Trampoline system with systematically phased spring elements

Abstract

Springs or other elastic connectors used to support a bed within the frame of a trampoline or the like are attached using methods that systematically vary the tension (or the travel distance required to reach limit of elasticity) between adjacent (or sets of adjacent) springs. These spring attachment methods increase the time it takes a given trampoline to absorb a given amount of energy, increasing the shock absorption time and thereby reducing the likelihood of an injury.

Description

[0001] This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10 / 110,884, filed Apr. 15, 2002, which is the National Stage of International Application No. PCT / US01 / 25544, filed Aug. 14, 2001, which claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60 / 225,135, filed Aug. 14, 2000, which applications are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY [0002] The present invention concerns jumping surfaces used with trampolines to protect trampoline users from injury, and to provide new uses for trampolines. In the past, trampolines have been used for a variety of athletic and recreational purposes. However, thousands of injuries have resulted when persons jumping on a trampoline have landed on the rebounding surface while in an awkward or incorrect body position. These “on-bed” injuries, according to some medical studies, represent the majority of trampoline-related emergency room visits. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that in 1999 approximately 110,000 p...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0003] One approach to reducing trampoline injuries has been to form a wall around the perimeter of a trampoline bed so that when a jumper lands too near the edge, the wall prevents the jumper from falling off. Examples are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,399,132 and 6,053,845. However, these devices do not directly address injuries that result when users impact the rebounding surface incorrectly or while in an awkward position. A second approach, the use of a harness (worn by the jumper) suspended by elastic cords above the rebounding surface, is an effective way to reduce on-bed, or rebound surface impact injuries. However, such harnesses are designed for safely teaching users advanced acrobatics on high-performance competition trampolines by trained professionals, making them largely inappropriate for low-performance backyard trampolines that are used almost entirely for basic jumping activities and not for advanced acrobatics.

[0004] All things being equal, a bed with less tension is more forgiving when a jumper first contacts its surface, it absorbs the impact more slowly and will thus reduce the severity and quantity of on-bed injuries. Nevertheless injuries suffered during an impact with the rebounding surface are still occurring in large numbers on backyard trampoline beds even though these beds are designed to be less responsive and to have less initial surface tension than gymnastic grade, competition trampoline beds. Reducing bed-impact injuries, especially those that occur on backyard trampolines, was the purpose of the present invention, though the art can be used with all trampolines.

[0006] There thus remains a need to significantly reduce the quantity and severity of on-bed injuries that result from such playful activities.

Problems solved by technology

However, thousands of injuries have resulted when persons jumping on a trampoline have landed on the rebounding surface while in an awkward or incorrect body position.

However, these devices do not directly address injuries that result when users impact the rebounding surface incorrectly or while in an awkward position.

However, such harnesses are designed for safely teaching users advanced acrobatics on high-performance competition trampolines by trained professionals, making them largely inappropriate for low-performance backyard trampolines that are used almost entirely for basic jumping activities and not for advanced acrobatics.

Nevertheless injuries suffered during an impact with the rebounding surface are still occurring in large numbers on backyard trampoline beds even though these beds are designed to be less responsive and to have less initial surface tension than gymnastic grade, competition trampoline beds.

For instance, many on-bed backyard trampoline injuries occur when multiple jumpers are using the trampoline at the same time as reported in the NEISS data compiled by the CPSC.

Unfortunately, these unstructured trampoline activities generate numerous on-bed injuries when jumpers land on the rebounding surface in an awkward body position or when a jumper lands on a trampoline bed that has been preloaded with the energy from other jumper impacts.

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