Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Pile or nap type surface or component – Particular backing structure or composition
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-28
2004-11-23
Juska, Cheryl A. (Department: 1771)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Pile or nap type surface or component
Particular backing structure or composition
C428S099000, C428S101000, C016S004000, C016S008000, C296S097230, C411S508000, C411S509000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06821598
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Floor covering for a powered vehicle having a base floor covering and at least one affixing arrangement for affixing a supplemental mat to the floor covering.
DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART
The state of the art recognizes a differentiable floor covering for power vehicles, which comprises a floor covering which at least directly lies on the bodywork, a plurality of attaching arrangements and a plurality of supplemental mats, whereby the latter are attachable to the floor covering by means of attaching attachments.
German patent DE19823230A1 discloses a floor covering for an automobile which comprises a carpet base and a floor mat attachable thereto. Upon the carpet base there is a provided a raised base plate with an upwardly protruding post which comprises an outwardly radialy extending head segment. The base plate is attached to the carpet base wherein links from the base plate extend thru a hole in the carpet base into which they grip. Similarly in the floor mat, a hole is provided, whose edges are fortified by a fixed strengthening element. In order to attach the floor mat to the carpet base, the post is slid thru the hole in the floor mat until the head portion protrudes on the upper side of the floor mat and grasps the strengthening element. A similar floor covering is known from GB2215600A in which the supplement mat is attached to the known floor covering by means of a screw whose head is located on the upper surface on the supplemental mat.
A further floor covering for a powered vehicle is disclosed in German patent DE19805949A. This floor covering similarly comprises a base covering and a foot mat wherein the foot mat is attached to the base covering by means of an attaching arrangement. The attaching arrangement comprises an attaching element which is attached as a raised portion on the base covering. As already described in the state of the prior art even in this case there is provided a hole in the foot mat whose edge is strengthened by means of a strengthening element. In order to attach this foot mat to the base covering, the hole is provided above the raised attaching element wherein the strengthening element overlies the raised attaching element. In conjunction therewith a bayonet portion is pushed downwardly thru the hole from above into a receiving segment in the attaching element and thus twisted that the bayonet element is connectively inserted into the attaching elements wherein a disc shaped head of the bayonet part presses downwardly upon the foot mat from above.
The above described stated of art suffers from different disadvantages. Among other things, the driving comfort in the known floor covering is restricted since the foot freedom is restricted by the attaching element. Furthermore, the known floor coverings do not provide any great security against the loosening of the supplementary, for example foot mat, from a carpet floor for example the base covering. Furthermore it has been determined that the cleaning of the carpet base such as the base covering after the supplemental, suitably foot mat, is removed, is made more difficult.
In order to meet these disadvantages it is suggested in DE19617408 that a floor covering be provided wherein the base covering has a male insertion segment which can be inserted into a female insertion segment in the supplemental mat. This female element also extends to above the surface of the supplemental mat so that foot freedom is restricted.
A similar situation exists in WO97/06029 wherein a floor covering is disclosed wherein the under surface of the supplemental mat has a raised hook and eye fastening element where may interact with a embedded hook and eye element within a floor covering.
The task of the present invention is to provide a floor covering for power vehicle comprising a base covering and a supplemental mat which provides a higher level of driving comfort wherein the cleaning of the base covering is simplified. Further it is a task of the present invention to provide a floor covering with a base covering which gives rise to a greater driving comfort.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a novel floor covering for a powered vehicle. This covering in its simplest embodiment comprises a base covering having a bottom surface, and a top surface with a nap of predetermined height, as well as a first affixing means having a proximal and distal end, This is embedded in the base covering, the distal end of the affixing means extending upwardly into the nap but not higher than the height of the nap. In a further modification there is a capping means having a proximal and distal end, releasably connectable to the distal end of the first affixing means, the distal end of the capping means extending upwardly into the nap but again not higher than the height of the nap.
In a more complete embodiment of the invention there is further at least one supplemental mat having a bottom and a top surface and also having a second affixing element. In the transportation means the supplemental mat is located above the base covering, a second affixing element being affixed to the bottom surface of the supplemental mat, located above the first affixing element and releaseably connectable therewith so that when the affixing elements are connected to each other they are not visible. Suitably, the first and the second affixing elements are mutually combinable in a form and/or force-fitting manner. Most suitably the first affixing element comprises at least one opening therein and the second affixing element comprises a protrusion that is insertable into the at least one opening in a form-fitting manner.
The combination of the protrusion with the first affixing element is secured against soiling when the former comprises a first circumferential edge. The latter comprises a second circumferential edge wherein upon insertion of the protrusion into the first affixing element the first circumferential edge is gripable by the second circumferential edge. It is particularly desirable when both the protrusion and the opening have a substantially cylindrical cross section.
The separability of these components is enhanced when the second circumferential edge comprises a plurality of radically elastically outwardly displaceable edge segments, which, suitably, upon the insertion of the protrusion, the edge segments press sidewardly against the protrusion.
It is further desirable when the second affixing element the edge segments comprise a plate attached to the bottom surface of the supplemental mat. This especially so when between bottom surface of the supplemental mat and the top of the upwardly directed distal end of the first affixing element, there is provided a sidewardly limited free space into which the plate is insertable.
The supplemental mat for use with the aforementioned base covering should have a bottom and a top surface and be provided with a second affixing element attached to the bottom surface of the mat, releaseably combinable with the first affixing element in the base covering in such a manner that when both the affixing means are combined with each other, the second affixing means is not visible. Suitably, the second affixing means comprises a protrusion most suitably where it comprises a gripable circumferential surface and it has a substantially cylindrical cross section.
Desirably the second affixing element of the supplemental mat comprises a plate attached to the bottom surface of the supplemental mat and preferably is glued or welded to the bottom surface of the supplemental mat.
The floor covering of the present to be utilized in a powered vehicle is to be understood to include under the term powered vehicles, automobiles as well as other transportation means such as for example airplanes. The floor covering comprises a base covering and at least one affixing for affixing a supplemental mat onto the base covering. The affixing means comprised a first fixing element which is releaseably connectable to a second complementary affixing element which is provided to the supple
Bachman & LaPointe PC
Dura Tufting GmbH
Juska Cheryl A.
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