Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TRAMPOLINE WITH ROD LOCKING EDGE FITTINGS
FIELD OF INVENTION
The invention relates to a trampoline for sporting and/or recreational use
which is soft-
edged relative to conventional trampolines which support the mat of the
trampoline via
a solid peripheral frame and exposed springs between the frame and the mat.
DAh.IIGnV TV 1~ L
US patent 6,319,174 discloses a form of soft-edged trampoline in which the mat
of the
trampoline is supported by a plurality of resiliently flexible rods received
in a frame of
the trampoline at the lower ends of the rods and coupled to the periphery of
the
bouncing mat of the trampoline at their upper ends, and which avoids the need
for a
solid frame about the exterior of the bouncing mat and exposed springs between
the
frame and periphery of the mat.
PCT patent publication WO 03/043704 relates to improved edge fittings for such
soft-
edged trampolines, for coupling the upper ends of the rods to the periphery of
the mat.
The fittings have a cavity on the underside of the fittings into which a ball-
shaped upper
end of a rod fits to connect the rod to the peripheral edge of the trampoline
to form a
coupling between the ends of the rods and the mat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides an improved or at least alternative form of such a soft-
edged
trampoline. In the trampoline of the invention the risk of accidental release
of the ball-
ended flexible rod from the fitting by heavy bounces on the mat edge is
further reduced.
In broad terms the invention comprises a trampoline including: a flexible mat,
a
plurality of resiliently flexible rods each having a lower end retained in a
frame of the
trampoline and upper end, and a plurality of fittings coupled to the gnat
about a
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periphery of the mat and including on or in an underside of each fitting a
socket cavity
which receives the upper end of a flexible rod so that the upper ends of the
flexible rods
are pivotally connected to the periphery of the mat, the fitting also
including a latch
member movable between an open position which enables the upper end of a
flexible
rod to be engaged into the socket cavity of the fitting to connect the rod and
fitting and a
locked position in which the latch member locks the upper end of the rod in
the socket
cavity.
P1G Drably the latch i11ei31bcr IilClilde5 a pall whlCh laCIlItateS
ii'l0veilicilt i3laiiually Ol Lhe
latch member between its open and locked positions.
Preferably the latch member is spring biased towards its locked position.
Preferably a detent part of the latch member is arranged to be overridden from
its locked
position towards its open position when the upper end of a flexible rod is
initially
entered into the fitting, by contact between the upper end of the rod and the
detent part
of the latch member, and is spring biased to return to its locked position
once the rod
upper end has passed over the detent part of the latch member and entered
fully home
into the socket cavity of the fitting.
In the trampoline of the invention the fittings by which the rod-springs or
rods are
coupled to the periphery of the mat more securely lock the upper ends of the
rods into
the fittings so that an even more secure coupling between the upper ends of
the rods and
the mat is achieved. The rods remain more securely attached while the
trampoline is in
use, while at the same time the fittings allow easy assembly and preferably
also
disassembly of the rods from the mat edge. Trampolines are generally freighted
to the
purchaser in dis-assembled form and it is essential that the purchaser can
assemble the
trampoline from the separate components without difficulty.
In this specification (including claims) the term "trampoline" is intended to
extend to
smaller trampolines commonly referred to as rebounders also, as well as larger
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trampolines of all sizes. Trampolines of the invention may be circular,
square,
rectangular, or of other shapes such as octagonally shaped in plan view for
example.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred forms of trampoline are described with reference to the accompanying
drawings by way of example and without intending to be limiting, wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form trampoline,
Figure 2 is a side view of the trampoline of Figure 1,
Figure 3 is similar to Figure 1 but of one side of the trampoline only and
showing a portion of the edge of the mat of the trampoline cut away, and
Figure 3a is an enlarged view of the cut away edge portion of the trampoline,
Figure 4 shows a first preferred form of an individual fitting and rod upper
end
separate from the other components of the trampoline,
Figures 5 to 8 are cross-section views (except for the rod end 12) through the
first preferred form of fitting illustrating engagement of a rod end into the
fitting
(Figures 5 and 6), locking of the rod end in the fitting (Figure 7), and
unlocking of the
rod end from fitting to enable separation of the rod and fitting (Figure 8),
Figure 9 is a view of a section of the peripheral mat edge of a trampoline
comprising the first preferred form of fittings, from below,
Figures 10a to 10e show the first preferred form of fitting in plan view, from
its
inner edge, from below, and from one side and the other side, respectively,
and Figure
10F shows the latch component of the first preferred form of fitting separate
from the
fitting, from one side,
Figure 11 shows a second preferred form of fitting (separate from the
trampoline
and spring-rods) from below with the latch member thereof closed,
Figure 12 is a view of the second preferred form of fitting of Figure I I from
below, similar to Figure 11 but with the latch member of the fitting open,
Figure 13 is a cross-section view of the preferred form of fitting of Figures
1I
and 12 from below along line I-I of Figure I 1,
Figure 14 is a view of third preferred form of fitting from below with the
latch
member thereof open,
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Figure 15 is a view of the third preferred form of fitting of Figure 14 with
the
latch member closed,
Figure 16a and 16b schematically illustrate how the latch member of the third
preferred form of fitting of Figures 14 and 15 may be spring biased towards
its locked
position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED FORMS
nefeiiillg i0 Fig'~IrcS 1 t0 3, a SOi-edged tralllpOlIIle typlCally
C0111pri5c5 a flexible iilat 1
on which users may bounce, a plurality of resiliently flexible rods 2, and a
base frame 3.
