Exercise mat having a three-dimensional surface texture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021121733-A1
Application number	US-202017077392-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 22, 2020
Priority date	Oct 28, 2019
Publication date	Apr 29, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Examples of an exercise mat having a three-dimensional surface texture and methods for making same are disclosed. The exercise mat may have a first malleable layer formed from a polyurethane material with an elastic fabric material attached to a lower surface thereof. A second layer may be attached to the elastic fabric material of the first layer. The second layer may be formed from a thermoplastic elastomer material and may have the three-dimensional surface texture formed on an upper surface thereof to which the first layer conforms. The exercise mat may also include a third rubber layer attached to the second layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An exercise mat having a three-dimensional surface texture, comprising:
a first malleable layer formed from a polyurethane material and having an elastic fabric material attached to a lower surface thereof; and, a second layer attached to the elastic fabric material of the first layer, the second layer formed from a thermoplastic elastomer material and having the three-dimensional surface texture formed on an upper surface thereof, wherein the first layer conforms to the three-dimensional surface texture of the second layer.

2 . The exercise mat of claim 1 , further comprising a third layer attached to a lower surface of the second layer, the third layer formed from a rubber material.

3 . The exercise mat of claim 2 , further comprising a polyester cotton cloth material sandwiched between the second and the third layers.

4 . The exercise mat of claim 1 , wherein the elastic fabric material is a four-way stretch nylon material.

5 . The exercise mat of claim 1 , wherein at least one edge portion of the exercise mat is contoured, beveled, or chamfered.

6 . The exercise mat of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional surface texture is one or more of a ridged pattern, a water drop wave pattern, and a tidal flow wave pattern.

7 . The exercise mat of claim 6 , wherein the exercise mat has a thickness of 5 mm or approximately 5 mm and the three-dimensional surface texture extends from 0 to 3 mm or approximately 0 to 3 mm below a top surface of the exercise mat.

8 . A method for making an exercise mat having a three-dimensional surface texture, comprising:
preparing a first layer of the exercise mat by pouring liquid polyurethane onto an elastic fabric and curing the polyurethane; attaching a second layer that comprises a thermoplastic elastomer to a fabric side of the first layer; cutting a mat made from the first and second layers to a desired size and shape; positioning the mat on a mold plate having an embossed top surface with a polyurethane side of the first layer facing the embossed top surface, the embossed top surface being embossed with a predetermined three-dimensional surface texture; inserting the mold plate into a vacuum embossing machine and heating the mat for 1 to 15 minutes at a temperature of 120 to 200 degrees Celsius; and, cooling the mat for 5 minutes or approximately 5 minutes; wherein the temperature and suction provided by the vacuum embossing machine softens the thermoplastic elastomer of the second layer conforming it to the predetermined three-dimensional surface texture of the embossed top surface of the mold plate and forming a corresponding predetermined three-dimensional surface texture through the polyurethane side of the first layer.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising attaching a third layer that comprises a rubber material to the second layer.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one edge portion of the exercise mat is contoured, beveled, or chamfered.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the three-dimensional surface texture is one or more of a ridged pattern, a water drop wave pattern, and a tidal flow wave pattern.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the exercise mat has a thickness of 5 mm or approximately 5 mm and the three-dimensional surface texture extends from 0 to 3 mm or approximately 0 to 3 mm below a top surface of the exercise mat.

Assignees

• Lululemon Athletica Canada Inc

Inventors

• Morris Stephen Thomas Caulton
• Yu Colton Kai
• Cheng Warren Christopher Howren
• Boghosian Glenn Malcolm
• Kao Chen I

Classifications

• A63B21/4037 Primary

  Exercise mats for personal use, with or without hand-grips or foot-grips, e.g. for Yoga or supine floor exercises (mats for absorbing shocks A63B6/00) · CPC title

• A63B2225/66

  Cooled · CPC title

• A63B2209/00

  Characteristics of used materials · CPC title

• A63B2225/64

  Heated · CPC title

• B32B25/10

  next to a fibrous or filamentary layer · CPC title