Springfree Trampoline
{{Short description|Sports equipment manufacturer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2023}}
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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.[https://profiles.canterbury.ac.nz/Keith-Alexander Associate Professor Keith Alexander – University of Canterbury]
History
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.{{Cite web |title=More fun, less tears |url=https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/more-fun-less-tears-20091008-gdtr6t.html |last=Lacey |first=Stephen |date=2009-10-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250507220415/https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/more-fun-less-tears-20091008-gdtr6t.html |archive-date=2025-05-07 |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald}}
Design
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.{{CN|date=July 2023}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.springfree.com Springfree Trampoline Company Website]