Vehicle floor mat with storable barriers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10676005-B2
Application number	US-201816107636-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	Aug 21, 2018
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle floor mat for a passenger foot well or a cargo area of an automotive vehicle comprising a mat body, first and second cavities formed in the mat body, and first and second barriers respectively configured for receipt within the first and second cavities when the first and second barriers are horizontally oriented in a stored position. The first and second barriers can be moved from the stored position to an extended position, wherein the first and second barriers are vertically oriented and extend at least partially above a top surface of the mat body. In the extended position, opposing surfaces of the first and second barriers together define a confined region therebetween in which a package can be contained during transportation thereof.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle floor mat comprising:
a mat body including a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, the mat body being configured to conform to and overlie a surface defined by a passenger foot well or a cargo area of an automotive vehicle;
first and second cavities formed in the mat body, each of the first and second cavities defined by a base wall and a peripheral sidewall that extends from the top surface of the mat body to the base wall;
first and second barriers respectively configured for receipt within the first and second cavities and moveable between a stored position wherein the first and second barriers are horizontally oriented and respectively contained within the first and second cavities and an extended position wherein the first and second barriers are vertically oriented and extend at least partially above the top surface of the mat body; and
first and second support members that, after the first and second barriers are moved to the extended position, are respectively configured to support and secure the first and second barriers in the extended position,
wherein, when both the first and second barriers are in the extended position, opposing surfaces of the first and second barriers together define a confined region therebetween in which a package can be contained during transportation thereof,
wherein proximal ends of the first and second barriers are respectively pivotally coupled within the first and second cavities about respective first and second pivot axes, and the first and second barriers move from the stored position to the extended position by respectively rotating about the first and second pivot axes,
wherein proximal ends of the first and second support members are respectively pivotally coupled to distal ends of the first and second barriers about respective third and fourth pivot axes,
wherein the first, second, third, and fourth pivot axes are oriented parallel to one another, and
wherein the first and second support members are moveable between a stored position in which the first and second support members respectively nest within first and second recesses respectively defined within the first and second barriers and a support position in which distal ends of the first and second support members extend away from their respective first and second barriers toward the first and second cavities defined in the mat body.

2. A vehicle floor mat as defined in claim 1 , wherein, when the first and second barriers are in the stored position, inner surfaces of the first and second barriers face toward the mat body and opposite outer surfaces of the first and second barriers face away from the mat body, and wherein, when the first and second barriers are in the extended position, the outer surfaces of the first and second barriers are vertically oriented, with the outer surface of the first barrier facing toward the outer surface of the second barrier.

3. A vehicle floor mat as defined in claim 1 , wherein, when the first and second barriers are in the stored position, the first and second support members are respectively contained within the first and second recesses in the first and second barriers and are located between the top and bottom surfaces of the mat body.

4. A vehicle floor mat as defined in claim 1 , comprising first and second podiums respectively extending from the base walls of the first and second cavities toward a plane defined by the top surface of the mat body, and wherein, when the first and second support members are in the support position, distal ends of the first and second support members respectively rest against support surfaces defined by the first and second podiums.

5. A vehicle floor mat as defined in claim 4 , wherein, when the first and second barriers are in the stored position, the first and second podiums respectively extend from the base walls of the first and second cavities, through the first and second support members, and at least partially through the first and second barriers.

6. A vehicle floor mat as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first or second cavity includes a first coupling element integrally formed in one-piece with the base wall or the sidewall thereof and the corresponding first or second barrier includes a second coupling element integrally formed in one piece therewith and located at a proximal end thereof, and wherein, in assembly, the first and second coupling elements are snapped into engagement with each other to form a two-component pivot hinge.

7. A vehicle floor mat as defined in claim 1 , wherein proximal ends of the first and second barriers include lateral projections integrally formed in one-piece therewith, and wherein, in assembly, the lateral projections of the first and second barriers respectively snap into slots formed in the sidewalls of the first and second cavities to respectively pivotally couple the proximal ends of the first and second barriers within the first and second cavities.

8. A vehicle floor mat as defined in claim 1 , wherein, when the first and second barriers are in the stored position, inner surfaces of the first and second barriers respectively face toward the base walls of the first and second cavities defined in the mat body and outer surfaces of the first and second barriers face away from the mat body, and wherein, when the first and second barriers are in the extended position, the inner surfaces of the first and second barriers form an angle in the range of 60° to 120° with the top surface of the mat body.

9. A vehicle floor mat as defined in claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second cavities includes a pocket formed in its peripheral sidewall that provides access to a distal end of the first or second barrier so that the first or second barrier can be manually moved from the stored position to the extended position.

10. A vehicle floor mat as defined in claim 1 , wherein the top surface of the mat body includes a plurality of raised ribs separated by a plurality of channels.

11. A vehicle floor mat as defined in claim 1 , wherein the mat body and the first and second barriers are formed via injection molding processes.

12. A vehicle floor mat as defined in claim 1 , comprising:
third and fourth cavities formed in the mat body; and
third and fourth barriers respectively configured for receipt within the third and fourth cavities and moveable between a stored position wherein the third and fourth barriers are horizontally oriented and respectively contained within the third and fourth cavities and an extended position wherein the third and fourth barriers are vertically oriented and extend at least partially above the top surface of the mat body,
wherein, the first, second, third, and fourth cavities and their corresponding first, second, third, and fourth barriers are respectively located along first, second, third, and fourth sides of a package placement area on the vehicle floor mat, and
wherein the confined region is defined by the opposing surfaces of the first and second barriers and opposing surfaces of the third and fourth barriers.

13. A vehicle floor mat comprising:
a mat body including a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, the mat body being configured to conform to and overlie a surface defined by a passenger foot well or a cargo area of an automotive vehicle;
first and second cavities formed in the mat body, each of the first and second cavities defined by a base wall and a peripheral sidewall that extends from the top surface of the mat body to the base wall;
first and second barriers respectively configured for receipt within the first and second cavities and moveable between a

Assignees

• Faurecia Interior Systems Inc

Inventors

• Schnur Brett
• Salandre Maxime

Classifications

• B60R2011/0029

  Floor, e.g. side sills, fire wall · CPC title

• B60R7/02

  in separate luggage compartment {(B60R7/005 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60N3/044

  of removable mats (B60N3/046, B60N3/048 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D25/04

  Partitions · CPC title

• B60N3/048 Primary

  characterised by their structure · CPC title