Pneumatic pogo stick

Abstract

A pneumatic pogo stick is comprised of an elongate cylindrical housing which forms a cylinder. The housing is formed from a clear polycarbonate plastic. A top cap is attached to one end of the housing to form the top of an air chamber. A plastic piston, slidable within the cylinder, forms the bottom of the air chamber. An elongate shaft is coupled to the bottom of the piston and is moveable therewith, extending from the distal end of said housing as the piston moves within the cylinder. A bottom bracket assembly is attached to the bottom of the housing and a bushing for maintaining the lateral position of the shaft relative to the housing is attached to the bottom bracket assembly. The bushing prevents the shaft from rotating relative to the housing. User foot supports are also attached to the bottom bracket for supporting the feet of the user and handle bars are attached to the top cap for grasping with the hands of a user.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10 / 278,075, filed Oct. 21, 2002, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 335,524, filed Oct. 19, 2001.BACKGROUND [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention related generally to a pogo stick, and more specifically, to a pneumatic pogo stick that utilizes lightweight and durable materials to maximize the performance and reliability of a pneumatic pogo stick. [0004] 2. Background of the Invention [0005] A conventional pogo stick utilizes a coil spring within a hollow tube housing to create an upward force when compressed by a user to propel the user in an upward direction. In order to get more lift than can be provided with a coil spring and without increasing the weight of the pogo stick itself, it has been recognized in the art that an air filled cylinder / piston arrangement can produce increased propulsion or lift for the same length of s...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] It would be a further advantage of the present invention to provide a pneumatic pogo stick that provides a relatively smooth ride especially at the bottom of the compression cycle to prevent jarring of the rider.

[0010] It would be a further advantage of the present invention to provide a pneumatic pogo stick that allows a user to view the internal components of the pogo stick for verification of the integrity of the working parts.

[0011] It would be yet a further advantage of the present invention to provide a pneumatic pogo stick that is capable of smoothly propelling a user several feet off the ground.

[0012] It would be still a further advantage of the present invention to provide a pneumatic pogo stick that is easier to maneuver than other pogo sticks known in the art and that can be easily adjusted to accommodate users of various weights and abilities.

[0013] These and other advantages will become apparent from a reading of the following summary of the invention and description of the illustrated embodiments in accordance with the principles of the present invention. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The present invention comprises a pogo stick that utilizes a pneumatic spring. The pogo stick of the present invention includes a piston / cylinder with user graspable handles attached or coupled relative to the top of the cylinder and an elongate shaft attached to the bottom of the piston. When a user compresses air in the cylinder by jumping on foot supports attached or coupled relative thereto, the piston compresses air inside the cylinder. Thus, stepping or jumping on the foot supports pushes the piston upward, compressing the air inside the cylinder. This compressed air acts like a spring creating a force on the piston thus forcing the piston and the attached shaft away from the handles, which in turn propels the cylinder, the foot supports attached thereto, and, ultimately, the user.

Problems solved by technology

Such a pogo stick, however, has many shortcomings in both construction and functionality and fails to address any of the problems encountered when attempting to use compressed air as a spring, such as smoothness of rebound.

Such a device is overly complicated and requires multiple complex parts for assembly and operation.

Furthermore, such a device is relatively heavy and therefor decreases the lift capabilities of such a device.

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