Quick-coupling post for trampoline safety fence

• US 7,182,713 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2003
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shen-Tai Industry Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Shen-Tai Industry Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Wang, Teng Yi, Wu, Chang I
• Primary Examiner(s): DONNELLY, JEROME W
• Application Number:
  US10/680,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20040147370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 482/35, 482/27, 482/28, 403/109.3, 403/109.2, 403/109.6
• US Class Current: 482/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

A quick-coupling post for trampoline safety fence is formed from a plurality of sequentially connectable hollow sections and an elastic connecting element mounted in each section. Each of the hollow sections has an upper portion adapted to fitly extend into a lower portion of another section to align two through holes separately provided at the upper and the lower portion of the two hollow sections, respectively. The elastic connecting element is in the form of a letter V to include two normally outward stretched arms that naturally elastically press against two opposite inner surfaces of the hollow section. One of the two arms is provided at a free end with a short shaft tube that elastically extends through the two aligned through holes on two coupled hollow sections to hold the two coupled sections in place relative to each other.

Claims

1. A quick-coupling post for supporting a safety fence enclosing a space immediately above a jumping bed tightly stretched over a round frame of a trampoline located on the ground via a plurality of vertical posts, said quick-coupling post being connected via predetermined processing procedures to an inner side of said round frame and said vertical posts, and comprising a hollow base section, said shaft tube having a solid plug tightly received therein and a plurality of hollow upper sections sequentially connectable to provide a desired overall length of said safety fence post, and a plurality of elastic connecting elements;

any of said hollow sections that is located at an upper position having a lower portion adapted to fitly extend into an upper portion of another said hollow section located at a lower position, such that two radially extended through holes separately provided at said lower and said upper portion of said upper and said lower hollow section, respectively, are aligned with each other; and

said elastic connecting elements being separately positioned in said hollow sections, and each of said elastic connecting elements being in the form of a letter V to include two normally outward stretched arms, a short shaft tube being formed at a free end of one of said two stretched arms by way of punching and having an outer diameter slightly smaller than a diameter of said through holes provided on said hollow sections; and

said V-shaped elastic connecting element being mounted in said hollow section with said two outward stretched arms naturally elastically press against two opposite inner wall surfaces of said hollow section and said shaft tube elastically extended into said two aligned through holes on two of said hollow sections that are vertically coupled with each other.

2. The quick-coupling post for supporting a safety fence as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shaft tube is provided on a wall thereof with two diametrically opposite and axially extended slots to provide said shaft tube with a certain degree of elasticity and clamping force.

3. The quick-coupling post for supporting a safety fence as claimed in claim 2, wherein said shaft tube has a solid plug fitly received therein.