Trampoline Enclosure with a Self Closing Door

Abstract

A trampoline enclosure formed from a material such as netting has a door opening for entry into and exit from the trampoline enclosure and a fold down door panel with at least one resilient member acting to bias the door panel to return the door panel to a closed position from a folded down open position.

Claims

1. A trampoline system comprising: a trampoline, having a flexible rebounding mat, a frame, adapted to hold the flexible rebounding mat in tension in a substantially horizontal plane above the frame, an enclosure formed from a barrier of a flexible material, having a lower peripheral part coupled directly or indirectly to the flexible rebounding mat, a plurality of generally upright enclosure support members connected to the frame and extending upwards from the frame around the flexible rebounding mat, the enclosure connected to the plurality of generally upright enclosure support members so as to surround the flexible rebounding mat above the flexible rebounding mat and extend around the flexible rebounding mat, the enclosure having, or being connected to the flexible rebounding mat so as to form an opening for ingress and egress, the trampoline system further having a door system comprising: at least one door panel, sized and shaped to at least partly cover or close the opening, and, at least one resilient member attached to and connecting between the at least one door panel and the trampoline, so that opening and closing of the at least one door panel causes bending and unbending of the at least one resilient member, unbending of the at least one resilient member releasing stored spring energy in the at least one resilient member, the at least one door panel movable between an open position allowing ingress and egress, and a closed position where the at least one door panel at least partly covers or closes the opening, the at least one resilient member acts to bias the at least one door panel to the closed position, and to return the at least one door panel to the closed position from the open position.

2. The trampoline system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one resilient member is a rod attached around an edge of the at least one door panel.

3. The trampoline system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the rod comprises two ends which each curve outwards to become substantially parallel to the substantially horizontal plane of the flexible rebounding mat, the two ends each connected to either the flexible rebounding mat or the enclosure or both.

4. The trampoline system as claimed in claim 2 wherein a base of the at least one door panel is connected to any one, or a combination of, the frame, the flexible rebounding mat, or the enclosure.

5. A door system for a trampoline enclosure having an opening for ingress and egress, the door system comprising: at least one door panel, at least part of a periphery of the at least one door panel forming an attachment edge adapted for attachment to a trampoline, a resilient spring member attached around at least part of the periphery of the at least one door panel, the resilient spring member formed from a resiliently elastic material, at least one end of the resilient spring member extending past an edge of the at least one door panel, so that opening and closing of the at least one door panel causes bending and unbending of the at least one resilient spring member, unbending of the at least one resilient spring member releasing stored spring energy in the at least one resilient spring member.

6. A trampoline enclosure system for a trampoline comprising: an enclosure formed from a barrier of a flexible material for use in surrounding a trampoline jumping surface and extending upwards around the jumping surface, the enclosure having an opening for ingress and egress, a door system having at least one door panel, sized and shaped to at least partly cover or close the opening, and at least one resilient member attached to the at least one door panel, so that opening and closing of the at least one door panel causes bending and unbending of the at least one resilient member, unbending of the at least one resilient member releasing stored spring energy in the at least one resilient member, the at least one door panel movable between an open position allowing ingress and egress, and a closed position where the at least one door panel at least partly covers or closes the opening, the at least one resilient member acts to bias the at least one door panel to the closed position, and to return the at least one door panel to the closed position from the open position.

7. The trampoline system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the two ends of the rod extend downwards past the base of the at least one door panel and past the edge of the flexible rebounding mat to connect to the frame.

8. The trampoline system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the frame and the rod are adapted so that the two ends are connected to the frame to point inwards towards the frame, so that the lower part of the main body of the at least one resilient member is bowed outwards away from the flexible rebounding mat.

9. The trampoline system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one resilient member is formed as a straight rod, the at least one door panel having one or more pockets or loops on or close to the edge of the door, the rod bent and located into the one or more pockets or loops so as to run around an edge of the at least one door panel, or close to the edge of the at least one door panel.

10. The trampoline system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the opening is substantially arch-shaped.

11. The trampoline system as claimed in claim 10 wherein a perimeter of the opening is reinforced with a pultruded fibreglass rod.

12. The trampoline system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the door system has a pair of door panels which overlap to cover or close the opening.

13. The trampoline system as claimed in claim 12 wherein one of the door panels is located generally to the left of the opening, and one to the right, each door panel having generally a D shape and a curved main body, and a sloping straight back to the D shape, with the bottom corner further away from the opening than the top corner of the back of the D shape, the right-hand one of the pair reversed, the doors sewn to the enclosure along the sloping part of the D shape and at least partly along the top of the curved main body.

14. The trampoline system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the curved main body of each door panel is formed from the same netting material as the enclosure.

15. The trampoline system as claimed in claim 12 wherein each door panel has at least one associated resilient member, fixed to edge of the at least one door panel with at least one webbing loop or pocket that extends around the curved main body.

16. The trampoline system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the at least one resilient member comprises a pultruded fibreglass rod.

17. The trampoline system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the lower part of the end of the rod extends past the lower corner of the at least one door panel along the perimeter of the flexible rebounding mat.

18. The trampoline system as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one door panel of the door system has a generally triangular shape with one upright edge of the at least one door panel fixed to the enclosure to form a hinge, and the at least one resilient member is a rod fixed to a bottom edge of the at least one door panel so as to run generally parallel to, and just above, the plane of the flexible rebounding mat and extend along a lower edge of the at least one door panel.

19. The trampoline system as claimed in claim 18 wherein the rod is a straight rod.

20. The trampoline system as claimed in claim 18 wherein the rod is held in position against the edge of the flexible rebounding mat by one or more loops or pockets on the bottom edge of the at least one door panel.

21. The trampoline system as claimed in claim 18 wherein the rod extends beyond a corner of the at least one door panel where the bottom edge meets a hinge edge, and is held in place on the trampoline by one or more loops or pockets connected to the trampoline.

22. The trampoline system as claimed in claim 18 wherein the enclosure opening is a triangular or sail-shaped opening in the enclosure, with one straight, sloped edge, one edge of the at least one door panel congruent with the straight sloped edge of the opening.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0085] Embodiments of the invention are described by way of example with reference to the accompany drawings in which:

[0086] FIG. 1a shows a first preferred embodiment of trampoline system, which has a frame, a jumping mat and an enclosure net held above, and surrounding, the jumping mat to form an enclosed jumping area, the frame and jumping mat connected via a number of fiberglass rods extending upwards from the frame to the edge of the mat.

[0087] FIG. 1b shows a second preferred embodiment of trampoline system, which also has a frame, a jumping mat and an enclosure net held above, and surrounding, the jumping mat to form an enclosed jumping area, the frame and jumping mat connected via a number of springs aligned generally horizontally and extending outwards from the mat to the frame.

[0088] FIG. 2 shows a first preferred form of aperture in the enclosure net, which allows a user to enter and exit the jumping area, the aperture substantially circular and having a reinforced edge.

[0089] FIG. 3a shows a first preferred form of door system for closing an aperture such as the one shown in FIG. 2, the door system having a door panel located on the inside of the enclosure net, which pivots around the lower edge, and a self-closing mechanism around at least part of the edge of the door biasing the door panel towards a closed position.

[0090] FIGS. 3b shows a variation of the door system of FIG. 3a, for closing an aperture such as the one shown in FIG. 2, the door panel pivoting around the lower edge.

[0091] FIG. 4a shows a second preferred form of door system for closing an aperture such as the one shown in FIG. 2, the door system having a pair of overlapping doors located one on each side of the aperture, each door having an associated resilient member which acts as a self-closing mechanism to bias the door panel towards a closed position, the door system shown in the closed position.

[0092] FIG. 4b shows the second preferred form of door system of FIG. 4a with the doors in the open position, the doors twisted over themselves to form a loop above the top of the aperture.

[0093] FIG. 5 shows a third preferred form of door system, the enclosure aperture in this embodiment being triangular or sail-shaped with one straight, sloped edge, the door panel having a triangular shape and overlapping the aperture on the inside of the aperture, with one edge of the door congruent with and fixed to the straight sloped edge of the aperture to form a hinge, an associated resilient door member fixed to the bottom edge of the door which runs generally parallel to, and just above, the plane of the jumping mat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0094] FIGS. 1a and 1b show preferred embodiments of a trampoline system 1. As shown in both FIGS. 1a and 1b, in each embodiment a trampoline has a frame 4, a rebounding mat 5, and a safety enclosure 2 held in position by a number of enclosure support members or poles 6. The mat 5 is held above the ground in tension and substantially horizontal. The enclosure support members 6 support the enclosure 2 so that the enclosure surrounds and extends upwards from the mat 4 to form an enclosed jumping area. In both embodiment the poles 6 are connected to, and extend upwards from, the frame 4. The enclosures are of a type described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,708,672 and 7,854,687 which are hereby incorporated by reference.

[0095] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1a, the mat 5 is held in position relative to the frame by a number of flexible rods running from the frame to the edge of the trampoline, with the frame 5 located substantially below the mat 5. Where it would be applicable to do so in this specification, frame should be read as being inclusive of the flexible rods. The trampoline is of a type described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,319,174 and 8,105,211 which are hereby incorporated by reference.

[0096] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1b, a portion of the frame 4 is generally in the same horizontal plane as the mat 5 and surrounds the perimeter of the mat 5, with a gap between the frame and the mat in which springs 3 extend between the frame 4 and edge of the mat 5. Where it would be applicable to do so in this specification, frame should be read as being inclusive of the springs.