The preferred form trampoline shown is circular in shape but the trampoline
could be of
any other desired shape such as oval, square, rectangular or similar.
The base frame of the preferred form trampoline comprises a circular beam 4
typically
formed of steel or aluminium for example, which may be supported from the
ground by
legs 5.
The rods 2 are typically fibre glass rods but may alternatively be formed of
spring steel
for example. The lower ends of the rods are retained by the base frame 3 and
the upper
ends of the rods connect to fittings 6 as will be further described, which are
coupled to
the mat 1 about the periphery of the mat. In the preferred form the lower ends
of the
rods 2 enter into tubular holders 7 fixed to the circular beam as shown, but
the lower
ends of the rods may be coupled to the circular beam, or a base frame of the
trampoline
of any other form, in any suitable way.
In the preferred form the mat, which is typically heavy canvas or a woven
synthetic
material, is doubled back upon itself and fixed by stitching for example about
the
periphery of the mat to form a continuous pocket 8 extending about the
periphery of the
mat. A number of the fittings 6 are positioned within this pocket in the
peripheral edge
of the mat as shown in Figure 3 in particular. The fittings may be loosely
captured
within the pocket or alternatively may be stitched to the mat within the edge
pocket, or
mechanically fastened to the mat via rivets for example.
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The rods have ball-shaped upper ends which connect to the fittings 6. Figures
4 to 9
show a first preferred form of fitting and the connection of a rod end to the
fitting in
more detail. Preferably the fittings have a generally planar body portion 9,
and a socket
5 cavity 10 is defined on or in an underside of the body portion 9 of the
fitting. Preferably
the body 9 of the fitting has a greater dimension approximately in the plane
of the mat
than in a direction through the mat. Typically the fittings will be formed
from a plastics
material, by injection moulding for example. In the preferred form portion 11
extends
downwardly fiom the underside of the f tong to def ne the socket cavity 10.
Tlie rod
end fits 12 into the socket cavity 10, as shown. The fitting may optionally
include a
slight dome 18 on body of the fitting over the socket cavity 10.
Also in the preferred form the fittings have an outer edge 13 which in use is
closest to
the outer peripheral edge of the mat, which edge 13 is wider in the plane of
the mat than
an inner edge of the fittings. The preferred form fittings have an approximate
truncated
triangular shape in plan view, with concave sides, but this is non-limiting
and in other
forms the fitting could be alternatively shaped.
In the preferred form the part of the mat which is doubled back to define the
pocket 8 in
the peripheral edge of the mat wraps around the outer edges 13 of the fittings
6, as
shown in Figures 3 and 3A so that in use the outer edges of the fittings
contact the
inside surface of the pocket at its outer edge as shown, which assists in
transferring
forces between the fitting and the mat or vice versa. This may not be
essential however,
and in an alternative form individual pockets may be formed adjacent but
spaced from
the outer most peripheral edge of the mat, and defined by stitching through
the mat to
form the pockets which each receive and retain a fitting. Alternatively again
the fittings
may instead of being received in a pocket or pockets in the outer edge of the
mat, be
stitched directly to the mat adjacent its outer edge, or mechanically fastened
to the mat.
Typically the trampoline will be delivered to a purchaser in disassembled
form. The
purchaser need only insert the lower ends of the rods into the trampoline
base, loosely
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place the mat over the trampoline base, and then bend each resilient rod as
required to
engage the upper ends 12 of the rods into the socket cavities of the fittings
6.
In use as the trampoline is bounced on by a user, this will cause pivotal
movement
between the upper ends 12 of the rods 2 and the fittings 6 coupled to the mat,
to a
greater or lesser extent depending upon the size and energy of the user. If
the user
bounces close to a part of the edge of the mat, significant pivotal movement
of the ball
ends 12 of the few rods within the socket cavities 10 of the fittings closest
to the point
where the user bou~~ces will occur.
