Patent ID: 6148577
Filing Date: 2000-11-21
Classification: F16N

Abstract:
A kit for making an expandable modular floor protector for protecting a ground surface from fluids dripping from a vehicle, consisting of:two mat modules, each of said mat modules comprising a substantially planar mat portion having an upper surface for orienting toward the underside of a vehicle and a lower surface for resting on a ground surface, and a perimeter lip portion united to the perimeter of the mat portion, said perimeter lip portion extending continuously about the perimeter of said mat portion and extending perpendicularly with respect to the plane of the mat portion to form a fluid catching tray; andthree perimeter strip members for mounting over the perimeter lip portion of said floor protection mat modules, said perimeter strip members having a longitudinal groove therein for accepting a perimeter lip portion of a floor protection mat module, each said groove being substantially laterally centrally-located in a bottom surface of said perimeter strip member to protect a perimeter lip portion inserted therein from damage from the wheel of a vehicle rolling over said perimeter strip member;one of said perimeter strip members comprising a connector perimeter strip member extending in an H-shaped configuration in a plane parallel to the bottom surface of the protector perimeter strip member such that said connector perimeter strip member is adapted to connect the two floor protection mat modules together in an adjacent condition;two of said perimeter strip members comprising a protector perimeter strip member extending in a channel-shaped configuration in a plane parallel to the bottom surface of the protector perimeter strip member such that each of said protector perimeter strip members is adapted to protect portions of at least three sides of each of said floor protection mat modules;wherein each groove of the protector perimeter strip members extends from one end to the other end of the protector perimeter strip members and also has a channel-shaped configuration and wherein each portion of said groove of the channel-shaped perimeter strip members has a transverse width slightly larger than the thickness of a respective perimeter lip portion of said mat modules; andwherein portions of the groove of the connector perimeter strip member extend between ends of side portions of the H-shaped configuration and the groove is open only at the ends and wherein a portion of the groove extends between the side portions, whereby the groove has an H-shaped configuration open only at the ends of the H-shaped configuration, wherein the portion of said groove extending between the side portions of the H-shaped perimeter strip member has a transverse width slightly larger than the combined thickness of two perimeter lip portions in an adjacent relationship.