STANDING MAT

Abstract

A standing desk mat includes a base having a thickness dimension within which a cushioning material resides for supporting a bottom of a shoe of a standing user off a floor when the user is standing on the standing desk mat, and a strap operably connected to the base to form a bridge spanning a portion of the base for an upper portion of the shoe to engage a bottom portion of the strap upon the user raising the shoe above the base to raise at least a portion of the standing desk mat therewith and disengage the bottom portion of the strap upon the user lowering the shoe to lower the base to the floor therewith.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to floor mats. In particular, the present invention relates to anti-fatigue floor mats used in combination with standing desks.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Sitting for long periods of time may increase risks of health problems, obesity, etc. Standing for long periods of time, however, may be tiring and may also increase particular risks of health problems. Sit and stand desks have become a popular answer to these problems. Sit and stand desks allow a person to change positions throughout the day by raising or lowering to accommodate a person in a sitting or standing position. Anti-fatigue mats are commonly sold in conjunction with sit and stand desks to help make the standing experience more comfortable and healthier for users. Users are able to stand comfortably for longer periods with fewer negative effects when standing on anti-fatigue mats.

Conventional anti-fatigue mats have drawbacks, however. For example, conventional anti-fatigue mats are not amenable to use with a chair. Even mats with beveled edges to allow easy on and off access of a chair have issues such as difficulty moving the chair on and off of the mat and having the chair sink into the soft mats. Chairs are difficult to roll onto and off soft surfaces such as anti-fatigue mats and deformations to the mats may form due to the weight of the chair on such soft surfaces for extended periods of time.

As a result, some users purchase hard mats that provide little to no benefit when standing and do not address the health risks mentioned above. Others use soft mats but have to move the mat each time they wish to change positions from seating to standing and vice versa. Anti-fatigue mats, even soft ones, have bottoms that resist horizontal movement of the mat when in contact with the floor to reduce the risk of the user slipping, tripping or falling. Conventionally, to move the mat, a user had to physically bend over, pick up the mat with her hands, and move it to another position. This is uncomfortable and may itself represent a health risk of, for example, back injury or hitting ones' head on the desk while bending over to move the mat.

Thus, there is a need for an anti-fatigue mat that may be easily moved into and out of a proper standing position without the user having to bend over to pick up the mat.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, an easily movable anti-fatigue mat set is provided that may be used with sit and stand desks to allow users, without bending over, to easily move mats. The anti-fatigue mat set disclosed herein may have a relatively high friction bottom layer to prevent or hinder horizontal movement when a user is standing or walking over the mat and a soft top to aid in reducing fatigue.

Because there is individual left foot and right foot mats in a set and each of the mats includes a strap or loop for a user to insert her foot or shoe to lift each individual mat off the floor, a user may move the anti-fatigue mat in and out of an operative position using her feet. While standing on the mat, the user's foot or shoe does not touch the strap and, thus, is not constricted such as in a shoe or sandal. Rather, the user can move her foot or shoe freely on the mat, and when desiring to sit down, may use the strap to move the mat without bending over. Thus, the mat set disclosed herein provides a foot activated method of movement that obviates the necessity of bending over, which may be problematic for users with back problems and inefficient. This arrangement allows the mat set to remain in place during normal use and, further, allows the mat set to be easily moved horizontally when intended.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various example systems, methods, and so on, that illustrate various example embodiments of aspects of the invention. It will be appreciated that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one example of the boundaries. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that one element may be designed as multiple elements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. An element shown as an internal component of another element may be implemented as an external component and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of an exemplary anti-fatigue mat for a user to stand on while working on a standing desk.

FIG. 2 illustrates a rear view of the exemplary anti-fatigue mat of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the exemplary anti-fatigue mat of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the exemplary anti-fatigue mat of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 illustrates a front view of the exemplary anti-fatigue mat of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary anti-fatigue mat set including a left foot mat and a right foot mat.

FIG. 7 illustrates a rear view of another embodiment of the exemplary anti-fatigue mat.

FIG. 8 illustrates a rear view of another embodiment of the exemplary anti-fatigue mat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention includes an anti-fatigue mat that is capable of being easily moved into and out of a desired position in a horizontal direction on a floor surface, without requiring a user to bend over and pick up the mat and without sacrificing the desired frictional engagement between mat and floor when movement is not desired.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate top and rear views, respectively, of the exemplary anti-fatigue mat 1 for a user to stand on while working on a standing desk. FIGS. 3-5 illustrate perspective, side, and front views, respectively, of the exemplary anti-fatigue mat 1. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the mat 1 in the deployed mode with the exemplary strap portions 3a and 3b engaged to each other to form the strap 3. FIGS. 3-5 illustrate the mat 1 in the storage or shipping mode with the exemplary strap portions 3a and 3b disengaged from each other. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary anti-fatigue mat set 10, which is how the mat 1 would typically be used, including a left foot mat 1a and a right foot mat 1b.

The exemplary standing desk mat 1 includes a base 5 that has a top 5b and a bottom 5c. The bottom 5c rests on the floor F while the top 5b supports the bottom of a foot or a shoe of a standing user off the floor F when the user is standing on the standing desk mat 1. The bottom 5c may have a high coefficient of friction to prevent the mat 1 from sliding when engaged with the floor F. The bottom 5c may be made of, for example, polyurethane or rubber. The top 5b may be made from a single, homogenous layer or comprise separate elements. A homogenous top 5b may be a woven fabric, foam, gel, or solid construction, or some combination thereof, such as a nitrile rubber with polypropylene fabric strands dispersed within it. A homogenous top 5b may be made of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, neoprene, nylon, a vinyl containing compound, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, silicone, polyurethane, a nitrile containing compound, gel, polypropylene fabric, nitrile rubber, open cell foam, closed cell foam, some combination thereof, or like material. Alternatively, a top 5b may be made of a soft element covered with a more rigid shell element that is still flexible and resilient but is not as soft as the soft element. The soft element may be elastic in nature. The soft element may be a gel, foam, fabric, or solid material, or some combination thereof. For example, the top 5b may be made of a vinyl containing compound covering or partially covering a foam material. A soft element may be made of polyether foam, polyester foam, polyethylene foam, foam rubber, cellulose foam, polyurethane foam, polypropylene foam, nitrile blend foam, an open cell foam, closed cell foam, polypropylene fabric, a nitrile containing compound, fabric, gel, rubber, nitrile rubber, polyurethane rubber, some combination of these, or other suitable material. The shell element may be made of woven fabric, gel, foam, or a solid construction to encase the soft element. For example, the top 5b may consist of polypropylene fabric covering or partially covering a gel or solid soft element. The shell element may be made of or with a polymer compound. The shell element may be made with materials such as natural rubber, synthetic rubber, neoprene, nylon, a vinyl containing compound, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, polypropylene fabrics, silicone, polyurethane, a nitrile containing compound, nitrile rubber, closed cell foam, open cell foam, some combination thereof, or any other suitable compound. For example, the shell material may be a nitrile rubber with polypropylene fabric strands dispersed within it.

The top 5b and the bottom 5c may be made of the same or different materials depending upon the desired use. For example, for a certain type of floor F, a bottom 5c that is made of a generally harder material might be preferable. However, that particular bottom 5c may not be cushioned enough to provide anti-fatigue characteristics to the mat 1 without the addition of a top 5b made from a softer material. Alternately, for a different type of floor F, the base 5 may be formed integrally from a single layer of material, the material providing sufficient friction with the floor F and sufficient anti-fatigue cushioning. Further, the materials to make the base 5 may be chosen so that the base 5 is within certain tolerances of thickness and rigidity, so that the base 5 may move without rolling or buckling of its edges. The integrally formed base 5 or just the bottom 5c may be made of or with one or more materials, including polymer compound materials such as natural rubber, synthetic rubber, neoprene, nylon, a vinyl containing compound, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, silicone, polyurethane, nitrile rubber, a nitrile containing compound, or any other suitable compound. The integrally formed base 5 or just the bottom 5c may be a woven fabric, foam, gel, or solid construction, or some combination thereof, such as polypropylene fabric, nitrile rubber, nitrile rubber with polypropylene fabric strands dispersed within it, a closed cell foam, or an open cell foam.

In one embodiment, the base 5 is approximately 15.5 inches long (y direction), 7.25 inches wide (x direction), and 0.75 inches thick (z direction). In other embodiments, the base 5 is approximately 10-30 inches long (y direction), 5-15 inches wide (x direction), and 0.2-2.0 inches thick (z direction).

The exemplary standing desk mat 1 may also include the strap 3 that is operably connected to the base 5 to form a bridge spanning a portion of the base 5. In the deployed mode of FIGS. 1 and 2, the user engages the mat 1 by introducing her foot above the base 5 below the strap 3. The strap 3 is positioned above the base 5 so that the user's foot or shoe may fit comfortably between the base 5 and the strap 3 without the foot or shoe touching the strap 3 when the foot or shoe rests on the base 5. This is how the mat 1 operates when a user is standing on the mat 1 while working on a standing desk.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, the strap 3 is shown connected to or near sides of the base 5. In other embodiments, the strap 3 may be operably connected to areas/portions of the base 5 other than to or near the sides. The goal of the strap 3 is to provide the user the ability to insert her foot or shoe into the bridge spanning a portion of the base 5 so that the user may use her foot or shoe to raise the mat 1 off the floor F and move it to a desired location. Thus, although the location of the strap 3 relative to the base 5 shown in FIGS. 1-5 may work relatively well, other locations such as those shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 may also work satisfactorily.

