GB2282965A - Floor mat system incorporating hook and loop material - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a linkable floor mat system comprising a plurality of floor mats (2) each provided on their underside with pads (1) of loop material, and one or more separate bands (5) of hook material each engageable with loop pads on two of the mats (2A, 2B) when the mats are laid adjacent to one another, whereby the bands (5) form a connection between floor mats and resist lateral separation of the floor mats. The invention also provides a method of preventing creep of a floor mat (2) on a floor surface which comprises fixing at least one pad (1) of loop material to the underside of the mat (2) and engaging the or each pad with a band (5) of hook material which is secured to the floor surface (8) via the hook and loop mechanism. Also provided is a method of making such a floor mat during which a pad of loop material is bonded to the underside of a rubber backed floor mat using a bonding agent or a rubber sheet containing a bonding agent. <IMAGE>

Description

2282965 Floor Mat Syste The present invention relates to a linkable floor

mat system, that is to say a system comprising at least two floor mats and means for connecting the floor mats together when they are laid adjacent to one another on a floor surface, and preferably also to a system serving to reduce "creep" of the linked mats on the floor surface.

According to the present invention there is provided a linkable floor mat system comprising a plurality of floor mats each provided on their underside with pads of loop material, and one or more separate bands of hook material each engageable with loop pads on two of the mats when the mats are laid adjacent to one another whereby the bands form a connection between the floor mats resisting lateral separation of the floor mats.

A very suitable loop and hook securing system is that known under the trade mark I'Velcro'l.

The loop pads on the underside of the mats in the system are conveniently placed adjacent to the edges of the mats, for example within 2 to 20 cm of a mat edge.

Preferably there are a plurality of loop pads on the underside of each mat, suitably one close to each corner of a rectangular mat. The loop pads may be of any convenient shape but a preferred shape is L-shaped with the long base and side edges parallel to the adjacent mat edges and the re-entrant angle facing the centre area of the mat. In order to facilitate linking any adjacent pair of mats through the system, the loop pads are preferably positioned at the same relative positions on the underside of each mat.

The surface area of each loop pad should be large enough to ensure good connection between it and the separate linking band of hook material, but beyond a certain size no benefits outweighing extra cost are to be derived from larger pads. A convenient pad area for a I'Velcro" loop or hook fabric pad is 50-100 cm2.

Each band should be large enough to reach between the two pads on two mats to be jointed when the mats are laid side by side. The area of hooks thereon need not contact the entire surface area of either of the two loop pads but they must contact sufficient of the surface area of each pad to ensure a good connection resisting lateral movement of the mats relative to one another. The entire band can consist of hook material or only the end regions thereof destined to engage with a pad on the underside of a mat.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the or each band of hook material is provided on its opposite side with hooks engageable with the floor surface since where the floor surface is a loop pile carpet when the band is laid on the loop pile carpet it will form a connection between the band and the carpet which resists lateral movement between the band and the carpet and thus resists "creep" of the linked floor mats. Such a doublesided band is preferably formed with hook fabric entirely covering both sides. When the band or bands are laid on a loop pile carpet, the hooks on the underside of the band or bands engage with the loops on the carpet to prevent lateral movement of the band relative to the carpet and the hooks on the upper side of the band engage with the complementary loops on the pads of the mats so that lateral movement of the mats relative to the carpet is also prevented. The creep-preventing effect may be less pronounced, if it exists at all, when the floor surface is a felt of cut pile carpet rather than a loop pile carpet.

The linkable floor mat system of the invention is especially convenient for use with floor mats which are washable and which are regularly laundered to clean them.

Floor mats of this type are well-known under the name dust control mats and typically comprise a rubber or plastics backing (preferably of nitrile rubber), a pile fabric (e.g.

a nylon or cotton) covering at least the major portion of the upper surface apart from bare edge borders. and preferably an intermediate tissue to aid in bonding the pile fabric into the backing. Dust control mats of this type are typically made and supplied in standard rectangular sizes and are laid at the entrances of shops, offices, buildings etc to absorb dirt and moisture from the shoes of people walking over them. Periodically they are removed for laundering and replaced by other mats. By the use of the linkable floor mat system of the invention it is possible to lay two or more mats adjacent to one another so as to cover a larger surface area and to prevent the mats moving apart as people move over them, thereby avoiding the need for frequent repositioning. When using washable floor mats in the linkable floor mat system the mats can readily be separated from the underlying band or bands by pulling them apart, so that it is easy to remove the mats for laundering without at the same time laundering the band(s).

There can be a significant advantage in not having to place the hook material in a washing machine since it would collect lint and fluff which could be difficult to remove. It is for this reason that it is the loop material and not hook material which is employed for the pads secured to the underside of the mats.

