Kickboard

Abstract

A kickboard having a rigid base of generally thin, rectangular, shape. At least one shallow cutout or depression is formed in the top surface of the base, the depression extending rearwardly from near the front edge of the base and being at least wide enough and long enough to receive a swimmer's arm when the swimmer grips the front edge of the base with his hand. A layer of cushioning material in the depression cushions the arm of the swimmer while gripping the board by the front edge. The front edge of the board is rounded and at least partly cushioned as well. A groove is provided in the bottom surface of the base positioned to receive the finger-tips of the swimmer while gripping the front edge. A second groove can be provided in the top surface of the base, just behind the finger-tip groove, for receiving a portion of the palm of the swimmer's hand while gripping the front edge.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A kickboard having: a rigid base of generally rectangular shape, the base having side edges, a front edge and a back edge joining generally parallel top and bottom surfaces which surfaces define the planar shape of the board; at least one shallow depression formed in the top surface of the base, the depression extending rearwardly from at least near the front edge of the base to at least near to the back edge of the base; the depression being at least wide enough and long enough to receive, and to help retain, the arm of a swimmer on the base when the swimmer grips the front edge of the base with his hand.  
     
     
         2 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the depression is centrally located between the side edges of the board.  
     
     
         3 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 1  having a second shallow depression formed in the top surface of the base, the second depression extending rearwardly from at least near the front edge of the base to at least near to the back edge of the base; the second depression being at least wide enough and long enough to receive, and to help retain, the arm of a swimmer on the base when the swimmer grips the front edge of the base with his hand, the one depression located adjacent one side edge of the board, the second depression located adjacent the other side edge of the board, the depressions generally spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between the swimmer's arms when he puts them forward to grip the front edge of the board near its side edges.  
     
     
         4 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 3  including a third shallow depression centrally located on the board between the one and second depressions, the third depression extending rearwardly from at least near the front edge of the base to at least near to the back edge of the base; the third depression being at least wide enough and long enough to receive, and to help retain, the arm of a swimmer on the base when the swimmer grips the center of the front edge of the base with his hand.  
     
     
         5 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the depression extends substantially across the width of the base, the depression having a width slightly greater than the distance between a swimmer's arms when he puts them forward to grip the front edge of the board near its side edges.  
     
     
         6 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 1  including a finger-tip receiving groove in the bottom surface of the base just behind and parallel to the front edge of the base and a rear-palm receiving groove in the top surface of the base parallel to the finger-tip groove and located just behind it, the grooves in front of and transverse to the depression.  
     
     
         7 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 3  including a finger-tip receiving groove in the bottom surface of the base just behind and parallel to the front edge of the base and a rear-palm receiving groove in the top surface of the base parallel to the finger-tip groove and located just behind it, the grooves in front of and transverse to the depressions.  
     
     
         8 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 4  including a finger-tip receiving groove in the bottom surface of the base just behind and parallel to the front edge of the base and a rear-palm receiving groove in the top surface of the base parallel to the finger-tip groove and located just behind it, the grooves extending substantially across the width of the base.  
     
     
         9 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 5  including a finger-tip receiving groove in the bottom surface of the base just behind and parallel to the front edge of the base and a rear-palm receiving groove in the top surface of the base parallel to the finger-tip groove and located just behind it, the grooves extending substantially across the width of the base.  
     
     
         10 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 1  including a cushioning layer in the depression.  
     
     
         11 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 3  including a cushioning layer in the depressions.  
     
     
         12 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 4  including a cushioning layer in the depressions.  
     
     
         13 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 5  including a cushioning layer in the depression.  
     
     
         14 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the front edge is rounded; a cushioning layer in the depression, the layer extending forwardly over the rear-palm receiving groove and over at least a portion of the rounded front edge of the base.  
     
     
         15 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the front edge is rounded; a cushioning layer in the depressions, the layers extending forwardly over the rear-palm receiving groove and over at least a portion of the rounded front edge of the base.  
     
     
         16 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the front edge is rounded; a cushioning layer in the depressions, the layers extending forwardly over the rear-palm receiving groove and over at least a portion of the rounded front edge of the base.  
     
