Vehicle floor covering with integral threaded drain tube and method of making same

A molded floor covering for a vehicle floor, wherein the vehicle floor includes an aperture formed therethrough, the molded floor covering comprising:

• a thermoplastic polymer layer adapted to conform to a contour of the vehicle floor having opposite first and second surfaces;
• an elongate tube extending outwardly from the thermoplastic polymer layer, including an open proximate end and a distal end, a cylindrical bore defining an axial direction and extending from the open proximate end to the distal end, wherein the open proximate end is integrally formed with the thermoplastic polymer layer, and wherein the elongate tube is configured such that the distal end thereof can extend through the vehicle floor aperture;
• a cylindrical internally threaded insert disposed within the cylindrical bore;
• and
• a fastener that compressively engages a portion of a mat disposed on the floor covering, comprising:
• a head having a circumferentially extending shoulder that is configured to compressively engage a portion of the mat disposed on the floor covering;
• and
• a threaded shank connected to the head, wherein the threaded shank is configured to threadingly engage the threaded cylindrical bore for moving the head of the fastener along the axial direction toward and away from the proximate end when the fastener is rotated about the axial direction in respective opposite directions.