A wiper insert, a wiper element and a floor mat

Abstract

 A wiper element for a floor mat comprises a rail (10) with a groove (13) bounded laterally by bars (11). The groove (13) accommodates a wiper insert (1) with a one-piece base (2) made of PVC, comprising a horizontal bottom plate (3) which has anti-slippage strips (9) on its underside and a locking web (8) along one of its boundaries, and carries a wiper strip (5). Said upward-extending locking web (8) ends in a rounded edge below a furrow (15) on the underside of one of two retaining ribs (14) each projecting over the groove (13) from one of the rail's bars (11). The wiper insert (1) is inserted from above, the side with the locking web (8) being pushed under one of said retaining ribs (14), and the opposite side of the bottom plate (3) being - under elastic deformation of the base (2) - pushed under the opposite retaining rib (14), the edge of the locking web (8) and the furrow (15) temporarily forming a hinge. A worn-down wiper insert (1) can be torn out of the groove (13) in an upward direction with a screw-driver or similar. Wiper elements can be laterally coupled to form the floor mat.

Description

Field of the invention

[0001] The invention concerns a wiper insert for a floor mat as used, in particular, in entrance areas of department stores, theatres, hotels and other public walking areas. The invention also concerns a wiper element comprising such wiper insert and a floor mat made up essentially of a plurality of such wiper elements.

Prior art

[0002] Floor mats usually comprise a plurality of wiper elements, each consisting of a rail with a groove accommodating a wiper insert, the wiper elements being arranged side by side, with laterally adjacent elements coupled to each other. As the service life of a wiper insert is usually much shorter than that of the rail, it is necessary to exchange the insert from time to time.

[0003] Wiper inserts of different types are known in the art. In many cases they consist only of a wiper strip which is accommodated in a groove of a rail to form a wiper element. The groove is usually provided with retaining ribs extending over margins of the wiper insert. Wiper elements of this type are described in DE 44 06 093 C2 and US 4 654 245 A. As the wiper strip is relatively soft, it is necessary in practice to fix it to the rail by glue, hot melt or mechanical means like bolts or rivets. When the wiper insert is removed residues of glue or hot melt will remain on the rail or, where mechanical means are used, the rail can easily be damaged.

[0004] A wiper insert of the generic type is known from US 5 486 392 A. The insert comprises a base constituted as a plate consisting of rigid material, which may be connected with the rail by a rivet. Even where no rivets or similar means make removal of the wiper insert particularly difficult it can, due to the rigidity of the base, only be extracted from the groove in a longitudinal direction. Quite often there is not enough space for this and it is necessary to remove the whole floor mat, exchange the wiper inserts and put the floor mat in place again. As floor mats can be quite large and heavy this is a cumbersome and time-consuming operation.

Summary of the invention

[0005] It is the primary object of the invention, to provide a wiper insert of the generic type which can be easily inserted into a groove in a suitable rail and which can also be removed without any risk of damage to the rail. This object is achieved by the features in the characterising portion of claim 1.

[0006] The wiper insert according to the invention can be easily inserted into the groove of a suitable rail from above. It is securely retained in the groove without any additional measures, i.e., use of adhesives like glue or hot melt or of mechanical fixing means like rivets. As a consequence, it can also be removed from the rail by being lifted out of the same with the help of a screw driver or similar tool, with no damage to the rail or undesirable residues remaining. The removal of a used wiper insert and the insertion of a new one are simple and fast procedures which can be carried out on the spot, with no need to move or lift any part of the floor mat.

[0007] It is another object of the invention to provide a wiper element comprising a wiper insert according to the invention and a suitable rail taking up the wiper insert.

[0008] It is a further object of the invention to provide a floor mat comprising a plurality of wiper elements according to the invention.

Brief description of the drawings

[0009] In the following the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following figures which show only an embodiment.

Fig. 1

shows a front view of a wiper insert according to the invention,

Fig. 2

shows a bottom view of the wiper insert shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

shows the insertion of a wiper insert according to Figs. 1, 2 into a rail to form a wiper element,

Fig. 4

shows a top view of a wiper element according to the invention, and

Fig. 5

shows a front view of the wiper element of Fig. 4.

Description of the preferred embodiments

[0010] The wiper insert 1 has a base 2 with a rectangular bottom plate 3 extending in a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction perpendicular to the same. It has a plane or slightly convex support surface 4 which in use faces upwards and carries a wiper strip 5. The latter has a bottom part 6, a layer consisting of a soft elastic material like latex or vinyl which is bonded to the support surface 4 by hot melt, and a top part 7, a layer which also consists of soft elastic material, in particular, a textile material like needle felt or carpet material or elastic bristles anchored in the bottom part 6.

[0011] Alongside one of the longitudinal boundaries of the bottom plate 3 a locking web 8 is arranged which extends upwards alongside the wiper strip 5, essentially at right angles with the support surface 4, slightly beyond the bottom part 6 of the wiper strip 5, ending in a rounded edge. At the opposite boundary the bottom plate 3 has a free edge. The base 2 is in one piece. Its L-shaped cross section is preferably constant over its longitudinal extension. It consists of a relatively rigid material which is, however, elastically deformable to some extent, e.g., PVC. On an underside opposite the support surface 4 the bottom plate 3 carries anti-slippage pads or, preferably, longitudinal anti-slippage strips 9 which consist of a soft material providing increased friction, e.g., rubber or soft PVC, and extend over its whole length. The base 1 can, together with the anti-slippage strips 9, be manufactured in a very economical way by extrusion.

