NZ332003A - Door mat, array of panels joined by flexible separators, extending in 2 dimensions - Google Patents

Abstract

A flexible mat, consisting of substantially rigid, flat panels joined by flexible separators, that extends in two dimensions is disclosed. The separators are such that they are attached to the lower face of the panels and allow the mat to be rolled up as they introduce a fixed space between the panels. A substantial number of the separators are attached to the borders of 4 panels. This mat is useful in an entranceway, and may also include ridges on the edges of the panels suitable for scraping shoes. It can be manufactured to specific dimensions by using an appropriate number of panels and connectors.

Description

Patents Form # 5 NEW ZEALAND Patents Act 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION AFTER PROVISIONAL # : 332003 DATED : 23 September 1998 TITLE : A Mat We, Advance Flooring Company Address: 131 Captain Springs Road, Onehunga, Auckland, New Zealand Nationality New Zealand do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in statement.

PF05 JWP FEE CODE 1050 2 A Mat TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to mats, to be placed upon surfaces that are stood upon or walked upon, 5 and more particularly applies to mats for use in removing dirt from feet or shoes such as beside doors BACKGROUND Doormats have been known and used for many many years and commonly are made from a woven, wear-resistant coarse plant fibre material such as coconut fibre. The woven structure 10 provides a substantial base upon which an array of bristles pointing upwards is located. The bristles perform the task of removing dirt from shoes and the like; the dirt and moisture falls down between the bristles and is beaten out from time to time. There are a number of disadvantages to this type of mat, particularly in relation to mats of large size and to the effect of age and use on the appearance of the mat. We have produced an improved doormat comprising 15 a set of interlocking aluminium extrusions; each extrusion carrying a number of strips of an artificial fibrous mat material; each strip being separated by visible areas of aluminium. This type has the advantages of pleasing appearance, ability to be cut to size, and the dirt tends to move sideways to lie upon the aluminium from where it can be picked up by a vacuum cleaner. However this type of mat is relatively rigid and should the mat be damaged and bent during 20 transit or during use, it is relatively difficult to flatten it. This is disadvantageous.

F261 qPs 999 CW/jq OBJECT 332003 It is an object of this invention to provide a mat which will obviate or minimise the foregoing disadvantages in a simple yet effective manner or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION In a first aspect the invention provides a mat, having an upper and a lower surface; the mat being comprised of an array of a plurality of substantially rigid, substantially flat panels; each panel bearing durable material on an upper surface, and each panel being joined to the or each adjacent panel by means of a flexible separator, each panel being attached at a lower surface to 10 a said separator or separators; the separator or separators being capable of flexibly holding any one border of a panel at a controlled separation or fixed distance from an adjacent border of a neighbouring panel, when the mat is in a substantially flat configuration, the separator or separators and the controlled separation allowing the mat to be rolled up for transport or storage purposes, and at least a substantial number of the separators being attached to at least four 15 panels.

Optionally each panel is attached at a side surface to a separator.

Preferably fastening means is provided for attaching each panel to a separator; the fastening means being reliant on the property of resilience of the flexible separator in order to permit reversible attachments to be made.

Optionally the fastening means comprises an adhesive.

Optionally the fastening means comprises a pin passing through the separator and into the panel.

Optionally the flexible separator comprises a substantially flat though flexible member capable of receiving and retaining one or more panels into prepared recesses upon the upper surface. 2 < AUG 2001 I RECEIVED / 00F261qPs 801 CW/jq Nwr ^ Preferably each panel has the form of a shallow tray so that at least some wear is applied to the upper borders of the tray before the durable ma erial is worn away.

Preferably one or more edges of each tray can function as a scraper Optionally a mat of desired dimensions can be manufactured by using a selected number of rows 5 and columns of panels.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES The preferred embodiments to be described and illustrated in this specification are provided purely by way of example and are in no way in of the invention. ended to be limiting as to the spirit or the scope Fig 1: shows a panel for use in a mat made according to the invention.

Fig 2: shows a cross section through a part of a panel according to the invention.

Fig 3: shows an assembled mat as seen from above, including panels and portions of separators.

Fig 4: shows an assembled mat as seen from above, including the separators as if the panels 15 were transparent.

Fig 5: shows a cross section of two panels and a separator (adhesive style). 1 1 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. - 5 MAR 2001 OOF261qPs fDl CW/jq RECEIVED Fig 6 shows a cross section of a panel and a separator (fastener style).

