Back to results
US 6,645,597 B1Granted
Containment mat
OwnerMichael R. Swaininventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A floor mat for containing household liquid spills. The containment mat includes a folded sheet that contains spilled liquids, and an absorption sheet which absorbs them. The absorption sheet is held in place by the containment sheet entirely by surface tension between the two sheets, and is therefore easily removed and replaced. The containment sheet is sewn in a folded configuration having interlocking corners, thus ensuring that there is no slit in the mat through which the liquids could escape. A fitted cover protects and holds the containment and absorption sheets together as a compact unit.
Claims11
A containment mat, comprising:
- (a) a containment member;
- and
- (b) an absorbent member;
- the containment member being a flexible sheet that is impervious to water, mineral oil, linseed oil, vegetable oils, and other household liquids;
- the absorbent member being a flexible sheet capable of absorbing water, mineral oil, linseed oil, vegetable oils, and other household liquids;
- the containment member comprising first and second portions, the first and central portion being constructed and arranged to be disposed flat on a supporting surface, the second and outer portion being constructed and arranged to be a flexible flap which can be folded down over the first portion to form interlocking corners, thereby forming a flexible pocket which will accommodate insertion therein of an absorbent member of various thicknesses, the surface area of the central first portion being much greater than the surface area of the outer second portion, the flap being bonded to retain the folded configuration and interlocking corners;
- the absorbent member being freely disposed between the first and second portions of the containment member, and over the first portion of the containment member, and held therein and thereto only by frictional forces resulting from surface tension between the containment member and the absorbent member.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.