Mold and method of forming vehicle floor mat

Abstract

A floor mat is disclosed which is releasably attachable to loop-pile fibers of a carpet of the carpeted floor board of a vehicle. The floor mat includes a generally planar member having a top surface, a carpet material attached and/or bonded to the top surface, a plurality of integrally formed, spaced-apart, downwardly-depending nibs, and a plurality of integrally formed, spaced-apart, downwardly-depending, carpet-engaging members interlockably engageable with the loop-pile fibers of the carpeted floor board. The planar member, and thus, the integrally formed carpet-engaging members are desirably formed from a heat curable, elastomeric or rubber-like material so that the plurality of carpet-engaging members is disengageable from the loop-pile fibers of the carpeted floor board generally without damaging the loop-pile fibers of the carpeted floor board. Also disclosed are a mold and a method for forming such a floor mat.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A vehicle floor mat releasably attachable to loop-pile fibers of a carpeted floor board, said floor mat comprising: 
 a generally planar member having a plurality of integrally formed, spaced-apart, downwardly depending, carpet-engaging members interlockably engageable with the loop-pile fibers of the carpeted floor board.    
     
     
         2 . The vehicle floor mat of    claim 1    wherein said plurality of carpet-engaging members are configured and fabricated from an elastic material so that said plurality of carpet-engaging members provides resistance to movement between said floor mat and the carpeted floor board while being disengeable from the loop-pile fibers of the carpeted floor mat generally without breaking the loop-pile fibers of the carpeted floor mat.  
     
     
         3 . The vehicle floor mat of    claim 1    wherein said generally planar member and integrally-formed carpet-engaging members comprises a rubber-like material.  
     
     
         4 . The vehicle floor mat of    claim 3    wherein said generally planar member and integrally formed, carpet-engaging members comprise a thermoplastic elastomer.  
     
     
         5 . The vehicle floor mat of    claim 1    wherein said generally planar member and integrally formed, carpet-engaging members comprises a thermoplastic olefin elastomer.  
     
     
         6 . The vehicle floor mat of    claim 1    wherein said planar member comprises a bottom surface and said plurality of carpet-engaging members extend from and are distributed over substantially the entire area of said bottom surface.  
     
     
         7 . The vehicle floor mat of    claim 1    wherein said planar member comprises a bottom surface and said plurality of carpet-engaging members extend from and are generally evenly distributed over substantially the entire area of said bottom surface.  
     
     
         8 . The vehicle floor mat of    claim 1    wherein each of said plurality of carpet-engaging members comprises a downwardly-depending projection having at least one elongated outwardly-extending portion.  
     
     
         9 . The vehicle floor mat of    claim 8    wherein said at least one outwardly-extending portion comprises a pair of elongated outwardly-extending portions.  
     
     
         10 . The vehicle floor mat of    claim 8    wherein said at least one outwardly-extending portion extends generally orthogonally from said downwardly-depending projection.  
     
     
         11 . The vehicle floor mat of    claim 8    wherein said at least one outwardly-extending portion extends from a bottom portion of said downwardly-depending projection.  
     
     
         12 . The vehicle floor mat of    claim 8    wherein said at least one outwardly-extending projection extends from a portion of said downwardly-depending projection between said bottom surface of said planar member and a bottom portion of said downwardly-depending projection.  
     
     
         13 . The vehicle floor mat of    claim 1    wherein said carpet-engaging member comprises a hook-shaped configuration.  
     
     
         14 . The vehicle floor mat of    claim 1    wherein said planar member comprises a top surface and further comprising a carpeted material attached to said top surface.  
     
     
         15 . The vehicle floor mat of    claim 1    wherein said planar member further comprises a plurality of integrally formed, spaced-apart, downwardly-depending nibs.  
     
     
         16 . The vehicle floor mat of    claim 15    wherein a ratio of carpet-engaging members to nibs is between about one to about four carpet engaging members per every ten nibs.  
     
     
         17 . A vehicle floor mat releasably attachable to loop-pile fibers of a carpeted floor board, said floor mat comprising: 
 a generally planar member having a plurality of integrally formed, spaced-apart, downwardly depending nibs, and a plurality of integrally formed, spaced-apart downwardly depending, carpet-engaging members interlockably engageable with the loop-pile fibers of the carpeted floor board;    said plurality of nibs and said plurality of carpet-engaging members configured and fabricated from an elastic material so that said plurality of carpet-engaging members provide resistance to movement between said floor mat and the carpeted floor board while being disengageable from the loop-pile fibers of the carpeted floor mat generally without breaking the loop-pile fibers of the carpeted floor mat; and    a carpeted material attached to a top surface of said planar member.    
     
     
         18 . The vehicle floor mat of    claim 17    wherein a ratio of carpet-engaging members to nibs is between about one to about four carpet engaging members per every ten nibs.  
     
     
         19 . A mold for forming a vehicle floor mat having a plurality of integrally formed, spaced-apart, downwardly-depending, carpet-engaging members interlockably engageable with loop-pile fibers of a carpeted floor board, said mold comprising; 
 a first die having a first surface and a second surface a plurality of spaced-apart apertures extending through said first die from said first surface to said second surface;    a second die having an outer surface positionable adjacent to said second surface; and    wherein at least one of said second surface of said first die and said outer surface of said second die comprises at least one groove extending from and opening onto same of said plurality of apertures of said first die.    
     
     
         20 . The mold of    claim 19    wherein said first die comprises a planar-shaped configuration and said second die comprises a planar-shaped configuration.  
     
     
         21 . The mold of    claim 19    wherein said first die comprises a planar, curved-shaped configuration and said second die comprises a planar, curved-shaped configuration.  
     
     
         22 . The mold of    claim 19    wherein said second surface of said first die comprises at least one groove extending from and opening onto each of said plurality of apertures.  
     
     
         23 . The mold of    claim 19    wherein said outer surface of said second die comprises at least one groove alignable with and extending from and opening onto said apertures of said first die.  
     
     
         24 . A method for forming a vehicle floor mat having a plurality of integrally formed, spaced-apart, downwardly depending, carpet-engaging members interlockably engageable with the loop-pile fibers of a carpeted floor board, said method comprising: 
 providing a mold comprising a first die having a first surface a second surface a plurality of spaced-apart apertures extending through said first die from said first surface to said second surface, a second die having an outer surface positioned adjacent to said second surface, and wherein at least one of said outer surface of said second die and said second surface of said first die comprises at least one groove extending from and opening onto some of said plurality of apertures of said first die;    providing a moldable elastomeric material;    heating and contacting the moldable material to the first surface of said first die; and    forcing a portion of said moldable material into the spaced-apart apertures and into said grooves.    
     
     
         25 . The method of    claim 24    further comprising providing a carpet material and bonding the carpet material to a top surface of said moldable material.  
     
     
         26 . A method for forming a vehicle floor mat having a plurality of integrally formed, spaced-apart, downwardly depending, carpet-engaging members interlockably engageable with the loop-pile fibers of a carpeted floor board, said method comprising: 
 providing a moldable elastomeric material; and    integrally forming said moldable elastomeric material into a planar member having a plurality of spaced-apart, downwardly depending, carpet-engaging members interlockably engageable with the loop-pile fibers of the carpeted floor board.    
     
     
         27 . The method of    claim 26    wherein said planar member further comprises a plurality of integrally formed, spaced-apart, downwardly-depending nibs.  
     
     
         28 . The method of    claim 26    wherein said planar member comprises a bottom surface and said plurality of carpet-engaging members extend from and are distributed over substantially the entire area of said bottom surface.  
     
     
         29 . The method of    claim 26    further comprising attaching a carpeted material to a top surface of said planar member.