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Child bouncing apparatusChild bouncing apparatus description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060181134, Child bouncing apparatus. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention generally relates to a child's bouncing apparatus and more specifically to a child's bouncing apparatus having a supporting base with an upwardly opening cavity receiving and positioning a portion of the periphery of a large inflated ball on which the child can bounce. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] Various types of bouncing toys, including an inflatable resilient member of various shapes and configurations, are well known in the prior art. Such prior art toys include spherical inflated resilient balls having a handle incorporated at an upper periphery thereof in which the lower portion of the ball merely rests upon a floor surface or the like. The direction of movement of the ball during bouncing movement, however, is unpredictable and thus requires considerable skill by the user to maintain his/her position on the ball during bouncing movement. Also known is a supporting base for an inflated ball in which an occupant can merely set upon the ball without being able to grasp the ball to obtain a bouncing movement. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0005] In order to overcome the drawbacks of prior art devices, the present invention includes a supporting base with an upwardly opening cavity for receiving and positioning a large inflated ball on which a child can bounce. Connected to and extending upwardly from the supporting base is a rigid structure, such as a strut or plate. The plate extends alongside the periphery of the ball positioned in the base and includes laterally extending footrests at a mid-portion and laterally extending handles or handgrips at the upper end. A child occupying the bouncing apparatus engages his/her feet with the footrests and his/her hands with the handgrips. (Hereinafter reference to the feet and hands of the occupant child will be to the male gender, i.e. "his" for simplicity; however, it should be readily understood that the child can be either male or female). The child can then bounce between a vertically standing position and a sitting position on the ball with the weight of the child partially compressing the upper periphery of the ball downwardly. This downward compression provides an upward thrust to the occupant child during a repetitive movement between the standing position and sitting position. Such repetitive movement assists in muscular development of the child and body component coordination as well as providing a unique bouncing toy that a young child will occupy and use for extended periods of time. [0006] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a stable and sturdy child's bouncing apparatus for use by young children to develop body muscular strength and body movement coordination. [0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide a child's bouncing apparatus in accordance with the preceding object which includes a stationarily supported large, inflated, resilient ball and a vertically extending rigid strut or plate or other supporting structure alongside the ball to support transversely extending footrests and handles. [0008] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a bouncing apparatus in accordance with the preceding objects which enables an occupant to place his feet on the footrests at a mid-portion of the support strut and to grasp the handles at the upper end of the support strut and move in a repetitive manner between a generally vertical standing position and a sitting position in which the ball is partially compressed with the compressed air inside of the ball exerting an upward force to assist the occupant in moving from the sitting position to the generally vertical standing position. [0009] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a child's bouncing apparatus in accordance with the preceding objects in which the large inflated ball is stationarily supported by a supporting base engaging a floor surface or other similar support with the supporting base including an upwardly open, partially spherical cavity to receive and position the ball adjacent the rigid support structure. [0010] A further object of the present invention is to provide a child's bouncing apparatus in which the rigid supporting strut having the footrests and handles thereon is rigidly connected with the supporting base for positioning the handles and footrests adjacent to the ball. [0011] Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a child's bouncing apparatus that serves as a bouncing toy with repetitive movement of the child using the device to entice the child to use the device for long periods of time thereby serving as an exercise device to develop muscles and also to develop coordination of various body components. [0012] A final object of the present invention recited herein is to provide a child's bouncing apparatus which can be made from readily available and inexpensive components for ease and economy of manufacture and which will be sturdy and long lasting in operation and use. [0013] These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0014] FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the child's bouncing apparatus of the present invention illustrating a child positioned thereon in vertical standing relation to the apparatus. [0015] FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the present invention with the child in sitting position with the inflated ball partially deformed downwardly in the upper portion thereof for compressing the air within the ball so that the compressed air when returning the ball to its normal shape will exert an upward force on the child to assist in returning to the standing position of FIG. 1. [0016] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the child's bouncing apparatus of the present invention without a child occupying the apparatus. [0017] FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the child's bouncing apparatus taken along section line 4-4 on FIG. 3, illustrating the relationship of the supporting base, spherical inflated ball and rigid vertically extending strut or plate alongside the ball. [0018] FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along section line 5-5 on FIG. 3 illustrating further the relationship between the supporting base, spherical ball and rigid strut or plate extending alongside the ball. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0019] Although only one preferred embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, in describing the preferred embodiments, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. It is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. [0020] The child's bouncing apparatus of the present invention is generally designated by reference numeral 10 and includes a supporting base, generally designated by reference numeral 12. Base 12 includes a bottom panel or plate 14 that can be supported on a generally flat surface such as the floor or other like surface. The bottom plate 14 may be circular in configuration as illustrated in FIG. 3 or any other convenient shape to provide a stable support for the bouncing apparatus 10. The upper surface of the bottom plate 14 is provided with an upwardly and inwardly inclined peripheral wall 16 defined by a plurality of flat upwardly inclined panels 18. Continue reading about Child bouncing apparatus... Full patent description for Child bouncing apparatus Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Child bouncing apparatus patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Child bouncing apparatus or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Seat for vehicle Next Patent Application: Furniture designed for sitting and having inner core support assembly Industry Class: Chairs and seats ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Child bouncing apparatus patent info. 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