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US 7,067,184 B1Granted
Table or counter mat
OwnerStephen Robert Carkeekinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A table or counter mat having a composite sheet structure comprising a non-slip backing layer 3, a top liquid absorbent textile surface 1 for resting cups, mugs or glasses, and an intermediate stabilisation layer 2 joining the backing layer 3 to the textile surface 1 wherein the resultant mat is absorbent and readily able to be laundered. The invention also provides a method of forming the table or counter mat by curing and bonding of the nitrile rubber backing layer 3 to the intermediate layer 2 and upper polyester textile layer 1 at greater than 100° C. and preferably greater than 170° C. and a sublimation printing 4 for printing on the textile layer 1 occurs at greater that 100° C. and preferably greater than 170° C. such that the mat is able to be laundered in hot water.
Claims37
A table or counter mat having a composite sheet structure comprising:
- a top textile surface layer;
- a non-slip backing layer;
- and an intermediate stabilization and support layer aiding joining and support of the top textile surface layer to the non-slip backing layer while allowing the top textile surface layer of the resultant mat to be absorbent;
- the non-slip backing layer is formed from a nitrile rubber curable at temperatures greater than 100° C. and preferably at about 170° C. such that the mat is able to be laundered in hot water;
- the intermediate stabilization and support layer is formed from a non-woven polyester, and
- the top textile surface layer is a non-woven polyester with a pile height substantially in the range of 3 to 7 millimeters, with the intermediate stabilization and support layer and the top textile surface layer combined with the non-slip backing layer providing a top liquid absorbent textile of less than 4 millimeters which is continuous and consistent and maintains relative position for printing a detailed image thereon and maintaining position to display the detailed image.
3 more elements
A table or counter mat having a composite sheet structure comprising:
- a non-slip backing layer;
- a top liquid absorbent textile surface;
- and
- an intermediate stabilization and pile support layer joining the backing layer to the textile surface and aiding support of the textile surface, with the textile surface having a pile height less than 7 millimeters adapted for resting cups, mugs or glasses and for retaining an element of absorbency, wherein the resultant mat is readily able to be laundered, wherein the non-slip backing layer is formed from rubber, wherein the non-slip backing layer is formed from a nitrile rubber, wherein the intermediate stabilization and pile support layer comprises a heat curable material curable at temperatures greater than 100° C. and preferably at about 170° C. such that the mat is able to be laundered in hot water, wherein the textile surface includes a textile marking providing a coloring, a print or an advertising message viewable from above, wherein the textile marking is formed by a sublimation textile printing process, wherein the sublimation printing occurs at greater than 100° C. and preferably greater than 170° C. such that the mat is able to be laundered in hot water, wherein the top liquid absorbent textile surface is formed from a polyester surface with a pile height substantially in the range of 3 to 7 millimeters.
1 more element
A table or counter mat having a composite sheet structure comprising:
- a non-slip backing layer;
- a top liquid absorbent textile surface;
- and
- an intermediate stabilization and pile support layer joining the backing layer to the textile surface and aiding support of the textile surface, with the textile surface having a pile height less than 7 millimeters adapted for resting cups, mugs or glasses and for retaining an element of absorbency, wherein the resultant mat is readily able to be laundered, wherein the non-slip backing layer is formed from rubber, wherein the non-slip backing layer is formed from a nitrile rubber, wherein the intermediate stabilization and pile support layer comprises a heat curable material curable at temperatures greater than 100° C. and preferably at about 170° C. such that the mat is able to be laundered in hot water, wherein the textile surface includes a textile marking providing a coloring, a print or an advertising message viewable from above, wherein the top liquid absorbent textile surface is formed from a tufted nylon cut pile surface, wherein the textile surface has a weight per unit area of about 600 grams per square meter.
1 more element
A method of forming a table or counter mat including:
- a) forming a nitrile rubber sheet material as a backing layer;
- b) forming a top textile surface layer by combining a non-woven polyester fabric with a non-woven polyester stabilization and pile support fabric;
- and
- c) aligning the top and backing layers and compressing the layered materials by a heated platen for selected time duration, pressure and temperature settings to cure and bond the nitrile rubber backing layer to the top textile surface layer;
- wherein the resultant table or counter mat lays flat and is able to support stably a glass or other similar liquid vessel with the table or counter mat being liquid absorbent to absorb any spilled liquid, wherein the curing and bonding of the nitrile rubber backing layer to the top textile surface layer occurs at greater than 100° C. and preferably greater than 170° C. such that the mat is able to be laundered in hot water.
