Decorative tatami mats

Abstract

To provide decorative tatami mats that are both aesthetically pleasing and possess the strength of tatami mats, and that can be manufactured using only tatami manufacturing techniques. [Solution] The decorative tatami mat 1 of the present invention is constructed by composing one or more elements that constitute an image as tatami parts 3 to 9, each consisting of a tatami base and a tatami surface 11, and arranging these tatami parts 3 to 9 on a base material that is shaped to match the overall form of the original image. This allows the original image to be constructed as a tatami mat, enhancing its decorative appeal. Furthermore, by composing it with tatami parts 3 to 9 consisting of a tatami base and a tatami surface 11, it is a decorative tatami mat that possesses the strength of a tatami mat and can be manufactured using only tatami manufacturing technology. Moreover, the tatami parts are made of tatami surfaces with different colors and weaves than the tatami surfaces of the other tatami parts. By changing the colors and weaves of each individual tatami part in this way, each tatami part can be made to stand out, and the motif image can be vividly expressed on the tatami mat.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a decorative tatami mat formed by configuring an image serving as a motif as a tatami mat.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a tatami mat in which recesses are partially formed on the surface of the tatami mat, and a tatami mat portion having a pattern formed on the surface is detachably disposed therein. The pattern is formed by arranging or printing a fabric. Patent Document 2 discloses a tatami mat having a decorative material such as cloth attached to the tatami mat surface. Further, Patent Document 3 discloses a tatami mat having a decorative portion with a picture, writing, a shaped object, etc. built in a storage portion of a recess formed by hollowing out a core material portion (tatami mat floor) of the tatami mat to provide decorativeness.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The tatami mats disclosed in Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, and Patent Document 3 all have partial decorativeness in a part of the tatami mat and do not have decorativeness as a whole tatami mat. Further, since the pattern and the decorative portion are formed by a fabric, printing, or resin molding, etc., the durability is inferior to other tatami mat surface portions formed by weaving rush grass or Japanese paper. Moreover, in order to obtain the decorative portion, techniques related to fabric, printing, resin molding, etc. are required, and it cannot be manufactured only at a conventional tatami mat manufacturing site. Separately, if a fabric manufacturer, a printing manufacturer, or a resin molding manufacturer is involved, the manufacturing cost of the tatami mat also increases.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The decorative tatami mat of the present invention was created with the aim of solving the problems seen in conventional tatami mats, namely, to provide a tatami mat that is both highly decorative, possesses the strength of a tatami mat, and can be manufactured using only tatami manufacturing technology. Specifically, the decorative tatami mat of the present invention is constructed by configuring one or more elements constituting an image or a part of an image as tatami parts, each consisting of a tatami base and a tatami surface, and arranging these tatami parts on a base material that is shaped to match the overall shape of the original image or a part of an image. This makes it possible to construct the entire image or a part of an image with tatami, thereby enhancing its decorative appeal. Furthermore, by constructing it with tatami parts consisting of a tatami base and a tatami surface, it becomes a decorative tatami mat that possesses the strength of a tatami mat and can be manufactured using only tatami manufacturing technology.

[0006] Furthermore, it is preferable that one or more of the aforementioned tatami parts be made of tatami surfaces with a different color tone than those of the other tatami parts. Also, one or more of the tatami parts may be made of tatami surfaces with a different weave direction than those of the other tatami parts. Moreover, one or more of the tatami parts may be made of tatami surfaces with a different type of weave than those of the other tatami parts. By changing the color tone, weave direction, and type of weave of each individual tatami part in this way, each tatami part can be made to stand out, and the motif image can be vividly expressed on the tatami. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The decorative tatami mat of this invention can be used to construct an entire image or a portion of an image as a tatami mat, thereby enhancing its decorative appeal. Furthermore, because it is constructed by arranging tatami parts consisting of a tatami base and a tatami surface, it possesses the inherent strength of a tatami mat and can be manufactured using only tatami manufacturing techniques. Moreover, by changing the color tone, weave direction, and type of each individual tatami part, the motif image can be vividly expressed on each individual tatami part, further enhancing its decorative appeal. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1]This is a plan view of a decorative tatami mat according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a bottom view of the decorative tatami mat according to the present invention. [Figure 3] This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part related to line AA in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This is a plan view of another example of a decorative tatami mat according to the present invention. [Figure 5] This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of section B in Figure 4. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Figures 1 to 3 show an example of a decorative tatami mat 1 of the present invention. This decorative tatami mat 1 is made by arranging or fitting together one or more elements that constitute an image or a part of an image (hereinafter collectively referred to as an image) as individual tatami parts, and arranging these tatami parts on a base material 2 that is shaped like the overall form of the original image. The decorative tatami mat 1 shown in this example is, as an example, a tatami mat made from an illustration of a panda's face, and is made by arranging a tatami part 3 that is shaped like the outline of the panda's face, a tatami part 4 that is shaped like the black part of the ear, a tatami part 5 that is shaped like the ear holes, a tatami part 6 that is shaped like the eyes, a tatami part 7 that is shaped like the black part around the eyes, a tatami part 8 that is shaped like the nose, and a tatami part 9 that is shaped like the mouth on the base material 2. In other words, this decorative tatami mat 1 is shaped like the illustration of the panda's face that was used as the motif.