[0097] The enclosure 2 is, in the preferred embodiment, formed from netting, such as nylon webbing. An opening or aperture 7 is formed in the enclosure 2 to allow ingress or egress from the jumping area.

[0098] FIG. 2 shows a first preferred form of aperture 7a. A circular hole 7a in the enclosure 2 by cutting or similar. The aperture is formed so that the lowest point of the hole 7a is just above the surface of the mat. The edge of the aperture 7a is reinforced with a surrounding pocket 8, which contains a fibreglass rod or similar to stabilise the hole shape and to hold the aperture 7a open. The material that forms the surrounding pocket 8 can also be coloured to help a user easily identify the location of the aperture Alternatively an arch-shaped aperture such as that shown in FIG. 3a could be used for example. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3a, the surrounding pocket 8 is arch-shaped, with the two lower ends terminating at the horizontal plane of the mat 5.

[0099] The enclosure has a door system for covering and closing the aperture 7a when the trampoline system is in use. The door system has two main parts: a door panel, and a self-closing mechanism which biases the door panel into a closed position. When a force is applied to the door to open it or otherwise move it away from a fully closed position, the self-closing mechanism will act on the door to return it to the closed position when the opening force is removed from the door.

Bottom Levered Door

[0100] In the form shown in FIG. 3a the door system has a door 9a which is a single panel. The door 9a has the overall form of a solid arch in the closed position, with the sides flaring or curving outwards away from the side of the arch-shaped aperture (although these could also be straight sided). The sides of the arch rise upwards from the base of the door 9a, which is located at or close to the mat 5, and then transition to a curved or rounded top which arches over the top of the door panel. In the preferred form the base of the door panel 9a is connected either to the mat or to the enclosure, but could also be connected to the frame, or left unconnected. The door 9a is sized and shaped to cover and overlap the circular or arch-shaped opening or aperture 7a and is sized and located so as to overlap around the edge of the opening 7a. It is most preferred that the door 9a is made from the same material as the mat. The door system also has a resilient door member 10a, which is connected around the edge of the door 9a. In the preferred form, the resilient member 10a is a rod, bent or shaped so as to fit around the edge of the arch-shaped door 9a, except for the base of the door 9a. In the preferred form, the two free ends 11a of the resilient member 10a extend around the edge of the door, and flare or curve outwards (following the edge of the door) so that the two ends curve to become parallel or nearly parallel to the horizontal plane of the mat 5. In the preferred form, the resilient door member 10a is formed from a resiliently elastic material such as a pultruded fibreglass rod, so that it will maintain its shape when no force is applied to it, but if bent away from its natural or rest state by the application of an external force, will return to its original shape when the bending force is removed. The resilient door member 10a is, in the preferred form, formed as a straight rod and then bent to connect it to the edge of the door 9a via a single pocket or loop along the edge of the door, or via a number of pockets or loops 12 attached to and spaced around the edge, or close to the edge, of the door 9a. It should be noted that in this context, connected and attached should be taken to mean either removably attached or connected, or permanently attached or connected. As outlined above, the pockets or loops 12 could be a single pocket extending partly or fully around the edge, or close to the edge, of the door, or a number of pockets or loops spaced around the edge of the door. Alternatively, the door member 10a could be initially formed as an arch shape or part arch shape.

[0101] When a user wishes to enter or exit the jumping area, they open the door 9a by pushing or pulling it so that it rotates inwards towards the mat 5. This bends the resilient door member 10a away from the dosed position, and spring energy is stored in the resilient door member 10a. The user then enters or exits the jumping area. Depending on where the door is pushed, it will bend or twist down either to the left or to the right. Once door 9a is released, the resilient door member 10a will unbend and release the stored spring energy, and the door will return to the closed position.

[0102] A variant of the bottom levered door system of FIG. 3a is shown in FIG. 3b, which shows the door when open ie pushed down onto the mat. The two ends 11b of the resilient door member 10b extend substantially directly downwards past the base of the door 9a and past the edge of the mat 5. The ends 11b extend directly downwards, and are most preferably connected to the frame 4. However, the ends 11b could be connected to any other substantially rigid part of the trampoline structure. Fitting the two free ends 11b to the frame 4 involves slightly bending the lower portion of the resilient door member 10b so that the two free ends 11b point inwards towards the frame, and the lower part of the main body is bowed outwards away from the mat 5. This adds tension so that as the member 10b attempts to return to its original shape, it will press itself, and the door 9b, outwards against the enclosure 2.

