Patent US6434779B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6434779B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Foot mat
Assignee: EMEH Inc
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Filing: 2000-07-05
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Granted: 2002-08-20
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Expires: 2020-07-05
Abstract
Abstract A foot mat has a plurality of elongated rail members ( 20 ) arranged closely adjacent each other with a gap between each adjacent pair of rail members. Each rail member is of uniform cross section along its length and includes a body portion ( 22 ) and a pair of spaced-apart dependent leg portions ( 27 ). An elongated tread member ( 100, 104, 106, 108 or 110 ) is received on the upper surface of each rail member. Each adjacent pair of rail members is joined by an extruded plastic connector member ( 30 ) that has a connecting web portion ( 32 ) and a pair of generally U-shaped socket portions ( 38 ). Each leg portion of each rail and each socket portion of each connecting member are configured to snap-fit together and have interengaging shoulders ( 27 s and 38 s ) that are configured to retain the leg portion in the socket portion. Each rail member has a pair of laterally spaced-apart dependent elongated anchor tab portions ( 28 ), each of the anchor tab portions engaging a socket portion of one of the two connector members to which the rail member is coupled and having been plastically deformed to grip the socket portion so as to prevent longitudinal displacement of the rail member relative to the two connector members.
Inventors
- 👤 Gary F. Bartlett
- 👤 Robert D. Kreitz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 11:09
CPC Classifications
E; E04; E04F; E04F19/00; E04F19/10; A; A47; A47L; A47L23/00; A47L23/22; A47L23/26; B; B32; B32B; B32B3/00; B32B3/02; B32B3/06; B32B7/00; B32B7/02; B32B7/022
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
231 words
A foot mat comprising a plurality of substantially rigid elongated rail members arranged closely adjacent each other with a gap between each adjacent pair of rail members, each rail member being of substantially uniform cross section along its length and including a body portion having side edges, an upper surface and a lower surface, an elongated tread member received on an upper surface of a web portion of each rail member, and a connector member joining each pair of adjacent rail members to each other, each connector member being an extrusion of at least one polymeric material and being of substantially uniform cross section along its length and including a connecting web portion extending across the gap between the adjacent rail members, wherein each rail member has a pair of leg portions projecting generally downwardly from the lower surface of the web portion and spaced apart from each other and from the side edges of the web portion, each connector member has a pair of generally U-shaped socket portions, each socket portion defining a cavity that receives the leg portion of one of the adjacent rail members and being configured to be snap-fitted onto the rail members by pressing the socket portions onto the leg portions of the rail members, and each leg portion and each socket portion have interengaging shoulders configured to retain the leg portion in the socket portion.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
231 words
A foot mat comprising a plurality of substantially rigid elongated rail members arranged closely adjacent each other with a gap between each adjacent pair of rail members, each rail member being of substantially uniform cross section along its length and including a body portion having side edges, an upper surface and a lower surface, an elongated tread member received on an upper surface of a web portion of each rail member, and a connector member joining each pair of adjacent rail members to each other, each connector member being an extrusion of at least one polymeric material and being of substantially uniform cross section along its length and including a connecting web portion extending across the gap between the adjacent rail members, wherein each rail member has a pair of leg portions projecting generally downwardly from the lower surface of the web portion and spaced apart from each other and from the side edges of the web portion, each connector member has a pair of generally U-shaped socket portions, each socket portion defining a cavity that receives the leg portion of one of the adjacent rail members and being configured to be snap-fitted onto the rail members by pressing the socket portions onto the leg portions of the rail members, and each leg portion and each socket portion have interengaging shoulders configured to retain the leg portion in the socket portion.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
75 words
A foot mat according to claim 1 wherein each rail member has a pair of laterally spaced-apart dependent elongated anchor tab portions, and wherein each of the anchor tab portions engages a socket portion of one of the two connector members to which the rail member is coupled, each anchor tab portion having been plastically deformed to grip the socket portion and prevent longitudinal displacement of the rail member relative to the two connector members.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A foot mat according to claim 2 wherein each of the anchor tab portions is longitudinally coextensive with the body portion of the rail member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A foot mat according to claim 3 wherein each anchor tab portion has a plurality of teeth on a contact surface that engages a socket portion.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
