ORNAMENTAL CARPET MADE OF ELASTOMERIC PLASTIC MATERIAL

Abstract

 Ornamental carpet (10) in elastomeric plastic material, including a decorated visible surface (S) being a monochromatic decorated bas-relief surface (S), with at least three discontinuous levels, comprising reliefs (11), hollows and grooves (12) of different heights, so that said monochromatic decorated surface (S) has a chiaroscuro chromatic appearance and a differentiated underfoot feel.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an ornamental carpet made of elastomeric plastic material.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention relates to an ornamental carpet in elastomeric plastic material intended for use as an indoor or outdoor furnishing accessory.

[0003] The state of the art is familiar with the use of carpets, commonly made of fabric, such as silk or similar, in order to obtain a decorative effect in a reference environment, as well as to provide a surface with a pleasant feel underfoot for people to walk on when walking with bare feet.

[0004] To achieve their decorative function, said known carpets usually have a surface decoration on the relative visible surface, generally obtained by means of weaving and in any case by processing yarns of different colours, so as to obtain the desired decoration on a single level.

[0005] The state of the art is also familiar with carpets, mostly with small dimensions, made of plastic material or similar with an exposed surface having at most two heights continuous to one another, mainly intended only to perform a non-slip function for the user, without any other decorative function.

[0006] It is known that said ornamental fabric carpets, known to the state of the art, first and foremost have the problem of encouraging the accumulation of dust or other residues.

[0007] In addition, said carpets are very often complex to clean and sanitize, requiring specific, relatively expensive equipment suited for the purpose.

[0008] Also, given the complexity of the processing required, said fabric carpets, which are mostly manufactured in a handcrafted manner, require very long manufacturing times and have a relatively high final cost.

[0009] Document no. GB976373 A describes a method for the manufacture of carpets and similar, made of elastomeric material or resin, said method comprising the steps of preparing a first basic layer of said material of a first colour, preparing a second decorative layer of a different colour from the previous one and with an area less than that of said first layer, placing said first and second layers in contact with another layer to form an assembly, placing said assembly in a pre-heated molding apparatus and applying suction to said contacting layers until the surfaces of each of said layers become substantially co-planar.

[0010] Therefore, by means of said known method a carpet is obtained with a surface exposed on only one level, with a casual decoration deriving from the fusion of the different layers making up the aforementioned assembly, placed in contact with one another, simultaneous with the application of suction.

[0011] It is however apparent how the carpet obtained by means of implementation of the aforementioned known method does not allow a predetermined surface decoration to be obtained, since, necessarily, the decoration of the exposed surface deriving therefrom can only be random in nature and in any case cannot be precisely predetermined.

[0012] Also, the decoration is obtained by means of the simultaneous fusion and suction of a plurality of layers having different colours, making it thereby necessary to have at least two layers of a different colour, in the absence of which it would not be possible to obtain any surface decoration.

[0013] Starting from the notion of the above drawbacks, the present invention aims to solve them.

[0014] An object of the present invention is to provide an ornamental carpet in elastomeric plastic material with a monochromatic decorated exposed surface.

[0015] Another object of the present invention is to provide an ornamental carpet as described, which enables the operator to easily produce a predetermined design.

[0016] A further object of the present invention is to provide an ornamental carpet as indicated, which is pleasant to the touch when walking thereon.

[0017] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an ornamental carpet as mentioned, which can be completely sanitized quickly and easily by the user, without the use of special equipment suited for the purpose.

[0018] Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide an ornamental carpet as indicated, which does not encourage the accumulation of dust or other residues with small dimensions.

[0019] Another object of the present invention is to provide an ornamental carpet as mentioned, which can be manufactured easily on an industrial scale, and at relatively low costs.

[0020] In view of these objects, the present invention provides an ornamental carpet made of elastomeric plastic material, the essential characteristic of which is the subject of the main claim; further advantageous characteristics of the invention are described in the accompanying claims.

[0021] More particularly, said ornamental carpet in elastomeric plastic material according to the present invention, including a decorated visible surface, is characterized in that it comprises said monochromatic decorated bas-relief surface, with at least three discontinuous levels comprising reliefs, hollows and grooves of different heights.

[0022] The present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, with reference to the drawing attached hereto, which is purely exemplary and therefore nonlimiting, in which:

• Figure 1 shows a schematic overhead plan view of the visible surface of the ornamental carpet made of elastomeric plastic material according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
• Figure 2 is an illustration similar to that shown in Figure 1, but wherein the three different discontinuous levels that make up the relative decoration of the exposed surface are emphasized;
• Figure 3 shows a detailed photographic reproduction of a part of the decorated exposed surface of a carpet as shown in Figure 1;
• Figure 4 shows a partial overhead perspective photographic reproduction of the carpet shown in Figure 3.

[0023] In the aforementioned Figures, reference number 10 indicates an ornamental carpet made of elastomeric plastic material according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. According to the present invention, said ornamental carpet 10 comprises a monochromatic visible decorated surface S in bas-relief, with at least three discontinuous levels, comprising reliefs 11, hollows and grooves 12 of different heights (Figures 2-4).

[0024] In this manner, as can be seen from the photographic reproduction provided in Figure 3, said monochromatic decorated surface S has a chiaroscuro chromatic appearance with a differentiated underfoot feel.

[0025] Said chiaroscuro chromatic effect, as a whole, gives the suggestive decorative appearance of the visible surface S of the ornamental carpet 10 according to the present invention.

[0026] Said carpet 10 is advantageously made of a silicon material, by means of a molding procedure known to the state of the art and therefore not further described herein.

[0027] This also makes it possible to obtain a predetermined decoration (for example the reproduction of an old carpet - Figure 1), with a high degree of precision in the finish.

[0028] Obviously, the use of different elastomeric materials, provided that they are suited for the purpose, falls within the scope of the present invention.

[0029] Also, the use of an elastomeric material such as silicon or similar, makes it extremely easy to perform cleaning operations on the carpet 10, which can be carried out using common detergents and/or sanitizing agents, relatively quickly by the user.

[0030] This proves particularly functional both in the case where the carpet 10 is used in an indoor environment, for example at home, and in the case where the carpet 10 is placed in an outdoor environment, and as such may be exposed to atmospheric phenomena that may require relatively frequent cleaning operations.

[0031] Furthermore, the use of the aforementioned materials helps to give the carpet a pleasant feel underfoot for the user, even in the case where the user is barefoot; in addition, the presence of said bas-relief work with at least three discontinuous levels gives the carpet 10 appreciable non-slip properties.

[0032] In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, said monochromatic ornamental carpet 10 according to the present invention is made of white silicon material.

[0033] Nevertheless, said ornamental carpet 10 can also be made of a silicon or elastomeric material of any other colour, according to the user's preference.

[0034] Purely for the purpose of example (Figures 3 and 4), in order to obtain the aforementioned bas-relief decoration of the visible decorated surface S, said discontinuous levels may have the following heights, with respect to a reference surface (for example the floor of a room):

• 10 mm
• 12 mm
• 13 mm.

[0035] Depending on preferences, said decorated surface S may have a gloss or matt surface finish.

[0036] As will be apparent from the preceding description, said ornamental carpet 10 in elastomeric plastic material according to the present invention comprises a monochromatic decorated exposed surface, said decoration being obtained by means of bas-relief.

[0037] Furthermore, said ornamental carpet 10 as mentioned allows the operator easily to obtain a predetermined design. Furthermore, said ornamental carpet 10 as indicated has a pleasant feel underfoot.

[0038] In addition, said ornamental carpet 10 according to the invention can be completely sanitized quickly and easily by the user, without the need for special equipment suited for the purpose.

[0039] Furthermore, said ornamental carpet 10 as indicated prevents the accumulation of dust or other residues with small dimensions.

[0040] Also, said ornamental carpet 10 as mentioned can be manufactured easily on an industrial scale, at relatively low costs. As it appears from the above description, the present invention allows the objects described in the introduction to be achieved in a simple and advantageous manner.

Claims

1. An ornamental carpet (10) in elastomeric plastic material, including a decorated visible surface (S), characterized in that it comprises said monochromatic decorated bas-relief surface (S), with at least three discontinuous levels comprising reliefs (11), hollows and grooves (12) of different heights, so that said monochromatic decorated surface (S) has a chiaroscuro chromatic appearance and a differentiated underfoot feel.

2. Ornamental carpet (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said decorated surface (S) comprises a gloss surface finish.

3. Ornamental carpet (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said decorated surface (S) comprises a matt surface finish.

4. Ornamental carpet (10) according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that it is made of silicon material.

Drawing