EXERCISE/YOGA MAT AND METHOD
An improved exercise mat and method comprises opposed ends and opposed sides, and folding member means to extend the mat laterally from at least one of the sides while that folding member is attached to, or contiguous with, the side of the mat. When a user wants to extend the folding member away from the mat, increased surface area creates additional areas to protect the user from touching the floor or ground. If additional surface area is not needed for an exercise, the folding member can be folded inward of, and overlying flatly, the mat thus effectively increasing it thickness, and providing additional cushioning to the user.
This invention relates to an exercise mat for personal, individual use. In particular, the present invention provides an exercise mat that has foldable members to increase the surface area of the mat, while allowing the mat to be easily stored away when not in use. Even more particularly, the present invention provides for increase cushioning when one is exercising on the mat.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONExercise mats, including yoga mats, are oftentimes employed by those who do floor or ground based exercises. The practitioners of such activities use these mats for at least two reasons—they are hygienic as they keep the user off and away from the ground or floor, and they provide a degree of cushioning that the floor or ground otherwise does not afford.
The thickness of prior art exercise mats have much to do with comfort. Generally prior art mat thickness for personal, individual use mats, is generally from 1.5 mm to 5.0 mm or thicker. If the mat is too thin, a user can scrape or bang body parts such as hands, elbow, knees and feet. The tradeoff is that thick mats can make it harder for you to “feel” a strong connection to the floor. Furthermore, most mats are rolled upon when not in use. Thus, depending upon whether one uses a mat at a home base, she may want to go with a thicker, more comfortable mat. On the other hand, if she wants to take her mat away from home, she might choose a thinner mat for ease of transportation.
The geometry of most such individual-use mats is rectangular. Size dimensions of such personal use mats run generally from 24 inches wide to 68-74 inches in length, depending upon the height of the user. A mat of this type is generally made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), though thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) are also used. Depending on individual preferences, a user of such mats might consider their texture, stickiness, and eco-friendliness.
Current prior art mats have two significant disadvantages. First, sometimes when you want to engage in an exercise that requires a wider stance, such as hand placement for push-ups, it would be desirable to have a mat that extends laterally so that the hands do not have to touch the floor. In this regard, rectangular mats are inappropriate. Second, additionally, some exercises require more cushioning than others, for example, when one is exercising from a position where the knees are engaged with the ground. While the knees would require additional cushion, other body parts might not, for example, while doing standing lunges.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA novel personal use, exercise or yoga mat is disclosed that provides sufficient surface area lateral to the main body of the mat. This novel mat provides an ability to fold in the added lateral surface area members to provide for extra cushioning of the mat when needed. An exercise mat of this type comprises opposed ends and opposed sides, and folding member means to extend the mat laterally from at least one of the sides while that folding member is attached to, or contiguous with, the side of the mat. When a user wants to extend the folding member away from the mat, increased surface area creates additional areas to protect the user from touching the floor or ground. If additional surface area is not needed for an exercise, the folding member can be folded inward of, and overlying flatly, the mat thus effectively increasing it thickness, and providing additional cushioning to the user.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a personal use, individual exercise or yoga mat of a particular dimension that has the ability to extend the sides thereof laterally with a member that would be contiguous with the mat.
It is yet another object of the present invention to include a creased element or member of the folding member that divides the folding member from the mat itself, allowing the folded member to rest flatly onto the mat.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a crease in the folding member where it meets the mat such that that crease has a thinner cross section than the mat itself.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide two folding members on opposed sides of the mat, symmetrically disposed thereon, for symmetrical exercises, such as push-ups.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a folding member, or folding members, whose length is the same as, or less than, the width of the mat, such that when the folding members are folded inwardly and overlying the mat, the folded member or members lie flatly and do not extend beyond the width of the mat.
It is also another object of the present invention to provide a folding member that has at least one additional crease along its length to create sections thereof which can provide for folding members whose length can be increased as the sections can fold upon themselves, and when so oriented, will still be of a total length that does not exceed the width of the mat.
Other features and aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the features in accordance with embodiments of the invention. The summary is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the claims attached hereto.
The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
An exercise or yoga mat 10 is referenced in all figures. In some embodiments, the mat 10 is shown with one or more folding members 20, and with crease members 22 or without. The crease members 22 facilitate the folding and unfolding of the folding members 20.
