Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Floor mat with vehicle body feature
Reexamination Certificate
2003-03-19
2004-11-16
Morrow, Jason (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Floor mat with vehicle body feature
Reexamination Certificate
active
06817649
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to molded floor mats designed to overlie a full front carpeted floor area of a vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to molded floor mats with a multi-faceted retention system to retain the mat in place, particularly when used in a pickup truck.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Pickup trucks are very popular with the general driving public. They are often used as a general purpose vehicle. Their owners tend to want all the amenities found in sedan and coupe automobiles. Pickup trucks with carpeted floor surfaces are prevalent. The floors of such vehicles tend to be flat. Vacuuming away loose debris in such a flat area is relatively easy. However, the truck's owner is also often concerned with more permanent stains and surface wear. Floor mats are needed to meet the concern.
Producing contoured floor mats at a reasonable cost to neatly fit a floor of a pickup truck is commercially feasible. Holding them in place under normal use conditions is more difficult. Many retention means of various designs are available. Most are designed for use with carpeted floor mats intended for placement in an automobile's deep foot well area which is already carpeted. A retention system designed specifically for pickup trucks, though, is needed. Any retention system must securely hold the floor mat in place. Ready removal of the floor mat for thorough cleaning or replacement is also a desired, though not necessary feature.
There has now been developed a floor mat primarily for use in pickup trucks which fits in place and can be made to stay in place. In accord with a demonstrated need, the floor mats of this invention are contoured to neatly fit a full front floor compartment area of a truck and have a multi-faceted retention system to securely, but removably, hold them in place.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A molded floor mat is dimensioned to fit into the front floor compartment area of pickup trucks and other vehicles with similarly configured floors. The floor mat is a one piece pliable plastic mat molded to a contour and shape which snugly fits into the truck's driver side foot area, front passenger side foot area and center hump area therebetween. One lateral edge of the mat is shaped to abut against a driver door sill. An opposed lateral edge is shaped to abut against a front passenger door sill. A back edge of the mat is shaped to abut against seat attaching hardware of the vehicle. Front areas of the mat are vertically inclined to overlie a firewall of the truck. Raised interior walls near the lateral edges are also molded into the mat to create tray-like central areas for debris retention purposes. Further, retention tabs extend outwardly from the lateral edges to fit underneath the door sills. The shaped edges interacting with structural features of the vehicle and the retention tabs create a multi-faceted retention system.
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“JC Whitney”, Jan. Catalog No. 586A, Jan. 16, 1996.
Lund International Inc.
Morrow Jason
Wilson Charles R.
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