Persons who stand on hard surfaces at one place for a long time may experience fatigue and injury in their necks, backs, knees, legs and/or feet. Anti-fatigue mats have been provided to ameliorate these issues. These mats can be molded of materials such as foamed polyurethane, typically come as single pieces, and may measure about two feet by three feet. The mats are fairly thick, on the order of 0.75 inch, and have lateral edges that typically are beveled. Their size is often limited by considerations of manufacture, packaging, shipping and ease in deployment by the end user. A need continues to exist for large-area anti-fatigue mats which can be assembled without tools by the end user from multiple components, whose connectors will not be seen or felt by the user, and which, once joined together, will exhibit superior resistance to being separated.
According to one aspect of the invention, a floor mat system is provided that has at least first and second mat components. An elongate first channel is formed in the first mat component to inwardly extend from a lateral boundary thereof. A first socket is formed in the first mat component to upwardly extend from a roof of the first channel, itself upwardly displaced from a first general lower surface of the first mat component. An elongate second channel is formed in the second mat component to inwardly extend from a lateral boundary thereof. A second socket is formed in the second mat component to upwardly extend from a roof of the second channel, itself upwardly displaced from a second general lower surface of the second mat component. The lateral boundaries of the first and second mat components may be abutted, such that the first and second channels are made to be continuous with each other, and then joined with a connector. The connector has an elongate strap that is adapted to be received into the first and second channels. A first post upwardly extends from the strap and is adapted to be received into the first socket. A second post upwardly extends from the strap and is adapted to be received into the second socket. Once the first post is received in the first socket and the second post is received in the second socket, the first and second mat components are fastened together.
In one embodiment, the roofs of the channels are upwardly displaced from the general lower surfaces of the mat components by a first depth. The connector strap has a second depth or thickness, measured between the strap's upper and lower surfaces, that is less than the first depth. In use, the lower surface of the strap is disposed above the general lower surfaces of the first and second mat components. This will ensure that the connector strap, which can be formed of a relatively hard plastic, does not mar the floor on which the first and second mat components are resting.
In one embodiment, the connector has four posts, positioned at the corners of a quadrangle, wherein each of the posts is connected to neighboring posts by respective straps. The first mat component has a third socket, connected to the first socket by a third channel, and communicating to the lateral boundary of the first mat component by a fourth channel. Likewise, the second mat component has a fourth socket, connected to the second socket by a fifth channel, and communicating to the lateral boundary of the second mat component by a sixth channel. All of the channels have roofs that are upwardly displaced from the general lower surfaces of the first and second mat components. When the first and second mat components are abutted together, the fourth and sixth channels become continuous with each other. Posts of the connector are received in respective sockets in the mat components, and the respective straps of the connector are received in the respective connecting channels. Two of the straps will cross the lateral boundaries, and two will reside in respective ones of the third and fifth channels. The cross-straps provide additional resistance to a tensile force tending to separate the first and second mat components from each other, while the straps positioned in parallel to the first and second lateral boundaries provide additional resistance to shear forces.
In one embodiment, the mat components are made of a resilient material, such as a foamed elastomer. The posts of the connector have shafts with a first diameter, and free ends with a larger, second diameter. The free ends of the posts therefore engage the sidewalls of the sockets with an interference fit. In one embodiment, the free ends of the posts are barbed, such that the force necessary to withdraw them from the sockets is greater than the force necessary to insert them. This also causes the connector straps to be lifted into the channels so that they don't contact the floor.
In an alternative embodiment, the sockets have cylindrical sidewalls. But the interference fit of the free ends of the connector posts to these sidewalls keeps them attached anyway. This is particularly the case when the free ends are barbed.
In another aspect of the invention, a modular floor mat includes at least first and second mat components. A first socket is formed in the first mat component to be laterally inwardly spaced from a first lateral boundary of the first mat component. A second socket is formed in the second mat component to be laterally inwardly spaced from a second lateral boundary of the second mat component. The sockets upwardly extend from respective lower surfaces of the mat components. A connector is provided which has an elongate strap, and first and second posts upwardly extending from the strap. The length of the strap is approximately the same as the sum of the lateral distance of the first socket from the first lateral boundary and the lateral distance of the second socket from the second lateral boundary. When the first lateral boundary is abutted against the second lateral boundary, the connector may be used to join the first mat component to the second mat component by inserting the first post into the first socket and inserting the second post into the second socket.
