Floor mat connector

Abstract

To connect a pair of floor mats to each other in an appropriate mode in a case where the pair of floor mats cross each other at a predetermined angle.SOLUTION: A floor mat connector comprises: a first mat holding part with flexibility configured to extend from a rear surface to a front surface of a first floor mat to hold an edge part of the first floor mat; a second mat holding part with flexibility configured to extend from a rear surface to a front surface of a second floor mat to hold an edge part of the second floor mat; and a connection part configured to connect the first mat holding part to the second mat holding part and to be bendable with a shaft line parallel to a mat boundary line as a center. The connection part extends in a width direction at sides closer to other end parts in a height direction of the first mat holding part and the second mat holding part than a virtual plane on which one end part in the height direction of the first mat holding part is connected to one end part in the height direction of the second mat holding part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a floor mat connector for connecting a plurality of floor mats. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a connector that connects adjacent floor mats without providing a separate portion for connecting the floor mats on the floor mats themselves (see, for example, Patent Document 1 (Fig. 7)). The connector described in Patent Document 1 includes a first retaining portion and a second retaining portion that respectively hold a pair of floor mats, and a flexible connecting portion that connects the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion, and the connector is formed so that the top surfaces of the first retaining portion, the second retaining portion, and the connecting portion are flush with each other. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-278135 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, when a pair of adjacent floor mats are arranged with their upper surfaces intersecting at a predetermined angle (for example, 90°), it is necessary to configure the connector so that it can be smoothly bent to the predetermined angle. However, when the connector is formed so that the upper surfaces of the first holding portion, the second holding portion, and the joining portion are on the same plane, as in the connector described in the above Patent Document 1, it is difficult to bend the connector smoothly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is a floor mat connector that connects a first floor mat and a second floor mat arranged adjacent to each other via a mat boundary line, the floor mat connector comprising: a first flexible mat retaining portion extending from the back surface of the first floor mat to the front surface and configured to hold an edge of the first floor mat; a second flexible mat retaining portion extending from the back surface of the second floor mat to the front surface and configured to hold an edge of the second floor mat; and a connecting portion that connects the first and second mat retaining portions and is configured to be bendable about an axis parallel to the mat boundary line. The floor mat connector has a predetermined width that extends beyond the mat boundary line and a predetermined height perpendicular to the width, and the connecting portion extends in the width direction on the other end side of the first and second mat retaining portions beyond an imaginary plane that connects one end of the first mat retaining portion to one end of the second mat retaining portion in the height direction. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, the floor mat connector can be bent smoothly. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of application of a floor mat connector according to an embodiment of the present invention to a floor mat. [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of an end of the floor mat of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a floor mat connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a side view showing an overall configuration of a floor mat connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5A] 1 is a side view showing a pair of left and right floor mats connected together by a floor mat connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 5B] Enlarged view of part B in Figure 5A. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram illustrating a force transmission path when an impact acts from above on a floor mat connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7A] FIG. 1 is a side view showing an application example of a floor mat connector according to an embodiment of the present invention when a pair of floor mats intersect at an angle of 45°. [Figure 7B] FIG. 1 is a side view showing an application example of a floor mat connector according to an embodiment of the present invention when a pair of floor mats intersect at an angle of 90°. [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a location in a vehicle interior where a pair of floor mats intersect at an angle of 90 degrees. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 8. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic example of application of a floor mat connector 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention to floor mats 201, 202. For convenience, Fig. 1 shows only the outline of the floor mat connector 100 by a dotted line.

[0009] As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of floor mats 201, 202 are laid on the upper surface of a vehicle floor adjacent to each other with a mat boundary line LN1 interposed therebetween. The floor mat connector 100 is disposed at the boundary between the floor mats 201, 202 to connect the floor mats. Note that, although the upper surfaces of the pair of floor mats 201, 202 are located on the same plane in FIG. 1, the floor mat connector 100 can also be applied when the upper surfaces of the pair of floor mats 201, 202 are not on the same plane but intersect at a predetermined angle (for example, 90°). In the following, for convenience, the floor mat 201 may be referred to as the first floor mat, and the floor mat 202 may be referred to as the second floor mat.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the end of the floor mat 201, 202. As shown in FIG. 2, the floor mat 201, 202 has a back surface portion 200A arranged facing the floor of the vehicle and a front surface portion 200B arranged facing the interior of the vehicle. The ends of the back surface portion 200A and the front surface portion 200B are the edge portions 200C of the floor mats 201, 202. The mat boundary line LN1 is a middle line that bisects the area between the edge portion 200C of the floor mat 201 and the edge portion 200C of the floor mat 202, and these edge portions 200C, 200C are located symmetrically with respect to the mat boundary line LN1. Therefore, the distance from the mat boundary line LN1 to the edge portion 200C of the floor mat 201 and the distance from the mat boundary line LN1 to the edge portion 200C of the floor mat 202 are equal to each other. The surface portion 200B is made of pile cloth in which pile fibers 211 such as pile yarns are tufted onto a base cloth 210. The back surface portion 200A has an anti-slip mat 212 which is integrally formed with the surface portion 200B by thermoforming synthetic rubber or the like. Anti-slip protrusions 213 are provided on the back surface of the anti-slip mat 212. The back surface of the floor mats 201, 202 refers to the bottom surface of the back surface portion 200A to the edge portion 200C, and the front surface refers to the top surface of the surface portion 200B to the edge portion 200C.

[0011] The edge portion 200C of the floor mat 201, 202 is treated by trimming to prevent the pile yarn from falling off. Specifically, the pile yarn is covered and serged with a serging thread. That is, the edge portion 200C of the floor mat 201, 202 is formed over the entire circumference of the floor mat 201, 202 by sewing the serging thread in a continuous loop. For this reason, the surface portion 200B of the floor mat 201, 202 is provided with a recess 216 around the entire circumference of the floor mat 201, 202 near the boundary between the raised fibers 211 and the serged portion 215, in other words, a predetermined distance inward from the outer edge of the floor mat 201, 202.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the floor mat connector 100 is attached to a mounting portion 217 at the end of the floor mats 201, 202. The mounting portion 217 is formed to be substantially concave in a plan view in a direction away from the mat boundary line LN1. Therefore, the gap between the floor mats 201, 202 becomes large at the mounting portion 217. The mounting portion 217 may be formed to be linear instead of concave. In this embodiment, the floor mat connector 100 is configured to be able to hold the edge portion 200C of the floor mats 201, 202 without providing a through hole or the like for mounting the connector in the floor mat itself.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the floor mat connector 100 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a side view. In the following, for convenience, the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction are defined as shown in the figures. The front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction correspond to the thickness direction, the width direction, and the height direction of the floor mat connector 100, respectively. Note that FIG. 3 shows a mat boundary line LN1 extending in the front-rear direction, and FIG. 4 shows a vertical line LN2 extending in the up-down direction through the mat boundary line LN1. The floor mat connector 100 is configured to be symmetrical with respect to the vertical line LN2.

[0014] 3 and 4, the floor mat connector 100 has a first mat retaining portion 1 that retains an end of a first floor mat 201, a second mat retaining portion 2 that retains an end of a second floor mat 202, and a connecting portion 3 that connects the first mat retaining portion 1 and the second mat retaining portion 2. The length (thickness) of the floor mat connector 100 in the front-to-rear direction is constant over the entire area in the left-to-right direction, and the floor mat connector 100 is formed by extrusion molding using a flexible resin such as high performance polymer (HPP) as a constituent material.

[0015] The first mat retaining part 1 has a substantially plate-like first back surface part 11 extending in the front-rear and left-right directions facing the back surface of the first floor mat 201, a substantially plate-like first surface part 12 extending in the front-rear and left-right directions facing the front surface of the first floor mat 201, and a substantially plate-like first connecting part 13 extending in the up-down direction and connecting the right end part of the first back surface part 11 to the right end part of the first surface part 12. The left-right length of the first back surface part 11 is longer than the left-right length of the first surface part 12, and the left end part of the first back surface part 11 is located to the left of the left end part of the first surface part 12. The plate thickness of the first mat retaining part 1 is substantially constant from the left end part of the first back surface part 11, which is one end part, to the left end part of the first surface part 12, which is the other end part.

[0016] The first back surface portion 11 and the first connection portion 13 are formed flat. On the other hand, the first surface portion 12 is formed in a substantially arc shape so as to have a gentle convex shape toward the upper side. The intersection portion between the first back surface portion 11 and the first connection portion 13 and the intersection portion between the first surface portion 12 and the first connection portion 13 are also formed in a substantially arc shape. As a result, the first mat holding portion 1 is curved, particularly at the first connection portion 13, and the entire portion has a substantially C-shape. The left end portion of the first surface portion 12 is provided with a first convex portion 14 whose tip protrudes downward in a substantially triangular shape. The left surface of the first convex portion 14 is formed with a tapered surface 14a that slopes upward toward the left. The vertical length from the upper surface of the first back surface portion 11 to the lower surface of the first surface portion 12, i.e., the height of the space SP1 between the first back surface portion 11 and the first surface portion 12, is substantially equal to the height of the edge stitching portion 215 (FIG. 2) of the first floor mat 201. The length in the left-right direction from the lower end of the first protrusion 14 to the left end of the first connection portion 13 is approximately equal to the length in the left-right direction of the edge stitching portion 215 of the first floor mat 201 .

[0017] The first mat holding part 1 has flexibility and can be bent in the vertical direction by elastic deformation with a virtual axis extending in the front-rear direction along the lower end and upper end of the first connecting part 13 as a fulcrum. This allows the first protrusion 14 to be moved upward, and the edge stitching part 215 of the first floor mat 201 can be inserted into the space SP1 between the first back surface part 11 and the first surface part 12. When the edge stitching part 215 of the first floor mat 201 is inserted into the space SP1, the first protrusion 14 engages with the recess 216 (FIG. 2) on the surface of the first floor mat 201, and the edge part 200C of the first floor mat 201 is engaged with the first mat holding part 1. That is, the edge part 200C of the first floor mat 201 is clamped by the first mat holding part 1 having flexibility.

[0018] The second mat holding part 2 has a substantially plate-like second back surface part 21 extending in the front-rear and left-right directions facing the back surface of the second floor mat 202, a substantially plate-like second surface part 22 extending in the front-rear and left-right directions facing the front surface of the second floor mat 202, and a substantially plate-like second connection part 23 extending in the up-down direction and connecting the left end part of the second back surface part 21 to the left end part of the second surface part 22. The left-right length of the second back surface part 21 is longer than the left-right length of the second surface part 22, and the right end part of the second back surface part 21 is located to the right of the right end part of the second surface part 22. The plate thickness of the second mat holding part 2 is substantially constant from the right end part of the second back surface part 21, which is one end part, to the right end part of the second surface part 22, which is the other end part.

[0019] The second back surface portion 21 and the second connection portion 23 are formed flat. On the other hand, the second surface portion 22 is formed in a substantially arc shape so as to have a gentle convex shape toward the upper side. The intersection portion between the second back surface portion 21 and the second connection portion 23 and the intersection portion between the second surface portion 22 and the second connection portion 23 are also formed in a substantially arc shape. As a result, the second mat holding portion 2 is curved, particularly at the second connection portion 23, and the entire portion has a substantially C-shape. The right end portion of the second surface portion 22 is provided with a second convex portion 24 whose tip protrudes downward in a substantially triangular shape. The right surface of the second convex portion 24 is formed with a tapered surface 24a that slopes upward toward the right. The vertical length from the upper surface of the second back surface portion 21 to the lower surface of the second surface portion 22, i.e., the height of the space SP2 between the second back surface portion 21 and the second surface portion 22, is substantially equal to the height of the edge stitching portion 215 (FIG. 2) of the second floor mat 202. The left-right length from the lower end of the second protrusion 24 to the right end of the second connection portion 23 is approximately equal to the left-right length of the edge stitching portion 215 of the second floor mat 202.

[0020] The second mat holding part 2 has flexibility and can be bent in the vertical direction by elastic deformation with a virtual axis extending in the front-rear direction along the lower end and upper end of the second connecting part 23 as a fulcrum. This allows the second protrusion 24 to be moved upward, and the edge stitching part 215 of the second floor mat 202 can be inserted into the space SP2 between the second back surface part 21 and the second surface part 22. When the edge stitching part 215 of the second floor mat 202 is inserted into the space SP2, the second protrusion 24 engages with the recess 216 (FIG. 2) on the surface of the second floor mat 202, and the edge part 200C of the second floor mat 202 is engaged with the second mat holding part 2. That is, the edge part 200C of the second floor mat 202 is clamped by the second mat holding part 2 having flexibility.

[0021] Adhesive parts 15, 25 such as Velcro (registered trademark) are attached to the bottom surface of the first back surface 11 of the first mat retaining part 1 and the bottom surface of the second back surface 21 of the second mat retaining part 2, respectively. This allows the floor mat connector 100 to be easily fixed to the upper surface of the floor carpet, and prevents the floor mats 201, 202 from shifting out of position. The adhesive parts 15, 25 may be omitted. Instead of providing the adhesive parts 15, 25, the bottom surfaces of the first back surface 11 and the second back surface 21 may be formed unevenly.

[0022] The connecting portion 3 is configured in a substantially flat plate shape and extends in the left-right direction, with both left and right ends connected to the first surface portion 12 and the second surface portion 22, respectively. More specifically, protruding portions 16, 26 protruding upward are provided at the right end of the first surface portion 12 and the left end of the second surface portion 22, and both left and right ends of the connecting portion 3 are connected to the protruding portions 16, 26. As shown in FIG. 4, the left-right length L1 of the connecting portion 3 (the distance between the protruding portions 16, 26) is longer than the length L2 of the gap SP3 between the first mat retaining portion 1 and the second mat retaining portion 2, i.e., the length L2 from the right end of the first connecting portion 13 to the left end of the second connecting portion 23.

[0023] The connecting portion 3 is located below the imaginary plane PL1 that connects the upper ends of the protruding portions 16, 26. More specifically, the connecting portion 3 is located below the upper ends of the protruding portions 16, 26, but above the portions of the first surface portion 12 and the second surface portion 22 excluding the protruding portions 16, 26. The connecting portion 3 is configured to be thinner than the first mat holding portion 1 and the second mat holding portion 2. The plate thickness of the connecting portion 3 is, for example, about 3 to 5 mm, and is almost constant toward the vicinity of both left and right ends of the connecting portion 3. As a result, the connecting portion 3 can be bent by elastic deformation in a direction in which the protruding portions 16, 26 approach each other, with the axis CL1 that extends in the front-rear direction at the left-right intermediate portion as a fulcrum, in other words, with the portion on the vertical line CL2 as a fulcrum. That is, the connecting portion 3 is flexible and can be bent freely with the axis CL1 as a fulcrum. When the connecting portion 3 is bent, the connecting portion 3 becomes substantially U-shaped, and the distance L1 between the protruding portions 16 and 26 becomes shorter.

