Floor mat clip assembly

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/948,066 filed on Jul. 5, 2007 herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present invention relates to a floor mat clip assembly, and more specifically to a pair of cooperating clips adapted to attach a floor mat to the interior carpeting of a vehicle.

[0003] Floor mats are a typical accessory for vehicles. Floor mats serve to protect the more permanently installed carpet or other flooring material of the vehicle. The floor mats are typically arranged so that the feet of the occupants of the vehicle rest on the floor mat rather than the installed flooring material. Dirt and moisture that may have accumulated on the shoes of the occupants is received by the floor mat rather than the installed flooring material, thus facilitating the preservation of the installed flooring. The floor mats may be removed from the vehicle as desired to vacuum or wash in an effort to remove any dirt that accumulates thereon.

[0004] The purpose of the floor mat is to protect the installed flooring from dirt and moisture, but often times this purpose is not achieved. If the floor mat is displaced from its intended position, it will no longer be situated in a position for the feet of an occupant to rest thereon. The feet of the occupants will instead rest on the installed flooring material causing any dirt or moisture on the shoes of the occupants to be transferred to the installed flooring. Accordingly, it is desirable to maintain the floor mat at its intended position. However, the method used to maintain the desired position of the floor mat must allow for the floor mat to be easily removed for cleaning or the purpose of the floor mat will be defeated.

[0005] Various fasteners have been employed to facilitate maintaining a floor mat at its intended position. For example U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,819 to Iverson et. al. discloses a hand mountable device for affixing a carpet mat to the carpeting of an automobile. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,792 to Frano discloses a removable floor mat fastener. These and other fasteners typically have not achieved a maximized balancing of the two competing objectives for such fasteners, namely to secure the mat at its intended location and allow for the easy removal of the mat for cleaning. The current fasteners typically do not adequately secure the floor mat to the underlying flooring or, alternatively, secure the floor mat semi-permanently making it necessary to use tools or other cumbersome procedures to disengage the fastener from the floor mat and remove the floor mat.

[0006] Vehicle manufactures often include such fasteners for the floor mats of a new vehicle. The vehicle manufacturer has a need for the fasteners to facilitate an efficient installation thereof to minimize the overall assembly cost of the automobile. Additionally, the vehicle manufacturer typically requires the cost of the fastener be minimized while maintaining the functions of securing the floor mat at the desired location and allowing easy removal and reattachment of the floor mat.

[0007] It would be desirable to provide a floor mat clip that secures a floor mat to an underlying flooring material at an intended location; facilitates the removal and reattachment of the floor mat to the underlying flooring material; facilitates the installation thereof into the floor mat and the underlying flooring material; and may be economically manufactured.

[0008] Compatible and attuned with the present invention, a floor mat clip that secures a floor mat to an underlying flooring material at an intended location; facilitates the removal and reattachment of the floor mat to the underlying flooring material; facilitates the installation thereof into the floor mat and the underlying flooring material, and may be economically manufactured, has surprisingly been discovered.

[0009] In one embodiment, a floor mat clip assembly for attaching a floor mat to an underlying flooring material comprises a floor clip having a base member and a cooperating top member; the base member including a boss extending upwardly therefrom and terminating at a cutting edge; the top member including a lower surface with a boss depending therefrom and terminating at a cutting edge, and an upper surface having an upstanding boss with a locking member attached thereto; wherein the boss of the base member and the boss of the top member cooperate to join the top member to the base member and secure the underlying flooring material therebetween; and a mat clip having a base member and a cooperating top member; the base member including an aperture having at least one detent extending upwardly therefrom; the top member including an upper surface having a recessed portion with an aperture formed therein, and a lower surface having at least one detent depending therefrom adjacent a periphery of the aperture; wherein the detent of the base member and the detent of the top member cooperate to join the top member to the base member and secure the floor mat therebetween, the upstanding boss and locking member of the floor clip adapted to be received by the aperture in the mat clip and to provide for the manipulation of the locking member to secure the mat clip to the floor clip.

[0010] In another embodiment, a floor mat clip assembly for attaching a floor mat to an underlying flooring material comprises a floor clip having a base member and a cooperating top member; the base member including an annular hollow boss extending upwardly therefrom and terminating at a cutting edge; the top member including a lower surface with a generally annular hollow boss depending therefrom and terminating at a cutting edge, and an upper surface having an upstanding oblong boss with an aperture formed therein for rotatably attaching a locking member thereto; wherein the annular boss of the top member is received within the annular boss of the base member to join the top member to the base member and secure the underlying flooring material therebetween; and a mat clip having a base member and a cooperating top member; the base member including an oblong aperture having a plurality of detents extending upwardly therefrom; the top member including an upper surface having an annular recessed portion with an oblong aperture formed therein, and a lower surface having a plurality of detents depending therefrom adjacent a periphery of the oblong aperture; wherein the detents of the top member are received within the detents of the base member to join the top member to the base member and secure the floor mat therebetween, the upstanding boss and locking member of the floor clip adapted to be received by the oblong aperture in the mat clip and to provide for the manipulation of the locking member to secure the mat clip to the floor clip.

