Trampoline Support Frame with Bendable Legs

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional trampoline support leg designs require a large force to separate the support leg from the trampoline frame for storage, leading to severe deformation of springs and increased elastic fatigue, making repeated bending difficult and user experience poor.

Innovation Solution

A trampoline support frame with pivotally connected support legs featuring a spring in an operating sleeve, where the sleeve's state change allows easy bending of the legs without severe spring deformation, using a bridging member and post foot to manage the spring's compression and return.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a conventional spring structure is used where the spring is arranged between the trampoline frame and the bottom of the support leg space, then the support leg can be separated for storage, but a very large force is required to separate the support leg from the frame, causing severe spring deformation and elastic fatigue

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of support leg separationVSAvoidspring elastic fatigue
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an operating sleeve as an intermediary component between the user's hand and the spring mechanism. The sleeve transmits and amplifies the user's input force through mechanical advantage, allowing the support leg to be separated from the frame without requiring the user to directly apply very large force that would cause severe spring deformation and elastic fatigue.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent makes the support leg assembly dynamic by allowing the operating sleeve to move along the support leg between extended and retracted positions. This dynamic mechanism enables easy transition between the stored and deployed states of the support leg, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and spring reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If a conventional spring structure is used where the spring is arranged between the trampoline frame and the bottom of the support leg space, then the support leg can be separated for storage, but the user must apply a very large force that deforms the spring severely, making repeated bending difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of support leg bendingVSAvoidrepeated bending capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The operating sleeve acts as a mechanical intermediary that reduces the force required from the user by utilizing spring pre-compression and mechanical leverage. This allows repeated bending operations without severe spring deformation, extending the duration of action and repeated bending capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The spring is pre-compressed within the operating sleeve to a controlled degree during normal operation. This beforehand cushioning of elastic energy allows the mechanism to absorb and manage the forces involved in separation and attachment, preventing severe deformation during repeated bending operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Device complexity

If the spring is arranged in the support leg with ends on the frame and inside the support leg space, then the structure is simple, but the user experience is poor because the user cannot easily bend the support leg for storage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespring arrangement simplicityVSAvoidsupport leg bending ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the support leg assembly into distinct functional components: the support leg itself, the operating sleeve, and the spring mechanism. This segmentation allows the spring to remain relatively simple in arrangement while the operating sleeve provides the user interface for easy operation, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The operating sleeve serves as a mediator between the user and the simple spring arrangement. It translates user input into controlled spring compression and release, enabling easy support leg bending for storage while maintaining the simplicity of the underlying spring structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables easy storage and repeated use of trampoline support legs with reduced spring fatigue, enhancing user experience and extending the product's service life by minimizing severe spring deformation during storage and use.

Implementation Method 1

a spring arranged in the operating sleeve... the operating sleeve has a first state that the operating sleeve is supported by the spring to prop against the connection post and a second force in stressed to compress the spring

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3662977B1Trampoline support frame with bendable support legs
Publication Date: 2021.05.19 CROWNTEC (JIANG XI) SPORTS TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
  • EP3662977B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3662977B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3662977B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A trampoline support frame (100) with bendable support legs comprises a frame (10) and a plurality of support legs (20). The frame (10) comprises a plurality of support tubes (11), an in-frame space (13) and a plurality of connection posts (12). Each of the support legs (20) comprises a bridging member (21), an operating sleeve (22) sleeved on the bridging member (21), a spring (23) and a post foot (24) arranged in the operating sleeve (22), wherein the spring (23) is arranged in the operating sleeve (22). When each operating sleeve (22) is stressed to compress the corresponding spring (23) to be separated from the connection post (12), each of the support legs (20) moves by a pivoting stroke (80) which allows the support leg to be folded toward the in-frame space (13). Compared with the conventional trampoline support frame, the present invention has the following characteristic: the operating sleeve (22) is matched with the spring (23), and the spring (23) is not subjected to severe deformation during the implementation, so that the spring (23) is less prone to elastic fatigue. Further, the number of times the support legs (20) are stored is increased, and the consumer has the best experience in use.