[0024] Fig. 5A is a side view showing a pair of left and right floor mats 201, 202 connected by the floor mat connector 100. As shown in Fig. 5A, the edge portion 200C of the first floor mat 201 is inserted into the space SP1 inside the first mat holder 1. For example, as shown in Fig. 5B, which is an enlarged view of part B in Fig. 5A, the user lifts the left end of the first front surface portion 12 upward with his / her fingers, and in this state, slides the upper surface of the first back surface portion 11 along the bottom surface of the first floor mat 201 to insert the edge portion 200C into the space SP1.

[0025] When the user loosens the pressure of his / her fingers after inserting the edge portion 200C, the first mat holding portion 1 returns to its original state by elastic force, and the first protrusion 14 engages with the recess 216 of the edge stitching portion 215. This causes the end of the first floor mat 201 to be held by the first mat holding portion 1. Similarly, the edge portion 200C of the second floor mat 202 is inserted into the space SP2 inside the second mat holding portion 2 with the user lifting the right end of the second surface portion 22 upward. Thereafter, when the user loosens the pressure of his / her fingers, the second protrusion 24 engages with the recess 216 of the edge stitching portion 215, and the end of the second floor mat 202 is held by the second mat holding portion 2.

[0026] This allows a pair of floor mats 201, 202 to be easily connected via the floor mat connector 100 without providing additional holes or the like for attaching the connector in the floor mats themselves. The floor mat connector 100 is attached by lifting the first convex portion 14 and the second convex portion 24 upward and engaging the first convex portion 14 and the second convex portion 24 with the recesses 216 in the edge portions 200C of the floor mats 201, 202. This allows the floor mats to be connected more firmly than when the floor mats are connected together using an adhesive such as Velcro (registered trademark).

[0027] The left and right ends of the connecting portion 3 are fixed to the upper end (projection 16) of the first surface portion 12 and the upper end (projection 26) of the second surface portion 22, which are located outside the first connecting portion 13 and the second connecting portion 23 in the left-right direction. Therefore, the length L2 (FIG. 4) of the gap SP3 between the first connecting portion 13 and the second connecting portion 23 can be set short while maintaining a sufficient length in the left-right direction of the connecting portion 3. This allows the pair of floor mats 201, 202 to be arranged close to each other. As shown in FIG. 1, the floor mat connector 100 is attached to a concave mounting portion 217 at the end of the floor mats 201, 202. At the mounting portion 217, the floor mat connector 100 is present, so it is difficult to reduce the gap between the floor mats 201, 202 (for example, to zero). However, by providing the mounting portion 217 in a concave shape, the gap between the floor mats 201, 202 can be reduced (for example, to zero) at other than the mounting portion 217.

[0028] When inserting the edge portion 200C of the floor mat 201, 202 into the space SP1, PS2 inside the first mat retaining part 1 and the second mat retaining part 2, the edge portion 200C may be pushed into the space SP1, PS2 without lifting the tip portion of the first surface portion 12 and the second surface portion 22 upward with fingers. When the edge portion 200C is pushed in, the first protrusion 14 and the second protrusion 24 elastically deform upward while the tapered surfaces 14a, 24a abut against the upper surface of the edge stitching part 215. Then, when the first protrusion 14 and the second protrusion 24 climb over the edge stitching part 215, they engage with the recess 216. This makes it easy to attach the floor mat connector 100 to the floor mat 201, 202.

[0029] The floor mat connector 100 may be subjected to an impact from above when it is stepped on by an occupant or when an object falls on it. Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining the transmission path of the force acting on the floor mat connector 100 in such a case. Note that floor mats 201, 202 are not shown in Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 6, when an impact is applied to the floor mat connector 100 from above by an object 300, for example, the object 300 collides not with the thin connector 3 but with the thick protruding parts 16, 26 that protrude above the connector 3.