[0011] In another embodiment, a flooring system comprises an underlying flooring material and an overlying floor mat removably attached thereto; a floor clip secured to the underlying flooring material having a base member and a cooperating top member; the base member including a hollow boss extending upwardly therefrom and terminating at a cutting edge; the top member including a lower surface with a hollow boss depending therefrom and terminating at a cutting edge, and an upper surface having an upstanding boss with a locking member attached thereto, wherein the hollow boss of the top member is received within the hollow boss of the base member to join the top member to the base member and secure the underlying flooring material therebetween; and a mat clip secured to the overlying floor mat having a base member and a cooperating top member; the base member including an aperture formed therein having a plurality of detents extending upwardly therefrom; the top member including an upper surface having a recessed portion with an aperture formed therein, and a lower surface having a plurality of detents depending therefrom adjacent a periphery of the aperture; wherein the detents of the top member and the detents of the base member cooperate to join the top member to the base member and secure the floor mat therebetween, the upstanding boss and locking member of the floor clip adapted to be received by the aperture in the mat clip and to provide for the manipulation of the locking member to removably attach the overlying mat to the underlying flooring material.

[0017] The following detailed description and appended drawings describe and illustrate various exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description and drawings serve to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner.

[0018] A floor mat clip assembly for securing a floor mat 4 to a flooring material 2 of a vehicle such as carpeting, for example, is illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. The assembled floor mat clip includes a floor clip, generally indicated by reference numeral 10, and a mat clip, generally indicated by reference numeral 40.

[0019] The floor clip 10 includes a base member 12 and a top member 20. The base member 12 of the floor clip 10 includes an upwardly extending hollow boss 14 terminating at a cutting edge 16. An annular detent 18 is formed on an inner surface of the boss 14.

[0020] The top member 20 includes a lower surface 22 with a downwardly depending hollow boss 24 terminating at a cutting edge 26. Annular detents 28 are formed on an outer surface of the boss 24. Protuberances 30 may be provided that depend from the lower surface 22 of the top member 20 to militate against relative rotation of the floor clip 10 in respect of the flooring material 2. Favorable results have been obtained employing a height of between about 2 to 5 millimeters in respect of the lower surface 22 for the protuberances 30.

[0021] The upper surface 32 of the top member 20 has a centrally located upstanding oblong boss 34 including an aperture 36 therein. The aperture 36 is adapted to rotatably receive an oblong locking member 38. It should be understood that other shapes may be employed for the boss 34 and the locking member 38 as desired.

[0022] In assembling the floor clip 110 to the flooring material 2, the top member 20 is positioned with the lower surface 22 facing an upper surface of the flooring material 2. The base member 12 is positioned on an underside of the flooring material 2 with the boss 14 in substantial alignment with the boss 24 of the top member 20 at a desired location in respect of the flooring material 2. The base member 12 and the top member 20 and are urged together causing the cutting edges 16, 26 of the base member 12 and the top member 20, respectively, to cut through the flooring material 2. The boss 24 of the top member 20 is received within the boss 14 of the base member 12. The detents 18, 28 of the base member 12 and the top member 20, respectively, interlock to snap fit the top member 20 to the base member 12 and sandwich the flooring material 2 therebetween.

[0023] The mat clip 40 includes a base member 42 and a top member 52. The base member 42 of the mat clip 40 includes a centrally located oblong shaped aperture 44 formed therein. An upper surface 46 of the base member 42 includes detents 48 which extend upwardly from a periphery of the oblong aperture 44. Protuberances 50 may be provided that extend upwardly from the upper surface 46 of the base member 42 to militate against relative rotation of the mat clip 40 in respect of the floor mat 4. Favorable results have been obtained employing a height of about 2.5 millimeters in respect of the upper surface 46 for the protuberances 50.

[0024] The top member 52 has an upper surface 54 including a recessed portion 56 having an oblong aperture 58 formed therein. It should be understood that other shapes can be used for the apertures 44, 58 provided the shapes of the apertures 44, 58 are adapted to cooperate with each other to receive the upstanding boss 34 and the locking member 38 of the first clip 10. Detents 60 are formed on a lower surface 62 of the top member 52 which depend therefrom adjacent a periphery of the oblong aperture 58.

