GB2517067A

GB2517067A - A protective mat

Info

Publication number: GB2517067A
Application number: GB1410796.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kieron Smyth
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-06-21
Filing date: 2014-06-17
Publication date: 2015-02-11
Also published as: GB201311090D0; GB201410796D0

Abstract

A protection mat 10 comprises of a substrate 12, with a pair of substantially parallel sides, 14a, 14b, 14c & 14d, having retaining devices 20 located and spaced around a peripheral border to hold sheets of absorbent material 16 against an obverse face of said substrate. The substrate is formed from a flexible resilient material and the retaining devices comprise flaps formed by cutting convex incisions 19 in the substrate. The protection mat may be shaped and dimensioned to hold various sized sheets of paper including A4 to A0 and unfolded newspaper.

Description

Protective Mat

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to protective mats. The invention relates particularly but not exclusively to protective mats for use in protecting floor surfaces from liquid spillages e.g. oil or paint.

Background to the Invention

It is well known to use newspapers to protect floors from liquid spillages, such as paint or oil, during activities such as painting of or vehicle maintenance. The problem with this is the tendency of the newspaper to move, for example slide or crumple, thereby leaving the relevant surface unprotected.

It would be desirable to mitigate this problem.

Summary ofthe Invention

A first aspect of the invention provides a protection mat comprising a substrate, the substrate having at least one retaining device located around at least part of a peripheral border of the substrate, said at least one retaining device being configured to hold at least one sheet of absorbent material against an obverse face of said substrate.

Preferably, said at least one retaining device comprises a plurality of retaining devices spaced apart around at least part of and preferably substantially all of said peripheral border. Said peripheral border, which is typically notional, is typically defined on said obverse face of said substrate.

Preferably, the or each retaining device is integrally formed with said substrate.

Preferably, the or each retaining device comprises a resilient clip, the resilience of the clip biasing it into a gripping state.

Conveniently, the or each retaining device comprises a flap formed in said substrate. The or each retaining device may be defined by a respective incision through said substrate. The or each retaining device, including said flap and/or said incision as applicable, is preferably convex in shape with respect to an inner portion, e.g. the centre, of said obverse face. The or each retaining device, including the or each flap and/or incision as applicable, may be, for example, substantially U-shaped, C-shaped or V-shaped.

In typical embodiments said substrate is substantially flat. The substrate may take any convenient shape including polygonal or circular but is most conveniently rectangular. Where the substrate is multi-sided, it is preferred that at least one of said retaining devices is provided at each side.

The substrate may be made of any suitable material, most conveniently plastics, and may be rigid, semi-rigid or flexible (preferably resiliently flexible). In any event the substrate advantageously has a rigidity (or stiffness) that is greater than that of paper and preferably is self supporting to maintain a planar state.

Said substrate is preferably dimensioned to receive sheets of at least A4 size, preferably at least AS or at least A2 or at least Al or at least A0. In a preferred embodiment said substrate is dimensioned to receive an unfolded newspaper, tabloid or broadsheet. In typical embodiments the mat (in particular the obverse face of the substrate and more particularly the portion of the obverse face contained within the peripheral border) is configured to receive a sheet of a particular size A second aspect of the invention provides a protective mat assembly comprising the protective mat of the first aspect of the invention in combination with at least one sheet of absorbent material held against said obverse face by said at least one retaining device.

Further advantageous aspects of the invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of a specific embodiment.

Brief Description of the Drawing

Embodiments of the invention are now described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals are used to denote like pads and in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a protective mat embodying one aspect of the invention; and Figure 2 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of the protective mat.

Detailed Description of the Drawing

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings there is shown generally indicated as 10, a protective mat.

The mat 10 comprises a substrate 12. The substrate 12 is typically substantially flat or planar. The illustrated substrate 12 is rectangular although it could alternatively take any other shape e.g. circular, polygonal or oval. In this example the substrate 12 has a plurality of sides 14A to 14D. The substrate is conveniently made of plastics, for example PVC, or other polymeric material but may be made from any other suitable material including metal, wood or composite material. Advantageously the material is selected such that the substrate has a rigidity or stiffness and preferably also a resilience that allows it to be self-supporting or at least to be resistant to crumpling or folding. The substrate 12 may be rigid, or semi-rigid or resiliently flexible. Typically the substrate has a thickness of between 1 and 10 mms.

The substrate 12 has an obverse face 16 for receiving one or more sheets 18 (e.g. a single sheet or a bundle of sheets) of absorbent material, for example paper e.g. newspaper. In typical embodiments the substrate 12 is shaped and dimensioned to receive a specific type and/or size of sheet for example an unfolded tabloid newspaper or broadsheet newspaper. It will be understood that the substrate may be shaped and dimensioned to receive sheets of any size, e.g. any one of A0-A4 inclusive (unfolded).

The mat 10 includes a plurality of retaining devices 20 located around the periphery of the substrate 12 and in particular around the periphery of the obverse face 16. In preferred embodiments the retaining devices 20 define a (typically notional) peripheral border around a portion of the obverse face 16 and are arranged to hold the sheet(s) 18 against the portion of the obverse face defined by the border.

Typically, the peripheral border is substantially rectangular and as such is particularly suited to receiving substantially rectangular sheets 18. The size of the peripheral border may be selected to suit the (typically unfolded) size of sheet 18 that it is intended to retain, e.g. tabloid, broadsheet, AD to A4 and so on. In preferred embodiments, the retaining devices 20 are located adjacent the respective side l4Ato 14D of the substrate 12 and so not only are the retaining devices 20 located at the periphery of the substrate 12 but so too is the peripheral border.

