Spray mat

Abstract

Left and right foot images on a general upper surface of a spray mat are mesas that are created by laser-etching a mold surface. The distances between peripheral margins of the mat and the left and right foot images are large enough to catch overspray from the application of sunblock, insect repellent and the like. A bottom surface of an outer flange is placed in an interference fit with the floor or supporting substrate. The outer flange may be hollow and supported by spaced-apart peripheral ribs.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The field of the invention relates to elastomeric mats for protecting floors and similar surfaces, and more particularly to mats for protecting such surfaces against aerosols being applied to the body of a subject.

[0002] Several products are now available which are sprayed onto the skin of a human, including sunscreens, tanning compositions and insect repellents. These products typically are provided in pressurized aerosol spray cans and have emitters that spray a cone of spray in the general desired direction, but are not particularly accurate. When the user sprays the product onto his or her skin, some of the spray will miss. The droplets or particulates that don't land on the skin will eventually fall on the nearby floor, patio, or other substrate, creating a mess which then needs to be cleaned up. A need therefore exists to contain such errant spray particles and droplets.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a mat for protecting a floor, deck or other substrate from an aerosol spray product that is being applied to a human. A left foot image and a right foot image are disposed on a general upper surface of a body of the mat. The left and right foot images may be formed as mesas that are elevated above the general upper surface. The body is created by injecting a molten polymer into a mold having a surface. The left foot image and the right foot image are created by forming respective depressions in the mold. The mesas thus created may be very slight, such as about 0.01 inches above the general upper surface of the body.

[0004] According to another aspect of the invention, a mat for protecting a floor or other substrate from an aerosol spray product being applied to a human has a body with a general upper surface that extends in longitudinal and transverse directions. A left foot image and a right foot image are formed on the general upper surface of the mat body. The left and right foot images are adapted to receive thereon respect left and right feet of a human to be sprayed. The left and right foot images have a front foot image margin and a rear foot image margin. The left foot image has a left foot image margin and the right foot image has a right foot image margin. The distances between these foot image margins and respective front, rear, left and right margins of the general upper surface of the body are greater than or equal to about 5 inches, so as to catch any overspray.

[0005] According to a further aspect of the invention, a mat is provided for protecting a floor or other substrate. A body of the mat has a central region with a general lower surface and a peripheral margin. The general lower surface conforms to a floor plane. The body may be integrally formed of an elastomer. The body further has an upstanding peripheral wall that is joined to the peripheral margin and extends upwardly therefrom to an upper end. An outer flange extends outwardly and downwardly from the upper end of the peripheral wall to an outer edge of the outer flange. A lower surface of the outer edge of the outer flange is downwardly displaced from the floor place. This means that, in use, the outer edge of the outer flange will be placed in an interference fit with the floor substrate, mitigating any gaps which might otherwise occur.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Further aspects of the invention and their advantages can be discerned in the following detailed description as read in conjunction with the drawings of an exemplary embodiment, in which like characters denote like parts and in which:

[0007] FIG. 1 is a top rear perspective view of a spray mat according to the invention;

[0008] FIG. 2 is a top front perspective view of the spray mat of FIG. 1, in use;

[0009] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the mat shown in FIG. 1;

[0010] FIG. 4 is a schematic transverse sectional detail taken substantially along Line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

[0011] FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional detail taken substantially along Line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

[0012] FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view of a mold undergoing a second phase of laser etching; and

[0013] FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of a mold as prepared by the process shown in FIG. 6, causing the formation of mesas in the mat upper surface.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] As seen in FIG. 1, a spray mat indicated generally at 100 may be integrally molded of a polymer, such as an elastomer. More particularly, the mat 100 may be injection-molded of a molten polymer such as a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The mat 100 will often find uses in outdoor settings and in sunny climates and seasons, such as on boats or beside swimming pools. The compound making up mat 100 may therefore be colored to be white, tan, gray or another light color, so that solar radiation does not heat up the mat 100 to such an extent that it would be uncomfortable to stand on in bare feet.