     
         17 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the front edge is rounded; a cushioning layer in the depression, the layer extending forwardly over the rear-palm receiving groove and over at least a portion of the rounded front edge of the base.  
     
     
         18 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the front edge of the base, at least in front of the depression, is rounded; the front of the cushioning layer wrapped about at least the top part of the front edge of the base to form a rounded, cushioned front edge on the kickboard.  
     
     
         19 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the front edge of the base, at least in front of the depression, is rounded; the front of the cushioning layer wrapped about at least the top part of the front edge of the base to form a rounded, cushioned front edge on the kickboard.  
     
     
         20 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the front edge of the base, at least in front of the depressions, is rounded; the front of the cushioning layer wrapped about at least the top part of the front edge of the base to form a rounded, cushioned front edge on the kickboard.  
     
     
         21 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the front edge of the base, at least in front of the depression, is rounded; the front of the cushioning layer wrapped about at least the top part of the front edge of the base to form a rounded, cushioned front edge on the kickboard.  
     
     
         22 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 18  including a rear-palm receiving groove in the top surface between the depressions and the front edge, the groove covered by the cushioning layer, the groove positioned to receive the rear palm of a swimmer as he grips the rounded edge of the base with his fingers.  
     
     
         23 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 20  including a rear-palm receiving groove in the top surface between the depressions and the front edge, the groove covered by the cushioning layer, the groove positioned to receive the rear palms of a swimmer as he grips the rounded edge of the base with his fingers.  
     
     
         24 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the base has a longitudinal-extending, shallow, central groove in the bottom surface.  
     
     
         25 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the base has a longitudinal-extending, shallow, central groove in the bottom surface.  
     
     
         26 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 3  wherein each depression has a bottom surface that is concave in transverse cross-section.  
     
     
         27 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 4  wherein each depression has a bottom surface that is concave in transverse cross-section.  
     
     
         28 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the one and second spaced-apart depressions are joined by a transverse depression in the top surface of the base at the front of the base, the transverse depression extending across the width of the base.  
     
     
         29 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the front portion of the base in front of the depressions is thinner than the remainder of the base and has its top surface merging with the bottom surface of the depressions; and a cushioning layer covering the bottoms of the depressions and at least the top surface of the front portion.  
     
     
         30 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 29  including a rear-palm receiving groove in the top surface of the front portion of the base parallel to the front edge and located just behind it, the groove extending substantially across the width of the base, the cushioning layer covering the rear-palm receiving groove.  
     
     
         31 . A kickboard having: a rigid base of generally rectangular shape, the base having side edges, a front edge and a back edge joining generally parallel top and bottom surfaces which surfaces define the planar shape of the board; a rear-palm receiving groove formed in the top surface of the base adjacent the front edge, the groove generally parallel to the front edge and positioned to receive the rear-palms of the swimmer's hands when he grips the front edge of the base.  
     
     
         32 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 31  including a finger-tip receiving groove in the bottom surface of the board, parallel to the front edge of the base, and positioned to receive the finger tips of the swimmer when he grips the front edge of the base.  
     
     
         33 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 31  wherein at least the upper, front portion of the front edge is rounded and cushioned.  
     
     
         34 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 32  wherein at least the upper, front portion of the front edge is rounded and cushioned.  
     
     
         35 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 31  including at least one cushion layer on the top of the base behind the palm receiving groove, the layer positioned to receive an arm of the swimmer when he grips the rounded front edge of the base.  
     
     
         36 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 32  including at least one cushion layer on the top of the base behind the palm receiving groove, the layer positioned to receive an arm of the swimmer when he grips the rounded front edge of the base.  
     
     
         37 . A kickboard having: a rigid base of generally rectangular shape, the base having side edges, a front edge and a back edge joining generally parallel top and bottom surfaces which surfaces define the planar shape of the board; and a cushioning layer on the top surface of the base extending generally rearwardly of the front edge and transverse thereto, the cushion layer positioned to cushion the arm of the swimmer when he grasps the front edge of the board with his hand.  
     
     
         38 . A kickboard as claimed in  claim 37  wherein the cushioning layer is in the center of the board, and two additional cushioning layers are provided on the top surface of the base, one on either side of the central cushioning layer.