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; and   (b) A base component comprising an elastomer that contains magnetic particles;   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 magnetic particles are in the size range of from 1 micron to 10 microns. 
     
     
         14 . 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, AlNiCo, CoSm and other rare earth metal based alloys, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         15 . 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. 
     
     
         16 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic coating further includes a binder material. 
     
     
         17 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 16 , wherein the binder material is selected from a thermoplastic elastomer material, a thermoplastic vulcanite material, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 17 , wherein the binder material is selected from the group consisting of urethane-containing materials, acrylate-containing materials, silicone-containing materials, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomer is selected from the group consisting of natural and synthetic rubber materials, thermoplastic and thermoset resins, and metal. 
     
     
         20 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 19 , wherein natural and synthetic rubber materials are selected from the group consisting of nitrile rubber, polyvinyl chloride rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber, vinyl rubber, thermoplastic elastomer, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the base component further includes an adhesive composition. 
     
     
         22 . The multi-component floor mat of  claim 21 , wherein the adhesive composition is selected from the group consisting of pressure sensitive adhesive materials, an adhesive material comprising a rosin ester, and an elastomeric material comprising natural rubber, nitrile rubber or silicone rubber with a tackifier. 
     
     
         23 . 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.   
     
     
         24 . 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 an elastomer that contains magnetic particles; and   (g) Attaching the textile component to the base component via magnetic attraction.   
     
     
         25 . 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 comprising an elastomer that contains magnetic particles;   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.