Safety Structure For A Trampoline

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a national phase application of International Application PCT/FI 2023/000004, filed Jun. 6, 2023, which claims priority to Finnish patent application FI20227086, filed Jun. 10, 2022, the content of both of which is incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a safety structure for a trampoline comprising a mat, a frame, a plurality of resilient members arranged between the mat and the frame, an edge pad arranged above the resilient members, and the safety structure comprises plurality of bump elements arranged on the border of the mat. The invention relates also to a trampoline comprising a mat, a frame, and an edge pad.

Trampolines are commonly used in outdoor and indoor activities. Trampolines comprise a frame and a rebounding mat connected to the frame with stretching elements such as springs or similar. Further trampolines typically comprise various safety elements to prevent injury of a user such as a safety enclosure and a safety edge pad. A safety enclosure is used to prevent the user of a trampoline from jumping or falling outside of the trampoline jumping area onto the surrounding ground, which could result in injury. A safety edge pad is a padding arranged on top of springs and a frame that helps to prevent injury in case a user jumps or falls on top of the springs or the frame. A safety edge pad is typically attached to the frame of a trampoline and resting on top of the springs of the trampoline.

Description of Related Art

Patent publications U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,331,329A and 6,193,632B1 disclose protective pad attached on top of stretching elements and a frame. However, such arrangement is causing noise and has negative effect to the bounce and performance of the trampoline, because the stretching elements are in contact with the protective pad and moving against them.

Patent publications DD280467A1, U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,292A and EP1852150B1 disclose protective pad attached over stretching elements and a frame with arrangements that keep the protective pad separated from the springs of the trampoline. However, such arrangements are not suitable for high performance trampolines with high mat deflection, because during bouncing there will be large gap between the protective pad and the mat into which user's leg or hand may get injured.

The utility model publication JPS5663465U discloses a protective cover that encloses a frame, each spring, and a peripheral portion of the mat. However, such arrangement is quite cumbersome to assemble and not suitable for high performance trampolines with high mat deflection.

Patent publication KR102246528B1 discloses a trampoline safety cover assembly in which a fabric with a convexly folded centre portion is arranged between springs and an edge padding by fixing it firmly on a frame and on the edge of a mat so that it prevents the occurrence of foot fall between the springs while using the trampoline. However, the structure that the publication describes is still quite cumbersome to manufacture and assemble.

There is a clear need for a simple and reliable trampoline safety structure that prevents the occurrence of foot fall between the springs and minimizes noise generation.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is a solution that can significantly reduce the disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. In particular, the object of the invention is a solution where a trampoline mat with safety structure is provided that reduces risk for injuries, minimizes noise generation, has no negative effects to the bounce and is reliable and easy to assembly.

The invention is a safety structure for a trampoline. The trampoline comprises a mat, a frame, a plurality of resilient members arranged between the mat and the frame, and an edge pad arranged above the resilient members to substantially cover the resilient members, the frame, and the edge of the mat. The safety structure comprises a plurality of elongated bump elements made of elastic material and arranged on the border of the mat on upper surface substantially between the mat and the edge pad.

When reference is made in the text to the upper or the lower parts or respective directions such as down or up, or vertical or horizontal directions, a situation is described in which the trampoline according to the invention is in use. Also, when reference is made to the front, rear, top or side parts or directions, the trampoline is placed similarly and such a way that the front side is generally used to jump on the trampoline. When reference is made to the internal or external sides, the trampoline is placed similarly and the internal side is facing towards the centre of the mat and the external side is facing outwards the centre of the mat.

In one embodiment of the invention is a safety structure for a trampoline comprising a mat, a frame, a plurality of resilient members and an edge pad. The mat comprises a border of the mat and an edge of the mat at the border of the mat. The resilient members such as springs are arranged between the mat and the frame to retaining the mat under tension. The resilient members are connected to the edge of the mat. The edge pad comprises an internal side of the edge pad, and the internal side of the edge pad is towards centre of the mat. The edge pad is arranged above the resilient members to substantially cover the resilient members, the frame, and the edge of the mat in order to prevent injury in case a user jumps or falls on top of the springs or the frame. The safety structure comprises a plurality of elongated bump elements made of elastic material and attached on the border of the mat on upper surface of the mat where in the bump element acts as a borderline that warns a user not to move outside of the jumping area of the mat. The bump element is arranged substantially between the mat and the edge pad so that the internal side of the edge pad is raised above the mat. As the result there is a gap between the edge pad and the resilient members, and the resilient members are not in contact with the edge pad which reduces noise generation.

In a second embodiment of the safety structure, the safety structure further comprises a skirt combined with bump element. The skirt comprises an external edge of the skirt, and the skirt is made of fabric and is arranged to extend substantially between the resilient members and the edge pad to inhibit the user from contacting the resilient members or putting leg or hand between resilient members. Preferably at least half of the length of the resilient members is covered with the skirt.

In a third embodiment of the safety structure, the safety structure further comprises a plurality of auxiliary resilient members arranged between the frame and the external edge of the skirt. The auxiliary resilient members are attached to the frame from top so that the skirt is retained under tension and there is a gap between the resilient members and the skirt. This ensures that the resilient members are not in contact with the edge pad and a user cannot put leg or hand between resilient members even in case of high mat deflection rate.

In some embodiment of the safety structure the skirt is fixed on the upper surface of the mat and folded over the bump element. In some embodiments, the skirt is fixed on the internal edge of the bump element.

In some embodiments of the safety structure the bump element is embodied with a casing made of cloth through which an elongated foam or elastic cord forming the bump element is carried.

In some embodiments of the safety structure the height of the bump element is more than 15 mm. In some preferred embodiments the bump element has rectangular transverse cross section wherein the width is greater than height. The transverse width of the bump element is preferably less than 50 mm, and the height of the bump element is preferably between 20 and 30 mm. It must be noted that these dimensions are also applicable to other shapes of the bump elements.

In some embodiments of the safety structure the bump elements are arranged on the perimeter of the mat to substantially surround the mat. In some preferred embodiments the bump element is sewn on the border of the mat from the internal edge the bump element. In some embodiments the bump element is detachable mounted on the border of the mat with a Velcro tape or similar arrangement. In some advantageous embodiments the casing of the bump element and the skirt are sewn together and on the border of the mat with the same stitch.

In some embodiments, the auxiliary resilient members are attached to the frame in such a way that the fixing points of the auxiliary resilient members on the frame are above the level of the fixing points of the resilient members.

One embodiment of the invention is a trampoline comprising a mat, a frame, plurality of resilient members, an edge pad and safety structures described before.

It is an advantage of the invention that it provides a trampoline that is safe to use, generates less noise and is easy to assemble.

It is a further advantage of the safety structure according to the invention that it has no negative impact on the bounce or performance of the trampoline.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantageous features and details of the various embodiments of this disclosure will become apparent from the ensuring description of a preferred exemplary embodiment or embodiments and further with the aid of the drawings. The features and combinations of features recited below in the description, as well as the features and feature combination shown after that in the drawing description or in the drawings alone, may be used not only in the particular combination recited by also in other combinations on their own without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

In the following, the invention is described in detail. The description refers to the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 shows an example of a trampoline according to an embodiment,

FIG. 2 shows an example of a safety structure according to an embodiment, and

FIG. 3 shows another example of a safety structure according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As used throughout the present disclosure, unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “or” encompasses all possible combinations, except where infeasible. For example, the expression “A or B” shall mean A alone, B alone, or A and B together. If it is stated that a component includes “A, B, or C”, then, unless specifically stated otherwise or infeasible, the component may include A, or B, or C, or A and B, or A and C, or B and C, or A and B and C. Expressions such as “at least one of” do not necessarily modify an entirety of the following list and do not necessarily modify each member of the list, such that “at least one of “A, B, and C”.

The embodiments in the following description are given as examples only and someone skilled in the art can carry out the basic idea of the invention also in some other way than what is described in the description. Though the description may refer to a certain embodiment or embodiments in several places, this does not mean that the reference would be directed towards only one described embodiment or that the described characteristic would be usable only in one described embodiment. The individual characteristics of two or more embodiments may be combined and new embodiments of the invention may thus be provided.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a trampoline 100. The trampoline comprises a mat 101, a frame 102, an edge pad 104 and a safety structure 105. The edge pad extends over the border of the mat so that it covers the safety structure, and the safety structure is between the mat and the edge pad. The edge pad comprises an upper surface of the edge pad, a lower surface of the edge pad, an internal side of the edge pad and an outer side of the edge pad. The internal side of the edge pad is towards the centre of the mat and the outer side of the edge pad is away from the centre of the mat. The outer side of the edge pad is above the frame or extends over the frame. The mat comprises an upper surface of the mat, a lower surface of the mat, an edge of the mat, and a border (or a border area) of the mat. The border comprises the edge of the mat and an area of the mat near the edge of the mat. In some embodiments, width of the border (i.e. distance from the edge at right angles) is 10 cm or less. I any case, it is significantly less than width or length of the mat. These features of the trampoline are applicable to following embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows an example of an embodiment of a safety structure 205. FIG. 3 shows a cross section side view of a trampoline. The trampoline comprises a mat 201, a frame 202, an edge pad 204, and a multitude of resilient members 203. The safety structure comprises a plurality of bump elements 251. In this embodiment, the safety structure comprises a skirt 252. There are also embodiments of the safety structures where skirts are not needed. The mat comprises an upper surface of the mat, a lower surface of the mat, an edge of the mat, and a border of the mat 211. The edge pad has an upper side of the edge pad, a lower side of the edge pad, an internal side of the edge pad, and outer side of the edge pad. The internal side of the edge pad is towards centre of the mat. The resilient members are connected between the mat and the frame, and more specifically, the resilient members are connected to the edge of the mat. The edge of the mat comprises holes or protrusions or similar arrangements for connecting the resilient members. The edge pad is dimensioned in such a way that the internal side of the edge pad extends over the edge of the mat, i.e. the edge pad covers the area between the frame and the mat.