[0025] A base member 70 illustrated in FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the base member 54 for the mat clip 40. Similar structural features of the base member 70 include the same reference numeral and a prime (′) symbol. The base member 70 of the mat includes a centrally located oblong shaped aperture 44′ formed therein. An upper surface 46′ of the base member 70 includes detents 48′ which extend upwardly from a periphery of the oblong aperture 44′. Protuberances 50′ may be provided that extend upwardly from the upper surface 46′ of the base member 70 to militate against relative rotation of the mat clip 40 in respect of the floor mat 4. Favorable results have been obtained employing a height of between about 2 to 6 millimeters for the protuberances 50′. Wall sections 72 are formed on the upper surface 46′ of the base member 70 and extend upwardly therefrom to militate against relative rotation of the mat clip 40 in respect of the floor mat 4. It has been found that the wall sections 72 are especially effective to militate against a relative rotation of the mat clip 40 in respect of a floor mat having a minimal thickness. Favorable results have been obtained employing four wall sections 72 having a height of about 2.5 millimeters in respect of the upper surface 46′. It should be understood that additional or fewer wall sections 72 may be provided, and that taller or shorter wall sections may be employed. Additionally, it has been found that employing the wall sections 72 together with four protuberances 50′ having a height of about 4.5 millimeters in respect of the upper surface 46′ maximizes a resistance to relative rotation of the mat clip 40 in respect of the floor mat 4. The remaining structure and function of the base member 70 is substantially the same as the base member 42 described herein.

[0026] The assembly of the mat clip 40 is accomplished by initially cutting an opening in the floor mat 4. The opening is formed to substantially match the outer periphery of the apertures 44, 58 in the base member 42 and the top member 52, respectively. The detents 48, 60 of the base member 42 and the top member 52, respectively, are forced through the opening of the floor mat 4 from a top side and a bottom side of the floor mat 4, respectively. The detents 60 are thence received by the detents 48 of the base member 42. The detents 48, 60 of the interlock to snap fit the top member 52 to the base member 42 and sandwich the floor mat 4 therebetween.

[0027] In the final assembly, the floor clip 10 and mat clip 40 are locked together to secure the floor mat 4 to the flooring material 2. The oblong apertures 44, 58 of the mat clip 40 attached to the floor mat 4 are positioned over the floor clip 10 attached to the flooring material 2. The upstanding oblong boss 34 and locking member 36 of the floor clip 10 extends through the oblong apertures 44, 58 of the mat clip 40. The locking member 38 is rotated through ninety degrees effectively locking the clips 10, 40 together and securing the floor mat 4 to the flooring material 2 in the final assembled form shown in FIG. 3. It should be understood that a plurality of the floor mat clip assemblies may be employed to secure a single floor mat 4, and typically at least two floor mat clip assemblies would be employed to secure the floor mat 4 at its desired location in respect of the flooring material 2.

[0028] Favorable results have been obtained by employing an injection molding process to form the members 12, 20, 42, 52 of the floor clip assembly. It should be understood that other methods now known or later discovered may be employed to form the members 12, 20, 42, 52. Additionally it has been found that the material Polyamide 6, also known as PA6 or Nylon 6, provides desired physical properties to the members 12, 20, 42, 52. However, it should be understood that other materials having suitable physical properties may be employed to form the members 12, 20, 42, 52.

[0029] In use the floor mat clip assembly secures the floor mat 4 to the flooring material 2 of the vehicle in a location where the shoes of passengers therein will rest on the floor mat 4 rather than the underlying flooring material 2. Any dirt, moisture, and other contaminants that typically accumulate on the shoes will not contact the flooring material 2, but instead be collected by the floor mat 4, thus facilitating the preservation of the flooring material 2 in an unsoiled condition. The floor mat clip assembly allows for an ease of removal of the floor mat 4 from the vehicle to clean, for example, by a rotation of the locking member 38 and lifting of the floor mat 4 to disengage the mat clip 40 from the floor clip 10. No tools or other cumbersome procedures are required to disengage the mat clip 40 from the floor clip 10 and remove the floor mat 4 from the vehicle.

[0030] The floor mat clip illustrated and described herein provides a low cost method of securing the floor mat 4 to the flooring material 2 of a vehicle. Additionally, the cutting edges 16, 26 of the floor clip 10 facilitate the installation of the floor clip 10 to the flooring material 4; thus, reducing the costs associated with the installation of the floor clip 10 during the assembly process of a new vehicle.

[0031] From the foregoing description, one ordinarily skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention, and without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications to the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions.