Trampoline Enclosure With a Self Closing Door

Abstract

A trampoline enclosure formed from a material such as a netting has a door opening for entry into and exit from the trampoline enclosure and a fold down door panel with at least one resilient member acting to bias the door panel to return the door panel to a closed position from a folded down open position.

1 . A trampoline system comprising:
 a trampoline, having   a flexible rebounding mat,   a frame, adapted to hold the flexible rebounding mat in tension in a substantially horizontal plane above the frame,   an enclosure formed from a barrier of a flexible material, having a lower peripheral part coupled directly or indirectly to the mat,   a plurality of generally upright enclosure support members connected to the frame and extending upwards from the frame around the mat,   the enclosure connected to the support members so as to surround the mat above the mat and extend around the mat, the enclosure having, or being connected to the mat so as to form, an opening for ingress and egress,   the trampoline system further having a door system comprising:   at least one door panel, sized and shaped to at least partly cover or close the opening, and,   at least one resilient member associated with and connecting between the at least one door panel and the trampoline, the at least one door panel movable between an open position allowing ingress and egress, and a closed position where the door panel at least partly covers or closes the opening, the resilient member acting to bias the door panel to the closed position, and to return the door panel to the closed position from the open position.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the resilient member is a rod, attached around an edge of the door panel. 
     
     
         4 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the two ends of the rod curve outwards to become substantially parallel to the horizontal plane of the rebounding mat, the ends connected to either the mat or the enclosure or both. 
     
     
         5 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the two ends of the rod extend downwards past the base of the door panel and past the edge of the mat to connect to the frame. 
     
     
         6 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the frame and the rod are adapted so that the two free ends are connected to the frame to point inwards towards the frame, so that the lower part of the main body of the resilient member is bowed outwards away from the mat. 
     
     
         7 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the resilient deer member is formed as a straight rod, the door panel having one or more pockets or loops on or close to the edge of the door, the rod bent and located into the one or more pockets or loops so as to run around the edge of the door panel, or close to the edge of the door panel. 
     
     
         8 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the base of the door panel is connected to a component of the trampoline. 
     
     
         9 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the base of the door panel is connected to any one, or a combination of, the frame, the mat, or the enclosure. 
     
     
         10 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the opening is substantially arch-shaped. 
     
     
         13 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the perimeter of the opening is reinforced with a pultruded fibreglass rod. 
     
     
         14 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the door system has a pair of door panels which overlap to cover or close the opening. 
     
     
         15 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 14  wherein one of the door panels is located generally to the left of the aperture, and one to the right, each door having generally a ‘D’ shape and a curved main body, and a sloping straight back to the ‘D’ shape, with the bottom corner further away from the aperture than the top corner of the back of the ‘D’, the right-hand one of the pair reversed, the doors sewn to the enclosure along the sloping part of the ‘D’ and at least partly along the top of the main body. 
     
     
         16 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the main body of each door panel is formed from the same netting material as the enclosure. 
     
     
         17 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 14  wherein each door panel has an associated resilient member, fixed to edge of the door panel with at least one webbing loop or pocket that extends around the curved section. 
     
     
         18 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 17  wherein the resilient member comprises a pultruded fibreglass rod. 
     
     
         19 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 18  wherein the lower part of the end of the rod extends past the lower corner of the door panel along the perimeter of the mat. 
     
     
         20 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the door panel of the door system has a generally triangular shape with one upright edge of the door panel fixed to the enclosure to form a hinge, and the at least one resilient member is a rod fixed to the bottom edge of the door panel so as to run generally parallel to, and just above, the plane of the mat and extend along the lower edge of the door panel. 
     
     
         24 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 23  wherein the rod is a straight rod. 
     
     
         25 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 23  wherein the rod is held in position against the edge of the mat by one or more loops or pockets on the bottom of the door. 
     
     
         26 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 23  wherein the rod extends beyond that corner of the door panel where the bottom edge meets the hinge edge, and is held in place on the trampoline by one or more loops or pockets connected to the trampoline. 
     
     
         27 . A trampoline system as claimed in  claim 23  wherein the enclosure aperture is a triangular or sail-shaped opening in the enclosure, with one straight, sloped edge, one edge of the door congruent with the straight sloped edge of the aperture. 
     
     
         28 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A door system for a trampoline enclosure having an opening for ingress and egress, the door system comprising:
 at least one door panel, at least part of the periphery of the door panel forming an attachment edge adapted for attachment to a trampoline,   a resilient spring member attached around at least part of the periphery of the door panel, the resilient door member formed from a resiliently elastic material such as a pultruded fibreglass rod, at least one end of the rod extending past the edge of the door panel.   
     
     
         31 - 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . A trampoline enclosure system for a trampoline comprising:
 an enclosure formed from a barrier of a flexible material for in use surrounding a trampoline jumping surface and extending upwards around the jumping surface, the enclosure having an opening for ingress and egress,   a door system having at least one door panel, sized and shaped to at least partly cover or close the opening, and at least one resilient member associated with the at least one door panel, the at least one door panel movable between an open position allowing ingress and egress, and a closed position where the door panel at least partly covers or closes the opening, the resilient member acting to bias the door panel to the closed position, and to return the door panel to the closed position from the open position.   
     
     
         41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . A trampoline enclosure system as claimed in  claim 40  wherein the resilient member is a rod, bent or shaped and in use connected to the trampoline so that the two ends of the rod extend downwards past the edge of the door panel, the rod attached around the edge of the door panel, except for the base of the door panel. 
     
     
         43 . A trampoline enclosure system as claimed in  claim 40  wherein the resilient member is formed as a straight rod, the door panel having at least one pocket or loop on or close to the edge of the door, the rod bent and located into the at least one pocket or loop so as to run around the edge of the door panel, or close to the edge of the door panel. 
     
     
         44 - 46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . A trampoline enclosure system as claimed in  claim 40  wherein the door system has a pair of door panels which overlap to cover or close the opening. 
     
     
         48 . A trampoline enclosure system as claimed in  claim 47  wherein one of the door panels is located generally to the left of the aperture, and one to the right, each door having generally a ‘D’ shape and a curved main body, and a sloping straight back to the ‘D’ shape, with the bottom corner further away from the aperture than the top corner of the back of the ‘D’, the right-hand one of the pair reversed, the doors sewn to the enclosure along the sloping part of the ‘D’ and at least partly along the top of the main body. 
     
     
         49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . A trampoline enclosure system as claimed in  claim 47  wherein each door panel has an associated resilient member, attached to the edge of the door panel by at least one webbing loop or pocket on or extending around the curved section. 
     
     
         51 - 55 . (canceled) 
     
     
         56 . A trampoline enclosure system as claimed in  claim 40  wherein the door panel of the door system has a generally triangular shape with one upright edge of the door panel fixed to the enclosure to form a hinge, and the at least one resilient member is a rod fixed to the bottom edge of the door panel so as to run generally parallel to, and just above, the plane of the jumping surface in use and extend along the lower edge of the door panel. 
     
     
         57 - 60 . (canceled)