US20140038783A1

US20140038783A1 - Trampoline court

Info

Publication number: US20140038783A1
Application number: US13/958,219
Authority: US
Inventors: Timothy D. Crawford; Martin L. Brooks
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-08-03
Filing date: 2013-08-02
Publication date: 2014-02-06

Abstract

Trampoline courts are disclosed herein. An embodiment of a trampoline court includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is inclined relative to the second portion. A first trampoline and a second trampoline are located in the second portion. A third trampoline is located in the first portion, wherein the third trampoline is adjacent the first trampoline and the second trampoline.

Description

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application 61/679,666 filed on Aug. 3, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all that is disclosed.

BACKGROUND

Trampoline courts are large areas having a plurality of trampolines. Several users bounce on a court and may bounce between the plurality of trampolines. One of the objectives in designing a trampoline court is to maximize the bounce surface. One method of increasing the bounce surface is to decrease the number of supports between the plurality of trampolines.
Some trampoline courts have long, substantially horizontal trampolines that are parallel to each other. The horizontal trampolines extend to inclined trampolines that are located on each end of the horizontal trampolines. The inclined trampolines may be at an angle of approximately forty degrees relative to the horizontal trampolines. Each of the horizontal trampolines has an individual inclined trampoline adjacent each end. Therefore, there is a support between each of the inclined trampolines that corresponds to the boundaries of their respective horizontal trampolines.