[0015] Mat 100 has a body 102 with a general upper surface 104 that may conform to a horizontal plane. Upper surface 104 has a front margin 106, a rear margin 108 rearwardly spaced from front margin 106, a left margin 110 and a right margin 112 transversely spaced from left margin 110. For purposes of this specification, “front” and rear” denote opposed horizontal and “longitudinal” directions; “left” and right” denote opposed horizontal and “transverse” directions, at ninety degrees to either longitudinal direction; and “up and “down” denote opposed vertical directions, at ninety degrees to any longitudinal or transverse direction. “Lateral” means a direction in a horizontal plane.

[0016] Within a central region 114 of the general upper surface 104 are located a left foot image 116 and a right foot image 118. The foot images 116, 118 are longitudinally oriented and transversely spaced apart from each other. The boundaries of the central region 114 are shown in broken line, and include a front foot image margin 120, a rear foot image margin 122, a left foot image margin 124 and a right foot image margin 126. In the illustrated embodiment, the foot images 116, 118 are aligned such that their front ends touch on front foot image margin 120, and such that their rear ends touch on rear foot image margin 122.

[0017] Foot image margins 120-126 are well spaced away from their corresponding general upper surface margins 106-112, so that the general upper surface 104 is capable of receiving most or all the overspray generated from an aerosol spray can being used to spray product on a subject's skin. For example, a distance 128 between front foot image margin 120 and front margin 106 can be at least about 5 inches, or alternatively at least about 5 ¾ inches. A distance 130 between rear foot image margin 122 and rear margin 108 can be at least about 5 inches, or alternatively ab least about 5 ¾ inches. A distance 132 between left foot margin 124 and left margin 110 can be at least about 9 inches, or alternatively at least about 9 ⅞ inches. And a distance 134 between right foot margin 126 and right margin 118 can be at least about 9 inches, or alternatively at least about 9 / 7 / 8 inches.

[0018] The general upper surface 104 is laterally surrounded by an upstanding peripheral wall 136 having an upper end 138. A peripheral flange 140 downwardly and outwardly slopes from upper end 138.

[0019] The illustrated spray mat 100 is mostly rectangular with rounded corners, but the spray mat could take other shapes, such as a circular disk with a predetermined minimum radius from a center of the general upper surface 104, or an oval. Images 116 and 118 may also be joined on surface 104 by an instructional message 190, such as “Stand Here and Spray.” The instructional message 190 may, for example, be spaced frontwardly of the foot images 116 and 118 so as to be easily read by a user standing on images 116 and 118.

[0020] FIG. 2 illustrates a spray mat 100 in use. Mat 100 has been placed on a substrate to be protected, in this case a deck D. A human H has positioned his left foot 200 on the left foot image 116 and his right foot 202 on the right foot image 118. Human H then sprays himself, from spray can SC, in the general direction of his legs and feet. Some of the spray S inevitably will be overspray and will not end up on the skin of human H-instead, the droplets and particles of the overspray will fall downward to be collected on the ample upper surface 104 of mat 100.

[0021] Foot images 116 and 118 are mostly a visual target for the user's feet, which feet do not have to exactly match the image outlines in size or position. Further, users often will be wearing sneakers, sandals or other footgear instead of bare feet, and the foot images 116, 118 then are targets for the placement of such footwear. But the use of foot images 116, 118 instead of shoe outlines or the like may be more easily understood by the user.

[0022] As seen in FIG. 3, a general lower surface 300 of mat 100 may be flat and may conform to a floor plane P. The general lower surface 300 has a peripheral margin 302 which substantially corresponds to, and is located in the same horizontal position as, upper surface peripheral margins 108, 110, 112 and 114. A central region 303 of body 102 is laterally inside peripheral margin 302. A plurality of spaced-part support ribs 304 are disposed laterally exteriorly of the peripheral margin 302 and below flange 140, which they are designed to support.

[0023] As seen in FIG. 4, showing a cross section of a representative foot image 116, the foot image 116 is formed as a slight mesa 400 that may be elevated above surface 104 by about ____ mm. This may be done by a mold-cutting process shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In FIG. 6, an initial mold surface 600 is laser-engraved in a first pass by a laser 602. Then, in a second pass, the laser 602 further laser-engraves shallow depressions 604, 606 in the areas where foot images 116 and 118 are to occur. Then, as seen in FIG. 7, once the mold is finished, closed and molten polymer injected into it, the shallow depressions 604, 606 will form slight mesas 400 in the areas of foot images 116 and 118. Foot images 116 and 118, and instructional message 190, may be laser-engraved with an 050 texture while the rest of the mat surface 104 may be engraved with a 020 texture, meaning the foot image surfaces 116 and 118 will be more coarse and grippy than is the rest of surface 104.

