Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
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Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an improved ~ ~
floor covering material and one on which ice can be ~ ;
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easily broken and sweept away without the use of special ;
implements, such as shovels, ices, salts, etc., but - `-rather by the weight of a person standing on the sheet
and more particularly, wherein the floor covering deforms -- ;-
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under the load of a person standing thereon. -
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Description of Prior Art
Many types of outdoor floor covering are known
to render them non-slippery and easy to clean. However,
known outdoor floor covering are usually comprised of a
single sheet or laminated sheet of non-deformeable
material for positioning on a hard backing surface.
Accordingly, when ice forms on the floor covering, it is
essential to chip it away in order to break it and this
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damages the covering. Also, many known outdoor floor ;
covering surfaces are constructed of material which in
fact retain ice formed thereon either due to the pattern `
of its top surface or else by the material itself, such
as fiber type floor coverings. With such coverings, it ~-
is next to impossible to remove any ice formed thereon
thereby rendering the surface slippery and hazardous.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION: ,
It is a feature of the present invention to ~;
provide an outdoor floor covering which substantially ~
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overcome the above disadvantages of the prior art.
It is a further feature of the present
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invention to provide an outdoor floor covering comprised -
~, of two laminated sheets of flexible water-resistant
3 material and wherein the top sheet is comprised of a
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rubber-like substance and the back sheet of a closed cell --
foam substance which is much thicker than the top sheet
and which deforms when the load of a person stands
thereon thereby breaking ice which may have been formed
on the top sheet.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide an outdoor floor covering wherein the top one of
the laminated sheets is provided with a low-profile rib
surface, and which is easy to install and has multiple
usages.
According to the above features, from a broad
aspect, the present invention provides an outdoor floor --
covering comprising two laminated sheets of flexible
water-resistant materials. A top one of the sheets has a
low-profile ribbed outer surface and is formed of
galvanized rubber having a high density to prevent
puncture under a concentrated load, such as exerted by a
heel of a ladies' shoe. The top sheet is a flexible
sheet capable of retaining flexible properties throughout
at low temperatures well below freezing. A backing sheet
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is formed of a closed cell material having a density
which is much weaker than that of the top sheet so that ~ -
the backing sheet is impermeable and deforms under the
force of a small load exerted on the top sheet whereby
any ice formed on the top sheet can be easily broken by a
person standing on the floor covering to deform the top
and backing sheet. The top and bottom sheets reassume
their original form when the load is removed from the top
sheet. The backing sheet has a thickness which is at least
three times that of the top sheet. ;
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS~
A preferred embodiment of the present
invention will now be described with reference to the :
accompanying drawings, in which
FIGURE 1 is a cross-section view of the ~:
outdoor floor covering of the present invention;
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FIGURE 2 ls a perspectlve vlew showlng the
outdoor floor coverlng of the present lnventlon as glued
or otherwise attached to a stairwell having a landing on
a balcony;
FIGURES 3A and 3B are plan vlews showlng the
outdoor floor covering of the present invention as
secured to stairs having different outlines;
FIGURE 4 is a perspective view showing the
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outdoor floor covering of the present invention as
utilized on an inclined driveway~
FIGURE 5 iS a plan view showing the outdoor
floor covering of the present invention as applied to an
access ramp, and
~`~ FIGURE 6 iS a perspective view showing the
outdoor floor covering of the present invention in a roll `~ ; ;
form.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings, and more
particularly to Figure 1, there is shown generally at 10
the outdoor floor covering of the present invention as
comprised of two laminated sheets of flexible
water-resistant materials bonded together by suitable 1
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bonding meanslsuch as glue or fusing. The top one of the
sheet, namely sheet 11 is formed of galvanized rubber or
like material which has a high density to prevent
;puncture thereof under a concentrated load exerted
thereon such as by the heel of a ladies shoe. The
backlng layer 12 is comprised of a foam rubber which is
non-absorbent and which remains flexible at low
; temperatures. It is a closed cell material exhibiting a
density which is much weaker than that of the top sheet
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so that the backing will deform under the force of a
small load exerted on the top sheet such as by a person's ~- f
~ .-~ '~ ' . ,weight.
Preferably, the backing sheet 12 has a
thickness which is at least three times that of the total ~
thickness of the top sheet. As can be seen, the top ; - -
sheet has a ribbed outer surface which is comprlsed of
space-apart elongated low-profile ribs 13 which have a ~;
flat top surface 14 to provide good adhesion with a
person's footwear to prevent slipping when ice forms on
the top sheet.
; If ice is formed on the top sheet, it can be
easily broken by the deformation exerted by the load of a -
person standing on it or by using other means of
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deformation. Such deformation is for example,
illustrated at 15 and under such action, any ice surface
will break into small pieces and can then be easily swept
away by brooming the surface in the direction of the
channels 16 formed between the ribs 13.
In a preferred embodiment, the thickness of
the top sheet 11 less than three millimeters and the
backing material has a thickness of at least 10
millimeters so that the laminated structure can deform
under a light load exerted by a person standing on the
covering without causing discomfort to the person by
having a sensation of "sinking" into the covering. Also,
these materials must have properties to resist heavy
loads such as by vehicles which may be displaced over the
surface.
Some of the uses of the present invention are
now illustrated by the of its applications as shown in
Figures 2 to 5. Figure 2 shows the ^utdoor floor
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covering of the present invention as utilized on a
stairwell. As herein shown the ribs 13 are disposed
along the long axis of the stairwell. This is to make it
more comfortable to a person walking on that surface.
Also, when cleaning that surface, it must be broomed
along the horizontal axis so that debris are not swept to
each side. Accordingly, the ribs also make it easier to
gather debris at the foot of each stair of the staircase.
Figures 3A and 3B show that the product of the
present invention is adaptable to stairs of any
configuration. All one needs to do is to cut the
material with a sharp knife along the delineated edges of
the stair.
Figure 4 shows the use of the outdoor floor
covering 10 in two parallel rows 17 and 17' of a driveway
formed on an inclined, either an upward inclined or
downward inclined. By locating the ribs 16 transverse in
the direction of travel of the vehicle, it can be
appreciated that ice will break away quickly under the
weight of a vehicle whereby the ribs become exposed to
provide better traction and also provide ease of removal
of the broken ice. For example, these tracks 17 and 17'
may be 18 inches~ wide to provide enough tolerance to the
driver of the automobile. It is also pointed out that
snow will not adhere to the top rubber surface.
Figure S shows another use of the outdoor
floor covering of the preserlt invention as glued on an
inclined access ramp. This also provides excellent
traction for handicap people who displaced themselves in
wheel chairs.
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In Figure 6 there is shown a roll 18 of the
floor covering 10 of the present invention which has been
extruded with the ribs 13 extending Iongitudinally
thereon. Accordingly, the outdoor carpet can be sold in
a roll form and the user can cut individual pieces of
different sizes from the floor covering to adapt it to
his own use. There are multitude of other uses not
disclosed herein, such as for covering the flooring of
trucks, particularly trucks with open boxes whereby to
facilitate cleaning and ice removal therefrom. It is
also pointed that the formation of ice on such surfaces
could become hazardous to merchandise transported
thereon, as the merchandise can easily shift on a
; slippery support surface and could become extremely
hazardous when transported on a roadway.
It is within the ambit of the present
invention to cover any other obvious modifications of the
preferred embodiment described therein, provided such
modifications fall within the scope of the appended
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claims.
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