GB2354165A

GB2354165A - Entrance matting

Info

Publication number: GB2354165A
Application number: GB0022824A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon Kerr Macdonald
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-09-15
Filing date: 2000-09-15
Publication date: 2001-03-21
Also published as: GB9921746D0; WO2001019230A1; GB0022824D0; AU7532600A

Abstract

The upper surface of entrance matting comprises a plurality of spaced strips 4 providing scraper bars and a plurality of strips of carpet 7 which together define a substantially continuous tread surface. Water drains from the surface through holes 8 and ducts 10. The strips of carpet can be provided underneath with studs which engage in the holes. The base 2 is made of moulded rubber.

Description

2354165 1

1 ENTRANCE MATTING 2 3 The present invention relates in general to the f ield of 4 matting and in particular to the field of building 5 entrance matting. 6 7 Entrance or threshold matting is often provided at the 8 entrances to stores, offices and public buildings in 9 order to minimise the amount of dirt and water that is 10 carried into the buildings on people's feet. 11 12 Several features are desirable in entrance matting. 13 Firstly, it must be effective in its role of reducing the 14 amount of dirt and water carried into buildings. 15 Secondly, it must be easy to walk over, providing grip 16 without containing gaps that might trap heels and walking 17 sticks. For common commercial reasons, it must also be 18 cheap, durable, easy to maintain and clean, aesthetically 19 pleasing, able to be laid on a variety of surfaces and 20 readily adaptable to particular size requirements. It is 21 also advantageous to avoid the use of metal as this can 22 affect the functioning of the security devices commonly 23 used in stores, libraries and the like.

2 2 One type of entrance matting that aimed to provide the 3 above attributes and which has proved commercially 4 successful is described in W093/07789. This comprises an 5 extruded rubber mat with an upper layer that incorporates 6 spaced upstanding strips which have ribbed upper surfaces 7 that function as scrapers, removing the largest particles 8 of dirt from shoes. In between these strips there are 9 provided strips of carpet which remove finer particles of 10 dust and retain moisture. 11 12 A disadvantage of this design is that the carpet strips 13 can become saturated in wet conditions, making the 14 matting less effective. In prolonged period of wet 15 weather, it can become hard to keep this type of matting 16 appropriately clean. 17 18 An improvement in the performance of entrance matting in 19 wet weather was achieved by the invention disclosed in 20 W096/36268. This publication described a bilayer matting 21 in which an upper layer also contained a plurality of 22 spaced upstanding strips with ribbed upper surfaces 23 between which there are provided strips of carpet. 24 However, the spaced upstanding strips in the upper layer 25 were further provided with chevron-shaped channels which 26 intersected with a series of drainage slots in a lower 27 layer. This facilitated the draining of water from the 28 mat and so improved the performance of the mat in wet 29 weather. 30 31 However, there remains a few areas in which further 32 innovation would lead to a better product. Firstly, 33 slots in the lower layer may become blocked with dirt 3 1 with time and so it would be advantageous to provide a 2 drainage facility which did not clog. Secondly, the 3 carpet strips must be fixed in place with adhesive. This 4 step has implications for the cost of manufacture and the 5 adhesive represents a joint which may potentially fail 6 and limit the lifetime of the carpet. 7 8 It is a first object of the present invention to provide 9 entrance matting with a drainage facility with a reduced 10 tendency to clog up. 11 12 An additional object of the present invention is to 13 provide entrance matting which does not require or does 14 not rely solely on adhesive for fixing carpet strips in 15 place. 16 17 A further object of the present invention is to provide 18 further enhancements to drainage and therefore to 19 tolerance of wet conditions. 20 21 Furthermore, the present invention aims to meet these 22 objectives whilst still remaining effective, safe to walk 23 over, cheap, durable, easy to maintain and clean, 24 aesthetically pleasing and adaptable. 25 26 According to the present invention there is provided 27 matting comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, 28 the upper surface comprising a plurality of spaced 29 upstanding strips and a plurality of strips of carpet 30 located in some or all of the gaps between the spaced 31 upstanding strips and supported by the lower layer; 32 wherein the upper surface defines a substantially 33 continuous tread surface; wherein the lower layer 4 1 comprises a plurality of holes which pass through the 2 lower layer and are located under the strips of carpet; 3 wherein the holes are tapered so that they are narrower 4 at their tops. 5 6 The holes may be circular. 7 8 Preferably, strips of carpet comprise on their underside 9 a plurality of studs each of which is adapted to mate 10 with a hole. 11 12 More preferably, the holes and studs are shaped to be 13 readily mated but difficult to separate. 14 15 Preferably, the lower layer comprises on its underside a 16 plurality of elongate channels. 17 18 Some or all of the elongate channels may comprise 19 underside drainage ducts which intersect with the base of 20 the holes. 21 22 Preferably also, the underside drainage ducts are tapered 23 so that they are narrower towards their tops. 24 25 The underside drainage ducts may be orthogonal to the 26 upstanding strips. 27 28 Preferably, the upper surfaces of the upstanding strips 29 are slightly convex, such that water will tend to flow 30 off the upper surfaces of the strips. 31 32 More preferably, the upstanding strips comprise a 33 plurality of scraper blocks having surface drainage ducts 1 therebetween, wherein the scraper blocks comprise on 2 their upper surface a plurality of ridges. 3 4 The ridges on a scraper block may be orthogonal to the 5 upstanding strip upon which the scraper block is mounted. 6 7 The surface drainage ducts may be orthogonal to the 8 upstanding strip upon which the scraper block is mounted. 9 10 The matting may be made from a flexible material. 11 12 The matting may further comprise an underlay layer which 13 has on its upper surface a plurality of plugs adapted to 14 mate with the holes. is 16 Alternatively, the matting may further comprise an 17 underlay layer, the matting having on its underside a 18 plurality of plugs which mate with holes provided in the 19 underlay layer. 20 21 The underlay layer may further comprise a plurality of 22 underlay drainage ducts which intersect the underside 23 drainage ducts. 24 25 According to a second aspect of the present invention 26 there is provided a method for manufacturing matting that 27 comprises the steps of first manufacturing a base layer 28 having holes and a plurality of carpet strips having 29 studs and then fixing the carpet strips to the matting by 30 mating the studs with the holes. 31 32 According to a third aspect of the present invention 33 there is provided a method of laying matting comprising 6 1 the steps of manufacturing matting according to the 2 second aspect, manufacturing underlay which has a 3 plurality of studs on its upper surface, laying the 4 underlay and then laying the matting on the underlay, 5 mating the holes in the matting with the studs in the 6 underlay. 7 8 According to a fourth aspect of the present invention 9 there is provided a method of laying matting comprising 10 the steps of manufacturing matting according to the 11 second aspect which further comprises a plurality of 12 studs on its lower surface, manufacturing underlay which 13 has a plurality of holes on its upper surface, laying the 14 underlay and then laying the matting on the underlay, 15 mating the studs in the matting with the holes in the 16 underlay. 17 18 An example embodiment of the invention will now be 19 illustrated with reference to the following Figures in 20 which:

21 22 Figure 1 shows a plan view of a section of matting; 23 Figure 2 shows a cross-section through this matting; 24 Figure 3 shows a close-up perspective view of a small region of matting; and 26 Figure 4 shows a cross-section through a carpet 27 strip.

28 29 Figure 1 shows a plan view of a section of matting according to the present invention. Figure 2 shows a 31 cross section through this matting. Figure 3 shows a 32 close-up perspective view of a small region of the 33 matting.

7 2 The matting 1 comprises a moulded base 2 which has a 3 plurality of spaced upstanding strips 3. Each upstanding 4 strip 3 comprises a plurality of surface scraper bars 4 5 interspersed with drainage ducts 5. Each scraper bar 4 6 has a plurality of grooves 6 and the profile of each 7 upstanding strip 3 and surface scraper bar 4 is such that 8 the centre of each upstanding strip 3 and scraper bar 4 9 is raised, causing fluid to drain down the grooves 6 and 10 drainage ducts 5. 11 12 Between some or all upstanding strips 3 there is mounted 13 upon the base a strip of carpet 7 such as nylon brush 14 fibre material or needlecord polypropylene inserts. 15 Whereas the scraper bars act to remove the largest 16 particles of dirt, the carpet 7 acts to remove the 17 smaller particles of dirt. 18 19 For clarification, the term "carpet" within this document 20 refers to any type of material commonly used in flooring, 21 including conventional carpeting and coir or other 22 fibrous materials. 23 24 Fluid which has drained from the upstanding strips 3 or 25 the carpet strips 7 collects underneath the carpet strips 26 7 where it can drain through holes 8. Each hole 8 is 27 tapered towards the top. This means that any fibrous or 28 particulate matter which passes through the top of the 29 hole 8 is able to pass through the hole rather than 30 becoming trapped part way down. 31 8 1 For drainage purposes, the holes 8 are best provided at 2 the end of the drainage ducts 5; however, this is not 3 essential. 4 5 However, the holes 8 have an important additional 6 function. Each carpet strip 7 has a plurality of studs 9 7 which are distributed so as to correspond with the holes 8 8. Each stud 9 is shaped to be broader at its tip than 9 its base and so to remain firmly inside each hole 8 when 10 it has been pushed through the relatively narrow diameter 11 of the top of the hole, in a similar manner to e. g. 12 plastic wallplugs. 13 14 Underneath the each drainage hole 8 there is provided a 15 second set of drainage ducts 10 to carry away f luid which 16 has passed through the drainage holes 8. These second 17 drainage ducts also become broader towards their base to 18 ensure that any particles which can pass through the 19 holes can be washed through and will not clog the ducts. 20 There are also provided a series of air ventilation ducts 21 11 underneath the base which allow air to enter and water 22 vapour to leave, preventing fouling from taking place. 23 24 Typically the base will be made from moulded rubber; 25 however, it will be clear to one skilled in the art than 26 many construction techniques could produce suitable 27 components. 28 29 Entrance matting is typically fitted into inset areas of 30 floor. The depth of inset varies from place to place but 31 the top surface of mats must be level with the 32 surrounding floor. It is preferable for economic reasons 33 to manufacture mats in only one thickness and so at the 9 1 present time, the depth of inset is adjusted for by 2 pouring a layer of concrete upon which the mat sits. it 3 would be desirable to simply provide underlay, e.g. made 4 of rubber, which could sit in the inset area and act as 5 spacers; however, using prior art mats it would be 6 necessary to use adhesive to enable the mats to stay in 7 place on the underlay. 8 9 An alternative embodiment of the present invention, there 10 includes underlay which has studs that correspond with 11 the holes 8 in the mat, allowing the mat to be mounted 12 fixedly on the underlay. Alternatively, the mat itself 13 may be provided with studs which correspond to holes in 14 the underlay. In these embodiments, the underlay may or 15 may not comprise further drainage channels which 16 intersect the second set of drainage ducts 10 on the 17 underside of the mat. 18 19 Further modifications and improvements may be 20 incorporated without departing from the scope of the 21 invention herein intended.