With reference to
While
The mat 10 is manufactured from conventional plastic forming methods, such as from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or other thermoplastics. This method of manufacturing plastics-based materials such as the mat 10 is well known in the art. Creating the crease member 22 is also well known in the art, and is formed by heating, or thermoforming, the thermoplastic and bending or compressing the heated section until it takes a set upon cooling sufficiently. Generally, the thickness of the mat 10 is guided by conventional manufacturing methods and user preferences. However, it is contemplated that in practice, each mat 10 will be from 1.5 mm thick to 5.0 mm thick. As seen in
It is preferred, though not necessary, that the folding member or members 20 be of such a length that when folded, they do not extend over the edge of either side 14 of the mat 10. For example, in
One further embodiment, shown in
In
In the method of use of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, with the folding members extended laterally away from the sides 14 of the mat, a user can provide sufficient surface area to keep his or her body completely off of the floor. For example, as shown in
These and other scopes and advantages of the invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the written specification, claims, and appended drawings. Because many modifications, variations, and changes in detail can be made to the described preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalence.
Claims
1. An exercise mat comprising opposed ends and opposed sides defining a dimension, and means to extend the said mat laterally from at least one of said sides, wherein said means comprises at least one folding member that is separate yet contiguous with the at least one of said sides of said mat wherein the said folding member further comprises a portion for insertion under the said mat at variable locations along the said side.
2. An exercise mat of claim 1 wherein the said at least one folding member has a dimension other than the dimension of the mat.
3. (canceled)
4. (canceled)
5. (canceled)
6. An exercise mat of claim 1, wherein said mat is sized for individual use.
7. An exercise mat of claim 1 having two folding members.
8. An exercise mat of claim 7 in which the folding members have substantially similar dimensions.
9. (canceled)
10. An exercise mat of claim 1 having two folding members on opposed sides of the said mat.
11. An exercise mat of claim 10, wherein said folding members are symmetrically disposed along the length of the opposed sides of said mat.
12. An exercise mat of claim 11, wherein said folding members have substantially similar dimensions, and whose lengths when folded inward and overlying the said mat have a total combined length that is the same as, or less than, the width of the said mat.
13. An exercise mat of claim 1 that is manufactured from a thermoplastic material.
14. An exercise mat of claim 13 wherein said thermoplastic material is rollable.
15. An exercise mat of claim 14 wherein said mat can be rolled into a shape that is substantially cylindrical.
16. A method of using an exercise mat comprising opposed ends and opposed sides, and means to extend the said mat laterally from at least one of said sides, wherein said means comprises at least one folding member that is separate yet contiguous therewith, said method further comprising,
- opening said mat and laying it out on a floor, ground or other surface,
- unfolding said folding member so that it extends outward from said mat and wherein the said folding member further comprises a portion for insertion under the said mat at variable locations along the said side; and,
- exercising on said mat.
17. A method of using an exercise mat comprising opposed ends and opposed sides, and means to extend the said mat laterally from at least one of said sides, wherein said means comprises at least one folding member that is separate yet contiguous therewith, said method further comprising,
- opening said mat and laying it out on a floor, ground or other surface,
- unfolding said folding member so that it extends outward from said mat side and wherein the said folding member further comprises a portion for insertion under the said mat at variable locations along the said side;
- exercising on said mat;
- re-folding said folding member onto said mat to produce enhanced thickness of said mat relative to its thickness when said folding member is unfolded; and,
- exercising at least in part on said refolded member of said mat in addition to exercising on said mat.
18. A member for use with an exercise mat, said member comprising a means for contiguous connection to said mat when said mat is in use, wherein said connection means comprises at least a portion of said member that is inserted under said mat, and further comprising a means for folding over the said mat an exposed portion of the said member that is not under the mat, such that the said folded exposed portion of the member lies substantially flatly over said mat.
19. A member of claim 18, wherein the said folding means comprises a reduction of member material at the juncture between the said portion that lies under the said mat when in use and the exposed portion of said member, such that the said reduced material provides for substantially flat folding of said member.
20. A member of claim 18, wherein said member is manufactured from a thermoplastic material.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 17, 2017
Publication Date: Dec 20, 2018
Inventor: RICHARD STUART ROSS (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Application Number: 15/626,082