[0012] Together with a rail 10 (Figs. 3, 4, 5) the wiper insert 1 forms a wiper element. The rail 10 comprises two parallel lateral bars 11 connected by a horizontal web 12. The latter forms the bottom of a groove 13 which is laterally bounded by the bars 11. The groove 13 accommodates wiper insert 1. From each of the bars 11 a retaining rib 14 projects into the groove 13, above a lateral margin strip of the base 2 such that the latter is essentially locked in the groove 13. Each of the retaining ribs 14 exhibits on its underside and adjacent to the bar 11 a downward-opening furrow 15 of semicircular cross section. The rail 10 consists of a rigid material, preferably of metal, in particular, aluminium. Its cross section is preferably constant over its longitudinal extension. Like the base 3 of wiper insert 1 it can be manufactured by extrusion.

[0013] To insert the wiper insert 1 into the groove 13 the latter is inclined (Fig. 3) and the side where the bottom plate 3 carries the locking web 8 pushed under the retaining rib 14. The edge of the locking web 8 is inserted into the furrow 15, forming temporarily a hinge about which the wiper insert 1 can be rotated clock-wise. When in the process the opposite margin of bottom plate 3 hits the bar 11 the base 2 is elastically deformed until it has passed the retaining rib 14 and snaps into the recess formed below the same, to be locked in groove 13 (Fig. 5). This insertion from above is possible with a simple tool like a blunt knife or a screw driver or even without the use of a tool. The top part 7 of the wiper strip 5 is slightly elastically compressed between the retaining ribs 14 and is thereby kept securely in its position even though the edge of the locking web 8 does not extend into the furrow 15 anymore but has assumed a position slightly below the latter.

[0014] The anti-slippage strips 9 rest on the upper surface of the web 12, preventing slippage of the wiper insert 1 in the groove 13, in the longitudinal direction in particular. Due to the locking web 8 the wiper insert 1 has only very limited play in the vertical direction and is securely kept in place against an upward-directed force as long as the same is not strong enough to deform the base 2.

[0015] A used wiper insert 1 can nevertheless be removed from the rail 10, e.g., by sticking a screw-driver or similar tool into the wiper strip 5 and tearing it out of the groove 13 in an upward direction. The wiper insert 1 will usually be destroyed in the process but this is irrelevant as only used and worn-down inserts are removed.

[0016] Wiper inserts can be removed and inserted from above, with the rails remaining in place. It is therefore even possible to replace wiper inserts during opening hours.

[0017] The wiper elements described above and shown in the figures are usually between 0.5m and 2m long and between 2cm and 10cm broad.

[0018] A floor mat can be formed of a plurality of wiper elements in that the latter are arranged side by side and adjacent wiper elements laterally coupled. For this purpose the bars 11 have coupling means in the shape of coupling grooves 16, each widening from a coupling slot 17 in the lateral surface of the bar 11. Each coupling groove 16 can accommodate a rod-shaped part of a connecting profile, the said parts being connected directly or by a web through the coupling slots 17 of adjacent bars 11.

List of reference symbols

[0019] 

1

wiper insert

2

base

3

bottom plate

4

support surface

5

wiper strip

6

bottom part

7

top part

8

locking web

9

anti-slippage strip

10

rail

11

bar

12

web

13

groove

14

retaining rib

15

furrow

16

coupling groove

17

coupling slot

Claims

1. A wiper insert (1) for a floor mat, with a base (2) comprising a bottom plate (3) extending in a longitudinal direction and in a lateral direction perpendicular thereto and a wiper strip (5) consisting of elastic wiper material fixed to an upward-facing support surface (4) of the bottom plate (3), characterised in that the bottom plate (3) is elastically deformable and the base (2) further comprises a locking web (8) which is connected to the bottom plate (3) and follows a longitudinal boundary of the same while extending upward alongside the wiper strip (5).

2. The wiper insert (1) of claim 1, characterised in that the locking web (8) extends in a direction essentially perpendicular to the support surface (4).

3. The wiper insert (1) of claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the base (2) consists of the bottom plate (3) and the locking web (8) and is in one piece.

4. The wiper insert (1) of one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the base (2) consists of plastic, in particular, of PVC.

5. The wiper insert (1) of one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the bottom plate (3) carries, on an underside opposite the support surface (4), anti-slippage strips (9) or pads consisting of a soft elastic material, in particular, soft PVC or rubber.

6. The wiper insert (1) of one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the wiper strip (5) comprises a bottom part (6) consisting of a soft elastic material, in particular, latex or vinyl, and a top part (7) consisting of textile material or bristles.

7. A wiper element for a floor mat, comprising a wiper insert (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that it further comprises a rail (10) with lateral bars (11) connected by a web (12) forming a bottom of a groove (13) which is laterally bounded by the bars (11) and accommodates the wiper insert (1) in such a way that the base (2) is completely contained in the same whereas the wiper strip (5) vertically extends beyond the bars (11), where from each of the bars (11) a retaining rib (14) projects above a lateral margin strip of the bottom plate (3), and a furrow (15) facing the locking web (8) is provided on an underside of one of the retaining ribs (14).

8. The wiper element of claim 7, characterised in that the rail (10) consists of a rigid material, in particular, aluminium.

9. The wiper element of claim 8, characterised in that the wiper strip (5) is elastically compressed between the retaining ribs (14).

10. The wiper element of one of claims 7 to 9, characterised in that each bar (11) is provided with coupling means which allow coupling of the rail (10) with a rail of a laterally adjacent wiper element.

11. The wiper element of claim 10, characterised in that the coupling means are in the shape of a coupling groove (16) for accommodating part of a coupling profile.

12. A floor mat comprising a plurality of wiper elements according to claim 10 or 11, with the wiper elements arranged side by side and laterally adjacent wiper elements coupled in each case.

Drawing