In the illustrated embodiment, the strap 3 includes the strap portions 3a and 3b which engage each other to form the strap 3. The strap portions 3a and 3b may, for example, each include one or more fasteners (e.g., hook-and-loop fasteners (Velcro®)), buttons, clasps, etc.) 7a, 7b that engage the strap portions 3a and 3b to each other. Having the strap portions 3a, 3b a) come together to form the strap 3 in the deployed mode of FIGS. 1 and 2 and b) separate in the storage or shipping mode of FIGS. 3-5 allows the mat 1 to easily and conveniently flatten to a compact state for storage or shipping by folding the strap portions 3a, 3b down flat. In another embodiment (not shown), the desk mat 1 includes a strap 3 that is a single, continuous strap not divided into portions. Such a single, continuous strap 3 would similarly form a bridge spanning a portion of the base 5.

The strap 3 or strap portions 3a, 3b may be made of similar materials as the base 5. The strap 3 or strap portions 3a, 3b may be made from a single, homogenous layer or comprise separate elements. A homogenous strap 3 or strap portions 3a, 3b may be a woven fabric, foam, gel, or solid construction, or some combination thereof, such as a nitrile rubber with polypropylene fabric strands dispersed within it. A homogenous strap 3 or strap portions 3a, 3b may be made of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, neoprene, nylon, a vinyl containing compound, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, silicone, polyurethane, a nitrile containing compound, gel, polypropylene fabric, nitrile rubber, open cell foam, closed cell foam, some combination thereof, or like material. Alternatively, a strap 3 or strap portions 3a, 3b may be made of a soft element covered with a more rigid shell element that is still flexible and resilient but is not as soft as the soft element. The soft element may be elastic in nature. The soft element may be a gel, foam, fabric, or solid material, or some combination thereof. For example, the strap 3 or strap portions 3a, 3b may be made of a vinyl containing compound covering or partially covering a foam material. A soft element may be made of polyether foam, polyester foam, polyethylene foam, foam rubber, cellulose foam, polyurethane foam, polypropylene foam, nitrile blend foam, an open cell foam, closed cell foam, polypropylene fabric, a nitrile containing compound, fabric, gel, rubber, nitrile rubber, polyurethane rubber, some combination of these, or other suitable material. The shell element may be made of woven fabric, gel, foam, or a solid construction to encase the soft element. For example, the strap 3 or strap portions 3a, 3b may consist of polypropylene fabric covering or partially covering a gel or solid soft element. The shell element may be made of or with a polymer compound. The shell element may be made with materials such as natural rubber, synthetic rubber, neoprene, nylon, a vinyl containing compound, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, polypropylene fabrics, silicone, polyurethane, a nitrile containing compound, nitrile rubber, closed cell foam, open cell foam, some combination thereof, or any other suitable compound. For example, the shell material may be a nitrile rubber with polypropylene fabric strands dispersed within it.

The strap 3 may be about 10 inches long so that, in the engaged mode of FIGS. 1 and 2, the strap 3 forms an arch or a bridge that spans about 7 inches (x direction) and, at its peak, rises about 3 inches (z direction) above the top 5b of the base 5. In particular reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 (in which the strap 3 includes the strap portions 3a, 3b), the strap portion 3a may be approximately 7.15 inches long (z direction) and the strap portion 3b may be approximately 5.15 inches long. When engaged by the fastener 7a, 7b, the combined/overlapping strap portions 3a, 3b may be about 10 inches long so that, in the engaged mode of FIGS. 1 and 2, the overlapping strap portions 3a, 3b form an arch or a bridge that spans about 7 inches (x direction) and, at its peak, rises about 3 inches (z direction) above the top 5b of the base 5. In other embodiments, the strap 3 may be made of a length that, in the deployed mode, spans the base 5, at its peak, approximately 3.0-6.0 inches (z direction) above the top 5b of the base 5. In other embodiments, the strap 3 may be of shorter or longer lengths such that it allows for lifting and horizontal movement of the mat using one's foot or shoe and such that, while standing on the mat 1 with the user's foot or shoe between the base 5 and the strap 3, the top of the user's foot or shoe does not touch the bottom of the strap 3 and, thus, the foot or shoe is not constricted such as in a shoe or sandal. Rather, the strap 3 allows the user to move her foot or shoe freely on the mat 1; when the user desires to sit down, she may use the strap 3 to move the mat 1 without bending over.

