Installation of Multi-Component Floor Mat

Abstract

This invention relates to installation methods for a multi-component floor mat. The floor mat typically contains a textile component and a base component. Alignment and deployment of the textile component with the base component in an efficient manner is described herein.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for installation of a floor mat comprising the following steps:
 (a) Providing a base component, wherein the base component contains at least one attachment means;   (b) Providing a textile component, wherein the textile component is comprised of tufted pile carpet and contains at least one attachment means that works in corresponding relationship with the at least one attachment means of step “a,” and wherein the base component and the textile component are releasably attachable to one another via the at least one attachment means;   (c) Aligning the textile component with the base component, wherein the step of aligning is accomplished via the use of at least one alignment or deployment mechanism; and   (d) Deploying the textile component onto the base component.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one attachment means is selected from magnetic attraction, mechanical attachment, cohesive attraction, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one alignment and deployment mechanism is selected from the group consisting of textile component configurations that reduce surface area, the use of a film material, the use of a sheeting material, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . A multi-component floor mat comprising:
 (a) A textile component comprising (i) a first layer of tufted pile carpet formed by tufting face yarns through a primary backing layer and (ii) a second layer of vulcanized rubber material that contains magnetic particles;   (b) A base component comprised of (i) vulcanized rubber that contains magnetic particles or (ii) vulcanized rubber having a magnetic coating applied thereto;   wherein the textile component and the base component are releasably attachable to one another via magnetic attraction; and   (c) At least one alignment and deployment mechanism.   
     
     
         5 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the textile component is magnetically responsive. 
     
     
         6 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the base component is permanently magnetized. 
     
     
         7 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the textile component of the floor mat can withstand at least one wash cycle in a commercial or residential washing machine whereby the textile component is suitable for re-use after exposure to the at least one wash cycle. 
     
     
         8 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the face yarns are selected from the group consisting of synthetic fiber, natural fiber, man-made fiber using natural constituents, inorganic fiber, glass fiber, and mixtures thereof 
     
     
         9 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the face yarns are selected from nylon 6; nylon 6,6; polyester; polypropylene; or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the face yarns comprise cut pile, loop pile, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the face yarns are dyed, undyed, printed, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the primary backing layer is selected from the group consisting of woven material, nonwoven material, knitted material, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the primary backing layer is selected from the group consisting of synthetic fiber, natural fiber, man-made fiber using natural constituents, inorganic fiber, glass fiber, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the vulcanized rubber is selected from the group consisting of nitrile rubber, polyvinyl chloride rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber, vinyl rubber, thermoplastic elastomer, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the magnet particles are non-degradable. 
     
     
         16 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the magnetic particles are in an oxidized state. 
     
     
         17 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the magnetic particles are in the size range of from 1 micron to 10 microns. 
     
     
         18 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the magnetic particles are magnetizable magnetic particles selected from the group consisting of Fe 3 O 4 , SrFe 3 O 4 , NdFeB, AlNiCo, CoSm and other rare earth metal based alloys, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the magnetic particles are magnetically receptive particles selected from the group consisting of Fe 2 O 3 , Fe 3 O 4 , steel, iron particles, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the magnetically receptive particles are paramagnetic or superparamagnetic. 
     
     
         21 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the magnetic particle loading is in the range from 10% to 70% by weight in the textile component. 
     
     
         22 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the magnetic particle loading is in the range from 10% to 90% by weight in the base component. 
     
     
         23 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the textile and base components is characterized as having a functionally graded magnetic particle distribution. 
     
     
         24 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the magnetic particles are ferrite. 
     
     
         25 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the strength of magnetic attraction is greater than 50 gauss. 
     
     
         26 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the vulcanized rubber contains 0% to 49% recycled rubber material. 
     
