BEACH YOGA MAT

Abstract

A yoga mat, such as for supporting use upon a soft or loose aggregate ground surface, including each of a flexible body and a plurality of elongated support elements secured to a surface of the flexible body so that the support elements are arranged in parallel and in a transverse extending direction relative the body. The flexible body further includes a fibrous, mat or woven material, not limited to natural or synthetic. The mat can also include a thermoformed or molded polymer material which can be formed with an upper skim layer for providing the desired user support consistency. A non-slip layer or coating can be provided upon either or both of an upper or lower surface of the flexible body.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the priority of U.S. Ser. No. 63/148,281 filed Feb. 11, 2021.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention discloses a yoga mat design having suitable underside reinforcing support for use upon a sandy beach or similar loose ground condition.

BACKGROUND OF THE RELEVANT ART

The prior art is documented with examples of mat constructions, including yoga mats. A first example is the weighted mat of US 2019/0030392 to Skerjanz which teaches a weighted mat including a top layer of material, a bottom layer of material, and a series of tubes or compartments between the top and bottom layers for holding a weighted material. The top and bottom layers of material preferably include a series of generally evenly spaced seams that connect the top and bottom layers, which leaves a tubular space between the seams. Weighted material is placed within the tubes created by the seams, and the weighted material is preferably in a particulate form that allows the weighted material to flow from one end of the tube to the other. In use, the weighted mat may simply be used as a mat or cushion on a hard surface, or it may be applied to or draped over a particular body part during a yoga pose or stretching exercise to intensify the effects of gravity.

Also disclosed in the prior art is the multi-purpose mat of CN 201782379U which is provided with a mat core made of pearl wool. The multipurpose mat is described as used as a mattress, a pillow, a yoga mat, a beach mat, a picnic mat, a sofa cushion, a seat cushion, a floor mat, a back cushion, a chair cushion or an automobile cushion.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention discloses a yoga mat, such as for supporting use upon a loose aggregate ground surface. The mat includes each of a flexible body and a plurality of elongated support elements secured to a surface of the flexible body, with the support elements which can be arranged parallel linear or transverse extending directions relative the flexible body.

The flexible body further includes a fibrous, mat or woven material, not limited to any natural or synthetic. The mat can also include a thermoformed or molded polymer material which can be formed with an upper skim layer for providing the desired user support consistency.

A non-slip layer is provided upon either or both of an upper or lower surface of the flexible body. The plurality of elongated supports can further include any lightweight material or construction not limited natural materials such as bamboo or synthetics such as lightweight polymers. The plurality of elongated supports further can include any of a circular, elliptical or ellipsoidal cross sectional shape, such as having a hollow interior.

Other features include the elongated supports having transverse extending and elongated bar shaped elements, such as which can include any rectangular or rounded corner pseudo-rectangular profiles in order to provide the desired aspects of uniform pressure-resisting support when placed upon the loose aggregate ground surface such as sandy beach or the like. The elongated supports, as viewed in cross section, can also each further include a flattened upper edge profile to define a modified oval shape and which facilitates securing of the flattened upper edge to the flexible body utilizing any type of mechanical fastener or chemical adhesive or other joining process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the attached drawings, when read in combination with the following detailed description, wherein like references refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an upper perspective environment view of the beach yoga mat according to a first non-limiting embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a further perspective of the yoga mat of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side perspective depicting the underside projecting and lightweight support rods which are provided in a uniform transverse direction and which are secured to an underside of an upper anti-slip layer;

FIG. 3A is a rolled up view of the yoga mat in a stored configuration;

FIG. 4 is a bottom inverted plan view of the beach yoga mat and depicting the linear parallel or transverse underside secured support rods, the arrangement of which permitting the mat to be rolled up into a smaller cross sectional cylindrical shape when not in use;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective similar to FIG. 1 of the mat; and

FIG. 6 is a one hundred and eighty degree rotated illustration of the mat in FIG. 5 and best showing the underside attached support rods secured to the mat layer from a side perspective.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The prior art is documented with examples of yoga mats, none of which provide the requisite degree of support or stability when places upon a loose aggregate or granular surface such as including beach sand. The beach yoga mat, see at 10, of the present design seeks to overcome many of the advantages of the prior art by providing a structurally supporting mat for use on loose or other granular surfaces not limited to sandy beach or like location, and for which conventional mats tend to sag or buckle.

Referring to FIG. 1, an upper environmental perspective view of the beach yoga mat is shown according to a first non-limiting embodiment. In combination with FIG. 2, the mat, generally shown at 10, includes each of an upper flexible body 12, against an underside of which are attached a plurality of transverse extending and closely spaced support elements, such as including any of support rods or bars (see at 14, 16, 18, et seq.).

The flexible body 12 can, without limitation, exhibit any shape not limited to a four sided rectangle (as shown). The body 12 is further constructed from any material not limited to a fibrous, mat or woven material, not limited to natural or synthetic, and can further include an additional non-slip surface coating, treatment or additional layer, such as which can be provided upon either or both of an upper 13 or lower 15 surface (see FIG. 3) of the flexible material layer 12. In additional variants, the flexible body 12 is also envisioned to include any thermoformed or molded polymer material which can be formed with an upper skim layer (see again at 13 in FIG. 1) for providing the desired user support consistency (see individual 2 as depicted in FIG. 1).

The support rods 14, 16, 18, et seq. can include any lightweight material or construction not limited natural materials such as bamboo or synthetics such as lightweight polymers. The rods can include any of a circular, elliptical or ellipsoidal cross sectional shape, such as having a hollow interior and, preferably, a flattened upper edge (see further at 20, 22, 24, et seq. in FIG. 3).

Beyond that shown, the individually secured underside rods can include any rectangular or rounded corner pseudo-rectangular profiles, again in order to provide the desired aspects of uniform pressure-resisting support when placed upon the loose aggregate ground surface such as sandy beach or the like In additional variants, the rods can be substituted by transverse extending and elongated bar shaped elements in order to provide the desired aspects of uniform pressure-resisting support when placed upon a loose aggregate ground surface such as sandy beach or the like.

As further shown in FIG. 3, the flattened upper edges of the rods are secured such as via any of mechanical fasteners, adhesives or the like (see as representatively shown at 26, 28 and 30 interconnecting rods 14, 16 and 18) to the underside of the flexible body or layer 12. Without limitation, the connections 26, 28, 30, et seq. can utilize any type of mechanical fastener, chemical/adhesive or other joining process for reliably securing the rods individually to the fabric layer. In this manner, the mat can be rolled up during non-use (see as shown at 10′ in FIG. 3A) so that the rods align in a spiraling pattern along with the fabric or material layer 12 to provide for convenient transport or storage. In this fashion, the lightweight support rods are provided in a uniform transverse direction secured to an underside of the material and anti-slip layer.

FIG. 3 further illustrates an enlarged side perspective depicting the underside projecting and lightweight support rods 14, 16, 18, et seq., which are provided in a uniform transverse direction and which are secured to an underside of the upper anti-slip and flexible layer 12. As previously described, and with further reference to FIG. 3A, by this construction the arrangement of the rods permit the mat (see as further configured at 10′) to be rolled up into a smaller cross sectional cylindrical shape when not in use.

FIG. 4 is a bottom inverted plan view of the beach yoga mat and depicting the linear parallel or transverse underside secured support rods, again at 14, 16, 18, et seq. to the flexible layer 12, the arrangement of which again permitting the mat to be rolled up into a smaller cross sectional cylindrical shape when not in use. FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective similar to FIG. 1 of the mat, with FIG. 6 finally providing a one hundred and eighty degree rotated illustration of the mat in FIG. 5 and best showing the underside attached support rods secured to the mat layer from a side perspective.

