Floor Mat with Hidden Base Component

Abstract

This invention relates to a washable multi-component magnetic floor mat with a hidden base component. The floor mat contains a textile component and a base component. The textile component and the base component are attached to one another by magnetic attraction. The magnetic attraction is provided by incorporation of magnetic particles in both the textile and base components. The textile component is designed to be soiled, washed, and re-used, thereby providing ideal end-use applications in areas such as building entryways. The present invention eliminates the need to wash the base component of the floor mat which results in environmental, cost and labor conservation. Alignment and deployment of the textile component with the base component in an efficient manner is also described herein.

We claim: 
     
         1 . 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   wherein the textile component is at least 5% larger in length and width than the base component.   
     
     
         2 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the textile component is at least 10% larger in length and width than the base component. 
     
     
         3 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the textile component is magnetically receptive. 
     
     
         4 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the base component is permanently magnetized. 
     
     
         5 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         6 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         7 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the face yarns are selected from nylon 6; nylon 6,6; polyester; polypropylene; or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the face yarns comprise cut pile, loop pile, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the face yarns are dyed, undyed, printed, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the primary backing layer is selected from the group consisting of woven material, nonwoven material, knitted material, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         12 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         13 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the magnet particles are non-degradable. 
     
     
         14 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic particles are in an oxidized state. 
     
     
         15 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic particles are in the size range of from 1 micron to 10 microns. 
     
     
         16 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic particles are magnetizable magnetic particles selected from the group consisting of Fe 3 O 4 , SrFe 3 O 4 , NdFeB, AINiCo, CoSm and other rare earth metal based alloys, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         18 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetically receptive particles are paramagnetic or superparamagnetic. 
     
     
         19 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic particle loading is in the range from 10% to 70% by weight in the textile component. 
     
     
         20 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic particle loading is in the range from 10% to 90% by weight in the base component. 
     
     
         21 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the textile and base components is characterized as having a functionally graded magnetic particle distribution. 
     
     
         22 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic particles are ferrite. 
     
     
         23 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the strength of magnetic attraction is greater than 50 gauss. 
     
     
         24 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic coating further includes a binder material. 
     
     
         25 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 24 , wherein the binder material is selected from a thermoplastic elastomer material, a thermoplastic vulcanite material, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         26 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 25 , wherein the binder material is selected from the group consisting of urethane-containing materials, acrylate-containing materials, silicone-containing materials, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         27 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the textile component and the base component further include at least one edge attachment means. 
     
     
         28 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 27 , wherein the at least one edge attachment means is selected from the group consisting of a hook and loop fastening system, a mushroom-type hook fastening system, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         29 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the vulcanized rubber contains 0% to 40% recycled rubber material. 
     
     
         30 . A process for cleaning a multi-component floor mat, said process comprising the steps of:
 (a) Providing the multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 ;   (b) Removing the textile component from the base component;   (c) Laundering the textile component in an industrial, commercial, or residential washing machine; and   (d) Re-installing the textile component on the base component.   
     
     
         31 . A process for making a multi-component floor mat, said process comprising the steps of:
 (a) Tufting face yarns into a primary backing material to form a tufted pile carpet;   (b) Optionally, printing the tufted pile carpet;   (c) Providing a layer of unvulcanized rubber that contains magnetic particles;   (d) Adhering the tufted pile carpet to the layer of magnetic particle-containing unvulcanized rubber via a rubber vulcanization process to form a washable textile component having a vulcanized rubber backing;   (e) Cutting the textile component into a shape and size wherein the textile component is at least 5% larger in length and width than the base component;   (f) Providing a base component comprised of (i) vulcanized rubber and magnetic particles or (ii) vulcanized rubber and a magnetic coating; and   (g) Attaching the textile component to the base component via magnetic attraction.   
     
     
         32 . The process of  claim 31 , 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. 
     
     
         33 . 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 alignment mechanism;   (b) Providing a textile component, wherein the textile component is comprised of tufted pile carpet and contains at least one alignment mechanism that works in corresponding relationship with the at least one alignment mechanism of step “a,” wherein the base component and the textile component are releasably attachable to one another via the at least one alignment mechanism, and   wherein the textile component is at least 5% larger in length and width than the base component;   (c) Aligning the textile component with the base component, wherein the step of aligning is accomplished via the use of the alignment mechanisms; and   (d) Deploying the textile component onto the base component.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the at least one alignment mechanism is magnetic attraction. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the at least one alignment mechanism is comprised of at least one raised, 3-dimensional protrusion on the textile component that fits snugly into a corresponding open space in the base component or that partially or wholly surrounds the base component. 
     
     
         36 . 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   wherein the textile component is at least 5% larger in length and width than the base component; and   (c) At least one alignment or deployment mechanism.   
     
     
         37 . 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; and   (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   wherein the textile component is at least 5% larger in length and width than the base component.   
     
     
         38 . A multi-component floor mat comprising:
 (a) A textile component comprising (i) a first layer of tufted pile carpet formed by tufting face fibers through a primary backing layer and (ii) at least one surface attachment means; and   (b) A base component, wherein the base component contains at least one surface attachment means; and   wherein the textile component and the base component are releasably attachable to one another via the at least one surface attachment means;   wherein the textile component and the base component further contain at least one edge attachment means; and wherein the textile component is at least 5% larger in length and width than the base component.   
     
     
         39 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 38 , wherein the at least one surface attachment means is selected from magnetic attraction, mechanical attachment, adhesive attraction, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         40 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 38 , wherein the at least one edge attachment means is selected from the group consisting of hook and loop fastening systems, mushroom-type hook fastening systems, and combinations thereof.