Fig 7: shows a surface view of a separator (fastener style).

Fig 8 shows two alternative panel shapes.

Fig 9: is a view as in Fig 6 of an alternative embodiment of the invention.

Fig 10: is a plan view of an alternative separator.

Fig 11: is a cross-section of A - A in Fig 10, and Fig 12- is a side elevation of a pin for use in Figs 9 to 11.

To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without 10 departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The mat of the invention is generally intended for use as a doormat, although it may also be used 15 as a kind of "industrial-level bathmat" such as in institutions, in public swimming pools, or by invalids, and it may be used for safety purposes in factories such as beside machinery. It may be used in cars as a floor mat.

As is shown in Figs 1 and 2, the mat is composed of a number of individual substantially flat panels, each panel being held apart after assembly at a controlled separation or fixed distance 20 from a neighbouring panel by a separator when the mat is in a substantially flat configuration. Flexibility of the separator permits the mat as a whole to be flexible and so be capable of being rolled up for transport or storage. Flexibility also decreases the risk that the flatness of the mat F261qPs 999 CW/jq 6 may be damaged by heavy impact, perhaps during transport or use, and flexibility allows the mat to sit flat on a somewhat non-flat substrate.

The mat has an upper surface typically adapted for the removal of grime from feet (or possibly simply to provide a gripping surface which may or may not involve the use of fibrous material) 5 and has a lower surface intended to be laid upon a flat foundation such as a floor or a recessed well beside a doorway.

The mat may be considered as an array in one or two dimensions of a plurality of flat substantially rigid panels; each panel (Fig 1) having the shared task of performing the functions of a door mat and hence, typically, bearing a coating of durable material 101 on an upper 10 surface. The durable material may be fibrous, or other material such as rubber. Each panel may be constructed as a flat tray having raised edges 102, and a central area 101 devoted to attachment means for the material 101. Figs 1 and 2 show a typical panel 100 from above and in section. Generally the raised edges 102 are not raised by much, as indicated by the proportions in the drawing One or more edges of each tray can be shaped so as to function as a 15 scraper, so that large lumps of dirt adherent to a foot can be scraped off into the channel between one panel and adjoining panels, and then smaller amounts of dirt can be rubbed away by the material 100 We prefer to construct each panel by casting aluminium or an alloy of other metals suitable for casting, although other materials such as a selected plastics material may be used as a 20 replacement. Weight within each panel helps the mat to stay in place and if a plastics material was used to construct each panel, it might be useful to include within the plastics material a heavy filler such as titanium dioxide (white), or irons and (black). On the other hand a light mat has some advantages. The fibrous material 101 may be glued-down "Coral" or similar specialised carpeting.

Although square panels (Fig 1, Fig 3, Fig 4) are generally preferred, rectangular panels (see Fig 8) may be preferable in some applications such as for reasons of aesthetic appearance, or in order to enhance the " reliability" of the panel into a cylinder having an axis along the longer axes of the rectangular panels 801. Possibly, triangular panels 802 (also in Fig 8) might be used F261 qPs 999 CW/jq 7 to give three possible axes of rolling. For any design it is useful to maintain clear lines such as are shown in the top view of a mat as Fig 3 at 301...301 right across the entire mat in order to give "potential crease lines" Any one mat might be composed of both square and rectangular panels; usually organised in a systematic way as rows of panels; some of which rows may be 5 made of panels of different ratios of width to length. Mats intended for cars trucks or buses may include a variety of panel shapes.

Separators are used to hold each panel at a predetermined distance (when flat) from its neighbours The predetermined distance is intended for providing a consistent appearance, and for providing channels (e.g. 503) for dirt to fall into. Separators (Fig 4, Fig 5, Fig 7) may be 10 comprised of rubber, or may be cast or moulded from a plastics material. A material selected for use as a separator should have flexibility, and resilience is a further advantage because resilience lends itself to the development of attachment means such as buttons 601 and 603 engaging in recesses (Figs 6 and 7) Rigid separators fitted with hinges are a further possible solution. However reliance on properties of a bulk material is simpler, more durable, and 15 corrosion-resistant than hinges Each panel 100, 501 is attached, usually from the underneath surface, to a separator 402, 403, 502, 602 which for the most part comprises a flat layer beneath the individual panels. The attachment method may be an adhesive, (as in fig 5) useful for factory-configured mats in particular, or as shown in fig 6 the fastening method may rely on some form of interlocking 20 connections such as buttons 601, 603; particularly for the user-configured series of mats. These connector buttons (shown in surface view on a single separator in Fig 7) may be shaped so as to fit securely into holes 605 in the panels We have shown pairs of lugs (601, 603), the use of which should tend to restrain any tendency of panels to slide sideways in relation to other rows, although other arrangements involving single lugs may be adequate. Alternatively, nuts and 25 bolts, self-tapping screws, or some other attachment means may be used. A single flexible separator may be made that comprises a flat though flexible surface capable of receiving and retaining one or more panels into prepared recesses upon the upper surface. Optionally, interlocking components may be provided.