SUMMARY

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a trampoline court.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of two of the trampoline courts of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of another embodiment of a trampoline court.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of another embodiment of a trampoline court.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of another embodiment of a trampoline court.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of another embodiment of a trampoline court.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of another embodiment of a trampoline court.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of another embodiment of a trampoline court.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Trampoline courts that accommodate different individual trampolines are disclosed herein. An isometric view of an embodiment of a trampoline court 100 is shown in FIG. 1. A plan view of the trampoline court 100 is shown in FIG. 2. It is noted that the trampoline court 100 of FIG. 2 has a first sub-court 102 and a second sub-court 104, that show more detail than the embodiment of FIG. 1. The first sub-court 102 may be identical or substantially similar to the second sub-court 104. Accordingly, the following description relates to the first sub-court 102, however, the description applies to the second sub-court 104.
The first sub-court 102 includes three portions, a first portion 105, a second portion 106, and a third portion 108. The second portion 106 is the portion of the trampoline court 100 where the most bouncing typically occurs. The second portion 106 may set above a floor or other solid surface (not shown) so that supports for the second portion 106 contact the solid surface and allow for users to bounce on the trampolines. The second portion 106 includes a plurality of individual trampolines 109. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the second portion 106 has four individual trampolines 109 that are referred to individually as the first trampoline 110, the second trampoline 112, the third trampoline 114, and the fourth trampoline 116. The second portion 106 is bounded by a first boundary 120 that is adjacent the first portion 105 and a second boundary 122 that is adjacent the third portion 108. The second portion 106 may be substantially horizontal. In some embodiments, the second portion 106 may be at least partially wave-shaped. As described above, the second sub-court 104 may be identical or substantially similar to the first sub-court 102. In other embodiments, the first and third portions 105, 108 differ between the first and second sub-courts 102, 104.
The trampoline court 100 includes several individual trampolines. The embodiment of the first sub-court 102 of FIGS. 1 and 2 includes six individual trampolines. Four of the individual trampolines 110, 112, 114, and 116 are described above and are sometimes referred to individually as the first through fourth extended or long trampolines respectively. The fifth and sixth individual trampolines are referred to as the first inclined trampoline 124 and the second inclined trampoline 126. The long trampolines 110-116 are located on the second portion 106, the first inclined trampoline 124 is located on the first portion 105 and the second inclined trampoline 126 is located on the third portion 108. One or more of the long trampolines 110-116 may be substantially horizontal, flat, wave-shaped, or curved depending on the design of the trampoline court 100. The first and second inclined trampolines 124, 126 may intersect the second portion 106 at an angle that depends on the design of the trampoline court. For example, the angle of intersection may be approximately forty degrees.
The individual trampolines have many different components. Reference is made to the first trampoline 110, which is exemplary of many of the trampolines in the trampoline court 100. The first trampoline 110 is bounded by rails 124 that define the boundaries of the first trampoline 110. The rails may be any structural device or support structure to which a trampoline mat may be attached. In some embodiments, a single rail is used. In other embodiments, a plurality of rails may be secured together, wherein a trampoline in the second portion 105 is secured to a first rail and a trampoline in the first or third sections 105, 108 is secured to a second rail. The rails 124 are described in greater detail below. A trampoline pad 129 is connected to the rails 128 by way of a plurality of springs 130. It is noted that only a few springs 130 are shown in FIG. 2. However, the trampoline court 100 may use a greater number of springs 130 to attach the pads to the rails. For example, the springs 130 may be located every few inches along the perimeter of a trampoline pad.
Referring to the fourth trampoline 116 as a reference, the trampolines 109 may each have a width 132 and a length 134. The embodiments of trampolines 109 disclosed herein may have lengths 134 that are greater than the widths 130. For example, the trampoline 116 may have a width 132 of eight feet and a length 134 of fifty feet. The trampolines 109 are referred to as extending in a direction that is along or parallel to their lengths 134.
In the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, the first portion 105 and the third portion 108 each have one trampoline. It is noted that in other embodiments, the first portion 105 and the third portion 108 may have a plurality of trampolines as described further below. The first portion 105 has the first inclined trampoline 124 and the third portion 108 has the second inclined trampoline 126, which may be substantially similar or identical to the first inclined trampoline 124. The first inclined trampoline 124 has a width 140 and a length 142, wherein the length 142 may be greater than the width 140. The trampoline 124 is defined as extending in a direction 148, which is along or parallel to the direction of the length 142 and which may be substantially perpendicular to the width 134. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the trampolines 109 extend in the direction parallel to the length 134 and the trampolines 124, 126 extend in the direction 148, which is substantially perpendicular to the length 134.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the trampolines 109 may be adjacent the first inclined trampoline 124 and/or the second inclined trampoline 126. Therefore, several of the trampolines 109 be adjacent a single inclined trampoline 124 and/or 126. The trampolines 109 may be described as having ends wherein the ends are adjacent the trampolines 124, 126. The trampolines 109 may share rails or supports with the inclined trampolines 124, 126, which reduces the number of supports needed for the trampoline court 100. More specifically, the first and second inclined trampolines 124, 126 do not need to be partitioned into individual trampolines that correspond to the individual trampolines 109 in the second portion 106.
As briefly described above, the trampolines are bounded by a plurality of rails 128 or other support structures. The first sub-court 102 of the trampoline court 100 has four sides that are bounded by rails 128 or other support structures as described above. The individual rails are referred to as a first rail 150, a second rail 152, a third rail 154, and a fourth rail 156. The first rail 150 and the second rail 152 may be substantially parallel to each other and may be located on opposite sides of the first sub-court 102. The first rail 150 and the second rail 152 may extend along the first portion 105, the second portion 106, and the third portion 108.
The rails 150, 152, 154, 156 may be continuous. In some embodiments, the rails 150, 152, 154, 156 may be made of several rails that are spliced or otherwise connected together. The first rail 150 and the second rail 152 may be referenced as having a plurality of sections, wherein the first rail 150 has a first section 158, a second section 160, and a third section 162. Likewise, the second rail 152 has a first section 166, a second section 168, and a third section 170. The first sections 158, 166 border the first portion 105 of the first sub-court 102. The second sections 160, 168 border the second portion 106 and the third sections 162, 170 border the third portion 108 of the first sub-court 102.
The third rail 154 and the fourth rail 156 may be located at the ends of the trampoline court 100 so that the third rail 154 is adjacent the first portion 105 and the fourth rail 156 is adjacent the third portion 108. The third rail 154 and the fourth rail 156 may join and be substantially perpendicular to the first rail 150 and the second rail 152. The first boundary 120 may be defined by a rail 172 and the second boundary 122 may be defined by a rail 174. It can be seen that the trampoline court 100 only requires rails on the boundaries of the first portion 105 and the third portion 108. No other rails are required in the first portion 105 and the third portion 108. The rails 172, 174 may be support structures that support the trampolines 109, 124, 126. In some embodiments, the trampolines mats of the trampolines 109, 124, 126 are affixed to the rails 172, 174. In some embodiments, the rails 172, 174 are single rails in other embodiments, they have a rail that supports the trampolines 109 and separate rails that support the trampolines 172, 174.
By using single trampolines as the inclined trampolines 124, 126, the bounce area of the trampoline court 100 is increased. Accordingly, users may bounce from the second portion 106 to any location on either the first portion 105 or the third portion 108 without encountering a rail. It is noted that the inclined trampolines 124, 126 described above are adjacent four trampolines 109, however, they may be adjacent any number or trampolines 109.
Another embodiment of a trampoline court 200 is shown in FIG. 3, which is a top plan view of the trampoline court 200. Like the trampoline court 100, FIG. 1, the trampoline court 200 has three portions, a first portion 202, a second portion 204, and a third portion 206. The first portion 202 and the third portion 206 may be inclined relative to the second portion 204, which may be horizontal or wave-shaped. The second portion 204 has a plurality of individual trampolines 210. For example, the second portion 204 has single trampolines extending between the first portion 202 and the third portion 206. Each of the trampolines 210 has a width 212 and a length 214, wherein the length 214 is greater than the width 212. The trampolines 210 are referred to as extending in a direction 218 that is parallel to the length 214.
The first portion 202 may have a plurality of trampolines 220 located therein. Likewise the third portion 206 may have a plurality of trampolines 222 located therein. The trampolines 220 and the trampolines 210 may share a common rail 230. Therefore, the trampoline mats of the trampolines 210 and the trampoline mats from the trampolines 220 may both be connected to the rail 230 by way of a plurality of springs 236. In the same or a similar manner, the trampoline mats of the trampolines 210 and the trampoline mats of the trampolines 222 may be connected to a rail 238 by a plurality of springs 238.
In the embodiment of FIG. 3, each of the trampolines 210 corresponds with and/or is aligned with a single trampoline in both the first portion 202 and the third portion 206. In some embodiments, a single trampoline in the second portion 204 corresponds to and/or is aligned with a single trampoline in both the first portion 202 and the third portion 206. In some embodiments, at least one trampoline in the second portion 204 corresponds to at least one trampoline in either the first portion 202 or the third portion 206.
Another embodiment of a trampoline court is shown in FIG. 4, which is a top plan view of a trampoline court 300. The trampoline court 300 combines a plurality of different trampoline configurations into a single court. The variety of trampolines provides a different bounce or jump dynamic as a user jumps from one trampoline type to another. The trampoline court 300 is divided into three portions, a first portion 302, a second portion 304, and a third portion 306. Both the first portion 302 and the third portion 306 may be inclined. The dashed lines between the first portion 302 and the second portion 304 and between the second portion 304 and the third portion 306 mark the approximate boundaries between the portions. The solid lines in between the first portion 302 and the second portion 304 and between the second portion 304 and the third portion 306 mark rails or other structures as described above located between the portions.
The second portion 304 of the trampoline court 300 has several rows of trampolines 310, which are referred to individually as the first row 312, the second row 314, the third row 316, and the fourth row 318. The trampoline in the first row 312 extends between the first portion 302 and the third portion 306 and is not intersected by a rail. The trampoline in the second row 304 has three individual trampolines and is in a configuration similar to the configuration shown in FIG. 3. The trampolines in the third row 306 and the fourth row 308 are a combination of the first row 312 and the second row 314. More specifically, the trampolines in the third and fourth rows 316, 318 extend between the first portion 302 and the second portion 304 unimpeded by a rail. Both rows share a common trampoline 322 in the third portion 306 in the manner described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 5 is another example of different trampoline configurations that may be used in a trampoline court 400. The mixing of different types of trampolines provides for different jump characteristics. The trampoline court 400 combines a plurality of different trampoline configurations into a single court. The variety of trampolines provides a different bounce or jump dynamic as a user jumps from one trampoline type to another. The trampoline court 400 is divided into three portions, a first portion 402, a second portion 404, and a third portion 406. Both the first portion 402 and the third portion 406 may be inclined. The dashed lines between the first portion 402 and the second portion 404 and between the second portion 404 and the third portion 406 mark the approximate boundary between the portions. The solid lines in between the first portion 402 and the second portion 404 and between the second portion 404 and the third portion 406 mark rails or other support structures between the portions.
