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Pneumatic pogo stickRelated Patent Categories: Exercise Devices, Involving User Translation Or Physical Simulation Thereof, Bouncing DevicePneumatic pogo stick description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060160670, Pneumatic pogo stick. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/278,075, filed Oct. 21, 2002, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/335,524, filed Oct. 19, 2001. BACKGROUND [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention related generally to a pogo stick, and more specifically, to a pneumatic pogo stick that utilizes lightweight and durable materials to maximize the performance and reliability of a pneumatic pogo stick. [0004] 2. Background of the Invention [0005] A conventional pogo stick utilizes a coil spring within a hollow tube housing to create an upward force when compressed by a user to propel the user in an upward direction. In order to get more lift than can be provided with a coil spring and without increasing the weight of the pogo stick itself, it has been recognized in the art that an air filled cylinder/piston arrangement can produce increased propulsion or lift for the same length of stroke. Some have gone so far as incorporating engine power in order to increase lift and provide a powered jumping stick. [0006] Various attempts have been made in the art to provide pneumatic pogo sticks. For example, PCT Application WO9961111 discloses an air-type pogo stick which includes an air cylinder to which foot-boards are attached in a body. The air cylinder has a valve through which a user can regulate air. The pogo stick is simultaneously worked by both air pressure power and vacuum power created in the upper and lower part of the piston in the cylinder respectively when exerted by an outside force. Such a pogo stick, however, has many shortcomings in both construction and functionality and fails to address any of the problems encountered when attempting to use compressed air as a spring, such as smoothness of rebound. [0007] A similar dual chamber jumping device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,371 in which a working cylinder provides a working chamber containing a mass of gas. A gas exchange chamber is fixed with respect to the working cylinder. An exchange passage connects the working chamber and the gas chamber. A gas exchange valve is provided in the exchange passage. An exchange operating handle is provide separate from the plunger. Such a device is overly complicated and requires multiple complex parts for assembly and operation. Furthermore, such a device is relatively heavy and therefor decreases the lift capabilities of such a device. [0008] Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a pneumatic pogo stick that is of relatively lightweight construction, durable, safe, simple, and reliable in operation. [0009] It would be a further advantage of the present invention to provide a pneumatic pogo stick that provides a relatively smooth ride especially at the bottom of the compression cycle to prevent jarring of the rider. [0010] It would be a further advantage of the present invention to provide a pneumatic pogo stick that allows a user to view the internal components of the pogo stick for verification of the integrity of the working parts. [0011] It would be yet a further advantage of the present invention to provide a pneumatic pogo stick that is capable of smoothly propelling a user several feet off the ground. [0012] It would be still a further advantage of the present invention to provide a pneumatic pogo stick that is easier to maneuver than other pogo sticks known in the art and that can be easily adjusted to accommodate users of various weights and abilities. [0013] These and other advantages will become apparent from a reading of the following summary of the invention and description of the illustrated embodiments in accordance with the principles of the present invention. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0014] The present invention comprises a pogo stick that utilizes a pneumatic spring. The pogo stick of the present invention includes a piston/cylinder with user graspable handles attached or coupled relative to the top of the cylinder and an elongate shaft attached to the bottom of the piston. When a user compresses air in the cylinder by jumping on foot supports attached or coupled relative thereto, the piston compresses air inside the cylinder. Thus, stepping or jumping on the foot supports pushes the piston upward, compressing the air inside the cylinder. This compressed air acts like a spring creating a force on the piston thus forcing the piston and the attached shaft away from the handles, which in turn propels the cylinder, the foot supports attached thereto, and, ultimately, the user. [0015] Such a pneumatic pogo stick has a potentially higher power to weight ratio than a comparable coil spring pogo stick. Moreover, since the air pressure within the cylinder can be adjusted to accommodate the weight of a particular rider and because the compressed column of air within the cylinder can create tremendous force on the piston, the pneumatic pogo stick of the present invention can be configured to propel an adult user six feet or more into the air. [0016] The pogo stick, in accordance with the principles of the present invention, includes an outer housing which forms the cylinder. The piston is fitted within the housing and sealed relative to the inside surface of the housing as with a U-cup seal. The piston is