[0010] Each individual tatami part 3-9 is shaped to correspond to the elements that make up the original image, namely the panda's face, ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and parts with different fur colors, as described above, and each is composed of a tatami base 10 and a tatami surface 11. Each tatami part 3-9 is made of the same thickness, and therefore the decorative tatami 1 is flat.

[0011] The tatami base 10 and tatami surface 11 can be constructed using conventionally known methods. In this example, in order to reduce the thickness of each tatami part, the tatami base 10 uses a laminated structure in which a thin foam board 12 (made of foamed plastic such as foamed polyethylene, foamed polyurethane, or EVA foam formed into a board) is sandwiched between hard boards 13, 13 such as hardboard or acrylic boards, and a backing 14 is attached to it. Sheet materials such as glass fiber sheets or aramid fiber sheets may be added between these to further reinforce the structure. Alternatively, the tatami base 10 may be made of only a single board instead of the laminated structure described above. Such a single-board tatami base 10 is effective when the thickness of the tatami parts or decorative tatami is to be kept as thin as possible.

[0012] Furthermore, the tatami mat surface 11 is a conventionally known structure made by weaving together rush grass or Japanese paper, and this tatami mat surface 11 is integrated with the tatami mat base 10 by covering it with the base and gluing it. In addition to gluing, the tatami mat surface 11 can also be sewn to the tatami mat base 10 with thread or staples. Such gluing and sewing can be done using techniques that are used in the manufacturing process of conventional tatami mats.

[0013] As mentioned above, by constructing the decorative tatami mat 1 with tatami parts 3-9, which consist of a tatami base 10 and a tatami surface 11, the decorative tatami mat 1 can be given the inherent strength of a tatami mat, namely the durability of the tatami surface and the strength and flexibility of the tatami base. Furthermore, it becomes possible to construct the entire decorative tatami mat 1 using only existing tatami manufacturing techniques, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0014] The tatami mat surface 11, especially if it is made by twisting and weaving washi paper in a manner similar to rush grass, allows for relatively free adjustment of its color tone. Therefore, it is possible to change the color tone of each tatami mat part to match the color tone of the original image. In this example, a light-colored tatami mat surface 11 is used for tatami mat parts 3, 5, and 6, while a dark-colored tatami mat surface 11 is used for tatami mat parts 4, 7, 8, and 9.

[0015] In addition to changing the color tone, the direction of the weave of the tatami mat surface 11 can be changed for each tatami part, or different folding methods and weave types of tatami mat surfaces can be used for each tatami part. In this example, the tatami mat surfaces 11 of tatami parts 5 and 7 are arranged with a different weave direction compared to the tatami mat surfaces 11 of the other tatami parts 3, 4, 6, 8, and 9. Also, tatami parts 5, 6, 8, and 9 use tatami mat surfaces 11 with a finer weave than tatami parts 3, 4, and 7. By changing the direction of the weave, weaving method, and weave type, the degree of light reflection of each tatami part 3 to 9 is made different, making each tatami part 3 to 9 easier to distinguish visually. Therefore, it is possible to make each tatami part 3 to 9 stand out and to clearly represent the original image as a whole decorative tatami mat 1.

[0016] As mentioned above, base material 2 is made of a board shaped like the overall shape of the original image (the outline of the entire image used as a motif, consisting of the outline of the panda's face and ears), that is, the planar shape of the entire decorative tatami mat 1. In this example, hardboard is used as base material 2. Then, by gluing and fixing tatami parts 3 to 9 in fixed positions on this base material 2, the original illustration image of the panda's face that served as the motif is represented in tatami. In other words, this decorative tatami mat 1 is constructed by arranging tatami parts 3 to 9 on base material 2 like a puzzle. In this example, adjacent tatami parts are not glued together, but they may be glued together if necessary. In this way, decorative tatami mat 1 can be constructed in various shapes that are not limited to the conventionally known shape of tatami mats (rectangle or square), and combined with the aforementioned technology to improve the identifiability of tatami parts, it is possible to enhance the decorative effect using only tatami mats.

