US20050148433A1 - Water trampoline - Google Patents

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.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
• 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
• 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.
• 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.
• FIG. 1 shows a conventional water trampoline having anair cushion10 with predetermined size and buoyancy. Theair cushion10 is basically an annular hollow body having a circular or a polygonal shape. A plurality ofhandles11 are spaced along an outer peripheral surface of theair cushion10 to facilitate easy carrying of theair cushion10 to or from the water surface. A jumping bed12 is tightly stretched in a central open space of theair cushion10 by a plurality of elastic elements (not shown) radially extended between the jumping bed12 and theair cushion10. And, anouter shielding pad13 is used to cover a top of the elastic elements. Thehollow air cushion10 allows the whole water trampoline to float on the water surface, and a user may jump on and be continuously rebounded from the jumping bed12.
• The elastic elements for tightly stretching open the jumping bed12 must be fixedly connected at an end to an inner peripheral surface of theair cushion10, and at the other end to an outer periphery of the jumping bed12. The above-structured water trampoline has at least the following two disadvantages:
• 1. The jumping bed12 must be located within the central open space of theair cushion10 and is therefore lower than atop surface14 of theair cushion10. Thus, a surface area of the jumping bed12 is limited by theair cushion10. In other words, the surface area of the jumping bed12 must be much smaller than the area of the air cushion measured at thetop surface14 thereof.
• 2. The elastic element is usually made of a metal material. While an end of the elastic element is connected to the canvas jumping bed12 having a relatively good bearing strength, the other end of the elastic element is connected to the inner peripheral surface of theair cushion10 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
• A primary object of the present invention is to provide a water trampoline that has a jumping bed with effectively increased surface area.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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
• 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
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional water trampoline;
• FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of a water trampoline according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view ofFIG. 2; and
• 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
• Please refer toFIGS. 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 anair cushion20 having predetermined size and buoyancy, a supporting ring30 detachably connected to atop surface23 of theair cushion20, and aprotective cover70 connected to a top of the supporting ring30.
• Theair cushion20 is substantially an annular hollow cushion defining a centralopen space21. In the illustrated embodiment, theannular air cushion20 has a polygonal shape. Theair cushion20 is provided on an outer peripheral surface with a plurality of spacedhandles22 for easy carrying and moving of theair cushion20. And, in the illustrated embodiment, theair cushion20 is inflatable.
• The supporting ring30 is made of a metal material, and includes alower ring31 and anupper ring32 located above thelower ring31 by a predetermined height. Thelower ring31 has a diameter corresponding to that of theannular air cushion20 measured at thetop surface23 thereof, and can therefore be attached to thetop surface23. In the illustrated embodiment, thelower ring31 is detachably attached to thetop surface23 of theannular air cushion20 using a plurality offastening straps40 provided on thetop surface23. Thefastening straps40 at the left side ofFIG. 4 are loosened to release thelower ring31, and thefastening straps40 at the right side ofFIG. 4 are fastened to tie thelower ring31 to theair cushion20. In the illustrated embodiment, thefastening straps40 are located on thetop surface23 of theair cushion20 at positions reinforced with a plurality of reinforcingpatches41, so that thefastening straps40 have an increased bearing strength.
• In the illustrated embodiment, theupper ring32 is connected to and supported above thelower ring31 via a plurality of equi-lengthvertical bars33 equally spaced along an outer circumference of the supporting ring30.
• Ajumping bed50 typically made of a canvas material is tightly stretched over theupper ring32 by means of a plurality of radially extendedelastic elements60. In the illustrated embodiment, theelastic element60 is a coil spring having a predetermined elasticity coefficient and hook-shaped inner andouter ends61,62. Theinner end61 of theelastic element60 is hooked to a reinforcedouter periphery51 of thejumping bed50, and theouter end62 of theelastic element60 is hooked to theupper ring32, as can be clearly seen fromFIG. 4.
• Theprotective cover70 is an annular member adapted to cover the whole supporting ring30 and theelastic elements60 with thejumping bed50 exposed from a central open space of theprotective cover70. Theprotective cover70 attached to the top of the supporting ring30 not only serves as a protective means but also gives the whole water trampoline a better appearance, as shown inFIG. 2.
• The water trampoline of the present invention has the following advantages:
• 1. Thejumping bed50 is located on thetop surface23 of theair cushion20 instead of locating in the centralopen space21 thereof, and can therefore have an effectively increased surface area.
• 2. Theelastic element60 is connected at twoends61,62 to the reinforced outerperipheral edge51 of thejumping bed50 and the metalupper ring32, 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.
• 3. When the fasteningstraps40 are loosened, the supporting ring30 along with thejumping bed50 and theelastic elements60 as well as theprotective cover70 may be released from theair cushion20 for use on ground or a floor like an ordinary floor-type trampoline.
• 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.

Claims (6)

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 inclaim 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 inclaim 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 inclaim 1, wherein said elastic element comprises a coil spring having two connecting ends.

5. The water trampoline as claimed inclaim 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 inclaim 1, further comprising a protective cover adapted to cover a top of said supporting ring and said elastic elements.

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