By the use of the linkable f loor mat system of the invention it is possible to link floor mats of different types. The invention accordingly provides a system in which the plurality of floor mats include a first mat having a rubber backing and a first pile fabric on its upper surface 30 and a second mat having a rubber backing and either no pile fabric on its upper surface or a second pile fabric different from the first pile fabric on its upper surface. For example the first mat could have a high- twist nylon pile and the second mat could have a cotton pile, high-twist 35 nylon giving excellent sand and grit adsorption and cotton giving excellent water absorption. (Although it would be ;RM -TO013 P6T9TP0111 P BUTX2lu 90 POT;etu P papTAoad 9T azagl SE I4UeuIlpocrma auo ui 5uTino ao uoT,4EsTuvoTnA jog BUTSsajd Ion Aq sipm paXopq-aaqqna go ain-4op;nupiu buTinp ATTRTOadS9 'S:RUI agi go ain.4op; nupiu buTinp s:Rui eql oluT pelpiodaoouT aq ol sppd dooT aqi jog aaAamog paaaa;ead AT2RTnOT-4aRd sT -41 v 4 f UOT.4ueAUT OC OT41 01 SUTPJ000P Sule:s.'s!Rlu 6NpXuTT a:paeuab ol 5uTRsTm 5:Plu;0 SX00'45 BUTISTxe;0 S2eUM0 20; Isa2GIUT XPTnOTI2Rd;0 ST K:MTC[TSSOCI ST141.,,enTS j:edns,, sp umouX aATsatlpp atIl eTdmExe JO; 1:leiu anj go xopq aqi ol ppd egl go Xoeq GMI BuTPU0q;0 GNPdro eATS99PR UP go asn an! Aq PeAeTnOR 9Z aq APul STITI -pean.4op;nupm ueaq eARq s:pm an-4 aal;p s:-4pm zooTg o: pagop-41p aq Apm TPTaelpux dooT go sppd aql BUTgERM P61Pecle:r g:TM aPP3 e:rogej:eT4'4 PT'nOm Pup sanspm Auptu eATAi:ns ol pe-TTnbaj sseu-4seg xlsiem an: eArn jou op sabessam Mons buT:uTid jog aTqETTRAP SXUT OE ag,4 aspo AuR uT pup 4Ew aiTjua agi BuTddRaos inoq.4Tm pebupgo aq "4OU PTnOD 0:0 OBESS6M enl 1P61UTZd 6OU0 1JGA0e2OW 'IRM anj go zepuTpmea agl moaj pairapdes amooaq zo apal ajogazenj Aem japi:oq aq-4 pup BuTzepunET PURISW4Tm OZ -4ue-gz)-P;-Znsu-P aq Aem aepaoq axl,4 uT aeqqnj: alq-4 go xZ-4buea.4s en-4 -4nq c)-4e Se5RSsem 'SO5OT buT-4ppoumoooR go asodand ag: aoj Paip aepaoq eaJJ-eTTd ebzRT P BUTAR9 1PM P OXRul 01 aTqTssod sT II 91 -4pm 4saTg qsazj R Aq peDieldea buTaq f)uTaepunieT j:og peAoiua-T sT:pptu:psi:T_z enj:sTpx4m uoT:t>ooT enj uT uTpiuaj: pTno:):Rui puoz)es ezZ: up iq:)ns 01 UI -e5Pssam ao piom P jo -4uamesTlaaApp up 'o5oT AuRdmoD v g:Tm pejuTid inq aTTd inon-4Tm aeqqna go leags P aq pTnoo ipm puooes agi leTdmExe aoj IATeAT,4puae,4Ty (AlaiRawdes s-4m aqI qspm PUP S,4pul 4ueaejjTP om: UT STRTjalpm '4ueae;;TP OMI an-4 alRaodaoouT ol aTqP BuTaq uT ofiplupApp STq R sT eaaq,4 4RT4'4 05 15DTiqP; om: agl zo; SaMT1 BUTAaP PUP SUOT:VMU0D tlspm mnmT,4do -4uej:e;.;Tp aq-4 go esnRoaq;Rm R qons buTiepunRT uT smaTqojd aq pTnoD 'w;joD pup uoTAu;sTml M5Til go ean,4xTm R go dn eppm aTTd R gITm -4Rm R eXum o-4 aTqTssod for use in a linkable floor mat system according to the invention comprising coating a loop pad on its underside with a bonding agent and bonding its underside to the rubber backing of a rubber-backed mat during manufacture of the mat. The pad, preferably a loop fabric pad, is pre-coated on its back with a bonding agent to provide good adhesion between the pad and the back of the mat, sufficient to allow the mat to be repeatedly washed and dried without delamination of the pad from the mat back. Examples of bonding agents which can be used are nitrile rubber latex, phenolic resin or the one-coat bonding agent known by the trade name "Thixon P711, manufactured by La Societe Polychimie (France) and known for bonding metal to nitrile elastomers.

is In an alternative embodiment there is provided a method of making a modified floor mat for use in a linkable floor mat system according to the invention comprising forming a rubber sheet containing a bonding agent, placing the rubber sheet in contact on one side with the rubber backing for a rubber-backed mat and on its other side with the underside of a pad of loop material and bonding the underside of the loop pad through the rubber sheet to the rubber backing of the mat during manufacture of the mat. The rubber sheet is preferably thin, about 0.03-0. 05 cm (about 0.015 inch) thick, and incorporates a bonding agent in an appropriate rubber formulation. (Incorporation of the bonding agent into the rubber of the mat backing itself may be disadvantageous because of the introduction of undesirable properties and because it could also add very considerably to the cost).

