Reflective Vehicle Floor Mat Assembly for Roadside Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor mat devices do not effectively enhance visibility for disabled vehicles on roadways, nor do they provide a means for users to increase their own visibility to oncoming traffic during emergencies.
Innovation Solution
A front floor mat with integrated reflective elements that can be rolled into a cone for roadside visibility, and a back floor mat with a reflective surface and shoulder straps for user visibility, enhancing both vehicle and user visibility during emergencies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If floor mats are used inside the vehicle, then they provide interior protection and comfort, but they do not enhance visibility for disabled vehicles on roadways
Solution Approach 1:
The floor mat assembly is designed to serve multiple functions: interior floor protection when installed in the vehicle, and emergency visibility signaling when removed and configured as a roadside cone. The reflective elements and conical shape enable the same material to function both as an interior mat and as an external safety device.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor mat is divided into multiple segments or panels that can be folded and connected to form a conical shape. This segmentation allows the flat mat to transform into a three-dimensional cone structure that is visible to approaching traffic.
2Reliability
If reflective elements are added to enhance visibility, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple reflective elements are integrated into a single floor mat assembly, combining them into one unified structure. This merging approach maintains safety functionality while reducing the number of separate components that would need to be assembled or managed independently.
3Illumination intensity
If the floor mat is designed to be rolled into a cone, then visibility for disabled vehicles is enhanced, but ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The floor mat is pre-configured with fold lines, connection points, and reflective element positioning that enable quick transformation into a cone shape. The preliminary design of the mat's structure allows users to rapidly assemble the cone configuration without requiring complex tools or procedures during emergency situations.
4Illumination intensity
If shoulder straps are added to the back floor mat, then user visibility is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shoulder straps are integrated directly into the back floor mat assembly, merging the visibility function with the carrying mechanism. This combination eliminates the need for separate harness systems while providing both user protection and visibility enhancement in a single 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 provides enhanced visibility for disabled vehicles and users, directing traffic away and ensuring safety by reflecting light, thus reducing the risk of collisions.
Implementation Method 1
The front floor mat has a plurality of reflective elements each integrated into the front floor mat for reflecting light
Implementation Method 2
The back floor mat has a reflective surface to reflect light
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle floor mat assembly includes a front floor mat that is positionable on a floor of a vehicle. The front floor mat has a plurality of reflective elements each integrated into the front floor mat for reflecting light. The floor mat is rollable into a cone having each of the plurality of reflective elements exposed to facilitate the reflective elements to enhance visibility of the cone for oncoming traffic. A back floor mat is positionable on the floor of the vehicle and the back floor mat has a reflective surface to reflect light. A pair of straps is each coupled to the back floor mat for wearing over a respective one of a user's shoulders. In this way the reflective surface enhances visibility of the user to oncoming traffic.