Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
STACKABLE CUSHIONS
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to exercise cushions and more particularly to
stackable exercise
cushions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Exercise mats, pads and cushions are often used during a variety of
exercise activities that
are conducted on a floor surface, such as yoga, Pilates and other training
workouts. For example,
a user may position a cushion on a hard floor or on an exercise mat to provide
a more comfortable
experience during various yoga poses or stretching exercises, by providing
additional support to
areas of the body such as hands, elbows, shoulders, feet, hips and knees. The
user may also use
stackable step platforms to provide height-adjustable support for various
exercises and workouts.
[0003] Many step platforms are made of hard plastics and are uncomfortable
against the hands,
elbows, hips and knees of the user, while many cushions are not height-
adjustable. Furthermore,
cushions may slip or slide on a floor surface or on an exercise mat, causing
the user to slip or fall.
[0004] Thus, there exists a need for exercise cushions that are stackable, and
are less prone to
slipping on a variety of surfaces, such as on mats and floors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In various embodiments, the present disclosure provides cushions for
use during a variety
of exercise activities that provide additional support and comfort to areas of
the body of a user.
The cushions are also stackable such that a user may position two or more of
the cushions as
described herein together so as to provide support at varying heights.
Furthermore, the cushions
as described herein are shaped so as to create a partial vacuum, or suction,
against a surface,
thereby preventing slipping or sliding of the cushion on a floor, mat or other
surface.
[0006] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a cushion comprising: a
body having a height
and a width, and defined by a shaped top surface and a shaped bottom surface,
the shaped top
surface having a side-view profile along a cross-section of the body
comprising at least one
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concave portion and at least one raised portion adjacent to the at least one
concave portion,
wherein, from a top view of the body, the at least one raised portion is at a
perimeter of the at least
one concave portion, and the shaped bottom surface having a side-view profile
along the cross-
section of the body comprising at least one concave portion underneath the at
least one raised
portion of the shaped top surface, at least one convex portion underneath the
at least one concave
portion of the shaped top surface, and at least one substantially flat
portion, wherein, from a bottom
view of the body, the at least one substantially flat portion is at a
perimeter of the shaped bottom
surface, wherein the side-view profile of the shaped bottom surface has a
nesting fit with the side-
view profile of the shaped top surface.
[0007] In various embodiments, and from the bottom view of the body, the
shaped bottom surface
is circular and the at least one substantially flat portion is around a
circumference of the shaped
bottom surface.
[0008] In various embodiments, the side-view profile of the shaped top surface
further comprises
a sloping edge toward the at least one substantially flat portion of the
shaped bottom surface.
[0009] In various embodiments, the side-view profile of the shaped top portion
comprises two
raised portions, and two concave portions connected through a central raised
portion, and the side-
view profile of the shaped bottom portion comprises two concave portions and
two convex
portions connected through a central depressed portion.
[0010] In various embodiments, a height of the central raised portion is lower
than a height of the
.. two raised portions of the shaped top surface.
[0011] In various embodiments, a depth of the two concave portions of the
shaped bottom surface
is more than a depth of the central depression portion.
[0012] In various embodiments, the at least one convex portion of the shaped
bottom surface and
the at least one substantially flat surface are configured to engage with a
surface.
[0013] In various embodiments, and from the top view of the body, the shaped
top surface is
rectangular and from the bottom view of the body, the shaped bottom surface is
rectangular. The
shaped top surface may comprise two top surface circular or oblong profiles,
each of the two top
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surface profiles having the side-view profile along a cross-section of the top
surface profile
comprising the at least one concave portion and the least one raised portion
adjacent to the at least
one concave portion, wherein, from the top view of the body, the at least one
raised portion is at
the perimeter of the at least one concave portion of the top surface circular
or oblong profile. The
shaped bottom surface may comprise two bottom surface circular or oblong
profiles, each of the
two bottom surface profiles having the side-view profile along a cross-section
of the bottom
surface profile comprising the at least one concave portion underneath the at
least one raised
portion of the top surface profile, the at least one convex portion underneath
the at least one
concave portion of the top surface profile, and the at least one substantially
flat portion for
engaging with the surface, wherein, from the bottom view of the body, the at
least one substantially
flat portion is at the perimeter of the bottom surface circular or oblong
profile.
[0014] In various embodiments, the cushion may be made of an elastomeric
polymer, a rubber, a
foam or any combination thereof. For example, the cushion may be made of
ethylene vinyl acetate
(EVA).
.. [0015] In various embodiments, the cushion may comprise one or more first
zones and one or
more second zones, wherein the one or more first zones are made of a material
that is softer than
a material of the one or more second zones. For example, the one or more first
zones may be
positioned at the at least one concave portion of the shaped top surface and
the one or more second
zones may be positioned at the at least one raised portion of the shaped top
surface.
[0016] In various embodiments, the body comprises two or more different
materials, wherein each
of the two or more different materials have different densities. For example,
at least one of the
two or more different materials is engineered as a layer within the body.
[0017] In various embodiments, the body comprises one or more hollows.
[0018] In various embodiments, the cushion is an exercise support, a
meditation pillow or a yoga
block.
[0019] Other aspects and features of the present invention will become
apparent to those of
ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following description of specific
embodiments of the
invention in conjunction with the accompanying claims.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] Throughout the drawings, reference numbers may be re-used to indicate
correspondence
between referenced elements. The drawings are provided to illustrate example
embodiments
described herein and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.
Sizes and relative
positions of elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For
example, the shapes
of various elements and angles are not drawn to scale, and some of these
elements are arbitrarily
enlarged and positioned to improve drawing legibility.
[0021] In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one or more exemplary
embodiments:
[0022] Figure 1 is a top perspective view of a cushion according to an
embodiment of the
invention.
[0023] Figure 2 is a bottom perspective view of a cushion according to an
embodiment of the
invention.
[0024] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along A-A of the cushion according
to the embodiment
of the invention as shown in Figure 1.
[0025] Figure 4 is a plan view of an interior cross-section of a cushion
according to an embodiment
of the invention.
[0026] Figure 5 is a plan view of an interior cross-section of a cushion
according to a further
embodiment of the invention.
[0027] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of two cushions stacked on top of
each other with a
shaped top surface of a first cushion adjacent to a shaped bottom surface of a
second cushion.
[0028] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of two cushions stacked on top of
each other with a
shaped bottom surface of a first cushion adjacent to a shaped bottom surface
of a second cushion.
[0029] Figure 8 is a photograph of a cushion according to an embodiment of the
invention
providing support to the hands of a user.
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[0030] Figure 9 is a photograph of a cushion according to an embodiment of the
invention
providing support to the elbows of a user.
[0031] Figure 10 is a photograph of a cushion according to an embodiment of
the invention
providing support to a knee of a user.
[0032] Figure 11 is a photograph of two cushions according to an embodiment of
the invention
providing support to a knee of a user where a shaped bottom surface of a first
cushion is adjacent
to a shaped bottom surface of a second cushion.
[0033] Figure 12 is a photograph of two cushions according to an embodiment of
the invention
providing support to a knee of a user where a shaped bottom surface of a first
cushion is adjacent
to a shaped top surface of a second cushion.
[0034] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of a cushion according to a further
embodiment of the
invention
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0035] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention,
examples of which
are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention is described
in conjunction with
these embodiments, it will be understood that the descriptions herein are not
intended to limit the
invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to
cover alternatives,
modifications, and equivalents that may be included within the scope of the
invention as defined
by the appended claims. Detailed description of components that are well known
in the art may be
omitted if that detailed description would confuse or obscure the description
of the embodiments
of the present invention.
[0036] In the context of the present disclosure, various terms are used in
accordance with what is
understood to be the ordinary meaning of those terms.
[0037] Directional terms such as "top", "bottom", "front", "back", "upper",
"lower", "outer" and
"inner" are used in the following description for the purpose of providing
relative reference only,
and are not intended to suggest any limitations on how any article or garment
is to be positioned
during use, or relative to an environment. The use of the word "a" or "an"
when used herein in
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conjunction with the term "comprising" may mean "one", but it is also
consistent with the meaning
of "one or more", "at least one", and "one or more than one". Any element
expressed in the
singular form also encompasses its plural form. Any element expressed in the
plural form also
encompasses its singular form. The term "plurality" as used herein means more
than one, for
example, two or more, three or more, four or more, and the like.
