Illuminated Floor Mat Structure for Protected Decorative Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional floor mats lack an effective means to enhance the initial impression of businesses by failing to draw attention through decorative elements, as they often blend into the background and do not provide a lasting visual impact.
Innovation Solution
A floor mat system featuring a transparent or translucent decorative portion with a light source positioned beneath, surrounded by a non-transparent area, using polycarbonate resin film for protection and a transformer housing with channels to safeguard electrical components, allowing the decorative image to be illuminated and highlighted.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a conventional floor mat is used with decorative elements, then the mat provides basic floor coverage and particulate removal, but the decorative elements remain unnoticed and fail to create a lasting impression
Solution Approach 1:
The light source is pre-positioned beneath the mat surface, and the decorative image is pre-formed in the translucent material. When activated, the light automatically illuminates the decorative elements without requiring additional action from users, creating immediate visual impact.
Solution Approach 2:
A translucent layer acts as an intermediary between the light source and the decorative image, allowing light to pass through while maintaining the integrity of the decorative elements. This intermediary layer enables the light to illuminate the image without direct contact between the light source and the decorative surface.
2Illumination intensity
If a light source is positioned beneath the mat to illuminate decorative elements, then the decorative image becomes visible and attention-grabbing, but the light source is vulnerable to damage from foot traffic
Solution Approach 1:
The light source is nested within a protective housing that is integrated into the mat structure. This housing provides mechanical protection while allowing light to pass through to illuminate the decorative image. The nested structure protects the vulnerable light source from direct exposure to foot traffic and environmental factors.
Solution Approach 2:
A translucent protective film or shell covers the light source while allowing light to pass through. This thin protective layer shields the light source from physical damage while maintaining its illumination function, effectively solving the contradiction between protection and light transmission.
3Ease of operation
If electrical components are exposed in the mat system, then the system can be activated and deactivated, but the electrical wiring and transformer are vulnerable to damage from people walking over the mat
Solution Approach 1:
The transformer and electrical wiring are nested within a protective housing or channel structure that is integrated into the mat assembly. This nested configuration protects the electrical components from foot traffic while maintaining accessibility for operation and maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
Protective housings and channels act as intermediaries between the electrical components and the external environment. These intermediary structures shield the vulnerable electrical wiring and transformer from physical damage while allowing the system to remain functional and operable.
4Reliability
If the mat uses a flow-through design to remove particulate matter, then the mat effectively prevents matter accumulation, but the mat lacks aesthetic appeal and decorative visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The mat incorporates both flow-through regions for effective particulate removal and translucent regions with decorative images for visual appeal. By applying different qualities to different areas of the mat, the design achieves both functional efficiency in matter removal and aesthetic visibility through strategic illumination of decorative elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The mat combines flow-through material structures with translucent decorative layers to create a composite system that simultaneously achieves effective particulate removal and decorative visibility. The composite structure integrates functional and aesthetic elements into a unified design.
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 solution effectively draws attention to the decorative image, enhances the business's initial impression, and extends the lifespan of the light source through protective layers, while maintaining functionality in high-traffic areas.
Implementation Method 1
A light source is positioned beneath the first portion and, when activated, the light source shines through the first portion and illuminates and draws attention to the decorative image
Implementation Method 2
The light source is coated in a polycarbonate resin film to protect and strengthen the same against damage as people walk over the mat
Data Source
AI summary
A floor mat system that includes a mat having a decoratively shaped first portion that allows light to transmit therethrough and is surrounded by a second portion that does not allow light to transmit therethrough. A light source is positioned beneath at least the first portion of the mat. When activated, the light source shines through the first portion and thereby illuminates and draws attention to the decorative image. The light source is coated in a polycarbonate resin film to protect and strengthen the same against damage as people walk over the mat. A non-transparent coating may be applied to selective regions of the protective film to create the same decorative transparent image therein and to thereby allow light to only be emitted from a particular region of the light source. The mat may be made from a flow-through material, a non-flow-through material with a gripping upper surface and wells; or a combination of flow-through and non-flow-through material. The mat also includes a transformer housing and channels to protect a transformer and electrical wiring from being damaged as people walk over the mat.