Abstract:
Trampolines are disclosed herein. An embodiment of a trampoline includes a first support member having a first side and a second side. A pad having a plurality of holes is located adjacent the first support member. A strap extends through at least two of the holes in the pad and around the support member, wherein the strap secures the pad to the support member.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13,411,880 for Trampoline filed on Mar. 5, 2012, which is a continuation application of U.S. Pat. No. 8,128,534 for TRAMPOLINE, filed on Feb. 18, 2010, which claims priority from U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 61/153,932, filed on Feb. 19, 2009, for TRAMPOLINE, which are all hereby incorporated by reference for all that is disclosed therein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    When a plurality of trampolines are placed adjacent one another, a trampoline court is created. However, the support members of the plurality of trampolines create significant areas in the court where no bounce is achieved. The support members significantly reduce the effective bounce area of the trampoline court. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]      FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of an embodiment of a trampoline. 
           [0004]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the trampoline of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0005]      FIG. 3  is a side cut away view of a support member of the trampoline of  FIG. 1  showing an embodiment of attaching padding to the trampoline. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0006]    Trampoline courts are created by placing a plurality of trampolines adjacent one another. The problem with creating these trampoline courts is that the support members of the trampolines reduce the effective bouncing area of the trampoline court. The effective bouncing area is an area where a user of the trampoline court is able to effectively use the trampoline to bounce. The effective bounce area does not exist on the support members or in the vicinity of the support members. 
         [0007]    The trampolines described herein overcome many of the above problems by reducing the number of support members that are located in the trampoline court. Examples of such trampolines and trampoline courts are shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , which are described together in the following description.  FIG. 1  shows a side elevation view of an embodiment of a trampoline court  100 . The view of  FIG. 1  only shows one trampoline  104  as a side view.  FIG. 2  shows a top plan view of the trampoline court  100  of  FIG. 1 . The trampoline court  100  described herein has two trampolines, the first trampoline  104 , and a second trampoline  106 , which are described in greater detail below. It is noted that the trampoline court  100  may have any number of trampolines located therein. 
         [0008]    Reference is made to the first trampoline  104  in the following description. It is noted that the second trampoline  106  is substantially similar, and in some embodiments, identical, to the first trampoline  104 . The first trampoline  104  has a first support member  110  and a second support member  112  substantially aligned with the first support member  110 . The support members  110 ,  112  may be made of a number of rigid materials, such as steel and/or aluminum, that are capable of supporting the trampolines  104 ,  106 . The side defined by the first support member  110  is sometime referred to as the first side of the first trampoline  104 . The side defined by the second support member  112  is sometimes referred to as the second side of the first trampoline  104 . 
         [0009]    The first support member  110  has a first portion  116 , a second portion  118 , and a third portion  120 . Likewise, the second support member  112  has a first portion  124 , a second portion  126 , and a third portion  128 . The first portion  116  of the first support member  110  is aligned with or substantially aligned with the first portion  124  of the second support member  112 . The second portion  118  of the first support member  110  is aligned with or substantially aligned with the second portion  126  of the second support member  112 . The third portion  120  of the first support member  110  is aligned with or substantially aligned with the third portion  128  of the second support member  112 . In addition to the portions, the first trampoline  104  has a first end  140  and a second end  142  located opposite the first end  140 . 
         [0010]    A first plane or area  150  is defined as being located between the first portions  116 ,  124 . A second plane or area  152  is defined as being located between the second portions  118 ,  126 . A third plane or area  154  is defined as being located between the third portions  120 ,  128 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the third area  152  intersects the first area  150  at an angle θ1, and the third area  154  intersects the first area at an angle θ2. The angles θ1 and θ2 are less than 180 degrees. In some embodiments, the angles θ1 and θ2 are 135 to 140 degrees. The angle θ1 is established by the angle of intersection of the second portions  118 ,  126  with the first portions  116 ,  124 . Likewise, the angle θ2 is established by the intersection of the third portions  120 ,  128  with the first portions  116 ,  124 . 
         [0011]    In some embodiments, the second area  152  and/or the third area  154  is curved or has a curved transition to the first area  150 . In such embodiments, the angles θ1 and θ2 may not exist. In this embodiment, the second areas  152 ,  186  and/or the third areas  154 ,  188  may be substantially located on planes that intersect planes defining the first areas  150 ,  184  at the angles described above. 
         [0012]    A single piece of first material  160  substantially or completely extends between the first support member  110 , the second support member  112 , the first end  140 , and the second end  142 . A single piece of material means that the material does not have any intervening rigid support members; although, it may be made of several connected pieces of material. The material  160  is of the type commonly used in trampolines. The material  160  substantially or completely covers the first area  150 , the second area  152 , and the third area  154 . Thus, a user of the first trampoline  104  is able to bounce between the first end  140  and the second end  142  without encountering any support members or areas without material. Accordingly, the effective bouncing area is between the first end  140  and the second end  142 . It is noted that the material  150  is connected to the first support member  110 , the second support member  112 , the first end  140 , and the second end  142  by springs, spring-type materials, or spring-like mechanisms. 
