Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Plural parts with edges or temporary joining means each...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-01
2001-10-16
Loney, Donald J (Department: 1772)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Plural parts with edges or temporary joining means each...
C428S053000, C428S058000, C428S120000, C428S178000, C428S180000, C296S039100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06303197
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to cargo liners and cargo holder systems and, more particularly, to mats or liners used in vehicles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sport utility vehicles (SUVs) such as, for example, the Jeep Cherokee®, have recently become very popular. These vehicles provide the ruggedness of a truck and the comfort of an automobile. Typically, a sport utility vehicle includes a front passenger section and a rear cargo storage section which is usually carpeted.
Generally, the rear-carpeted section has plenty of storage room; however, boxes and bags tend to slide about the rear-carpeted section when the vehicle is in motion. The sliding is primarily caused by a low coefficient of friction between a box or bag and the carpeting. This can create a dangerous situation should the driver suddenly stop the vehicle. In the case of grocery bags, the bag contents generally spill by the time the driver arrives at his/her final destination. This can pose a problem if a liquid, such as bleach, spills in the rear section.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for preventing articles, such as boxes or bags, from freely moving around in a vehicle and especially in the rear section of a sport utility vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a cargo holder system that includes a mat and a locking member. The mat includes a flat base having a plurality of symmetrically spaced apart protrusions extending therefrom. The locking member includes a body and an engagement member extending therefrom, wherein the protrusion of the mat removably engages the engagement member of the locking member. The protrusions are contained within a plurality of rows and columns and are symmetrical with each other. The protrusions can be any shape which is a geometrical shape, such as a polygon or a circle. The protrusions are spaced apart from each other and define a receiving recess adapted to receive the engagement members. A lip can be provided extending around the perimeter of the base of the mat. Nubs and recesses can be provided on the engagement members and the protrusions for removably securing the locking member to the mat.
The mat can include a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer is formed of a low coefficient of friction material and the second layer is formed of a high coefficient of friction material. The first layer can be made of polyethylene and the second layer can be of an olefin-friendly rubber material.
The mat can be made by the following process, including the steps of: vacuum forming the polyethylene first mat portion; forming a second mat portion sheet, including approximately 75% rubber and approximately 25% polyethylene; heating the first mat portion; heating the second mat portion; placing the second mat portion on the first mat portion; and heating and pressing the portions together until the first mat portion thermally bonds to the second mat portion. In this process, the mat is heated to an elevated temperature, such as 375° F. Once the mat cools, the width and length dimensions may vary due to shrinkage.
The locking member can also include a movable side member attached to the body of the locking member on a side opposite the side in which the engagement member extends. The locking member is L-shaped and rides on a track.
A bag hanger for use with a mat is provided and includes a plurality of legs, cross members secured to the legs, a hanger secured to the cross member, and a plurality of the above-described locking members secured to the legs.
Also provided is a method for removably securing an object to the mat, which includes the steps of: placing an underside of the mat on a supporting surface; securing an engagement member to an object; and positioning the engagement member between the protrusions on the mat, thereby releasably securing the object to the mat.
The locking member is adapted to be received within receiving recesses defined by the spaced apart protrusions. However, after the mat cools during manufacture, the spacing of the receiving recesses may vary. This may affect the ability of the mat to receive a plurality of engagement members attached to a bottom surface of a box or other structure.
Further, the dimension of the pitches of the nubs of the protrusion varies both from mat to mat and axis to axis on one mat. This is caused by the orientation and stretch induced in the plastic or rubber sheets at the time they rolled out before manufacture. This dimensional variance also affects the ability of the engagement member to snap into and out of the mat nubs. In some cases, this may cause interference between the engagement members and the protrusions.
The present invention overcomes this problem by adjusting the engagement member to snap into and out of the mat nubs with the same force individually but, once through the nub opening, the engagement members are allowed to move around under the nubs. This allows a container, in which the feet or engagement members are attached, to move to the extent that the engagement members move under the nubs. This allows the next engagement member or foot to pass through the nubs. This process is repeated, for example, for all four feet attached to a container, thus allowing the engagement member or feet to be captured by the nubs with the same degree of capture force, despite the variations in the pitch of the nub centers.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for preventing articles, such as boxes or bags, from freely moving around in a vehicle and especially in the rear section of a sport utility vehicle.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4287693 (1981-09-01), Collette
patent: 4361614 (1982-11-01), Moffitt
patent: 4468910 (1984-09-01), Morrison
Loney Donald J
Webb Ziesenheim & Logsdon Orkin & Hanson, P.C.
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