US 4,819,932 · Granted 1989-04-11
The Bouncy Wood Floor Patent That Changed Aerobics Forever
Imagine a wooden dance floor that bounces back when you jump on it, protecting your knees instead of slamming them. This patent describes a floor made of wood boards that can move and pivot slightly, all sitting on a cushioned foam pad underneath with special spring clips holding everything together.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a resilient wood floor system where individual boards are allowed to pivot freely in their joints rather than being locked rigid, combined with a foam pad underneath that absorbs impact and spring clips that stretch under load while keeping boards from pinching together. What's protected here is the specific combination of flexible joints, yielding foam support, and spring-clip mechanics working as an integrated shock-absorbing floor.
Why it matters
This patent addresses a real biomechanical problem: traditional rigid gym floors transfer all the impact of jumping and running directly into joints, causing injury. By making the floor itself absorb and distribute that energy, this design reduces stress on knees, ankles, and hips during high-impact aerobic exercise. The patent created a category of purpose-built resilient flooring that became standard in dance studios, gyms, and fitness facilities.
Real-world use
Every time someone does aerobics or takes a dance class in a modern studio, they're likely bouncing on a floor descended from this design, which cushions their landing and protects their joints with each jump.
Original USPTO abstract
A resilient wood floor for aerobic exercise. The boards of the floor are free to pivot in tongue and groove joints. The wood is laid on a foam pad which will always yield during ordinary human exercises. The boards are held together by spring clips which lengthen when a load is applied to the boards, while holding the boards close together in a manner to prevent pinching.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 4,819,932
- Filing date
- 1986-02-28
- Grant date
- 1989-04-11
- Assignee
- Trotter Jr Phil
- Inventor(s)
- TROTTER, JR.; PHIL
- CPC class
- E04F15/225
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