In the deployed mode of FIGS. 1 and 2, the user engages the mat 1 by introducing her foot above the base 5 below the strap 3. The strap 3 is positioned above the base 5 so that the user's foot or shoe may fit comfortably between the base 5 and the strap 3 without the foot or shoe touching the strap 3 when the foot or shoe rests on the base 5. This is how the mat 1 operates when a user is standing on the mat 1 while working on a standing desk.

When the user wishes to move the mat 1, the user would raise her foot or shoe above the base 5 such that an upper portion of the foot or shoe engages a bottom portion of the strap 3. Upon engagement, the user may continue to raise her foot or shoe to raise the mat 1 off the floor F. Once the mat 1 is off the floor F, the user may move it horizontally, using only her foot or shoe, to a desired position. Once the mat 1 is above the desired position, the user may lower her foot or shoe to bring the base 5 back in engagement with the floor F. The user may then further lower her foot or shoe to disengage the bottom portion of the strap 3 and to, eventually, return to rest on the base 5. Thus, the mat 1 allows users to easily move the mat 1 without bending over.

Another aspect of the invention that allows it to work so well is that the mat 1 may be used in a set. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary anti-fatigue mat set 10, which includes a left foot mat 1a and a right foot mat 1b. Providing a left foot mat 1a and a right foot mat 1b instead of a larger mat for both feet allows the user to use one foot to lift any one mat 1a or 1b off the floor F while the other foot remains stably resting on the other mat 1a or 1b. Thus, the mat set 10 allows users to easily move the mats 1a, 1b without bending over.

While example systems, methods, and so on, have been illustrated by describing examples, and while the examples have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the systems, methods, and so on, described herein.

Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific details, and illustrative examples shown or described. Thus, this application is intended to embrace alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, the preceding description is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

To the extent that the terms “in” or “into” are used in the specification or the claims, it is intended to additionally mean “on” or “onto.” Furthermore, to the extent the term “connect” is used in the specification or claims, it is intended to mean not only “directly connected to,” but also “indirectly connected to” such as connected through another component or components. An “operable connection,” or a connection by which entities are “operably connected,” is one by which the operably connected entities or the operable connection perform its intended purpose. For example, two entities may be operably connected to each other directly or through one or more intermediate entities.

To the extent that the term “includes” or “including” is employed in the detailed description or the claims, it is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as that term is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “or” is employed in the detailed description or claims (e.g., A or B) it is intended to mean “A or B or both”. When the applicants intend to indicate “only A or B but not both” then the term “only A or B but not both” will be employed. Thus, use of the term “or” herein is the inclusive, and not the exclusive use. See, Bryan A. Garner, A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage 624 (3D. Ed. 1995).

Claims

1-5. (canceled)

6. A method of operating a standing desk mat comprising: standing with a shoe or foot on a base of the standing desk mat, the base having a thickness dimension within which a cushioning material resides;raising the shoe or foot off the base to disengage a bottom portion of the shoe or foot from the base and engage a top portion of the shoe or foot to a bottom portion of a strap operably connected to the base to form a bridge spanning a portion of the base;raising the standing desk mat off the floor by further raising the shoe or foot;moving the standing desk mat horizontally by moving the shoe or foot horizontally;lowering the standing desk mat to the floor by lowering the shoe or foot; andfurther lowering the shoe or foot to disengage the top portion of the shoe or foot from the strap and engage the bottom portion of the shoe or foot to the base.

7. A method of operating a standing desk mat set including a first standing desk mat and a second standing desk mat, the method comprising: standing with a first shoe or foot on a base of the first standing desk mat, the base having a thickness dimension within which a cushioning material resides;raising the first shoe or foot off the base to disengage a bottom portion of the first shoe or foot from the base and engage a top portion of the first shoe or foot to a bottom portion of a strap operably connected to the base to form a bridge spanning a portion of the base;raising the first standing desk mat off the floor by further raising the first shoe or foot;moving the first standing desk mat by moving the first shoe or foot;lowering the first standing desk mat to the floor by lowering the first shoe or foot;further lowering the first shoe or foot to disengage the top portion of the first shoe or foot from the strap and engage the bottom portion of the first shoe or foot to the base;standing with a second shoe or foot on a base of the second standing desk mat, the base having a thickness dimension within which a cushioning material resides;raising the second shoe or foot off the base to disengage a bottom portion of the second shoe or foot from the base and engage a top portion of the second shoe or foot to a bottom portion of a strap operably connected to the base to form a bridge spanning a portion of the base;raising the second standing desk mat off the floor by further raising the second shoe or foot;moving the second standing desk mat by moving the second shoe or foot;lowering the second standing desk mat to the floor by lowering the second shoe or foot; andfurther lowering the second shoe or foot to disengage the top portion of the second shoe or foot from the strap and engage the bottom portion of the second shoe or foot to the base.