Patent Publication Number: US-2019185121-A1

Title: Snorkel with vertically adjustable head-strap

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This Application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) from the U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/708,626, filed on Dec. 15, 2017 and titled “SNORKEL WITH VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE HEAD-STRAP.” The co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/708,626, filed on Dec. 15, 2017 and titled “SNORKEL WITH VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE HEAD-STRAP” is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to swimming equipment. More particularly, the present invention relates to snorkels and snorkel systems for lap swimming in a pool. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A number of conventional snorkel and snorkel systems are available. For example, there are a number of side-mounting snorkels that are configured to secure to a pair of goggles while snorkeling or swimming. These conventional or side-mounted snorkels are available with a number of simple or sophisticated mouth-pieces and mechanisms to prevent the flow of water into the breathing tube of the snorkel. 
     Conventional or side-mounted snorkels provide a high degree of drag and are not well suited for swimming and lap training in a swimming pool. Accordingly, there is a continued need to develop snorkels and snorkel systems that are configured for swimming and lap training in a swimming pool. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A swimmer&#39;s technique needs to be perfected in order for the swimmer to be competitive. One training technique involves isolation of various aspects of swimming. With this training technique, a swimmer trains by concentrating on some aspect of swimming, while ignoring other aspects. For example, a swimmer uses a float board to practice kicking motion of the legs, while ignoring arm strokes. Likewise, the swimmer can train with a snorkel. Training with a snorkel allows the swimmer to focus on kicks and arm strokes without having to concentrate on breathing techniques, which requires the swimmer to turn his head and inhale while his mouth is out of the water. Further, swimming with a snorkel also allows the swimmer to become comfortable with his or her face submersed in the water for extended periods of time. 
     Conventional or side-mounted snorkels can interfere with the swimmers arm stroke and tend to provide too much drag through the water to allow for the accurate evaluation of a swimmers lap time. A front or center-mounted snorkel, such as illustrated by Mix in U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,461 and Garraffa in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 406,333 provides some improvements over the conventional or side-mounted snorkel for use in lap training. The front or center-mounted snorkel of Mix or Garraffa does not interfere with the swimmers arm stroke and has a streamlined breathing tube that reduces drag through the water. 
     The present invention is directed to a snorkel with a hollow arching or curved breathing tube with a mouth-piece end and a breathing port end. The hollow arching or curved breathing tube is preferably made from plastic that is flexible, rigid or semi-rigid. The cross-section of the arching or curved breathing tube can be flattened, round oval or have any other number of shapes. Attached to a mid-section of the arching or curved breathing tube is a bracket member. The bracket member has one or more apertures for threading one or more head-straps therethrough. The head-strap preferably has a clip member for connecting ends of the one or more of the head-straps together and/or for adjusting the lengths or sizes of the one or more head-straps. The bracket member can have any suitable shape, but preferably is a yoke-shaped structure with a curved interior surface that contours to a portion of a user&#39;s head while wearing the snorkel. 
     Attached to the mouth-piece end there is a elbow-shaped hollow breathing tube member with a with a mouth-piece for holding the snorkel in a user&#39;s mouth. The elbow-shaped hollow breathing tube member is configured to rotate or swivel with respect to the hollow arching or curved breathing tube such that the mouth-piece can be rotated out of the way when the snorkel is not being used. 
     In an embodiment of the invention the bracket portion of the snorkel breathing tube has set of metered apertures, such the one or more head-straps can be treaded through selected apertures within the set of apertures to host a range or vertical positions along the snorkel breathing tube. In yet further embodiments of the invention snorkel has an adjustment mechanism couple to the bracket member. The adjustment mechanism includes ratchet, slotted or notched features, and/or mated tongue and groove features that allows the bracket member to be slidably adjusted up and down along fixed positions along the mid-section of snorkel breathing tube and allows the bracket member to be lock one of the selected and fixed positions. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1A-B  show perspective views of a snorkel, in accordance with the embodiments of the invention. 
