WO2012167300A1

WO2012167300A1 - Trampolines

Info

Publication number: WO2012167300A1
Application number: PCT/AU2011/000711
Authority: WO
Inventors: Joe ANDON; Wei Yang; David EAGER; Michael Connolly
Original assignee: Vuly Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2011-06-09
Filing date: 2011-06-09
Publication date: 2012-12-13

Abstract

A trampoline including: a frame mounted on a plurality of spaced apart legs; a plurality of spaced apart flexible and resilient plates connected to said frame against relative movement therebetween and extending upwards from said frame; and a jumping mat operatively connected to said plates for movement therewith and supported thereby above said frame.

Description

TRAMPOLINES

This invention relates to trampolines. The invention has particular application to recreational trampolines but it may have application to sporting trampolines as well.

For many years recreational trampolines have typically included a tubular steel frame which is supported on spaced apart legs with a flexible jumping mat secured to the frame by a large number of spaced apart extension springs which extend and contract as a person jumps on the mat in order to give "bounce". The springs are usually connected to the tubular steel frame at one end via radial slots provided therein and to the mat via hooks or the like at the other end. Although trampolines can be made in many shapes, circular is probably the most popular in which case the frame is generally constructed of arcuate segments of round tube which are joined together in a spigot and socket arrangement with the end portion of one segment sliding into the end portion of the adjacent segment.

It will be appreciated that the space between the jumping mat and the frame creates some difficulties for users in getting onto the mat and when jumping on the mat the springs and the spaces therebetween does present some danger for anyone jumping too close to the edge of the mat. Consequently, modern playground trampolines typically include a padded safety barrier (or "padding") extending about the mat and covering the springs and the spaces therebetween. The padding is typically tied to the mat . and/or the frame by ribbon ties or the like. Such trampolines typically include a safety barrier (or "net") extending about the mat frame and attached to posts upstanding therefrom to prevent users from falling off the trampoline.

Other forms of trampolines known as "soft edged trampolines" which do not require a frame about the edge of the jumping mat and do not use extension springs to support the mat have heen developed in recent years. In such trampolines, the mat is typically supported on a large number of- circumferentially spaced fibreglass rods which extend upwards, outwards and forwards around the mat from a frame under the mat and are connected to the edge of the mat at their upper ends. The rods are flexible and resilient so as to bend downwards and inwards as a person's weight comes onto the mat during jumping and to return to the original position as the weight comes off the mat.

The present invention is aimed at providing another type of trampoline which is reliable and efficient in use and which does not require extension springs to secure the jumping mat to the frame. The invention is also aimed at providing a trampoline which can be efficiently manufactured.

With the fore'going in view, the invention in one aspect resides broadly in a trampoline including:

a frame mounted on a plurality of spaced apart legs;

a plurality of spaced apart flexible and resilient plates connected to said frame against relative movement therebetween and extending upwards from said frame; and

a jumping mat operatively connected to said plates for movement therewith and supported thereby above said frame .

Preferably, a flexible and resilient rod or tube extends about the periphery of the jumping mat and is^' connected thereto for movement therewith and also operatively connected to said plates for movement therewith. Such rod or tube may be in the form of connected or unconnected (or disconnected) segments and preferably segments are connected to the plates at their mid points so that each segment extends the same, distance beyond both sides of the plates. When in the form of connected segments, the connection ideally allows for relative movement between segments as the mat moves up and down while a user is jumping thereon. In a preferred form, the mat is connected to a plurality of unconnected rod segments extending about its periphery and those rod segments are in turn connected to adjacent rod segments which are connected to said flexible and resilient plates.

Terms such as "horizontal"; "vertical", "upwards", "downwards" and similar terms as used herein are for the purpose of describing the invention in its normal in-use orientation and are not intended to limit the invention to any particular orientation.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practice, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a pictorial representation of a trampoline according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a pictorial representation of the trampoline of Fig. 1 with the. mat removed for clarity;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the trampoline of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a .top plan of the trampoline of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan of the trampoline ox Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a plan of the trampoline of Fig. 1 with the net removed for clarity; Fig. 7 is a bottom plan of the trampoline of Fig. 1 with net and legs removed;

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the trampoline of Fig. 1 with net and legs removed;

Fig. 9 is a plan of a section of the edge of the mat;

Fig. 10 is a pictorial representation of . a leaf spring component of the trampoline of Fig. 1;

Fig. 11 is an end elevation of the leaf spring component of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a front elevation of the leaf spring component of Fig. 10; and

Fig. 13 is a rear elevation of the leaf spring component of Fig. 10.

