This invention relates to a flexible matting for use at an entrance porch, corridor, veranda, pool-side, interior floor of automobiles, etc.

There has already been known a matting consisting of a base sheet provided with numerous piles. Such a matting, however, has the disadvantage that the repeated stamping down of the matting renders the piles difficult to recover from deformation until the piles finally stay bent down or even torn off. With the conventional matting, moreover, it is difficult to remove the mud embedded among the piles.

The matting of this invention has none of such disadvantages. According to this invention there is provided a flexible matting consisting of a base sheet carrying a plurality of tread bars arranged in a definite direction and a plurality of ridges bearing piles arranged between the tread bars in the same direction as that of these bars, the height of said piles being larger than that of said tread bars, and the base sheet, tread bars, ridges, and piles being integrated to form the matting.

This invention is illustrated below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a sketch of one example of the conventional mattings;

FIG. 2 is an oblique view of one of the embodiments of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view at A-A' in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view at B-B' in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5a to FIG. 5e are sectional views (corresponding to the sectional view at A-A' in FIG. 2) of various examples of the piles;

FIGS. 6a to 6e are sectional views (corresponding to the sectional view at A-A' in FIG. 2) of various examples of the tread bar 4; and

FIGS. 7a and 7b illustrate the relations between the height of a ridge 2 and a tread bar 4.

The present matting is made of a synthetic resin such as, for example, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, butadiene-styrene copolymer, or polystyrene; or a rubber; or a mixture of these materials. The present matting is made by integrally molding, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, a base sheet 1, a plurality of ridges 2 bearing numerous piles 3 of an appropriate height and shape, and a plurality of tread bars 4, said ridges and tread bars having an optional width, height, and shape (provided that the top of the piles is in a level above that of the upper surface of the tread bars) and being arranged in a definite direction with appropriate spacings between them.

Without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention and without causing any injury to the merit thereof, the pile 3 and the tread bar 4 may be in a great variety of forms other than those shown in FIGS. 5a - 5e and 6a - 6e.

The present matting has favorable cushioning properties, because it is made of a flexible synthetic resin, rubber, or a mixture of these materials and the height of piles are larger than that of tread bars. Being formed on the ridges 2, the piles 3 are not subject to prostration or rupture due to repeated stamping, contrary to the case of conventional mattings, because if the piles 3 bend to some extent, the ridges 2 support the stamping load and if the piles bend further, the tread bars 4 support the load.

The effectiveness of ridges in keeping the piles from prostration is enhanced by arranging the wider tread bars at intervals of 3 to 15 cm, that is, shorter than the width of shoes. The prostration of piles is more effectively prevented and the cushioning properties are increased when the tread bars 4 are higher than the ridges 2 as shown in FIG. 7b, though some degrees of effectiveness are expected when the height is vice versa.

As for the cushioning properties, although favorable cushioning properties are obtained when the top of piles is in a level 2 mm or more higher than that of the upper surface of the tread bars 4, it is possible, if necessary, to increase said level difference up to about 15 mm, preferably 10 mm, particularly when a softer touch is required. Although cushioning properties of the matting are improved with an increase in said level difference, an increase of more than about 15 mm is not desirable for the use where repeated stamping is usual, because it will become difficult for the piles to recover from prostration.

Since the rows of ridges 2 and tread bars 4 of the present matting are arranged in a definite direction at proper intervals and the piles 3 are formed on the ridges 2, the mud removed from shoes by the piles accumulates in the grooves 5 and is discharged from the matting more easily as compared with a conventional matting having piles directly formed all over the base sheet.

If a thick and massive matting is required, it is possible to meet the requirement without increasing the thickness of the base sheet by regulating the heights and widths of the tread bars 4, ridges 2, and piles 3, thus resulting in saving of the material for forming a massive mud scraper resistant to prostration and rupture due to repeated stamping.