Sealed Carpet Hook Receptacle for Floor Liners

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle floor mats are prone to shifting and allow liquids to penetrate underneath, potentially staining the carpeting due to the presence of openings between the top and bottom surfaces, which also hinder proper engagement with carpet hooks.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle floor liner with a sealed carpet hook receptacle formed from an unbroken sheet of material, featuring a frustoconical recess, a ridge around the receptacle, and a chamber with a central opening and lobes, which guides and secures the carpet hook without allowing liquids to penetrate, ensuring proper alignment and fixation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If openings are provided in the floor mat to engage with carpet hooks, then the floor mat can be securely fixed to the vehicle floor, but liquids can penetrate through the openings to stain the carpeting

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefloor mat fixationVSAvoidliquid penetration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The carpet hook receptacle is nested within the floor mat structure, with the receptacle forming a sealed chamber that contains the carpet hook engagement mechanism. The receptacle walls extend downward to form a barrier that prevents liquid penetration while maintaining the opening at the top surface for carpet hook engagement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The floor mat is segmented into distinct functional zones: a sealed receptacle portion for carpet hook engagement and a surrounding mat body for liquid containment. The receptacle acts as a separate sealed unit that integrates with the overall floor mat structure, allowing independent optimization of each function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a sealed receptacle structure is used to prevent liquid penetration, then liquid protection is improved, but the engagement mechanism with carpet hooks becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveliquid protectionVSAvoidreceptacle structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The receptacle is formed as a thin-walled sealed structure that provides liquid protection while maintaining flexibility for engagement with carpet hooks. The thin film walls of the receptacle allow the structure to conform to the floor contour while maintaining sealing integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The receptacle structure combines multiple functions into a single integrated component: it provides liquid sealing, defines the engagement opening, forms the chamber for carpet hook reception, and provides structural support. This merging reduces the number of separate parts needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the receptacle opening is made smaller to improve sealing, then liquid protection is enhanced, but the engagement with carpet hooks becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing effectivenessVSAvoidcarpet hook engagement

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The receptacle opening is formed with a curved, frustoconical shape that tapers downward. This curvature allows the carpet hook to be guided into the receptacle and facilitates engagement by providing a smooth transition from the opening to the chamber, while the overall opening size remains controlled for sealing purposes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentUS10328832B2Floor liner with carpet hook receptacle

Publication Date: 2019.06.25 HUSKY LINERS INC

AI summary

A vehicle floor liner has a top surface and a bottom surface. The bottom surface includes a recess extending toward the top surface and a ridge extending away from the bottom surface and positioned around a periphery of the recess.