Auto accessory floor mat

Claim 2

A readily removable, slip resistant accessory floor mat for protecting a carpeted floor well of an automobile or other vehicle, comprising: a composite carpet structure preformed into a tray configuration with raised borders, the raised borders having the same general contour as the periphery of the carpeted well, the carpet structure being dimensioned so as to fit within said well and rest upon the floor of the well with said raised borders abutting the periphery of the well, and the carpet structure possessing sufficient rigidity to remain stationary and not shift under foot-exerted lateral forces experienced during use of the automobile by the mat when so positioned in the well, and to its tray configuration while being removed from the well.

Claim 3

The accessory floor mat of claim 1 wherein the composite carpet structure comprises a layer of carpeting and a layer of thermoformable material attached to the underside of said layer of carpeting, and wherein said composite carpet structure has a stiffness in a machine direction and cross direction, as measured in accordance with ASTM D747 by a Tinius Olsen stiffness tester, such as to require at least 0.22 ft. lbs. of force in order to bend the composite carpet structure through a 20° deflection.

Claim 4

The floor mat of claim 2 wherein said composite carpet structure has a stiffness profile, in both a machine direction and a cross direction, as measured in accordance with ASTM D747 on a Tinius Olsen stiffness tester, such that force-to-bend values at specified deflection angles are all at least as great as those values shown in the following table: ______________________________________ Deflection Angle (Degrees) Force-to-Bend (FT.-LBS.) ______________________________________ 5° 0.055 10° 0.110 15° 0.165 20° 0.220 25° 0.220 30° 0.330 35° 0.330 40° 0.385 45° 0.440 50° 0.495 55° 0.495 60° 0.550 65° 0.605 70° 0.605 75° 0.605 80° 0.660 85° 0.715 90° 0.825 ______________________________________

Claim 5

The accessory floor mat of claim 1 wherein the composite carpet structure has a stiffness in a machine direction and cross direction, as measured in accordance with ASTM specification D747 by a Tinius Olsen stiffness tester, such as to require at least substantially 0.33 ft. lbs. of force in order to bend the composite carpet structure through a 20° deflection.

Claim 6

The floor mat of claim 4 wherein said composite carpet structure has a stiffness profile, in both a machine direction and a cross direction, as measured in accordance with ASTM D747 on a Tinius Olsen stiffness tester, such that force-to-bend values at specified deflection angles are all at least as great as those values shown in the following table: ______________________________________ Deflection Angle (Degrees) Force-to-Bend (FT.-LBS.) ______________________________________ 5° 0.110 10° 0.165 15° 0.275 20° 0.330 25° 0.440 30° 0.550 35° 0.605 40° 0.660 45° 0.715 50° 0.770 55° 0.770 60° 0.825 65° 0.880 70° 0.935 75° 0.990 80° 0.990 85° 1.045 90° 1.100 ______________________________________

Claim 7

The floor mat of claim 1 wherein the composite carpet structure comprises a layer of carpeting and a layer of thermoformable material attached to the underside of said layer of carpeting, and wherein said composite carpet structure has a stiffness in a machine direction and cross direction, as measured in accordance with ASTM specification D747 by a Tinius Olsen stiffness tester, such as to require substantially 0.825 ft. lbs. of force in order to bend the composite carpet structure through a 20° deflection.

Claim 8

The floor mat of claim 6 wherein said composite carpet structure has a stiffness profile, in a cross direction, as measured in accordance with ASTM D747 on a Tinius Olsen stiffness tester, such that force-to-bend values at specified deflection angles are substantially as shown in the following table: ______________________________________ Deflection Angle (Degrees) Force-to-Bend (FT.-LBS.) ______________________________________ 5° 0.330 10° 0.495 15° 0.660 20° 0.825 25° 1.045 30° 1.155 35° 1.265 40° 1.430 45° 1.540 50° 1.705 55° 1.760 60° 1.815 65° 1.870 70° 1.980 75° 2.035 80° 2.200 85° 2.255 90° 2.310 ______________________________________

Claim 9

The accessory floor mat of claim 1 wherein the composite carpet structure comprises a layer of carpeting and a layer of thermoformable ethylene material attached to the underside of said layer of carpeting.

