Patent Publication Number: US-9849324-B2

Title: Wakeboard training trampoline apparatus

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to trampolines, and more specifically to trampolines and wakeboards. 
     PROBLEM STATEMENT 
     Interpretation Considerations 
     This section describes the technical field in more detail, and discusses problems encountered in the technical field. This section does not describe prior art as defined for purposes of anticipation or obviousness under 35 U.S.C. section 102 or 35 U.S.C. section 103. Thus, nothing stated in the Problem Statement is to be construed as prior art. 
     Discussion 
     The popularity of wakeboard competitions have drastically increased over the recent years and those competitions are highly competitive with large financial incentives. Some of the best wakeboarders receive large financial sponsorships as a result of great performances. Due to the increase of interest and financial considerations, training for wakeboarding has increased as well. The best wakeboarders in the world spend hours per day honing their tricks and their craft. The evolution of the sport has led to some incredible tricks such as the “1260 and the triple front flip.” 
     Currently, the only way to train is to take a boat out on a lake and try new tricks. This requires more than 1 person to practice, is timely inefficient, and can be very dangerous to attempt new tricks. Generally, training requires 3 people, the wakeboarder, the person driving the boat, and a spotter in the boat to let the driver know when the wakeboarder has fallen. Practicing wastes a large amount of time. It takes time to get the boat ready, get on the lake, and set up to train. If the wakeboarder falls, it takes time to circle the boat back around and start over. Lastly, it is dangerous. 
     Training on the water is dangerous. When falling after attempting a trick, the body absorbs contact falling a great distance and at a high velocity. Injuries are very common when attempting new tricks. Accordingly, there is a need for a wakeboard training device to reduce the amount of downtime between tricks and reduce the danger associated. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various aspects of the invention, as well as an embodiment, are better understood by reference to the following detailed description. To better understand the invention, the detailed description should be read in conjunction with the drawings and tables, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows an isometric side view of the wakeboard training device. 
         FIG. 2  shows an isometric front view of the wakeboard training device. 
         FIG. 3  shows an isometric rear view of the wakeboard training device. 
         FIG. 4  shows an isometric view of a plurality of wakeboard training devices interconnected. 
     
    
    
     EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT OF A BEST MODE 
     Interpretation Considerations 
     When reading this section (An Exemplary Embodiment of a Best Mode, which describes an exemplary embodiment of the best mode of the invention, hereinafter “exemplary embodiment”), one should keep in mind several points. First, the following exemplary embodiment is what the inventor believes to be the best mode for practicing the invention at the time this patent was filed. Thus, since one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize from the following exemplary embodiment that substantially equivalent structures or substantially equivalent acts may be used to achieve the same results in exactly the same way, or to achieve the same results in a not dissimilar way, the following exemplary embodiment should not be interpreted as limiting the invention to one embodiment. 
     Likewise, individual aspects (sometimes called species) of the invention are provided as examples, and, accordingly, one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize from a following exemplary structure (or a following exemplary act) that a substantially equivalent structure or substantially equivalent act may be used to either achieve the same results in substantially the same way, or to achieve the same results in a not dissimilar way. 
     Accordingly, the discussion of a species (or a specific item) invokes the genus (the class of items) to which that species belongs as well as related species in that genus. Likewise, the recitation of a genus invokes the species known in the art. Furthermore, it is recognized that as technology develops, a number of additional alternatives to achieve an aspect of the invention may arise. Such advances are hereby incorporated within their respective genus, and should be recognized as being functionally equivalent or structurally equivalent to the aspect shown or described. 
     Second, the only essential aspects of the invention are identified by the claims. Thus, aspects of the invention, including elements, acts, functions, and relationships (shown or described) should not be interpreted as being essential unless they are explicitly described and identified as being essential. Third, a function or an act should be interpreted as incorporating all modes of doing that function or act, unless otherwise explicitly stated (for example, one recognizes that “tacking” may be done by nailing, stapling, gluing, hot gunning, riveting, etc., and so a use of the word tacking invokes stapling, gluing, etc., and all other modes of that word and similar words, such as “attaching”). 
     Fourth, unless explicitly stated otherwise, conjunctive words (such as “or”, “and”, “including”, or “comprising” for example) should be interpreted in the inclusive, not the exclusive, sense. Fifth, the words “means” and “step” are provided to facilitate the reader&#39;s understanding of the invention and do not mean “means” or “step” as defined in §112, paragraph 6 of 35 U.S.C., unless used as “means for—functioning—” or “step for—functioning—” in the Claims section. Sixth, the invention is also described in view of the Festo decisions, and, in that regard, the claims and the invention incorporate equivalents known, unknown, foreseeable, and unforeseeable. Seventh, the language and each word used in the invention should be given the ordinary interpretation of the language and the word, unless indicated otherwise. 
