Floor mat system for supporting heavy loads

Details Floor mat system for supporting heavy loads Floor mat system for supporting heavy loads

1999-10-04

2002-03-05

Thomas, Alexander S. (Department: 1772)

Stock material or miscellaneous articles

Structurally defined web or sheet

Including sheet or component perpendicular to plane of web...

C052S177000, C015S215000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06352757

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to a floor mat system and, more particularly, to a floor mat system designed specifically to support heavy rolling loads. Specifically, the present invention relates to a floor mat system having a plurality of support knobs disposed between the support ribs to provide extra support to the floor mat while allowing liquid to readily flow beneath the floor mat and to provide room for debris to collect under the floor mat. The invention also relates to a floor mat system having a plurality of individual floor mats that are sized and arranged to support a heavy rolling load with only one wheel of the load being positioned on one mat at a time so that the floor mats do not move out of place.
2. Background Information
Floor mats are often used at the entrances of businesses for customers to wipe water and snow from the bottoms of their shoes. Conventional floor mats are constructed of a flexible rubber and are formed with a plurality of spaced apart orthogonal ribs which form rectangular-shaped openings. These conventional floor mats require that a recessed area be formed in the floor where the floor mats are located with the edges of the recessed area preventing the floor mats from sliding when walked upon by a customer. The water and snow from the customer's shoes flows through the openings keeping the top surface of the floor mat free of standing water.
Although these prior art floor mats are adequate for the purpose for which they were intended, the business owner must plan for the installation of these floor mats and have the recessed area built into the floor during construction of the building. If these prior art floor mats are merely placed on the floor without a recessed area the floor mats slide when a horizontal pressure from a customers shoes or from strong wind is applied on the mats. Alternatively, the recessed area can be dug out of the floor after the building has been constructed at a great expense to the business owner. Additionally, even when a recessed area has been provided to accept the floor mat, if large mats are utilized, or a number of mats are utilized adjacent one another, the mats may still move within the recessed area possibly causing an unsafe condition.
Another type of floor mat merely sits on the floor allowing the water and snow from the customers'shoes to flow through the openings. Unless these floor mats are surrounded by some type of frame, the water will eventually build up beneath the floor mat and flow back out into the traffic area creating a puddle of water in front of the floor mat where the customers step. If the floor mat is placed within the business owner's store, the water will eventually flow out into the aisles or walkways creating a slippery and hazardous condition.
Also, if the area to be covered by the floor mats is a relatively large area such as the entrance or exit to a supermarket, a plurality of these floor mats must be placed at the entrance way to collect the snow and water from customer's shoes. If each of these plurality of floor mats is contained within its own separate frame, the front floor mats which the customers walk upon first will collect a majority of snow and water while the floor mats closer to the door will be relatively dry. Eventually, the front floor mats will fill with water causing an overflow of water into the walkway or causing standing water on the top surface of the mat.
Therefore, the need exists for an improved floor mat system having inner and outer frame members which extend between and around, respectively, a plurality of floor mats, which frame members attach directly to the floor to restrict movement of the floor mats, in which the frame members include a seal receiving recess formed in a bottom end thereof for selectively receiving a seal and which the mats are easily removable from within the frame to allow the water under the mat to be cleaned up and which are easily placed back in the frame.
Floor mats are also used between the storage areas in retail establishments and the display or retail environment of the retail establishment. These floor mats are intended to prevent dirt, water, and other debris from entering the retail environment from the storage environment where goods are unloaded from trucks. These floor mats are subjected to foot traffic as well as traffic from wheeled transport vehicles such as loaders or pull carts that are used to move goods from the storage area to the retail environment of the store. These transport vehicles are typically very heavy and include relatively small wheels in order to keep the height of the transport vehicle low. These transport vehicles typically have three or four wheels.
A problem has occurred in the art when these transport vehicles are rolled over prior art floor mats. It has been found that the movement of the transport vehicle over the floor mat causes the floor mat to “creep” or move out of its intended location. This movement is believed to occur when the wheels of the transport vehicle engage the floor mat under a heavy load. The floor mats must be manually repositioned after such movement. One solution has been to fasten the floor mat to the floor with clips to prevent the mats from moving. Although this is functional, the clips prevent the mats from being readily pulled up during cleaning. It is thus desired in the art to provide a floor mat system for use with relatively heavy, wheeled transport vehicles that will allow the transport vehicle to be rolled over the floor mat system without moving the floor mat system.
Another problem with prior art floor mat systems is that the rib structure of the floor mats is designed to support foot traffic and is not designed to carry the relatively heavy point loads created by a wheeled transport vehicle. Prior art rib structures allow the point load of a small wheel to depress the floor mat between ribs eventually causing damage to the floor mat and allowing the wheel to obtain a better grip on the floor mat to move the floor mat. One solution to this problem has been to create floor mats with ribs that are closely adjacent. The problem with floor mats having closely adjacent ribs is that there is little room for the floor mat to collect debris and little room for the liquid under the floor mat to flow. Another solution has been to provide a floor mat having intersecting ribs. The problem with floor mats having intersecting ribs is that the intersecting ribs prevent liquid from flowing under the floor mat to a drain positioned in one area of the floor mat. As such, it is desired in the art to provide a floor mat structure that is capable of supporting relatively heavy rolling point loads while maintaining liquid flow channels and room for debris under the floor mat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Objectives of the invention include providing a floor mat system which is easily installed onto any floor without substantial modification to the floor.
Another objective is to provide a floor mat system in which the floor mat is constructed of a flexible durable material which will withstand inclement weather.
A further objective is to provide a system which includes a frame attached to the floor which forms a well for receiving the floor mat and restricting movement of the floor mat.
A further objective is to provide a system in which the floor mat can be easily removed from the frame to allow clean-up of any dirt, debris or water under the mat and which can easily be placed back within the frame after clean-up.
Still another objective is to provide a system in which the frame members can be easily installed into existing recessed areas to replace old mat systems.
Another object is to provide a system which allows water to be evenly directed and dispersed under the floor mats.
A further objective is to provide such a system which may be sealed under certain sections of the frame to selectively prevent or contain the flow of water thereunder.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a

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