U.S. patent application number 10/748270 was filed with the patent office on 2005-07-07 for water trampoline.
This patent application is currently assigned to Shen-Tai Industry Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Wang, Teng Yi, Wu, Chang I..
Application Number | 20050148433 10/748270 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34710887 |
Filed Date | 2005-07-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050148433 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wang, Teng Yi ; et
al. |
July 7, 2005 |
Water trampoline
Abstract
A water trampoline includes an air cushion having predetermined
size and buoyancy; a supporting ring detachably connected to a top
surface of the air cushion, and including a lower ring having a
diameter corresponding to that of the top surface of the air
cushion, and an upper ring located above the lower ring by a
predetermined height; and a jumping bed tightly stretched over the
upper ring by a plurality of radially extended elastic elements.
The jumping bed is located above the air cushion instead of in a
central open space thereof, and therefore has effectively increased
surface area and largely enhanced bearing strength to enable safer
and more durable use of the water trampoline.
Inventors: |
Wang, Teng Yi; (Taipei,
TW) ; Wu, Chang I.; (Taipei, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TROXELL LAW OFFICE PLLC
SUITE 1404
5205 LEESBURG PIKE
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22041
US
|
Assignee: |
Shen-Tai Industry Co., Ltd.
|
Family ID: |
34710887 |
Appl. No.: |
10/748270 |
Filed: |
December 31, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/27 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2225/62 20130101;
A63B 5/11 20130101; A63B 21/023 20130101; A63B 2225/605
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/027 |
International
Class: |
A63B 005/11 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A water trampoline, comprising: an air cushion having
predetermined size and buoyancy; a supporting ring detachably
connected to a top surface of said air cushion, said supporting
ring including a lower ring having a diameter corresponding to that
of said top surface of said air cushion, and an upper ring located
above said lower ring by a predetermined height; and a jumping bed
tightly stretched over said upper ring by a plurality of radially
extended elastic elements.
2. The water trampoline as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
supporting ring is detachably connected at said lower ring to said
air cushion by a plurality of fastening straps provided on said top
surface of said air cushion.
3. The water trampoline as claimed in claim 2, wherein said
fastening straps are provided on positions on said top surface of
said air cushion having reinforcing patches provided thereat.
4. The water trampoline as claimed in claim 1, wherein said elastic
element comprises a coil spring having two connecting ends.
5. The water trampoline as claimed in claim 4, wherein said elastic
element is connected at one of said two connecting ends to an outer
periphery of said jumping bed, and at the other said connecting end
to said upper ring of said supporting ring.
6. The water trampoline as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a
protective cover adapted to cover a top of said supporting ring and
said elastic elements.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a water trampoline, and
more particularly to a water trampoline having a jumping bed with
effectively increased surface area and providing a largely enhanced
bearing strength.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A trampoline mainly includes a jumping bed tightly stretched
over an annular frame by a plurality of radially extended elastic
elements. A user may jump on and be continuously rebounded from the
jumping bed to do interesting exercise. U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,207
granted to Publicover et al. discloses a trampoline having the
above-described structure. A safety net is provided to enclose a
space above the jumping bed, so as to protect the user from
accident due to colliding with the frame or falling off the jumping
bed to the floor.
[0003] Most conventional trampolines are of a floor type. However,
the trampoline may also be used over water surface to create the
same rebounding effect. The currently available water trampoline
mainly includes an annular air cushion having a predetermined size
to substitute for the supporting legs of a floor-type trampoline,
and a jumping bed located in a central open space of the air
cushion.
[0004] FIG. 1 shows a conventional water trampoline having an air
cushion 10 with predetermined size and buoyancy. The air cushion 10
is basically an annular hollow body having a circular or a
polygonal shape. A plurality of handles 11 are spaced along an
outer peripheral surface of the air cushion 10 to facilitate easy
carrying of the air cushion 10 to or from the water surface. A
jumping bed 12 is tightly stretched in a central open space of the
air cushion 10 by a plurality of elastic elements (not shown)
radially extended between the jumping bed 12 and the air cushion
10. And, an outer shielding pad 13 is used to cover a top of the
elastic elements. The hollow air cushion 10 allows the whole water
trampoline to float on the water surface, and a user may jump on
and be continuously rebounded from the jumping bed 12.
[0005] The elastic elements for tightly stretching open the jumping
bed 12 must be fixedly connected at an end to an inner peripheral
surface of the air cushion 10, and at the other end to an outer
periphery of the jumping bed 12. The above-structured water
trampoline has at least the following two disadvantages:
[0006] 1. The jumping bed 12 must be located within the central
open space of the air cushion 10 and is therefore lower than a top
surface 14 of the air cushion 10. Thus, a surface area of the
jumping bed 12 is limited by the air cushion 10. In other words,
the surface area of the jumping bed 12 must be much smaller than
the area of the air cushion measured at the top surface 14
thereof.
[0007] 2. The elastic element is usually made of a metal material.
While an end of the elastic element is connected to the canvas
jumping bed 12 having a relatively good bearing strength, the other
end of the elastic element is connected to the inner peripheral
surface of the air cushion 10 that is usually made of a plastic
material and has a relatively weak bearing structure. Therefore,
the elastic element could not function in an ideal manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] A primary object of the present invention is to provide a
water trampoline that has a jumping bed with effectively increased
surface area.
