Floor mat

Details Floor mat Floor mat

2000-09-26

2002-11-05

Thomas, Alexander S. (Department: 1772)

Stock material or miscellaneous articles

Pile or nap type surface or component

Particular backing structure or composition

C428S099000, C428S120000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06475593

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a floor mat, and more particularly, to a floor mat preferably used as an automobile floor mat to be disposed on an automobile floor carpet.
2. Description of Related Art
As a conventional floor mat of this kind, a resin molded floor mat or a composed floor mat are known. The resin molded floor mat is a molded article made of soft synthetic resin, and the composed floor mat is a laminated article including a surface carpet layer made of synthetic fibers such as polyester fibers or polypropylene fibers and a backing layer made of soft synthetic resin integrally provided on the rear surface of the surface carpet layer. In the aforementioned conventional floor mats, various slip-prevention members have been proposed in order to improve the slip-prevention effect against a floor carpet on which the floor mat is to be disposed.
One example of such a slip-prevention member is disclosed by Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3,026,350. The slip-prevention member comprises a plate-shaped base portion protruding from a rear surface of a mat main body and a plurality of small protrusions protruding radially outwardly from the peripheral edge portion of the lower end surface of the plate-shaped base portion.
Another example of such a slip-prevention member is disclosed by Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3,031,429. The slip-prevention member comprises a conical basal portion and a columnar tip portion integrally downwardly protruding from the lower end of the conical basal portion.
According to these proposed slip-prevention members, an enhanced slip-prevention effect can be actually obtained as compared to a conventional conical-shaped slip-prevention member.
However, in the slip-prevention member disclosed by Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3,026,350, it is very difficult to form such small protrusions protruding radially outwardly from the peripheral edge portion of the lower end surface of the plate-shaped base portion.
On the other hand, in the slip-prevention member disclosed by Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3,031,429, if the number of the columnar tip portions is increased in order to enhance the slip-prevention effect, the number of the conical basal portions should also be increased, resulting in an increased amount of materials forming the floor mat, which in turn causes an increased weight and an increased manufacturing cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the aforementioned technical backgrounds, it is an object of the present invention to provide a floor mat which can be easily manufactured and is light in weight and excellent in slip-prevention effect.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a floor mat includes a mat main body and a plurality of slip-prevention members integrally provided on a rear surface of the mat main body at certain intervals. Each of the slip-prevention members includes a plate-shaped base portion having a lower end surface and a plurality of leg portions integrally protruding from the lower end surface so as to be perpendicular thereto.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a floor mat includes a surface carpet layer and a backing layer integrally provided on a rear surface of the surface carpet layer. The backing layer includes a main body and a plurality of slip-prevention members integrally provided on a rear surface of the main body at certain intervals. Each of the slip-prevention members includes a plate-shaped base portion having a lower end surface and a plurality of leg portions integrally protruding from the lower end surface so as to be perpendicular thereto.
With the aforementioned floor mats, even in a state that no load is applied onto the floor mat disposed on a floor carpet, or nothing is placed on the floor mat, the floor mat can show an excellent slip-prevention effect against the floor carpet because the leg portions are caught by the carpet layer of the floor carpet. Furthermore, in a state that a load is applied onto the floor mat disposed on a floor carpet, for example, something is placed on the floor mat, the floor mat can show a further enhanced slip-prevention effect against the floor carpet because, in addition to the leg portions, the plate-shaped base portions are also caught by the carpet layer of the floor carpet. In addition, since the leg portions protrude from the lower end surface of the plate-shaped base portion so as to be perpendicular thereto, the molding of the floor mat can be performed easily.
In each of the aforementioned floor mats, it is preferable that the slip-prevention members are made of thermoplastic elastomer having a hardness of 65 to 80, the number of the slip-prevention members is 36 to 98 per 10 square centimeters (10 cm
2
), each of the plate-shaped base portions has a thickness of 0.5 to 1.5 mm and an area of the lower end surface is 7 to 30 square millimeters (mm
2
), each of the leg portions is 0.7 to 1.5 mm in height and 0.7 to 1.5 mm in diameter, and each of the plate-shaped base portions is provided with 2 to 8 pieces of the leg portions.
In the present specification, “hardness” denotes a hardness measured in accordance with the spring-type hardness test (Type A) according to the JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) K6301, 5.2.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4399176 (1983-08-01), Bell et al.
patent: 5389176 (1995-02-01), Nakanishi et al.
patent: 3-026350 (1996-04-01), None
patent: 03-026350 (1996-04-01), None
patent: 3-031429 (1996-09-01), None
patent: 03-031429 (1996-09-01), None

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