DE8900202U1 - Sports equipment similar to a trampoline - Google Patents

Description

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■G.12..B66 - les 19 December 1988

F e s t &ogr; KG, 7300 Esslingen. Sports equipment similar to a trampoline

The invention relates to a sports device, in the manner of a trampoline, with a support device on which, when viewed in use, a springy mat- or cloth-shaped jumping body is arranged at the top.

Such sports equipment is known in the form of so-called trampolines. With their support, which is designed as a rigid frame, they can be placed on the floor in the position for use, with the jumping body pointing upwards. The jumping body is shaped like a ^mat or cloth and is suspended from the frame via springs, so that the spring-elastic flexibility of the jumping body is guaranteed in the vertical direction. Sports activity on such equipment takes place by jumping on the jumping body, the springy suspension of which supports the jumping movements.

Because of the rigid, expansive frame, a lot of space is required to store the well-known sports equipment. Furthermore, the production costs are high due to the complex

The structure is relatively high. Finally, using the device is not without risks, as the jumping body can easily be missed when jumping, so that injuries are possible by getting caught in the spring arrangement and/or by impacting on the rather hard frame.

% The invention is therefore based on the aim of developing a sports

device according to the type mentioned above, the

' with a more compact and cost-effective design, a larger

User safety guaranteed.

This aim is achieved by the support device being formed by a hollow body enclosing a gas-tight pneumatic chamber, the peripheral side wall of which is at least partially designed as a fold wall with peripheral and t in vertical direction successive folding sections

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In this way, the entire top of the sports equipment

§ can be designed as a jumping body, so that with comparatively

', compact transverse dimensions, a relatively larger jumping area can be provided. The danger This reduces the risk of missing the jumping body during sporting activity. In addition, the spring-elastic properties of the jumping body are now ensured by a gaseous and, in particular, pneumatic medium that can be enclosed in the pneumatic chamber and that applies elastically yielding pressure to the jumping body from below.

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All hollow body walls can be made of more flexible material, so that the risk of damage is excluded even if the impact on the center of the jumping body is not exactly central. By designing the side wall at least partially as a folding wall, the elasticity of the jumping body can be influenced if necessary, and the sports equipment can be folded up compactly after the medium in the pneumatic chamber has been drained, so that it can be stored in a space-saving manner. The sports equipment can be manufactured more cost-effectively due to the low construction effort; the hollow body can, for example, be a one-piece structure, particularly made of plastic material. Another particular advantage is that the jumping or jumping behavior that can be achieved with the sports equipment can be easily adapted to the respective needs, simply by changing the pressure in the pneumatic chamber by supplying or removing the corresponding medium. The change can be made continuously.

Advantageous further developments of the invention are set out in the subclaims.

If the entire side wall is designed as a folding wall, the sports equipment can be folded into a flat body to save space when the pneumatic chamber is ventilated.

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The spring-back behavior of the jumping body is significantly influenced by the pressure prevailing in the pneumatic chamber and the compressibility of the gaseous medium enclosed therein. A further influence can be exerted by the design of the side wall, in particular if the folding sections of the side wall are movable in the vertical direction and/or transverse to the vertical direction in the lateral direction or are flexible or stretchable. It can be expedient to form the folding sections from flexible and/or rubber-elastic material.

If the hollow body base is a rigid body, the risk of damage to the hollow body wall and the resulting leakage of the normally hermetically sealed pneumatic chamber is reduced, even if the condition of the base used as the base is unfavorable. The hollow body base can also be a soft body made of flexible material.

Particularly good spring properties can be achieved if the fold wall tapers conically towards the spring body, such that the support device expediently has a truncated cone-shaped outer contour with a tapered side arranged on the spring body side. This design also allows for even more compact folding when the pneumatic chamber is ventilated, since the individual fold sections can dip concentrically into one another.

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In order to ensure that the sports equipment is highly stable even under extreme conditions, a support device for the hollow body wall and in particular for the fold wall can be arranged in the pneumatic chamber. The support device for the fold wall can consist of one or more support rings, with each support ring being seated in one of the folds of the fold wall from the inside.

The fold wall is preferably wave-shaped or zigzag-shaped in cross-section.

A cushion can be arranged on the outside of the hollow body ceiling that forms the jumping body, which makes the use of the device more comfortable and also prevents wear and tear on the jumping body.

The hollow body base can form a seat, so that the sports equipment can fulfil an additional function as seating furniture with gas cushioning.

It is advantageous if a filling opening leading into the pneumatic chamber is arranged on the hollow body, through which the pneumatic chamber can be filled and/or vented. A simple air pump, e.g. suitable for foot operation, can be used for filling.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of the sports equipment according to the invention in a schematic and perspective illustration,

Fig. 2 a cross-section through the sports equipment from Fig. 1 according to section line II-II, with an optional support device indicated in dashed lines,

Fig. 3 shows a section of a fold wall of another embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 4 the upper jumping body area of an advantageous embodiment provided with a cushion and

Fig. 5 an embodiment of a sports device, in which

de.n the side wall is only partially designed as a folding wall.

The invention relates to a piece of sports equipment that can also be referred to as a jumping or hopping device and that can be used in the manner of a trampoline, which means that one or more people can exercise by jumping or bouncing on it. "In the manner of a trampoline" therefore means that the piece of sports equipment is functionally similar to a trampoline.

According to Fig. 1 and 2, the sports equipment has a support device 1 which carries a jumping body 2 and with which the sports equipment can be placed on a suitable base, e.g. the floor 3 of a sports hall, in a position shown in the figures.

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The jumping body 2 points upwards. For reasons that will be explained later, the jumping body has springy properties, particularly in the vertical direction 4 of the sports equipment. A person looking to do sports can therefore move by hopping or jumping on the top of the jumping body 2, with the movements being influenced and in particular reinforced by the spring-elastic jumping body.

At this point it should be noted that the present description, unless otherwise indicated, refers to the position of use of the sports equipment shown in Fig. 1 and 2.

The support device 1, which practically represents the base of the sports equipment, is formed by a hollow body 5, which encloses a gas-tight pneumatic chamber 6 on all sides. The hollow body 5 has a hollow body base 7 at the bottom, a hollow body ceiling 8 opposite at the top and in between a side wall 9 connecting the base and the ceiling to one another, running around the vertical axis 4, i.e. extending around this axis 4.

In principle, the hollow body 5 can have a cylindrical basic structure on the outside, with the bottom 7 and the cover 8 being assigned to the axial end regions of the cylinder. For reasons to be explained later, however, the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 and 2 is advantageous , in which the hollow body 5 has the basic structure or outer contour of a

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hollow cone, whereby the conically tapering peripheral wall is represented by the side wall 9. The axial side of smaller diameter is assigned to the hollow body cover 8.

Preferably, the spring body 2 is formed directly by the hollow body ceiling 8, which in the initial state shown can be contained essentially in one plane and preferably in a horizontal plane extending at right angles to the height direction 4.

The pneumatic chamber 6 can be filled with a gaseous medium, in particular with air. The position of use shown shows the pneumatic chamber in the air-filled state. Overall, an air cushion is thus present which is enclosed by the hollow body 5. If the jumping body 2 is now used in the manner described, the air cushion provides springy or spring-elastic support for the jumping body 2. When a person jumps on the jumping body 2, the enclosed air is compressed as a result of the jumping body 2 bulging into the interior of the pneumatic chamber 6, and the brief increase in pressure causes the jumping body 2 to subsequently spring back, with the result that the jumping person is hurled upwards with greater intensity.

It is advantageous if the jumping body 2 is made of material with rubber-elastic properties,

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mi idest but is flexible or yielding or bendable is suspended from the side wall 9.

It is advantageous that, when viewed from above, the jumping surface provided by the jumping body 2 essentially corresponds to the cross-sectional area of the sports equipment, so that the ratio of the usable jumping surface to the total area of the equipment is very high. This ensures a compact structure with a large jumping surface. In addition, there are no gaps or similar spaces between the jumping body 2 and the other components of the sports equipment in which a user could get caught and possibly injured.

A great advantage of the sports equipment according to the invention is that the spring properties of the jumping body 2, i.e. the spring properties available, can be adapted to the respective conditions, for which only the pressure prevailing in the pneumatic chamber needs to be changed. The adjustment can therefore be made continuously.

In the advantageous embodiment, a closable filling opening 15 is provided on the hollow body 5, through which the air supply and discharge can be carried out (it is of course also possible to provide separate openings for the supply and discharge of air). This is a filling opening that can be closed, for example, with a lid 16.

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filling opening, whereby the air supply can be carried out with the help of a simple air pump 13 after removing the lid. By removing the lid, the outflow of air can also be regulated if necessary.

It goes without saying that other suitable measures can also be provided to ensure the supply and/or discharge of air with respect to the pneumatic chamber 6. For example, it would be conceivable to install a releasable check valve in an existing filling opening 15.

The majority of the volume of the sports equipment according to the invention in the ready-to-use position is therefore taken up by the air-filled pneumatic chamber. If the air is released, the hollow body 5 can preferably be folded up compactly, so that only a small amount of space is required to store the sports equipment.

The possibility of folding into a compact flat structure is advantageously facilitated by the fact that the side wall 9 is designed as a folding wall with circumferential folding sections 11, i.e. extending around the vertical axis 4 and following one another in the vertical direction 4. This results in a bellows-like structure of the side wall, which can be conveniently folded up like an accordion when the pneumatic chamber 6 is ventilated.

It is possible to use the side wall 9 only partially as

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5. However, it is advantageous if the entire side wall 9 is designed as a fold wall 10, as is the case in the embodiment according to Fig. 1 and 2. Here, the conical side wall design also has an advantageous effect, which causes the fold wall 9 to taper conically or conically towards the spring body 2. On the one hand, this results in increased stability of the hollow body representing a shell when the pneumatic ^chamber 6 is inflated, and on the other hand, the individual fold sections 10 can be folded together when the pneumatic chamber 6 is emptied so that they at least partially dip into one another, so that the structural height in the stored state is further reduced.

It is possible to manufacture the fold wall from flexible material or material with rubber-elastic properties, so that the individual fold sections 11 can be moved and/or deformed relative to one another transversely to the height direction 4. In this way, the pressure prevailing in the pneumatic chamber 6 when loaded can also be influenced.

However, it is advantageous in any case if the fold wall and the side wall are stable or stabilized transversely to the height direction 4, so that when the spring body 2 is loaded, bulging is at least largely prevented.

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This ensures that the jump 1

Jj body 2 does not bend when loaded at edge areas, %

so that the person using the sports equipment |

case, a substantially vertical jumping direction can be maintained. I

In the event that due to the nature of the material ■

If the side wall 9 alone cannot provide the desired support for this side wall, it is possible to provide an additional support device. J

An advantageous embodiment of such a support device 17 is indicated in dashed lines in Fig. 2. It is located inside the pneumatic chamber 6 and consists of several support rings 18, each of which is inserted from the inside into one of the inner folds 19 of the fold wall 10. These support rings 18 can be moved relative to one another in the vertical direction 4, so that despite supporting the side wall 9 in the transverse direction, the folding process following ventilation of the pneumatic chamber 6 is not impaired.

The support rings 18 are expediently fastened in the inner folds 19.

In an embodiment not shown in detail, the support rings 18 are formed by individual turns of a helical spring arranged in the pneumatic chamber 6. :

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In the embodiment according to Fig. 1 and 2, the fold wall 10 is wave-shaped, although other fold structures may also be used. As a further example, reference is made to a zigzag structure, as shown in Fig. 3.

The hollow body 5 is expediently made of plastic material, whereby it can be a one-piece construction. A construction in which the base 7 and/or the cover 8 and/or the fold wall 9 of the shell or hollow body 5 are manufactured separately and then firmly and in particular inseparably connected to the other parts, e.g. by gluing or welding, is also expedient.

The hollow body base 7 can be a rigid body made of rigid or stiff material, so that the risk of damage, e.g. from a contaminated surface, is largely excluded. The base can also be designed as a soft body with flexible and/or elastic properties. The latter is particularly advantageous if the hollow body base 7 also represents a seat. In this case, the sports equipment has a dual function, on the one hand as a sports equipment and on the other hand as a seat when it is turned upside down compared to the position in which it is used.

In any case, in such an embodiment it is practical to connect the spring body 2 and the hollow body base

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7 to be adapted to the respective purpose in terms of material and design.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, on the outside of the hollow body ceiling forming the spring body 2

8 a cushion 20 is attached, which protects the ceiling 8 from damage and rapid wear.

The sports equipment according to the invention is particularly suitable for diameters of less than one meter. A semi-hard material, e.g. rubber, can be used as the jumping body material.

It goes without saying that the individual features of the embodiments can also be exchanged or combined with one another.

Claims (14)

Expectations 1. Sports equipment in the manner of a trampoline, with a support device on which, seen in the position of use, a resilient matt ^F- or cloth-shaped jumping body is arranged at the top, characterized in that the support device (1) is formed by a hollow body (5) enclosing a gas-tight pneumatic chamber (6), the peripheral side wall (9) of which is at least partially designed as a folding wall (10, 10') with peripheral folding sections (11) which follow one another in the height direction (4), and the hollow body cover (8) of which forms the jumping body (2). 2. Sports equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that the entire side wall (9) is designed as a folding wall (10). 3. Sports equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the jumping body (2) consists of material with rubber-elastic properties. -2 - 4. Sports equipment according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the folding sections (11) of the side wall (9) are movable in the vertical direction (4) and/or transversely to the vertical direction in the lateral direction. 5. Sports equipment according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the folding wall (10, 10') consists of flexible and/or rubber-elastic material. 6. Sports equipment according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the hollow body base (7) is a rigid body. 7. Spore device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the hollow body base (7) is a soft body. 8. Sports equipment according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the fold wall (10, 10') tapers conically in the direction of the jumping body (2), such that the support device (1) expediently has a truncated cone-shaped outer contour with a tapered side arranged on the jumping body side. 9. Sports equipment according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a support device (17) for the hollow body wall and in particular for the side wall (9) having the fold wall is arranged in the pneumatic chamber. t I * · 10. Sports equipment according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a support device (17) for the folding wall (10) is arranged in the pneumatic chamber (6), which consists of at least one support ring (18), each support ring (18) being arranged in one of the inner sides (19) of the fold wall (10). 11. Sports equipment according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the fold wall (10, 10') is wave-shaped or zigzag-shaped in cross section. 12. Sports equipment according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that a cushion (20) is arranged on the outside of the hollow body cover (8). 13. Sports equipment according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the hollow body base (7) forms a seat. 14. Sports equipment according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that a closable filling opening (15) opening into the pneumatic chamber (6) is arranged on the hollow body (5).