US20030203794A1

US20030203794A1 - Bouncing rod with adjustable pneumatic pressure

Info

Publication number: US20030203794A1
Application number: US10/132,317
Authority: US
Inventors: Shih-Ming Huang
Original assignee: CHU HSING-KUO
Current assignee: CHU HSING-KUO
Priority date: 2002-04-26
Filing date: 2002-04-26
Publication date: 2003-10-30

Abstract

A bouncing rod with an adjustable pneumatic pressure includes a bouncing device and a pressurizing device below the bouncing device. The air pressure of the bouncing device can be set by an adjusting valve and kept to a constant value by supplying air into the bouncing device through each bounce.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a bouncing rod, especially to a bouncing rod with an adjustable pneumatic pressure.

2) Description of the Prior Art

The conventional bounce rod generally comprises a tensile spring to provide bounce force once the tensile spring is compressed by user. Moreover, the spring force of the bounce rod can also be provided by air bag, or more advanced ways such as pneumatic pressure or oil pressure. However, the conventional bounce rod generally has leakage problem. Therefore, air inflator is required to supply air to a bouncing device of the bounce rod, this is inconvenient especially for outdoor usage.

To overcome this problem, an inflating bar for supplying air to the bouncing device is directly provided at the bouncing device and the user can operate the inflating bar for supplying air to the bouncing device. However, the bouncing device is also air-leaky. The user should frequently operate the inflating bar for supplying air to the bouncing device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a bouncing rod with a fixed pneumatic pressure. A pressurizing device is provided below a bouncing device of the bouncing rod to supply air to the bouncing device. The excessive air is leaked through an adjusting valve to keep constant pressure in the bouncing device.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a bouncing rod with an adjustable pneumatic pressure. For example, a child may need 100 kg bouncing force and an adult may need 200 kg bouncing force. By adjusting the adjusting valve, the air pressure in the bouncing device can be adjusted.

