Abstract:
A magnetically attached carpeting or other covering for a floor of a boat includes a set of magnetic elements connected to the floor and another set of magnetic elements connected to the carpeting. Wherein, the location of the magnetic elements of the floor and carpeting generally match each other. When the carpeting is installed on the floor, the magnetic elements of the floor and carpeting attract each other thereby promoting attachment of the carpeting to the floor. The carpeting can be removed from the floor by overcoming the magnetic attraction between the matching magnetic elements. Effectiveness of the attachment is not diminished by repeated installation and removal of the carpet from the boat floor.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/045,843, filed Apr. 17, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to floor and deck covering, such as carpet, for watercraft and boats. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Boats have been developed with a variety of floor and deck coverings to serve a variety of purposes. Boat floors may be fully or partially covered with such coverings. For example, carpeting has been used to provide a soft tread surface comfortable for bare feet. Carpeting also provides thermal protection, reducing or eliminating discomfort to bare feet caused by sun heated floors. In addition, carpeting can provide a slip resistant tread surface on the floor of the boat. 
         [0004]    It is often desired to employ easily removable floor and deck covering in boats. When soiled, a removable floor covering allows cleaning the floor covering away from the boat. If soil has reached underneath the floor covering, this soil can be more easily and thoroughly cleaned after the floor covering has been removed. 
         [0005]    Snap fasteners are commonly used for attaching removable floor coverings to boat floors. Snap fasteners are typically made of metal that is prone to corrode and/or rust. The rust and/or corrosion can stain and discolor the boat and detract from its appearance. 
         [0006]      FIG. 2  illustrates a boat floor  104   s  covered by a removable covering  200 . The removable covering  200  is bounded by a perimeter  202  generally matching the perimeter of the boat floor  104   s  and includes other features such as a seat post hole  220 . The removable covering  200  is attached to the boat floor  104   s  by snap fasteners. Snap fasteners typically have a metal cap protruding above a tread surface  204  of the floor covering  200 . This metal snap cap can cause discomfort if stepped on with bare feet, especially if heated by the sun. The snap cap is typically joined through the floor covering  200  to a female snap socket  214  on the underside of the floor covering  200 . A plurality of male snap studs  212  are typically fastened to the floor  104   s  in a predetermined pattern matching a pattern of snap caps and sockets  214  joined through the floor covering  200 . Typically, the snap studs  212  are connected to threaded posts that are threaded into the boat floor  104   s . The floor covering  200  may be removably connected to the floor  104   s  by locating the conjoined snap cap and socket  214  over the fastened snap stud  212  and pressing together until engaged. The components of the snap fastener (the snap cap, snap socket  214 , and snap stud  212 ) each add a layer of thickness resulting in a significant lump above the boat floor  104   s.    
         [0007]    Threaded fasteners, either used to directly fasten a floor covering to the floor or to fasten the snap stud  212  to the floor  104   s  can result in stress concentrations in the floor that cause cracking in a gel-coat or other surface layer of the boat floor. In cored floors, such surface cracking can allow water into the core and damage the floor. Furthermore, when the floor covering  200  is removed from the floor  104   s  of the boat, the snap studs  212  can cause discomfort if stepped on with bare feet. 
         [0008]    There is a need for an easily removable boat flooring system that does not use threaded fasteners or snap fasteners. The present disclosure fulfills this and other needs. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a magnetically attached floor covering system for covering a floor of a boat. The magnetically attached floor covering system includes a set of magnetic floor elements connected to and laid out on the floor. The magnetically attached floor covering system also includes a removable floor covering, including a tread surface and a set of magnetic floor covering elements, which is installed over the floor. The set of magnetic floor covering elements are connected to and positioned below the tread surface of the removable floor covering such that they generally match the layout of the set of magnetic floor elements. The set of magnetic floor elements and the set of magnetic floor covering elements magnetically attract each other thereby attaching the removable floor covering to the floor of the boat. 
         [0010]    In one embodiment, the floor is a molded floor (e.g., a fiberglass floor, a rotomolded floor, an injection molded floor, or other type of molded floor), and the set of magnetic floor elements is embedded and molded into the floor. In another embodiment, the set of magnetic floor elements is attached on top of a floor surface (e.g., by adhesive). In the case of a fiberglass boat, in certain embodiments, the magnetic floor elements may be attached (e.g., bonded) to a gel-coat layer of the floor. Also in certain embodiments, the set of magnetic floor covering elements is attached to the removable floor covering by a technique such as bonding, sewing, or other technique. 
