Spillage control safety floor matting
AssigneeR & J Marketing & Sales, Inc.
InventorsRonald Kessler, Myron Ullman, Kim D. Kendall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thin flexible floor mat system is configured to resist penetration by high heeled shoes and be capable of being easily rolled up in long segments. The floor mat is constituted by a series of small square sections and are connected together with connectors that permit easy deployment and removal of the mat system by detaching segments of the mat from each other. The mat is flexible but resists penetration from high heels and other forms of traffic by virtue maintaining of a predetermined amount of flexibility through the use of auxiliary supports. Further stability is provided by one-piece ramp corners.
Claims46
A mat system arranged on a support surface to provide a dry, relatively unencumbered travel surface, said mat system including at least one mat section, and comprising:
- (a) a plurality of upper strips, said upper strips having upper and lower surfaces;
- (b) a plurality of lower strips, said lower strips having upper and lower surfaces arranged so that the upper surfaces of said lower strips are permanently affixed to said lower surfaces of said upper strips;
- and,
- (c) a ramp structure including a plurality of ramps arranged around at least part of a periphery of said at least one mat, and comprising at least one corner piece joining at an intersection of two different ramps extending from two different edges of said mat system, said corner piece of said ramp structure being constituted by a single unitary molded structure having a solid, uncut upper surface.
A mat system arranged on a support surface to provide a relatively unencumbered, dry, travel surface, said mat system including at least one mat section, and comprising:
- (a) a plurality of plastic upper strips, said upper strips having upper and lower surfaces, said plurality of upper strips having a plurality of ramp connections extending therefrom;
- (b) a plurality of plastic lower strips, said lower strips having upper and lower surfaces parallel to said upper and lower surfaces respectively of said upper strips, and arranged so that said upper surfaces of said lower strips are permanently affixed to said lower surfaces of said upper strips, said plurality of lower strips having a plurality of ramp connectors extending therefrom, said ramp connectors for said upper strips and said ramp connectors for said lower strips being identical in structure;
- and,
- (c) a ramp structure arranged at a periphery of said at least one mat section connecting to said ramp connectors of said upper strips and said ramp connectors of said lower strips.
A mat system arranged on a support surface to provide a relatively dry, unencumbered travel surface, said mat system including at least one mat section, and comprising:
- (a) a plurality of plastic upper strips having upper and lower surfaces;
- (b) a plurality of plastic lower strips, said lower strips having an upper and lower surface arranged so that said upper surfaces of said lower strips are permanently affixed to said lower surfaces of said upper strips;
- and,
- (c) a ramp structure attached along a periphery of said mat sections,
- wherein said upper strips are parallel to each other, and said lower strips are parallel to each other, said upper strips being arranged substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of traffic along said mat system, and said lower strips being arranged substantially perpendicular to said upper strips, spacing between all said strips being uniform so that minimum spacing between said upper strips is 0.07 inch and minimum spacing between said lower strips is 0.1 inch.
A mat system arranged on a support surface to provide a relatively dry unencumbered travel surface, said mat system including at least one mat section, each said mat section comprising:
- (a) a plurality of plastic upper strips, said upper strips having upper and lower surfaces;
- (b) a plurality of plastic lower strips, said lower strips having upper and lower surfaces arranged so that said upper surfaces of said lower strips are permanently affixed to said lower surfaces of said upper strips, at least some of said lower strips being substantially rectangular in shape and containing an anti-slip device,
- wherein said upper strips are formed of a first material having a first hardness, and said lower strips are at least partially formed of a second material having a second hardness value and comprising said anti-slip device, wherein said first hardness value is greater than said second hardness value;
- wherein said lower strips are formed in two portions, wherein said first portion is of said first material, and is adjacent said bottom surface of said upper strips, and said second portion is formed of said second material, forming a rectangular extension of said lower strip to constitute said anti-slip device;
- wherein said extensions to said lower strips are adhered thereto by at least one of the techniques selected form a group consisting of dual stage molding, adhesive bonding, heat welding, and solvent bonding;
- wherein said first material is a ninety-three-ninety-seven durometer material, and said second material is sixty-eighty-seven durometer material;
- and,
- wherein at least one mat section is arranged on a periphery of said mat system and comprises a plurality of ramp connectors connecting from a plurality of said upper strips and said lower strips, said ramp connectors being constituted by said first material.
A mat system arranged on a support surface to provide a relatively dry unencumbered travel surface, said mat system comprising:
- (a) a plurality of upper strips having upper and lower surfaces;
- (b) a plurality of lower strips, said lower strips having upper and lower surfaces so that said upper surfaces of said lower strips are permanently affixed to said lower surfaces of said upper strips;
- and,
- (c) a plurality of auxiliary supports arranged on said lower surface of said upper strips and extending downward from said lower surface of said upper strips towards said support surface.
A mat system arranged on a support surface to provide a relatively dry unencumbered travel surface, said mat system including at least one mat section, each said mat section comprising:
- (a) a plurality of plastic upper strips, said upper strips having upper and lower surfaces;
- and,
- (b) a plurality of plastic lower strips, said lower strips having upper and lower surfaces arranged so that said upper surfaces of said lower strips are permanently affixed to said lower surfaces of said upper strips;
- said mat system further comprising at least one connector arranged for connecting mat sections to each other, said at least one connector being constituted of a softer material than said upper surface of said upper strips.
A mat system arranged on a support surface to provide a relatively dry unencumbered travel surface, said mat system comprising:
- (a) a plurality of plastic upper strips having upper and lower surfaces;
- (b) a plurality of plastic lower strips, said lower strips having upper and lower surfaces so that said upper surfaces of said lower strips are permanently affixed to said lower surfaces of said upper strips;
- and,
- (c) a ramp structure arranged on at least one periphery of said mat system, said ramp structure comprising
- at least two adjacent ramp sections arranged so that an interface exists between said adjacent ramp sections,
- a connecting flap arranged to cover said interface.
A floor connector arranged to operate with a mat system arranged on a support surface to provide a dry, relatively unencumbered travel surface, said mat system comprising a plurality of upper strips, said upper strips having upper and lower surfaces, and a plurality of lower strips, said lower strips having upper and lower surfaces arranged so that the upper surfaces of said lower strips are permanently affixed to lower surfaces of said upper strips;
- said floor connector comprising at least two pairs of beveled connecting wings, where each pair of connecting wings is arranged on opposite lateral edges of said floor connector, said floor connector being configured to fit between two adjacent lower strips of said mat system;
- said floor connector further comprising an aperture for accommodating a connecting structure to hold said floor connector to said support surface;
- and,
- wherein said upper strips are made of a material having a first hardness value and said floor connector is made of a second material having a second hardness value, said first hardness value being greater than said second hardness value wherein said floor connector forms an anti-slip structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.