The trampoline court 400 has several rows of trampolines 410, which are referred to individually as the first row 412, the second row 414, the third row 416, and the fourth row 418. The trampoline in the first row 412 extends between the first portion 402 and the third portion 406 and is not intersected by a rail. The trampoline in the second row 414 has three individual trampolines and is in a configuration similar to the configuration shown in FIG. 3. The trampolines in the third row 416 combines the trampoline configuration of the first row 412 with the trampoline configuration of FIGS. 1 and 2. The trampolines in the fourth row 418 combine the trampoline configuration of FIG. 3 with the trampoline configuration of FIGS. 1 and 2. It follows that the trampolines in the third row 406 and the fourth row 408 share a common trampoline 422 in the third portion 406.
FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a trampoline court 500 using some of the trampoline portions that are described above. The trampoline court 500 is partitioned into three portions, a first portion 502, a second portion 504, and a third portion 506. The first portion 502 and/or the third portion 506 may be inclined relative to the second portion 504, which may be horizontal. The dashed lines in FIG. 6 represent the boundaries between the portions 502-506. The trampoline court 500 includes three different types of trampolines. Long trampolines are shown by the trampoline 510 and extend between all three portions 502-506. Short trampolines 512 are shown by the trampoline 512 and extend the length of the second portion 504 or they may be solely located in the second portion 504. In some embodiments, the short trampolines may extend to either the first portion 502 or the third portion 506. Inclined trampolines are shown by the trampoline 514 and are located in the first and third portions 502, 506 and are inclined relative to the trampolines or portions of trampolines located in the second portion 504.
As shown in FIG. 6, the trampoline court 500 follows a pattern as shown by a first section 520 and a second section 522, which are identical. The first section 520 has a long trampoline 510 in a first row 522. Two rows 522 and 524 follow, wherein the rows 522, 524 share inclined trampolines 514 in the first portion 502 and the second portion 506. The pattern repeats with the second section 522. It is noted that a trampoline court may have a plurality of sections as shown in FIG. 6. In addition, the trampoline court 500 may have a combination of other sections. The trampoline court 500 shows an example of a trampoline court where two long trampolines 510 are separated by two short trampolines 512 that share rows with two inclined trampolines 514.
Another embodiment of a trampoline court 600 is shown in FIG. 7. The trampoline court 600 has three portions, a first portion 602, a second portion 604, and a third portion 606. The trampoline court 600 has three different types of trampolines. Long trampolines, as exemplified by the trampoline 610, include at least a portion of the first or third portions 602, 606 and the second portion 604. Short trampolines, as exemplified by the trampoline 612 extend the distance of the second portion 604. Inclined trampolines, as exemplified by the trampoline 614, are located in the first and third portions 602, 606.
Reference is made to a section 620 that shows a pattern that may repeat throughout the trampoline court 600. The section 620 has a first row 622 that has a long trampoline 610 extending between in the first portion 602 and the second portion 604. An inclined trampoline 614 occupies the second portion 606 of the first row 622 and the second row 624. A short trampoline 612 occupies the second portion 604 of the third row 624. Another inclined trampoline occupies the first portion 602 of the second row 624 and the third row 626. Another long trampoline occupies the remaining area of the third row 626 in the second portion 604 and the third portion 606.
As shown in FIG. 7, the trampoline court 600 provides for users to bounce down the court between the rows using the shared inclined trampolines. For example, a user may bounce on the first row 622 to the middle of the inclined trampoline 614 in the third portion 606 and then to the short trampoline 612 in the second portion 604. From this point, the user may bounce to the middle of the inclined trampoline in the first portion 602. Accordingly, the user may continue bouncing down the trampoline court 600.
Another embodiment of a trampoline court 700 is shown in FIG. 8. The trampoline court 700 is partitioned into three portions, a first portion 702, a second portion 704, and a third portion 706. The second portion 704 may be substantially horizontal. The first potion 702 and the third portion 706 may be inclined relative to the second portion 704.
The trampoline court 700 includes a plurality of rows that may repeat. A first row 710 includes a long trampoline 720 that extends in all three portions 702-706. In some embodiments, the long trampoline 720 may only extend in the second portion 704 and either the first portion 702 or the third portion 706 or both portions 702, 706 as shown in FIG. 8. A second row 712 in includes a short trampoline 722 in the second portion 704. Inclined trampolines 724, 726 may be located in either the first portion 702, the third portion 706, or in both portions 702, 706 as shown in FIG. 8. A third row 714 may be identical or substantially similar to the first row 710 and may include a long trampoline 728 that is the same or substantially similar to the long trampoline 720 as described above.
The trampoline courts described herein may use a single rail or other support structure between the rows. With reference to the trampoline court 700, the rows, such as the first row 710 and the second row 712 may have a single support member located therebetween wherein the trampoline mats of the trampolines in the rows are affixed to the single support member. The use of a single support member or structure enables the supports for the trampolines mats, at least between the rows, to stay in equilibrium.
As shown above, the trampoline courts described herein can have any number of trampoline configurations located adjacent one another. For example, the long trampoline of row 412 can be adjacent the configuration of row 416. The examples of FIGS. 4 and 5 are examples of the different configurations of trampoline courts wherein different configurations of trampolines may be adjacent one another. The adjacent trampolines may use a common rail or support structure located between them to affix their trampoline mats. The examples of FIGS. 4 and 5 described different embodiments of placing different trampoline configurations next to each other. It is noted that an entire trampoline court may have alternating configurations of different trampoline configurations. The different configurations of trampolines offer different bounce characteristics because they have different sizes, which changes the spring characteristics of the trampolines.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A trampoline court comprising:

a first portion;

a second portion, the first portion being inclined relative to the second portion;

a first trampoline located in the second portion;

a second trampoline located in the second portion; and

a third trampoline located in the first portion, wherein the third trampoline is adjacent the first trampoline and the second trampoline.

2. The trampoline court of claim 1, wherein the first and second trampolines extend in a first direction and wherein the third trampoline extends in a second direction, the first direction being substantially perpendicular to the second direction.

3. The trampoline court of claim 1, wherein the first trampoline has an end and the second trampoline has an end, and wherein the ends of the first and second trampolines are adjacent the third trampoline.

4. The trampoline court of claim 3, and further comprising a support structure located between the ends of the first and second trampolines and the third trampoline.

5. The trampoline of claim 4, wherein the first, second, and third trampolines comprise trampoline mats, and wherein at least portions of the trampoline mats of the first, second, and third trampolines are affixed to the support structure.

6. The trampoline court of claim 1 and further comprising a support structure located between the first portion and the second portion.

7. The trampoline court of claim 6, wherein the first, second, and third trampolines each comprise a trampoline mat, and wherein at least a portion of the trampoline mats of the first, second, and third trampolines are affixed to the support structure.

8. The trampoline court of claim 1 and further comprising a third portion, wherein the third portion is inclined relative to the second portion, and wherein the third portion is located adjacent the second portion.

9. The trampoline court of claim 8, wherein the third portion comprises a fourth trampoline, and wherein the fourth trampoline is adjacent the first trampoline and the second trampoline.

10. The trampoline court of claim 8 and further comprising a support structure located between the second portion and the third portion, and wherein the first, second, and fourth trampolines are located adjacent the support structure.

11. The trampoline court of claim 10, wherein the first, second, and fourth trampolines are affixed to the support structure.

12. A trampoline court comprising:

a first portion;

a first trampoline located in the second portion;

a second trampoline located in the second portion;

a third trampoline located in the second portion; and

a fourth trampoline located in the first portion, wherein the fourth trampoline is adjacent the first trampoline and the second trampoline.

13. The trampoline court of claim 12, wherein the first and second trampolines have ends, and wherein the ends of the first and second trampolines are adjacent the fourth trampoline.

14. The trampoline court of claim 12, wherein the third trampoline extends to the first portion.

15. The trampoline court of claim 14, wherein the third trampoline has a single trampoline mat that extends into the first portion.

16. The trampoline court of claim 12 and further comprising a fifth trampoline located in the first portion, the fifth trampoline being adjacent to the third trampoline.

17. The trampoline court of claim 12 and further comprising a support structure located between the first portion and the second portion.

18. The trampoline court of claim 17, wherein the first, second, and fourth trampolines abut the support structure.

19. The trampoline court of claim 17, wherein the first, second, and fourth trampolines are affixed to the support structure.

20. A trampoline court comprising:

a first portion;

a first row extending in the first portion and the second portion;

a single first trampoline located in the first row;

a second row extending in the first portion and the second row, the second row being adjacent the first row;

a second trampoline located in the first portion of the first row;

a third trampoline located in the second portion of the first row.

21. The trampoline court of claim 20 and further comprising:

a third row extending in the first portion and the second portion; and

a single fourth trampoline located in the third row.