In the preferred form the portion 10 of the fitting on the underside of the
body 9 of the
fitting which defines the socket cavity includes a part 14 which extends
inwardly
towards the centre of the trampoline to ensure the fitting slides over the rod
below in the
event of a heavy bounce on the adjacent trampoline edge. This inward extension
prevents the fitting from catching on the next adjacent rod below and forcing
the lower
rod loose from its fitting 6.
Referring specifically to Figures 2 to 9 which show the first preferred form
of fitting
and the way in which the upper rod end may be entered into the open fitting
and locked
to the fitting, and Figures 10 and 11 which show the main body of the fitting
and latch
member of the fitting separately, the fitting comprises a latch member mounted
in the
underside of the fitting as shown, which is moveable between an open position
shown in
Figure 5 and a locked position shown in Figure 7. The latch member comprises a
head
or detent part, which in the preferred form has 15 a slightly convex face 16,
and a U-
shaped spring portion 17. The latch member is shown separately in Figure 10f
and in
the preferred form is formed as a single integral component, moulded from a
plastics
material. The rear part of the latch head 15 opposite the face 16 is shaped as
shown and
when the latch is installed in the main body of the fitting, engages a
complementary
curved face on part 19 of the fitting body, so that the latch head can pivot
between the
positions shown (compare Figures 5 to 8). The latch member also comprises a
tab 20
which extends from the latch head or detent part is as shown, which enables
manual
movement of the latch as will be described. The latch member is housed within
a slot or
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aperture in the fitting and defined generally between webs 25 (see Figures l
Ob and l Oc)
which depend from extending part 14 of the fitting. The spring portion 17 of
the latch
sits within the fitting as shown with end part 21 thereof engaging transverse
part 22 of
the fitting body extending between the webs 25. The design is such that once
the latch
has been installed within the fitting body, the latch is securely located
therein. The part
19 of the fitting body also extends transversely between the webs 25 as shown
particularly in Figure l Oc.
ill thlS fiTSt preferred fOi'lil Of fittlllg d2tellt part Or head 15 Of tile
latCil illcillber IS blaSed
by the spring portion 17 towards its locked position as shown in Figure 5,
which is the
normal position of the latch member. It is arranged to be overridden, from its
locked
position towards its open position, when the upper end 12 or flexible rod is
entered into
the fitting, by contact between the upper end of the rod and the detent part
15 of the
latch member, as shown in Figure 6. As the rod upper end is pushed fully home
into the
socket cavity of the fitting the latch member will spring back to its normal
or locked
position shown in Figure 7. When the latch member is in its normal, locked
position,
the detent head 15 protrudes slightly into the entry to the cavity 10, as
shown.
Thus in initial assembly of the trampoline it is not necessary to operate the
latch
manually. Once the rods have been installed in the base frame of the
trampoline, by
insertion of the lower ends of the rods into the base frame, and the mat with
fittings 6
about its periphery is draped over the rods, then each fitting is engaged over
an
upstanding rod end to couple the fitting and rod end. As the rod end enters
the fitting as
shown in Figures 5 and 6, the latch head is will depress so that the rod end
and fitting
will snap-fit together. If at any time during the life of the trampoline it is
desired to
disassemble the trampoline, then at each fitting 6 the latch is moved to its
release
position by manually pushing the latch tab 20 to the position shown in Figure
~, which
enables the fitting on the edge of the trampoline mat and the rod upper end to
which the
fitting is connected, to be separated while the latch is held open.
Innocent tampering with the tab 20 for example by children, may push the latch
to its
release position, but the rod end will only separate from the fitting if at
the same time, it
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is pushed out. Otherwise the rod spring force retains it in the socket. Once
the latch tab
20 is released again, spring portion 17 rotates it back into its normal locked
position.
Even when the trampoline edge is compressed by a jumper bouncing on the
trampoline
edge when the rods at the part of the periphery of the trampoline may touch
the
neighbouring edge fittings as shown in Figure 9, the neighbouring rod cannot
touch the
latch tab 20 because the two extending webs 25 of the fitting body act as
guard rails.
That is, the latch member does not extend beyond the external periphery of the
fitting
ailu iii ~aiiiCuia3' bey0ild tile edges of the webs 2J. At tile Sallle tillie
tiieTe 15 adequate
space between the webs. 25 for easy insertion of a finger to manually move the
latch to
its open when it is desired to disassemble the trampoline for any reason.
Various other forms of latch member or detent 1 S other than the particular
form of the
latch head 15 shown are possible. Instead of the tab 20 enabling the latch
head to be
pivoted to its open position, the edge of a thumb wheel may be exposed at the
exterior
of the fitting through a slot, so that the thumb wheel can, be pivoted through
for example
to 50° to cause a detent part of the latch member to be moved to its
open position.