[0103] When a user wishes to enter or exit the jumping area, they open the door 9b by pushing or pulling it so that it rotates inwards towards the mat 5 (to the position shown in FIG. 3b). This bends the resilient door member 10b away from the closed position, and spring energy is stored in the resilient door member 10b. The user then enters or exits the jumping area. In this variant, the door opens directly towards the mat, without necessarily twisting to the left or right side. Once door is released, the resilient door member lob will unbend and release the stored spring energy, and the door will return to the closed position.

[0104] For both variants, it is most preferred that the door is on the inside of the enclosure wall, and that the door 9a or 9b is sized to overlap the edges of the aperture 7 so that it is held against the enclosure and the edge of the aperture. However, in alternative forms the door could be located on the outside of the enclosure.

Double Door

[0105] In the form shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b the enclosure 2 and enclosure aperture 7 are as described above. The double door door system has two, or a pair of, overlapping doors, each of which are shown as doors 9c in FIG. 4. One of the doors is located generally to the left of the aperture, and one to the right. Each door has generally a D shape when viewed from outside the enclosure, with the right-hand one of the pair reversed, so that the ID shape is reversed or backwards when viewed from outside the enclosure. Each of the doors has a curved main body (this is inclusive of a short, straight horizontal section at the top and a longer straight horizontal section at the bottom) and a sloping straight back to the D shape, with the bottom corner further away from the aperture than the top corner of the back of the D. The short horizontal section at the top is generally aligned horizontally and tangential to the circular door aperture. The doors are sewn to the enclosure along the sloping part of the D and for a small distance at the topgenerally to around the point at which the tangential line of the top of the door would contact the circular aperture. The main body of each door is formed from the same netting material as the enclosure. Each door has a resilient door member 10c associated with it. The resilient door member 10c is similar to the member 10a described above, Each resilient door member 10c is fixed to edge of its associated door with, preferably, a number of webbing loops 13 around the curved section of the D (preferably including the short horizontal section at the top and the longer section at the bottom), but could be fitted with a single loop or pocket that extends around, or close to, the perimeter or curved section of the D.

[0106] To access the trampoline a user puts his or her hand or hands under the bottom edge of the doors and lifts. When lifted up the doors 9c twist over themselves and form a small loop above the top of the aperture. This action bends the rods or resilient door members 10c and puts them in tension (adds spring energy). When released the doors flick back down to cover the aperture. In a similar manner to that outlined above for the bottom levered door, when in the closed position, the rods are slightly bent in tension to follow the outside curve of the circular mat , and the spring energy in the rods will hold the doors against the enclosure to maintain the doors in the closed position.

Sloped Hinge

[0107] In the embodiment of FIG. 5 the enclosure 2 is generally as described above. However, in this embodiment, the enclosure aperture 7d is a triangular or sail-shaped opening in the enclosure, as shown in FIG. 5, with one straight, sloped edge 14. The door 9d is a triangular shape and in the preferred embodiment is made from the same material as the mat. As above, the door is larger than the aperture 7d so as to overlap on the inside, with one edge of the door congruent with the straight sloped edge of the aperture described above. The door 9d is fixed to the enclosure along the congruent edge to form a hinge. A rod or resilient door member 10d is fixed to the bottom edge of the door, which is generally parallel to, and just above, the plane of the mat, with the resilient door member 10d extending all the way along the lower edge of the door and slightly beyond the corner of the door where the bottom edge of the door meets the hinge edge. The rod is fixed to the bottom edge of the door by at least one and preferably a number of loops or pockets along or close to the bottom edge of the door. The extending end of the rod is preferably held in place on the trampoline by similar mechanism. A user opens the door towards the inside of the trampoline by pushing on the door to pivot the door around the hinge. This adds spring energy to the rod along the bottom edge, and when released, the door will therefore return to the closed position. In the preferred embodiment, the door member 10d is a straight rod. In the most preferred embodiment, the edge of the trampoline enclosure is slightly curved, as the mat is circular. Therefore when the straight rod 10d is held in position against the edge of the mat by the loops or pocket on the bottom of the door and along the edge of the enclosure, the rod 10d will be slightly bent and therefore in tension, helping to hold the door closed. However, it should be noted that this configuration is not a required configuration.

Door Lock

[0108] Optionally the door or doors can be fitted with a door lock. In the preferred embodiment the door lock consists of a plastic ball that is preferably attached to the enclosure, and most preferably to the perimeter of the aperture around the reinforcement which is located around the edge of the aperture, via a short length of line or similar. The plastic ball corresponds to a slot in the door. To hold or lock the door closed, the plastic ball is pushed through the slot. When the door is pulled or pushed, the line attaching the ball to the enclosure is pulled to one end of the slot. At the same time, the slot is pulled closed by the tension generated. This prevents the ball from being released, and thus the door is held closed.

[0109] The foregoing description of the invention includes preferred forms thereof. Modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the accompanying claims.