The bump elements 251 are elongated objects made of elastic material. The bump elements are attached on the border 211 of the mat on the upper surface of the mat. The bump element comprises an upper side of the bump element, a lower side of the bump element, an internal side of the bump element, and an outer side of the bump element. The lower side of the bump element is towards the mat, and more specifically towards the upper surface of the mat. The internal side of the bump element is towards the centre of the mat. Distance between the upper side of the bump element and the lower side of the bump element is height of the bump element. In this embodiment, the bump element further comprises a casing 254 for protecting the bump element. The casing covers the bump element at least partly. In some embodiments, the casing fixes the bump element to the mat. There are also embodiments where casings are not needed due to resistant material of the bump element. The casing is for example cloth or fabric.

The bump elements 251 are positioned on the border 211 of the mat in such a way that the bump element is between the mat and the edge pad. This means that the upper side of the bump element and the lower side of the edge pad are in touch each other when the trampoline comprising the safety structure 205 is in use. For sake of clarity, the edge pad 204 and the bump element have some distance between them in FIGS. 3 and 2. The height of the bump element is such that the internal side of the edge pad 204 is above the mat 101 and a gap between the edge pad and the resilient members 103 is formed. The gap is dimensioned in such way that the resilient members are not in contact with the edge pad when the trampoline is in use. When the resilient members do not touch the edge pad when the resilient members stretch and contract, noises are significantly reduced. The bump elements both warn users and stop body parts to slide under the edge pad.

In this embodiment, the safety structure comprises a skirt 252. The skirt is combined with the bump element 251 to inhibit a user from contacting the resilient members 203 or putting leg or hand between resilient members. The skirt is sewn or otherwise fixed on the border 211 of the mat 201 or near the border. The skirt extends between the resilient members and the edge pad so that half of the length or more of the resilient members are covered.

FIG. 2 shows a cross section side view of an embodiment of a safety structure 105. The safety structure comprises a bump element 151, a skirt 152 and a multitude of auxiliary resilient members 153. A mat 101 is kept in its place and in tension with a multitude of resilient members 103 that are connected between the mat and a frame 102. The resilient members also provide the bouncing effect for the user of a trampoline.

The bump element 151 is embodied with a casing 154 made of cloth through which an elongated foam 155 is carried. Alternatively in some embodiments an elastic cord is carried through the casing to form the bump element. The material used inside the casing is elastic so that it may bend and stretch when the trampoline is used, or when a user of the trampoline hits it. Also, the cloth used for the casing need to be flexible like a lightweight mesh fabric.

The bump element 151 has in this example a rectangular transverse cross section, but it can be circular or oval. In this embodiment, height of the bump element is about 25 mm to raise the internal side of the edge pad 104 above the mat 101 and to form a gap between the edge pad and the resilient members 103 so that resilient members are not in contact with the edge pad.

The width of the bump element is about 25 mm to form a clear borderline that warns a user not to move outside of the jumping area of the mat.

The casing 154 of the bump element 151 is in this example sewn on the border 111 of the mat 101 from the internal edge of the bump element. The sewing on the edge facing towards the centre of the mat prevents the bump element from rising when the mat is deflected during the use of the trampoline. Alternatively, the bump element can be fixed on the border of the mat with a Velcro tape or similar arrangement so that it can be detached if necessary.

The safety structure in this example comprises a skirt 152 that is combined with the bump element 151 to inhibit a user from contacting the resilient members 103 or putting leg or hand between resilient members. The skirt comprises an external edge and an internal edge. The fabric used for the skirt is durable and the same or similar fabric that the fabric of the mat is used. In this embodiment, the skirt, and more specifically the internal edge of the skirt, is sewn on the border 111 of the mat 101 with the same stitch as the bump element and is folded over the bump element. In some embodiments, it is sewn to the mat separately or to the casing 154 of the bump element. The skirt extends between the resilient members and the edge pad so that more than half of the length of the resilient members are covered.

The safety structure in this example comprises the auxiliary resilient members 153 to connect the external edge of the skirt 152 to the frame 102. The auxiliary resilient members comprise external ends of the auxiliary resilient members and internal ends of the auxiliary resilient members. The auxiliary resilient members keep the skirt in place during the use of the trampoline. The skirt with the auxiliary resilient members also helps to keep the edge pad 104 straight and above the resilient members 103 even if a user is stepping on it. The external ends of the auxiliary resilient members are attached to the frame from top. The fixing points of the auxiliary resilient members on the frame is above the level of the fixing points of the resilient members and the skirt is folded over the bump element so that it is above the mat 101 surface level. This ensures that there is a sufficient gap between the resilient members and the skirt to prevent noise generation during the use of the trampoline.

Finally, it should be noted that the description of the invention and the exemplary embodiments are not to be understood as limiting in terms of a particular physical realisation of the invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is given by the claims and is not limited by the features illustrated in the description or shown in the figures.