Multi-Piece Rug And Mat Arrangement And Assembly For Forming A Floor Covering
Patent No. US12171355 (titled "Multi-Piece Rug And Mat Arrangement And Assembly For Forming A Floor Covering") was filed by Jpmorgan Chase Bank Na on Oct 20, 2021.
What is this patent about?
’355 is related to the field of floor coverings, specifically rugs and mats. Traditional rugs often slip on the floor and curl at the edges, creating safety hazards and aesthetic issues. Existing solutions, such as adding weights or using adhesives, can be cumbersome, damage the underlying floor, or require difficult installation and removal processes. There's a need for a floor covering that stays in place, looks good, and is easy to maintain.
The underlying idea behind ’355 is to create a multi-piece floor covering where a rug and a mat are loosely coupled yet prevented from slipping relative to each other. This is achieved by using corner pockets on the rug that receive corresponding corners of the mat. The mat itself is constructed from interlocking sections, ensuring it lies flat and provides a stable base. A non-slip material on the mat's surface further enhances stability.
The claims of ’355 focus on an area rug assembly comprising a rug portion, a mat portion made of multiple interlocking pieces with a non-slip top surface, and a plurality of pocketed areas affixed to the rug portion's bottom surface only at the corners. The mat's corners are inserted into these pockets, securing the rug and mat together. The pockets and non-slip material allow the rug to be loosely positioned without stretching, while still preventing relative movement, so that the rug and mat can be moved together as a single piece.
In practice, the user assembles the mat by interlocking its sections. Then, they simply tuck the corners of the assembled mat into the pockets on the underside of the rug. The interlocking mat sections ensure a flat, stable base, while the corner pockets and non-slip surface prevent the rug from sliding around on top of the mat. This design allows for easy installation and removal, unlike traditional methods that involve adhesives or cumbersome fasteners.
This design differentiates itself from prior approaches by avoiding permanent or semi-permanent attachments. The loose coupling via corner pockets allows for easy separation of the rug and mat for cleaning or storage. The modular mat construction also makes the entire assembly easier to warehouse, ship, and handle compared to traditional rolled rugs. The combination of these features provides a practical and convenient solution to the common problems associated with area rugs.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the early 2020s when ’355 was filed, rugs and mats were typically implemented as separate components, at a time when securing rugs to underlying surfaces to prevent slippage was commonly addressed using weights, adhesives, or separate non-slip pads. When hardware or software constraints made designing multi-piece arrangements that were easy to assemble, clean, and store non-trivial.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner approved the application because the prior art does not teach or suggest an assembly that includes an upper portion, a lower portion with a non-slip top surface and a bottom surface, and a means for removably coupling the lower portion to the upper portion only at the corners of the upper portion's bottom surface. This arrangement allows the upper portion to remain loosely positioned on the lower portion without stretching, ensuring both portions lay flush while preventing relative movement and forming an area rug.
Claims
This patent contains 21 claims, with independent claims 1 and 11. Independent claim 1 focuses on an area rug assembly with a rug portion and a mat portion secured by pocketed areas. Independent claim 11 focuses on an assembly with an upper portion and a lower portion removably coupled. The dependent claims generally elaborate on the materials, construction, and features of the area rug assembly and the assembly.
Key Claim Terms New
Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.
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Date
Description
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US12171355
- Application Number
- US17506529
- Filing Date
- Oct 20, 2021
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Mar 5, 2042
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents