AU2017200402A1 - Trampolines, trampoline mats and safety barriers - Google Patents

Abstract

A trampoline including: a mat frame mounted on a plurality of spaced apart legs; a trampoline mat supported within said mat frame and 5 connected thereto by a plurality of spaced apart tensioning members; a plurality of spaced apart posts operatively connected to said mat frame and upstanding therefrom, each of said posts having a plurality of connection points for connection of a o safety barrier thereto and being encased between said connection points by safety padding; and a flexible safety barrier (or fence) having an upper edge and a lower edge extending about said trampoline mat and upwards therefrom and being spaced radially inwards from said 5 posts and connected to said trampoline mat at or adjacent its lower edge; and expandable tensioning means extending between said safety barrier and said posts and connecting said safety barrier thereto at said connection points. cVUL0 13 94filed20anuary2017

Description

ι 2017200402 20 Jan 2017 TRAMPOLINES, TRAMPOLINE MATS AND SAFETY BARRIERS This invention relates to trampolines, trampolines and safety barriers for trampolines. The invention has particular application to domestic playground trampolines. 5 Typically, modern domestic playground trampolines include a frame assembly comprising a circular mat frame which is supported on a plurality of spaced apart legs which rest on the ground. In some cases adjacent legs are connected to each other at their bottom ends by a foot member. The mat is 0 secured to the circular mat frame by a plurality of circumferentially spaced extension springs which connect to the circular frame at one end via radial slots provided therein and to the mat via hooks at the other end. The circular mat frame is generally constructed of arcuate segments of round tube which are joined together in a spigot and socket arrangement with the end portion of one segment sliding into the end portion of the adjacent segment. A similar piece of tube is generally welded to each arcuate segment so as to depend perpendicularly therefrom to provide a 20 socket for receiving therein the spigot portion of a complementary leg.

Modern playground trampolines typically include a safety barrier (or "net") extending about the mat frame and attached to posts upstanding therefrom. Generally, the posts are 25 encased in a cylindrical padding to prevent injury if a user cVULO 13 94fIled20January2017 2 2017200402 20 Jan 2017 falls against a post and the net is attached at its lower edge to the bottom of the post or the mat frame and at its upper edge to the top of the post and consequently, the middle section of the net is not suitably restrained. 5 Modern playground trampolines also typically include a padded safety barrier (or "padding") extending about the mat and covering the mat springs and the spaces therebetween to prevent a user directly hitting the springs or slipping between them and possibly being thereby injured. Such padding 0 is typically tied to the mat and/or the mat frame by ribbon ties or the like. However, the safety of such ties depends on them being correctly tied and if not done correctly they do not hold the padding as securely as desired.

The present invention is aimed at ameliorating the 5 aforementioned problems and providing trampolines which are reliable and efficient in use.

With the foregoing in view, the invention in one aspect resides broadly in a trampoline including: a mat frame mounted on a plurality of spaced apart legs; 20 a trampoline mat supported within said mat frame and connected thereto by a plurality of spaced apart tensioning members / a plurality of spaced apart posts operatively connected to said mat frame and upstanding therefrom, each of said posts 25 having a plurality of connection points for connection of a cVUL01394filed20Januaiy2017 3 2017200402 20 Jan 2017 safety barrier thereto and being encased between said connection points by safety padding; and a flexible safety barrier (or fence) having an upper edge and a lower edge extending about said trampoline mat and 5 upwards therefrom and being spaced radially inwards from said posts and connected to said trampoline mat at or adjacent its lower edge; and expandable tensioning means extending between said safety barrier and said posts and connecting said safety barrier 0 thereto at said connection points.

Advantageously, the connection of the lower edge of said safety barrier to said mat together with said expandable tensioning means allows the safety barrier to move up and down with the mat and reconfigure without undesirably bending the 5 posts or tearing the safety barrier.