2 more elements
A method of forming a table or counter mat including:
- a) forming a nitrile rubber sheet material as a backing layer;
- b) forming a top textile surface layer by combining a non-woven polyester fabric with a non-woven polyester stabilization and pile support fabric;
- c) aligning the top and backing layers and compressing the layered materials by a heated platen for selected time duration, pressure and temperature settings to cure and bond the nitrile rubber backing layer to the top textile surface layer;
- wherein the resultant table or counter mat lays flat and is able to support stably a glass or other similar liquid vessel with the table or counter mat being liquid absorbent to absorb any spilled liquid;
- and
- providing a sublimation printing process by placing a screen printed or digital image printed paper which carries the required design on the top textile surface layer with print face down and activating a heat platen to press the screen printed or digital image printed paper to the top textile surface layer under a selected heat, pressure and time duration.
3 more elements
A method of forming a table or counter mat including:
- a) forming a nitrile rubber sheet material as a backing layer;
- b) forming a top textile surface layer which is non-tufted and is continuous and has a density and a pile height substantially in the range of 3 to 7 millimeters able to be printed thereon by sublimation printing;
- c) aligning the top and backing layers;
- d) compressing the aligned materials by a heated platen for a selected time duration, pressure and temperature settings to cure and bond the nitrile rubber backing to the top textile layer so that the resultant table or counter mat lays flat and is able to support stably a glass or other similar liquid vessel and the table or counter mat is liquid absorbent to absorb any spilled liquid;
- wherein the curing and bonding of the nitrile rubber backing to the top textile surface layer occurs at greater that 100° C. and preferably greater than 170° C. such that the mat is able to be laundered in hot water;
- e) placing a screen printed, offset or digital image print paper which carries a detailed image on the top textile layer surface of the bonded resultant table or counter mat with print face down;
- and
- f) activating a heat platen to press the screen printed, offset or digital image print paper to the top textile surface layer under selected heat, pressure and time duration and at greater than 100° C. and preferably greater than 170° C. such that the mat is able to be laundered in hot water, with the top supported textile surface layer bonded with the backing layer forming a top liquid absorbent textile of less than 4 millimeters which is continuous and consistent and maintains relative position for printing the detailed image thereon and maintaining position to display the detailed image, with the top textile surface layer formed by a non-woven non tufted polyester and an intermediate layer of a non-woven polyester.
5 more elements
A table or counter mat having a composite sheet structure comprising:
- a top fabric layer;
- a non-slip backing layer;
- a part of the top fabric layer able to be joined to the non-slip backing layer while allowing the top fabric layer of the resultant mat to be absorbent;
- the non-slip backing layer is formed from a nitrile rubber in the range of less than 2 mm thick with a weight per unit area of about 1000-1200 grams per square meter and curable at temperatures greater than 100° C. such that the mat is able to be laundered in hot water;
- the top fabric layer being a knitted polyester fabric which when combined with the non-slip backing layer providing a top liquid absorbent textile of less than 4 millimeters which is continuous and consistent and maintains relative position for printing a detailed image thereon and maintaining position to display the detailed image.
2 more elements
A table or counter mat comprising, in combination:
- a non-slip backing layer;
- and a top liquid absorbent polyester textile layer joined to the non-slip backing layer to form a composite sheet structure which is readily able to be laundered, with the top liquid absorbent textile layer having a weight per unit area of about 200 to 600 grams per square meter to stably support cups, mugs or glasses, to absorb any spilled liquid from the cups, mugs or glasses supported thereon, and to provide a message communication covering with clarity.
A table or counter mat comprising, in combination:
- a non-slip backing layer;
- and a top liquid absorbent textile layer joined to the non-slip backing layer to form a composite sheet structure, with the top layer absorbent textile layer having a height, with the non-slip backing layer having a thickness, with a ratio of the height of the top liquid absorbent textile layer to the thickness of the non-slip backing layer being about 1 to 1.
The table or counter mat comprising, in combination:
- a non-slip backing layer;
- and a top layer joined to the non-slip backing layer to form a composite sheet for resting cups, mugs or glasses on the top layer, with the top layer consisting of synthetic textile surface of a high weight per unit area capable of stably supporting such cups, mugs or glasses resting on the top layer and being liquid absorbent to absorb any liquid spilled from such cups, mugs or glasses resting on the top layer, with the high weight per unit area being about 200 to 600 grams per square meter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.