         [0011]    In a preferred embodiment, the sets of magnetic elements include rubberized, rust resistant magnets. To increase the holding force of the rubberized magnets and to reduce their thickness, the rubberized magnets can employ a Halbach array. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a boat illustrating a floor of a passenger area covered by a carpet, the carpet shown as a broken-out portion; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of a broken-out portion of a prior art boat floor carpet connected to a boat floor by a set of snap fasteners; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the broken-out portion of the boat floor carpet of  FIG. 1  connected to the boat floor of  FIG. 1  by a set of magnetic elements; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional elevation schematic view of a boat carpet, including at least one magnetic element flush with a backing of the boat carpet, magnetically attached to a boat floor, including at least one magnetic element flush with the boat floor; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional elevation schematic view of another boat carpet, including at least one magnetic element mounted on a backing of the boat carpet, magnetically attached to another boat floor, including at least one magnetic element within a pocket of the boat floor; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional elevation schematic view of the boat carpet and boat floor of  FIG. 4 , the boat carpet separated from the boat floor; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional elevation schematic view of the boat carpet and boat floor of  FIG. 5 , the boat carpet separated from the boat floor; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is an isometric view of a magnet employing magnetic segments arranged in a Halbach array; 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is an elevation view of the magnet of  FIG. 8  further illustrating an augmented magnetic field on the magnet&#39;s bottom and a diminished magnetic field on the magnet&#39;s top; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional elevation schematic view of still another boat carpet, including at least one magnetic element mounted on a backing of the boat carpet, magnetically attached to still another boat floor, including at least one magnetic element mounted on a surface of the boat floor. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]    The present disclosure relates to a magnetically attached floor covering system for covering a floor of a boat. As illustrated at  FIG. 1 , an example boat  50  includes a passenger area  101  with a floor  104 . The floor  104  is bounded by a perimeter  102 . A magnetically attached floor covering system  300  covers the floor  104  of the boat  50  and is bounded by a perimeter  302  (see  FIG. 3 ) generally matching the perimeter  102  of the floor  104 . The floor covering system  300  can further include other features such as a seat post hole  320 . 
         [0023]    As shown at  FIG. 3 , the magnetically attached floor covering system  300  includes a set of magnetic floor elements  312  connected to and laid out on the floor  104  of the boat  50 . The floor covering system  300  also includes a removable floor covering  304 , including a tread surface  305  and a set of magnetic floor covering elements  314 , which is installed over the floor  104 . The set of magnetic floor covering elements  314  are connected to and positioned below the tread surface  305  of the removable floor covering  304  such that they generally match the layout of the set of magnetic floor elements  312 . The set of magnetic floor elements  312  and the set of magnetic floor covering elements  314  magnetically attract each other thereby attaching the removable floor covering  304  to the floor  104  of the boat  50 . 
         [0024]    In a preferred embodiment, the set of magnetic floor elements  312  and the set of magnetic floor covering elements  314  both include permanent magnets, each of the magnets having opposite north and south magnetic poles. Upon installing the removable floor covering  304  over the floor  104 , individual magnets of the set of magnetic floor covering elements  314  are positioned adjacent to individual magnets of the set of magnetic floor elements  312 . Thus each of the individual magnets connected to the tread surface  305  is paired with and adjacent to one of the individual magnets connected to the floor  104 . The adjacent pairs of magnets are oriented such that the adjacent magnetic poles are opposite each other and thus attract each other. 
         [0025]    In another embodiment, the set of magnetic floor elements  312  includes permanent magnets and the set of magnetic floor covering elements  314  includes non-permanent magnetic elements. Upon installing the removable floor covering  304  over the floor  104 , the non-permanent magnetic elements of the set of magnetic floor covering elements  314  are positioned adjacent to individual permanent magnets of the set of magnetic floor elements  312 . Thus each of the non-permanent magnetic elements connected to the tread surface  305  is paired with, adjacent to, and attracted to one of the individual permanent magnets connected to the floor  104 . 
         [0026]    In still another embodiment, the set of magnetic floor elements  312  includes non-permanent magnetic elements and the set of magnetic floor covering elements  314  includes permanent magnets. Upon installing the removable floor covering  304  over the floor  104 , the individual permanent magnets of the set of magnetic floor covering elements  314  are positioned adjacent to non-permanent magnetic elements of the set of magnetic floor elements  312 . Thus each of the individual permanent magnets connected to the tread surface  305  is paired with, adjacent to, and attracted to one of the non-permanent magnetic elements connected to the floor  104 . 
