Floor mat and method of making same

Claim 2

An automobile floor mat comprising: a pliable multilayer structure having an upper face layer of carpeting overlying a base layer wherein said base layer has a main body section bordered by an edge section and a step portion extending outward from said edge section to the edge of said mat, said edge section having a channel extending longitudinally thereof, and having an upper surface disposed at an elevation above the elevation of said main body section of said base layer.

Claim 3

An automobile floor mat according to claim 1 wherein the upper surface disposed at an elevation above the elevation of said main body section provides a decorative edge portion in said upper face layer.

Claim 4

An automobile floor mat according to claim 1 further comprising: a plurality of rib members disposed within and extending transversely across said channel.

Claim 5

An automotive floor mat according to claim 1 where the shape of said channel is substantially rectangular.

Claim 6

An automobile floor mat according to claim 1 wherein said base layer is formed of a heat curable elastomeric material.

Claim 7

An automobile floor mat according to claim 4 wherein the heat curable elastomeric material is selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, butadiene polymers, butadiene copolymers, isoprene polymers, isoprene copolymers, chloroprene rubbers, nitrile rubbers, butyl rubbers, and ethylenepropylene rubbers, and blends and copolymers thereof.

Claim 8

An automobile floor mat according to claim 5 wherein the heat curable elastomeric material is styrene-butadiene rubber.

Claim 9

An automobile floor mat according to claim 1 wherein said base layer is formed of a thermoplastic material.

Claim 10

An automobile floor mat according to claim 7 wherein the thermoplastic material is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, polypropylene, polystyrene, and thermoplastic rubber.

Claim 11

An automobile floor mat according to claim 1 wherein said face layer is formed from tufted pile carpeting.

Claim 12

An automobile floor mat according to claim 1 further comprising anchoring means comprised of a plurality of elongate nib elements connected to and projecting downwardly from the bottom surface of said base layer.

Claim 13

An automobile floor mat as in claim 11 where said anchoring means further includes said nib elements extending downward through a tacky pressure sensitive adhesive or polyurethane foam layer.

Claim 14

An automobile floor mat comprising: of pliable multilayer structure having an upper face layer of carpeting overlying a base layer wherein said base layer has a main body section bordered an edge section and a step portion extending outward from said edge section to the edge of said mat said edge section having a channel extending longitudinally thereof, and having an upper surface disposed at an elevation of said main body section of said base layer.

Claim 15

An automobile floor mat comprising: of pliable multilayer structure having an upper face layer of carpeting overlying a base layer wherein said base layer has a main body section bordered an edge section and a step portion extending outward from said edge section to the edge of said mat said edge section having a channel extending longitudinally thereof, and having an upper surface disposed at an elevation of said main body section of said base layer.

Claim 16

An automobile floor mat according to claim 13 where the bottom surface of said step portion is substantially coplanar with said portion of the bottom surface of the base layer.

Claim 17

An automobile floor mat according to claim 13 further comprising: a plurality of rib members disposed within and extending transversely across said channel.

Claim 18

An automotive floor mat according to claim 13 where the shape of said channel is substantially rectangular.

Claim 19

An automobile floor mat according to claim 13 wherein said base layer is formed of a heat curable elastomeric material.

Claim 20

An automobile floor mat according to claim 17, wherein the heat curable elastomeric material is selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, butadiene polymers, butadiene copolymers, isoprene polymers, isoprene copolymers, chloroprene rubbers, nitrile rubbers, butyl rubbers, and ethylenepropylene rubbers, and blends and copolymers thereof.

Claim 21

An automobile floor mat according to claim 17 wherein the heat curable elastomeric material is styrene-butadiene rubber.

Claim 22

An automobile floor mat according to claim 13 wherein said base layer is formed of a thermoplastic material.

Claim 23

An automobile floor mat according to claim 20, wherein the thermoplastic material is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, polypropylene, polystyrene, and thermoplastic rubber.

Claim 24

An automobile floor mat according to claim 13 wherein said face layer is formed from tufted pile carpeting.

Claim 25

An automobile floor mat according to claim 13 further comprising: anchoring means comprised of a plurality of elongate nib elements connected to and projecting downwardly from the bottom surface of said base layer.

Claim 26

An automobile floor mat according to claim 23 where said anchoring means includes said nib elements extending downward through a tacky pressure sensitive adhesive or a polyurethane foam layer.

Claim 27

An automobile floor mat comprising: a pliable multilayer structure having an upper face layer of carpeting overlying a base layer wherein said base layer has a relatively thin main body section bordered by a relatively thick edge section and a step portion extending outward from said edge section to the edge of said mat, said edge section having a channel extending longitudinally thereof and opening from the bottom surface of said edge section and having an upper surface disposed at an elevation above the elevation of said main body section of said base layer and providing a decorative edge portion in said upper face layer; a plurality of rib members disposed within and extending transversely across said channel; and anchoring means comprised of a plurality of elongate nib elements connected to and projecting downwardly from said bottom surface of said base layer.

Claim 28

An automobile floor mat comprising: a pliable multilayer structure having an upper face layer of carpeting overlying a base layer wherein said base layer has a relatively thin main body section bordered by a relatively thick edge section and a step portion extending outward from said edge section to the edge of said mat, said edge section having a channel extending longitudinally thereof and opening from the bottom surface of said edge section and having an upper surface disposed at an elevation above the elevation of said main body section of said base layer and providing a decorative edge portion in said upper face layer; a plurality of rib members disposed within and extending transversely across said channel; and anchoring means comprised of a plurality of elongate nib elements connected to and projecting downwardly from said bottom surface of said base layer.

Claim 29

An automobile floor mat according to claim 25 where the bottom surface of said step portion is substantially coplanar with said portion of the bottom surface of the edge section.

Claim 30

An automotive floor mat according to claim 25 where the shape of said channel is substantially rectangular.

Claim 31

An automobile floor mat according to claim 25 wherein said base layer is formed of a heat curable elastomeric material.

Claim 32

An automobile floor mat according to claim 28, wherein the curable elastomeric material is selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, butadiene polymers, butadiene copolymers, isoprene polymers, isoprene copolymers, chloroprene rubbers, nitrile rubbers, butyl rubbers, and ethylene-propylene rubbers, and blends and copolymers thereof.

Claim 33

An automobile floor mat according to claim 28 wherein the heat curable elastomeric material is styrene-butadiene rubber.

Claim 34

An automobile floor mat according to claim 25 wherein said base layer is formed of a thermoplastic material.

Claim 35

An automobile floor mat according to claim 31, wherein the thermoplastic material is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, polypropylene, polystyrene, and thermoplastic rubber.

Claim 36

An automobile floor mat according to claim 25 wherein said face layer is formed from tufted pile carpeting.

Claim 37

An automobile floor mat according to claim 25 where said anchoring means includes said nib elements extending downward through a tacky pressure sensitive adhesive or a polyurethane foam layer.