[0024] In FIG. 5, it can been seen that an upwardly concavely curved transition 500 with a radius of at least about 0.5 inches is interposed between the inward-facing surface 502 of upstanding wall 136 and general upper surface 104. This is to make mat 100 easier to clean. In the illustrated embodiment, the upstanding wall 136 is not vertical bur rather is upwardly and outwardly sloped.

[0025] A lower / outer surface 504 of peripheral wall 136 and a lower / inner surface 506 of the flange 140 define a downwardly-facing, hollow channel 508 that laterally surrounds general lower surface 300 of mat 100. To prop up wall 136 and flange 140, many spaced-apart triangularly shaped support ribs 304 each downwardly extend from surfaces 504 and 506 to floor plane P. But the flange 140 downwardly and outwardly extends farther than this, to an outer edge 509, a lower surface 510 of which will be downwardly displaced from floor plane P, as by about 0.05 in. This creates an intentional interference fit of flange 140 with any flat substrate (such as deck D) upon which mat 100 rests, mitigating the occurrence of any gaps.

[0026] In summary, a spray mat has been provided with an upper surface having laser-engraved thereon foot images as targets for the placement of the user's feet. A sufficient distance between those foot images and the margins of the general upper surface of the mat is selected to catch the inevitable overspray of a user spraying his or her skin with a pressurized aerosol product.

[0027] While an embodiment of the present invention has been described and illustrated in the appended drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto but only by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0014]As seen in FIG. 1, a spray mat indicated generally at 100 may be integrally molded of a polymer, such as an elastomer. More particularly, the mat 100 may be injection-molded of a molten polymer such as a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The mat 100 will often find uses in outdoor settings and in sunny climates and seasons, such as on boats or beside swimming pools. The compound making up mat 100 may therefore be colored to be white, tan, gray or another light color, so that solar radiation does not heat up the mat 100 to such an extent that it would be uncomfortable to stand on in bare feet.

[0015]Mat 100 has a body 102 with a general upper surface 104 that may conform to a horizontal plane. Upper surface 104 has a front margin 106, a rear margin 108 rearwardly spaced from front margin 106, a left margin 110 and a right margin 112 transversely spaced from left margin 110. For purposes of this specification, “front” and rear” denote opposed horizontal and “longitudinal” directions...

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The field of the invention relates to elastomeric mats for protecting floors and similar surfaces, and more particularly to mats for protecting such surfaces against aerosols being applied to the body of a subject.

[0002] Several products are now available which are sprayed onto the skin of a human, including sunscreens, tanning compositions and insect repellents. These products typically are provided in pressurized aerosol spray cans and have emitters that spray a cone of spray in the general desired direction, but are not particularly accurate. When the user sprays the product onto his or her skin, some of the spray will miss. The droplets or particulates that don't land on the skin will eventually fall on the nearby floor, patio, or other substrate, creating a mess which then needs to be cleaned up. A need therefore exists to contain such errant spray particles and droplets.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a mat for protecting a floor, deck or other substrate from an aerosol spray product that is being applied to a human. A left foot image and a right foot image are disposed on a general upper surface of a body of the mat. The left and right foot images may be formed as mesas that are elevated above the general upper surface. The body is created by injecting a molten polymer into a mold having a surface. The left foot image and the right foot image are created by forming respective depressions in the mold. The mesas thus created may be very slight, such as about 0.01 inches above the general upper surface of the body.

[0004] According to another aspect of the invention, a mat for protecting a floor or other substrate from an aerosol spray product being applied to a human has a body with a general upper surface that extends in longitudinal and transverse directions. A left foot image and a right foot image are formed on the general upper surface of the mat body. The left and right foot images are adapted to receive thereon respect left and right feet of a human to be sprayed. The left and right foot images have a front foot image margin and a rear foot image margin. The left foot image has a left foot image margin and the right foot image has a right foot image margin. The distances between these foot image margins and respective front, rear, left and right margins of the general upper surface of the body are greater than or equal to about 5 inches, so as to catch any overspray.

