Floorboard for a vehicle

Details Floorboard for a vehicle Floorboard for a vehicle

1999-08-24

2001-07-10

Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)

Land vehicles: bodies and tops

Bodies

Floor mat with vehicle body feature

C296S039100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06257645

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to mat covered vehicle floors and, more particularly, to a floorboard arrangement for vehicles wherein flexible mats are secured to rigid floor panels by means of ribs on side edges of the mats which engage channels on the side edges of floor panels, preferably without the use of adhesives. While the invention is generally applicable, it will be described herein with reference to materials handling vehicles for which it is initially being used.
A materials handling vehicle, such as a fork lift truck, includes a floor which an operator's feet engage during standing or seated operation of the vehicle and upon entry into and egress from the vehicle. These floors are typically formed from metal and covered with a flexible mat. The mat provides some amount of cushioning, which can be important for vehicles operated from a sitting position as well as a standing or perched (partially standing) position, and also provides improved footing. Thus, prior art mats have been installed onto the upper surfaces of metal vehicle floors to provide these benefits while the operator is in the vehicle. Typically, the mats are secured to the floors by adhesives or pull tabs.
When stepping into the vehicle, commonly an operator will step onto a corner edge of the floor. Accordingly, it is desirable to extend the mat over the corner edge of the floor to provide at least improved traction when the corner is engaged by operators' feet. While floor mats adhesively secured to a flat upper surface of a floor normally perform satisfactorily and provide long mat life, unfortunately when a mat is adhered around a corner of a floor, even if the floor corner is rounded, the mat tends to separate from the floor and oftentimes requires early repair or replacement. An additional problem is encountered during production of the vehicles since the gluing operation requires substantial time and effort which can cause delays on a modern day production line. When pull-tabs alone are used to secure floor mats to the upper surface of a floor, there is currently no way to wrap the mat around the floor edge without having it separate from the floor.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved floorboard for vehicles, such as materials handling vehicles, wherein a mat can be secured quickly to a floor panel, preferably without the use of adhesives. It is desirable that the improved floorboard also provide matted floor corner edges which would provide the known benefits without the problems encountered with prior art matted floorboards.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This need is met by the invention of the present application wherein rigid floor panels define side edge channels which receive ribs formed on side edges of elastic mats so that the mats can be secured quickly to the floor panels, preferably without the need for adhesives, by engagement of the ribs with the channels. Pull tabs may be formed on the mats to further secure the mats to the floor panels by extension through corresponding holes passing through the floor panels. Such pull tabs or some adhesive may be necessary for further securing the mats to the floor panels particularly when the floorboard is formed as two pieces, for example as illustrated in the present application, and when the channels are one-sided. The shape and sizing of the ribs are such that they provide matted floor corner edges giving the benefits of prior art matted floorboards but with substantially extended life expectancy.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a floorboard for a vehicle comprises a rigid structure defining a substantially flat upper surface of a floor for the vehicle and a channel adjacent a side edge of the substantially flat upper surface of the floor. A resilient member defines an upper surface of the floorboard and a rib along a side edge of the upper surface of the floorboard. The rib is configured to be received within the channel for at least partially securing the resilient member to the rigid structure. The floorboard may be made from rubber or other appropriate material. In the illustrated embodiment, the rigid structure comprises a first member defining the substantially flat upper surface of the floor for the vehicle and the side edge of the substantially flat upper surface, and a second member which, together with the side edge of the first member, defines the channel. The second member may be integral with the first member or secured to the first member. The resilient member may further comprise pull tabs extending therefrom for further securing the resilient member to the rigid structure. Preferably, the channel and the rib are configured so that the rib defines a corner edge of the floorboard. To this end, an outer edge of the channel may be spaced below the substantially flat upper surface of the floor of the vehicle. The channel may be one-sided.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a floorboard for a vehicle comprises a rigid structure defining a substantially flat upper surface of a floor for the vehicle extending between first and second side edges of the substantially flat upper surface, and first and second channels adjacent the first and second side edges of the substantially flat upper surface, respectively. A resilient member having a main section defines an upper surface for the floorboard and first and second ribs coupled to first and second side edges of the main section. The first and second ribs are configured to be received by the first and second channels, respectively, for at least partially securing the resilient member to the rigid structure. The rigid structure may comprise a first member defining the substantially flat upper surface of the floor for the vehicle and the first and second side edges of the substantially flat upper surface, and second members which, together with the first and second side edges of the substantially flat upper surface, define the first and second channels. The resilient member may further comprise pull tabs extending therefrom for further securing the resilient member to the rigid structure. The floorboard may be formed as two floorboard members abutting between the first and second side edges of the substantially flat upper surface, as shown in the illustrated embodiment. The first and second channels may be one-sided.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a floorboard for a vehicle comprises a rigid floor panel. The rigid floor panel comprises a generally L-shaped rigid floor member having a side edge defined along a short leg of the floor member, a long leg of the floor member defining a substantially flat upper surface of a floor for the vehicle, and a rigid channel forming member having a first planar portion secured to and extending the short leg of the floor member and a flange extending away from the first planar portion to define a channel along the side edge of the floor member. A generally L-shaped elastic mat has a long leg of the elastic mat which defines an upper surface of the floorboard and a short leg of the elastic mat defining a rib configured to be received within the channel for at least partially securing the elastic mat to the floor panel. The flange may comprise a generally S-shaped portion of the rigid channel forming member. The elastic mat may comprise pull tabs extending therefrom for further securing the elastic mat to holes extending through the rigid floor panel. At least one of the pull tabs is spaced no more than 21 mm from the rib so as to assist in maintaining the rib positioned within the channel. Preferably, the channel and the rib are configured so that the rib defines a corner edge of the floorboard. To this end, an outer edge of the channel is spaced below the substantially flat upper surface of the floor of the vehicle. Also, the short leg of the mat may extend over an edge of the flange.
In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, a method for forming a floorboard for a vehicle comprises forming a rig

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