Trampoline equipment and methods

1. A lever for use in a trampoline comprising:

a frame attachment configured for connection to a supporting frame of the trampoline, the frame attachment comprising a stop formation;

a rigid element connected to the frame attachment:

wherein the rigid element comprises a jump mat end and a frame end;

wherein the rigid element is configured to pivot about a fulcrum connected to the frame attachment;

the rigid element comprising a lug configured to contact the stop formation to limit an extent of a pivot motion of the rigid element about the fulcrum;

the jump mat end being configured for connection to a jumping mat; and

a tensioner connected to the rigid element and configured for attachment to the trampoline supporting frame.

2. The lever of claim 1 , comprising a rigid housing covering the tensioner.

3. The lever of claim 1 , wherein the fulcrum is a bearing, and the rigid element is connected to the supporting frame through the bearing, and wherein the bearing is integrally moulded into the rigid element.

4. The lever of claim 1 , wherein the rigid element is moulded with an integrated pivot as a single moulding.

5. The lever of claim 1 comprising an engineering thermoplastic polymer.

6. The lever of claim 5 , wherein the engineering thermoplastic polymer is selected from the group consisting of a polyoxymethylene polymer, a composite phenolic, a nylon, polytetrafluoroethylene, ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene and polyamide.

7. The lever of claim 5 , wherein the engineering thermoplastic polymer is a polyoxymethylene polymer.

8. The lever of claim 5 , wherein the engineering thermoplastic polymer includes a polytetrafluoroethylene additive.

9. The lever of claim 8 , wherein the polytetrafluoroethylene additive comprises about 2% by weight of the engineering thermoplastic polymer.

10. The lever of claim 1 , wherein the frame attachment is formed of a different material than the fulcrum.

11. The lever of claim 10 , wherein the material of the frame attachment possesses a harder wearing property than a material of the fulcrum.

12. The lever of claim 1 , wherein the fulcrum comprises glass filled nylon.

13. The lever of claim 1 , wherein the frame attachment comprises a bearing pair configured to contact and support the fulcrum.

14. The lever of claim 13 , wherein the frame attachment comprises a pair of bearing mounts configured to receive the bearing pair.

15. The lever of claim 14 , wherein the stop formation is provided at a top of one of the pair of bearing mounts.

16. A trampoline comprising a plurality of levers, wherein at least one of the plurality of levers is of claim 1 , the trampoline comprising:

the jumping mat having a jumping periphery, an upper surface and a lower surface;

the supporting frame located proximal but not directly engaging with the jumping periphery of the jumping mat; and

the plurality of levers circumextending the jumping periphery, wherein each of the plurality of levers is configured to apply tension to the jumping mat as a force applied against the jumping periphery of the jumping mat in a direction away from the jumping mat.

17. The trampoline of claim 16 , comprising a jumping mat connection located on the lower surface of the jumping mat.

18. The trampoline of claim 17 , wherein the jumping mat connection comprises:

a first formation on the lower surface of the jumping mat; and

a complementary engaging second formation attached to the jump mat end of the rigid element.

19. The trampoline of claim 18 , wherein the first formation is a hook and the second formation is a loop.

20. The trampoline of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of levers comprise between 30 and 60 levers, inclusive, arranged and evenly spaced around the jumping mat periphery.