Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Structurally defined web or sheet – Including variation in thickness
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-19
2004-09-07
Watkins, III, William P. (Department: 1772)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Structurally defined web or sheet
Including variation in thickness
C428S156000, C428S141000, C428S160000, C428S158000, C428S318800, C428S085000, C428S095000, C015S215000, C015S217000, C004S580000, C004S581000, C004S582000, C004S583000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06787215
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to specific methods of producing cleated rubber-backed floor mats (such as dust control or rubber mats) through the utilization of the combination of a perforated coated woven fabric article and a cushioned platen liner between the article and the metal platen of an in-line dust control mat manufacturing machine. Such a procedure permits a more efficient manner of producing cleated anti-creep dust control mats than previously followed. In particular, the fabric article is in the form of a conveyor belt and is preferably constructed from Teflon®-coated woven fiberglass which will not adhere to the tacky rubber component of the target mat and can withstand the extremely high vulcanization temperatures and pressures required during the production of a dust control mat. The cushioned platen liner, which is preferably comprised of or coated with silicon, is utilized as a separator between the metal platen of the manufacturing machine, as well as cushion for the molten rubber as it is pressed through the conveyor belt perforations during vulcanization. Such a cushioned liner material substantially eliminates any problems due to the force of the metal platen against the molten rubber as it passes through the article perforations. Further, a method for utilizing the conveyor belt to produce foam rubber cleated anti-creep mats is disclosed. The cleats of these mats have a thicker skin than the rest of the mat, thereby imparting enough strength and structural integrity so that the foam rubber mats may withstand the daily rigors of use, combined with periodic launderings. The foam rubber mats described herein are also encompassed within this invention.
BACKGROUND OF THE PRIOR ART
All U.S. patent cited herein are hereby fully incorporated by reference.
Floor mats have long been utilized to facilitate the cleaning of the bottoms of people's shoes, particularly in areas of high pedestrian traffic such as doorways. Moisture, dirt, and debris from out of doors easily adhere to such footwear, particularly in inclement weather and particularly in areas of grass or mud or the like. Such unwanted and potentially floor staining or dirtying articles need to be removed from a person's footwear prior to entry indoors. As will be appreciated, such outdoor mats by their nature must undergo frequent repeated washings and dryings so as to remove the dirt and debris deposited thereon during use. These mats are generally rented from service entities which retrieve the soiled mats from the user and provide clean replacement mats on a frequent basis. The soiled mats are thereafter cleaned and dried in an industrial laundering process (such as within rotary washing and drying machines, for example) and then sent to another user in replacement of newly soiled mats. Furthermore, it is generally necessary from a health standpoint to produce floor coverings on which persons may stand for appreciable amounts of time which will provide comfort to such persons to substantially lower the potential for fatigue of such persons by reducing the stress on feet and leg joints through cushioning.
Typical carpeted dust control mats comprise solid and/or foam rubber backing sheets which must be cleated in some manner to prevent slippage of the mat from its designated area. Such cleats are formed during a vulcanization step and have required a time-consuming procedure of placing the green (unvulcanized) rubber sheet on a molded, perforated silicone pad which is itself placed by hand on the conveyor belt of a dust control manufacturing apparatus. The finished mat is then removed after vulcanization from the non-stick silicon pad. The resultant mat product possesses cleats formed through the melting and forcing of part of the rubber backing through the pad perforations during vulcanization. Such cleats provide anti-slip or anti-creep characteristics to the finished mat when placed upon a surface to be protected. Various types, shapes, and arrangements of cleats have been utilized in the past for such anti-creep benefits with dust control mats. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,065 to Parkins, U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,526 to Murray, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,227,214 to Kerr et al.
Heretofore, attempts to use a foam rubber backing on cleated floor mats or carpets have been mostly unsuccessful because the foam rubber is rather weak, with poor abrasion resistance, which leads to the cleats being quickly worn away. The foam rubber is too soft to withstand the daily rigors of wear and tear in combination with the periodic laundering process. However, it would be desirable to provide a rubber floor mat or carpet having a foam rubber, cleated backing because of the reduced, weight and improved frictional characteristics imparted by the foam rubber.
As noted above, previous methods of providing such cleat features to rubber-backed mats are generally produced through the utilization of a perforated silicon pad which is placed by hand on a conveyor belt on in in-line vulcanization apparatus. A rubber article is then placed on top of silicon pad, and optionally a fabric pile (such as a carpet) is then placed, again by hand, on top the rubber article. The conveyor belt then transports the entire composite to a vulcanization chamber wherein it is pressed at a pressure of from about 25 to about 50 psi at a temperature of from about 300 to about 400° F. for anywhere between about 30 seconds and 20 minutes. After vulcanization, the conveyor belt transports the finished composite (floor mat plus silicon pad) out of the chamber. The floor mat is then removed from the pad and allowed to cool and the pad is moved, by hand, back to a location on the conveyor belt, prior to the chamber, in order for another rubber article to be placed thereon. Such a procedure is labor-intensive and inefficient. However, until now, there have been no disclosures of proper methods to reduce the time and labor required to effectively and efficiently produce rubber-backed cleated floor mats. There have been developments in conveyor belts, particularly those covered with Teflon® coatings, for utilization in other rubber molding processes. However, there has been no discussion or suggestion regarding the problems associated with cleat-forming perforated conveyor belts in the past. In light of the above, it will be appreciated that there is a need for a process and apparatus to efficiently produce cleats within the rubber backing of an anti-creep floor mat. Further, there exists a need to produce a foam rubber, cleated mat or carpet that includes thick-skinned cleats, which are resistant to wear and tear during use, as well as during periodic laundering. The present invention thus represents a useful advancement over prior practice.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an in-line method for the production of cleats in a rubber or rubber-backed floor mat. Furthermore, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel conveyor belt system for an in-line floor mat manufacturing apparatus. Additionally, an object of this invention is to provide a cleated anti-creep floor mat which is more easily and efficiently produced than standard cleated floor mats. Still another object of this invention is to provide an anti-creep floor mat which exhibits not only cleats to provide anti-slip characteristics, but also intermittent patterned areas within the rubber on the underside of the rubber floor mat component which mirrors the woven structure of the perforated fabric article. Another object of the present invention is to provide a foam rubber floor mat having a relatively thin skin of dense rubber on an outer layer thereof, and further having cleats that include a thick skin of dense rubber on at least the bottom portions of the cleats. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a foam rubber floor mat as described above, which further includes a carpet pile secured to one side thereof.
Accordingly, this invention encompasses a method of prod
Burke III William O.
Kerr Robert C.
Lang Aage
Milliken & Company
Moyer Terry T.
Watkins III William P.
Wilson Charlotte C.
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