BACKGROUND
Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to exercise and activity equipment and more specifically directed to a pad for enabling and improving bouncing activities and exercises.
Description of the Related Art
A variety of types of exercise equipment provide a user with the ability to do bouncing or jumping-style exercises, or otherwise rebound in response to a user jumping on or striking the equipment. Examples of these types of devices include trampolines and air-filled spheres or sphere sections, or even punching bags. These exercise devices can be incorporated into a variety of different exercise routines, involving many ways of interacting with the devices.
BRIEF SUMMARY
In one embodiment, a pad for user exercise is disclosed. The pad may comprise a base plate; a dome disposed above the base plate; and a center plate disposed beneath at least a portion of the dome and coupled to the base plate via at least one spring affixed to the base plate; wherein the center plate is configured to provide resiliency and bounce to the dome.
In another embodiment, a method for providing user exercise via a pad is disclosed. The method may comprise depressing, via a dome disposed above a base plate, up and down on the dome; providing, via a center plate, resiliency and bounce to the dome; and wherein the center plate is coupled to the base plate via at least one spring affixed to the base plate.
In yet another embodiment, a pad for user exercise is disclosed The pad may comprise a base plate; a dome disposed above the base plate; a center plate disposed beneath at least a portion of the dome and coupled to the base plate via three springs affixed to the base plate, wherein the center plate is configured to provide resiliency and bounce to the dome; and struts affixed to the base plate, wherein the struts are configured to control the amount of force absorbed by the pad.
Advantages will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the following description of the preferred aspects, which have been shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the present embodiments may be capable of other and different aspects, and their details are capable of modification in various respects. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pad according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a pad according to one embodiment of the invention, illustrating internal parts of the pad;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a pad according to one embodiment of the present invention, illustrating further internal parts of the pad;
FIG. 4 is a detail view of the pad of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the underside of a pad according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a pad according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a pad according to one embodiment of the invention, illustrating internal parts of the pad;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a pad according to one embodiment of the present invention, illustrating further internal parts of the pad;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the underside of a pad according to one embodiment of the present invention, further illustrating internal parts of the pad;
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a pad according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 11 is a detail view of the cross-sectional view of FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is a perspective view from below of a pad according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an environment in which a pad according to the present invention may be used;
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a pad according to another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the pad of FIG. 14 with a dome removed for internal visibility; and
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the pad of FIG. 14 from below with pieces removed for internal visibility.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Shown and described herein are embodiments of a pad for facilitating exercise and activity.
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a pad 10, showing a dome 12, and an outer band 14 made up of outer band portions 16. As will be further understood through review of other drawings, the dome 12 is affixed to the pad 10 via a dome flange. A branding insignia 18 or other legend may be provided on the dome 12. According to one embodiment, the dome 12 is made of silicone, though other resilient materials may be used.
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the pad 10 with the dome 12 removed. Visible is a center plate 20 which is resiliently held above a base plate 22, with springs 24. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, three springs 24 are provided (the third is unseen in FIG. 2) and the springs 24 are conical compression springs. A center hole 26 is provided within the center plate 20. The center plate 20 sits beneath the dome 12 and provides resiliency and bounce to the dome 12. In one embodiment, the region between the top of the dome 12 and the center plate 20 comprises a portion of the dome 12 that completely fills this region with silicone (as will be better understood with reference to FIG. 10).
FIG. 3 illustrates the pad 10 with the center plate 20 removed so that additional details of the pad construction can be seen. Each of the outer band portions 16 is provided with a tab 28 and a slot 30. The tabs 28 are fit into slots 30 of adjacent outer band portions 16. In this embodiment, the outer band portions 16 are all shaped in substantially the same way. Also visible in FIG. 3 is an electronic module 32, comprising a printed circuit board with mounted hardware, and mounting slots 34 provided on the base plate 22. Using these mounting slots 34, fasteners 36 such as screws may be used to fasten the pads to walls, floors, or other surfaces.
FIG. 4 is a detail view of FIG. 3 further illustrating portions of the pad. The electronic module 32 is shown mounted to the base plate 22 by mounts 38, which stand the electronic module 32 off the base plate 22. The springs 24 are connected by fasteners such as nuts and bolts to the center plate 20 and the base plate 22, with a washer 40 provided at the base of each spring 24.