In a preferred form,, the expandable tensioning means includes a length of elastomeric material such as an EPDM polymer connected to an eye bolt at one end which is adapted to pass through a complementary hole in the post and a V-ring 20 at the other end which is adapted to connect to a complementary loop or strap provided on the barrier.

In another aspect, the invention resides broadly in a trampoline including: a mat frame mounted on a plurality of spaced apart legs; cVULO 13 94filed20 January2017 4 2017200402 20 Jan 2017 a trampoline mat supported within said mat frame and connected thereto by a plurality of spaced apart tensioning members; a plurality of spaced apart posts operatively connected 5 to said mat frame and upstanding therefrom; and a flexible safety barrier (or fence)extending about said trampoline mat and upwards therefrom, said safety barrier having an upper edge and a lower edge and being attached at or near its upper edge to said posts and at its lower edge to 0 said trampoline mat.

In a preferred form straps extend radially outwards from said trampoline mat for connection of said tensioning members and said safety barrier is connected to said straps. In one such form, said safety barrier has holes provided therein 5 adjacent its lower edge and said straps pass through said holes in said barrier so as to secure said barrier to said mat. Preferably, said holes are slots or slits. In another such form where the tensioning members are extension springs and which are connected to the straps or loops by "V" 20 connectors, the V connectors locate in the holes and the hook end of the spring helps to hold the barrier close to the edge of the mat.

In yet another aspect, the invention resides broadly in a trampoline including: 25 a mat frame mounted on a plurality of spaced apart legs; cVUL01394filed20January2017 5 2017200402 20 Jan 2017 a trampoline mat supported within said mat frame and connected thereto by a plurality of spaced apart tensioning members; and a safety barrier (or padding) extending about the mat and 5 covering the mat springs and the spaces therebetween, said safety barrier including a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart sleeves on its underside and wherein said sleeves locate around said spaced apart tensioning members so as to hold said safety barrier in place about said trampoline mat. 0 In order that the invention may be more easily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a schematic pictorial representation of a trampoline according to the present invention; 5 Fig. 2 is a detail pictorial representation of part of the padding of the trampoline of Fig. 1 shown at "2" in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail pictorial representation of another part of the padding of the trampoline of Fig. 1 shown at 20 "3" in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail pictorial representation of part of the netting and support post of the trampoline of Fig. 1 shown at "4" in Fig. 1; and cVULO 13 94filed20January2017 6 2017200402 20 Jan 2017

Fig. 5 is a detail pictorial representation of part of the netting and a support post of the trampoline of Fig. 1 shown at "5" in Fig. 1.

The trampoline 10 illustrated in Fig. 1 includes a 5 circular mat frame 11 which is supported on a plurality of spaced apart legs 12 which are arranged in pairs with the two legs of each pair being connected at their lower ends by a cross member 13. A trampoline mat 14 is suspended within the circular frame member 11 by a plurality of circumferentially 0 spaced extension coil springs 16 which extend between the periphery 17 of the mat and the mat frame and are connected at their inner ends 18 to the mat frame as will be described in more detail later and at their outer ends 19 to the mat frame. The extension springs are covered by an annular ring of 5 padding 21 which is secured to the mat frame via the springs as also will be described in more detail later. A plurality of circumferentially spaced posts 23 stand up from the mat frame to provide support for a safety net 24 which extends about the periphery of the mat 14 as shown in 20 Fig. 1 with the portion between the two front posts removed for clarity, that portion having therein a closable opening for gaining access to the mat.

The safety net is secured to each of the posts 23 by a a top tensioning member 26 and a centre tensioning member 27 of 25 the same type as will be described more fully later. At its cVUL01394filed20Januaiy2017 7 2017200402 20 Jan 2017 lower end, the net is secured to the mat 14 via the extension springs 16 as will be described in more detail later also.

As can be seen more clearly in Fig. 2, the padding 21 comprises a layer of foamed rubber or the like which is 5 surrounded by a layer of waterproof vinyl plastic or the like. Advantageously, circumferentially spaced sleeves 31 depend from the bottom face of the vinyl and are adapted to receive therethrough selected ones of the extension springs 16.