In one embodiment, the modular floor mat further includes a third mat component. The second mat component has a third lateral boundary and the third mat component has a fourth lateral boundary. A third socket is formed in the second mat component to be laterally inwardly spaced from the third lateral boundary. A fourth socket is formed in the third mat component to be laterally inwardly spaced from the fourth lateral boundary. When the third and fourth lateral boundaries are abutted, a connector with a third post, a fourth post and a connecting second strap may be used to join the second mat component to the third mat component.
The relationship of the first, second and third mat components may be linear, such that the second mat component is a middle mat component and the first and third mat components are end mat components. In this case the second and third lateral boundaries may be parallel to and opposed to each other. Alternatively, the second mat component may be a corner mat component. In this case, the second and third lateral boundaries may be disposed at an angle to each other, such as 90 degrees. Mat systems having other configurations are possible.
The present invention permits the assembly of an infinite number of mat components into a single mat. In one embodiment two of the mat components will be end mat components; while the rest will be middle and/or corner mat components.
In another aspect of the invention, a connector is provided to join together mat components into a single mat. The connector has an elongate strap. A first post stands up from the strap and has a top end. The first post has an enlarged diameter near the top end. A second post, spaced from the first post, stands up from the strap and also has an enlarged diameter near its top end.
In one embodiment, the connector further includes a third post spaced from the first and second posts and a fourth post spaced from the first, second and third posts. Straps connect the third post to the second post and the fourth post, and the fourth post to the first post.
In one embodiment, the posts each have a barb near their top ends. In one embodiment, the connector is integrally injection-molded of plastic, and the posts are hollow.
Further aspects of the invention and their advantages can be discerned in the following detailed description as read in conjunction with the drawings of exemplary embodiments, in which like characters denote like parts and in which:
Each of the mat components 102, 104, 202 may be formed of a resilient material such as a foamed elastomer. More particularly, each of the mat components 102, 104, 202 may be cast using a molten foaming polyurethane. After hardening, each of the mat components 102, 104, 202 will have a fluid-impervious flexible skin and a foamed interior.
Each of the mat components 102, 104 and 202 have two kinds of edges or lateral boundaries. For those lateral boundaries not meant to be abutted to the lateral boundaries of adjacent mat components, the lateral boundaries can be beveled edges 108, which help prevent a user tripping over them. Each beveled edge 108 laterally and downwardly extends at an angle from a planar top surface 110 of the mat component to a substantially planar, general bottom surface 112 thereof. As completely assembled, system 100 and system 200 will have overall external lateral boundaries that are all beveled edges 108.
The other kind of lateral boundary possessed by each of the mat components 102, 104, 202 is a lateral boundary meant to abut another lateral boundary. Each end mat component 104 has a single lateral boundary 114. The middle mat component 102 has two opposed lateral boundaries 116 and 118 which, in the illustrated embodiment, are parallel to each other. The corner mat component has mateable lateral boundaries 204 and 206 that are disposed at an angle to each other, such as 90 degrees. Each of these lateral boundaries 114, 116, 118, 204, 206 are adapted to be abutted and mated with one of the remaining lateral boundaries. In the illustrated embodiment, the lateral boundaries 114, 116, 118, 204 and 206 are, apart from a small degree of rounding near their top ends, planar and perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces of the respective mat component. This makes them easy to put together. But in alternative embodiments, some of the lateral boundaries 114, 116, 204 and 206 could take curved or other nonstraight shapes, and in this instance others of the lateral boundaries would have complementary shapes. For example, lateral boundaries 116, 118 could be convex, and in that instance lateral boundaries 114 would be concave. As other examples, all mating lateral boundaries could be sinusoidal, toothed or interdigitated.
In the illustrated embodiment, the strap 300 and posts 304, 306 are integrally molded from a plastic such as polypropylene.
The posts 304, 306 each may have a cylindrical shaft 308 and may terminate in an enlarged head 310. In the illustrated embodiment, each head 310 includes a circumferential barb 312 formed by an upper conical surface 314 and a lower horizontal annular surface 316.
In the illustrated embodiment, the connector 106 further has a third post 318 and a fourth post 320, which can be identical in form to first and second posts 304, 306. Post 318 is spaced from posts 304 and 306. Post 320 is spaced from each of posts 304, 306 and 318. The connector 106 in this embodiment has second, third and fourth straps 322, 324 and 326 that are similar in width and thickness to strap 300. Strap 322 connects post 304 to post 318. Strap 324 connects post 318 to post 320. Strap 326 connects post 320 back to post 306. In illustrated embodiment, the posts 304, 306, 320 and 318 form corners of a quadrangle, and straps 300, 326, 324 and 322 form its sides. In use, the straps 326 and 322 each will be spaced from and parallel to a mat component lateral boundary, while straps 300 and 324 will cross two abutting mat component lateral boundaries.