[0038] The present disclosure provides a cushion for providing support and/or
cushioning to a
body part of a user during exercise, such as yoga, Pilates or meditation. In
various embodiments,
the disclosure provides cushions that provide support and are stackable, while
minimizing slipping
or sliding on a surface, such as on a floor or exercise mat. By having top and
bottom surfaces of
a particular shape, the cushions as disclosed herein may create a partial
vacuum or suction against
a surface so as not to slide or slip during use. In various embodiments, the
cushion may be an
exercise support, a meditation pillow or a yoga block.
[0039] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, and according to a first embodiment of
the disclosure, a
cushion 10 is shown. The cushion 10 comprises a body 20 having a height and a
width, and defined
by a shaped top surface 30 and a shaped bottom surface 40.
[0040] The shaped top surface 30 has a side-view profile along a cross-section
of the body 20
(such as line A-A in Figure 1) comprising at least one concave portion 50 and
at least one raised
portion 60 adjacent to the at least one concave portion 50, as shown in Figure
3. As shown in
Figure 1, from a top view of the body 20, the at least one raised portion 60
is at a perimeter 70 of
the at least one concave portion 50.
[0041] The shaped bottom surface 40 has a side-view profile along the cross-
section of the body
20 comprising at least one concave portion 80 underneath the at least one
raised portion 60 of the
shaped top surface 30, at least one convex portion 90 underneath the at least
one concave portion
50 of the shaped top surface 30, and at least one substantially flat portion
100. From a bottom
view of the body 20, the at least one substantially flat portion 100 is at a
perimeter 110 of the
shaped bottom surface 40. The at least one substantially flat portion 100 is
for creating a partial
vacuum so that the cushion 10 may be suctioned to a surface, such as a floor
or exercise mat. By
creating a partial vacuum, the cushion is less likely to slip or slip on the
surface during use by a
user.
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[0042] In various embodiments, the side-view profile of the shaped bottom
surface 40 has a
nesting fit with the side-view profile of the shaped top surface 30. The
shaped top surface 30 is
sized and designed such that the shaped bottom surface 40 is compatible to fit
therein.
[0043] The side-view profile of the shaped top surface 30 may further comprise
a sloping edge 75
toward the at least one substantially flat portion 100 of the shaped bottom
surface 40.
[0044] In various embodiments and as is shown in Figure 3, the side-view
profile of the shaped
top surface 30 along cross-section A-A of the body 20 may comprise two raised
portions 60, and
two concave portions 50 connected through a central raised portion 120. In
such embodiments,
the side-view profile of the shaped bottom portion 40 comprises two concave
portions 80 and two
convex portions 90 connected through a central depressed portion 130. A height
of the central
raised portion 120 may be lower than a height of the two raised portions 60 of
the shaped top
surface 30. A depth of the two concave portions 80 of the shaped bottom
surface 40 may be more
than a depth of the central depression portion 130. Such embodiments may be
suitable for
providing support or cushioning to a single body part of the user. In further
embodiments, and
depending on a shape of the cushion 10, the side-view profile of the shaped
top surface 30 and the
shaped bottom surface 40 may be different along different cross-sections. For
example, along a
first cross-section of the body 20, the side-view profile of the shaped top
surface 30 may comprise
two of the side-view profiles discussed above for Figure 3, so as to provide
two locations for
supporting two body parts of the user, such as, for example, both hands, both
elbows or both knees.
Along a second cross-section perpendicular to the first cross section, the
side-view profile may
correspond to that of Figure 3.
[0045] When the cushion 10 is placed on a surface, such as a floor or an
exercise mat, the at least
one substantially flat portion 100 of the shaped bottom surface 40 may engage
with the surface.
Alternatively, both the at least one convex portion 90 and the at least one
substantially flat portion
100 of the shaped bottom surface 40 may engage with the surface. A partial
vacuum may be
created to hold the cushion 10 in place by the user pressing against the
shaped top surface 30, such
as at the raised central portion 120, so as to reduce the volume of space
between the shaped bottom
surface 40 and the surface, which causes the air between the shaped bottom
surface 40 and the
surface to be expelled, thereby reducing the pressure in the space. The
partial vacuum is released
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as air leaks back into the space between the shaped bottom surface 40 and the
surface. The cushion
as described herein is shown in use by the user in Figures 8-10, to provide
support to the hands
of the user (Figure 8), the elbows of the user (Figure 9) and a knee of the
user (Figure 10).
Alternatively, the shaped top surface 30 may be placed on the surface and the
at least one raised
5 portion 60 engages therewith or both the at least one raised portion 60
and the central raised portion
120 engage therewith.
[0046] In various embodiments and as is shown in Figures 1 and 2, from a
bottom view of the
body 20, the shaped bottom surface 40 may be circular and the least one
substantially flat portion
100 is around a circumference 110 of the shaped bottom surface 40. Likewise,
from a top view of
10 the body 20, the shaped top surface 30 may be circular. Alternatively,
from a bottom view of the
body 20, the shaped bottom surface 40 may be oblong and from a top view of the
body 20, the
shaped top surface 30 may be oblong.
[0047] In various embodiments, the cushion 10 may also be square or
rectangular. In such
embodiments, the shaped top surface 30 may comprises two or more top surface
circular or oblong
profiles, each of the two or more top surface profiles having the side-view
profile comprising the
at least one concave portion and the least one raised portion adjacent to the
at least one concave
portion, wherein, from the top view of the body, the at least one raised
portion is at the perimeter
of the at least one concave portion of the top surface circular or oblong
profile, and the shaped
bottom surface 40 comprises two or more bottom surface circular or oblong
profiles, each of the
two bottom surface profiles having the side-view profile comprising the at
least one concave
portion underneath the at least one raised portion of the top surface profile,
the at least one convex
portion underneath the at least one concave portion of the top surface
profile, and the at least one
substantially flat portion for engaging with the surface, wherein, from the
bottom view of the body,
the at least one substantially flat portion is at the perimeter of the bottom
surface circular or oblong
profile.
[0048] The cushions as disclosed herein may be made of a variety of materials
so as to provide
support and/or cushioning to body parts of the user. For example, the cushion
10 may be made of
an elastomeric polymer, a rubber, a foam or any combination thereof. For
example, the cushion
may be made of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA).
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[0049] In various embodiments, the cushions may comprise different materials.
For example, the
cushion 10 may comprise one or more first zones and one or more second zones,
and the one or
more first zones are made of a material that is softer than a material of the
one or more second
zones. In this example, the one or more first zones may be positioned at the
at least one concave
.. portion 40 of the shaped top surface 30 and the one or more second zones
are positioned at the
least one raised portion 60 of the shaped top surface 30.
[0050] The body 20 of the cushion 10 may comprise one material and an interior
of the body 20
may be continuous, as shown in Figure 4. Alternatively, and as shown in Figure
5, the body 20 of
the cushion 10 may comprise two or more different materials as layers 140
within the body 20.
.. These different layers 140 may have different densities or firmness as
compared to each other and
thus, impact the level of cushioning or support provided by the cushion 10.
The interior of the
body 20 may also comprise one or more hollows 150, as shown in Figure 5. In
various
embodiments, the cushion 10 may feel softer directly above these hollows 150.
Thus, the cushion
10 may be modified to provide more or less support or cushioning to the user,
depending on the
activity being undertaken by the user and their preferences.
[0051] The cushions 10 may be stacked in various ways to adjust a height of
the support and/or
cushioning provided to the user. For example, and as shown in Figure 6, two
cushions are stacked
on top of each other with a shaped top surface 30 of a first cushion 200
adjacent to a shaped bottom
surface 40 of a second cushion 210. In this embodiment, additional cushions
may be stacked to
adjust a height of the stack as desired by the user or for storage purposes.
The shaped bottom
surface 40 of the first cushion 200 may be pressed against a surface, such as
a floor or exercise
mat, to create a partial vacuum to hold the first cushion 200 in place, and
thus, aid in preventing
the user from slipping or sliding during use. This embodiment is shown in use
in Figure 12, as the
stacked cushions provide support to a knee of the user.