Claims

1 A matting comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface comprising a plurality of spaced upstanding strips and a plurality of strips of 6 carpet; wherein the upper surface defines a 7 substantially continuous tread surface and wherein 8 the lower surface comprises a plurality of holes 9 which pass through the lower layer.

11

2. A matting as described in Claim 1 where the plurality 12 of holes in the lower surface are tapered so that 13 they are narrower at their tops.

14

3. A matting as described in Claim 1 or Claim 2 where 16 the strips of carpet comprise on their underside a 17 plurality of studs, each adapted to mate with a hole.

18 19

4. A matting as described in any of the previous Claims wherein the lower layer comprises on its underside a 21 plurality of elongate channels.

22 23 S. A matting as described in Claim 4, wherein elongate 24 channels may comprise underside drainage ducts.

26 6. A matting as described in Claim 5, wherein the 27 drainage ducts are tapered so that they are narrower 28 towards their tops.

29 7. A matting as described in Claim 5 or Claim 6, wherein 31 the drainage ducts may be orthoganal to the 32 upstanding strips.

33 1 8. A matting as described in any of the previous Claims 2 wherein the upstanding strips are slightly convex.

3 4 9. A matting as described in any of the previous Claims wherein the upstanding strips comprise a plurality of 6 scraper blocks having surface drainage ducts 7 therebetween, wherein the scraper blocks comprise on 8 their upper surface a plurality of ridges.

9 10. A matting as described in any of the previous Claims 11 wherein the ridges on the scraper block are 12 orthogonal to the upstanding strip upon which the 13 scraper block is mounted.

14 11. A matting as described in any of the previous Claims 16 wherein the matting is made from a flexible material.

17 18 12. A matting as described in any of the previous Claims 19 wherein the matting further comprises an underlay layer which has on its surface a plurality of plugs.

21 22 13. A matting as described in any of the previous Claims 23 wherein the matting has on its underside a plurality 24 of plugs.

26 14. A matting as described in any of the previous Claims 27 wherein the underlay may comprise a plurality of 28 drainage ducts which intersect the underside drainage 29 ducts.

31 15. A method for manufacturing matting that comprises the 32 steps of manufacturing a base layer having holes and 33 a plurality of carpet strips which have studs and 12 1 then fixing the carpet strips to the matting by 2 mating the studs with the holes.

3 4 16. A method of laying matting comprising the steps of manufacturing matting according to Claim 15, 6 manufacturing underlay which has a plurality of studs 7 on its upper surface, laying the underlay and then 8 laying the matting on the underlay, mating the holes 9 in the matting with the studs in the underlay. 10 11 17. A method of laying matting comprising the steps of 12 manufacturing matting according to Claim 15, wherein 13 the matting further comprises a plurality of studs on 14 its lower surface, manufacturing underlay which has a 15 plurality of holes on its upper surface, laying the 16 underlay and then laying the matting on the underlay 17 and mating the studs in the matting with the holes in 18 the underlay. 19 20 21 22

1 Claims