A foot mat according to claim 4 wherein the teeth penetrate a surface of the socket portion.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
A foot mat according to claim 1 wherein each connector member is a co-extrusion of a relatively soft and flexible polymeric material and a relatively hard and semi-rigid polymeric material, the web portion being of the soft and flexible material and at least a portion of each socket portion being of the hard and semi-rigid material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
75 words
A foot mat according to claim 6 wherein each socket portion has a base portion and a pair of side flange portions and in that both side flange portions and a layer of the base portion that forms a base wall of the cavity is of the hard and semi-rigid material and a bottom surface layer of the base portion that is adapted to rest on a floor is of the soft and flexible material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
A foot mat according to claim 1 wherein each U-shaped socket portion has a base portion, an inner flange portion adjacent and joined to the web portion, and an outer flange portion, each of the inner and outer flange portions having a shoulder facing the base portion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
92 words
A foot mat according to claim 8 wherein each rail member has a pair of laterally spaced-apart dependent elongated anchor tab portions, and wherein each of the anchor tab portions engages an outer surface of the outer flange portion of a socket portion of one of the two connector members to which the rail member is coupled, each anchor tab portion having been plastically deformed to engage the outer flange portion of one of the two connector members and prevent longitudinal displacement of the rail member relative to the two connector members.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
A foot mat according to claim 9 wherein each of the anchor tab portions is longitudinally coextensive with the body portion of the rail member.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
A foot mat according to claim 10 wherein each anchor tab portion has a plurality of teeth on a contact surface that engages the outer flange portion.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
A foot mat according to claim 11 wherein the teeth penetrate a surface of the outer flange portion.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
60 words
A foot mat according to claim 9 wherein a laterally facing surface of each leg portion of each rail member is held in clamping engagement with an inner surface of the outer flange portion of a socket portion of a connector member by a clamping lug of a rail member and in that each laterally facing surface has elongated teeth.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
A foot mat according to claim 13 wherein the clamped portion of each outer flange portion is spaced apart from the base portion of the socket portion.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
49 words
A foot mat according to claim 8 wherein each leg portion of each rail member has an inner shoulder facing and engaging the shoulder on the inner flange portion of the socket and an outer shoulder facing and engaging the shoulder on the outer flange portion of the socket.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
106 words
A foot mat according to claim 8 wherein each socket portion is of a semi-rigid elastically deformable polymeric material, the shoulders on the flange portions of each socket are surfaces of protruding beads, and each bead has a sloping cam surface that diverges from a juncture with the shoulder in a direction away from the base portion of the cavity, each cam surface being engageable by a surface of the leg portion of the rail member for deformation of the socket portion to accept the leg portion by snap-fitting when the connector member is pressed onto the adjacent rail members upon assembly of the foot mat.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
85 words
A foot mat according to claim 8 wherein each socket portion is of a semi-rigid elastically deformable polymeric material, each leg portion of each rail member has sloping cam surfaces converging in a direction away from the body portion of the rail member, each cam surface being engageable with the flange portions of the socket for deformation of the socket to accept the leg portion by a snap-fitting when the connector member is pressed onto the adjacent rail members upon assembly of the foot mat.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
133 words
A foot mat according to claim 8 wherein each socket portion is of a semi-rigid elastically deformable polymeric material, the shoulders on the flange portions of each socket portion are surfaces of protruding beads, each bead has a sloping cam surface that diverges from a juncture with the shoulder in a direction away from the base portion of the cavity portion, and each leg portion of each rail member has a sloping cam surface converging in a direction away from the body portion of the rail member, the cam surfaces on the beads being engageable by the cam surfaces on the leg portions for deformation of the socket to accept the leg portion by a snap-fitting when the connector member is pressed onto the adjacent rail members upon assembly of the foot mat.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
48 words