In one embodiment, the springs 24 are compression springs having a load of 40 pounds, with the pad being designed for a nominal load of 160 pounds. The springs in one embodiment have a deflection of 60% of their free length and have a Wahl factor (K) of 1.1.
In FIG. 4, three outer band portions 16 have been removed from the illustration, revealing more of the structure of the pad 10. An upper ring 42 stands above a core plate wedge 44 and is held in place with upper ring fasteners 46 such as screws. The upper ring 42 and the core plate wedge 44 hold a radial portion of a flange of the dome 12 between them, thereby serving to help hold the dome 12 in place (as will be further understood with reference to the cross-section of FIG. 10). The core plate wedge 44 is located above the base plate 22. In one embodiment, two core plate wedges are used, with a gap 50 between the core plate wedges 44 visible in FIG. 3. According to one embodiment, the upper ring 42, the core plate wedge 44, the center plate 20, the base plate 22, and the outer band are all constructed of metal and preferably of aluminum.
Also visible in FIG. 4 is an LED strip 48, which provides lighting of the pad 12 that is visible through the dome 12. This LED strip 48 may light up in response to signals from the electronic module 32 or from external sources.
The electronic module 32 is provided with a distance sensor 52, such as a time-of-flight sensor, which allows for the sensing of the distance of the dome 12 or the center plate 20 from the electronic module 32. This information is used to detect when the dome 12 has been pressed by a user, such as by jumping on or striking the dome 12. Alternatively, other sensors such a pressure sensor or an accelerometer can be placed at appropriate portions of the pad 12 to determine whether the pad 12 is being jumped on or stricken by a user. The electronic module 12 may be provided with multiple sensors in some embodiments.
In this embodiment, the springs 24 are designed to provide an appropriate level of bounce or force reflection by the dome 12 in response to the dome being stricken or jumped upon by a user. The durometer of the silicone in the dome 12 may also be used to control the springiness of the pad 10. According to one embodiment, pads of the present invention are designed to hold the full weight of users. An example range of pads for use by children is for the pads to handle 30 to 140 pounds of force. The pads may be designed to absorb a certain percentage of the force directed at the dome 12, and to rebound or deflect back a certain percentage of the force. In one embodiment, the pads absorb between 30 and 40% of the force applied to them and rebound with approximately 60 to 70% of the force applied. For example, the pads may rebound 60 pounds of force when jumped upon by a child weighing 100 pounds.
In one embodiment, the pad 10 has a diameter of approximately 493 mm and the portion of the dome 12 visible above the outer band 14 has a diameter of approximately 401 mm.
FIG. 5 illustrates a view of the underside of the pad 10, showing attachment points 54 of the springs and attachment points 56 of the core plate wedges 44 to the base plate 22. Mounting fasteners 58 allowing the pad 12 to be mounted to surfaces are also shown. Again, three outer band portions 16 are removed in FIG. 5 allowing the upper ring 42, upper ring fasteners 46, and a core plate wedge 44 to be seen.
FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a pad 60 in which struts are used to assist in the control of the amount of force absorbed by the pad 60. FIG. 6 shows the dome 12 as having a degree of transparency, which allows the internal parts of the pad to be seen. The embodiment of FIG. 6 has the outer band 62 assembled out of a single piece of material; it is to be understood that the outer band may be assembled out of single or multiple pieces of material as befits any particular embodiment.
FIG. 7 shows the pad 60 with the dome 12 removed, revealing a strut assembly 64 that allows for greater control in the amount of force absorbed by the pad 60. The strut assembly is comprised of two struts 66 whose force absorption can be controlled through the use of a valve 68. The struts are connected at first ends 67 to the base plate 69 and at second ends 71 to the center plate 73 (not shown in FIG. 7 but shown in FIG. 6).