F26lqPs 999 CW/jq In the embodiment of Fig 9, the separators 901 are provided with depressions 902 on the underside thereof. An aperture is provided through the separator 901 at 903 through which a pin 904 may be passed so that the head 905 thereof becomes positioned in the depression 902. The stem 906 of the pin passes through the separator and into a receiving depression 907 in the 5 underside of the panel 100.

Depressions 908 may also be provided on the upper side of the separator which are provided with protuberances 909 which in use is positioned in the depressions 908 to aid stability.

Fig 12 shows a pin 904 which is provided with an enlarger head to provide a tight fit of the pin 904 into the depression 907 which may be shaped in complementary fashion or the pin may pass 10 through part 102 if desired In Fig 10 an enlarged separator 1000 is provided which can engage six panels 100 (as shown pecked) which helps to inhibit skewing of the finished mat.

According to this invention a kit of parts capable of being assembled to form a mat could be sold, wherein the kit of parts could be of predetermined numbers that will become a mat of a 15 certain area Alternatively, a purchaser may be able to select individual panels from a range by colour, surface type, shape, or size and then also purchase a corresponding set of separators Although a glue-capable surface is simpler to manufacture, there may be advantages in providing a domestic purchaser with the capability to assemble mats of a desired size, shape, and colour arrangement, such as to include the street number, or the company logo. This 20 approach also allows for the replacement of panels after wear. In particular, if a panel becomes permeated with tar (for example), it could be removed for cleaning and soaked in a tar solvent, or simply replaced. Furthermore, the "grade" or kind of surface in a given panel might be adjustable according to position or likely kind of dirt. For example the panels closer to "outside" might be metal dirt-scraper types and the panels closer to "inside" might have fibrous 25 or bristly surfaces.

F261qPs 999 CW/|q 332003

Claims (11)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A mat, having an upper and a lower surface; the mat being compnsed of an array of a plurality of substantially rigid, substantially flat panels; each panel bearing durable material on an upper surface, and each panel being joined to the or each adjacent panel by means of a flexible separator, each panel being attached at a lower surface to a said separator or separators; the separator or separators being capable of flexibly holding any one border of a panel at a controlled separation or fixed distance from an adjacent border of a neighbouring panel, when the mat is in a substantially flat configuration, the separator or separators and the controlled separation allowing the mat to be rolled up for transport or storage purposes, and at least a substantial number of the separators being attached to at least four panels.

2. A mat as claimed in claim 1, wherein each panel is rectangular.

3. A mat as claimed in either one of claims 1 and 2 wherein each panel is attached at a side surface to a separator.

4. A mat as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a fastening means is provided for attaching each panel to a separator; the fastening means being reliant on the property of resilience of the flexible separator in order to permit reversible attachments to be made.

5. A mat as claimed in claim 4 wherein the fastening means comprises an adhesive.

6. A mat as claimed in claim 5 wherein the fastening means comprises a pin passing through the separator and into the panel.

7. A mat as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the flexible separator composes a substantially flat though flexible member capable of receiving and retaining one or more panels into prepared recesses upon the upper surface.

8. A mat as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein each panel has the form of a shallow tray so that at least some wear is applied to the upper borders of the tray before the durable material is worn away. r / INT^auAL PRoSri / OFFICE OF N.Z. I | 2 4 AUG 2001 I I Received I 00F261qPs 801 CW/jq 10

9. A mat as claimed in claim 11 wherein one or more edges of each tray can function as a scraper.

10. A mat as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a mat of desired dimensions can be manufactured by using a selected number of rows and columns of panels.

11. A mat substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. WLES Attorneys for: Advance Flooring Company INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. - 5 MAR 2001 RECEIVED 00F261qPs fDl CW/jq