Suitably, a sleeve 31 is provided on the padding adjacent each 0 leg 12 so that the spring adjacent each leg secures the padding to the frame 11 and mat 14. However, in other embodiments, additional sleeves can be provided between adjacent legs.

As can be seen more clearly in Fig. 3, the safety net 24 5 is secured at its lower end to the mat 14 via circumferentially spaced "D" clips 41 which cooperate with selected extension springs. In this respect, the mat 14 includes circumferentially spaced loops 42 extending radially outwards therefrom which are connected to the extension 20 springs 16 via the D clips which engage along one side within the loops 42 and at the opposed apex 43 with the hook 16a of the selected extension spring. Advantageously, the safety net has a vinyl plastic border strip 44 along its lower edge with circumferentially spaced slits 46 provided therein and the D 25 hook passes through the slit so as to secure the net thereto. cVUL01394filed20Januaiy2017 8 2017200402 20 Jan 2017

As can be seen more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, the posts 23 each include a tubular steel centre member 51, three spaced apart padded sleeve members 52 and a padded top cap 53. Suitably, the spaces between the padded sleeve members leave 5 portions of the steel member exposed for attachment of the safety net thereto where a hole extends through the steel centre member and and to which an eye bolt 56 is mounted as can be seen in Fig. 4. A resilient strap or belt 57 is attached to the eye bolt at one end and to the safety net at 0 the other end via a D clip 58 and a hook 59.

In use, the manner in which the padding is secured allows it to move up and down with the mat 14 as a person is jumping thereon in conjunction with the springs 16 thereby decreasing the possibility of an opening forming between the 5 mat and the padding. Additionally, the means by which the safety net is attached to the mat allows it also to move up and down with the edge of the mat thereby holding the safety net in tension with the mat while the resilient bands or straps 57 allow the safety net to reshape so as to follow the 20 mat with a person jumping by bending and stretching as necessary.

The foregoing description has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention and many modifications and variations which will be apparent to persons skilled in cVULO 13 94filed20 January2017 2017200402 20 Jan 2017 the art scope of 9 may be made without departing from the spi the invention as hereinbefore described. rit and cVULO 13 94filed20January2017

Claims (3)

1. A trampoline including: a mat frame mounted on a plurality of spaced apart legs; a trampoline mat supported within said mat frame and connected thereto by a plurality of spaced apart tensioning members; a plurality of spaced apart posts operatively connected to said mat frame and upstanding therefrom, each of said posts having a plurality of connection points for connection of a safety barrier thereto and being encased between said connection points by safety padding; and a flexible safety barrier (or fence) having an upper edge and a lower edge extending about said trampoline mat and upwards therefrom and being spaced radially inwards from said posts and connected to said trampoline mat at or adjacent its lower edge; and expandable tensioning means extending between said safety barrier and said posts and connecting said safety barrier thereto at said connection points.

2. A trampoline including: a mat frame mounted on a plurality of spaced apart legs; a trampoline mat supported within said mat frame and connected thereto by a plurality of spaced apart tensioning members; a plurality of spaced apart posts operatively connected to said mat frame and upstanding therefrom; and a flexible safety barrier (or fence) extending about said trampoline mat and upwards therefrom, said safety barrier having an upper edge and a lower edge and being attached at or near its upper edge to said posts and at its lower edge to said trampoline mat.

3. A trampoline including: a mat frame mounted on a plurality of spaced apart legs; a trampoline mat supported within said mat frame and connected thereto by a plurality of spaced apart tensioning members; and a safety barrier (or padding) extending about the mat and covering the mat springs and the spaces therebetween, said safety barrier including a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart sleeves on its underside and wherein said sleeves locate around said spaced apart tensioning members so as to hold said safety barrier in place about said trampoline mat.