thus slidable within the housing to form the piston cylinder arrangement of the present invention. The housing or cylinder is formed from a plastic tube, such as poly vinyl chloride (PVC) or polycarbonate. Such materials exhibit properties of significant tensile and shear strength while being lightweight and capable of exhibiting such properties when formed into a thin-walled structure. The top of the cylinder is sealed to allow the piston to compress an amount of air between the top of the piston and the top of the cylinder. [0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the top of the cylinder is sealed with a top cap member coupled to the top portion of the cylinder. Because of the extreme pressures within the cylinder that may be generated by a user during use of the device, the top cap is configured to be attached in a manner that securely secures the top cap to the top of the cylinder. [0018] Handle bars or other gripping members are secured at or near the top portion of the cylinder as by coupling to the top cap. Foot support structure such as foot pegs are attached at or near the bottom of the cylinder. A shaft fixedly attached to the bottom of the piston extends out the bottom of the cylinder. A rubber or urethane pad is attached to the bottom of the shaft. As a user jumps on the pogo stick of the present invention, the impact between the ground and the bottom of the shaft forces the piston toward the top of the cylinder thus increasing the air pressure within the cylinder. As the air pressure within the cylinder increases, the user decelerates until the force created by the compressed air equals the force applied by the user to the foot pedals and handle bars. Once the user's downward momentum is stopped, the force generated by the compressed air between the piston and the top of the cylinder reverses the direction of the momentum of the user. The compressed air then forces the piston toward the bottom of the cylinder, rapidly extending the shaft out the bottom of the cylinder and propelling the user and the pogo stick. [0019] While various pneumatic pogo sticks have been attempted in the art, the pogo stick of the present invention incorporates various novel features, not the least of which is the use of a plastic material, such as a PVC or polycarbonate tube, or other plastic materials known in the art that are strong, durable and resilient. Such strength, durability and resiliency allow the cylinder to withstand the rigors of use without significant damage or failure, including, but not limited to, severe side impact and high internal pressure. Polycarbonate is a good choice because it can be formed into the desired shape, has a relatively high tensile strength and is light weight. Furthermore polycarbonate can be manufactured in a variety of colors including clear and can be easily extruded into the desired form. Moreover, such plastic materials can be made to be clear or at least of limited opacity so as to allow a user to view the internal workings of the pogo stick, specifically the piston, seals and other internal components to evaluate their integrity without having to disassemble the device. In addition, the use of a clear material for the housing allows the user to easily evaluate the condition of the inside surface of the cylinder. Such evaluation would be more difficult if the cylinder were formed from an opaque material. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that other materials may also be employed such as various forms of cellulose acetate butyrate, and carbon fiber/resin/epoxy combinations. [0020] The pogo stick of the present invention is designed to be strong and durable while minimizing weight. In addition, it is designed to be maneuverable and controllable during use. One feature that improves maneuverability and control is the use of a non-circular slider shaft engaging with a non-circular aperture at the bottom of the cylinder to limit and/or prevent rotation of the slider shaft relative to the cylinder. In one embodiment, the slider shaft is comprised of a hollow square tube. In any event, the slider shaft may comprise various other non-circular cross-sectional shapes. The square tube engages with a bottom assembly which is attached to the bottom portion of the cylinder and includes a bushing that may be formed from strong, low-friction plastic, having a square hole formed therein for slidably receiving the slider shaft while limiting rotation of the slider shaft relative thereto. The engagement of the square slider shaft with the bushing substantially prevents the slider shaft and thus the piston from rotating relative to the cylinder, providing greater control of the pogo stick by the user and preventing lateral wear of the piston seal that may otherwise be caused by rotational movement of the piston relative to the cylinder. [0021] Like the outer housing, the piston body itself may be made from a plastic material such as an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) or Delrin. Such materials are durable and provide a surface having a low coefficient of friction so as to reduce the amount of wear on the inside surface of the cylinder 12 during use. By using the similar types of material for the cylinder and piston, wear is significantly reduced between the two components. Continue reading about Pneumatic pogo stick... Full patent description for Pneumatic pogo stick Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Pneumatic pogo stick 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. 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