rug

Abstract

To provide a rug that is designed to prevent accidental curling and other damage while also being easy to wash. [Solution] The mat comprises a flat mat body 3 made of washable fabric and a core material 5 that maintains the external shape of the mat body 3 and is detachable from the mat body 3. The mat body 3 is bag-shaped with an opening 3A formed therein, and the core material 5 is made of a springy ring-shaped steel material. The springy nature applies tension to the mat body 3, expanding it outward and maintaining the external shape of the mat body 3. The mat body 3 also has a front surface and a back surface, and the front surface and back surface may be made of different materials.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a mat that is also suitably used as a vehicle seat cushion or the like.

Background Art

[0002] For example, various cushions, mats and the like that are placed on the seating surface of a seat for use have been proposed to improve seating comfort or prevent contamination of vehicle seats (see, for example, Patent Document 1 to Patent Document 3, etc.).

[0003] The vehicle seat cushion described in Patent Document 1 is made of a single-density closed-cell foam such as EVA foam. This cushion is composed of a material that has sufficient flexibility to deform under the weight of a user and sufficient elasticity to restore its original state when the weight is removed. This produces the effect that the pressure on the buttocks during sitting can be dispersed. However, the vehicle seat cushion described in Patent Document 1 requires a thickness to achieve the aforementioned effects. For this reason, when it is placed on the seating surface of a seat for use, it is convenient for people of short stature, but not infrequently the position of the line of sight of the driver becomes too high. This may lead to problems such as the need to adjust the seat height, or difficulty in using it in vehicles not equipped with a seat height adjustment function.

[0004] On the other hand, the vehicle seat cushions described in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3 are provided with a seating portion on which a driver or the like sits, and a reinforcing member provided on the outer periphery of the seating portion. In the vehicle seat cushions described in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3, by making the seating portion relatively thin, it is also possible to eliminate the need for the trouble of adjusting the seat height. Further, even if the seating portion is configured to be relatively thin, since the reinforcing member is provided, problems such as inadvertent curling are less likely to occur, and contamination of the seat can be prevented.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2015-504771 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-112853 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-124849 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, while the vehicle seat cushions described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 can prevent the seat from getting dirty, they are difficult to wash due to the presence of reinforcing members, and do not address the case where the vehicle seat cushion itself, rather than the seat, becomes dirty.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a rug that is designed to be easily washed while preventing accidental curling and other damage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention, which solves the above objective, comprises a flat mat body made of a washable fabric, Having a core material that maintains the external shape of the main body of the rug and is detachable from the main body of the rug, The aforementioned mat body is a bag-like shape with an opening formed therein. The core material is characterized in that it is made of a springy, ring-shaped steel material, and the springy nature applies tension to the main body of the carpet, causing it to expand outward, thereby maintaining the external shape of the main body of the carpet.

[0009] The floor covering of the present invention is not limited to items generally considered as floor coverings, such as seat cushions for automobiles and trains, or seat cushions for wheelchairs and chairs, which are placed underneath for sitting. For example, it also includes bath mats, pet sheets (liners), bed sheets, and disaster prevention mats and sheets. Furthermore, the washable fabric referred to herein includes all fabrics and also includes washable synthetic leather. In addition, part of the floor covering body may be made of polyethylene sheets or polyvinyl chloride sheets. Moreover, the core material is not limited in material, as long as it can maintain the external shape of the floor covering body in order to prevent the floor covering body from unintentionally curling up. For example, the core material may be made of steel such as a ring leaf spring, or it may be made of wire or resin.

[0010] According to the rug of the present invention, the core material maintains the external shape of the rug body, thus preventing accidental curling. Furthermore, since the core material is detachable from the rug body, if the rug body becomes dirty, the core material can be removed from the rug body and the rug body can be easily washed.

[0011] Furthermore, in the rug of the present invention, the rug body has a front surface and a back surface, The front surface and the back surface may be made of different materials.

[0012] For example, the front surface material may be made of a microfiber material or the like, taking into consideration water absorption, heat retention, and cushioning properties, and the back surface material may be made of a polyester cushion mesh or the like, which is used in laundry nets, taking into consideration cushioning and breathability.

[0013] Furthermore, in the rug of the present invention, the rug body may have an external shape that is circular, elliptical, or rectangular with rounded corners.