     
         27 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one alignment and deployment mechanism is selected from textile component configurations that reduce surface area, a film material, a sheeting material, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         28 . A multi-component floor mat comprising:
 (a) A textile component comprising (i) tufted pile carpet wherein face yarns are tufted through a primary backing layer and (ii) a magnetic coating wherein the magnetic coating is comprised of magnetic particles and a binder material;   (b) A base component comprised of (i) vulcanized rubber that contains magnetic particles or (ii) vulcanized rubber having a magnetic coating applied thereto;   wherein the textile component and the base component are releasably attachable to one another via magnetic attraction; and   (c) At least one alignment and deployment mechanism.   
     
     
         29 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 28 , wherein the binder material is selected from a thermoplastic elastomer material, a thermoplastic vulcanite material, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         30 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 29 , wherein the binder material is selected from the group consisting of urethane-containing materials, acrylate-containing materials, silicone-containing materials, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         31 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 28 , wherein the magnetic coating is applied to at least one of the textile component and base component via knife coating, pad coating, paint coating, spray application, roll-on-roll methods, troweling methods, extrusion coating, foam coating, pattern coating, print coating, lamination, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         32 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 28 , wherein the at least one alignment and deployment mechanism is selected from textile component configurations that reduce surface area, a film material, a sheeting material, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         33 . A multi-component floor mat comprising:
 (a) A textile component comprising (i) a first layer of tufted pile carpet wherein face yarns are tufted through a primary backing layer and (ii) a second layer of vulcanized rubber material that contains magnetic particles or a second layer of magnetic coating;   (b) A base component comprised of (i) vulcanized rubber and magnetic particles or vulcanized rubber and a magnetic coating and (ii) electronic sensors;   wherein the textile component and the base component are releasably attachable to one another via magnetic attraction; and   (c) At least one alignment and deployment mechanism.   
     
     
         34 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 33 , wherein the at least one alignment and deployment mechanism is selected from textile component configurations that reduce surface area, a film material, a sheeting material, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         35 . A two part floor covering, comprising:
 (a) a base having a planar tray, the tray having an upper surface;   (b) A mat overlaying the tray, the mat having (i) a sheet-like substrate with an upper face and a lower face; (ii) pile yarns extending from the upper face of the substrate; and (iii) a backing layer attached to the lower face of the substrate;   (c) a fastening system for detachably securing the mat to the base tray, the fastening system having a mushroom-type hook fastener first component and a second component that is capable of engaging the first component to create a fastener, wherein the second component is selected from the group consisting of mushroom-type hook fasteners, loop strips and a fabric capable of being penetrated by the hooks of the first component, provided that first component is attached to either the backing layer of the mat or the tray and the second component is attached opposite the first component, to either the backing layer of the mat or the tray; and   (d) At least one alignment and deployment mechanism.   
     
     
         36 . The floor covering of  claim 35 , wherein the second component of the fastening system is a mushroom-type fastener, and the first and second components of the fastening system are capable of interlocking. 
     
     
         37 . The floor covering of  claim 36 , wherein the first component and the second component of the fastening system are spaced apart in discrete locations, opposite each other, around the perimeters of the mat and the tray, respectively. 
     
     
         38 . The floor covering of  claim 36 , wherein the weight of the mat alone does not cause the first and second components of the fastening system to engage, when the mat is laid on the tray. 
     
     
         39 . The floor covering of  claim 35 , wherein the mat has a weight of from 25 to 65 oz/yd 2 . 
     
     
         40 . The floor covering of  claim 39 , wherein the backing layer comprises an elastomer. 
     
     
         41 . The floor covering of  claim 35 , wherein the backing layer or the tray or both incorporate a structure to increase the coefficient of friction between the mat and the base selected from the group consisting of a textured surface, complimentary surfaces, surface projections and a layer of tacky material. 
     
     
         42 . The floor covering of  claim 35 , wherein the weight of the mat alone does not cause the first and second components of the fastening system to engage, when the mat is laid on the tray. 
     
     
         43 . The floor covering of  claim 42 , wherein the mat has a weight of from 25 to 65 oz/yd 2 . 
     
