Hydrodynamically efficient swimming mask

Abstract

A hydrodynamic swimming mask includes a front mask, including a face lens and a sealing element; and a head strap, such that the sealing element is configured to connect with a skin surface of a face of a user, such that the sealing element and the face lens are configured to form a water tight enclosure that covers the eyes of a user when the user is wearing the hydrodynamic swimming mask, such that the front mask is configured with a shape such that the seal forms a smooth border between the skin surface of the user and the face lens, when the front mask is put on the face of the user, such that there are no depressions, cavities, indentations, or protrusions in the smooth overlap between the face lens and the face of the user, which would cause increased water resistance during swimming.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hydrodynamic swimming mask, comprising:
 a front mask, comprising:
 a face lens, which is made of a transparent material; and 
 a sealing element, which is configured as a flexible sealing strip that is connected along an outer edge of the face lens; 
   wherein the face lens is configured in one piece to provide a panoramic view for each eye of a user;   such that the sealing element is configured to connect with a skin surface of a face of a user, such that the sealing element and the face lens are configured to form a water tight enclosure that covers the eyes of a user when the user is wearing the hydrodynamic swimming mask;   such that the front mask is configured with a shape such that the seal forms a smooth border between the skin surface of the user and the face lens, when the front mask is put on the face of the user.   
     
     
         2 . The hydrodynamic swimming mask of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a head strap;   wherein a first end of the head strap is connected to a right side of the front mask, and a second end of the head strap is connected to a left side of the front mask.   
     
     
         3 . The hydrodynamic swimming mask of  claim 2 , wherein the first end of the head strap is connected to a right side of the face lens, and the second end of the head strap is connected to a left side of the face lens. 
     
     
         4 . The hydrodynamic swimming mask of  claim 1 , wherein the transparent material is flexible. 
     
     
         5 . The hydrodynamic swimming mask of  claim 1 , wherein the transparent material is an optical grade plastic. 
     
     
         6 . The hydrodynamic swimming mask of  claim 4 , wherein the optical grade plastic is selected from the group consisting of acrylics, polystyrenes, polycarbonates, cyclic olefin polymers, cyclic olefin copolymers, styrene acrylic copolymers, and compositions thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The hydrodynamic swimming mask of  claim 2 , wherein the head strap is configured as a wraparound continuation of the face lens. 
     
     
         8 . The hydrodynamic swimming mask of  claim 1 , wherein for any part of the sealing element, which is more than a predetermined length from the nose apex point, taken along an outer edge of the sealing element, a seal extension angle is configured to be flattened, such that the seal extension angle is in a range of 150 to 179 degrees, when the hydrodynamic swimming mask is mounted on the user. 
     
     
         9 . The hydrodynamic swimming mask of  claim 8 , wherein the predetermined length is about 1 inch. 
     
     
         10 . The hydrodynamic swimming mask of  claim 1 , wherein for any part of the sealing element, which is within a predetermined length from the nose apex point, taken along an outer edge of the sealing element, a seal extension angle is configured to be extended outwards, such that the seal extension angle is in a range of 170-225 degrees, when the hydrodynamic swimming mask is mounted on the user. 
     
     
         11 . The hydrodynamic swimming mask of  claim 10 , wherein the predetermined length is about 1 inch. 
     
     
         12 . The hydrodynamic swimming mask of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrodynamic swimming mask is configured such that the sealing element connects above the eyebrows of a user and at least 5 mm outside the bony margins of an orbital canal of the user, when the user is wearing the hydrodynamic swimming mask, whereby there are no depressions, cavities, indentations, or protrusions in the smooth overlap between the face lens and the face of the user, which would cause increased water resistance during swimming. 
     
     
         13 . The hydrodynamic swimming mask of  claim 1 , wherein the face lens is configured such that around an entire periphery of the face lens, a peripheral surface plane of the face lens is configured to be substantially parallel with a skin tangent plane of a skin surface of the user, which is directly adjoining the face lens when the hydrodynamic swimming mask is positioned on the face of the user. 
     
     
         14 . The hydrodynamic swimming mask of  claim 13 , wherein a differential angle between the peripheral surface and the tangent plane is in a range of −5 to +5 degrees. 
     
     
         15 . The hydrodynamic swimming mask of  claim 13 , wherein the face lens further comprises:
 a) a central panoramic vision region that is vertically flat and horizontally curved, and   b) curving regions that curve from the central panoramic vision region to the entire periphery of the face lens.   
     
     
         16 . The hydrodynamic swimming mask of  claim 1 , wherein the face lens further comprises a promotional communication, and wherein the face lens is configured with a promotion region, positioned in a location which does not interfere with the vision of the user, such that the promotional communication is positioned in the promotion region. 
     
     
         17 . The hydrodynamic swimming mask of  claim 1 , wherein the face lens further comprises a nose portion, which is configured to match and overlap with a portion of a nose of the user, such that the nose portion is configured to reach a predetermined length along a ridge of the nose, when the hydrodynamic swimming mask is positioned on the face of the user. 
     
     
         18 . The hydrodynamic swimming mask of  claim 17 , wherein the predetermined length is at least 30% of the length of the ridge. 
     
     
         19 . The hydrodynamic swimming mask of  claim 1 , wherein the face lens further comprises a nose portion, which is configured to match a nose of the user, such that the nose portion is configured to completely cover the nose of the user, when the hydrodynamic swimming mask is positioned on the face of a user. 
     
     
         20 . The hydrodynamic swimming mask of  claim 19 , wherein the nose portion further comprises at least one breathing aperture.