The illustrated connector 106 has four posts, but alternative connectors could have additional pairs of post and additional straps to connect them to the rest of the connector structure. There should be a sufficient number of transverse or cross-straps to resist any tensile force tending to separate the joined mat components from each other. This will vary according to how resistive to tensile forces each mat component is. A relatively soft or delicate mat component may require more cross straps and posts, while a relatively resilient or tough mat component will require fewer. The illustrated four-post connector has been shown to provide enough tensile resistance to prevent the foamed polyurethane mat components from separating from each other under typical tensile loads experienced during their use, such as might be imposed by the feet of the user during walking or running. Meanwhile, the parallel straps 322, 326 offer an enhanced degree of resistance to shear forces operating at right angles to the abutted mat component lateral boundaries.
The structure of one of these cavities 402 will be described in conjunction with
A vertical distance between the roofs 610 of the channels 604, 700 and the general lower surface 112 is greater than a predetermined depth, or thickness, between the upper surface 302 of strap 300 and a lower surface 704 thereof. In one embodiment, the vertical channel depth can be about 0.10 in., while a thickness between the strap upper surface 302 and the lower strap surface 704 can be 0.05 in. Since at least the enlarged post heads 310 are in an interference fit with the elastomeric sidewalls of sockets 600 and 702, the strap 300 is held against the roofs 610 of channels 604 and 700. This upwardly displaces the lower surface 704 of strap 300 from general lower surface 112, and keeps the lower surface 704 from contacting the floor on which the mat components 102, 104 are resting. This prevents marring the floor by connector 106.
For the purpose of illustration only, the depicted socket 600 has a different shape than socket 702; in an actual commercial application and for ease of manufacture, sockets 600 and 702 would be the same. The socket 600 has a straight vertical cylindrical sidewall 706, the diameter of which may be chosen to be smaller than the diameter of barb 312. Post 306 will therefore be in interference with the sidewall 706, causing the elastomeric material surrounding sidewall 706 to buckle at the locus of contact. This, and the differences in slopes of the surfaces making up barb 312, are enough to pull the connector 106 up off of the floor on which general lower surface 112 is resting. The diameter of barb 312 may be 0.57 in., while the diameter of cylindrical sidewall 706 may be 0.50 in.
Socket 702, on the other hand, has a sidewall 708 with a varying diameter. A diameter across a throat or constriction 710 is less than a diameter taken on the sidewall at a place upwardly spaced from the throat 710. For example, the throat 710 can have a diameter of 0.5 in, while a largest lateral diameter of the socket sidewall can be 0.56 in. Constricted throat 710 will cause an audible snap when the post 304 is inserted into the socket 702, giving an audible signal to the user that this connection has been completed.
Both sockets 600, 702 have a height, as measured from the channel roof 610 to a ceiling 712 thereof, that is larger than the height of any of the posts 304, 306, 318, 320 as measured from the stop surface of the straps 300, 322, 324, 326. This permits a degree of overdrive when installing the connectors 106. For example, the difference in heights can be 0.05 in.
In the illustrated embodiment, all of the sockets are blind, and sufficient mat material overlays them that the posts 300, 322, 324, 326 won't be felt by a person standing on the mat.
In summary, a modular anti-fatigue mat system has been shown and described that permits users to easily assemble anti-fatigue mats that have extended areas and varying overall shapes. Once assembled, the mat components will stay that way and will resist tensile and shear forces tending to separate them. The connectors used to assemble the mat components are hidden from view once the mat is assembled, resulting in a less cluttered appearance and allowing for easier cleaning.
While illustrated embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated in the appended drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto but only by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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3676971 | Dombroski | Jul 1972 | A |
3731445 | Hoffmann | May 1973 | A |
8683769 | Cerny | Apr 2014 | B2 |
9062463 | Chojnowski | Jun 2015 | B2 |
20080250744 | Hrovath | Oct 2008 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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102009014603 | Sep 2010 | DE |
102014107485 | May 2018 | DE |
3372749 | Apr 2020 | EP |
2903707 | Jan 2008 | FR |
WO-2007129211 | Nov 2007 | WO |
Entry |
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ComfortMat, https://www.weathertech.com/comfortmat/, image of web page, downloaded Apr. 11, 2023. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20230397748 A1 | Dec 2023 | US |