The struts 66 are connected to the valve 68 via strut tubes 70 that meet at a T-junction 72, which feeds to a valve tube 74, ultimately reaching the valve 68. In one embodiment, the struts 66 are pneumatic struts, the tubes are air tubes, and the valve is an air valve. The air valve can be controlled either manually or electronically via a motor to change the effective air release rate of the valve, thereby altering the effective force absorption of the pad 60 and the “bounciness” of the pad. The rebounding function of the springs 78 creates a vacuum in the cylinder of the struts 66 when the struts 66 are under compression, and thus the struts 66 slow the rise of the center plate 73. A cutaway 76 is provided in the outer band 62 to allow access to the valve 68.
In one embodiment, the cylinders of the struts 66 have the following qualities:
- Air Pressure Max 140 PSI
- Bore Size 1.45″
- Compression Force Max (Push) 231 Pounds
- Decompression Force Max (Pull) 215 Pounds
In one embodiment, the reaction velocities of the struts 66 is fully controlled by the valve 68.
The valve 68 in one embodiment of the present invention is a single-control two-direction air flow control valve, available from McMaster-Carr, having inlet and outlet tube outer diameters of one quarter inch and with a maximum flow rate of 6.53 scfm at 100 psi, with a flow coefficient (cv) of 0.037.
As in other embodiments, in this embodiment of the pad, springs 78 are used to further control the pad's response to external force.
FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate alternative views of the pad 60, showing the strut assembly 64 and the valve 68.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the pad 10, illustrating the arrangement of the dome 12 and its relationship to the outer band 14. FIG. 11 shows a detail view of the region A of FIG. 10, further illustrating how the dome 12 is held in place. When the pad 10 is constructed, a radial section 80 of the dome 12 is held between the upper ring 42 and the upper edge core plate wedge 44, while an axial section 82 of the dome 12 is positioned between the outer band 14 and the outer edge of the core plate wedge 44. Upper ring fasteners 46 (shown in FIG. 10) pass through holes in the radial section 80 of the dome 12 to further serve to hold the dome 12 in place.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the region 81 of the dome 12 positioned substantially between the center plate 20 and the top 83 of the dome 12 is constructed entirely of silicone. A region 85 below the center plate 20 and above the base plate 22 is substantially air-filled.
FIG. 12 shows a perspective lower view of the dome 12 illustrating both the holes 84 that receive the upper ring fasteners 46 and an indentation 86 that allows for further control of the resilience of the dome and better readings from the time of flight sensor 52.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an exercise area in which pads 10 of the present invention may be incorporated. The pads 10 may be lit via their LED strips 48 (not shown in FIG. 13) to call users attention to the pads. In one exercise routine, lit pads must be jumped on to successfully complete the exercise, and jumping on the pads causes the LED strips 48 to turn off. The pads 10 may also be provided with sound emitters (such as speakers) within them that further call users' attention to the pads. Alternatively, the pads 10 may be mounted to walls and punched, kicked, or otherwise stricken in order for the exercise routine or workout to progress and for the participant's performance to be measured.
FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a pad 90 having a dome 92. In the embodiment of FIG. 14, an outer ring 94 is incorporated into the design. The outer ring 94 allows the dome 92 to sit at a greater height from a base plate than as shown in other embodiments. As shown in FIG. 15, this greater height allows for a center plate 98 that sits above four compression springs 100 and a centrally-disposed strut 102. An upper ring 104 serves to assist in holding the dome 92 in place, as with other embodiments. Rings 96 can be provided for the mounting of other equipment such as ropes or bands.
In one embodiment, the pad 90 has a diameter of approximately 627 mm and the portion of the dome 92 visible above the upper ring 104 has a diameter of approximately 518 mm.
FIG. 16 shows the embodiment of FIG. 14 from below with the base plate removed, revealing first stand-offs 107, the tops of which affix to an intermediate ring 107 is. Second stand-offs 109 in turn are disposed between the intermediate ring 107 and the upper ring 104, and in construction a radial section of the dome 92 may be held between the intermediate ring 107 and the upper ring 104. A valve 108 may be connected to the strut 110 with pneumatic tubing (not shown), enabling control of the effective force absorption of the pad 90.
The springs 100 are held in place at their tops and bottoms by spring retention discs 112.
Pads according to the present invention make use of their springs, or springs in combination with struts, to improve the repeatability and consistency of the pads' response to external forces.
This description contains depictions of embodiments of the invention, which are not meant to limit the scope of the invention.
Patent Application
20200376313
