US3526564A - Foamed plastic floormat with perforated envelope - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 1, 1970 w. A. CRAVWFORD FOAMED PLASTIC FLOORMAT WITH PERFORATED ENVELOPE Filed July 19. 1967 Flel4o INVENTOR,

WILLIAM A. CRAwFoRD;

ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3526564 Patented Sept. 1, 1970 3,526,564 leading from the top surface to the interior of the en- FOAMED PLASTI FLOORMAT WITH velope. Within the envelope is a removable thin filler 10 PERFORATED ENVELOPE which has dimensions to fit closely within the interior of William A. Crawford, Hawthorne, Calif. the envelope. This thin filler is preferably formed of (328 3 5th St., Manhattan Beach, Calif. 90250) 5 foamed polyurethane plastic.

Flled y 1967, 654,630 The operation, uses and advantages of the invention Int. Cl. B321) 3/10, 3/26 are as f ll 161 43 3 Chums The mat, including the envelope and the thin filler within the same may be placed in any desired location such as the interior of a dwelling or other building struc- I ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE ture for contact by the feet when the door is opened for The inventlon comprises an envelope adapted to hold admittance of a person, as shown in FIG. 1. The mat a sheet of foamed plastic. One side of the envelope is works particularly well on a wool rug from which it perforated. When the mat is placed adjacent a door openreadily gets static electrical charges. The present mat is mg and the perforated side is walked upon, dirt from the 5 auxiliary to any mat that may be exterior of the door and shoes passes through the perforations onto the foamed which exterior mat does not collect all of the dirt and plastic where it is collected and held until the foamed plasdust from the feet so that when the mat 1 is contacted tie is removed from the envelope, cleaned and then reany remaining dirt on the feet will contact the top memplaced in the envelope. The theory is that dirt particles ber and the dirt will pass through the perforations 9 by receive an electrostatic contact charge when the foot of 20 electrostatic attraction within the envelope and deposit the person steps upon the perforated surface of the enupon the top surface of the thin filler 10. The usefulness velope which charge draws the dirt and dust through the of the mat aids materially in preventing additional dirt perforations to hold the same within the envelope upon and dust from entering the house or dwelling for contact the foamed plastic sheet. with carpets and floors.

The device is believed to operate on an electrostatic principle and may be electromagnetic as well, although it An object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive has been found from experience that contact charges are mat adapted to collect dirt and dust and to hold the dirt made upon the top surface of the mat by the foot which and dust trapped within an envelope until its removal is sufiicient to charge the dirt particles so that the particles therefrom. are deposited upon the charged filler. After use of the mat,

The device of the invention is particularly useful at the mat may be cleaned by opening the flap 7 to expose doors such as front or rear doors, so that a person enterthe interior of the envelope and the removal of the filler. ing through the door will deposit dirt or dust from the The filler may then be washed, dried and replaced within feet on the mat which dirt and dust passes within the enthe envelope. velope of the mat and is held therein by electrostatic It is obvious that other means may be utilized for seattraction. The mat may be used in automobiles, bathcuring the edges of the top and bottom members of the rooms and other locations. envelope together although in the case of plastic it has A further object is a mat which is inexpensive in cost been found that heat sealing is simple and economical. of manufacture, useful, has no parts subject to disorder I claim: and which is a help in preventing excess dust and dirt 1. A mat, comprising: a flexible envelope having a top from being carried within a dwelling or other structure. member and a bottom member both formed from poly- In the drawing: vinyl chloride material, and a removable foam plastic FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a door and filler within the envelope, said top member provided with its opening with the mat of the invention in position for a plurality of transverse perforations throughout its length contact with the shoes of the person entering through and breadth. the door opening; 2. The device as set forth in claim 1, characterized in FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the top surface of that: the bottom member is imperforate. the mat envelope; 3. The device as set forth in claim 1, characterized in FIG. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan of the mat enthat the foamed plastic filler is formed of polyurethane. velope wit-h a filler within the same;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken References Clted on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 and UNITED STATES A N FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line of FIG. 2; 2,251,372 8/1941 Nlcholson 161--161 XR FIG 6 is a view of the filler removed from the mat 2976577 3/1961 Gould 161-161 XR envelolga 3,016,317 1/1962 Brunner 161113 Referring to the drawing and specifically FIGS. 2 to 6 gamberg 161 160 XR emmons l61-43 XR incluslve, the mat of the inventlon mcludes an envelope 3 420 022 1/1969 Brock 161 43 XR 1 having a top member 2 and a bottom member 3, the sides and one end of the said members being heat sealed FOREIGN PATENTS adjacent the longitudinal and lateral edges as shown at 961,366 6/1964 Great Britain 4, 5, and 6, the envelope being provided with a transverse g 7 E sealgd f a end b if s as ShWI1 JOHN T. GOOLKASIAN, Primary Examiner a ,te apaape ooverlempar e oommember 3 as shown in FIG. 4. Thus the envelope is preferably 65 FRITSCH, Asslstant Exammer formed from a plastic material such as polyvinyl chloride, U S Cl X R by way of example. The top member is provided throughout its length and breadth with transverse perforations 9 16l113, 160, 161

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