Garage Floor Mat

Abstract

A garage floor mat provides raised edges on the front edge and the side edges to contain any fluid which leaks or drips from a vehicle parked in the garage. The mat is preferably manufactured from a flexible, durable material such as latex, such that it may be rolled, bent, and folded but will still return to its original shape. The rear edge of the mat is molded with a slightly sloped ramp and a drop edge that is cut lower to keep liquids inside the mat. To remove excess water or mud, a user lifts the front edge of the mat to cause the liquid to flow backward and out of the garage. The user may spray the mat with water to remove any remaining residue.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/143007, filed Apr. 3, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not Applicable

PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

[0003] Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX

[0004] Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The invention relates generally to automotive accessories and in particular to a garage floor mat. Many homeowners prefer to keep the garage floor clean during inclement weather, and free from the mud, rainwater, and melting snow and slush that invariably drips from any vehicle parked in the garage. Certain older vehicles, as well as vehicles in need of repair, may leak oil, transmission fluid, or coolant and these fluids will leave unsightly and permanently stains on any floor, impacting the resale value of the home. A garage floor mat, providing raised edges and a ramp to contain any fluid which leaks or drips from a vehicle, would resolve these problems.

[0006] A search of the prior art reveals an assortment of mats for garage floors which have been developed to perform one or more of these functions. None are closely related to the present invention, but several include features which resemble those of the present invention. However, each has proven less than satisfactory in its own way.

[0007] A Garage Floor Protector (U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,876), discloses a floor protector formed as a unitary sheet for placement in a parking area. The protector includes left and right inwardly sloping lateral surfaces, with a longitudinal channel extending downward through the center of the device. The parking surface is elevated above the ground surface.

[0008] A Modular Floor Protection Mat System (U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,577), discloses at least one floor protection mat module having a mat portion and a perimeter lip portion. Other similar mat modules can be connected to the one floor protection mat module to form a larger floor protection mat. A vehicle may roll over the outer lip portion.

[0009] A Protective Garage Mat With Parking Alignment Device (U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,162), discloses a reinforced rubber mat having ribs/channels for retaining a predetermined quantity of oil. The mat includes a parking alignment indicator.

[0010] A Vehicular Garage Floor Mat (U.S. Patent No. D672,993), discloses a mat which lies in between the tires of a vehicle and under the undercarriage of the vehicle with a raised front edge.

[0011] A Drips Catching Mat for Garage Floors and the Like (U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,147), discloses a mat designed to catch oil drippings from a vehicle parked in a garage. Further disclosing a blotter member for collecting the oil drippings and notifying the user of when the blotter member needs to be replaced. The mat is permanently attached to the floor and covers a space under the engine block of the vehicle.

[0012] A Garage Floor Liner (U.S. Pat. No. 2,996,150), discloses a garage floor liner which may be rolled up and removed. The floor liner collects all oil, grease, mud, snow, and ice which may fall from the vehicle. The floor liner includes flanges on three edges of the liner and a raised transverse ridge on an open edge of the liner.

[0013] All of the prior art found fails to provide an adequate removable or replaceable floor liner for a garage. Each prior art reference provides some inadequacy which the present invention provides a solution. Whether the prior art reference is incapable of catching all debris which may fall from a vehicle, is not removable from the garage floor and storable in a safe place, or the reference does not provide adequate means for maintaining fallen debris within the mat while providing a way for the vehicle to be parked on the mat--all have significant defects which the present invention solves.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Accordingly, the invention is directed to a garage floor mat. The mat provides raised edges on the front edge and the side edges to contain any fluid which leaks or drips from a vehicle parked in the garage. The mat is preferably manufactured from a flexible, durable material such as latex, such that it may be rolled, bent, and folded but will still return to its original shape. The rear edge of the mat is molded with a slightly sloped ramp and a drop edge that is cut lower to keep liquids inside the mat. To remove excess water or mud, a user lifts the front edge of the mat to cause the liquid to flow backward and out of the garage. The user may spray the mat with water to remove any remaining residue.

