Abstract:
A yoga mat is provided and includes a plurality of substantially equidistant arms extending radially outwardly from a central segment. This structure permits the practitioner to assume a wide variety of yoga positions (yogasana) without the necessity of repositioning the mat. The mat itself is formed from standard, well known, flexible, resilient materials.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a unique mat that is particularly useful for practicing yoga. Of course, it is to be understood that even though this invention is described with particular regard to yoga, it is equally suitable for other forms of exercise. That is to say, in addition to yoga, the mat of this invention is useful whenever one requires a substantially flexible, resilient surface upon which to stand, sit, or lie.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     The use of a substantially flexible, resilient mat for purposes of exercise is well known, and such mats are typically formed from a spongy, or rubber-like, substance. Mats of varying shapes and sizes are well known including, for example, the mats used by gymnasts, freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers, and even the relatively smaller, usually rectangular mats often used by young children at “nap time” at pre-schools and kindergarten. Many individuals use such mats as part of the equipment for personal exercise and training. Practitioners of yoga almost always practice their positions, or asana, on rectangular mats that are about two feet wide and five feet long.  
         [0005]     Because of the material from which they are constructed, state-of-the-art mats are light and are usually stored and transported in a rolled-up condition. The rolled mats are either secured with straps for carrying or placed within a bag. However, these state-of-the-art mats, because of their rather narrow, rectangular shape, require rather frequent repositioning by a practitioner of yoga as he or she transitions from one asana to another.  
         [0006]     It is therefore clear that there remains a need in the art of exercise mats and, particularly, yoga mats, for a mat dimensioned and configured such that the practitioner may transition from one asana to another quickly and efficiently. Of course, particularly when practicing in a group setting, the mat must be of a size and shape to provide ample space for a number of mats corresponding to the number of practitioners in the group. Furthermore, such a mat must be of a construction to permit easy storage and transportation by the user.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The present invention relates primarily to an improved yoga mat characterized by its construction comprising a central segment and a plurality of substantially equally-spaced arms radiating outwardly from the central segment. According to a preferred embodiment described hereinafter, there are four such arms so that a preferred embodiment for the yoga mat of this invention describes a “plus sign” in a plan view. In addition to being equally spaced around the perimeter of the central segment, each of the arms is of substantially the same length, and each of the arms is of substantially the same width. Transportation and storage of the mat of this invention is easily accomplished by folding opposed arms onto the central segment and then rolling one of the remaining extended arms onto itself, across the central segment and the folded arms, and onto the remaining arm. Releasable means are provided for maintaining the mat in its rolled condition.  
         [0008]     It is to be emphasized that while the preferred embodiment of this invention is being described as a yoga mat, that utility is not to be interpreted as a limit on the scope of the present invention. This yoga mat may be used for virtually any form of exercise.  
         [0009]     The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the yoga mat of this invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a side elevation of the mat shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view of the mat shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the mat shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the mat shown in  FIG. 1 , folded and partially rolled.  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the mat of  FIG. 1  in its fully-rolled, storage/transport position. 
     
    
       [0017]     Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0018]     The yoga mat of this invention is generally indicated as  10  in the preferred embodiment illustrated in the views of  FIGS. 1-6 . Mat  10  is formed from a flexible, resilient material and includes a top surface  12  and an opposed bottom surface  14 . Top surface  12  preferably comprises a roughened or textured surface for the benefit of the user, and that roughened or textured surface is indicated by crosshatching  16  in the views of  FIGS. 1, 4 , and  5 . Mat  10  further comprises a central segment  18  and a plurality of arms  20 ,  22 ,  24 , and  26  extending radially outwardly from central segment  18 . Opposed ends of each of the arms  20 - 26  are defined by respective first ends  28 ,  30 ,  32 , and  34  and respective second ends  36 ,  38 ,  40 , and  42 .  
         [0019]     In accord with this preferred embodiment for yoga mat  10 , each of the first ends  28 - 34  is integral with a corresponding portion of central segment  18 . However, it is to be understood that the arms  20 - 26  could be formed as separate elements with their corresponding first ends  28 - 34  attached to central segment  18  as by, for example, snaps, hooks, or mating hook and loop fasteners. Such a construction is intended to fall within the scope of the present invention.  
         [0020]     The distance between the first ends  28 - 34  and the corresponding second ends  36 - 42  of each of the arms  20 - 26  defines the arm length. Each of the arms  20 - 26  further includes a corresponding first side  44 ,  46 ,  48 , and  50  and a corresponding second side  52 ,  54 ,  56 , and  58 . The distance between each of the first sides  44 - 50  and the corresponding second sides  52 - 58  defines the arm width. Referring to the views of  FIGS. 1 and 3 , it can be seen that yoga mat  10  further comprises a first fastener element  60  disposed on the top surface  12  of arm  20  substantially adjacent second end  36 . A second fastener element  62  is disposed on bottom surface  14  of central segment  18  substantially adjacent first end  28 . Thus, when yoga mat  10  is folded and rolled, as indicated by directional arrow A in the view of  FIG. 5 , first fastener element  60  may operatively engage second fastener element  62  to maintain mat  10  in the rolled position indicated in the view of  FIG. 6  for storage or transport. In this preferred embodiment for yoga mat  10 , first fastener element  60  and second fastener element  62  are mating hook and loop fasteners. However, this is not to be interpreted as a limitation on the scope of the invention, for other releasable fasteners may be used.  
         [0021]     Having thus set forth a preferred construction for the yoga mat of this invention, practitioners of yoga will readily appreciate the functionality of yoga mat  10 . Depending upon the particular asana of the practitioner, his or her feet may be placed one in front of the other, as in the virasana. In the virasana the left foot would be placed, for example, on arm  20  while the right foot would remain on central segment  18 . Then, if the practitioner wished to assume the trikonasana position, his or her feet would be placed with the left foot on arm  24  and the right foot on arm  26 . Obviously, then, no repositioning of mat  10  would be required as one moved from one asana to the next.  
         [0022]     It will thus be seen that the object set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above article without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.  
         [0023]     It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.  
         [0024]     Now that the invention has been described,