Patent Publication Number: US-6342031-B1

Title: Water gaiters and sleeves

Description:
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/516,178, filed Aug. 17, 1995, now abandoned. 
    
    
     This invention relates to new and improved devices for use in water therapy, exercising and swimming to strengthen muscles, improve muscle tone and enhance muscular coordination and also, more particularly, relates to buoyant gaiters and sleeves for use while performing therapy or exercises in water, such as in swimming pools, lakes, streams, hot tubs, whirlpool baths and the like. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is well known that exercising in water can be very beneficial for most persons, whether they are young or old, weak or strong, sick or healthy, but such exercise is particularly appropriate for persons suffering from, for example, arthritis, rheumatism, some forms of heart conditions, ailments of the knee, back or elbow, or other minor problems with the joints and/or muscles. Maladies of these types can prevent such persons from participating in dry-land aerobics, sports or other forms of physical exercise; however, less stress and strain is incurred in water because of the effect of buoyancy and the yielding resistance exhibited by water, thus most of these persons can, and should, become involved in water exercise and therapy programs. 
     Various types of apparatus, devices or contrivances have been previously provided for use in conjunction with water activities. U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,759 discloses an aquatic exercise device which is to be attached to a user&#39;s ankle with Velcro® (brand) hook-and-loop fasteners; U.S. Pat. No. 1,128,682 shows a swimming device including leggings and stirrups; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,813,668 and 5,031,904 show aquatic boots with complex adjustable structures; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,905,991 and 4,292,126 disclose weights for use in swim training; U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,913 discloses a buoyant exercise aid for use on the ankle or foot; while U.S. Pat. No. 1,260,931 discloses an appliance to be worn on a swimmer&#39;s ankles for increasing speed. These patents show devices of somewhat complex configurations and arrangements, several relying on adjustable straps, buckles, ties and the like which are susceptible to poor adjustment resulting in slippage, twisting and turning, with possible damaging or hazardous consequences. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is designed primarily for use in water such as pools, lakes, relatively calm ocean waters, streams, whirlpool baths, hot tubs and the like and is unique in its simplicity, has a lack of adjustable and troublesome gadgetry such as snaps and buckles, and is comprised of user-friendly, soft, flexible, resilient materials that will not cause injury when brought into forceful contact with the user&#39;s appendages (arms and legs) which may occur during vigorous exercising. The invention is comprised of gaiters, also referred to as spats or leggings, for use around a person&#39;s ankles and calves and is also comprised of gloves, and/or sleeves for use around a person&#39;s wrists and forearms. The gaiters and sleeves have a similar construction in that each includes a tubular, form fitting portion for creating a snug fit with the user&#39;s ankles and calves or with the wrist and forearm, and a loop end portion which bifurcates or divides an open end of the tubular portion for aiding in fitting, attaching and positioning the gaiters on the foot, ankle and leg and positioning the sleeves on the hand, wrist and forearm of the user&#39;s body and keeping the gaiters and sleeves snug and in place while exercise is being performed. 
     Use of both the gaiters and sleeves, one on each of the user&#39;s arms and legs, is particularly useful in, but not limited to, the performance of “deep water exercise”, that is, exercising in water sufficiently deep that the user&#39;s feet do not rest on or touch the bottom when the user&#39;s head is above the water level. The users, in a manner somewhat similar to treading water, can maintain their bodies in a generally vertical orientation through gentle manipulation of the gaiters and sleeves with their legs and arms. A gentle exercise of this nature is well within the capacities of the physical fit, young children, adults, the elderly, or the somewhat infirmed person. It should be noted, however, that the gaiters are not limited to use in a vertical position but are also useful with the user&#39;s body in a generally horizontal, floating position or while swimming. As a matter of fact, the invention can be particularly useful for teaching the art of swimming by aiding neophyte swimmers to raise their legs to a nearly horizontal, swimming position. Further, the invention is useful to develop muscle strength, even for seasoned athletes, because the gaiters and/or sleeves provide increased resistance to movement of a person&#39;s legs and arms through water during vigorous water exercise. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide an exercise device comprising a resilient, flexible, generally tubular body member having an open portion for receiving a person&#39;s appendage, i.e., an arm or leg, of a user and having a stop member in the form of a connecting strap or loop for limiting movement of the body member upon the user&#39;s arm or leg when the device is used for exercising in water, the tubular body member being comprised of buoyant material. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide exercise apparatus comprising a plurality of buoyant devices, in the form of gaiters and sleeves, for being worn upon each leg and arm of a user wherein each of said devices creates a buoyant force, when in water, the buoyant force being in the range of about one pound to about fifteen pounds for average sized men and women, and somewhat more for larger or stronger persons such as college and professional athletes. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a resilient, buoyant device for being worn upon a leg or arm of a user wherein the device includes an elasticized covering for inducing the gaiters and/or sleeves to elastically conform to a user&#39;s leg or arm during use thereby providing protection against slippage and also providing cushioning to protect the user&#39;s ankles, calves, wrists and forearms or anything with which they may come into contact. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front, elevational view of a person&#39;s left and right legs which are provided with a spat or legging, each being in the form of a gaiter which comprises a part of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of one component of the invention and illustrates the use of a sewn seam for constructing one embodiment thereof. 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the component shown in FIG.  2  and shows a connecting strap which extends under the sole of a user&#39;s foot. 
     FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the component shown in FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, vertical section, taken on line  5 — 5  of FIG. 3, and is limited to showing a core portion of foam material having an inner fabric lining for contacting the user&#39;s skin. 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary section of a portion of a preferred outer fabric which covers the outer portion of the component shown in FIGS. 1-5. 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevational view, similar to the showing in FIG. 3, and illustrates a second embodiment of the gaiters of the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a view of a second component of the invention in the form of a sleeve, or glove, having an extended sleeve portion covering much of the user&#39;s wrist and forearm and having a connecting loop or strap preferably extending between the user&#39;s thumb and forefinger where it can be grasped by the user&#39;s hand. 
     FIG. 9 is a schematic view, reduced in scale, looking at the open-end of either the gaiter of FIGS. 1-4, FIG. 7 or the sleeve of FIG. 8 with the gaiter or sleeve being removed from the user&#39;s leg and/or arm. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIGS. 1-6 illustrate a first embodiment of the invention and show one form of an exercise device, generally indicated by the numeral  10 , comprised of a resilient, generally tubular body member in the form of a gaiter  12  (sometimes referred to as a spat and/or a legging) being worn about a person&#39;s foot  14  and extending along the ankle and calf  16 . 
     A second but quite similar form of the invention comprises an exercise device, generally indicated by the numeral  11 , and shown in FIG. 8 as being comprised of a resilient, generally tubular body member in the form of an extended length of a glove or sleeve  13  being worn about a person&#39;s hand  15  and extending along the wrist and forearm  17  between the hand  15  and elbow  19 . 
     Each gaiter  12  includes a stop member in the form of an end loop, or strap,  18  which provides a strap member  20  extending under the user&#39;s instep  22  between the toes  24  and heel  26 , as is best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The strap, or stop member  18 , functions to close the bottom end of gaiter  12  for limiting movement thereof and keeping it from sliding upwardly upon the user&#39;s ankle and calf  16  when the device is being used in water during swimming, exercising and/or therapy. 
     Likewise, each sleeve  13  includes a stop member in the form of an end loop, or strap, which provides a strap member  21  extending about the users palm and hand  15 , as will be understood from the showing in FIG.  8 . The strap, or stop member  21 , functions to close one end of the sleeve  13  for limiting movement thereof and keep it from sliding upwardly upon the user&#39;s wrist and forearm  17  when the device is being used in water during swimming, exercising and/or therapy. 
