PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 15940699
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-03
Publication Date: 2018-08
Patent Classification: ["004", "496000"]

Abstract:
An apparatus to quickly position a start assist device for backstroke swimmers and remove said start assist device once the apparatus detects or is signaled that the swimmer has left to prevent injuries and obstructions caused by the start assist device. A mechanical embodiment of such an apparatus and a motorized embodiment of such an apparatus with a data input system to position the start assist device according to the individual swimmers needs and means to signal the start event are disclosed.

Claim (Index 20):
A starting assist apparatus for assisting backstroke swimmers during a start process, the apparatus comprising:\n a footrest operable for positioning in a pool during the start process and automatic removal from the pool after the start process, wherein the positioning in the pool corresponds with an extended position of the footrest and the automatic removal from the pool corresponds with a retracted position of the footrest; a rotatable winding tube comprising a torsion spring configured to provide a bias force to the rotatable winding tube in a first direction corresponding with the retracted position of the footrest; a plurality of straps coupling the footrest to the rotatable winding tube, the plurality of straps configured to simultaneously wind around the rotatable winding tube if the rotatable winding tube is rotated in the first direction, the plurality of straps configured to simultaneously unwind from the rotatable winding tube if the rotatable winding tube is rotated in the second direction, wherein:\n a force applied to the rotatable winding tube in a second direction that exceeds the bias force provided by the torsion spring in the first direction rotates the rotatable winding tube in the second direction to simultaneously unwind the plurality of straps to move the footrest to the extended position, and \n the bias force provided by the torsion spring in the first direction automatically and simultaneously winds the plurality of straps on the rotatable winding tube to move the footrest to the retracted position in an absence of the force applied to the rotatable winding tube in the second direction that exceeds the bias force provided by the torsion spring in the first direction; and \n a lock operable to receive a user actuation to a closed position to set the extended position of the footrest in the pool at a user-selected position, wherein the user actuation of the lock to the closed position prevents rotation of the winding tube in the second direction to unwind the plurality of straps and allows rotation of the winding tube in the first direction to wind the plurality of straps.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 47.0
- Percentile: 90.0
- Lexical Diversity: 1.68
- Patent Class: 4.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['14362747', '14098302', '12791823', '14184443', '12653880']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.760775911926327
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.5798903342704447
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.7426873541607387
- Mean Citation Score: 208.157542
- Max Citation Score: 461.2187
- Similarity Product: 457.5179741025746

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 1
- Claim Label 103: 1
- Claim Label 112: 1
- Combined Label: 1
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test