FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to mat configurations, more particularly mat configurations for, but not limited to, area rugs, floor runners, floor mats, bath mats, doormats, exercise mats, play mats or any other type of mat or rug.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Rugs are typically made of carpet fibers, thick woven or other fibrous material that is difficult to clean thoroughly or sanitize. When soiled, the rug must be scrubbed by hand or professionally cleaned like carpet, and may still be left with residue stains or soil marks and odor from pet or human vomit, urine, or other bodily fluids. The nature of a typical rug design and construction makes is costly to clean or replace, heavy and cumbersome to move, and difficult to keep free of dust, mold, mildew, pet dander, allergen and other environmental toxins. This may be hazardous to children who crawl or anyone who lies on the rug, or to any person sensitive to allergens and toxins. Typical rugs and doormats are not designed to be laundered in a washing machine, cleaned thoroughly with soap and water or to be dry cleaned. Standard bath mats may be laundered in a washing machine but typically start falling apart, leaving chunks of loose fibers in your washing machine. Moreover, the cumbersome, difficult and expensive nature of a typical rug prevents it from being versatile, allowing the owner to switch out the rug design seasonally or as desired, as is often taken advantage of with bedding. Often, owners will keep a soiled rug longer than desired because of the difficulty and expense of replacement.
Accordingly there is a need for a mat and material configuration that serves the purpose of a rug, mimics the look and feel of a rug, but enables the owner to separate the cover material from the mat and wash both separately with minimal inconvenience. Accordingly there is a need for a rug alternative that is more lightweight, versatile, flexible; and therefore, less cumbersome, and less prone to an accumulation of dust, mold, mildew, pet dander, allergens, residual stains and pet or human vomit, urine, or other bodily fluids.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the aforementioned considerations, a mat configuration is configured of two components comprising, a lightweight, flexible, cushioned, non-slip substrate in the form of a mat and a cover, such that the cover can be made of any design, fabric or material that can be removed, cleaned, replaced, or easily stored when owner desires a switch out cover for a change in decor. The mat can be cleaned with soap and water and left to dry. The cover can be cleaned either be cleaned by hand with soap and water, laundered in a home washing machine, or dry-cleaned. Both components can be thoroughly cleaned as often as desired with minimal inconvenience or expense.
In view of the aforementioned considerations, the present invention contemplates a rug comprised of a substrate and a cover. The substrate has a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface having a central area, the central area being surrounded by a peripheral area. Within the peripheral area of the bottom surface of the substrate there is either an area of indentations, having a ceiling positioned above the bottom surface when the mat configuration is placed on a floor, or an area with protrusions extending from the bottom surface of the mat. These areas contain fastener arrangements configured into the substrate material, and made from substrate material, and are either indented or protruded shapes, to which corresponding slits in the cover material are fastened. This fastener arrangement could be comprised of a head arrangement in an indented area with a stem arrangement connecting the head arrangement to the ceiling of the indented area. The head arrangement has a bottom surface area that is substantially coplanar with the bottom surface of the substrate.
In a further aspect of the mat configuration, the fastener arrangement comprises a plurality of heads and the attachment arrangement of the cover comprises a plurality of slits aligned with the heads when the cover is in place. The heads are received through the slits and overlie the underturned portion of the cover.
In a further aspect of the mat configuration, the indentation area comprises a plurality of indentations, each having a portion of the fastening arrangement therein, that portion comprising a head and a stem, with the stem having a smaller cross section than the head, which facilitates buttoning of the cover to the fastening arrangement.
In a further aspect of the mat configuration, the indentation area is a continuous groove and in still a further aspect, the indentation area comprises separate grooves disposed in the peripheral area of the substrate.
In further aspects of the mat configuration, the mat arrangement is rectangular, oblong or round.
In a further aspect of the mat configuration the fasteners are configured as frustoconical projections with at least one rib therearound to grip the cover when the projection is received within slits in the cover.
