Patent Application
20120324667
The present invention relates generally to automobile attachments, and more particularly to a rotatable vehicle doormat for cleaning the shoes and feet of vehicle occupants.
As any automobile owner will attest, it is a constant battle to maintain a clean automobile interior. The largest cause for introducing dirt and dust typically comes from the feet of occupants as they enter the vehicle. There have been previous vehicle shoe cleaning devices in the prior art. Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,583,894; 6,301,739 and 6,363,567 among others; however, none of these devices feature a lightweight rotatable automobile doormat configured to be easily affixed to the underside of a vehicle, and having a debris removal mechanism that does not require cleaning or emptying.
The present invention, directed to a rotatable shoe and foot cleaner for a vehicle differs from the foregoing prior art in a number of aspects. The manner by which will become more apparent in the description which follows, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
It is an object of the invention to provide a rotatable vehicle doormat device and system which is lightweight, easy to install and remotely operable by a user.
Accordingly, there is provided a rotatable mat having a plurality of protrusions and openings configured to remove dirt and debris from a user prior to entering a vehicle. The mat can be rotated into an extended position configured for use, and a retracted position when the device is not in use. The device can include a motor capable of rotating the mat when commanded by a user and the device 10 can be easily and quickly installed onto the underside of a vehicle.
Presently preferred embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should be appreciated, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.
a is a cutout view of the components of the rotation unit in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
a is a side view of the rotatable vehicle doormat device in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the description in conjunction with the drawings. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the inventive arrangements in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention.
For purposes of this description, the terms “upper,” “bottom,” “right,” “left,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in
The mat 11 can act to allow a user to remove debris and dirt from their shoes and feet prior to entering a vehicle. The mat 11 can include a generally planar member having a top surface 11a, a bottom surface 11b, opposing side surfaces 11c, an inside facing surface 11d and an outside facing surface 11e. In one preferred embodiment, the mat 11 can be constructed from injection molded plastic which is lightweight and waterproof while maintaining excellent strength and durability. Of course many other materials such as lightweight aluminum, steel, PVC, hard plastic and wood, for example, can also be utilized without deviating from the inventive concepts disclosed herein.
As shown, a plurality of upward facing protrusions 12 can be positioned along the top surface 11a of the mat. In one preferred embodiment, each protrusion can comprise a rubberized cone or other similar nub that is permanently affixed to the top surface of the mat 11a via any number of traditional means, such as glue, for example. In operation, each protrusion can make contact with the foot or shoe of a user to physically scrape away dirt and debris before entering the vehicle.
In one embodiment, the mat 11 can also include a plurality of openings 13 extending from the top surface 11a through to the bottom surface 11b. Each of these openings can preferably be located adjacent to a protrusion 12 and configured to allow and debris removed from a user to pass through the mat and onto the ground. Such a feature can allow repeated use of the device 10 without the need to empty a storage bin or perform cleaning of any type.
Although described above as utilizing cone shaped protrusions, one of skill in the art will recognize that any number of different materials and shapes can be utilized to remove the dirt and debris. For example,
The swing arm 14 can act to position the mat 11 at a location suitable for use by a vehicle occupant. In one embodiment, the swing arm 14 can include a vertical shaft 14a and a horizontal shaft 14b separated by an adjustable hinge 14c capable of orienting the horizontal shaft 14b, and correspondingly the mat 11, at any number of different vertical positions (see arrow c). As will be described below in detail, the vertical shaft 14a can connect to the rotator 20 and have a length sufficient to allow the mat 11 to swing beneath a vehicle bottom for access by a user. Likewise, the horizontal shaft of the swing arm 14c can be connected to the inside facing portion of the mat 11d via connection hardware such as bolts, screws or welds, for example, and can include a length sufficient to allow the mat extend beyond the exterior of the vehicle.
In an alternate embodiment (not illustrated), the swing arm 14 can be constructed from a single piece of aluminum bar having an approximate 90° bend positioned along a center portion thereof. Of course other materials such as injection molded plastic, for example, are also contemplated.
The rotator 20 can act to move the mat 11 in a horizontal manner when instructed by a user. To this end, the rotator, according to one embodiment can include a housing 21a gear/swing sprocket 22, and a motor 23.