         [0027]    The set of magnetic floor elements  312  can be attached to the floor  104  by means such as adhesive bonding. In one embodiment, the floor  104  is a fiberglass floor and the set of magnetic floor elements  312  are embedded and molded into the floor  104  during the manufacture of the floor  104 . By this method of manufacturing the floor, uncured fiberglass resin wets the set of magnetic floor elements  312  and securely bonds them to the fiberglass material of the floor  104  when cured. As illustrated at  FIGS. 4 and 6  at a single location, the set of magnetic floor elements  312  is embedded into the floor  104  such that the elements  312  are flush with a top surface  108  of the floor  104 . Alternatively, as illustrated at  FIGS. 5 and 7  at a single location, the set of magnetic floor elements  312  is embedded into an alternate floor  104 ′ such that the elements  312  are below a top surface  108 ′ of the floor  104 ′ and within a pocket  110  formed into fiberglass material of the floor  104 ′. In still another embodiment, as illustrated at  FIG. 10 , the set of magnetic floor elements  312  are mounted (e.g., with adhesive) above a top surface  108 ″ of still another floor  104 ″. 
         [0028]    In the magnetically attached floor covering systems  300  ( FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  4 , and  6 ),  300 ′ ( FIGS. 5 and 7 ), and  300 ″ ( FIG. 10 ) no holes need be made in the floor  104 ,  104 ′, and  104 ″ for the purpose of attaching the floor covering  304  and  304 ′. Thus the aforementioned problems of floor cracking, gel-coat cracking, core damage, leaking, etc. are avoided. 
         [0029]    The set of magnetic floor covering elements  314  can be attached to the tread surface  305  by means such as adhesive bonding thereby forming the removable floor covering  304 . The removable floor covering  304  may further include a backing  306 . In one embodiment, the set of magnetic floor covering elements  314  is sewn into the tread surface  305  and/or the backing  306 . In certain embodiments, the set of magnetic floor covering elements  314  are fastened to the tread surface  305  and/or the backing  306 . As illustrated at  FIGS. 4 and 6  at a single location, the set of magnetic floor covering elements  314  is attached to the tread surface  305  and/or the backing  306  such that the set of elements  314  are flush with a bottom surface  307  of the removable floor covering  304 . Alternatively, as illustrated at  FIGS. 5 ,  7 , and  10  at a single location, the set of magnetic floor covering elements  314  is attached to the tread surface  305  such that the set of elements  314  extend past a bottom surface  307 ′ of an alternate removable floor covering  304 ′. 
         [0030]      FIGS. 4 through 7  and  10  are not necessarily to scale but illustrate various schematic layouts of the removable floor covering  304 ,  304 ′, including the set of magnetic floor covering elements  314 ; the floor  104 ,  104 ′,  104 ″; and the set of magnetic floor elements  312 . In the schematic layout of  FIGS. 5 and 7 , the thickness of the magnetic elements  312  and  314  can be accommodated within the depth of the pocket  110  of the floor  104 ′ and thereby result in the tread surface  305  having a smooth contour. In the schematic layout of  FIGS. 4 and 6 , the thickness of the magnetic floor element  312  can be accommodated by inlaying it within the floor  104  and the thickness of the magnetic floor covering element  314  can be accommodated by inlaying it within the removable floor covering  304 . Thus the schematic layouts of  FIGS. 4 and 6  also result in the tread surface  305  having a smooth contour. In the schematic layout of  FIG. 10 , the magnetic floor element  312  is surface mounted to the floor  104 ″ and the magnetic floor covering element  314  is surface mounted to the removable floor covering  304 ′. Other combinations of surface mounting and recess mounting the magnetic elements  312 ,  314  are possible. For example, the removable floor covering  304 ′, including the surface mounted magnetic floor covering element  314 , can be used with the floor  104 , including the recess mounted magnetic floor element  312 . 
