Trampoline

Abstract

The invention provides a trampoline comprising a peripheral frame, a trampoline mat attached to said peripheral frame via a series of spring elements, and a protective mat for covering said spring elements, wherein said trampoline comprises a spacer attached to said peripheral frame above said series of spring elements and below said protective mat for holding said protective mat a spacer height above said spring elements, and an air permeable web connecting said protective mat and said trampoline mat.

Claims

1. A trampoline comprising a peripheral frame, a trampoline mat attached to said peripheral frame via a series of spring elements, and a protective mat for covering said series of spring elements, wherein said trampoline comprises a spacer attached to said peripheral frame above said series of spring elements and below said protective mat for holding said protective mat a spacer height above said series of spring elements, and an air permeable web connecting said protective mat and said trampoline mat, wherein said trampoline mat has a circumference smaller than an inner circumference of said peripheral frame and is positioned in said peripheral frame with said series of spring elements running from said trampoline mat circumference to said inner circumference of said peripheral frame, wherein said spacer comprises a series of spacer spring elements attached to said peripheral frame at various positions about a perimeter and at a height above said series of spring elements, said series of spacer spring elements holding a band between said peripheral frame and said trampoline mat, a band holding spacer elements.

2. The trampoline of claim 1, wherein the peripheral frame has a peripheral frame upper surface, and the series of spring elements are attached to the peripheral frame to hold the peripheral frame upper surface above the trampoline mat.

3. The trampoline of claim 2, wherein the spacer provides a second support at a distance and towards the trampoline mat, in particular keeping the protective mat functionally horizontal.

4. The trampoline of claim 2, wherein said series of spring elements hold a trampoline mat plane at least 1.5 cm removed from the peripheral frame upper surface.

5. The trampoline of claim 1, wherein said trampoline is an in-ground trampoline.

6. The trampoline of claim 1, wherein said peripheral frame extends above said series of spring elements and said trampoline mat.

7. The trampoline of claim 1, wherein said air permeable web comprises a net or gauze.

8. The trampoline of claim 1, wherein the air permeable web is connected to said protective mat near said trampoline mat and is connected to a circumference or perimeter of said trampoline mat.

9. The trampoline of claim 1, wherein the air permeable web is a continuous band about the perimeter of the trampoline mat and having opposite sides, one side fixed to the trampoline mat and one side fixed to the protective mat.

10. The trampoline of claim 1, wherein said peripheral frame extends between 1 and 10 cm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in which corresponding reference symbols indicate corresponding parts, and in which:

(2) FIG. 1 schematically depicts a cross section through a trampoline side, and

(3) FIG. 2 schematically shows a top view of part of a trampoline with a protective mat removed.

(4) The drawings are not necessarily on scale

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(5) FIG. 1 schematically depicts a cross section through one side of a trampoline 1. In FIG. 2, part of a top view of the trampoline of FIG. 1 is depicted. Usually, such a trampoline 1 has a support frame 8 holding the further construction above a surface. A trampoline can stand free, but can also be placed in an excavated hole in the ground, thus forming an in-ground trampoline 1.

(6) As mentioned above, a trampoline can be rectangular, rectangular with rounded corners, oval, elliptic and round or circular. In many cases, trampoline 1 has a circular or round circumference.

(7) The current trampoline 1 has a peripheral frame 2, often a round tube. This peripheral frame 2 here has the support frame 8 supporting the peripheral frame 2 at one side, which in use is the lower side. The trampoline 1 has a trampoline mat 3 which is held centrally in said peripheral frame 2 via a series of spring elements 4. Here the spring elements 4 are coil springs. These spring elements 4 with on end at the peripheral frame, and at the other end holding the trampoline mat 3, here using a trampoline mat attachment 13. The spring elements are at their one end attached at a lower end of the peripheral frame 2. In the current embodiment, the spring elements 4 hold the trampoline mat 3 below the peripheral frame 2.