It is preferred that the peripheral border is ring-like, i.e. formed by at least two pairs of retaining devices 20, the retaining devices 20 in each pair being located on opposite sides of the border, and the pairs being orthogonally arranged with respect to one another, e.g. a respective retaining device located at each side I 4A to I 4D of the substrate 12. Alternatively however, one or more retaining devices 20 may be provided on two opposing sides of the substrate only, e.g. one or more along 148 and one or more along 14D. Hence, the peripheral border may comprise a pair of substantially parallel sides, at least one retaining device 20 being located at each side.

The retaining devices 20 are preferably integrally formed with the substrate 12. Conveniently this is achieved by forming incisions 19 through the substrate 12 to create a respective flap. The incisions may be formed by cutting through the substrate using any convenient means. In the preferred embodiment the substrate 12 is formed from a resilient material, e.g. plastics, such that the flaps 20 are resilient and biased to a position, or gripping state, in which they are substantially flush with the substrate 12, in particular the obverse face 16 of the substrate 12. As such, the flaps 20 are suitable for retaining one or more sheets of paper 18 against the obverse face 16. The incisions 19, and therefore the flaps 20 may take any suitable shape e.g. substantially U-shaped, C-shaped or V-shaped, and are typically arranged to present a convex shape to the inner portion of the obverse face 16.

In preferred embodiments at least one retaining device 20 is provided at each side l4Ato 14D of the substrate 12. In the preferred rectangular embodiment at least two retaining devices 20 are provided at the longer sides of the substrate 12 while a respective single retaining device (or more than one) is provided at the shorter sides. In alternative embodiment (not illustrated) a single retaining device may be provided around all or substantially all of the periphery of the obverse face 16.

Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the mat indicated as 110. The mat 110 is similarto the mat 10 and the same description applies, like numerals being used to denote like parts, unless otherwise stated. The mat 110 has three retaining devices 120 spaced apart along the longer sides 1 14B, 114D of the substrate 112, and two retaining devices 120 spaced apart along the shorter sides 1 14A, 1 14C. As for the mat 10, where a side of the substrate 112 has more than one retaining device 120, the retaining devices 120 are mutually spaced apart in a substantially linear manner along the respective side. Together the retaining devices 120 define a peripheral border on the obverse face 116 and, in use, hold sheet(s) against the portion of the obverse face 116 defined by the border. The peripheral border preferably runs parallelly with the periphery of the substrate 112, especially when the substrate is rectangular.

Optionally, an aperture 122 is formed in the substrate 112, preferably adjacent one of the sides 14, by which the mat 110 may be hung on a nail, hook or other fixing (not shown) when not is use.

In use, one or more sheets of absorbent material, most conveniently newspaper, is located on the obverse face 16, 116 of the substrate 12, 112 and held in position bythe retaining devices 20, 120.

The sheet(s) 18 of material absorb any liquid spilled thereon during use. The substrate 12, 112 holds the sheet(s) 18 in a substantially flat state and so reduces the likelihood of the sheets folding or crumpling during use. Moreover, the substrate 12, 112 is more resistant to sliding movement with respect to the floor than loose sheets of paper are. Optionally, the reverse face of the substrate may be provided with one or more slip resistant pads (not shown).

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein which may be modified or varied without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A protection mat comprising a substrate, the substrate having at least one retaining device located around at least part of a peripheral border of the substrate, said at least one retaining device being configured to hold at least one sheet of absorbent material against an obverse face of said substrate.
2. The protection mat of claim 1, wherein said at least one retaining device comprises a plurality of retaining devices spaced apart around at least part of said peripheral border.
3. The protection mat of claim 2, wherein said peripheral border is ring-like, said retaining devices being spaced apart around the entire border.
4. The protection mat of any preceding claim, wherein said peripheral border is substantially rectangular, at least one of said retaining devices being located on each side of the peripheral border.5. The protection mat of any one of claims ito 3, wherein said peripheral border comprises a pair of substantially parallel sides, at least one of said retaining devices being located at each side.4. The protection mat of any preceding claim, wherein the or each retaining device is integrally formed with said substrate.
5. The protection mat of any preceding claim, wherein the or each retaining device comprises a resilient clip, the resilience of the clip biasing it into a gripping state.
6. The protection mat of claim 4 or 5, wherein the or each retaining device comprises a respective flap formed in said substrate.
7. The protection mat of claim 6, wherein the or each retaining device comprises a respective incision cut through said substrate to form a respective one of said flaps.
8. The protection mat wherein the or each flap is convex in shape with respect to an inner portion of said obverse face within said peripheral border.
9. The protection mat of any preceding claim, wherein said substrate is substantially flat.
10. The protection mat of any preceding claim, wherein the substrate is multi-sided, for example rectangular, and wherein at least one of said retaining devices is provided at each side, or at least at two opposing sides.
11. The protection mat of any preceding claim, wherein the substrate is formed from a resiliently flexible material, e.g. plastics or other polymeric material.
12. The protection mat of any preceding claim, wherein said peripheral border is shaped dimensioned such that said at least one retaining device can retain unfolded sheets of any one of sizes A4 to AO.
13. The protection mat of any preceding claim, The protection mat of any preceding claim, wherein said peripheral border is shaped dimensioned such that said at least one retaining device can retain unfolded sheets of newspaper.
14. A protective mat assembly comprising the protective mat of any preceding claim in combination with at least one sheet of absorbent material held against said obverse face by said at least one retaining device.