Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L23/00—Cleaning footwear
  • A47L23/22—Devices or implements resting on the floor for removing mud, dirt, or dust from footwear
  • A47L23/24—Rigid cleaning-gratings; Tread plates or scrapers for cleaning the soles of footwear
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L23/00—Cleaning footwear
  • A47L23/22—Devices or implements resting on the floor for removing mud, dirt, or dust from footwear
  • A47L23/26—Mats or gratings combined with brushes ; Mats
  • A47L23/266—Mats

Definitions

• the invention concerns a cover sheet for use as a cover of a walking surface, in particular for a door mat.
• Mats are being used to wipe off or absorb respectively dirt and/or moist attached to footwear. As a disadvantage relatively a great amount of dirt and under humid circumstances a lot of water is still being taken in. Using the expression of a mat or a door mat also meant are all such objects, e.g. footplanks, brushes, punched out sheets and the like with which one can wipe off dirt sticking to one's footwear or feet.
• the purpose of the invention is to neutralize this disadvantage and thereby provides for a usable put on top "mat” , in particular a complete or partial cover sheet, which has such characteristics as a walking surface that after using it few or no dirt and/or moist at all is being taken in.
• the cover sheet according to the invention is provided with first means enabling attachment of the cover sheet to and circumferentially around the walking surface in a rather tight and smooth manner with the purpose to keep it in place in relation to the walking surface while even if it is intensively used.
• the second attachment means on the cover sheet by means of which it rather tightly fits around the door mat to remain in place while being used, can of course be of various types.
• the cover sheet can e.g. be provided with cord or tape, whether or not elasticiy attached around its circumference in a hem. After pulling it tight there will be no folds or wrinkles on the upper walking surface that could affect optimal wiping off of the soles.
• the cover sheet may e.g. for fixing with respect to the mat be provided with cut outs at least nearby two corners of the mat.
• Other possible attachment means can exist of protrusions, caps, buckles,
• cover sheet On the cover sheet may e.g. also be attached stiffening edges, which may be pressed around at least two opposite edges of the mat.
• the web material of the cover sheet couid also be of elastic characteristics so as to assure that the cover sheet can be pulled tight automatically. All means by which the cover sheet can be pulled relatively tight around the mat may be provided with reinforcing elements, e.g. against tearing.
• the material of which the cover sheet according to the invention is made has an operation comparable to a sponge. That is to say, it must quickly be able to absorb dirt and/or moist. So the cover/sheet must have sufficient capacity for absorption and/or adsorption.
• the material of the cover sheet is made of any kind of towel material or non woven material that is suitable for domestic use, for instance material of which so called kitchen towels are made. It can be either from natural or synthetic material. Examples of this material are kitchen towels which are sold under brandnames like Sorbo and Dubro-
• the material of the cover sheet consisting of approximately 85% viscose and approximately 1 5% polypropylene, has such characteristics that the ability to absorb dirt and/or moist increases during its use.
• the cover sheet may be provided with a stylish printed design. In doing so the cover sheet can serve an aesthetic and/or indicative function.
• a thus printed cover sheet could serve as a stylish element; e.g. depending on the applicable season it could be provided with a printed wish such like Happy Easter, Happy New Year etc. or it could be decorated in accordance to the interior (e.g. denims, checks, stripes, paisleys etc.) .
• a printed cover sheet could also serve as an instructive element, e.g. with an instruction to step on the cover sheet (with the accompanying mat) when entering or leaving specific room spaces (quarantine) .
• cover sheet is not only meant for disposal use but also for reuse, than it should at least be washable, e.g. in a washing machine or under a hot water tap such as is with a kitchen towel.
• a cover sheet according to the invention once fitted around the mat should also be suitable for sprinkling and/or impregnating, e.g. with a suitable cleaning or disinfecting agent.
• a cover sheet according to the invention is suitable for all kinds of purposes, in and around the house, in the office and in industrial buildings, when there is a desire to clean one's footwear or feet.
• Conceivable is the use as a bath mat, as a car mat, as a mat behind a hatch where an animal needs to walk over. In the last example one needs not only think of domestic animals, but also of animals, cattle, pigs etc. moving in to a space that needs to remain clean.
• the cover sheet according to the invention may have more than one side to be used .
• the cover sheet may be used double sided or inside out.
• the cover sheet could consist of several (removable) layers, which may be used one by one without having to remove the basic cover sheet (partially) of the mat.
• the invention is exemplified more in detail in two embodiments of a cover sheet.
• Fig. 1 is a perspective upper view of a mat
• Fig. 2 is a perspective bottom view of the mat in fig. 1 now provided with a cover sheet according to the invention
• Fig. 3 is a perspective upper view of the mat in fig. 1 now provided with a cover sheet according to fig. 2;
• Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the mat in fig. 1 provided with another design of a cover sheet according to the invention.
• a well known mat 1 can be any kind of applied mat, e.g. a door mat or a bath mat and it can be made out of any kind of material, e.g. out of coconut fibre or out of rubber.
• the mat 1 may have any shape; fig. 1 shows a rectangular mat. Mat 1 may have any desired dimension. Furthermore the surface of the mat 1 may be smooth or rough, or it may be provided with ornamental or useful profiles.
• cover sheet 2 Circumferentially around the mat 1 , see fig. 2, the edges of a cover sheet 2 are pulled tight.
• the cover sheet 2 is made out of material as is being used for kitchen towels.
• the edge of the cover sheet is provided with an elastic tape, sewn in.
• the mat 1 in fig. 1 is provided with a cover sheet 2 according to the invention.
• the cover sheet 2 is provided on and around the mat in a rather tight and smooth manner.
• the combination in fig. 4 shows the mat 1 in fig 1 , now provided with a second embodiment of the cover sheet 4 according to the invention.
• the cover sheet 4 is provided with four triangular cut outs 5 located at the corners 6 of the mat 1 .
• the cover sheet 4 may be placed on the mat 1 loose on top of it, whereafter the cover sheet 4 can be pulled tight around the edges 6 of the mat 1 .
• the invention also concerns the combination of a cover sheet according to the invention provided with a mat. Included hereby also is a cover sheet according to the invention which can be applied all around a door mat, as well as a cover sheet according to the invention, which forms part of a door mat.

Landscapes

• Carpets (AREA)
• Bathtub Accessories (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=19765785

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 1997
  • 1997-10-02 NL NL1007196A patent/NL1007196C1/nl not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1998
  • 1998-09-22 EP EP98949239A patent/EP1021124A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-09-22 WO PCT/NL1998/000548 patent/WO1999017654A1/nl not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events