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US 9,067,511 B2Granted
Thermoformed vehicle floor tray with treads
AssigneeMacneil IP LLC
InventorsDavid F. MacNeil, Scott A. Vargo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a vehicle floor tray thermoformed from a sheet of thermoplastic polymeric material of substantially uniform thickness, a central panel includes a reservoir that has plural elongate hollow baffles which act to elevate the foot or shoe of the occupant above fluid collected by the reservoir, and also act to impede lateral movement of fluid in the reservoir. Heights of first and second side panels, measured at their junction, are substantially similar to each other. The vehicle floor tray may be one of a product line of such floor trays having the same functional characteristics but substantially conforming to respective and differently shaped foot wells in different vehicles.
Claims20
A vehicle floor tray thermoformed from a sheet of thermoplastic polymeric material of substantially uniform thickness, comprising:
- a central panel substantially conforming to a floor of a vehicle foot well, the central panel of the floor tray having an upper surface, at least one generally longitudinally disposed lateral side and at least one generally transversely disposed lateral side;
- a first side panel integrally formed with the central panel of the floor tray, upwardly extending from the transversely disposed lateral side of the central panel of the floor tray, and substantially conforming to a first foot well wall, the first side panel of the floor tray joined to the central panel of the floor tray by a curved transition;
- a second side panel integrally formed with the central panel of the floor tray and the first side panel, upwardly extending from the longitudinally disposed lateral side of the central panel of the floor tray, and substantially conforming to a second foot well wall, the second side panel of the floor tray joined to the central panel of the floor tray by a curved transition, the second side panel of the floor tray being joined to the first side panel of the floor tray by a curved transition at a first junction, the first and second side panels each having a top margin, a vertical height of the first side panel as measured from the upper surface of the central panel of the floor tray to the top margin of the first side panel at the first junction being substantially similar to a vertical height of the second side panel as measured from the upper surface of the central panel of the floor tray to the top margin of the second side panel at the first junction;
- a reservoir disposed in the central panel of the floor tray;
- a plurality of upstanding, hollow, elongate baffles disposed in the reservoir, each of the baffles having at least two ends remote from each other, the central panel, the first panel, the second panel, the reservoir and the baffles each having a thickness from a point on the upper surface to a closest point on a lower surface thereof, said thicknesses, as a result of the tray being thermoformed from the sheet of thermoplastic polymeric material of substantially uniform thickness, being substantially uniform throughout the tray;
- the baffles each having a width, in any horizontal direction, of more than two times its thickness, the baffles adapted to elevate the shoe or foot of an occupant above fluid collected in the reservoir, and further adapted to impede lateral movement, induced by a change in vehicle speed or direction, of fluid collected in the reservoir, any portion of the reservoir connected to a remote portion of the reservoir by a path formed around ends of the baffles.
3 more elements
A product line including a plurality of consumer-installable vehicle floor trays each thermoformed from a sheet of thermoplastic polymeric material of substantially uniform thickness, the product line comprising:
- a first, driver's side floor tray having
- a first central panel substantially conforming to a floor of a first, driver's side vehicle foot well of a first vehicle, the first central panel having an upper surface, a generally transversely disposed first lateral side and a generally longitudinally disposed second lateral side,
- an upstanding generally transverse first side panel of the first tray, the first side panel substantially conforming to a first wall of the first vehicle foot well, integrally formed with the first central panel and joined to the first lateral side of the first central panel by a curved transition;
- an upstanding generally longitudinal second side panel substantially conforming to a second wall of the first vehicle foot well, the second side panel integrally formed with the first central panel and the first side panel, the second side panel joined to the second side of the first central panel by a curved transition, the first side panel joined to the second side panel at a first junction by a curved transition, the first and second side panels each having a top margin, a vertical height of the first side panel as measured from the upper surface of the first central panel to the top margin of the first side panel at the first junction being substantially similar to a vertical height of the second side panel as measured from the upper surface of the first central panel to the top margin of the second side panel at the first junction;
- a first reservoir formed in the first central panel, a plurality of upstanding, hollow, elongate first baffles formed in the first reservoir, each of the first baffles having at least two ends remote from each other, the first baffles adapted to elevate the shoe or foot of an occupant above fluid collected in the first reservoir, any portion of the first reservoir connected to a remote portion of the first reservoir by a path formed around ends of the first baffles, the first baffles having a thickness from the upper surface of the first central panel to an opposed lower surface thereof, the first baffles each having a width, in any lateral direction, of more than two times its thickness;
- and
- a second, driver's side floor tray having
- a second central panel substantially conforming to a floor of a second, driver's side vehicle foot well of a second vehicle, the second vehicle foot well having a shape which is different from the first vehicle foot well, the second central panel having an upper surface, a generally transversely disposed third side and a generally longitudinally disposed fourth side;
- an upstanding generally transverse third side panel of the second driver's side floor tray, the third side panel substantially conforming to a third wall of the second vehicle foot well, the third side panel integrally formed with the second central panel and joined to the third side of the second central panel by a curved transition;
- an upstanding generally longitudinal fourth side panel of the second driver's side floor tray, the fourth side panel substantially conforming to a fourth wall of the second vehicle foot well, the fourth side panel integrally formed with the second central panel and joined to the fourth side of the second central panel by a curved transition, the fourth side panel being joined to the third side panel by a curved transition at a second junction, the third side panel and the fourth side panel each having a top margin, a vertical height of the fourth side panel from the upper surface of the second central panel to the top margin of the fourth side panel measured at the second junction being substantially similar to a vertical height of the third side panel from the upper surface of the second central panel to the top margin of the third side panel measured at the second junction;
- and
- a second reservoir formed in the second central panel, a plurality of upstanding, hollow second baffles formed in the second reservoir, each of the second baffles having at least two ends remote from each other, the baffles adapted to elevate the shoe or foot of an occupant above fluid collected in the second reservoir, any portion of the second reservoir connected to a remote portion of the second reservoir by a path formed around ends of the second baffles, the second baffles having a thickness from the upper surface of the second central panel to an opposed lower surface thereof, the second baffles each having a width, in any horizontal direction, of more than two times its thickness.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.