Patent Application
20180353801
Yoga mats are flexible mats that can be rolled out during an exercise class to give a user comfort and protection from slipping. A yoga mat is generally a strip of material in a rectangular shape working to provide traction and a clean exercise space for the user. They are typically designed in a portable fashion allowing the user to easily transport the mat to and from exercise classes.
Such yoga mats are widely used yet often lack additional features needed to carry personal items, promote cleanliness, and enable easier carrying. If a user wishes to bring equipment to the exercise class, such as a water bottle or money, they must carry it separately from their mat. While the mat works to ensure a clean exercise space, it doesn't improve personal hygiene for the user. Thus, there remains a considerable need for a yoga mat with additional features for cleanliness. Finally, carrying such a mat is mostly either done in a bag or simple handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,015,881 to Kress shows one approach to the cleanliness challenge. In Kress, a yoga mat includes a rubber mat with an attached bamboo grid overlay. In between, a towel engages the mat, allowing for traction on the bamboo grid wile the towel captures the yogi's perspiration. This is an interesting approach but it does not solve some of the carrying challenges and its nearly full-length towel overlooks many yogi's desire to be in contact with the mat as much as practicable and not a towel or grid.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,640,539 to Mane shows a handle attached to a yoga mat. The handle attaches at the center of the mat and can be used as a shoulder strap. Alane's handle is not removable, however, and thus it can he in a yogi's way during practice. Further, its placement at the center of the mat does not allow for other ways of carrying the mat such as diagonally across a chest or with more room for maneuver over a shoulder.
An accessorized yoga mat includes at least a mat including at least two configurations, a rolled configuration, and an unrolled configuration; a closure mechanism that secures the mat in the rolled configuration; and a carrying strap removably engaged to the mat and capable of supporting the mat during transport.
The mat will be described in more detail below.
The accessorized mat 100 may include a closure mechanism 130 as shown in
The closure mechanism 130 may removably engage an edge wrap 112, 114 engaged to the mat 110 at a closure mechanism engagement area 139 and mat engagement area 119. As shown, this engagement is a hook and loop engagement to a top side 131 of the mat 110, although it should be understood that the engagement could be to a bottom side 133 of the mat 110. The top side 131 refers to the side of the mat that is inwardly rolled and the bottom side 133 is outwardly facing, as best seen in
The closure mechanism 130 may include a pocket that can be accessed by a zipper or other sealable means, for storage of money or cell phone. It should also be appreciated that as shown in
The accessorized yoga mat 100 may include an edge wrap 112 that is attached to an edge 111 of the yoga mat 110 and in this case a top edge of the yoga mat 110, where a top edge is usually an edge where a yoga practitioner more normally faces during practice. The edge wrap 112 may be a cleansable fabric or other material for use in an athletic, and particular, a sweat-inducing setting. Such materials may include cotton, microfiber, polyester, etc. An opposing bottom edge wrap 114 is on a bottom edge of the mat 110. The edge wraps 112, 114 serve two purposes, one being to assist in engagement of certain straps and fixtures to the mat 110, as described below, and the other to add some weight and/or stability to the mat 110 such that the mat 110 lies flat in use, since yoga mats often curl up when unrolled.
The accessorized yoga mat 100 may also include a carrying strap 150 removably engaged to the mat 110 and capable of supporting the mat 110 during transport. The carrying strap 150 may be removable from the mat 110 via hook and loop, snap, or ring engagement as shown. The carrying strap 150 can be adjustable length and the carrying strap rings at the ends of the carrying strap 150 may be wrapped inside removable end sleeves to prevent metal-on-metal jingling during transport, or alternatively after removal, the sleeves may also act as handholds while the carrying strap 150 is used during certain movements in yoga practice. As best seen in
As noted, the carrying strap 150 may be engaged to mat 110 through a mat strap 117, and the mat strap 117 is itself attached to the mat 110 and/or the bottom edge wrap 114. The mat strap 117 may be separate from the carrying strap 150 or a single piece therewith, and the mat strap may be attached to the mat 110 or attached to the edge wrap 114, or all three of the mat strap 117, edge wrap 114, and mat 110 may be connected to one another through a common connection 116. The connection between these is preferably though stitching.
The mat 110 may further include a towel 160 that is detachably attached thereto as best seen in
As shown, the towel is engaged to the top side, top edge of the mat 110 since that is the place where the most sweat will accumulate from the practitioner's head. The towel may extend for the length of the top side 131 of the mat 110, but there is an advantage to the towel only extending from half to 75% of the length of the mat to allow a practitioner's feet to be free to engage the mat 110 and not a towel, which encourages better traction and balance between a practitioner's bare feet and the mat 110.
As best seen in
While the invention has been described with reference to the embodiments above, a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that various changes or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62482848 | Apr 2017 | US |