[0030] As a result, a pressing force is input to the protrusions 16 and 26 as shown by the arrows. This pressing force is transmitted from the first surface portion 12 and the second surface portion 22 to the first connecting portion 13 and the second connecting portion 23 as shown by the arrows. As a result, the first mat retaining portion 1 and the second mat retaining portion 2 are elastically deformed, and the floor mat connector 100 can absorb the impact well without damaging the connecting portion 3. In other words, if the connecting portion 3 is located on the same plane as the upper ends of the first mat retaining portion 1 and the second mat retaining portion 2, when an impact acts on the floor mat connector 100 from above, the connecting portion 3 may be crushed and damaged. In this regard, by positioning the connecting portion 3 below the upper ends of the first mat retaining portion 1 and the second mat retaining portion 2, damage to the connecting portion 3 can be prevented.

[0031] In the above, an application example of the floor mat connector 100 in a case where a pair of floor mats 201, 202 are arranged on the same plane has been described. However, the floor mat connector 100 of this embodiment can also be applied to a case where a pair of floor mats 201, 202 are arranged on different planes, that is, a case where the pair of floor mats 201, 202 intersect at a predetermined angle. Figures 7A and 7B are side views showing an example of this.

[0032] Fig. 7A shows an example in which the first floor mat 201 and the second floor mat 202 intersect at an angle of 45°, and Fig. 7B shows an example in which they intersect at an angle of 90°. In either case, the connecting portion 3 is bent into a substantially U-shape, and the distance L1 between the protruding portions 16 and 26 is shorter than that in Fig. 4. This allows the pair of floor mats 201 and 202 to be arranged close to each other.

[0033] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a location in a vehicle interior where a pair of floor mats 201, 202 intersect at an angle of 90°. In FIG. 8, a tunnel section 250 having a substantially straight shape is provided in the center of the vehicle in the left-right direction, bulging upward, through which a shaft member (e.g., a propeller shaft) extending in the vehicle front-rear direction passes. The tunnel section 250 is provided behind a console box 251 and in front of a rear seat 252, and a first floor mat 201 (rear center mat) having a substantially U-shape is arranged so as to cover the upper surface and the left and right side surfaces of the tunnel section 250. Both left and right ends of the first floor mat 201 extend in the up-down direction along the left and right side surfaces of the tunnel section 250. Therefore, the first floor mat 201 intersects with the second floor mats 202 arranged on the left and right sides thereof at 90°, and the above-mentioned floor mat connector 100 can be used for the connecting portion of these floor mats 201, 202.

[0034] According to this embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be obtained. (1) The floor mat connector 100 is configured to connect a first floor mat 201 and a second floor mat 202 that are arranged adjacent to each other via a mat boundary line LN1 (FIG. 1). The floor mat connector 100 includes a flexible first mat retaining part 1 that extends from the back surface (lower surface) to the front surface (upper surface) of the first floor mat 201 and is configured to hold an edge part 200C of the first floor mat 201, a flexible second mat retaining part 2 that extends from the back surface (lower surface) to the front surface (upper surface) of the second floor mat 202 and is configured to hold an edge part 200C of the second floor mat 202, and a connecting part 3 that connects the first mat retaining part 1 and the second mat retaining part 2 and is configured to be freely bent around an axis CL1 that is parallel to the mat boundary line LN1 (FIGS. 3 and 4). The floor mat connector 100 has a predetermined width (left-right length) that extends beyond the mat boundary line LN1, and a predetermined height (up-down length) perpendicular to the width. The connector 3 extends in the width direction below the imaginary plane PL1 that connects one end (projection 16) of the first mat retaining part 1 and one end (projection 26) of the second mat retaining part 2 toward the other end (lower end) in the height direction (Fig. 4).

[0035] By positioning the connecting portion 3 below the protruding portions 16, 26 in this manner, the connecting portion 3 can be easily bent compared to when the connecting portion 3 is positioned on the imaginary plane PL1 that connects the protruding portions 16, 26. This allows the floor mat connector 100 to be smoothly bent via the connecting portion 3, and makes it easy to install the floor mat connector 100 between the pair of floor mats 201, 202 when the surfaces of the pair of floor mats 201, 202 are arranged to intersect at a predetermined angle.