     
         44 . The floor covering of  claim 35 , wherein the at least one alignment and deployment mechanism is selected from textile component configurations that reduce surface area, a film material, a sheeting material, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         45 . A two part floor covering, comprising:
 (a) a base having a planar tray, the tray having an upper surface;   (b) a mat overlaying the tray, the mat having (i) a sheet-like substrate with an upper face and a lower face; and (ii) a backing layer attached to the lower face of the substrate; and   (c) a fastening system for detachably securing the mat to the base tray, the fastening system having a mushroom-type hook fastener first component and a second component that is capable of engaging the first component to create a fastener, wherein the second component is selected from the group consisting of mushroom-type hook fasteners, loop strips and a fabric capable of being penetrated by the hooks of the first component, provided that first component is attached to either the backing layer of the mat or the tray and the second component is attached opposite the first component, to either the backing layer of the mat or the tray; and   (d) At least one alignment and deployment mechanism.   
     
     
         46 . The floor covering of  claim 45 , wherein first component of the fastening system is attached to the tray, and the backing layer is a nonwoven textile, and wherein the backing layer is capable of being penetrated by the hooks of the first component of the fastening system. 
     
     
         47 . The floor covering of  claim 45 , wherein the weight of the mat alone does not cause the first and second components of the fastening system to engage, when the mat is laid on the tray. 
     
     
         48 . The floor covering of  claim 45 , wherein the at least one alignment and deployment mechanism is selected from textile component configurations that reduce surface area, a film material, a sheeting material, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         49 . A two part floor covering, comprising:
 (a) a base having a planar tray, the tray having an upper surface;   (b) a mat overlaying the tray, the mat having (i) a sheet-like substrate with an upper face and a lower face; (ii) pile yarns extending from the upper face of the substrate; and (iii) a backing layer attached to the lower face of the substrate;   (c) wherein the backing layer or the tray or both incorporate a structure to increase the coefficient of friction between the mat and the base selected from the group consisting of a textured surface, complimentary surfaces, surface projections and a layer of tacky material; and   (d) At least one alignment and deployment mechanism.   
     
     
         50 . The floor covering of  claim 49 , wherein the tray comprises surface projections to increase the coefficient of friction between the mat and the base. 
     
     
         51 . The floor covering of  claim 49 , wherein the backing layer of the mat has a granular surface texture. 
     
     
         52 . The floor covering of  claim 49 , wherein the tray has a granular surface texture. 
     
     
         53 . The floor covering of  claim 49 , wherein both the backing layer of the mat and the tray have a granular surface texture. 
     
     
         54 . The floor covering of  claim 49 , wherein the backing layer of the mat has a layer of hot-melt thermoplastic resin applied to the side facing the base, to increase the coefficient of friction between the mat and the base. 
     
     
         55 . The floor covering of  claim 54 , wherein the hot-melt thermoplastic resin in a polyolefin elastomer. 
     
     
         56 . The floor covering of  claim 49 , wherein at least one of the backing layer of the mat or the tray have a textured surface with an average roughness of 10 to 50 microns, as measured between the low and high points along the textured area. 
     
     
         57 . The floor covering of  claim 49 , wherein the at least one alignment and deployment mechanism is selected from textile component configurations that reduce surface area, a film material, a sheeting material, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         58 . A multi-component floor mat comprising:
 (a) A textile component comprising (i) a first layer of tufted pile carpet formed by tufting face yarns through a primary backing layer and (ii) a second layer of vulcanized rubber material that contains magnetic particles;   (b) A base component comprised of (i) materials selected from the group consisting of concrete, cellulose-containing materials, metal, thermoplastic materials, thermoset materials, and combinations thereof, and (ii) magnetic particles or a magnetic coating applied to the base component;   wherein the textile component and the base component are releasably attachable to one another via magnetic attraction; and   (c) At least one alignment and deployment mechanism.