The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a cross section view of the present invention; [0009]
FIG. 2 shows a cross section view of the bouncing device of the present invention; and [0010]
FIG. 3 shows a cross section view of the adjusting valve of the present invention.[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 1, the [0012] bounce rod 1 according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention has a handle 11, a supportive rod 15, two retaining stages 13, 14 and a bouncing device 20 connected therebetween. The lower retaining stage 14 has pedals 12 on both sides thereof. The bouncing device 20 has a pressurizing device 3 at lower end thereof and an adjusting valve 4 at top end thereof and used for pressure adjustment.
As shown in FIG. 2, the [0013] bouncing device 20 basically comprises a cylinder 2 assembled with the retaining stages 13, 14 and has a piston 21 therein. The piston 21 is connected to the pressurizing device 3 through an axial pipe 23 and has a through hole 210 therein. The axial pipe 23 is of cylinder shape therein and has a pressurizing piston 32 linked to the pressurizing device 3 through a link rod 31. The axial pipe 23 has a sliding cap 22 at bottom of the cylinder 2 to provide support such that the axial pipe 23 has longitudinal movement. The link rod 31 is also kept to have longitudinal movement by the sliding cap 22.
The pressurizing [0014] device 3 uses the pressurizing piston 32 for inflating air therein and supply air to a pressure chamber (not labeled) of the cylinder 2 through the through hole 210.
The pressure chamber can push the [0015] piston 21 such that the piston 21 pushes the axial pipe 23 outward. Afterward, the piston 21 compresses the air in the cylinder 2 such that the axial pipe 23 has reciprocating movement to provide jumping force.
The [0016] pressurizing device 3 is moved with a stroke length L at each bounce. The pressurizing device 3 mainly comprises a link rod 31 connected to the pressurizing piston 32 at upper end thereof and has a slide-proof leg 34 corresponding to an end opening 310 of the axial pipe 23. The link rod 31 is connected to the slide-proof leg 34 through a fixing pin 340 such that the slide-proof leg 34 has synchronous movement with the link rod 31. The slide-proof leg 34 has resilient force provided by a spring 33 and has a distance L away from the slide-proof leg 34 when it is not pressed. When the user bounces back to ground, the slide-proof leg 34 acts against the resilient force of the spring 33 to push upward the link rod 31 and the pressurizing piston 32 is driven. A compressed air is supplied to the cylinder 2 and the pressurizing device 3 is moved with a stroke length L at the moment the user bounces on the ground. The pressurizing piston 32 supplies air to the cylinder 2 and the excessive air are leaked through the adjusting valve 4.
Moreover, a [0017] buffer washer 35 is provided at inner face of the slide-proof leg 34 and corresponding to the end opening 310 of the axial pipe 23, thus buffering the rushing stress on the buffer washer 34. The slide-proof leg 34 has a hook portion 341 for buckling the end opening 310. The end opening 310 moves between the hook portion 341 and the buffer washer 35 to define the stroke length L. The link rod 31 is driven through the relatively small stroke length L, thereby supplying air to the pressurizing piston 32. The cylinder 2 is kept to high pneumatic pressure by the pressurizing piston 32 and the excessive air is leaked through the adjusting valve 4.
In FIG. 3, the adjusting [0018] valve 4 is connected to the cylinder 2 through a cover plate 24, more particularly; the adjusting valve 4 is connected to the cover plate 24 through the combination of a threaded bolt 42 and a threaded nut 43. A knob 41 is screwed to an outer thread of the threaded bolt 42. The threaded bolt 42 has a bead groove 45 and a passageway 450. A steel bead 46 is placed atop the bead groove 45 to adjust air drag in the passageway 450. The bead 46 is clamped to the bead groove 45 by a spring 47. The tension of the spring 47 can be adjusted by adjusting the knob 41, thereby adjusting the air drag in the passageway 450. The bead 46 has tighter sealing to the bead groove 45 when the spring 47 has larger tension by adjusting the knob 41, and the air drag in the passageway 450 is increased. This condition is suitable for adult user. The bead 46 has looser sealing to the bead groove 45 when the spring 47 has smaller tension by adjusting the knob 41, and the air drag in the passageway 450 is reduced. This condition is suitable for children user. Moreover, the pneumatic pressure can be leaked through the bead 46.
When the [0019] knob 41 is screwed to the lowest end, an abutting post 48 arranged below the knob 41 abuts against the bead 46 by the lower face 440 thereof. The bead 46 tightly abuts against the bead groove 45 and the air is not leaked therethrough. At this condition, highest pressure can be provided and the pressurizing device 3 will not supply air.
As can be seen from above description, the [0020] knob 41 can be operated to adjust the air drag in the bead groove 45 and to adjust the pressure in the cylinder 2. The pressurizing device 3 can be used to keep a constant pressure in the cylinder 2.
Moreover, the adjusting [0021] valve 4 can be designed to have buffering vent and can be provided additional inflating opening to inflating air for first time usage.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various substitutions and modifications have suggested in the foregoing description, and other will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, all such substitutions and modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. [0022]

Claims

1. A bouncing rod with an adjustable pneumatic pressure, comprising

a handle;

a bouncing device connected to the handle through a supportive rod, the bouncing device comprising a cylinder containing a piston, the bouncing device being connected to a slide-proof leg through an axial pipe,

the axial pipe having a link rod therein and a pressurizing piston atop the link rod;

the pressurizing piston being driven by a pressurizing device,

the link rod being connected to the slide-proof leg and having a movement stroke relative to the axial pipe;

a spring provided between the slide-proof leg and the axial pipe to provide restoring force;

an adjusting valve atop the cylinder to adjust air pressure in the cylinder.

2. The bouncing rod as in claim 1, further comprising a knob atop the adjusting valve for adjusting a pressing force of a spring acting against a bead, the bead abutting against a passageway in the adjusting valve to adjust air drag in the passageway.

3. The bouncing rod as in claim 1, further comprising a buffering washer at an inner face of the slide-proof leg.

4. The bouncing rod as in claim 1, further comprising a hook portion atop the slide-proof leg and corresponding to an end opening of the axial hole.