     It should be noted in the following discussion that acts with like names are performed in like manners, unless otherwise stated. Of course, the foregoing discussions and definitions are provided for clarification purposes and are not limiting. Words and phrases are to be given their ordinary plain meaning unless indicated otherwise. 
     Description of the Drawings 
     Wakeboards are boards used for riding the wake wave created behind a boat and the rider while holding a tow rope attached to the boat can ride along at a high rate of speed. The tow rope allows the rider to perform jumps and complex tricks off of the wake. This apparatus and method is for training a wakeboard rider without the need of the boat. 
     Shown in  FIG. 1  is the basic wakeboard training device  100 . The wakeboard training device  100  has a plane which is a platform with a jumping surface  110  which is a jumping material. The jumping material can be a polypropylene similar to what is commonly used for trampolines. The jumping surface  110  is coupled to the device frame  120  via at least 1 elastic coupler  130 . The device frame  120  is a rigid material such as steel. The frame  120  can be hollow, solid, round, and/or square. Shown is a plurality of elastic couplers  130 . The elastic couplers  130  can be a coil spring, but other elastic alternatives are acceptable. The frame  120  can include a bar connector  135  which is affixed to the frame  120  and couples one side of the coil spring  130 . The bar connector  135  secures the coil spring  130  more effectively than connecting said spring  130  to frame  120  directly. 
     Connected to the front of the frame is a tow rope support structure  140 . The tow rope support structure is a rigid structure used to secure the tow rope  150 . The tow rope  150  is secured to the tow rope support structure via a coupler  155 . The coupler  155  can range from many options, shown is the ring which encompasses the top beam  145  of the tow rope support structure  140 . The ring allows the tow rope  150  to slide about the top beam  145  from one side to the other in order to maximize range of the tow rope  150 . Another embodiment would have the tow rope  150  affixed to the center of the top beam  145  to limit range of the tow rope  150 ; the coupler would be a pin, a screw, glue, or even tying the tow rope  150  in replace of the coupler. 
     Shown in Figure one is a center platform  160 . The center platform  160  is not necessary for the apparatus. The wakeboard rider can start on the platform  160  to start a practice routine. The platform can be a solid material such as steel, wood, or plastic. The platform  160  can also be a soft material such as padding. The padding works as a soft point for the wakeboard rider to resituate himself during a practice routine. 
     The wakeboard training device  100  can have additional improvements to add structure and safety. The wakeboard training device  100  can be raised via a plurality of supports  170 . The supports  170  raise the wakeboard training device  100  so that when the jumping surface  110  sinks due to the rider landing on it  100 , then the jumping surface  110  does not impact the ground. Raising the structure of the wakeboard training device  100  increases safety of the riders. Impacting the ground when landing jumps and/or tricks can lead to injuries. 
     The wakeboard training device  100  can have safety pads (shown in a later figure) that cover the springs  130 . The pads would cover the rigid frame  120  and the springs  130  up to the jumping surface  110 . The pads protect the rider in case of impact with the frame and/or the springs. In addition, a safety net  180  has been added to the wakeboard training device  100 . The safety net  180  is a protection system in case the rider loses a handle on the tow rope  150  and flies uncontrollably off the side of the wakeboard training device  100 . The safety  180  net is not needed, but is an additional safety feature shown. The safety net  180  can encompass the outer zone of the wakeboard training device  100  including all sides. 
     Shown in  FIG. 2  is the side view of the wakeboard training device  200 . The wakeboard training device has a frame  210  which is made of four sides to encompass a quadrilateral area covered by the material that is the jumping surface  220 . The safety pads  280  that were discussed earlier are shown in  FIG. 2 . These pads  280  cover the frame  210  and the coil springs (shown in  FIG. 1 ) in order to reduce risk of injury. There is a slight opening area about the springs shown in  FIG. 1  that is now covered in  FIG. 2  by the pads  280  so that a rider&#39;s limb cannot slip between the springs. 
     The frame  210  is situated at an incline. The front  230  is raised higher than the rear  240  of the frame  210 . The incline increases pressure on jumps to force the rider backwards and up when jumping which in turn increases tightness in the tow rope simulating a jump on a wakeboard in water where the velocity of the boat increases tightness on the tow rope following the take-off of a jump. 