In the preferred form described above the latch member is spring biased
towards its
20 locked position but in another form the latch member may be a snap-fit into
its locked
position which will serve to hold the latch member or in particular the decent
head
thereof in its locked position. Iii such an embodiment, once the rod upper end
and
fitting have been coupled together with the latch member in its open position,
the latch
member would then be pivoted manually to its locked position into which it
will snap-
fit to be held in its locked position, for subsequent use of the trampoline.
At
disassembly of the trampoline for any reason, the latch member would be
pivoted via its
manual tab 20 or equivalent back to its open position, enabling the rod upper
end and
fitting to be separated.
Figures 10a to 10e show the fitting body and latch member separately, to
illustrate the
shape of the two components of the first preferred formal fitting body. Figure
lOb
shows the fitting body in the direction of arrow B in Figure 10a. Figure lOc
shows the
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fitting body in the direction of arrow C in Figure 10b. Figure lOd shows the
fitting
body in the direction of arrow D in Figure 10b. And Figure 10e shows the
fitting body
in the direction of arrow E in Figure 10b. Figure 11 is a side view of the
latch member
including internal spring portion of the preferred form, separate from the
fitting body.
Figures 11 to 13 show a second preferred form of fitting of the invention. The
fitting
body 6 again comprises a socket cavity 10 on its underside. A latch member 30
is
mounted full pivotal movement as indicated by arrows F & G in Figures 11 and
12,
within a glut iIl l~lie iiilderSlde of the lttllig, by jillls 33 (see Figure
13~ which extend
from either side of the latch and engage into corresponding apertures in
either side of
the slot in the fitting body. The latch is shown in its locked position in
Figures 11 and
13, and in its release position in Figure 12.
When the fitting is initially engaged with a rod upper end to enter the rod
end into
cavity 10 of the fitting, the ball-shaped socket end will contact the angled
forward face
31 of the outer or distal end of the curved latch member 30, and as it does so
will cause
the latch to pivot upwardly in the direction of arrow F in Figure 11, opening
the latch
and allowing the ball end of the rod to continue to enter into the cavity 10
of the fitting.
Then as the fitting and rod end are brought fully home together, and the rod
end enters
fully into the cavity 10 of the fitting body, the rod will contact the tail or
proximal end
32 of the latch member and cause the latch member to pivot in the direction of
arrow G
in Figure 12 to return to its locked position shown in Figure 11. As it does
so the latch
will engage over the ball end of the rod locking the rod end and fitting
together. In the
preferred form shown the pivotal axis of the latch member 30, through the pins
33, is
generally parallel to the plane of the mat. Alternatively, however, the latch
member 30
may be mounted about a pivot axis which extends at an angle for example about
45° to
the plane of the mat for example.
Figures 14 and 15 show a third preferred form of fitting of the invention.
Again the
fitting body 6 which is shaped similarly to that of the first and second
embodiments and
comprises a cavity 10 on the underside which receives the upper end of a rod.
An
arcuate shaped latch member 34 is mounted within the cavity 10 for movement
about a
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generally vertical axis, by pins 36 which extend upwardly and downwardly from
the
latch member 34 into apertures in the upper and lower parts of the fitting
body 6. Thus
the latch member 34 can move from an open position showing in Figure 15 to a
closed
position shown in Figure 14 and vice versa, in the direction of arrow H. 'The
latch 34
5 may be spring biased towards its closed position, by a plastic tab spring 38
extending
from the latch member 34 and engaging the fitting body within the interior of
the cavity
10 or vice versa as schematically shown in Figures 16a and 16b. Figures 16a
and 16b
show the cavity 10 from underside of the fitting as shown but not the balance
of the
fitting body geilcrally. Figures 16a gild 16b are takeil iGvriiiig veiiioaliy
up o1 down
10 through the fitting. Plastic tab spring 38 is shown in its rest state in
Figure 16a, with the
latch member 34 in its locked position, about the ball-shaped upper end of rod
12.
Before a rod end is entered into the fitting the latch member 34 will be in
this same
position towards which it is spring biased, which is its normal position.
Pushing a rod
end into the cavity 10 will cause the rod end to contact the outside of the
arcuate latch
member 34, which will deflect the latch member 34 to one side bending spring
38 as it
does so. Once the rod upper end has been engaged fully home into the cavity 10
the
arcuate member will spring back to its normal locked position as shown in
Figure 16a.
In each embodiment a secure and safe coupling of the upper ends of the rods to
the mat
is provided, without adversely affecting the performance of the trampoline is
use. In
addition the ends of the flexible rods are enclosed to increase protection to
a user falling
on the edge of the trampoline. At the same time assembly and disassembly of
the
trampoline and in particular connection between the individual rods and the
mat can be
carried out with relative ease.
The foregoing describes the invention including a preferred thereof so
alterations and
modifications as will be obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to
be
incorporated within the scope hereof as defined in the accompanying claims.
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