U.S. patent application number 09/819205 was filed with the patent office on 2002-10-03 for floor mats using rigid rails.
Invention is credited to Berndt, Fred P. JR..
Application Number | 20020139070 09/819205 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25227480 |
Filed Date | 2002-10-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020139070 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Berndt, Fred P. JR. |
October 3, 2002 |
Floor mats using rigid rails
Abstract
A floor covering has a plurality of extruded rigid rails that
are placed side-by-side, and are held together with flexible
junction members that fit into bottom opening slots in adjacent
rails. Each rail also has a guide for receiving tread inserts, as
shown, strips of carpeting, on an upper side thereof. The tread
inserts are slid into place longitudinally under overhanging
shoulders. An end cap is placed on each end of each rail for
preventing the junction members and the tread inserts from moving
longitudinally to keep the rails and the tread inserts in an
assembly.
Inventors: |
Berndt, Fred P. JR.; (Arden
Hills, MN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Nickolas E. Westman
WESTMAN CHAMPLIN & KELLY
Suite 1600 - International Centre
900 South Second Avenue
Minneapolis
MN
55402-3319
US
|
Family ID: |
25227480 |
Appl. No.: |
09/819205 |
Filed: |
March 28, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/177 ; 428/61;
428/62; 52/181 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 428/198 20150115;
E04F 15/02166 20130101; A47L 23/24 20130101; E04F 15/02 20130101;
Y10T 428/197 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/177 ; 52/181;
428/62; 428/61 |
International
Class: |
E04F 015/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A floor covering comprising a rail having a longitudinal length,
the rail having slots formed therein open to a wall thereof along
longitudinal edges of the rail, a junction member for joining
adjacent rails together comprising a flexible strip having tracks
which fit into the slots, said slots having an enlargement spaced
inwardly from a bottom plane of the rail, and said tracks having a
mating enlargement that holds the tracks in position in the slots
of the rail from removal except in a longitudinal direction.
2. The floor covering of claim 1, wherein said enlargement is part
circular in cross section, and the tracks having a narrower neck
joining the part circular cross section to the flexible strip.
3. The floor covering of claim 1, wherein said junction member has
a pair of tracks spaced apart such that they will support
longitudinal edges of adjacent rails in a substantially parallel
position.
4. The floor covering of claim 1, wherein said rail has a hollow
longitudinally extending receptacle open to at least one end, and
an end cap friction fitted in the receptacle, said end cap having a
barrier wall which prevents movement of the junction member
longitudinally of the rail when the end cap is in position in the
rail.
5. The floor covering of claim 4, wherein said end caps have wedge
members that engage surfaces defining the receptacle.
6. The floor covering of claim 1, wherein said rail has a
receptacle at each end thereof, and an end cap friction fitted into
each end of the rail.
7. The floor covering of claim 1, wherein said flexible strip forms
a bottom wall that extends laterally and is positioned below
portions of the rail.
8. The floor covering of claim 1, wherein said slots are formed to
open to a bottom wall of the rail, and said junction member fitting
under the bottom wall of the rail with the tracks in place in the
slots.
9. The floor covering of claim 4, wherein said hollow receptacle in
the rail comprises a central opening, and a pair of laterally
extending narrow slots forming wings joining the central opening,
said end cap having mating wings that slide into the narrow
slots.
10. The floor covering of claim 1, wherein said rail has an upper
wall, a pair of ribs along longitudinal side edges of the upper
wall, said ribs forming shoulders facing the upper wall, and the
shoulders being spaced from the upper wall sufficiently to receive
a tread insert between the upper wall and the shoulders.
11. A floor mat comprising a plurality of rails having a
longitudinal length, said rails having an upper wall, a lower wall,
and side walls forming a hollow interior, a pair of slots formed in
the rails along lateral side edges thereof, said slots being open
to the bottom wall, a junction member comprising a hinge strip,
said hinge strip having a pair of tracks, each of the tracks
fitting into a slot on one edge of a pair of adjacent rails, the
junction member being flexible between the tracks to permit hinging
of the adjacent rails relative to each other about a longitudinal
axis.
12. The floor mat of claim 11, wherein said junction member has a
base wall that has portions extending under each of the adjacent
rails in which the junction member is mounted.