In a further aspect of the mat configuration the fasteners are configured as protruded frustoconical projections that receive the slits in the cover.
In a further aspect of the mat configuration, the protruded fasteners are circular, rectangular or oblong in shape.
In a further aspect of the mat configuration, a cover overlies the top surface of the substrate and has a peripheral portion with an underturned area positioned over the indentation area of the substrate. An attachment area is provided on the cover, which attachment area cooperates with the fastening arrangement in the indentation area to hold the cover in place on the substrate.
In a further aspect of the mat configuration, the peripheral portion of the cover extends beyond the periphery of the substrate with the underturned area having a portion overlain by the top area of the cover without the substrate therebetween, and with a second portion of the underturned area being positioned over the indentation area of the substrate for attachment to the fastening arrangement.
In still a further aspect of the invention, the cover is made of a lightweight material washable in a conventional washing machine, or dry cleaned. The mat is made of a flexible material that can be easily washed with soap and water.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Various other features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a top view of the mat configuration according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the mat configuration shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a top view of a substrate seen in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the substrate shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is an elevation taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 4, showing a portion of the substrate enlarged to a suggested actual thickness;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged elevational portion taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged elevational portion taken along lines 7-7 of FIG. 1, showing a second embodiment of the invention wherein the substrate has relieved areas that accommodate the thickness of the cover;
FIG. 8 is an enlarged elevation portion taken along line 8-8 of the invention showing a third embodiment of the invention, wherein the substrate extends to the periphery of the cover;
FIG. 9 is a bottom view of a substrate similar to FIG. 4, but wherein the indentations are elongated with each indentation having a plurality of fasteners;
FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view of an alternative embodiment for the fasteners; and
FIG. 11 is an enlarged elevational portion taken along lines 11-11 of FIG. 1 showing another alternative embodiment for the fasteners, and
FIG. 12 is an enlarged elevational portion taken along lines 12-12 of FIG. 1 showing an additional alternative embodiment for the substrate and fasteners.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top view of a mat configuration 10, configured in accordance with the instant invention and showing only a cover 12. The cover 12 has a periphery 13, top surface 14 with a central area 16 and a peripheral area 18, the peripheral area including an all cover material without a substrate (“mat-less”) border area 19. The cover 12 is made of a material that is washable with water and an ordinary laundry detergent so that the cover can be washed in a home washing machine or dry cleaned.
The cover 12 is preferably made of a fabric, but it may also be made of other sheet material. The cover material is considered decorative and can be a solid color or incorporate decorative designs.
Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a bottom view of the mat configuration 10 shown in FIG. 1. As is seen in FIG. 2, the cover 12 has an underturned area 20 having a first portion 22 and a second portion 24. The first portion 22 is the underlying “mat-less” border area 19 of the peripheral portion 18 shown in FIG. 1, while the second portion 24 overrlies the substrate 26 mounted beneath the central area 16 of the cover 12. As is seen in FIG. 4, the substrate 26 has a bottom surface 27 and a top surface 29. The substrate 26 is made of a mat-type material which is compressible and resilient and preferably flexible so it may be folded and rolled. The substrate 26 provides the user with the thickness and protection against floor usually supplied by a rug. In order to function as a rug, the substrate has a suggested thickness of about ½ inch, other effect thickness being within the range of this invention.
In a preferred embodiment, the peripheral portion of the cover 12, comprised of the border area 19 and the underturned portion 22, is attached to the underturned portion 24 that forms a pocket 32 which receives a peripheral portion 34 of the substrate 26.
The cover 12 of the mat configuration 10 is retained on the substrate 26 by a plurality of fasteners 36 that are integral with, and preferably unitary with, the substrate 26. The fasteners 36 are received in slits 38 in the second portion 24 of the underturned area 20 of cover 12.