The trampoline 10 illustrated in Fig. 1 includes a circular frame 11 constructed of 65mm round steel tube which^' is supported on eight angularly spaced legs 12 each of Which is connected to the frame by opposed leg mounts 13 and pairs of adjacent legs are connected by a horizontal member at their lower ends. Suitably, a jumping mat 14 is operatively connected to the frame 11 via sixteen equally angularly spaced leaf springs 21 which extend upwardly and curve outwardly from the frame.

The leaf springs 21 are rigidly secured to the frame by three bolts 22 which pass through suitable bolt holes formed in the frame._. As can be seen in Fig. 11, the upper end of the leaf spring is folded back on itself to form a saddle clamp 23 which wraps around a short steel tube 24 in which a segment of fibreglass rod- 26 is fitted and secured therein by a suitable flexible adhesive as can be seen in Figs. 10 to 13. As car. be seen in Figs. 5 and 9, the sixteen fibreglass segments 26 together form an outer disconnected ring 27 about the mat with the ends of adjacent segment being slightly spaced apart. In other embodiments, the segments are slidably connected by plastic sleeves which allow sufficient relative movement towards and away from other to accommodate changes in diameter of the disconnected ring while a user is jumping on the mat.

A second disconnected ring 31 within ring 27 (previously described) is formed by another sixteen fibreglass rod segments 32 which are connected to the periphery of the mat 14 by wire hooks 33 in a manner similar to that in which^' the extension springs are connected to the mat in the known trampolines. The two rings are secured together by loop ties 34 formed of rubber or other suitable flexible and resilient material to form two generally concentric rings which at rest lie generally in the horizontal plane containing the mat.

A safety net 41 extends fully about the net 14 as can be seen in Fig, 1 and is secured to the mat at its lower edge 42 by circumferentially spaced -'D" hooks which connect to the loops 33 provided at the periphery of the mat. The net is connected at its upper edge 46 to the upper end of circumferentially spaced posts 44. Advantageously, the safety net has a vinyl plastic border strip 47 along its lower edge with circumferentially spaced slits 48 provided therein and respective D hooks pass through the slits so as to secure the net thereto.

The posts 44 are formed of steel tube and a post is coupled to each leg mount by a pivot pin 51 for limited in and out pivoting movement relative to the mat about a horizontal axis against a leaf spring 52. The net posts are connected to the net at their upper ends by a packet 53. If desired, the safety net may be coupled to the posts intermediate the upper and lower edges by rubber straps or similar flexible and resilient ties and also may be connected to each other by a, fibreglass ring of the same diameter as the mat. The foregoing description has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention and many modifications and variations which will be apparent to persons skilled in the art may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A trampoline including:

a frame mounted on a plurality of spaced apart legs;

a jumping mat operatively connected to said plates for movement therewith and supported thereby above said frame.

2. A trampoline according to Claim 1 including a flexible and resilient rod extending about the periphery of the jumping mat and wherein said mat is operatively connected to said plates by said rod for movement with said mat and said plates.

3. A trampoline according' to Claim 2 wherein said rod is a hollow rod.

4. A trampoline according to Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein said rod is comprised of a plurality of connected segments.

5. A trampoline according to Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein said rod is in the form of disconnected segments.

6. A trampoline according to Claim 4 or Claim 5 wherein said segments extend equidistant on opposite sides of said plates.

7. A trampoline according_, to Claim 4 wherein said segments are connected for relative movement between adjacent segments as the mat moves up and down.

8. A trampoline according to any one of Claims 2 to 7 wherein said rod is a first rod and said jumping mat is operatively connected tD said plates by said first rod and a second rod also extending about the periphery of said mat, said second rod being connected to said mat at a plurality of predetermined positions along its length and said second rod is connected to said first rod at a plurality of predetermined positions along its length.

9. A trampoline according to claim 8 wherein said first and second rods are connected so as to allow some relative movement therebetween.

10. A trampoline according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said flexible and resilient plates extend upwards and outwards from said frame.

11. A trampoline according to Claim 10 wherein said flexible and resilient plates extend outwards beyond said frame and said legs.

12. A trampoline according to claim 10 or Claim 11 wherein said flexible and resilient plates are clamped to said frame.

13. A trampoline according to Claim 12 wherein said flexible and resilient plates are also bolted to said frame.