GB2289226A

GB2289226A - Trampoline

Info

Publication number: GB2289226A
Application number: GB9408784A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Otto Wu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-04-21
Filing date: 1994-05-04
Publication date: 1995-11-15
Also published as: AU655149B3; FR2719226A3; GB9408784D0

Abstract

A trampoline 20 includes a frame 10 firmly supported by a number of legs 15 with a bed 12 resiliently supported within the frame 10 by a number of springs 11 of which one end is attached to the frame and the other end is secured to the bed. A massage pad 13 which has a plurality of projections 14 formed thereon is removably disposed on the bed to allow a player's feet to stand and/or jump thereon so as to have the projections to contact, depress and thus stimulate the under-skin cavities located on the foot soles of the player. <IMAGE>

Description

TRAMPOLINE The invention relates generally to a trampoline.

Trampoline is a well-known indoor activity. The trampoline game can be played in a very limited area and is quite convenient for urban people.

Conventional trampolines comprise in general a frame supported on ground by several legs. A bed is resiliently supported within the frame by means of a number of springs which has one end attached to the frame and the other end secured to the bed so as to allow players to jump and bond on the bed with the contact between the players' foot soles and the bed which deforms the bed so as to store therein rebound energy. The conventional trampoline provides no other function.

According to the ancient Chinese medical theory, there are a number of under-skin cavities existing in human body and this is recently proven by modern medical researches. By stimulating these under-skin cavities, certain therapeutic result of human body can be obtained.

The present invention therefore aims to provide an under-skin massage device on the bed of a trampoline to stimulate the under-skin cavities located on the foot soles of a player when the player is playing the trampoline to enhance the utilization of the trampoline.

Thus, the principal objective of the present invention is to provide a trampoline with massage device thereon for massaging the under-skin cavities located on the player's foot soles when the player is jumping on the bed of the trampoline with his or her feet.

To achieve the above-mentioned objective, there may be provided a trampoline structure which has a frame firmly supported by a number of legs with a bed resiliently supported within the frame by a number of springs of which one end is attached to the frame and the other end is secured to the bed. A massage pad which has a plurality of round-headed projections formed thereon may be nrovably disposed on the bed to allow a player's feet to stand and/or jump thereon so as to have the round-headed projections to contact, depress and thus stimulate the under-skin cavities located on the foot soles of the player.

Other objectives and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a trampoline with massage device mounted thereon in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the trampoline of the present invention with the massage pad separated from the trampoline bed; and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a player standing on the massage pad placed on the trampoline bed to be massaged thereby.

With reference to the drawings and in particular to FIGS.

1 and 2, wherein a trampoline constructed in accordance with the present invention, designated with reference numeral 20, is shown, the trampoline 20 comprises a frame 10 firmly supported by a number of legs 15. A bed 12 is resiliently supported within the frame 10 by means of a number of springs iii each of which has a first end attached to the frame 10 and a second end secured to the bed 12. To this point, the structure of the trampoline 20 constructed in accordance with the present invention is the same as those already known.

In accordance with the present invention, the trampoline 20 further comprises a massage pad 13, preferably made of a soft and resilient material, such as rubber, having a surface area not greater than that of the bed 12 so as to be fully disposed on and thus supported by the bed 12. In the embodiment illustrated, the massage pad 13 is simply placed on the bed 12. However, if desired, releasable fastening means (not shown) may be used to more securely hold the massage pad 13 on the bed 12 in a removable fashion.

The massage pad 13 has a number of round-headed projections 14 formed on an upper surface thereof so that when the massage pad 13 is placed on the bed 12, the projections 14 face upward, namely away from the bed 12, to allow a player to stand and/or jump thereon, as shown in FIG. 3. In this way, the under-skin cavities located on the feet sole 16 of the player can be contacted and depressed and thus stimulated by the round-headed projections 14.

In the embodiment illustrated, the round-headed projections 14 are solid. However, it is apparent that the projections 14 may be formed as hollow projections. And they may assume any suitable shape, such as round-headed cone, pebble shape or semi-ellipsoid. Of course, other shapes that do not hurt the player's foot soles when the player jumps thereon may also be adapted.

The removability of the massage pad 13 from the bed 12 allows the trampoline 20 to be used as a regular trampoline.

It is apparent that although the invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art may make changes to certain features of the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Trampoline apparatus including a bed and massage means disposed on the bed.

2. Trampoline apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the massage means are removably disposed on the bed.

3. Trampoline apparatus according to claim 2 including fastening means for securing the massage means to the bed.

4. Trampoline apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the massage means includes a plurality of projections which face upward and away from the bed when the massage pad is disposed on the bed.

5. Trampoline apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the massage means includes a massage pad of resilient material having the projections on an upper surface thereof.

6. Trampoline apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, wherein said resilient material which forms the massage pad comprises rubber.

7. Trampoline apparatus according to any of the above claims including a frame supported by a plurality of legs, the bed being resiliently supported within the frame by means of a number of springs of which a first end is attached to the frame and a second end is secured to the bed.

8. Trampoline apparatus substantially as any one embodiment herein described with reference to the accompany drawings.