Swimmer's hand paddle

Claim 1

A SWIMMER''S HAND PADDLE ADAPTED TO BE SECURED ON THE BACK OF THE HAND WHILE LEAVING THE THUMB FREE, COMPRISING, A BLADE WHICH IS OF A LENGTH TO EXTEND FROM A FIRST END IN THE VICINITY OF THE WEARER''S WRIST TO A SECOND END BEYOND THE END OF THE USER''S FINGERS; SAID BLADE BEING AN INTEGRAL UNIT COMPRISED OF A SUITABLE PLASTIC HAVING A FIRST THICKNESS; SAID BLADE HAVING TWO REGIONS INTERMEDIATE SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND ENDS WHICH HAVE A SECOND THICKNESS LESS THAN SAID FIRST THICKNESS; SAID REGIONS BEING SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY ACROSS SAID BLADE; ONE OF SAID REGIONS COMPRISING A FRONT HINGE AND THE OTHER OF SAID REGIONS COMPRISING A REAR HINGE, ADAPTED TO ENGAGE, RESPECTIVELY THE FIRST AND SECOND JOINTS OF THE FINGERS; EACH OF SAID REGIONS HAVING SUCH WIDTH THAT EACH OF SAID REGIONS CAN BEND AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF THE KNUCKLES OF ITS RESPECTIVE JOINT; SAID BLADE HAVING AN OUTER FACE WITH STIFFENING RIBS THERETO ATTACHED; SAID RIBS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID BLADE TO STIFFEN ITS ENTIRE LENGTH AND PREVENT FLEXION OF SAID BLADE; SAID RIBS ALSO EXTENDING OVER SAID REGIONS; SAID RIBS HAVING A PLURALITY OF GAPS OVER SAID REGIONS, WHEREBY SAID RIBS STIFFEN SAID REGIONS, BUT PERMIT THEM TO BE FLEXED AS THE JOINTS OF THE FINGERS ARE FLEXED, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PREVENTING SAID REGIONS FROM BENDING BACKWARD; A STRAP OF A NONEXTENSIBLE MATERIAL ATTACHED TO SAID BLADE INTERMEDIATE SAID FIRST HINGE AND SAID SECOND END OF SAID BLADE FOR SECURING SAID BLADE TO THE ENDS OF THE FINGERS OF THE WEARER; A SECOND STRAP ATTACHED TO SAID BLADE IN THE VICINITY OF SAID FIRST END OF SAID BLADE FOR SECURING SAID BLADE TO THE WRIST OF THE WEARER.