[0005] According to a further aspect of the invention, a mat is provided for protecting a floor or other substrate. A body of the mat has a central region with a general lower surface and a peripheral margin. The general lower surface conforms to a floor plane. The body may be integrally formed of an elastomer. The body further has an upstanding peripheral wall that is joined to the peripheral margin and extends upwardly therefrom to an upper end. An outer flange extends outwardly and downwardly from the upper end of the peripheral wall to an outer edge of the outer flange. A lower surface of the outer edge of the outer flange is downwardly displaced from the floor place. This means that, in use, the outer edge of the outer flange will be placed in an interference fit with the floor substrate, mitigating any gaps which might otherwise occur.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Further aspects of the invention and their advantages can be discerned in the following detailed description as read in conjunction with the drawings of an exemplary embodiment, in which like characters denote like parts and in which:

[0007] FIG. 1 is a top rear perspective view of a spray mat according to the invention;

[0008] FIG. 2 is a top front perspective view of the spray mat of FIG. 1, in use;

[0009] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the mat shown in FIG. 1;

[0010] FIG. 4 is a schematic transverse sectional detail taken substantially along Line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

[0011] FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional detail taken substantially along Line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

[0012] FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view of a mold undergoing a second phase of laser etching; and

[0013] FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of a mold as prepared by the process shown in FIG. 6, causing the formation of mesas in the mat upper surface.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] As seen in FIG. 1, a spray mat indicated generally at 100 may be integrally molded of a polymer, such as an elastomer. More particularly, the mat 100 may be injection-molded of a molten polymer such as a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The mat 100 will often find uses in outdoor settings and in sunny climates and seasons, such as on boats or beside swimming pools. The compound making up mat 100 may therefore be colored to be white, tan, gray or another light color, so that solar radiation does not heat up the mat 100 to such an extent that it would be uncomfortable to stand on in bare feet.

[0015] Mat 100 has a body 102 with a general upper surface 104 that may conform to a horizontal plane. Upper surface 104 has a front margin 106, a rear margin 108 rearwardly spaced from front margin 106, a left margin 110 and a right margin 112 transversely spaced from left margin 110. For purposes of this specification, “front” and rear” denote opposed horizontal and “longitudinal” directions; “left” and right” denote opposed horizontal and “transverse” directions, at ninety degrees to either longitudinal direction; and “up and “down” denote opposed vertical directions, at ninety degrees to any longitudinal or transverse direction. “Lateral” means a direction in a horizontal plane.

[0016] Within a central region 114 of the general upper surface 104 are located a left foot image 116 and a right foot image 118. The foot images 116, 118 are longitudinally oriented and transversely spaced apart from each other. The boundaries of the central region 114 are shown in broken line, and include a front foot image margin 120, a rear foot image margin 122, a left foot image margin 124 and a right foot image margin 126. In the illustrated embodiment, the foot images 116, 118 are aligned such that their front ends touch on front foot image margin 120, and such that their rear ends touch on rear foot image margin 122.

[0017] Foot image margins 120-126 are well spaced away from their corresponding general upper surface margins 106-112, so that the general upper surface 104 is capable of receiving most or all the overspray generated from an aerosol spray can being used to spray product on a subject's skin. For example, a distance 128 between front foot image margin 120 and front margin 106 can be at least about 5 inches, or alternatively at least about 5 ¾ inches. A distance 130 between rear foot image margin 122 and rear margin 108 can be at least about 5 inches, or alternatively ab least about 5 ¾ inches. A distance 132 between left foot margin 124 and left margin 110 can be at least about 9 inches, or alternatively at least about 9 ⅞ inches. And a distance 134 between right foot margin 126 and right margin 118 can be at least about 9 inches, or alternatively at least about 9 / 7 / 8 inches.

[0018] The general upper surface 104 is laterally surrounded by an upstanding peripheral wall 136 having an upper end 138. A peripheral flange 140 downwardly and outwardly slopes from upper end 138.

[0019] The illustrated spray mat 100 is mostly rectangular with rounded corners, but the spray mat could take other shapes, such as a circular disk with a predetermined minimum radius from a center of the general upper surface 104, or an oval. Images 116 and 118 may also be joined on surface 104 by an instructional message 190, such as “Stand Here and Spray.” The instructional message 190 may, for example, be spaced frontwardly of the foot images 116 and 118 so as to be easily read by a user standing on images 116 and 118.