13. The junction member of claim 11, and an end cap for fitting
into the hollow interior of each of the rails, said end cap having
a flange around the periphery that covers ends of the slots in the
rails to restrain longitudinal movement of the junction members
beyond the ends of the rails.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a floor mat construction
which has a plurality of rigid rails that have top channels for
receiving carpet strips and that are held together with flexible
synthetic material hinge or junction members that act as
connectors. The junction members are flexible and are easily
assembled in place using junction members that slide longitudinally
into provided recesses of adjacent rails. An end cap is used for
retaining both the carpeting strips and the junction members in
place in the rigid rails.
[0002] In the prior art, various floor coverings or mats have been
made with rigid longitudinal rails joined by flexible junction
members. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,324 shows a floor mat
that has carpeting strips held in channel members, and then joined
together with flexible junction members. Also U.S. Pat. No.
4,675,222 invented by the present applicant, shows a floor covering
that has hinging junction members for holding supports with carpet
strips in place.
[0003] The flexible junction members between longitudinally
extending rails are desired because they will permit a floor mat to
be rolled up quite easily for cleaning recesses in which the mats
are placed, and for storage or removal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention relates to a floor mat or covering
that has a plurality of rigid rails that are made to support
individual tread inserts, as disclosed carpet strips, and which are
joined together with flexible junction members or hinge connector
strips so that the rails can be hinged relative to each other.
[0005] The junction members are made so that they hinge about
longitudinal axes when the rail members that they join are rolled
together. The junction members are capable of being inserted easily
into provided grooves or channels formed along the edges of the
rails from one end of the grooves. The rails also have grooves into
which tread inserts can be slid from the one end.
[0006] A fitted end cap is used as a plug at the end of the rigid
rails, and includes a barrier wall that will hold both the tread
inserts and the junction members in position and prevent them from
slipping out of place, but yet when the end caps on the appropriate
rail are removed, individual rails can easily be slid lengthwise
along the hinging junction members for removal and replacement.
Also, the end caps will hold the tread inserts in place in the
rigid rails to prevent them from slipping out. Once one end cap is
removed, the tread inserts can be easily removed and replaced from
one end.
[0007] Likewise, removal of the end caps from the metal rigid rails
permits the junction members to be slid out longitudinally from one
end, if replacement is needed.
[0008] The floor mat formed using the components of the present
invention thus is easily installed, and easily serviced. The
junction members are molded, and the rails extruded, to provide for
efficient manufacturing.
[0009] The floor covering or grating can be used in recessed areas,
at the entrance of buildings, or in locations as desired.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a floor mat made of a
plurality of rigid rails joined together with flexible junction
members;
[0011] FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of a floor mat with end
caps removed;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken as on line 3--3 in FIG.
1;
[0013] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a single rail showing an end
cap in position to be installed; and
[0014] FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of an end cap, with a rail
in which it is inserted partially broken away.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] A floor mat indicated generally at 10 comprises a number of
longitudinally extending, rigid rails 12, which are placed side by
side, and are slightly spaced and held in position with
longitudinally extending junction members or hinges 14. Each of the
adjacent rails has a junction member 14 along each longitudinal
edge, and the spacing is such that the rails are held together
close enough to provide a floor surface.
[0016] In FIG. 2, it can be seen that the rigid rails 12, which can
be extruded aluminum, are formed with a lower wall 16, an upper
wall 18, and above the upper wall there are longitudinally
extending ribs 20 on opposite sides thereof that form shoulders 22
under which a tread inset, as shown specifically, carpet strips 24
can be slid. The carpet strip 24 has a backing member 26 that slips
under the shoulders 22. The carpet strips are held from moving
outwardly by the shoulders 22. The tread inserts can be nonskid or
abrasive inserts, rubber, vinyl, or various other materials.
[0017] The rails 12 also has edge blocks 28 running along opposite
edges thereof, which are formed to have longitudinally extending
grooves 30 therein. The grooves 30, as shown, have a generally
circular cross section portion 32, and a narrower neck portion 34.
