Portable vibrating baby soothing mat

A flexible mat comprising:

• a flexible cushion layer;
• a plurality of vibration device assemblies coupled to the cushion layer, each vibration device assembly comprising a cylindrical housing and an electric vibratory device enclosed within the cylindrical housing, each housing having a central axis, the central axes of the plurality of housings being generally parallel to facilitate rolling of the mat, wherein the vibration device assemblies are provided in an array of at least three by three vibration device assemblies or more;
• and
• a controller configured to selectively electrically couple the plurality of vibratory devices to a power supply,
• wherein the mat has a neutral state in which the mat is generally planar and a deformed state in which the mat conforms to a curved surface,
• wherein the mat is configured to be curved for an entire distance between at least two neighboring assemblies of the vibration device assemblies,
• wherein the mat extends in a first direction for first length and a second direction for a first width that is smaller than the first length, wherein the at least two neighboring assemblies extend in (i) a third direction for a second length and (ii) a fourth direction or a diameter for a second width that is smaller than the second length, wherein the first and third directions are substantially the same and the second and fourth directions are substantially the same, and
• wherein the entire distance between at least two neighboring ones of the cylindrical housings is greater than a width or a diameter of at least one of the at least two neighboring ones of the cylindrical housings.

A baby soothing mat of up to fourteen by twenty one inches, comprising:

• a flexible core extending along a plane which has S and L axes;
• a plurality of vibratory devices;
• a plurality of vibratory device housings coupled to the flexible core and associated with the plurality of vibratory devices, each of the plurality of housings retaining a respective one of the plurality of vibratory devices;
• a controller configured to selectively electrically couple the plurality of vibratory devices to a power supply;
• and
• a flexible cover covering the flexible core and plurality of vibratory device housings, wherein a combination of the cover, core, and devices are configured and structured to be rolled by hand along one of the S axis or the L axis,
• wherein the flexible core is configured to be curved for an entire distance between at least two neighboring devices of the vibratory devices, and
• wherein the mat extends in a first direction for a first length and a second direction for a first width smaller than the first length, wherein the at least two neighboring devices extend in (i) a third direction for a second length and (ii) a fourth direction or diameter for a second width that is smaller than the second length, wherein the first and third directions are substantially the same and the second and fourth directions are substantially the same, and
• wherein a distance between at least two neighboring ones of the vibratory device housings is greater than a width or a diameter of at least one of the at least two neighboring ones of the vibratory device housings.

A method for soothing a child with a flexible mat adapted to fit within a car seat, bouncer chair, or incubator, the method comprising:

• providing the flexible mat for soothing the child, the flexible mat comprising a flexible core, a plurality of electric vibratory motors, a plurality of cylindrical motor housings, and a controller configured to selectively electrically couple the plurality of electric vibratory motors to an electric power supply,
• wherein:
• each motor housing is associated with and enclosing a single one of the plurality of electric vibratory motors, the plurality of cylindrical motor housings mounted to the flexible core in a manner that permits the flexible core to conform to a curved surface,
• the flexible core is configured to be curved for an entire distance between at least two neighboring motors of the electrical vibratory motors, wherein the mat extends in a first direction for a first length and second directions for a first width that is smaller than the first length,
• the at least two neighboring motors extend in (i) a third direction for a second length and (ii) a fourth direction for a second width that is smaller than the second length, and
• the first and third directions are substantially the same and the second and fourth directions are substantially the same, and wherein a distance between at least two neighboring ones of the cylindrical motor housings is greater than a diameter of at least one of the neighboring ones of the cylindrical motor housings;
• and
• soothing the child using the flexible mat by selectively activating ones or more of the motors.