[0020] FIG. 2 illustrates a spray mat 100 in use. Mat 100 has been placed on a substrate to be protected, in this case a deck D. A human H has positioned his left foot 200 on the left foot image 116 and his right foot 202 on the right foot image 118. Human H then sprays himself, from spray can SC, in the general direction of his legs and feet. Some of the spray S inevitably will be overspray and will not end up on the skin of human H-instead, the droplets and particles of the overspray will fall downward to be collected on the ample upper surface 104 of mat 100.

[0021] Foot images 116 and 118 are mostly a visual target for the user's feet, which feet do not have to exactly match the image outlines in size or position. Further, users often will be wearing sneakers, sandals or other footgear instead of bare feet, and the foot images 116, 118 then are targets for the placement of such footwear. But the use of foot images 116, 118 instead of shoe outlines or the like may be more easily understood by the user.

[0022] As seen in FIG. 3, a general lower surface 300 of mat 100 may be flat and may conform to a floor plane P. The general lower surface 300 has a peripheral margin 302 which substantially corresponds to, and is located in the same horizontal position as, upper surface peripheral margins 108, 110, 112 and 114. A central region 303 of body 102 is laterally inside peripheral margin 302. A plurality of spaced-part support ribs 304 are disposed laterally exteriorly of the peripheral margin 302 and below flange 140, which they are designed to support.

[0023] As seen in FIG. 4, showing a cross section of a representative foot image 116, the foot image 116 is formed as a slight mesa 400 that may be elevated above surface 104 by about ____ mm. This may be done by a mold-cutting process shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In FIG. 6, an initial mold surface 600 is laser-engraved in a first pass by a laser 602. Then, in a second pass, the laser 602 further laser-engraves shallow depressions 604, 606 in the areas where foot images 116 and 118 are to occur. Then, as seen in FIG. 7, once the mold is finished, closed and molten polymer injected into it, the shallow depressions 604, 606 will form slight mesas 400 in the areas of foot images 116 and 118. Foot images 116 and 118, and instructional message 190, may be laser-engraved with an 050 texture while the rest of the mat surface 104 may be engraved with a 020 texture, meaning the foot image surfaces 116 and 118 will be more coarse and grippy than is the rest of surface 104.

[0024] In FIG. 5, it can been seen that an upwardly concavely curved transition 500 with a radius of at least about 0.5 inches is interposed between the inward-facing surface 502 of upstanding wall 136 and general upper surface 104. This is to make mat 100 easier to clean. In the illustrated embodiment, the upstanding wall 136 is not vertical bur rather is upwardly and outwardly sloped.

[0025] A lower / outer surface 504 of peripheral wall 136 and a lower / inner surface 506 of the flange 140 define a downwardly-facing, hollow channel 508 that laterally surrounds general lower surface 300 of mat 100. To prop up wall 136 and flange 140, many spaced-apart triangularly shaped support ribs 304 each downwardly extend from surfaces 504 and 506 to floor plane P. But the flange 140 downwardly and outwardly extends farther than this, to an outer edge 509, a lower surface 510 of which will be downwardly displaced from floor plane P, as by about 0.05 in. This creates an intentional interference fit of flange 140 with any flat substrate (such as deck D) upon which mat 100 rests, mitigating the occurrence of any gaps.

[0026] In summary, a spray mat has been provided with an upper surface having laser-engraved thereon foot images as targets for the placement of the user's feet. A sufficient distance between those foot images and the margins of the general upper surface of the mat is selected to catch the inevitable overspray of a user spraying his or her skin with a pressurized aerosol product.

[0027] While an embodiment of the present invention has been described and illustrated in the appended drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto but only by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0014]As seen in FIG. 1, a spray mat indicated generally at 100 may be integrally molded of a polymer, such as an elastomer. More particularly, the mat 100 may be injection-molded of a molten polymer such as a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The mat 100 will often find uses in outdoor settings and in sunny climates and seasons, such as on boats or beside swimming pools. The compound making up mat 100 may therefore be colored to be white, tan, gray or another light color, so that solar radiation does not heat up the mat 100 to such an extent that it would be uncomfortable to stand on in bare feet.

[0015]Mat 100 has a body 102 with a general upper surface 104 that may conform to a horizontal plane. Upper surface 104 has a front margin 106, a rear margin 108 rearwardly spaced from front margin 106, a left margin 110 and a right margin 112 transversely spaced from left margin 110. For purposes of this specification, “front” and rear” denote opposed horizontal and “longitudinal” directions...

Claims

1. A mat for protecting a floor or substrate from an aerosol spray product being applied to a human, the mat comprising:a body having a horizontal general upper surface;a left foot image and a right foot image disposed on the general upper surface of the body to be spaced apart from each other, each of the left foot image and the right foot image being a mesa elevated above the general upper surface, the left foot image adapted to receive a left foot of a human to be sprayed, the right foot image adapted to receive a right foot of the human to be sprayed, whereinthe body is created by injecting a molten polymer into a mold having a surface, the left foot image and the right foot image being created by forming a left foot depression and a right foot depression in the mold surface.

2. The mat of claim 1, wherein the left foot depression and the right foot depression are created by laser etching the surface of the mold.

3. The mat of claim 1, wherein the mesas of the right foot image and the left foot images are elevated by about 0.01 inches above the general upper surface of the body.

4. The mat of claim 1, wherein the mesas of the right foot image and the left foot image are engraved with a coarser texture than a texture used to engrave the general upper surface of the body.

5. The mat of claim 1, wherein the molten polymer is a thermoplastic elastomer.

6. A mat for protecting a floor or other substrate from an aerosol spray product being applied to a human, the mat comprising:a body having a general upper surface extending in a longitudinal direction and in a transverse direction, the longitudinal direction being horizontal, the transverse direction being horizontal and at right angles to the horizontal direction;the general upper surface of the body having a front margin, a rear margin of the general upper surface longitudinally spaced from the front margin, a left margin of the general upper surface joining the front margin to the rear margin, a right margin of the general upper surface transversely spaced from the left margin and joining the front margin to the rear margin;a left foot image and a right foot image disposed on the general upper surface of the body to be transversely spaced apart from each other, the left and right foot images adapted to receive thereon respective left and right feet of a human to be sprayed, the left foot image and the right foot image having a foot image front margin and a foot image rear margin longitudinally spaced from the foot image front margin, the left foot image having a left foot image margin and the right foot image having a right foot image margin;the front foot image margin being spaced from the front margin by a first distance, the rear foot image margin being spaced from the rear margin by a second distance, the left foot image margin being spaced from the left margin by a third distance and the right foot image margin being spaced from the right margin by a fourth distance, a smallest one of the first, second, third and fourth distances being greater than or equal to about 5 inches.

7. The mat of claim 6, wherein the front margin, rear margin, left margin and right margin of the general upper surface of the body are bounded by an upstanding peripheral wall surrounding the general upper surface of the body, the peripheral wall having an upper end upwardly spaced from the general upper surface of the body, an outer flange downwardly and outwardly extending from the upper end of the peripheral wall.

8. A mat for protecting a floor or other substrate, the mat comprising:a body having a central region with a general lower surface and a peripheral margin, the general lower surface conforming to a floor plane, the body being integrally formed of an elastomer;an upstanding peripheral wall joined to the peripheral margin and extending upwardly therefrom to an upper end; andan outer flange extending outwardly and downwardly from the upper end of the peripheral wall to an outer edge of the outer flange, a lower surface of the outer edge of the outer flange being downwardly displaced from the floor plane, whereby in use the outer edge of the outer flange will be placed in an interference fit with the floor or substrate.

9. The mat claim 8, wherein the body has a general upper surface, an inwardly facing surface of the peripheral wall being joined to the general upper surface with an upwardly concavely curved transition having a radius of at least about 0.5 inches.

10. The mat of claim 8, wherein the mat is injection-molded of a thermoplastic elastomer.

11. The mat of claim 8, wherein a lower surface of the peripheral wall and a lower surface of the outer flange form a downwardly facing hollow channel, the mat body further including a plurality of spaced-apart support ribs, each support rib downwardly extending from the lower surface of the peripheral wall and the lower surface of the outer flange to the floor plane.

Images