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Springfree Trampoline is a company that manufactures recreationaltrampoline products and accessories. The design was created byKeith Vivian Alexander, a professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at theUniversity of Canterbury inChristchurch,New Zealand.[1] Springfree Trampolines are sold globally in over 31 countries.[2]
In 1989, Dr. Keith Alexander began developing a safer trampoline after his daughter expressed interest in owning one and his wife raised concerns about their safety.[3] After analysing trampoline data in 1992, Alexander noted three impact zones affecting jumper safety in theGeorge Nissen trampoline design. These were:
Alexander's goal was to increase the trampoline's safety by re-engineering the spring technology. In 1999, Alexander released his first prototype utilising glass-reinforced plastic rods, and the first commercial versions began selling in late 2004. In 2009, Springfree Trampoline won anAustralian Design Award.[4]
The Springfree trampoline's design includes the use of glass-reinforced plastic rods articulating below the jumping surface, as opposed to the radiating steel spring coils of a Nissen trampoline. The jumping surface is lowered around 450mm below the jumping surface of a traditional trampoline, and the base's rigidity is derived from a tubular steel assembly with angled supports.[citation needed]