Claim 10

The floor mat of claim 8 wherein the thermoformable material comprises a copolymer of polyethylene and ethylene vinyl acetate.

Claim 11

The floor mat of claim 9 wherein the copolymer is formulated from a combination of substantially 90 parts by weight of high density polyethylene and 10 parts by weight of ethylene vinyl acetate.

Claim 12

The floor mat of claim 10 wherein the ethylene vinyl acetate comprises 8%-11% vinyl acetate.

Claim 13

The floor mat of claim 8 wherein said composite carpet structure further includes a layer of open-celled foam laminated to the underside of the layer of thermoformable material to provide added slip resistance.

Claim 14

The floor mat of claim 7 wherein said composite carpet structure further includes a layer of open-celled foam laminated to the underside of the layer of thermoformable material to provide added slip resistance.

Claim 15

The floor mat of claim 7 wherein at least some of said raised borders are provided with outwardly extending down turned edges to eliminate the need for edge finishing.

Claim 16

A removable, slip resistant accessory floor mat for nesting within a floor well of an automobile or other vehicle, comprising: a multi-layered composite carpet structure preformed into a tray configuration with raised borders, the carpet structure having the same general contours as the base and periphery of the floor well and being dimensioned to snugly fit within said well in such a way that at least a portion of said raised borders abut the periphery of the well, said carpet structure including a layer of thermoformable material, and the carpet structure possessing sufficient rigidity to maintain its configuration while being removed from the well and to maintain its position within the well under foot exerted lateral forces without shifting.

Claim 17

A removable, slip resistant accessory floor mat for nesting within a floor well of an automobile or other vehicle, comprising: a multi-layered composite carpet structure preformed into a tray configuration with raised borders, the carpet structure having the same general contours as the base and periphery of the floor well and being dimensioned to snugly fit within said well in such a way that at least a portion of said raised borders abut the periphery of the well, said carpet structure including a layer of thermoformable material, and the carpet structure possessing sufficient rigidity to maintain its configuration while being removed from the well and to maintain its position within the well under foot exerted lateral forces without shifting.

Claim 18

The floor mat of claim 15 wherein the composite carpet structure comprises a layer of carpeting laminated to a sheet of open-celled foam by an extruded thermoformable polymer material.

Claim 19

The floor mat of claim 16 wherein the layer of carpeting comprises tufted carpet fibers secured to a primary backing by a coating of polyurethane; the open-celled foam comprises a sheet of flexible polyester urethane with substantially 60 cells per linear inch; and the thermoformable polymer material comprises a copolymer formulated from substantially 90% polyethylene and 10% ethylene vinyl acetate.

Claim 20

The floor mat of claim 15 wherein said composite carpet structure has a stiffness profile, in both a machine direction and a cross direction, as measured in accordance with ASTM D747 on a Tinius Olsen stiffness tester, such that force-to-bend values at specified deflection angles are all at least as great as those values shown in the following table: ______________________________________ Deflection Angle (Degrees) Force-to-Bend (FT.-LBS.) ______________________________________ 5° 0.055 10° 0.110 15° 0.165 20° 0.220 25° 0.220 30° 0.330 35° 0.330 40° 0.385 45° 0.440 50° 0.495 55° 0.495 60° 0.550 65° 0.605 70° 0.605 75° 0.605 80° 0.660 85° 0.715 90° 0.825 ______________________________________

Claim 21

The floor mat of claim 15 wherein the composite carpet structure has a stiffness in a machine direction and cross direction, as measured in accordance with ASTM specification D474 by a Tinius Olsen stiffness tester, such as to require at least substantially 0.33 ft. lbs. of force in order to bend the composite carpet structure through a 20° deflection.