Springfree Trampoline
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
Springfree Trampoline is a company that manufactures recreational trampoline products and accessories. The design was created by Keith Vivian Alexander, a professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand.[1] Springfree Trampolines are sold globally in over 31 countries.[2]
History
[edit | edit source]In 1989, Dr. Keith Alexander began developing a safer trampoline after his daughter expressed interest in owning one and his wife raised concerns about their safety.[3] After analysing trampoline data in 1992, Alexander noted three impact zones affecting jumper safety in the George Nissen trampoline design. These were:
- The springs – on the jumping surface.
- The steel frame – on the jumping surface/ jumpers may fall and injure themselves.
- The ground or obstructions on the ground – jumpers would hit as a result of falling off.
Alexander's goal was to increase the trampoline's safety by re-engineering the spring technology. In 1999, Alexander released his first prototype utilising glass-reinforced plastic rods, and the first commercial versions began selling in late 2004. In 2009, Springfree Trampoline won an Australian Design Award.[4]
Design
[edit | edit source]
The Springfree trampoline's design includes the use of glass-reinforced plastic rods articulating below the jumping surface, as opposed to the radiating steel spring coils of a Nissen trampoline. The jumping surface is lowered around 450mm below the jumping surface of a traditional trampoline, and the base's rigidity is derived from a tubular steel assembly with angled supports.[citation needed]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Associate Professor Keith Alexander – University of Canterbury
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes (2019) | https://www.npr.org/2021/08/27/1031732394/springfree-trampoline-keith-alexander-steve-holmes-2019
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).