         [0031]    In embodiments, such as shown at  FIG. 10 , where the magnetic floor element  312  and/or the magnetic floor covering element  314  are surface mounted without an accommodating pocket (such as the pocket  110  of  FIG. 7 ), minimizing thickness of the magnetic elements  312  and/or  314  is preferred. By minimizing the thickness of the magnetic elements  312  and/or  314 , a local protuberance of the tread surface  305  (see  FIG. 10 ) caused by the magnetic elements  312  and/or  314  is also minimized. In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the magnetic elements  312  and/or  314  can be made from commercially available permanent magnets less than about 1/16 inch thick. In other embodiments, the magnetic elements  312  and/or  314  can be made from commercially available permanent magnets less than about ⅛ inch thick. Non-permanent magnetic elements are also commercially available in thicknesses less than about 1/16″ thick and in thicknesses less than about ⅛″ thick. As mentioned above, the magnetic elements  312  and  314  can include non-permanent magnetic elements. By using suitably thin permanent magnets and/or suitably thin non-permanent magnetic elements as the magnetic elements  312  and/or  314 , the protuberance of the tread surface  305  can be reduced to an acceptable or even negligible size. 
         [0032]    The floor covering system  300  facilitates installing the removable floor covering  304  on the floor  104  of the boat  50 . As described above and illustrated at  FIGS. 4 and 6 , the removable floor covering  304  is aligned and positioned above the floor  104  ( FIG. 6 ), the aligned sets of magnetic elements  312 ,  314  attached to the floor  104  and tread surface  305  attract each other and thereby secure the removable floor covering  304  to the floor  104  ( FIG. 4 ). The floor covering system  300  also facilitates removing the removable floor covering  304  from the floor  104  of the boat  50 . The removal can be accomplished by lifting the removable floor covering  304 , preferably along the perimeter  302  (see  FIG. 3 ), with sufficient force to overcome the attraction between the sets of magnetic elements  312 ,  314 . By peeling the removable floor covering  304  from the floor  104  starting at the perimeter  302 , the attraction between the sets of magnetic elements  312 ,  314  can be overcome one magnetic element pair at a time, thereby reducing the force required. 
         [0033]    In addition to the attractive forces between the sets of magnetic elements  312 ,  314 , certain embodiments of the floor covering system  300  further hold and secure the installed floor covering  304  to the floor  104  by supplementary means. These supplementary means include a close fit between the perimeter  302  of the installed floor covering  304  and the perimeter  102  of the floor  104  (see  FIGS. 1 and 3 ). Additionally, a high friction surface, such as rubber, may be employed at the bottom surface  307  of the removable floor covering  304  and/or the top surface  108  of the floor  104 . The close fit and the high friction surface(s), used separately or together, aid in keeping the installed floor covering  304  from sliding on the floor  104  of the boat  50 . An alternate magnetically attached floor covering system  300 ′, illustrated at  FIGS. 5 and 7 , further includes a close fit between the pockets  110 , formed into the fiberglass material of the floor  104 ′, and the set of magnetic floor covering elements  314 , attached to the tread surface  305 . The close fit between the pockets  110  and the set of magnetic elements  314  further holds and secures the installed floor covering  304 ′ to the floor  104 ′ of the boat  50 . 
         [0034]    In a preferred embodiment, the sets of magnetic elements  312 ,  314  include rubberized, rust resistant magnets. Additionally, the rubberized magnets can be colored to match the floor  104 ,  104 ′ of the boat  50 . To increase the holding force of the rubberized magnets and to reduce their thickness, a plurality of rubberized magnets  400  employing a Halbach array can be included in the sets of magnetic elements  312 ,  314 . As illustrated and idealized at  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the example magnet  400 , employing the Halbach array, includes various magnetic segments with various magnetic field vectors  418  oriented in various directions. In particular, an up-facing segment  406 , a down-facing segment  408 , a right-facing segment  410 , and a left-facing segment  412  are arranged as shown. This arrangement results in a magnetically augmented side  402  of the magnet  400  and a magnetically diminished side  404  of the magnet  400 . The magnetically augmented side  402  has magnetic fields that combine to form a reinforced magnetic field  420  while the magnetically diminished side  404  has magnetic fields that cancel each other. The magnetically augmented side  402  of the magnet  400  is positioned to face toward the floor  104  when mounted on the tread surface  305 . Likewise, the magnetically augmented side  402  of the magnet  400  is positioned to face toward the tread surface  305  when mounted on the floor  104 . When magnets  400  employing the Halbach array are used at both positions of an adjacent pair of magnetic elements, the magnets  400  are relatively positioned to each other such that the magnetic fields  420  interact with each other to create a strong magnetic force between the pair of magnets  400 . 
         [0035]    The above specification provides examples of how certain inventive aspects may be put into practice. It will be appreciated that the inventive aspects can be practiced in other ways than those specifically shown and described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive aspects of the present disclosure.