A foot mat according to claim 1 wherein the web portion of the connector member is closely adjacent the undersides of parts of the rail members adjacent the gap between the rail members so as to restrict dirt from passing between the web portion and the rail members.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
45 words
A foot mat according to claim 1 wherein each rail member has a side flange portion along each side of the body portion, and each side flange portion has a lip forming an inwardly facing groove that captures an edge portion of the tread member.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
A foot mat according to claim 1 and further comprising a top cap affixed to each side of the body portion of each rail member.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
56 words
A foot mat according to claim 1 and further comprising a top cap affixed to each side of the body portion of each rail member, each top cap having a lip forming with a portion of the body portion of the rail member an inwardly facing groove that captures an edge portion of the tread member.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
53 words
A foot mat according to claim 1 wherein each rail member has a top flange portion along each side edge of the body portion, the top flange portion having a lip forming with an adjacent part of the body portion an inwardly facing groove that captures an edge portion of the tread member.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
A foot mat according to claim 1 wherein each top flange portion includes a dependent leg having a lower edge closely adjacent the web portion of the connector member.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
144 words
A foot mat according to claim 1 wherein each U-shaped socket portion has a base portion, an inner flange portion adjacent and joined to the web portion, and an outer flange portion, each of the inner and outer flange portions having a shoulder facing the base portion, each rail member has a pair of laterally spaced apart dependent elongated anchor tab portions, each of the anchor tab portions engaging the outer flange portion of one of the two connector members to which the rail member is coupled, each anchor tab portion having been plastically deformed to clamp a part of one outer flange portion of the connector against a part of one leg portion of the rail member so as to prevent longitudinal displacement of the rail member relative to the connector member and restrict detachment of the connector member from the rail member.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
25 words
A foot mat according to claim 25 wherein each of the anchor tab portions is longitudinally coextensive with the body portion of the rail member.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
35 words
A foot mat according to claim 25 wherein each anchor tab portion has elongated teeth on a contact surface that engages the outer flange portion in clamping relation to the leg portion of the rail.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
25 words
A foot mat according to claim 25 wherein a part of each leg portion against which an outer flange portion is clamped has elongated teeth.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
95 words
A foot mat according to claim 25 wherein the shoulders on the flange portions of each socket are surfaces of protruding beads, and each bead has a sloping cam surface that diverges from a juncture with the shoulder in a direction away from the base portion of the cavity, each cam surface being engageable by a surface of the leg portion of the rail member for deformation of the socket portion to accept the leg portion by snap-fitting when the connector member is pressed onto the adjacent rail members upon assembly of the foot mat.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
74 words
A foot mat according to claim 25 wherein each leg portion of the rail member has sloping cam surfaces converging in a direction away from the body portion of the rail member, each cam surface being engageable with the flange portions of the socket for deformation of the socket to accept the leg portion by a snap-fitting when the connector member is pressed onto the adjacent rail members upon assembly of the foot mat.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
122 words
A foot mat according to claim 25 wherein the shoulders on the flange portions of each socket portion are surfaces of protruding beads, each bead has a sloping cam surface that diverges from a juncture with the shoulder in a direction away from the base portion of the cavity portion, and each leg portion of each rail member has a sloping cam surface converging in a direction away from the body portion of the rail member, the cam surfaces on the beads being engageable by the cam surfaces on the leg portions for deformation of the socket to accept the leg portion by a snap-fitting when the connector member is pressed onto the adjacent rail members upon assembly of the foot mat.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
45 words
A foot mat according to claim 31 wherein the part of the outer flange portion of each connector member that is clamped by an anchor tab portion of a rail is adjacent the protruding bead and remote from the base portion of the U-shaped portion.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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GB2241166A
Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-08-19 | 2006-02-18 | 2006-08-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-08-19 | 2010-02-18 | 2010-08-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-08-19 | 2014-02-18 | 2014-08-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |