Convertible floor mat apparatus and method

a technology of floor mats and chairs, applied in the direction of carpet fasteners, paper/cardboard containers, transportation and packaging, etc., can solve the problems of chair mats with a generally smooth underside and not always suitable for use with relatively smooth flooring materials, and may slip out of place on textured flooring materials

Inactive Publication Date: 2013-08-01
DEFLECTO
View PDF3 Cites 9 Cited by
  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0004]The present general inventive concept relates to a convertible floor covering or convertible floor mat that is particularly ideal for use on both smooth and non-smooth or textured surfaces, for instance, as a chair mat to provide a protective barrier between a chair and the surface. In this manner, the mat protects the surface during use of chair on the mat.

Problems solved by technology

While chair mats with short spikes improve the placement of a chair mat on textured flooring material, they are not always suitable for use with relatively smooth flooring materials like wood or tiled floor.
Conversely, chair mats with a flat panel having a generally smooth underside may slip out of place on textured flooring material.

Method used

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
View more

Image

Smart Image Click on the blue labels to locate them in the text.
Viewing Examples
Smart Image
  • Convertible floor mat apparatus and method
  • Convertible floor mat apparatus and method
  • Convertible floor mat apparatus and method

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

first embodiment

[0031]The present general inventive concept is convertible between at least two configurations, which is based on intended application of the present general inventive concept by a user. In a first embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-6, the present general inventive concept includes a body 10 having upper and lower planar surfaces 12, 14, that are parallel or substantially parallel to each other and are spaced from each other by an outermost perimeter edge 16 that extends entirely about the body 10. The planar surfaces can be smooth, relatively smooth or include various textures well known to those of ordinary skill in the art such as multiple planar surfaces, grooves, ribbing or dimples.

[0032]The body 10 is of a generally uniform thickness and may be made of a material such as, but not limited to rubber, plastic, and / or the like, that is sufficiently durable to withstand wear and / or tear depending on and during use of the present general inventive concept, e.g., to support a chai...

second embodiment

[0039]In a second embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 7-12, the present general inventive concept includes a body 110 having upper and lower generally smooth, planar surfaces 112, 114, that are facing each other and are spaced from each other by an outermost perimeter edge 116 that extends entirely about the body 110. The planar surfaces 112 and 114 can also be parallel to each other or substantially parallel to each other.

[0040]The body 110 is of a generally uniform thickness and may be made of a material such as, but not limited to rubber, plastic, and / or the like, that is sufficiently durable to withstand wear and / or tear depending on and during use of the present general inventive concept, e.g., to support a chair on the upper surface 112 of the body 110. The body 110 may be made of a material that is transparent, translucent, opaque, and / or a combination thereof. The body 110 may have a pattern, for instance, on the upper surface 112 or the lower surface 114 of the body, to for...

third embodiment

[0048]In the third embodiment, the body 210 is of a generally uniform thickness and may be made of a material such as, but not limited to rubber, plastic, and / or the like, that is sufficiently durable to withstand wear and / or tear depending on and during use of the present general inventive concept, e.g., to support a chair on the upper surface 212 of the body 210. The body 210 may be made of a material that is transparent, translucent, opaque, and / or a combination thereof. The body 210 may have a pattern, for instance, on the lower r surface 214 of the body, to form a design thereon.

[0049]In the third embodiment, shown in FIG. 13 one or a plurality of friction-increasing elements 222 can be permanently or removably affixed to the lower surface 214 of the body 210 via an adhesive coating such as glue or the like. For instance, the lower surface 212 may be provided with peel-off elements that, when peeled off, expose a sticky or adhesive surface. Further, the adhesive coating can be ...

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to view more

PUM

PropertyMeasurementUnit
frictionaaaaaaaaaa
perimeteraaaaaaaaaa
lengthaaaaaaaaaa
Login to view more

Abstract

A floor mat having a first surface, and a second surface; and a friction-increasing element removably affixed to the second surface.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 591,219, entitled “Convertible Floor Mat Apparatus and Method,” filed on Jan. 26, 2012, all of which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present general inventive concept relates to a floor covering apparatus and method, and more particularly to convertible floor mat apparatus for use on various types of floors, a method of manufacture of the apparatus, and a method of use of the apparatus.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Chair mats for protecting flooring material from damage and wear from chair rollers are well known. Generally, chair mats consist of a flat panel made of a material that is suitable to prevent wear and tear on the underlying flooring material. In some instances, the chair mat may include short spikes on the underside of the flat panel to hold the chair mat firmly in place on a textured flooring ma...

Claims

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to view more

Application Information

Patent Timeline
no application Login to view more
Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): E04F15/02
CPCE04F15/02E04F15/02044Y10T156/10A47G27/04A47G27/0206
Inventor FOLEY, PATRICK JONRAFTER, ROBERTMALMLOFF, CRAIGREGULA, JOSEPH C
Owner DEFLECTO
Who we serve
  • R&D Engineer
  • R&D Manager
  • IP Professional
Why Eureka
  • Industry Leading Data Capabilities
  • Powerful AI technology
  • Patent DNA Extraction
Social media
Try Eureka
PatSnap group products

Browse by: Latest US Patents, China's latest patents, Technical Efficacy Thesaurus, Application Domain, Technology Topic.

© 2024 PatSnap. All rights reserved.Legal|Privacy policy|Modern Slavery Act Transparency Statement|Sitemap