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US 12,678,018 B2Granted
Dish drying mat
AssigneeMacneil IP LLC
InventorStephen Kane
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sloping upper surface of a dish mat is supported by nonrectangular support ribs, whose depth decreases as a function of distance from the back of the dish mat body. Angled ribs in a left portion and in a right portion of the upper surface direct fluid to a central channel, which in turn directs the fluid to a spillway. The spillway forwardly and downwardly extends into a sink at which the dish mat has been positioned.
Claims13
A mat on which dishware may be placed in connection with a process for cleaning the dishware, the mat comprising:
- a body having a length and a width at right angles to the length, a front of the body spaced from a back of the body by the length;
- a general upper surface of the body upwardly spaced from a general lower surface of the body by a thickness of the body;
- a plurality of elongate spaced-apart support ribs downwardly extending from the general lower surface of the body, the support ribs each having a back end relatively near the back of the body and a front end relatively remote from the back of the body, each support rib having a lower margin, a depth of each support rib from the general lower surface of the body to the lower margin decreasing as a function of distance from the back end of the support rib, wherein
- the lower margins of the support ribs substantially conform to a horizontal plane, thereby causing the general upper surface of the body to slope from the back of the body to the front of the body;
- wherein the body has a left margin and a right margin spaced from the left margin by the width of the body, a center line aligned with the length of the body and located midway between the left margin and the right margin, the body having a front portion adjacent the front of the body, the general upper surface of the body within the front portion being downwardly sloped from the left margin to the center line and being downwardly sloped from the right margin to the center line;
- wherein
- a center support rib is disposed on the center line and downwardly extends from the general lower surface of the body, front ends of a plurality of the support ribs terminating at the center support rib.
4 more elements
A mat on which dishware may be placed in connection with a process for cleaning the dishware, the mat comprising:
- a body having a length and a width at right angles to the length, a front of the body spaced from a back of the body by the length;
- a general upper surface of the body upwardly spaced from a general lower surface of the body by a thickness of the body;
- a plurality of elongate spaced-apart support ribs downwardly extending from the general lower surface of the body, the support ribs each having a back end relatively near the back of the body and a front end relatively remote from the back of the body, each support rib having a lower margin, a depth of each support rib from the general lower surface of the body to the lower margin decreasing as a function of distance from the back end of the support rib, wherein
- the lower margins of the support ribs substantially conform to a horizontal plane, thereby causing the general upper surface of the body to slope from the back of the body to the front of the body;
- wherein the body has a front margin, a back margin, a left margin and a right margin, a peripheral sidewall downwardly extending from the general lower surface of the body to said horizontal plane, the peripheral sidewall extending around at least the back, left and right margins;
- and wherein the peripheral sidewall extends around a portion of the front margin.
3 more elements
A mat on which dishware may be placed in connection with a process for cleaning the dishware, the mat comprising:
- a body having a length and a width at right angles to the length, a front of the body spaced from a back of the body by the length;
- a general upper surface of the body upwardly spaced from a general lower surface of the body by a thickness of the body;
- a plurality of elongate spaced-apart support ribs downwardly extending from the general lower surface of the body, the support ribs each having a back end relatively near the back of the body and a front end relatively remote from the back of the body, each support rib having a lower margin, a depth of each support rib from the general lower surface of the body to the lower margin decreasing as a function of distance from the back end of the support rib, wherein the lower margins of the support ribs substantially conform to a horizontal plane, thereby causing the general upper surface of the body to slope from the back of the body to the front of the body;
- wherein a plurality of elongate spaced apart upper ribs upwardly extend from the general upper surface of the body, the upper ribs and the support ribs having horizontal positions, the horizontal positions of the support ribs not intersecting the horizontal positions of the upper ribs.
1 more element
A mat on which dishware may be placed in connection with a process for cleaning the dishware, the mat comprising:
- a body having a length and a width at right angles to the length, a front of the body spaced from a back of the body by the length;
- a general upper surface of the body upwardly spaced from a general lower surface of the body by a thickness of the body;
- a plurality of elongate spaced-apart support ribs downwardly extending from the general lower surface of the body, the support ribs each having a back end relatively near the back of the body and a front end relatively remote from the back of the body, each support rib having a lower margin, a depth of each support rib from the general lower surface of the body to the lower margin decreasing as a function of distance from the back end of the support rib, wherein
- the lower margins of the support ribs substantially conform to a horizontal plane, thereby causing the general upper surface of the body to slope from the back of the body to the front of the body;
- wherein the body has a front margin, a back margin, a left margin and a right margin, a peripheral sidewall downwardly extending from the general lower surface of the body to said horizontal plane, the peripheral sidewall extending around at least the back, left and right margins;
- and wherein the peripheral sidewall has a top margin upwardly displaced from the general upper surface of the body.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.