         FIGS. 2A-B  show schematic representations of adjustment mechanisms for adjusting the vertical positions of one or more head-strap along a breathing tube of a snorkel, in accordance with the embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1A-B , a snorkel  100  of the present invention includes a hollow arching or curved breathing tube  101 , hereafter arching breathing tube  101 , with a mouth-piece end  109  and an opposed breathing port end. The arching breathing tube  101  is preferably made from plastic or other polymeric material that is flexible, rigid or semi-rigid. The arching breathing tube  101  can be made in parts that fit together or formed as a monolithic unit. The cross-section of the arching breathing tube  101  can be flattened, round, oval or have any number of different shapes or combinations of shapes. 
     Attached to a interior mid-section arching breathing tube  101  is a bracket member  107 . The bracket member  107  has one or more apertures  108  for threading one or more head-straps  111  therethrough. The one or more head-straps  111  preferably have one or more clip members  113  for connecting ends of the one or more of the head-straps  111  together and/or for adjusting the lengths or sizes of the one or more head-straps  111 . The bracket member  107  can have any suitable shape, but preferably is a yoke-shaped structure with a curved interior surface that contours to a portion of a user&#39;s head while wearing the snorkel  100 . The bracket member  107  can be monolithic with the arching breathing tube  101  but is preferably formed as separate structure that is coupled to or attached to the mid-section  106 ′ and  106 ″ ( FIGS. 2A-B ) of arching breathing tube  101  through ratcheting clips and snaps, sliding tongue and groove structures and/or any other suitable mechanism. Regardless of the attachment mechanism used, the vertical position of the bracket member  107  along the mid-section arching breathing tube  101  is preferably adjustable, such as described below. 
     Attached to the mouth-piece end  109  of the arching or curved breathing tube  101  there is a elbow-shaped hollow breathing tube mouth-piece adapter  109 , hereafter mouth-piece adapter. Attached to the mouth-piece adapter  103 , there is a mouth-piece  105  for holding the snorkel  100  in a user&#39;s mouth when the snorkel is downed. The mouth-piece adapter  109  is preferably configured to swivel (swiveling mouth-piece) with respect to the arching breathing tube  101 , as indicate by arrow  117  in  FIG. 1A  and shown in  FIG. 1B . In operation the mouth-piece  105  can be rotated out of the way via the mouth-piece adapter  103 , when the snorkel is not being used but remains fixed on a user&#39;s head. 
     As mentioned above, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the vertical position of the bracket member  107  along the mid-section arching breathing tube  101  is preferably adjustable. By adjusting the vertical position of the bracket member  107  along the mid-section arching breathing tube  101  the fit of the snorkel can be customized to suit the individual user. 
     Referring top  FIG. 2A , in accordance with this embodiment an adjustment mechanism  200  includes a set of metered apertures  107 ′ position along the mid-section  106 ′ of the arching breathing tube  101 . In operation, the one or more head-straps  111  can be physically threaded through one or more of the apertures  121 ,  121 ′ and  121 ″ to achieve the desired position of the head-strap. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2B , in a alternative embodiment of the invention the adjustment mechanism  250  includes a bracket member  107 ″ that couples to the mid-section  106 ″ of the breathing tube  101  through the adjustment mechanism. The bracket member  107 ″ that includes one or more apertures  123  to thread one or more head-straps therethrough, such as describe previously. In accordance with this embodiments of the invention the adjustment mechanism  250  includes, for example, ratcheting clips, snaps, slotted or notched features, and/or mated tongue and groove features that allows the bracket member  107 ″ to be slidably adjusted up and down to fixed positions along the mid-section  106 ″ portion of the snorkel breathing tube  101  and allows the bracket member be lock in to a selected position. 
     The present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments incorporating details to facilitate the understanding of the principles of construction and operation of the invention. For example, the mouth-piece end  109  can be telescoping with respect to the arching breathing tube  101  to further allow the fit of the snorkel to be customized. As such, references herein to specific embodiments and details thereof are not intended to limit the scope of the claims appended hereto. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications can be made in the embodiments chosen for illustration without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.