     The exercise devices, gaiter  12  and sleeve  13 , are similarly constructed of buoyant material, preferably in the form of flexible, foam rubber or the like and ideally, as is shown in FIG. 5, in the form of a sheet member, generally indicated by the numeral  30 , which is sufficiently flexible to allow for cutting and shaping thereof into a configuration for fitting about a person&#39;s ankle and calf  16 , or wrist and forearm  17 . The sheet member  30 , which is preferably between one-half to three inches in thickness, having a length between four and twenty four inches providing a volume for creating a buoyant force in the range of approximately one to fifteen pounds, can be provided with foam material  31  having thin marginal portions  32  and  34  and have a thicker central portion  36  to allow for a somewhat tailored fit and avoid a semblance of being bulky at the open ends of the tubular portions. The sheet member  30  is shown in FIG. 5 as including a layer of fabric  38 , such as woven nylon, which may be laminated or adhered by heat, adhesives, solvents, or the like, to the inside surface of sheet member  30  for strengthening the foam material  31  against tearing, while allowing it to stretch to some degree to accommodate and provide a form fit with a user&#39;s leg or arm (as shown in FIGS.  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  7  and  8 ), the fabric  38  also providing a comfortable surface to be in contact with the user&#39;s skin. 
     It is to be understood that the sheet member  30 , as shown in FIG. 5, comprises an inner component of the gaiters  12  or sleeves  13 . The outermost component or cover member of the gaiters  12  and sleeves  13  is preferably comprised of sheet material in the form of laminated, elasticized fabric of a type commonly used for apparel known as “wet suits” which are generally worn for use during extended swimming, underwater diving, and/or exposure to cold water. An enlarged, fragmentary sectional view of a preferred elasticized cover member, generally indicated by the numeral  40 , is shown in FIG. 6 as being comprised of a central core of foam material  42  constructed of foam rubber, or foam synthetic material such as neoprene and the like, sandwiched between and adhered to an inner, woven fabric layer  44  and an outer, woven fabric layer  46 . Outer fabric layer  46  may provide a fashion touch of multiple colors in various patterns, designs and styles. 
     Fabric layers  44  and  46  serve to protect the foam material  42  and also provide elasticity for the cover member  40  such that the gaiters and sleeves will snugly adhere to the user&#39;s leg and/or arm. As previously described, a similar function is provided by foam material  31  and fabric  38 . The layers of fabric  38 ,  44  and  46 , in addition to providing elasticity can be used to provide closure means in the form of sewn seams, indicated by the numeral  50 , along the top, bottom and rear portions (see FIG. 2) of the gaiters  12  and sleeves  13 . The embodiment shown in FIG. 7 includes an alternative closure means in the form of a slide fastener  52  in lieu of, or in addition to, the back seam  50  in FIG. 2 to provide for ease in donning or removing the devices. It is also to be understood that hook and loop fasteners, such as sold under the Velcro® brand name, may be used as closure means in lieu of rear sewn seam  50  (in FIG. 2) or the slide fastener  52  (in FIG. 7) and also to adjust and secure strap members  20  and  21 . The presently preferred embodiments are, however, those shown in the drawings and described in this specification. 
     FIG. 9 provides a fragmentary, schematic, cross-sectional view illustrating an oval shape  60  indicative of the shape of an exercise device  10 , either a gaiter or sleeve, when in repose prior to or after being worn by a person. An important part of the present invention resides in the fact that the elasticized materials previously described cause the gaiters  12  or sleeves  13  to snugly grip, or adhere to, or close upon a user&#39;s leg or arm when the oval shape is changed from one of repose to a more cylindrical shape that is required for enclosing a person&#39;s leg or arm. This feature is readily understood by keeping in mind that the preferred construction will tend to cause the devices to assume the oval shape  60  whether or not the devices are being worn. 
     It will be apparent that at least a few different sizes of gaiters  12  and sleeves  13  will be needed to accommodate persons of varying sizes. Children, teenagers and adults of small, average and large size have different needs and requirements. Thus, lengths can vary in accordance with the measurements between the foot and knee, and between the hand and elbow. It is contemplated that, for example, a gaiter length or sleeve length of about ten inches, and a total thickness in repose of about three inches, will be suitable for an average sized adult for use in “deep water exercising” and will each provide a buoyant force on the order of approximately four pounds. It is well within the scope of the invention to provide thicknesses of foam on the order of perhaps three inches thick, and larger lengths such as twelve to sixteen inches, for devices to be used by tall and heavy persons, including professional athletes and the like, to displace sufficient water to create a buoyant force of perhaps fifteen pounds. 
     The foregoing descriptions are directed to preferred embodiments of the present invention and to the presently contemplated best mode for construction and forming of the disclosed exercise devices. It is, of course, understood that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which are to be determined in accordance with the following claimed subject matter.