Energy dissipative floor mat, mat system, and manufacturing process
AssigneePolymer Technologies Limited
InventorsRobert Prybutok, Robert Marsh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A composite floor mat having an upper layer, a middle layer, and a bottom layer. The upper layer comprises a durable wear surface, the middle layer comprises a plurality of pockets, each filled with an energy dissipative material. The bottom layer is bound to the upper layer and defines a perimeter of the mat and a network of ribs defining the pockets of the middle layer. A mat system comprises a plurality of mat components positioned adjacent one another, including edge mat components, corner mat components, and internal mat components, held together by retaining clips disposed in a channels of the mat components. A process for manufacture of a floor mat assembly, and product produced thereby, are also disclosed.
Claims19
A composite floor mat comprising:
- an upper layer of material comprising a durable wear surface configured to face away from a floor on which the mat is disposed and an underside opposite the durable wear surface;
- a middle layer comprising a plurality of pockets, each pocket filled with a portion of an energy dissipative material having the properties of a Bingham fluid, each pocket conforming to a geometry of the portion of energy dissipative material contained therein;
- and
- a bottom layer configured to form a bottom surface of the mat configured to face the floor on which the mat is disposed, the bottom layer bound to the upper layer, defining a perimeter of the mat, and defining a network of ribs defining the plurality of pockets of the middle layer, wherein the bottom layer and the network of ribs together comprise a monolithic member formed of a material that bonds the monolithic member directly to the upper layer;
- wherein the plurality of pockets and network of ribs are the product of process steps comprising:
- dispensing a plurality of the portions of energy dissipative material on the underside of the durable wear surface,
- dispensing a non-cured material around the energy dissipative portions and over the upper layer, and
- curing the non-cured material to form the monolithic member,
- wherein adjacent portions of energy dissipative material in adjacent pockets have a different geometry within a predetermined tolerance from a uniform geometry and the corresponding ribs have a non-uniform geometry conforming to the geometries of the portions of energy dissipative material bounded thereby.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.