The portions 32 of the grooves 30 are thus part cylindrical in
cross section, as seen in FIG. 2. The grooves 30 along the opposite
side edges of the rails 12 are formed to receive edges of the
junction members 14. The junction members 14 include a junction or
hinge panel 36, holding a pair of upright tracks 38 that have part
cylindrical upper ends 40, and a narrow neck portion 42. The tracks
or retainer rails 38 are made to mate with, and are of size to
slide into the grooves 30 and hold two rigid rails 12 in
side-by-side position. The hinge panel or web 36 of the junction
members 14 can have openings 44 defined therein as shown in FIG. 1.
These openings increase flexibility for hinging and save
material.
[0018] The junction members 14 slide easily longitudinally along
the rails 12, with the tracks or retainer rails 38 in the grooves
30. Assembling a number of the rails 12 together using the junction
or hinge members 14 is an easy task because they can be slid in
longitudinally. Likewise, the carpet strips 24 can easily be
inserted longitudinally into the provided grooves as well by
placing them under the shoulders 22 and sliding them along the
upper wall 18.
[0019] The part cylindrical cross section upper ends of the track
or retainer rails 38 will tend to permit pivoting or rolling
slightly as the rails 12 are rolled together. The part cylindrical
upper ends also slide into the grooves 30 more easily than T-shapes
or other shapes that have been used for hinge members on floor
mats.
[0020] In order to retain the tread inserts or carpet strips, and
the junction members or hinges 14 in place, an end cap indicated at
50 in FIG. 4, is made to fit into the recess or opening 52 in the
rail 12 formed between the bottom wall 16 and the top wall 18. This
opening 52 is also defined by side wing slots 54 that are between
the top wall 18 and the blocks 28 in which the grooves or tracks 30
are formed.
[0021] As can be seen, the end cap 50 has a hollow housing or
sleeve 56, that fits into the opening 52, and has wings 58 that
slide into the side wing slots 54 of the rail. The end cap also has
an end wall 60 that is of substantially the same size as the outer
dimensions of the rail 12 so that it will abut against the end of
the rail on the surfaces outside of the housing 56, as can be seen
in FIGS. 4 and 5 in particular. The upper and lower walls of the
housing 56 have raised wedges 62 and 64 thereon, which can be
tapered so that they are shallower or lower on the inner of the end
cap. The wedges will provide a friction force or a jamming force
against the lower surface of the upper wall 18 of the rigid rail
12, and against the upper surface of the lower wall 16. This will
hold the end cap 50 securely in place, but yet permit it to be
pried out with a screwdriver or other simple tool.
[0022] When the end cap 50 is in position in a rail as shown in
FIGS. 1 and 5, the carpet strips 24 cannot slide out the end of the
rail 12, nor can the junction members or hinges 14 slide out of
their position. This means that the floor mat is securely held
together, and will not come apart, but when it is desired to
replace an individual rail 12, or an individual carpet strip, the
end cap 50 can be removed and the carpet strip, or the rail 12 slid
endwise. If the end cap is removed the carpet strip can easily be
slipped out of the rail, and then replaced with a new one.
[0023] If the junction members or hinges 14 are to be replaced,
then two end caps 50 from adjacent rails 12 in which the junction
member or hinges is installed have to be removed, because there are
two tracks 38 on each junction strip and each track 38 is installed
in a different rail 12.
[0024] The rails 12 can be extruded, and cut to any desired length,
and then assembled. The rails are generally of aluminum, a rigid
metallic material, while the junction members 14 are a polymer or
plastic material.
[0025] The end caps 50 can be molded to the desired size, so that
they will friction fit into place, to hold the rails in an
assembly. The number of rails 12 that are placed edge to edge can
be varied according to the desires of the user as well.
[0026] The slots 30 that receive the tracks or retailer rails 38
open or face downwardly, and the hinge wall 36 of the junction
members 14 is supported directly on a floor surface. The wall 36
has end flanges 36A that extend under the rails 12 to support the
rails and deaden sound so working on the floor mat is quiet. No
separate pads under the floor mat are required.
[0027] The use of the end plugs 50 eliminates the needs for screws
or other fasteners to hold the rails 12 and junction members or
hinges 14 together, and allows the tread inserts or carpet strips
24 to be held in without any unsightly rivets or staples. The
hinges or junction members also form support cushions as pointed
out, rather than having separate parts for doing so, which reduces
noise and saves time in assembly.
[0028] Although the present invention has been described with
reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will
recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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