[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
water trampoline that provides an enhanced bearing strength and is
therefore safer and more durable for use.
[0010] To achieve the above and other objects, the water trampoline
according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention
includes an air cushion having predetermined size and buoyancy; a
supporting ring detachably connected to a top surface of the air
cushion, and including a lower ring having a diameter corresponding
to that of the top surface of the air cushion, and an upper ring
located above the lower ring by a predetermined height; and a
jumping bed tightly stretched over the upper ring by a plurality of
radially extended elastic elements.
[0011] In a feasible embodiment of the present invention, the
supporting ring is detachably connected at the lower ring to the
air cushion by a plurality of fastening straps provided on the top
surface of the air cushion.
[0012] In a the feasible embodiment of the present invention, the
fastening straps are provided on the top surface of the air cushion
at positions having reinforcing patches provided thereat.
[0013] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
elastic element is a coil spring having two connecting ends, and
one of the two connecting ends is connected to an outer periphery
of the jumping bed, while the other connecting end is connected to
the upper ring of the supporting ring.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The structure and the technical means adopted by the present
invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best
understood by referring to the following detailed description of
the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings,
wherein
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional water
trampoline;
[0016] FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of a water
trampoline according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
[0017] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 2; and
[0018] FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged view showing the connection
of a supporting ring to an air cushion of the water trampoline of
the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0019] Please refer to FIGS. 2 and 3 that are assembled and
exploded perspective views, respectively, of a water trampoline
according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As
shown, the water trampoline includes an air cushion 20 having
predetermined size and buoyancy, a supporting ring 30 detachably
connected to a top surface 23 of the air cushion 20, and a
protective cover 70 connected to a top of the supporting ring
30.
[0020] The air cushion 20 is substantially an annular hollow
cushion defining a central open space 21. In the illustrated
embodiment, the annular air cushion 20 has a polygonal shape. The
air cushion 20 is provided on an outer peripheral surface with a
plurality of spaced handles 22 for easy carrying and moving of the
air cushion 20. And, in the illustrated embodiment, the air cushion
20 is inflatable.
[0021] The supporting ring 30 is made of a metal material, and
includes a lower ring 31 and an upper ring 32 located above the
lower ring 31 by a predetermined height. The lower ring 31 has a
diameter corresponding to that of the annular air cushion 20
measured at the top surface 23 thereof, and can therefore be
attached to the top surface 23. In the illustrated embodiment, the
lower ring 31 is detachably attached to the top surface 23 of the
annular air cushion 20 using a plurality of fastening straps 40
provided on the top surface 23. The fastening straps 40 at the left
side of FIG. 4 are loosened to release the lower ring 31, and the
fastening straps 40 at the right side of FIG. 4 are fastened to tie
the lower ring 31 to the air cushion 20. In the illustrated
embodiment, the fastening straps 40 are located on the top surface
23 of the air cushion 20 at positions reinforced with a plurality
of reinforcing patches 41, so that the fastening straps 40 have an
increased bearing strength.
[0022] In the illustrated embodiment, the upper ring 32 is
connected to and supported above the lower ring 31 via a plurality
of equi-length vertical bars 33 equally spaced along an outer
circumference of the supporting ring 30.
[0023] A jumping bed 50 typically made of a canvas material is
tightly stretched over the upper ring 32 by means of a plurality of
radially extended elastic elements 60. In the illustrated
embodiment, the elastic element 60 is a coil spring having a
predetermined elasticity coefficient and hook-shaped inner and
outer ends 61, 62. The inner end 61 of the elastic element 60 is
hooked to a reinforced outer periphery 51 of the jumping bed 50,
and the outer end 62 of the elastic element 60 is hooked to the
upper ring 32, as can be clearly seen from FIG. 4.
[0024] The protective cover 70 is an annular member adapted to
cover the whole supporting ring 30 and the elastic elements 60 with
the jumping bed 50 exposed from a central open space of the
protective cover 70. The protective cover 70 attached to the top of
the supporting ring 30 not only serves as a protective means but
also gives the whole water trampoline a better appearance, as shown
in FIG. 2.
[0025] The water trampoline of the present invention has the
following advantages:
[0026] 1. The jumping bed 50 is located on the top surface 23 of
the air cushion 20 instead of locating in the central open space 21
thereof, and can therefore have an effectively increased surface
area.
[0027] 2. The elastic element 60 is connected at two ends 61, 62 to
the reinforced outer peripheral edge 51 of the jumping bed 50 and
the metal upper ring 32, respectively, and therefore forms an even
better resisting structure to provide a largely enhanced bearing
strength, making the whole water trampoline safer and more durable
for use.
[0028] 3. When the fastening straps 40 are loosened, the supporting
ring 30 along with the jumping bed 50 and the elastic elements 60
as well as the protective cover 70 may be released from the air
cushion 20 for use on ground or a floor like an ordinary floor-type
trampoline.
[0029] The present invention has been described with a preferred
embodiment thereof and it is understood that many changes and
modifications in the described embodiment can be carried out
without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention
that is to be limited only by the appended claims.
* * * * *