[0017] The base material 2 may be made of other materials and structures depending on the required strength of the decorative tatami mat 1. For example, if higher strength is required, a structure made of laminated wood-based boards such as hardboard or plywood, or a structure made of laminated wood-based boards and metal plates such as steel plates or aluminum alloy panels can be used. Part of the wood-based board can also be reinforced with metal plates. Furthermore, if cushioning is desired, a structure in which foam board is sandwiched between wood-based boards can be used.

[0018] Fig. 4 shows another embodiment of the present invention. The decorative tatami mat 100 shown in this figure has a configuration in which four crescent-shaped tatami parts 102 are concentrically and equally arranged and fitted into a tatami part 101 shaped like a circular background part with a vortex pattern image as a motif. Similar to the above-described decorative tatami mat 1, these tatami parts 101 and 102 are each composed of a tatami floor 10 and a tatami surface 11, and are arranged and adhered onto a base material (not shown) shaped like the same circle as the outer peripheral contour of the tatami part 101.

[0019] The same is true for the thin tip portions of the tatami parts 9 in the above-described decorative tatami mat 1. However, covering the pointed tip portions of the tatami part 102 and the pointed tip portions of the holes in the tatami part 101 into which this fits with the tatami surface 11 is a difficult task in both cases. Although the tatami surface 11 is thin, it has thickness, and being a fabric, it has strength and is difficult to bend.

[0020] Regarding the pointed portion of the hole on the tatami part 101 side, this is dealt with by adhering while pushing the tatami floor into this sharp portion with a spatula or the like. Also, regarding the tatami part 102 side that fits therein, there is also a method of cutting the tatami surface 11 in accordance with the pointed tip portion of the tatami floor 10, that is, the portion where the wall surfaces 10a and 10b intersect to form a ridge line (hereinafter referred to as the sharp tip portion 10c), and adhering the tatami surface 11 so as to fit exactly with the wall surfaces 10a and 10b of the tatami floor 10. However, in this case, a gap will form at the location of the sharp tip portion 10c in the state where the tatami part 102 is fitted into the tatami part 101 and it will be conspicuous. To prevent this, regarding the sharply thinned portion on the tatami part 102 side, as shown in Fig. 5, one side of the edge portions 11a and 11b of the tatami surface 11 adhered to both wall surfaces 10a and 10b of the tatami floor 10 (select the side where the weave pattern is easier to align with the wall surface, which is the edge portion 11a in this example) is made to protrude slightly from the sharp tip portion 10c of the tatami floor 10, and while moderately loosening the fibers of both edge portions 11a and 11b, they are bent, pressure-bonded, compressed, impregnated with an adhesive, and shaped into a pointed form and adhered. At this time, if a hot bond is used as the adhesive, it is easy to adhere the tatami surface 11 to the tatami floor while shaping it. If possible, both edge portions 11a and 11b of the tatami surface 11 may be made to protrude slightly from the sharp ridge line portion 10c, abutted, and then shaped as described above.

[0021] Furthermore, for extremely thin elements that only require the thickness of the tatami mat surface 11, the tatami base 10 is omitted and only the folded tatami base 11 is used, or a thin iron or copper plate that can be freely bent and shaped by hand is used as the tatami base, and this is wrapped and glued with the tatami base.

[0022] In the embodiments described above, a decorative tatami mat 1 featuring an illustration of a panda's face as a motif and a decorative tatami mat 100 featuring a spiral pattern as a motif were explained. However, the image used as a motif can be selected from a variety of options, such as illustrations, paintings, photographs, cartoons, and logos. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0023] 1. Decorative tatami mats 2 Base material 3 Tatami mat parts (face outline) 4 tatami mat parts (the black parts on the ears) 5 tatami mat parts (ear holes) 6 tatami mat parts (eyes) 7 tatami mat area (around the eyes) 8 tatami mat parts (nose) 9 tatami mat parts (mouth) 10 Tatami floor 11 Tatami mat surface 12 Foam board 13 Hard plate material 14 Lining

Claims

1. A decorative tatami mat characterized by comprising one or more elements constituting an image or a part of an image as tatami parts consisting of a tatami base and a tatami surface, and arranging the tatami parts on a base material molded to the overall shape of the original image or a part of an image.

2. The decorative tatami mat according to claim 1, wherein the tatami parts have a sharp or slender tip, and the tip is formed by impregnating the tatami surface with adhesive and shaping it into a tip shape.

3. The decorative tatami mat according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that one or more tatami parts are made of tatami surfaces of a different color tone than the tatami surfaces of the other tatami parts.

4. The decorative tatami mat according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that one or more tatami parts are made of tatami surfaces with a different weave direction from the tatami surfaces of the other tatami parts.

5. The decorative tatami mat according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that one or more tatami parts are made of tatami surfaces with a different type of weave than the tatami surfaces of the other tatami parts.

Images