An example of a material for the substrate 26 is polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foam which has at least sealed top and bottom surfaces which are liquid resistant. The foam has an adequate density, which is preferably medium to high, and has non-slip surfaces to prevent unintentional sliding of the mat configuration 10 when the mat configurations is serving as a rug. Biodegradable material may be used in place of PVC foam as long as the materials do not substantially degrade during service life.
Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, where the substrate 26 is shown in isolation, the substrate 26 has a width and a length which allows the substrate to underlie the central portion 16 of the cover 12 shown in FIG. 1, and as seen in FIG. 2, to extend with the peripheral portion 34 into the pocket 32 defined by the stitching 30 separating the “matless border” 28 from the second portion 24 of the underturned area 20 of cover 12.
The bottom side of the substrate 26 forming the mat, seen in FIGS. 4 and 2, has the exposed area 27 and the covered peripheral portion 34 which is received in the pocket 32. In a first embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4, each of the fasteners 36 is positioned in an indentation 50 formed in the substrate 26 so as to be conveniently received in slits 38 in the cover 12 as is shown in FIG. 2. The edges of the slits 38 may be reinforced to be chafe resistant. The indentations 50 may be round, oblong, rectangular, bell or dog-bone shaped, or can be of any other shape so long as the fasteners 36 are readily received in the slits 38 for easy and convenient buttoning and unbuttoning.
Referring now to FIG. 5, where one of the fasteners 36 and the well 50 are shown in elevation, it is seen that the fastener 36 is comprised of a head 54 and a stem 56 with the stem having a smaller cross section than the head. The head 54 has a bottom surface 58 which is coplanar with or substantially coplanar with the bottom surface 27 of the substrate 26. Gaps separating the well 50 from the fastener 56 include a first gap 50 between the head 54 and the wall 62, and a second gap 64 between the wall 62 and the stem 56, as well as between the ceiling 66 of the indentation 50 and the overhang 70 of the head 54. Examples of suitable dimensions are a head diameter of 1 inch and a stem diameter of ⅔ inch, with gaps of ⅙ inch for the usual cover 12, other dimensions being within the scope of this specification.
Preferably, the heads 54 of the fasteners 36 are circular, as are the stems 56, however the stems and/or the heads 54 may have other shapes. For example, the stems 56 may be elongated so as to be rib-shaped and the heads 54 may be oblong.
As is seen in FIG. 6 where the cover 12 is shown buttoned to the substrate 26, the underturned second portion 24 of the cover is pressed into the gap 50 so that the slit 38 allows a portion of the cover to deflect into the gap where the slit surrounds the stem 56 with the head 54 of the fastener 36 overlying the cover, the underhung portion 70 of the head thus bearing against second underlying portion 24 of the cover. Consequently, at each of the fasteners 36 that comprise a fastening arrangement, the cover 12 is secured to the substrate 26 at stations around the peripheral portion 34 of the substrate.
In a first embodiment of the invention, the bottom surfaces of the heads 58 are coplanar with the bottom area of the substrate 26 so that the rug configuration 10 will lie substantially flat on the floor upon which it rests, a slight variation occurring adjacent the peripheral portion of the substrate, which variation is not readily noticeable to the eye or to people utilizing the mat configuration.
As is seen in FIG. 7, in a second embodiment of the invention the substrate 26′ is reduced slightly in thickness in areas 80 adjacent the fasteners 36 so that the thickness of the cover 12 is accommodated, thus making the button surface of the mat 10′ configuration even more flush with the bottom surface area 27′ of the substrate than with the first embodiment of FIG. 6.
As is seen in FIG. 6, the cover 12 is folded to form a peripheral edge 81, which lies in spaced relation to the peripheral edge 82 of the substrate 26. This is the preferred embodiment of the invention, however as is seen in FIG. 8, there is a third embodiment of the invention wherein the peripheral edge 83 of the cover 12 is adjacent the edge 84 of the substrate, the pocket being provided by the fold forming the edge 83 and the underlying portion 24′.
FIG. 9 is a fourth embodiment of the invention wherein indentations 50 in the substrate 26′ are elongated with each indentation 50′ having a plurality of fasteners 36′. If the mat configuration 10 is rectangular, then the indentations 50′ are adjacent each of the four edges of the mat configuration. Instead of the indentations 50′ being separated, a single continuous indentation may be employed.
While a rectangular shape is preferable for the mat configuration 10 other shapes, such as circular or oblong may be used for the mat configuration. An example of dimensions for a rectangular shape of at lest the substrate 26 of the mat configuration 10 is 88″×52″.
FIG. 10 is an alternative embodiment for the fasteners 36 wherein fasteners 36′ each have a frustoconical shape. Each of the fasteners 36′ is a frustoconical projection 90 extending from the ceiling 66 one of the indentation 50 or 50′ in substrate 26″, wherein the frustoconical projection is wider at the bottom 92 and tapers to the ceiling. Around the periphery 94 of the projection 90 are an array of ribs 96 that have downwardly slanted side surfaces 97 and upper surfaces 98 which preferably extend perpendicular to the axis 99 of the projection 90 so as to offer resistance to removal of the cover 12. The underlying portion 24 of the cover 12 couples with the projections 90 by receiving the projections 90 in the slits 38 as the cover is pressed into the indentations 50 and 50′ shown in FIGS. 4 and 9. To remove the cover 12 from the substrate 26″, the underlying portion 24 of the cover is simply pulled away from the substrate. In each of the previous drawings the fastener 36′ replaces fastener 36 when practicing the alternative embodiment of FIG. 10. The bottom 92 of each frustoconical projection 90 is coextensive or substantially coextensive with the surface 27 of the substrate 26 as is seen in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 of the drawings with respect to the head 54 and bottom surface 58.
FIG. 11 is an alternative embodiment for the fasteners 36, wherein fasteners 36″ having a circular, rectangular, oblong, dog-bone or frustoconical shape protrude out from the bottom 104 of the mat 105. The underlying portion 24 of the cover 12 couples with the protruded shapes 36″ by receiving the slits 38 as the cover is pressed over the protrusion shapes 36″. The protruded shapes 36″ may have sides extending perpendicular to, or at an acute angle, to the bottom 104, which sides engage the edges of the slits 38 to hold the cover in place. But preferably, the protruded shapes are made of a material that is sufficiently tacky to hold the protrusions 36″ in the slits 38 even if the protrusions are substantially frustoconical. The mat 105 is made of the same or similar material that exercise mats and yoga mats are made from, e.g., high density foam material such as, but not limited to, polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Such materials provide a tacky surface which will hold the cover 12 to the substrate 26 or 105 while allowing the cover to be easily peeled or stripped from the substrate. Such a material provides a mat which sticks to the protrusions 36″, as well as to the floor on which the mat configuration 10′ or 10 rests, but has sufficient ready-release properties that the mat can be easily removed from the floor, while the cover can be readily peeled from the protruding fasteners. Thus the mat configuration 10′ is non-slip as well as having an easily removable cover 12.
In the arrangement of FIG. 12, the substrate 105 is provided with a step 107 to both accommodate the thickness of the underturned portion 24 of the cover and to provide a lower profile for the bottom 106 of the projection 36″ with respect to the bottom surface 104 of the substrate 105.
To remove the cover 12 from the substrate 26″, the underlying portion 24 of the cover is simply pulled away from the substrate. In each of the previous drawing figures, the fasteners 36″ (protruded shapes) replace fasteners 36 when practicing the alternative embodiment of FIGS. 11 and 12. The bottom 106 of each protrusion 36″ is pliable and designed so that the rug configuration at least appears flat and smooth when viewed from above because the protrusions have bottom surfaces which tend to flatten against the floor.
From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention, and without departing form the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions.
Patent Application
20100247841
