The present invention is related to floor mats, primarily to be placed at the entrance of a building for allowing entrants to wipe the soles of their shoes. The invention is in particular related to mats comprising elongate profiles with tufts or brushes fitted into said profiles, said profiles being connected together to form a mat surface.
In floor mats of the type described above, it is important to evacuate water as quickly and efficiently as possible. In many cases, the mat profiles are provided with tufts or brushes which are fixed into holes or cavities provided in the profiles. In wet weather conditions, significant amounts of water can become accumulated in the holes or cavities, leading to brushes or tufts becoming saturated with water, thereby deteriorating the effectiveness of the mat.
The invention is related to a mat as described in the appended claims. This mat provides a solution to the above described problem of water saturation. The invention is also related to a profile usable in a mat according to the invention.
The invention is thus related to a floor mat comprising a plurality of interconnected profiles placed side by side to form the surface of the mat, each profile comprising one or more brushes or tufts inserted in the top surface of the profile, wherein each profile comprises an elongate cavity extending in the longitudinal direction of the profile, said cavity being open towards the underside of the profile, said cavity comprising one or more capillary channels oriented in said longitudinal direction, said channel(s) being in contact with said brushes or tufts.
According to an embodiment, each profile comprises at least one row of interspaced tufts inserted into holes in the profile, wherein all of the tufts in said row are in contact with a capillary channel.
According to another embodiment, each profile (1) comprises at least one row of interspaced brushes inserted into cavities in the profile, wherein all of the brushes in said row are in contact with a capillary channel. In a floor mat according to the invention, said profiles may be made of PVC-U.
A mat according to the invention may further comprise an elongate cover provided over the top and side surfaces of each of the profiles, said cover having an interior surface that corresponds to the profile's outer surface, said cover further comprising holes or cavities corresponding to the holes or cavities in the profile, for passage of said tufts or brushes through the holes or cavities of the cover.
According to an embodiment, the cover further comprises elongate strips on the inner side walls of the cover, and the corresponding profile comprises elongate grooves in the exterior side walls of the profile, so that said strips may fit into said grooves when the cover and profile are assembled together. The cover can be made of aluminium.
In a floor mat according to the invention, said profiles may be connected together by one or more cables threaded laterally through the profiles, and with spacers being placed in between the profiles, said cables equally being threaded through said spacers.
In a mat according to the invention, said profiles or said covers can be provided with a longitudinal scraper on their top surface.
The invention is equally related to a profile for forming a floor mat comprising a plurality of interconnected profiles placed side by side to form the surface of the mat, said profile comprising one or more openings in the profile's top surface, said one or more openings being arranged in the longitudinal direction of the profile, said opening(s) being suitable for receiving tufts or brushes inserted therein, and an elongate cavity extending in the longitudinal direction of the profile, said cavity being open towards the underside of the profile, said cavity comprising one or more capillary channels oriented in said longitudinal direction, each of said one or more openings being in direct contact with a capillary channel.
Said one or more openings may be holes arranged in one or more rows, the holes of each row being in contact with a capillary channel.
a shows a cross-section and a 3D-view of a mat profile according to the invention.
a shows a cross-section of the profile of
a shows a preferred embodiment of a profile 1 according to the invention. The profile is preferably made from a synthetic material such as Unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC-U). The dimensions of the profile as seen in cross-section (expressed in mm) are indicated as an example, and are not limiting to the scope of the invention. The profile has a central protrusion 2 at the top, which serves as a scraper for dirt and dust. On either side of the scraper, holes 3 are provided for receiving tufts inserted in said holes. The profile is hollow: it comprises a cavity 4 that is open towards the underside of the profile. The cavity 4 extends in the longitudinal direction of the profile, along the totality of the profile's length, or at least along the portion of the profile that is configured to receive tufts.
The cross-section of the cavity 4 by a plane perpendicular to the profile's longitudinal axis is preferably constant along said longitudinal axis. The shape of the cavity's cross-section is shown in detail in
In
b shows a detail of the right hand channel 5 in a profile 1. The position and depth of the holes 3 is such that when the tufts 9 are inserted, they are in contact with the channels 5. According to the preferred embodiment, visualized in the detail of
The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The preferred embodiment is related to profiles with tufts 9 inserted in rows in the profiles 1, with a space between adjacent tufts. However, the capillary action is equally beneficial when a continuous row of tufts is inserted in a longitudinal groove of the profile, instead of in separate holes, said groove being in direct contact with a capillary channel 5. The invention is also applicable to mats wherein a brush of a given width is inserted in the profile, or a row of interspaced brushes of shorter length are inserted in separate cavities of the profile, said cavities being in direct contact with the channels 5. The latter embodiment is illustrated in
As stated, the dimensions of the channels 5 are such that the capillary forces are sufficient to transport water in the longitudinal direction. As an example, and not limiting to the scope of the invention,
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2011/058503 | 5/24/2011 | WO | 00 | 10/8/2013 |