Having described my invention, other and additional preferred embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains, and without deviating from the scope of the appended claims. The detailed description and drawings are further understood to be supportive of the disclosure, the scope of which being defined by the claims. While some of the best modes and other embodiments for carrying out the claimed teachings have been described in detail, various alternative designs and embodiments exist for practicing the disclosure defined in the appended claims.

The foregoing disclosure is further understood as not intended to limit the present disclosure to the precise forms or particular fields of use disclosed. As such, it is contemplated that various alternate embodiments and/or modifications to the present disclosure, whether explicitly described or implied herein, are possible in light of the disclosure. Having thus described embodiments of the present disclosure, a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is limited only by the claims.

In the foregoing specification, the disclosure has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, as one skilled in the art will appreciate, various embodiments disclosed herein can be modified or otherwise implemented in various other ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

Accordingly, this description is to be considered as illustrative and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the manner of making and using various embodiments of the disclosure. It is to be understood that the forms of disclosure herein shown and described are to be taken as representative embodiments.

Equivalent elements, materials, processes or steps may be substituted for those representatively illustrated and described herein. Moreover, certain features of the disclosure may be utilized independently of the use of other features, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the disclosure.

Expressions such as “including”, “comprising”, “incorporating”, “consisting of”, “have”, “is” used to describe and claim the present disclosure are intended to be construed in a non-exclusive manner, namely allowing for items, components or elements not explicitly described also to be present. Reference to the singular is also to be construed to relate to the plural.

Further, various embodiments disclosed herein are to be taken in the illustrative and explanatory sense, and should in no way be construed as limiting of the present disclosure. All joinder references (e.g., attached, affixed, coupled, connected, and the like) are only used to aid the reader's understanding of the present disclosure, and may not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of the systems and/or methods disclosed herein. Therefore, joinder references, if any, are to be construed broadly. Moreover, such joinder references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected to each other.

Additionally, all numerical terms, such as, but not limited to, “first”, “second”, “third”, “primary”, “secondary”, “main” or any other ordinary and/or numerical terms, should also be taken only as identifiers, to assist the reader's understanding of the various elements, embodiments, variations and/or modifications of the present disclosure, and may not create any limitations, particularly as to the order, or preference, of any element, embodiment, variation and/or modification relative to, or over, another element, embodiment, variation and/or modification.

It will also be appreciated that one or more of the elements depicted in the drawings/figures can also be implemented in a more separated or integrated manner, or even removed or rendered as inoperable in certain cases, as is useful in accordance with a particular application. Additionally, any signal hatches in the drawings/figures should be considered only as exemplary, and not limiting, unless otherwise specifically specified.

Claims

1. A yoga mat, such as for supporting use upon a soft or loose aggregate ground surface, comprising:

a flexible body; and

a plurality of elongated support elements secured to a surface of said flexible body so that said support elements are arranged in parallel and in a transverse extending direction relative said body in contact with the ground surface.

2. The mat according to claim 1, said flexible body further comprising any of a fibrous, mat or woven material, not limited to natural or synthetic.

3. The mat according to claim 1, said flexible body further comprising a thermoformed or molded polymer material which can be formed with an upper skim layer for providing the desired user support consistency.

4. The mat according to claim 1, further comprising a non-slip surface coating or layer provided upon either or both of an upper or lower surface of said flexible body.

5. The mat according to claim 1, said plurality of elongated supports further comprising any lightweight material or construction not limited natural materials such as bamboo or synthetics such as lightweight polymers.

6. The mat according to claim 1, said plurality of elongated supports further comprising any of a circular, elliptical or ellipsoidal cross sectional shape, such as having a hollow interior.

7. The mat according to claim 1, said plurality of elongated supports further comprising transverse extending and elongated bar shaped elements, such as which can include any rectangular or rounded corner pseudo-rectangular profiles in order to provide the desired aspects of uniform pressure-resisting support when placed upon the soft or loose aggregate ground surface such as a sandy beach.

8. The mat according to claim 6, said plurality of elongated supports each further comprising a flattened upper profiles which facilitate securing to said flexible body utilizing any type of mechanical fastener, chemical adhesive or joining process.