Sports mat, notably a movable judo mat

• US 5,116,045 A
• Filed: 04/17/1990
• Issued: 05/26/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Frantisek Jahoda
• Original Assignee: Frantisek Jahoda
• Inventors: Jahoda, Frantisek
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Horowitz, Karen G.
• Application Number:
  US07/473,999
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 272/65, 272/93, 272/109, 272/101, 272/102, 272/144, 272/146, 272/70, 5/417, 5/420, 5/431, 5/446, 5/447, 5/448, 5/449, 5/450, 5/464, 5/474, 5/481
• US Class Current: 472/92
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 6/00 Mats or the like for absorbing shocks for jumping, gymnastics or the like

Abstract

The invention relates to a sports mat, especially a judo mat, of an elastic foam-like material (4) and possibly a sheath (7). According to the invention, the elastic foam-like material (4) is arranged on a stiff approximately circular plate (3) which has a central projection (5) on the underside and is fitted so as to "float" on a yielding foam (6).

Claims

1. A sports mat comprising:

a generally circular rigid platform with a top side and a bottom side;

an elastic foam-like material which is placed on said top side of said platform;

a generally centrally-disposed, downwardly-depending projection which is located on said bottom side of said platform and which serves as a fulcrum when said mat is subject to a load;

a displaceable foam material which resiliently supports said platform and said projection in an unloaded state; and

which is partially compressed in a loaded state so as to permit movement of said projection as a fulcrum; and

a skirt which surrounds said platform and is made at least partly of an elastic foam-like material.

2. The sports mat as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a casing which holds said displaceable foam material.

3. The sports mat as claimed in claim 2, wherein said projection has the shape of a hemisphere.

4. The sports mat as claimed in claim 3, wherein said skirt is connected to said platform in an articulated manner.

5. The sports mat as claimed in claim 4, wherein said skirt is resiliently supported on a second displaceable foam material.

6. The sports mat as claimed in claim 5, wherein said displaceable foam material and the second displaceable foam material forms one unit.

7. The sports mat as claimed in claim 6, wherein said skirt further comprises a reinforcement which is placed between said second displaceable foam material and said elastic foam-like material.

8. The sports mat as claimed in claim 7, wherein the thickness of said skirt decreases toward its outer edge.

9. The sports mat as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a flexible casing which holds said displaceable foam material.

10. The sports mat as claimed in claim 9, wherein said flexible casing is partly resistant to changes in volume.

11. The sports mat as claimed in claim 10, wherein said displaceable foam material is removably set in said casing so as to be replaceable.