Replaceable Car Mat Holder With Flexible Flaps to Prevent Crumpling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing replaceable car mats are inadequately secured, prone to crumpling, and lack features for contaminant containment and anti-slip properties, making them inefficient and unsafe for use in vehicles, while their holders are often cumbersome, expensive, and not specifically designed for vehicle interiors.
Innovation Solution
A holder with a base and integral flaps, including living hinges and flexible materials, that securely attaches the mat with anti-slip features and containment channels, allowing easy installation and replacement, and is designed to fit the vehicle's interior shape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If disposable paper-based mats are used, then replacement cost is reduced, but the mats are inadequately secured and crumple under foot pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is segmented into a base and removable flaps, allowing the mat to be securely divided and held in place by the flaps that can be independently manipulated for installation and removal
Solution Approach 2:
The flaps are designed to be flexible and movable, allowing them to adapt to the mat insertion and provide dynamic securing capability that prevents crumpling while maintaining ease of replacement
2Ease of manufacture
If simple replaceable mats are used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but they lack contaminant containment and anti-slip features
Solution Approach 1:
Containment channels are added as a third-dimensional feature to the mat structure, creating raised barriers that contain contaminants without adding significant manufacturing complexity to the base mat
Solution Approach 2:
Anti-slip features are applied locally to specific areas of the mat where foot contact occurs, providing necessary traction properties only where needed rather than throughout the entire mat structure
3Ease of manufacture
If generic rectangular mats are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but they do not fit vehicle interior shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The mat dimensions and shape parameters are customized to match specific vehicle interior contours, allowing the same manufacturing process to produce different shaped mats for different vehicle types by simply changing the molding parameters
4Reliability
If permanent floor mats are used, then safety features are provided, but replacement expense is considerable
Solution Approach 1:
The mat is designed as a disposable component that can be easily replaced, while the holder provides the durable safety features. This allows the safety infrastructure to be permanent while the consumable mat portion is inexpensive to replace
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The holder provides efficient, secure, and safe mat replacement with enhanced contaminant containment and anti-slip properties, improving usability in vehicles and reducing manufacturing costs through modular design.
Implementation Method 1
at least one integral flexible flap that extends from a convergence line formed by the convergence of the base and integral flap
Data Source
AI summary
A holder for a replaceable mat used in a vehicle having a base and at least one flap with a free edge that secures the replaceable mat. The flap may be integral to the base and may also be flexible to improve the efficiency of loading the replaceable mat. In other embodiments the flap is independent from the base and operatively secured by an attachment device to the base. Other features improve the ease of use and protective capabilities of the holder. The holder also improves safety for use in vehicles and is inexpensive to manufacture. The replaceable mat is preferably absorbent and freely disposable.