The invention is illustrated, by way of example. in the accompany drawing in which:- Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view from below of the back of a mat, Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view from above of the junction area between two mats as shown in Fig. 1 with linking bands, and Fig. 3 is a schematic scrap cross section of the edges of the two mats in Fig. 2 and a band of double-sided hooks laid on a loop pile carpet.

Referring to Fig. 1, pads 1 of L-shaped loop fabric "Velcro" are located close to the corners of a rectangular nitrile-rubber-backed dust control mat 2 and bonded to the rubber backing by "Thixon PV' bonding agent. The pads 1 have arms of length 10 cms and width 5 cms and are located with the long sides of the arms parallel to the mat edges and 5 cms from the adjacent mat edge with the re-entrant angle of the L facing to the centre of the mat area. Each mat 2 has a pile fabric upper surface 3a (see Fig. 2) part from a narrow pile-free border 4. Rectangular bands 5 of hook fabric Velcro 20 cm long and 10 cm wide are located under the join between two adjacent mats laid on a floor surface 6 and the hooks on the band 5 engage with the loops of two adjacent pads 1. The bands 5 may be double-sided hook fabric 'Welcroll as shown in Fig. 3 so that the hooks on the underside of the bands 5 engage with loops 7 of an underlying loop pile carpet 8.

The bands 5 can be left in place on the floor surface 6 (e.g. either by being "hooked" to an underlying carpet or fixed (e.g. nailed or stuck) to the floor surface) when mat 2A or 2B is lifted away from the floor surface (e.g. for cleaning).

Parts of just two mats are shown in Fig. 2 but It should be understood that there is no limit to the number of mats which can be linked together in accordance with the system of this invention. As stated previously mats 2A and 2B could be of different character (e.g. as regards h colour, pattern, or absorbing properties) giving the benefits of great variability in the provision of a dustcontrol system without the problems of providing large numbers of different types of mat in stock or laundering 5 mats of mixed fibres.

Although rectangular mats 2 are shown in the drawing the invention relates to any shape of mat and not just shapes which tessellate to completely cover an area of a floor surface.

Although having a facility to reliably, yet releasably, connect adjacent mats together in a floor mat system is considered to be an important aspect of this development, the anti-creep feature is also important and could, of course, be taken advantage of even if the pads 1 on the underside of a mat 2 were not used to interconnect that mat with another mat. Thus the invention should be seen to extend to a single mat provided with one or more pads defining areas of loop material on its underside which pad(s) is(are) used to engage with one or more bands of hook material secured to a floor surface.

Claims (8)

1. A linkable floor mat system comprising a plurality of floor mats each provided on their underside with pads of loop material, and one or more separate bands of hook material each engageable with loop pads on two of the mats when the mats are laid adjacent to one another, whereby the bands form a connection between floor mats and resist lateral separation of the floor mats.

2. A linkable floor mat system according to claim 1, wherein the or each band of hook material is provided on its opposite side with hooks engageable with an underlying carpet when the band is laid on carpet, so as to form a connection between the band and the carpet resisting lateral movement between the linked mats and the carpet.

is

3. A linkable floor mat system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of floor mats include a first mat having a rubber backing and a first pile fabric on its upper surface and a second mat having a rubber backing and either no pile fabric on its upper surface or a second pile fabric different from the first pile fabric on its upper surface.

4. A method of making a modified floor mat for use in a linkable floor mat system according to claim 1 comprising coating a pad of loop material on its underside with a bonding agent and bonding its underside to the rubber backing of a rubber- backed mat during manufacture of the mat.

5. A method of making a modified floor mat for use in a linkable floor mat system according to claim 1 comprising forming a rubber sheet containing a bonding agent, placing the rubber sheet in contact on one side with the rubber backing for a rubber-backed mat and on its other side with the underside of a pad of loop material and bonding the 9 underside of the loop pad through the rubber sheet to the rubber backing of the mat during manufacture of the mat.

6. A method of preventing creep of a floor mat on a f loor surf ace which comprises f ixing at least one pad of loop material to the underside of the mat and engaging the or each pad with a band of hook material secured to the floor surface.

7. A linkable floor mat system substantially as hereindescribed with reference to the accompanying drawing.

0

8. Any novel feature of a linkable floor mat system, modified floor mat or method of making the same as described herein.