         [0013]    The second trampoline  106  may use the first support member  110  as one of its support members. Thus, there may only be one support member between the first trampoline  104  and the second trampoline  106 , which increases the effective bounce area over conventional trampoline courts. The second trampoline  106  has a third support member  164  that is aligned with or substantially aligned with the first support member  100 . The third support member  164  includes a first portion  168 , a second portion  170 , and a third portion  172  that are aligned with the corresponding portions  116 ,  118 ,  120  of the first support member  110 . As with the first trampoline  104 , the second trampoline  106  may have a first end  178  and a second end  180 . 
         [0014]    The second trampoline  106  has three planes or areas similar to the first trampoline  104 . A first area  184  may be on substantially the same plane as the first area  150 . A second area  186  may be on substantially the same plane as the second area  152 . A third area  188  may be on substantially the same plane as the third area  154 . 
         [0015]    A single piece of second material  190  may extend between the first support member  110 , the third support member  164 , the first end  178 , and the second end  180  and be supported thereto by springs or the like. The second material  190  may be substantially similar to the first material. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the trampoline court  100  may have a horizontal area corresponding to the first areas  150  and  184 . A first incline defined by the areas  152  and  186  may intersect the horizontal area. A second incline located opposite the first incline and defined by the areas  154  and  188  may intersect the horizontal area. Thus, the trampoline court  100  includes a flat area and two inclined areas with only one area of the first support member  100  that lacks an effective bounce area. Therefore, a user is able to use a greater portion of the trampoline court  100  for bouncing than in conventional trampoline courts. 
         [0016]    It is noted that in some applications, the trampolines  104 ,  106  may have only one inclined portion. For example, a trampoline may have a horizontal portion and only one inclined portion intersecting the horizontal portion. Such a trampoline may, as an example, not have the inclined portion corresponding to the areas  154 ,  188 . It is also noted that, as described above, the second areas  152 ,  186  and/or the third areas  154 ,  188  may be curved instead of planar. 
         [0017]    The trampolines  104 ,  106  may have a plurality of legs or supports  190  that maintain the trampolines  104 ,  106  above a floor or the like. In some embodiments, the first ends  140 ,  178  and the second ends  142 ,  180  may be located proximate vertical walls. Accordingly, the ends  140 ,  142 ,  178 ,  180  and their corresponding portions may have supports extending to the vertical walls. 
         [0018]    Some embodiments of the trampoline court  100  may include padding that covers the support members  110 ,  112 ,  164 . An embodiment of the padding is shown in  FIG. 3 , which is a side cut away view of the first support member  110 . The material  160 ,  190  is attached to the first support member by way of springs  200 ,  202 . The first support member  110  may include a plurality of connectors that secure a plurality of springs  200 ,  202  to each material  160 ,  190 . The springs  200 ,  204  connect to the material  160 ,  190  at locations  204 ,  206 . The locations  204 ,  206  may include reinforcing devices (not shown), such as grommets or the like. 
         [0019]    The first material  160  has a first extension  210  extending therefrom. The first extension  210  may be a section of the first material  160  or a material that is attached to the first material  160 . The second material  190  has a second extension  212  extending therefrom in a similar manner as the first material  160 . 
         [0020]    A pad  220  sets on the first support member  110 . The pad may be similar to a standard safety pad used in conventional trampolines. The pad  220  has a first slot  222  and a second slot  224  cut therethrough. The pad  220  may cover the springs  200 ,  202  and may extend onto the material  204 ,  206 . 
         [0021]    A cover  230  is positioned over the pad  220 . The cover  230  has a first end  232  and a second end  234 . The first end  232  connects to the first extension  210  and the second end  234  connects to the second extension  212 . For example, the ends  232 ,  234  and the extensions  210 ,  212  may have a hook and latch fastening mechanisms  236 ,  238 , such as Velcro, that connects them together. 
         [0022]    A strap  240  is attached to the cover  230  at positions  242  and  244 . The positions  242  and  244  correspond to the slots  222  and  224 . The strap  240  extends from the position  242 , through the first slot  224 , around the first support member  110 , through the second slot  222 , and to the position  244 . It is noted that the strap  240  may be in two pieces that are attached to each other proximate the first support member  110 . The strap  240  may be tightened to secure the pad  220  and other components associated therewith in a fixed location relative to the first member  110 . 
         [0023]    The cover  230  is shown as being raised above the pad  220  for illustration purposes. In use, the cover  230  may lay against the pad  220 . In addition, the strap  240  may be tight against the first support member  110 , but is shown as being loose for illustration purposes. 
         [0024]    The extensions  210 ,  212  prevent users from slipping under the pad  230  and contacting the springs  200 ,  202 . The cover  230  protects the pad  230  from being torn or damaged by users. The strap  240  maintains the cover  230  and the pad  220  in a fixed location relative to the first support member  110  and the springs  200 ,  202 . In use, a user may contact the cover  230  from virtually any angle and the pad  220  will not dislodge from its fixed position. Accordingly maintenance requirements of the trampoline court  100 ,  FIG. 2 , are significantly reduced as are injuries.