Trampoline system

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The drawbacks of prior systems are overcome by the use of a trampoline system that employs one or more resilient members 10 located below the rebounding bed 12 of a trampoline.
A resilient member 10 is located at a position selected so that the bed 12 depresses the resilient member 10 when the bed is sufficiently depressed by a person jumping on the bed.
Such a trampoline system is effective at reducing on-bed injuries that result from multiple jumpers and awkward landings.
For instance, many injuries occur when multiple users are jumping asynchronously, a first jumper deflects the bed and loads springs with the energy from his fall and now a second jumper lands on the bed in an awkward position.
At this point in time, the bed is highly tensioned (unforgiving) and has just begun moving rapidly upward, recycling the energy loaded into the springs by the first jumpers impact with the bed.
In this case a bed/resilient member system can be used to significantly reduce the impact force being experienced by the second jumper, thereby helping to prevent an injury.
The primary function of the system is to provide a "softer," more cushioned, and shock-absorbing surface on the rebounding bed, with supplemental delayed support from the resilient member 10 if and when needed to absorb greater impact loads not fully managed by the bed.
The resilient member 10 may comprise a bed of planar material 14 that is positioned at a distance below and extends generally parallel to the rebounding bed 16 and that is supported by a frame 18.
For example, FIGS.
1 6 show embodiments that are double-bed trampolines.
A double-bed trampoline uses two rebounding beds, an upper bed 16 and a lower bed 14 directly below.
The upper bed 16 is configured in the manner of current trampoline systems system with a rebounding mat stretched on a frame.
The lower bed 14 is located directly below and also has a mat that comprises a sheet of stretched fabric.
The spacing between the mats can vary, but good results are achieved with a spacing of at least six inches for trampolines of the type common for home use