US3005209A - Sink bottom disposal rubber mat - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 24, 1961 Filed Feb. 14, 1958 .-.''I :23 l

w. D. TIMMONS 3,005,209

SINK BOTTOM DISPOSAL RUBBER MAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 6 INVENTOR WILLIAM D. TIMMIONS BY WWW ATTORNEYS Oct. 24, 1961 w. D. TIMMONS SINK BOTTOM DISPOSAL RUBBER MAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 14, 958

ATTORNEYS S N m 0 m M W M 1 T D M M L L \\\E United States Patent 3,005,209 SINK BOTTOM DISPOSAL RUBBER MAT William D. Timmons, Pretty Products, Inc., Coshocton, Ohio; IWilliam D. Timrnons, Jr., Robert T. 'Iimmons,

and Harold E. Hunt, executors of said William D- Timmons, deceased, assignors to Pretty Products, Inc.,

Coshocton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Feb. 14, 1958, Ser. No. 715,315 3 Claims. (Cl. 4-187) The present invention is related to portable mats for being positioned in sinks, basins and the like and is more particularly concerned with such mats having means permitting the disposal of material therethrough.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a mat for being detachably placed upon the bottom inner face of sinks or the like having drainage openings for protecting said sinks when dishes, pans or utensils are placed within the sink, particularly at the times when such utensils are being washed.

A further and equally important object of the invention is to provide a flexible mat capable of being positioned upon the inner button; face of sinks or basins having one or more drainage openings and which mat normally closes such drainage openings but at times permit the disposal of Waste material through the mat into the drainage openings.

Further objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the following description of the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a mat according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of said mat.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the mat and a sink with the mat section being taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 1; and showing the flap forming part of the mat in an open position by dotted lines; and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a modified form of the present invention.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, wherein like and corresponding parts are designated by similar reference characters, numeral 1 refers to the body of the mat of FIGS. 1-4 inclusive which mat is formed of a flexible material, preferably rubber, or one of the plastics and is of a substantially flat configuration.

Said body 1 has raised head 2 formed therewith and extending around the marginal portion of said mat.

A plurality of ribs 3 are also formed integrally with said body and extend thereabove. The bottom face 4 of said body which is on an opposite side to ribs 3 also has a plurality of ribs formed integral therewith and extending therefrom. Ribs 3 are spaced apart relative to one another and can extend towards the bead 2 as shown in FIG. 1 or in other arrangements as desired. Similarly, ribs 5 are spaced apart and may run around the bottom face 4 or have other arrangements thereof without departing from the invention. A plurality of holes 6 are formed through the body 1 to eliminate suction beneath said body and to permit drainage thererough.

Said body 1 has a flap 7 formed integral therewith at the base end of said flap, but with the sides 8, 9 and 10 of said flap separated from the edges 12, 13 and 14 defining a substantially U-shaped central opening in said body. Flap 7 has a recess 11 in its end 10 to permit a person to insert the fingers therethrough for raising said flap when required. Further, flap 7 has ribs 15 extending from one face thereof, openings 16 extending therethrough and waflle shaped ribs 17 provided on its other face corresponding to bottom 4 of said body and. extending from said flap.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the present mat can be placed upon the inner face of a sink bottom 18 and extends from sides 19 by positioning ribs 5 and 17 on said sink bottom separating body 1 therefrom.

The drainage opening for said sink may be of any conventional type, but there has been illustrated a U-shaped drain 20 extending into mouth of an outlet pipe 21 centrally located in said sink and having a strainer 22 mounted within the drain 20 and having restricted openings 23 therethrough. Either the drain 20 or the pipe 21 can be connected to a conventional garbage disposal not shown.

Said mat when so positioned has the flap 7 extending over the drain 20 for closing the same by being pulled downwardly thereagainst by the suction which occurs in such drains due to the passage of water from the sink and through the pipe 21. Thus, said flap 7 will tend to normally close such drain against the passage of water, also this suction can be limited by the central opening 16 of said flap. Pans, dishes and other utensils or materials can be placed upon the ribs 3 of said mat. during washing or like operations without adhering thereto.

The mat can be left in the sink at all times if desired or removed therefrom, but when positioned thereon flap 7 can be raised by inserting the fingers in openings 11 and raising said flap in the manner indicated by the arrows in FIG. 4 whereupon waste material can be discharged through the opening provided by edges 12, 13 and 14 of said mat into the drain or garbage disposal therebeneath. Also, the raising of said flap will facilitate the discharge of liquid to said drain.

In FIG. 5 there is disclosed a modified form of mat for use in double sinks, basins or the like and is similar to the aforementioned mat except that it is of an elongated rectangular configuration for fitting upon the bottoms of such double sinks and includes a flexible body 24 having ribs 25 on both faces thereof which ribs are spaced apart, but are not of any particular design and also has a central flap 26 in the form of a tongue intregally connected with body 24 at its base end and having sides 27, 28 and 29 separated from edges 29, 30 and 33 which define a central opening 31 in said body. Said fiap has an end recess 32, ribs 34 on both faces. Body 24 also has openings 35 therethrough while flap 26 also has openings 36 therethrough.

The modified form of mat functions in the same manner as the aforementioned mat when positioned on a sink bottom and flap 26 can be raised when desired by inserting the fingers through recess 32 and raising said flap from body 24. Said flap will normally extend in the same plane as body 24 and extend across the drain 20 positioned therebeneath.

The present invention is capable of considerable modification and such changes thereto as come within the scope of the appended claims are deemed to be parts of the present invention.

What I claim is:

l. A sink bottom disposal mat comprising a one piece flexible flat mat having a plurality of projections formed extending from the bottom and top faces of said mat for spacing said mat from adjacent surfaces, said mat further having an entire central section thereof partially separated from the remainder of said mat providing a tongue of the same thickness and normally extending in the same plane as and integral at its base with said mat and having the edges of said tongue separated from said mat permitting the bending of said tongue from either the bottom or top of said mat from time to time leaving an opening similar to said tongue through said mat for the discharge of material therethrough, but normally positioned flat and eontiguons with said mat top, and bottom closing said open ng 2. A sink bottom disposal mat as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tongue has a U-shaped edge and said mat opening is defined. by a, u h p d ntfiriqt edg i h. sa d tongue edge normally mating therewith.

3. A sink bottom disposal mat as claim i claim 1 wherein at least said tongue has openings therethrough to assist in raising said tongue from a surfaee supporting said mat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ge ue et a1. pr. 21, 1953

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