[0036] (2) The first mat retaining part 1 and the second mat retaining part 2 each have protrusions 16, 26 that protrude above the connecting part 3 and are located on the imaginary plane PL1 (FIG. 4). This makes it possible to protect the thin connecting part 3 when the floor mat connector 100 is subjected to an impact (FIG. 6), such as when an object 300 falls from above the floor mat connector 100. In addition, the connecting part 3 can be formed using less material, which makes it possible to reduce the weight and cost of the floor mat connector 100.

[0037] (3) The first mat retaining part 1 has a first back surface part 11 extending in the width direction facing the back surface of the first floor mat 201, a first surface part 12 extending in the width direction facing the front surface of the first floor mat 201 and having a shorter width length than the first back surface part 11, and a first connecting part 13 connecting the right end part (one end in the width direction) of the first back surface part 11 to the right end part (one end in the width direction) of the first surface part 12 (FIGS. 3 and 4). The second mat retaining part 2 has a second back surface part 21 extending in the width direction facing the back surface of the second floor mat 202, a second surface part 22 extending in the width direction facing the front surface of the second floor mat 202 and having a shorter width length than the second back surface part 21, and a second connecting part 23 connecting the left end part (one end in the width direction) of the second back surface part 21 to the left end part (one end in the width direction) of the second surface part 22 (FIGS. 3 and 4). This allows the first mat retaining portion 1 and the second mat retaining portion 2 to cover the edge portion 200C of the floor mats 201, 202. Therefore, the floor mats 201, 202 can be well held by the floor mat connector 100 without providing a through hole or the like for attaching the connector in the floor mat itself.

[0038] (4) A first protrusion 14 is provided at the left end (other end in the width direction) of the first front surface 12 so as to protrude toward the first back surface 11, and a second protrusion 24 is provided at the right end (other end in the width direction) of the second front surface 22 so as to protrude toward the second back surface 21 (FIGS. 3 and 4). As a result, the first protrusion 14 and the second protrusion 24 are engaged with the recesses 216 of the floor mats 201, 202, and the floor mat connector 100 can be securely attached to the floor mats 201, 202 without falling off from the floor mats 201, 202.

[0039] (5) The first mat retaining portion 1 and the second mat retaining portion 2 are configured symmetrically with respect to the mat boundary line LN1, and have a generally C-shaped overall configuration with the curved first connecting portion 13 and the curved second connecting portion 23 (FIG. 4). The plate thickness of the connecting portion 3 is thinner than the plate thicknesses of the first connecting portion 13 and the second connecting portion 23 (FIG. 4). By configuring the connecting portion 3 to be thin in this manner, it is possible to easily bend the connecting portion 3. Therefore, the floor mat connector 100 can be easily applied when floor mats intersect at a predetermined angle.

[0040] (6) The left-right length L1 of the connecting portion 3 is longer than the widthwise length L2 of the gap SP3 between the first connection portion 13 of the first mat retaining portion 1 and the second connection portion 23 of the second mat retaining portion 2 (FIG. 4). In order to easily bend the connecting portion 3, it is necessary to ensure a sufficient length L1 of the connecting portion 3. However, by making L1>L2, it is possible to shorten the gap between the floor mats 201, 202 while ensuring the length of the connecting portion 3.