[0014] By adopting this aspect, the core material makes it easy to maintain the entire outer shape of the rug body without partial breakage or denting.

Effects of the Invention

[0015] According to the rug of the present invention, it is possible to provide a rug devised to be easily washable while preventing unintended curling and the like.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the seat cushion (rug) according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of the outer peripheral portion of the seat cushion shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing a state in which the core material is inserted into the rug body shown in Figure 1, or a state in which the core material is taken out from the rug body. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the rug body and the removed core material in a compacted state as shown in Figure 3. [Figure 5] This is a plan view showing the seat cushion according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The rug of the present invention can be suitably used as a seat cushion for vehicles such as automobiles, but its application is not particularly limited. For example, it can also be used as a bath mat, a pet sheet (liner), a bed sheet, a disaster prevention mat or sheet, various chair cushions, wheelchair cushions, stadium seat cushions, stretchers, and yoga mats. In the embodiments described below, description will be made using an example of a vehicle seat cushion 10.

[0018] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a seat cushion (rug) 10 showing the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 shows a state in which the front surface 310 is visible, and the back surface 320 (see Figure 2) that is the rear side of the front surface 310 is hidden. Further, in Figure 1, a part of the rug main body 3, which will be described in detail later, is shown with a cutout. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the outer peripheral portion of the seat cushion 10 shown in Figure 1.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, the seat cushion 10 of the present embodiment includes a rug main body 3 and a core material 5.

[0020] The rug main body 3 is a flat member made of washable fabric, and in the present embodiment, its outer shape in plan view is a rectangular shape with rounded corners. Further, the rug main body 3 is a bag-shaped member having a front surface 310 and a back surface 320, and the back surface 320 may be placed on a vehicle seat, and a user may sit on the front surface 310. At the joint portion between the front surface material 31 constituting the front surface 310 and the back surface material 32 constituting the back surface 320, an opening 3A (see Figure 3) is formed, and a fastener 33 for opening and closing this opening 3A is provided.

[0021] In the rug main body 3 of the present embodiment, the front surface 310 and the back surface 320 are made of different materials. Specifically, the front surface material 31 constituting the front surface 310 is made of a microfiber material in consideration of water absorbency, heat retention, cushioning properties and the like. In addition, the back surface material 32 constituting the back surface 320 is made of a polyester cushion mesh, which is used in laundry nets and the like, in consideration of cushioning properties and air permeability. The material of the rug main body 3 is not particularly limited as long as it is washable, and may be synthetic leather, or a part thereof may be a polyethylene sheet or a vinyl chloride sheet.

[0022] The core material 5 maintains the external shape of the rug body 3 and is detachable from the rug body 3. In this embodiment, the core material 5 is made of a ring leaf spring formed by connecting the ends with tape 51 (see Figure 3) to form a ring shape. Therefore, the core material 5 can be bent or folded compactly by overlapping multiple turns. In addition, since the core material 5 applies outward tension to the rug body 3, it is possible to further suppress unintentional curling of the rug body 3 and maintain the overall external shape of the rug body 3 more stably. The material of the core material 5 is not particularly limited as long as it can maintain the external shape of the rug body 3, and may be made of wire, resin, or hard rubber. If the core material 5 is made of a material that is difficult to bend, an opening 3A (see Figure 3) of a size that allows the core material 5 to be inserted into the rug body 3 without bending may be provided.

[0023] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the insertion of the core material 5 into the mat body 3, or the removal of the core material 5 from the mat body 3, as shown in Figure 1.

[0024] To attach the core material 5 to the rug body 3, force is applied to the core material 5 to curve it into a long, narrow shape (like a gourd), as shown in Figure 3, and then it is inserted into the rug body 3 through the opening 3A. When the force applied to the core material 5 is released, the springy nature of the core material 5 applies tension that expands the rug body 3 outwards, maintaining the outer shape of the rug body 3. After that, the zipper 33 can be closed.

[0025] On the other hand, to remove the core material 5 from the mat body 3, open the zipper 33, apply force to the core material 5, and as shown in Figure 3, remove the core material 5 through the opening 3A while it is curved (flexed) into a long, narrow shape (like a gourd). In this way, since the core material 5 of the seat cushion 10 is detachable from the mat body 3, if the mat body 3 becomes dirty, the core material 5 can be easily removed and washed.

