by inhibiting the circulation of the film of 
water, the suit must be made to tightly fit the body of the diver. 
In particular, achieving a tight fit with boots used in underwater diving 
and other aquatic activities is extremely difficult because the boot must 
have an opening large enough to permit insertion of the foot yet fit 
tightly about the ankle. The patent to Stockli et al., U.S. Pat. No. 
4,294,022 is exemplary. The difficulty with slip-on boots of the foregoing 
type is that if they are constructed tight enough to inhibit water 
circulation inside the boot, they are very difficult to put on and to take 
off due to the width of the foot. Additionally, the stretching of the 
elastomeric material that occurs whenever the slip-on boot is removed or 
applied can lead to permanent deformation or tearing of the material. 
Boots of this character have been constructed with zippers, laces or other 
fasteners to permit easy application and removal. However, these 
constructions do not adequately inhibit water circulation inside the boot 
and consequently, the utility of the boots have been sacrificed in favor 
of easy application and removal. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The boot of the present invention retains the thermal insulating property 
of the elastomeric material while providing for easy application and 
removal by uniquely constructing the boot with an opening large enough for 
the foot that is adjustable to a tight fit after the boot has been put on. 
The boot of the present invention includes a foot-enclosing portion that 
tightly fits the foot of the wearer and an ankle-enclosing portion having 
a central segment attached at the back and ankle of the foot-enclosing 
portion, a medial flap extending from one side of the segment and a 
lateral flap extending from the opposite side of the segment to form a 
closable open front to the boot. The boot further includes a tongue, 
attached to and extending generally from the foot enclosing portion toward 
the central segment and first and second fastening means for adjusting the 
ankle-enclosing portion of the boot tightly about the ankle and lower 
calf. The first fastening means of the present invention is formed and 
positioned to overlap and releasably fasten the medial flap of the 
ankle-enclosing portion to the tongue, and the second fastening means is 
formed and positioned to overlap and releasably fasten the lateral flap of 
the ankle-enclosing portion to the medial flap. 
The first fastening means is provided by a first pair of mating fastener 
elements, one of the pair being mounted on the exterior surface of the 
tongue and the other being mounted on the interior surface of the medial 
flap. Likewise, the second fastening means is provided by a second pair of 
mating fastener elements one of the pair being mounted on the exterior 
surface of the medial flap and the other being mounted on the interior 
surface of the lateral flap. Preferably, these elements are provided by 
mating hook and loop fasteners and the ankle enclosing portion, foot 
enclosing portion and tongue are formed from a flexible, closed-cell foam 
elastomer. 
This construction is capable of opening widely to permit easy application 
and removal of the boot while in its closed position it insures a tight 
fit to inhibit the circulation of the water inside the boot. Further 
features and advantages of the present invention are set forth in the 
following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
In FIGS. 1-4, the wet suit boot of the present invention, generally 
designated 19, is shown having a foot enclosing portion generally 
designated 21 including toe covering 23, sole 25, back 27 and ankle 29. An 
ankle enclosing portion, generally designated 31, having a central segment 
33, is attached at back 27 and ankle 29 of foot enclosing portion 21. 
Ankle enclosing portion 31 further includes medial flap 35, extending from 
one side of central segment 33, and lateral flap 37, extending from the 
opposite side of central segment 33, to form a closable open front to the 
boot, as best seen in FIG. 2. Boot 19 also includes tongue 39, attached to 
and extending generally from foot-enclosing portion 21 toward central 
segment 33. The medial flap and the lateral flap are held in their closed 
positions by releasable fasteing means, preferably of the hook and loop 
type commonly avalable under the name VELCRO. 
The first fastening means is a first pair of mating fastener elements 41, 
as shown in FIG. 2, one of elements 41 being mounted on the exterior 
surface of tongue 39 and the other being mounted on the interior surface 
of medial flap 25 for releasably fastening medial flap 25 to tongue 39. 
The second fastening means is also a pair of mating fastener elements 43, 
one of elements 43 being mounted on the exterior surface of medial flap 35 
and the other being mounted on the interior surface of lateral flap 37 for 
releasably fastening of lateral flap 37 to medial flap 35, as best seen in 
FIGS. 2 and 4. 
When fastener elements 41 and 43 are mating hook and loop fasteners they 
provide a large and secure surface area for fastening and do not rust or 
corrode in water. Hook and loop fasteners also can fasten in different 
positions so that the position and tightness of the fit can be adjusted. 
As shown in FIG. 5, this construction provides substantially two 
overlapping layers of elastomer around the lower calf that can tightly 
embrace the user's calf to achieve the desired result. Additionally, 
foot-enclosing portion 21, ankle enclosing portion 31 and tongue 39 are 
preferably formed from flexible, closed-cell foam elastomer which provides 
the thermal insulating potential described above. Although the two 
fastener elements disclosed will function effectively to fasten and 
maintain the flaps around the lower calf and achieve the desired tight 
fit, it is understood that additional fastener elements may be provided. 
To use the boot the user first releases all fasteners, spreads the flaps 
and inserts a foot into foot enclosing portion 21. The user then pulls 
tongue 39 upward to cover the front of the ankle. The user then wraps 
medial flap 35 tightly around the front of the ankle to overlap tongue 39 
and tightly fastens first pair of mating fastener elements 41 together, 
and finally, the user wraps lateral flap 37 tightly around the front of 
the ankle to overlap tongue 39 and medial flap 35 and tightly fastens 
second pair of mating fastener elements 43 together to provide the secure, 
water-circulation inhibiting boot of the present invention. Easy removal 
is achieved by the reverse of the above process. Removal of fasteners such 
as zippers or laces is particularly difficult when they are wet and when 
the user's hands are cold and tried. The boots of this invention are very 
easy to remove even under difficult conditions because the fasteners 
simply pull apart and because the boot opens widely so that a user's foot 
can be removed with substantially nothing binding against it.