[0041] This embodiment can be modified in various ways. Some modified examples will be described below. In the above embodiment, the connecting portion 3 is disposed below the protruding portions 16, 26 and above the portions of the first surface portion 12 and the second surface portion 22 excluding the protruding portions 16, 26, but the location of the connecting portion is not limited to this. That is, the connecting portion may be disposed at a position other than the above (for example, below the first surface portion 12 and the second surface portion 22) as long as it extends in the width direction on the other end side of the height direction of the first mat retaining portion 1 and the second mat retaining portion 2 from the imaginary plane PL1 connecting one end in the height direction of the first mat retaining portion 1 and one end in the height direction of the second mat retaining portion 2.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the connecting portion 3 is configured as a substantially linear flat plate in side view, but the connecting portion 3 may be configured as a shape other than a flat plate, for example, by forming it into a concave shape facing downward. In the above embodiment, the first connecting portion 13 and the second connecting portion 23 are curved portions, and the first mat retaining portion 1 and the second mat retaining portion 2 are configured as a substantially C-shape, but the first mat retaining portion 1 and the second mat retaining portion 2 may be formed without providing a curved portion. Therefore, the shape of the first mat retaining portion 1 and the second mat retaining portion 2 in side view is not limited to a substantially C-shape.

[0043] The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and modifications, as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired. The above-mentioned embodiment and one or more modifications can be arbitrarily combined, and modifications can be combined with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1 first mat holding portion, 2 second mat holding portion, 3 connecting portion, 11 first back surface portion, 12 first surface portion, 13 first connection portion, 14 first protrusion portion, 16 protrusion portion, 21 second back surface portion, 22 second surface portion, 23 second connection portion, 24 second protrusion portion, 26 protrusion portion, 100 floor mat connector, 200A back surface portion, 200B surface portion, 200C edge portion, 201 first floor mat, 202 second floor mat, LN1 mat boundary line, CL1 axis line, SP3 gap

Claims

1. A floor mat connector that connects a first floor mat and a second floor mat that are arranged adjacent to each other via a mat boundary line, A flexible first mat holding portion extending from the back surface to the front surface of the first floor mat and configured to hold an edge portion of the first floor mat; A flexible second mat holding portion extending from the back surface to the front surface of the second floor mat and configured to hold an edge portion of the second floor mat; a connecting portion that connects the first mat holding portion and the second mat holding portion and is configured to be freely bent around an axis parallel to the mat boundary line, the floor mat connector has a predetermined width extending beyond the mat boundary line and a predetermined height perpendicular to the width; A floor mat connector characterized in that the connecting portion extends widthwise on the other height end side of the first mat retaining portion and the second mat retaining portion beyond an imaginary plane connecting one height end of the first mat retaining portion and one height end of the second mat retaining portion.

2. 2. The floor mat connector according to claim 1, A floor mat connector characterized in that the first mat retaining portion and the second mat retaining portion each have a protrusion that protrudes toward one end in the height direction further than the connecting portion and has a tip portion located on the imaginary plane.

3. The floor mat connector according to claim 1 or 2, The first mat retaining portion has a first back surface portion extending in the width direction opposite the back surface of the first floor mat, a first surface portion extending in the width direction opposite the front surface of the first floor mat and having a shorter width length than the first back surface portion, and a first connection portion connecting one width end portion of the first back surface portion and one width end portion of the first surface portion, The second mat retaining portion is characterized in that it has a second back surface portion extending in the width direction opposite the back surface of the second floor mat, a second surface portion extending in the width direction opposite the front surface of the second floor mat and having a shorter width length than the second back surface portion, and a second connection portion connecting one width end portion of the second back surface portion and one width end portion of the second surface portion.

4. 4. The floor mat connector according to claim 3, A floor mat connector characterized in that a first convex portion protrudes toward the first back surface portion from the other widthwise end portion of the first surface portion, and a second convex portion protrudes toward the second back surface portion from the other widthwise end portion of the second surface portion.

5. The floor mat connector according to claim 1 or 2, the first mat holding portion and the second mat holding portion are configured symmetrically with respect to the mat boundary line, and each has a curved portion and is configured generally in a C-shape, A floor mat connector, characterized in that the thickness of the connecting portion is thinner than the thickness of the curved portion.

6. 6. The floor mat connector according to claim 5, A floor mat connector characterized in that the widthwise length of the connecting portion is longer than the widthwise length of the gap between the curved portion of the first mat retaining portion and the curved portion of the second mat retaining portion.

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