Magnetic Floor Mat Assembly for Washable Textile Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
High traffic areas face challenges with soiled floor mats due to the difficulty in aligning and deploying washable one-piece mats, leading to potential trip hazards and aesthetic issues, as well as the need to wash and maintain both the textile and base components, which is labor and resource intensive.
Innovation Solution
A washable multi-component magnetic floor mat with a textile component and a base component attached via magnetic attraction, where the textile component is larger than the base component, allowing for easy alignment and deployment using temporary reduction in surface area or adherence force, and can be laundered separately from the base component.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If washable one-piece floor mats are used in high traffic areas, then the mats can be laundered to remove soil, but the alignment and deployment become difficult due to high resistance to sliding and movement
Solution Approach 1:
The floor mat is divided into two separate components: a base component and a textile component. The textile component can be removed and laundered separately, while the base component remains stationary. This segmentation allows the textile component to be easily washed without the constraint of being a one-piece mat, and the base component provides stability to prevent misalignment during deployment.
2Area of stationary object
If the textile component is made larger than the base component to provide coverage, then aesthetic appeal is improved, but misalignment creates trip hazards
Solution Approach 1:
Alignment marks are pre-applied to both the base component and the textile component during manufacturing. These marks guide the user during deployment to ensure proper alignment before the textile component is attached to the base component, preventing misalignment that could create trip hazards while allowing the textile component to extend beyond the base for aesthetic coverage.
3Strength
If magnetic attraction force is increased to hold the components together, then attachment strength is improved, but the force required for initial alignment and deployment increases
Solution Approach 1:
A release film is placed between the textile component and the base component during deployment. This film acts as an intermediary that reduces the magnetic attraction force, allowing the components to be easily aligned and deployed. Once the components are in their final positions, the release film is removed, allowing the full magnetic attraction force to hold the textile component securely to the base component.
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 simplifies maintenance by allowing the textile component to be easily removed, laundered, and re-installed, reducing labor and resource costs while preventing trip hazards and maintaining aesthetic appeal by ensuring proper alignment and deployment of the mat.
Implementation Method 1
The textile component and the base component are attached to one another by magnetic attraction. The magnetic attraction is provided by incorporation of magnetic particles in both the textile and base components.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to a washable multi-component magnetic floor mat with a hidden base component. The floor mat contains a textile component and a base component. The textile component and the base component are attached to one another by magnetic attraction. The magnetic attraction is provided by incorporation of magnetic particles in both the textile and base components. The textile component is designed to be soiled, washed, and re-used, thereby providing ideal end-use applications in areas such as building entryways. The present invention eliminates the need to wash the base component of the floor mat which results in environmental, cost and labor conservation. Alignment and deployment of the textile component with the base component in an efficient manner is also described herein.