[0026] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the mat body 3 and the removed core material 5 in a compact state, as shown in Figure 3.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, the mat body 3 can be folded (into four in Figure 4), and the core material 5 can be folded in multiple layers (into three layers in Figure 4) to create a compact package.

[0028] Next, a second embodiment of the seat cushion 10 of the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4 will be described. In the second embodiment described below, the differences from the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4 will be the main focus of the description. Components with the same names as those in the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4 will be denoted by the same reference numerals used so far, and redundant explanations may be omitted.

[0029] Figure 5 is a plan view showing the seat cushion 11 of the second embodiment. Note that in Figure 5, a portion of the mat body 3 is cut out to show the internal structure.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, in the second embodiment, the seat cushion 11 has a loop-shaped core material housing section 34 formed on the outer circumference of the mat body 3. In the seat cushion 11 of this embodiment, the core material 5 is in a long, unconnected ring shape, and this core material 5 is inserted into the core material housing section 34 through an opening (not shown in Figure 5) that is opened and closed by a zipper 33.

[0031] In Figure 5, an example is shown in which the ends 52 of the core material 5 are inserted into the core material housing section 34 from both sides of the opening, and the joint 5A of these ends 52 is located on the opposite side of the opening. However, one end 52 of the core material 5 may be inserted into the core material housing section 34 from one side of the opening, so that the joint 5A of the end 52 is located at the opening. Furthermore, the core material 5 housed in the core material housing section 34 may have its ends 52, 52 overlapping, or there may be gaps between the ends 52, 52. Moreover, the mat body 3 of this embodiment does not have to be bag-shaped; for example, the portion enclosed by the core material housing section 34 can be made of a single (single-layer) fabric such as microfiber material or polyester cushion mesh.

[0032] In this embodiment as well, the core material 5 helps maintain the outer shape of the rug body 3, preventing it from curling up unintentionally. Furthermore, if the rug body 3 becomes dirty, it can be easily washed by opening the zipper 33 and removing the core material 5.

[0033] As described above, the seat cushions 10 and 11 prevent accidental curling by the core material 5, and the main body of the mat 3 can be easily washed if it becomes dirty.

[0034] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. For example, in the embodiments described above, a rug body 3 having a rectangular shape with rounded corners (shape in plan view) was described, but the external shape of the rug body 3 is not particularly limited. However, if a rug body 3 with a rectangular, circular, or elliptical shape has an external shape with rounded corners, the core material 5 makes it easier to maintain the overall external shape of the rug body 3 without any part bending or denting.

[0035] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment described an arrangement in which the opening 3A of the rug body 3 is opened and closed by a zipper 33, an arrangement in which the opening 3A is opened and closed using fasteners such as hooks or double-sided zippers may also be adopted. In addition, an arrangement in which the zipper 33 is provided around the entire outer circumference of the rug body 3 and the front material 31 and the back material 32 are connected by the zipper 33, or the opening 3A may be provided in the back material 32, etc.

[0036] Furthermore, even if a constituent element is included only in the description of each of the embodiments described above, that constituent element may be applied to other embodiments as well.

[0037] I will also add some information about other types of rugs.

[0038] Other rugs consist of a flat rug body made of washable fabric, Having a core material that maintains the external shape of the main body of the rug and is detachable from the main body of the rug, The main body of the mat has a loop-shaped core material housing formed on its outer circumference. The core material is characterized by being elongated and being inserted into the core material housing through an opening in the core material housing. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0039] 10, 11 Seat cushion (mat) 3. The main body of the mat 310 Front side 31 Front surface material 320 back side 32 Backing material 33 zippers 34 Core material housing section 3A aperture 4. Slide fastener 5 Core material 51 Tapes 52 End 5A joint

Claims

1. A flat rug made of washable fabric, Having a core material that maintains the external shape of the main body of the rug and is detachable from the main body of the rug, The mat body is a bag-like shape with an opening formed therein. The core material is made of a springy, ring-shaped steel material, and the springy nature applies tension to the main body of the mat, causing it to expand outward, thereby maintaining the external shape of the main body of the mat.

2. The aforementioned mat body has a front surface and a back surface, The rug according to claim 1, characterized in that the front surface and the back surface are made of different materials.

3. The mat according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the mat body has an external shape that is circular, elliptical, or rectangular with rounded corners.

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