Mat base plate

Claim 2

For underlying and bordering a door mat, a mat base plate, comprising: a generally flat plate portion having an upwardly-presented floor; and a rim perimetrically surrounding said flat plate portion, said rim having an apical ridge lying above said floor; said rim further including an inner slope portion extending downwardly and inwardly from said apical ridge to said floor; means defining a plurality of substantial generally concentric frame-like surface disontinuities arranged in a series on said inner slope portion, so that when a door mat with the same general shape in plan as said floor, but a larger size than said floor and a smaller size than said apical ridge, is placed on said mat base plate, it will be noticeably framed at least by said apical ridge and, depending on its size, by part of said inner slope portion preferably including at least one of said frame-like surface discontinuities.

Claim 3

The mat base plate of claim 1, wherein: said inner slope portion is of substantially constant slope from said apical ridge to said floor.

Claim 4

The mat base plate of claim 1, wherein: said inner slope portion is of concave slope from said apical ridge to said floor.

Claim 5

The mat base plate of claim 1, wherein: said concentric frame-like surface discontinuities are provided by a series of steps.

Claim 6

The mat base plate of claim 1, wherein: said concentric frame-like surface discontinuities are provided by a series of ridges.

Claim 7

The mat base plate of claim 1, wherein: said concentric frame-like surface discontinuities are provided by a series of grooves.

Claim 8

The mat base plate of claim 1, wherein: said rim further includes an outer slope portion extending downwardly and outwardly from said apical ridge to the outer extent of said mat base plate.

Claim 9

The mat base plate of claim 7, further including: means defining a plurality of generally concentric frame-like surface discontinuities arranged in a series on said outer slope portion, so that when said door mat is placed on said mat base plate as aforesaid, it will be additionally framed by said outer slope portion including said frame-like surface discontinuities thereof.

Claim 10

The mat base plate of claim 8, wherein: said outer slope portion is of substantially constant slope from the apical ridge to said outer extent of said mat base plate.

Claim 11

The mat base plate of claim 8, wherein: said concentric frame-like surface discontinuities of said outer slope portion are provided by a series of steps.

Claim 12

The mat base plate of claim 8, wherein: said concentric frame-like surface discontinuities on said outer slope portion are provided by a series of ridges.

Claim 13

The mat base plate of claim 8, wherein: said concentric frame-like surface discontinuities on said outer slope portion are provided by a series of grooves.

Claim 14

The mat base plate of claim 1, wherein: said flat plate portion is generally rectangular.

Claim 15

The mat base plate of claim 13, wherein: said apical ridge has four chamfered outer corners.

Claim 16

The mat base plate of claim 8, wherein: said flat plate portion is generally rectangular and said outer slope portion has four chamfered outer corners.

Claim 17

The mat base plate of claim 15, wherein: said apical ridge has four chamfered outer corners.

Claim 18

For use in conjunction with a generally rectangular rug-like door mat made of a material which upon being repeatedly washed undergoes shrinkage in perimeter so as to become shorter and narrower than it had originally been, a door mat base plate comprising: a generally flat plate portion having an upwardly-presented floor; and a rim perimetrically surrounding said flat plate portion, said rim having an apical ridge lying above said floor; said rim further including an inner slope portion extending downwardly and inwardly from said apical ridge to said floor; means defining a plurality of substantial, generally concentric frame-like surface discontinuities arranged in a series on said inner slope portion; each of said frame-like surface discontinuities being of substantially the same shape as the perimeter of the rug-like door mat and at least a majority of said frame-like surface discontinuities being shorter and narrower than the original length and width of the rug-like door mat, so that when the door mat is originally placed on said mat base plate, it will be noticeably framed by said apical ridge and, depending on its size, by part of said inner slop portion preferably including at least one of said frame-like surface discontinuities; said frame-like surface discontinuities, proceeding from larger to smaller in said series, being progressively shorter and narrower than their predecessors in substantially the same proportion that the rug-like door mat becomes shorter and narrower upon being repeatedly washed, so that, in use, as the rug-like door mat progressively shrinks, it becomes framed by an increasing plurality of said frame-like surface discontinuities.

Claim 19

For use in conjunction with a generally rectangular rug-like door mat made of a material which upon being repeatedly washed undergoes shrinkage in perimeter so as to become shorter and narrower than it had originally been, a door mat base plate comprising: a generally flat plate portion having an upwardly-presented floor; and a rim perimetrically surrounding said flat plate portion, said rim having an apical ridge lying above said floor; said rim further including an inner slope portion extending downwardly and inwardly from said apical ridge to said floor; means defining a plurality of substantial, generally concentric frame-like surface discontinuities arranged in a series on said inner slope portion; each of said frame-like surface discontinuities being of substantially the same shape as the perimeter of the rug-like door mat and at least a majority of said frame-like surface discontinuities being shorter and narrower than the original length and width of the rug-like door mat, so that when the door mat is originally placed on said mat base plate, it will be noticeably framed by said apical ridge and, depending on its size, by part of said inner slop portion preferably including at least one of said frame-like surface discontinuities; said frame-like surface discontinuities, proceeding from larger to smaller in said series, being progressively shorter and narrower than their predecessors in substantially the same proportion that the rug-like door mat becomes shorter and narrower upon being repeatedly washed, so that, in use, as the rug-like door mat progressively shrinks, it becomes framed by an increasing plurality of said frame-like surface discontinuities.