(8) A protective mat 5 is usually provided to cover the spring elements 4 to prevent users coming into contact with the spring elements 4. At one end, the protective mat 5 rests on the upper side, opposite the side coupled to the support frame 8, of the peripheral frame 2. In known trampolines, usually the trampoline mat 3 is held higher and the opposite end of the protective mat 5 rests on the trampoline mat 3.

(9) In the current embodiment, the opposite end of the protective mat is held at a height H above the trampoline mat 3. This height H will be at least 2 cm. Usually, it is at least 5 cm. In order to not interfere with jumping users, the height H will be less than 15 cm. In most uses, height H will be less than 10 cm. This will create an air channel, the arrow A in FIG. 1 showing the air flow. In order to prevent parts of a user from accidentally coming into contact with the spring elements 4, here an air-permeable web, usually a gauze or net connects the opposite end of the protective mat 5 and the outer circumference of the trampoline mat 3. In FIG. 2, the protective mat 5 is removed in order to show the further trampoline construction.

(10) The raising of the end of the trampoline mat 3 creates an air channel that allows air that is pushed away from underneath the trampoline mat 3 when a person jumps on it to escape. In particular when the trampoline is for instance of the in-ground type, this may dampen the trampoline mat 3, Furthermore, it may cause the protective mat 5 to clack.

(11) In the current embodiment, the spacer element or spacer 6 that raised the protective mat 5 comprises a spacer part 11 that is held between the spring elements 4 and the protective mat 5. Usually, the spacer part 11 comprises one or more foam elements, here one or more foam tubes.

(12) The spacer part or spacer parts are kept in place by a spacer band 10 which, as can be seen best in FIG. 2, runs between the peripheral frame 2 and the outer circumference or perimeter of the trampoline mat 3. The spacer band runs over and above the spring elements 4. The spacer band 10 in turn is held in place by a series of spacer spring elements 9. These spacer springs 9 pull the spacer band 10 towards the peripheral frame 2. These spacer springs 9 are attached to the peripheral frame 2 above the spring elements 4. In this way, it keeps the spacer band above the spring elements 4.

(13) The different parts and orientation can also be described starting from a trampoline mat plane P that is defined by the trampoline mat 3. In the current embodiments, the trampoline mat 3 comprises a circumference or perimeter. At this (outer) perimeter, spring elements 4 are attached. The trampoline 1 further comprises a peripheral frame 2 for holding the spring elements 4. The peripheral frame has a peripheral frame upper surface S. The spring elements 2 are attached to the peripheral frame in such a way that the peripheral frame upper surface S is above the trampoline mat plane P. In an embodiment, the peripheral frame 2 is above the trampoline mat plane P. In an embodiment, the trampoline mat plane P is at least 1.5 cm removed from the peripheral frame upper surface S. In this way, the protective mat or safety pad can be raised above the trampoline mat plane P such that it is substantially horizontal while an end has a distance or height H from the trampoline mat 3, creating the air channel for allowing air flow A.

(14) The peripheral frame upper surface S provides one support for the protective mat 5, and the spacer part 11 provides a second support at a distance and towards the trampoline mat 3. This for instance keeps the protective mat 5 or safety pad almost horizontal. The spacer spring elements 9 keep the spacer parts 11 with an upper surface defining a spacer plane Q substantially parallel to the trampoline mat plane P at a height H.

(15) It will also be clear that the above description and drawings are included to illustrate some embodiments of the invention, and not to limit the scope of protection. Starting from this disclosure, many more embodiments will be evident to a skilled person. These embodiments are within the scope of protection and the essence of this invention and are obvious combinations of prior art techniques and the disclosure of this patent.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

(16) 1 trampoline 2 peripheral frame 3 trampoline mat 4 spring element 5 protective mat 6 spacer element 7 air permeable web 8 support frame 9 spacer spring element 10 spacer band 11 spacer part 12 spring element attachment 13 trampoline mat attachment H air channel height A air flow S peripheral frame upper surface P trampoline mat plane Q spacer plane