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A swim ring (also known as a swimming ring, swim tube, rubber ring, water donut, floatie, inner tube, or, in the United States, a lifesaver) is a

toroid In mathematics, a toroid is a surface of revolution with a hole in the middle. The axis of revolution passes through the hole and so does not intersect the surface. For example, when a rectangle is rotated around an axis parallel to one of its ...

-shaped (hence the name "ring" or "

doughnut A doughnut or donut () is a type of pastry made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and fran ...

") inflatable water

toy A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and p ...

. The swim ring was derived from the

inner tube An inner tube is an inflatable torus that forms the interior of some pneumatic tires. The tube is inflated through a valve stem and fits inside the tire casing. The inflated inner tube provides structural support and suspension, while the out ...

, the inflatable inner part of older vehicle

tire A tire (North American English) or tyre (Commonwealth English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a Rim (wheel), wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide Traction (engineeri ...

s. The inner tube, when inflated, was used as a water toy, and as a floating object to lounge on.

Usage

Swim rings are inflated with air and worn around the user's torso, usually just under the arms, or sat upon, to hold the user above the water. They come in a variety of sizes to fit children through adults, though the larger sizes are often called "swim tubes" or just "tubes". At

water park A water park (also waterpark, water world, or aquapark) is an amusement park that features water play areas such as swimming pools, water slides, splash pads, water playgrounds, and lazy rivers, as well as areas for floating, bathing, swimming ...

s, these are commonly used on

water slide A water slide (also referred to as a flume, water chute, or hydroslide) is a type of Playground slide, slide designed for warm-weather or indoor recreational use at swimming pools or water parks. Water slides differ in their riding method and ...

s, with a person sitting in the center of the ring, legs and body leaning over the sides. Some designs even appear as more than one tube sewn together and include 2 or 4 holes so that more than one rider can fit comfortably. Although similar in appearance to a lifebuoy, a swim ring is not designed to save individuals from drowning.

Structure

A swim ring consists of two identically-sized layers of flat

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...

, one of which contains a

valve A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or Slurry, slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically Pip ...

for inflation and deflation. Each layer is circular with a circular hole in the middle. The two layers are joined at their inner and outer edges, sealing an air chamber inside.

Variants

Animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Biology, biological Kingdom (biology), kingdom Animalia (). With few exceptions, animals heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, ...

-shaped rings sometimes include an additional air chamber in the shape of a forward-facing animal head on the upper side of the ring, with more complex designs also featuring further chambers to represent limbs, tails, wings, etc. These additional air chambers may join directly to the main ring air chamber, or consist of an independent air chamber with its own contained valve. A variety of colorful shapes and designs have been produced over time, ranging from popular characters to water-related animals (for example flamingos, swans, sea creatures), as well as fantasy creatures such as dragons and unicorns. Although usually small and mostly popular among children, these animal-shaped swim rings have also started appearing in much larger, adult-size designs since 2015, also proving popular with adults after many famous personalities posted pictures featuring them on social media. There are also variant forms like

boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size or capacity, its shape, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically used on inland waterways s ...

and

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

available. Other swim ring designs include buoyancy aids such as baby swim neck rings.

References

External links

Inflatable manufactured goods Physical activity and dexterity toys Swimming equipment Water toys {{Swimming-stub

Usage

Structure

Variants

See also

References

External links