[0052] As a further example, and as shown in Figure 7, two cushions are
stacked on top of each
other with a shaped bottom surface 40 of a first cushion 220 adjacent to a
shaped bottom surface
40 of a second cushion 230. In this embodiment, the at least one raised
portion 60 of the first
cushion 220 is in contact with the surface, such as a floor or mat, or both
the at least one raised
portion 60 and the central raised portion 120 of the first cushion 220 are in
contact with the surface.
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A partial vacuum to hold the first cushion 220 in place and/or to hold the
first and second cushions
220 and 230 together may be created by pressing on the shaped top surface 30,
such as the central
raised portion 120 of the second cushion 230. For example, when the two
cushions are stacked
shaped bottom surface 40 to shaped bottom surface 40 with their respective at
least substantially
flat portions 100 overlapping, they may be pressed together so as to create a
partial vacuum
therebetween, so that the two cushions are held together. This embodiment is
shown in use in
Figure 11, as the stacked cushions provide support to a knee of the user.
[0053] The cushions as disclosed herein may be of varying width or height, so
as to accommodate
various activities as undertaken by the user. For example, the cushion
according to the
embodiment as shown in Figure 13 has a larger height and/or width than the
embodiment shown
in Figure 3. The height of the cushion 10 may be about 25 mm, up to about 100
mm, with a width
of about 100 mm to about 200 mm, such as about 140 mm, for example. A height
between a top
of the at least one raised portion 60 and a bottom of the at least one concave
portion 50 of the
shaped top surface 30 may be about 3.3 mm, for example. A height between the
at least one
substantially flat portion 100 and the at least one concave portion 80 of the
shaped bottom surface
40 may also be about 3.3 mm, for example.
[0054] While particular elements, embodiments and applications of the present
application have
been shown and described, it will be understood, that the scope of the
application is not limited
thereto, since modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without
departing from the
scope of the present application, particularly in light of the foregoing
teachings. Thus, for example,
in any method or process disclosed herein, the acts or operations making up
the method/process
may be performed in any suitable sequence and are not necessarily limited to
any particular
disclosed sequence. Elements and components can be configured or arranged
differently,
combined, and/or eliminated in various embodiments. The various features and
processes
described above may be used independently of one another, or may be combined
in various ways.
All possible combinations and subcombinations are intended to fall within the
scope of this
application. Reference throughout this disclosure to "some embodiments," "an
embodiment," or
the like, means that a particular feature, structure, step, process, or
characteristic described in
connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus,
appearances of the
phrases "in some embodiments," "in an embodiment," or the like, throughout
this disclosure are
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-04-27
not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment and may refer to one or
more of the same or
different embodiments. Indeed, the novel methods and systems described herein
may be embodied
in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, additions,
substitutions, equivalents,
rearrangements, and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein
may be made
without departing from the spirit of the application.
[0055] Various aspects and advantages of the embodiments have been described
where
appropriate. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such aspects or
advantages may be
achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, it
should be
recognized that the various embodiments may be carried out in a manner that
achieves or optimizes
one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily
achieving other aspects
or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.
[0056] Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, "can,"
"could," "might," "may,"
"e.g.," and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise
understood within the context
as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include,
while other
embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus,
such conditional
language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or
steps are in any way
required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments
necessarily include logic
for deciding, with or without operator input or prompting, whether these
features, elements and/or
steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment. No
single feature or group
of features is required for or indispensable to any particular embodiment. The
terms "comprising,"
"including," "having," and the like are synonymous and are used inclusively,
in an open-ended
fashion, and do not exclude additional elements, features, acts, operations,
and so forth. Also, the
term "or" is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so
that when used, for
example, to connect a list of elements, the term "or" means one, some, or all
of the elements in the
list.
[0057] The example calculations, simulations, results, graphs, values, and
parameters of the
embodiments described herein are intended to illustrate and not to limit the
disclosed
embodiments. Other embodiments can be configured and/or operated differently
than the
illustrative examples described herein.
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