The housing 21 can include a generally planar top surface having one or more openings 21a for securing the device to the underside of a vehicle 5a via conventional hardware such as screws, nuts and bolts, for example. It is preferred that the housing 21 be mounted to the underside of a vehicle 5a in a location near to the vehicle door 5b. To this end, one embodiment of the housing 21 can include a lower opening 21c configured to receive the top portion of the vertical swing arm 14a, as will be described below.
The housing 21 can act to securely position each of the elements 22 and 23 into a single compact box. To this end, the housing 21 can take any number of distinct shapes or sizes, and can be constructed from any number of known materials and methods. In one preferred embodiment, housing body 21 can be constructed from injection molded plastic having a plurality of internal connectors (not shown) for securely positioning the swing sprocket 22 and motor 23 in a durable and waterproof manner. Of course, other known materials and manufacturing processes are also contemplated.
As shown in
The motor 23 can preferably include a lightweight conventional linear actuator motor having a shaft 23a with a plurality of teeth configured to mate with the teeth of the sprocket 22a in a conventional manner. To this end, when the motor 23 extends and retracts the shaft 23a in a horizontal direction (see arrow a) the swing arm and the mat 11 will rotate (see arrow b) in a corresponding side to side manner.
As shown in
Although not illustrated, the device 10 can be controlled remotely via a conventional wired switch capable of sending a forward and reverse command to the motor 23, so as to rotate the mat 11 for use. This switch can be mounted at any convenient location within the vehicle for easy access by a user, and the motor 23 can be conventionally wired to the vehicle battery.
a illustrates an alternate embodiment of the device 10. The device is substantially similar to the above embodiment with the exception that the electric motor 23 is omitted from the rotation unit 20. Additionally, a handle 25 can be secured to the edge of the mat 11 so as to allow a user to manually rotate the device 10 for operation and storage.
As described herein, one or more elements of the rotatable vehicle doormat device 10 can be secured together utilizing any number of known attachment means such as, for example, screws, glue, compression fittings and welds, among others. Moreover, although the above embodiments have been described as including separate individual elements, the inventive concepts disclosed herein are not so limiting. To this end, one of skill in the art will recognize that one or more individual elements such as the mat 11, the swing arm 14 (and all subcomponents) the swing sprocket and/or the rotator housing 21, for example, may be formed together as one continuous element, either through manufacturing processes, such as welding, casting, or molding, or through the use of a singular piece of material milled or machined with the aforementioned components forming identifiable sections thereof. Accordingly, in one alternate embodiment, each of the above described elements can be constructed from injection molded plastic having a height and dimension suitable for installation onto a vehicle underside.
The remote switch 43 can include any number of known devices capable of transmitting a radio frequency in response to a user input. In one embodiment, the remote switch 43 can include one or more input buttons 43a configured to instruct a transmitter 43b to send a signal to extend or retract the mat 11. In one preferred embodiment, the transmitter can include a variable radio wave transmitter having a unique radio frequency chip capable of transmitting a plurality of independent radio frequencies.
The power source 41 of the device 10, according to one embodiment, can include a direct current (DC) battery conventionally connected to the motor 23 and configured to supply appropriate power for the operation of the device 10.
The receiver 42 can be communicatively linked to the motor 23 and configured to receive a signal from the transmitter 43b of the remote switch 43. In one preferred embodiment, the receiver 42 can include a variable radio wave receiver having a unique radio frequency chip capable of receiving and translating a plurality of independent radio frequencies. Upon receiving a command from the transmitter 43, the receiver can instruct the motor to extend or retract the mat 11.
Although described above as using radio transmission, reception and frequencies, other communication mediums and their associated components are also contemplated. For example, infrared (IR), Bluetooth, RFID, microwave and other known communication mediums can also be utilized without deviating from the scope and spirit of the inventive concepts disclosed herein.
By incorporating a wireless control mechanism, the system 100 can allow the device 10 to be easily installed onto a vehicle without the need to perform complex wiring and with a minimum complexity effort, thus making the device suitable for aftermarket applications.
As shown in
As to a further description of the manner and use of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
