Segmented Folding Mat With Relief Cutouts For Sciatic Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing yoga and exercise mats do not provide sufficient cushioning for extended sitting periods, leading to trauma and pain for users' sciatic nerves and coccyx.
Innovation Solution
A foldable exercise mat with selectable relief segments, featuring transversely spaced apart longitudinal relief cuts that define sciatica and coccyx relief segments, allowing for customizable cushioning and pressure relief when sitting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a yoga mat is made with a flat, thin design, then it provides adequate coverage and portability, but it does not provide sufficient cushioning for extended sitting periods
Solution Approach 1:
The mat is divided into multiple foldable sections with creases that allow the user to fold the mat into different configurations. This segmentation enables the creation of elevated cushioned portions without requiring a completely different mat design, thus extending sitting comfort duration while maintaining manageable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional flat mat to a three-dimensional elevated structure by folding sections of the mat upward. This dimensional change creates cushioned surfaces that provide adequate support for extended sitting without significantly increasing the overall complexity of the mat system.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a yoga mat is made with uniform thickness and material, then it is simple to manufacture and store, but it causes trauma and pain to sciatic nerves and coccyx during extended sitting
Solution Approach 1:
The mat incorporates relief segments with relief cuts at specific locations where sciatic nerves and coccyx contact the mat. These localized modifications create pressure relief zones without requiring complete redesign of the entire mat, thus reducing harmful pressure effects while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The mat is divided into sections with specific relief segments that can be independently configured. This segmentation allows pressure relief features to be integrated into specific areas without complicating the overall manufacturing process, as the relief segments follow the existing sectional structure of the foldable mat.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a yoga mat includes fixed cushioning structures, then it provides support for sitting, but it cannot be easily adjusted for different body positions and users
Solution Approach 1:
The mat features foldable sections with creases that allow dynamic reconfiguration. Users can fold the mat into different configurations to create elevated cushioned portions at various locations, enabling adaptation to different body positions and user preferences without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The mat is divided into multiple foldable sections that can be independently configured. This segmentation provides flexibility in creating different cushioning arrangements for various sitting positions and user needs, while the modular nature keeps the overall system relatively simple compared to fully adjustable furniture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The mat provides increased cushioning and pressure relief for users' sciatic nerves and coccyx, reducing discomfort and trauma during extended sitting periods, and can be easily adjusted for different body positions.
Implementation Method 1
The mat typically comprises a relatively soft, resilient material, such as rubber or neoprene
Implementation Method 2
The folded, multi-layer, elevated portion of the mat forms a cushion
Data Source
AI summary
An elongated, segmented, folding mat with selectable relief segments that may be extended to create relief cutouts that relieve pressure upon a user's sciatica or coccyx when a user is sitting on a folded, multi-layer, elevated portion of the mat comprising a cushion. The cushion height may be raised or lowered by incorporating more or fewer folded sections of the mat into the cushion.