     The frame is raised by a plurality of supports  270  in order to allow the trampoline jumping surface and springs to elastically expand below the frame  210  when a jumper lands and avoiding impact with the ground. The elasticity of the jumping surface  220  absorbs the force of landing a jump and forces a recoil sending the rider and wakeboard flying into the air. 
     The tow rope support structure  260  is secured to the front  230  of the frame  210 . In  FIG. 2 , the tow rope support structure is made of 2 upright bars, a first upright bar  261  and a second upright bar  262 , and a horizontal bar  263  which connects the top ends of the upright bars  261 ,  262 . A coupler ring  265  is encompassing the horizontal bar  263  allowing more lateral range for the rider as the ring  265  can slide from one end of the upright bar  265  to the other. A tow rope  268  is affixed to the ring  265 . 
     An additional wall platform is shown  290  which allows the rider to use to add more height and difficulty to tricks. The rider can jump from the top of the platform to increase height on following jumps which allows for more difficult tricks such as 720s or triple front spins. The wall  290  also acts as a side barrier for the rider to jump into to create more unique tricks such as jumping into the wall  290  and spinning off of it  290 . This additional feature adds more variety to the uses of the wakeboard trampoline training device  200 . 
       FIG. 3  is the wakeboard trampoline training park  300  which has a plurality of wakeboard trampoline training devices  301 ,  302 ,  303 ,  304 . The four wakeboard trampoline training devices  301 ,  302 ,  303 ,  304 , are affixed together to form a roundish or square shape. The frame  310  has an outer frame  311  and an inner frame  312 . The inner frame can be at a higher elevation than the outer frame creating the incline discussed in  FIG. 2 . There is one jumping surface  320  that covers all four of the training devices  301 ,  302 ,  303 ,  304 . The jumping surface  320  covers the opening between the inner frame  312  and the other frame  311 . Shown in  FIG. 3  is a square shaped inner frame  312  and an octagon shaped outer frame  311 , but a circular shaped frame or square shaped frame would work for both. The jumping surface is a material and is coupled to the frame  310  by elastic components (not shown, but shown in  FIG. 1 ). 
     The tow rope support  360  structure is more developed to assist a plurality of wakeboard riders as opposed to just a single one. The tow rope support structure  360  has an upper bar  361 ,  362 ,  363 ,  364  for each side for each rider. The upper bars  361 - 364  are connected to upright bars which aren&#39;t shown in this figure but shown in previous figures and understood by those with ordinary skill in the art. The tow rope support structure  360  can be multiple shapes, for example, the tow rope support structure  360  can be a round circular shaped bar or a single pivot point. These additional structures allow a rider to swing 360 degrees around the apparatus for unique tricks. Affixed to the tow rope support structure is at least one tow rope  365  to perform all of these tricks and give the rider control. 
     Each training apparatus section has a starting pad  371 ,  372 ,  373 , &amp;  374 . The training pads  371 - 374  are rectangular pads for the wakeboard rider to start on. These pads can be rigid material such as a wood or polymer or a nylon pad filled with a tempurpedic composite or a similar composite to absorb impact force. These pads  371 - 374  are not required, but are an additional feature to separate each individual training device. The wakeboard training park  300  has pads covering the springs and the frame  311 ,  312  sections of the apparatus  300 . These pads were discussed in  FIG. 2  and add safety to the apparatus  300 . 
     Shown in  FIG. 4  is an isometric view of the wakeboard training trampoline park  400 . The wakeboard trampoline training park  400  has a plurality of supports  450 . The frame  410  in this embodiment has the same two sections, an outer frame  411  and an inner frame (not shown in this figure). The addition to this embodiment is the tow rope support structure  460  has a circular ring  461  attached to the top of one upright bar  462 . The circular ring was discussed in  FIG. 3  allowing the rider to perform  360  degree tricks. 
     The wakeboard trampoline device is used for a method of training wakeboard riders to perform tricks safely using a trampoline instead of water. The wakeboard rider uses a tow rope to secure to a tow rope support structure to create tension and control. The wake board rider jumps on the trampoline to create lift force caused by the recoil of the trampoline. The wakeboard rider can then perform tricks similarly to the ones performed while riding a wakeboard on a lake being pulled by a boat or jet-ski. Using the incline where the front of the trampoline is more elevated than the rear, the wakeboard rider can simulate the force of being lifted up and being pulled forward similarly to training behind a boat on a lake. The incline forces the wakeboard rider up and to the rear creating additional tension on the tow rope, similarly to training on a lake. 
     In concluding the detailed description, it should be noted that it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations and modifications may be made to the preferred embodiment without substantially departing from the principles of the present invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included herein within the scope of the present invention, as set forth in the following claims.