[0015] Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification. They illustrate one embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a top view of the first exemplary embodiment, displaying the mat 10, the front edge 11, the side edges 12, the rear edge 13, and the ramp 14.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a side cross-section view of the rear edge of the first exemplary embodiment, displaying the mat 10, the rear edge 13, the ramp 14, and the drop edge 15.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Referring now to the invention in more detail, the invention is directed to a garage floor mat 10.

[0020] The first exemplary embodiment is comprised of a garage floor mat 10 which provides raised edges 16 on the front edge 11 and the side edges 12 which surround a center mat area 18, to contain any fluid which leaks or drips from a vehicle parked in the garage. The mat 10 is preferably provided in a broad range of sizes to fit any vehicle or motorcycle.

[0021] The mat 10 is preferably manufactured from a flexible, durable material such as latex, such that it may be rolled, bent, and folded but will still return to its original shape. Preferably, the mat 10 may be rolled up and stored on the floor of the garage against one wall. Loops, straps, or other securing devices 17 may be provided along one side edge 12, such that the user may hang the mat 10, either flat or rolled up, on a wall, set of shelves, or other vertical surface. The thickness of the mat 10 is such that it is sturdy enough to prevent tears and other damage during normal use, but light enough such that the rolled-up mat 10 may be carried and stored by a single user without assistance. An alternate embodiment of the invention which is lightweight and disposable, intended for use by the elderly and others with less upper body strength, is contemplated.

[0022] The rear edge 13 of the mat 10 is preferably molded with a slightly sloped ramp 14 and a drop edge 15. The drop edge 15 is preferably cut lower to keep liquids inside the mat 10. The top surface 19 of the mat 10 is preferably smooth and without texture, such that it is easy to clean.

[0023] To use the first exemplary embodiment, the user may place the mat 10 on the garage floor and park a vehicle on it, allowing any liquids to drip from the vehicle and be retained by the mat 10 on the top surface 19 of the central mat area 18 within the raised edges 16. To remove excess water, mud, or other liquids, the user moves the vehicle off the mat 10, lifts the front edge 11 of the mat 10 to cause the liquid to flow backward and out of the garage over the rear edge 13. The user may spray the mat 10 with water to remove any remaining residue.

[0024] The mat 10 is preferably manufactured from a flexible, durable material such as latex, plastic, neoprene, rubber, or silicone. Components, component sizes, and materials listed above are preferable, but artisans will recognize that alternate components and materials could be selected without altering the scope of the invention.

[0025] While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is presently considered to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should, therefore, not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A garage floor mat, comprising: a central mat area having a top surface, front edge, a rear edge, and two side edges; said two side edges and said front edge having a raised edge; said rear edge having a sloped ramp; said sloped ramp having a drop edge connected to the top surface of the central mat area; and at least one of two side edges having securing devices attached.

2. The garage floor mat of claim 1, wherein said garage floor mat is constructed of a material such that the garage floor mat can be rolled up for storage in a rolled position.

3. The garage floor mat of claim 2, wherein said securing devices are straps and said straps wrap around a rolled up garage floor mat and secure it in the rolled position.

4. The garage floor mat of claim 2, wherein said securing devices are loops and said loops are configured to hang the garage floor mat in the rolled position.

5. The garage floor mat of claim 3, wherein said securing devices further comprise loops and said loops are configured to hang the garage floor mat in a rolled up position.

6. The garage floor mat of claim 1, wherein said securing devices are loops and said loops are configured to hang the garage floor mat in a flat position.

7. The garage floor mat of claim 1, wherein said garage floor mat is constructed of a disposable material.

8. The garage floor mat of claim 1, wherein said top surface is smooth and without texture.

9. The garage floor mat of claim 2, wherein said top surface is smooth and without texture.

10. The garage floor mat of claim 3, wherein said top surface is smooth and without texture.

11. The garage floor mat of claim 4, wherein said top surface is smooth and without texture.

12. The garage floor mat of claim 5, wherein said top surface is smooth and without texture.

13. The garage floor mat of claim 6, wherein said top surface is smooth and without texture.

14. The garage floor mat of claim 7, wherein said top surface is smooth and without texture.