WO 00/15085 PCT/AU99/00751 TAI 3E OR COUNTER MAT Technical Field This invention relates to a table or counter mat that lies flat and is readily laundered. The invention is particularly related to a device to protect and provide a fictional non-slip 5 absorbent and message communication covering for hospitality bar tops although the invention is not limited to such use. Background Art The produCt used by the hospitality industry, including hotels, clubs and restaurants for absorbing spilt liquids on bar tops is generally in the form of strips of cotton towelling. 10 Problems experienced by hotel operators with the towelling product is that it slips on the work surface. It also wrinkles, bunches upI) in an unsightly appearance and it presents an unstable surface where glasses may topple over, spilling the contents. Towelling tends to lose colour and shrink in the washing process, fuirt her detract ing from its appearance and presentation of the bar. 15 In addition, wv hen tle towel ling product carries a printed brand message, there is a loss of colour, shrinkage and creasing which greatly detracts liom the brand image and diminishes the investment value for the brand owner. It is also known to have floor mats which may have a rubber backing and a to) tufted pile of some 2 or more centimetres or alternatively a plurality of upwardly extending rubber 20 fingers. I lowever, such articles are used as floor mats with the upper layer having a physical mode of operation of brushing (irt or mud or the like from soles of' shoes and allowing the residue dirt to lIl within the spaces between the fingers or tuls of carpet. Il essence such a Structure is like a 1rm of an ul)turied brLmslI anid is not liquid absorbent or providing a stable surface. S ucI an article is tIICCfore not practical or useable as table or counter mats. SUBSTITUTE SHEET (Rule 26) (RO/AU) WO 00/15085 PCT/AU99/00751 2 I)ISCILOSURE OF INVENTION It is an object ofthe invent ion to provide a table or counter mat that overcomes one or Illore of the disadvantages of ie prior alt lI accordance with the invention there is provided a table or counter mat having a 5 composite sheet structure comprising a ion-slip backing layer; a top liquid absorbent textile Siuirface liir resting CupS IIgS or glasses; and an interiediate stabilisation layer joining the backing layer to the textile surlice wherein tihe resultant mat is absorbent and readily able to be laundered. The non-slip backing layer can be fimed from rubber such as a nitrile rLbber of less than 2 nin thick witi a density of about 1000 grais per square Imnetre. The 10 intermediate stabilisat ion layer can coipi ise a heat curable material non-woven polyester cIulrable at teliperatuLIres greater thia 100"T and preferably at about 170"C and wherein the mat is able to be laundered in haot water. The textile surtlce of the table or counter mat cal include a textile marking providing a print or advertisilng message viewable front above. This can be formed by a suiblimiation 15 textile printing process as will be Iiirt her detailed lerciialer. Preferably tle Sublimation printing occl rs at greater than 100"C and piefrably greater than 170"C such that tle mat is able to be laundered ill hot water. Tile top liquid absorbent textile siurliace can be li6rmed lioni a polyester slifiace with a pile height slbstantiNally in tlie range of 3 to 7 millimet res. Another elbo(dilent has tle top 20 liquid absorbent textile surliice jlirmed liom a it llted nylon cut pile surlfice with a pile height substantially in the range of 5 to 10 milillimetres. I lowever this textile surlfice receives its colour marking by an acid dye process. The invelntion also provides a Iet hod of liirling ia table or couliter lat iieluding the steps of Iliining a nit ii Ic ri bber sheet miallterial as a backing layer; foriiing an intermediate SUBSTITUTE SHEET (Rule 26) (RO/AU) WO 00/15085 PCT/AU99/00751 3 layer of non-woveni polyester falbric; forming a textile surLfiIce layer to form an upper layer; aligning all three layers and compressing the layed up materials by a heated platen for a selected time duration, pressure and temperature settings to cure and bond the nitrile rubber backing to the intermediate layer and upper textile layer; wherein the resultant table or 5 counter mat lays flat and is able to stalbly support a glass or other similar liquid vessel with the table or counter mat liquid absorbent to absorb anly Spilled liquid. The step of the curing and bonding of the nitrile rubber backing to the intermediate layer and ipper textile layer occurs preferably at greater than 100C and prefeirably greater than 170C such that the mat is able to be laundered in hot water. 10 The step of providing a sublimation printing process can be by using a screen printed or digital image print paper which carries the required design and placing on the upper textile layer surface of the bar runner blank with print face down and activating a heat platen to press the screen print or digital image print paper to the textile surface under a selected heat, pressure and timie duration. Pieferably both tle curing and bonding of tle nit rile rubber 15 backing to the intermediate layer aind upper textile layer occurs at greater tIian 100" C and preferably greater than 170"C and the sublimation printing Occurs at greater than 100'C and preferably greater than 1 70C such that the mat is able to be laundered in hot water. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TilE DRAWINGS In order that the invention is More readily understood, a particular embodiment thereof 20 will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure I is a perspective view of a table or counter mat according to a first eibodiiment of the invention. SUBSTITUTE SHEET (Rule 26) (RO/AU) WO 00/15085 PCT/AU99/00751 Figure 2 is a diagrammatic exploded constructional v'iew of the table or counter mat of Figure o BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT TilE INVENTION Relerring to Figure 1, it can be seen that the table or counter mat of the invention can 5 be a non-slip, loose lay bar runner comprising a rectangular strip of nit rile rubber backing, heat cured and ioulded to a tulled cut pile textile fabric dyed to a plain colour or a printed design. Reterring to Figure 2, it can be seen that the invention comprises three construction layers which are heat pressed and moulded together to form a homogeneous product for 10 dimensional stability and to withstand a FleqIuient laundry recesss. The top layer I is a textile surLIIce which in one embodiment is a tuted synthetic yarn cIt pile surLIIce with a pile height of 6 mn, and pile weight of 620 grams per square meter, cII to a size bilaik required, generally 250 x 900 mn, but not limited to this size. The intermediate layer 2 is a spun bonded polyester non-woven primary libric layer 15 110 grams per square meter, providing added stability and pile carrier. The backing layer 3 is a nitlrile rubber compound backing material I mm thickness, 1000 grams per Sqlare meter. The textile suifiace I can be marked such as by subliiation printing so as to provide a message or logo viewable tiom the top surliice 4 o' the textile surface 1. CtII pile surface 20 dyed to plain colours as required, or printed designs by heat transfer textile primary process. Raw NIaterial Con tens I ooking at the composition iII more detail the backing layer comprises F2224 - nitrile ru bber compound applied as the product back Support wilth a 1 mm thickness of' density i000 gralUs per square metre. It is composed of ineral miller with carbon black reinforcing. Zinc SUBSTITUTE SHEET (Rule 26) (RO/AU) WO 00/15085 PCT/AU99/00751 5 oxide and stearic acid activation together with ester plasticisation are used as understood in the field. Phenolic derived antidegradants are used. Also organic accelerators in combination wit h sulphur allow 6lir conventional curing. Miscellaneous additives icliding resins and activators can be included. 5 The nitrile ruibber backing provides a non slip surlice. The thickness of the backing aids tlie stability while still allowing ready laundering. The primary supporting intermediate layer comprises 100% Polyester thermally bonded non-woven flabric vith a weight density of i 10 gram per 1 2 and tensile strength of 190 Newtons per 5 cm providing maximum elongation of 130% and tear strength of' 140N. 10 Particular advantageous characteristics are dimensionally stable, high thermal stability, reduced laininability and ensures thl1e productt always lays flat With the top textile surface there is a choice of: a) Polyester fibre needlefelt, polyester scrim supported, high density heavy duty needled 500 grams per metre', heat set, and laser cot to required size. This product is the preferred 15 textile sTrlace Ior band message prinin ig, offeriiig print clarity and colour Siistness to i.S.O., British and Australian standards. b) TliIied polyester cot pile surLIIce vWith a pile height of 5-6 mm, pile weight of 600-620 grams per metre-, knife cut to required size. This surilice is suitable for brand message printing, colour fiist to I.S.O., British and Australian standards. 20 c) TuIfted nylon cut pile surface, with a pile height of 5-6 mm, pile weight of 600 grams per metre, which can be knife cut to required size. This surliice is suitable for acid dye for solid plain colours, Which are colour tiist to IS 0., British and Australian standards. SUBSTITUTE SHEET (Rule 26) (RO/AU) WO 00/15085 PCT/AU99/00751 6 Ni1ufatuIaring Process Selected textile surlice is laser cut in the case ofI needlefelt material, or knife cut in case of tufted polyester or nylon surflice material to the required blank shape and size, generally 250 x 900 mm, but not limited to this size. The blanks are stored on a holding table 5 behind the rubber process line fior the operator to lay l). Uncured nitrile rubber is cut into requ-ired length Strips from a continuous roll as received i-om the rubber supplier. The itile rubber strips are laid in parallel across the width of a Telion"' cont iuous carrier bell on the rubber process line. The selected textile blank and the primary support layer are laid in position onto the uncured nitrile rubber to allow for 10 a mjini mumin of a 2 cm border of tlie rubber to be visible on either side of the textile blank. Product identification labels are positioned beneath the rubber on the Tellon"' belt to be cured to tlie back of each product. The layed up batch of uncured nitrile rubber and textile blanks are advanced on the belt into the heat zone of the press over a heated platen. A press head is activated to 15 compress the layed ulp materials to the heated platen for a selected time durat ion, pressure and temperature settings to cure and bond the nitrile rubber backing to tle primary carrier and textile top. Settings applied to cure and bond a I mm thick nitrtile rubber compound to the textile material are 170" fo(r three minutes at 75 pounds per square inch. Following the selected time duration the press head raises, and releases the cured materials, for the belt 20 drive to advance clear of the heated platen area, drawing in tle following uncured layed up materials flor tle cure process to recur. This process is repeated continuously fOr each layed up )batch of materials. Once the materials are clear of the heat press they are cooled, taken from the carrier belt and stacked to be edge trimmed by a guillotine operator. Following tle trim process the SUBSTITUTE SHEET (Rule 26) (RO/AU) WO 00/15085 PCT/AU99/00751 .7 bar irInner prOduCt in its finished blank form is passed to a textile sublimation printer where the end finish requires a printed design on the product. In the case of a plain dyed colour finish, the product is passed to tlie dye house to be vat dyed. Sublimation Priint Process 5 A computer generated design is out put With li1h colour separations, to be exposed on screens, which in turn are used to screen print suLblimation dyes of the design onto transfer print papers for volume repeat prints. Shoi t run and strike off print designs are out put from the design computer to a digital image printer employing sublimation dyes for exact image Iransfer, 10 The finished nitrile I rubber blank table or count er rI mat are placed on tle bed of the sublimnation print machine, a screen printed or digital image print paper which carries the required design, is placed on the textile suriice of the table or counter mat blank, dye face down. A heat platen is activated pressing the print paper to the textile surtlice under a selected heat, pressure and time duration. This process sublimates the dye turning it into a 15 gas which is transferred into the textile ibre, resulting in a mirror image of the screenlprint design on to the textile surface of the table or counter mat. (On release liom the press, the spent print paper is removed, leaving the finished design to be cooled and stored for packing and dispatch. '[he above descriptions are ol precerre(d embodiments of the inventiion and are 20 provided as illustration and not limitation of the invention. Clearly persons skilled in the art would LIiIerstand variations of the descibed invention with(Lt any inventive step and these are included within the scope of the invention as declined in the claims. SUBSTITUTE SHEET (Rule 26) (RO/AU)