Abstract:
A shapeable absorbent mat having an absorbent layer and a forming layer secured to the absorbent layer is disclosed. The forming layer is made from a shapeable material, which may be liquid impermeable. The absorbent layer may be secured to the forming layer by an adhesive layer disposed between the absorbent layer and the forming layer. The shapeable absorbent mat formed fitted to almost any shape which makes the mat well suited be wrapped around pipes, fittings and other equipment. The shapeable absorbent mat may also be shaped into a pan to catch leaks and drips. Additionally, the shapeable absorbent mat may be used forming side up to form a trough to channel liquids away.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/779,325, filed Mar. 03, 2006, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to absorbents for catching leaks, drip and spills of water, oil-based liquid and other non-aggressive fluids. 
       BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
       [0003]    Hoses, pipes and other equipment often develop leaks in hard to reach areas. These leaks are difficult to catch using standard absorbents, such as mats or absorbent socks made of supple material, which bends easily but does not retain its shape. This attribute makes the use of standard absorbents in many applications inadequate. For example, trying to contain drips from leaking pipes is particularly difficult using a non-shapeable absorbent mat. Some other article, like a tape or a band, would be needed to hold the mat in place and once in place. Furthermore, once saturated with liquid, the mat will leach and drip onto whatever is below the leak. 
         [0004]    Another example where standard absorbents are particularly ineffective is in tight spaces or hard to reach areas around equipment. Often standard absorbents are packed into these areas and only removed once saturated leaving behind a liquid soaked floor. Alternatively, in order to keep the area dry the absorbents have to be removed prematurely before reaching their absorbent capacity. 
         [0005]    Another example where standard absorbents have shown to be inadequate is when a leaking liquid merely needs diverted to a nearby area or container to remedy the leak. Standard absorbents were only capable of absorbing and not diverting the liquid, thus some other article was required to perform this function. 
         [0006]    The present invention has been developed in view of the foregoing. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention provides a shapeable absorbent mat having an absorbent layer secured to a forming layer. The forming layer may be made from a formable material, which is sometimes liquid impermeable. The absorbent layer may be secured to the forming layer by an adhesive layer disposed between the absorbent layer and the forming layer. The shapeable absorbent mat may be form fitted to almost any shape, which makes the mat well suited to be wrapped around pipes, fittings and other equipment. The shapeable absorbent mat may also be shaped into a pan to catch leaks and drips. Additionally, when the forming layer is also liquid impervious, the shapeable absorbent mat may be used forming side up to form a trough to channel liquids away. 
         [0008]    An aspect of the present invention provides a shapeable absorbent mat comprising an absorbent layer and a shapeable forming layer secured to the absorbent layer. 
         [0009]    Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of using an absorbent mat to absorb a liquid comprising the steps of providing a shapeable absorbent mat and deforming the shapeable absorbent mat to contain the liquid. 
         [0010]    Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of using a shapeable absorbent mat having an absorbent layer and a forming layer to divert a liquid comprising the steps of deforming the shapeable absorbent mat into a trough wherein the liquid impervious layer forms the interior of the trough which contacts the liquid. 
         [0011]    These and other aspect will become more apparent from the following description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view shapeable absorbent mat according to one embodiment the present invention showing the absorbent layer on top and the forming layer on the bottom with an adhesive layer between the absorbent layer and forming layer. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  illustrates a cross section of the shapeable absorbent mat according to one embodiment of the present invention showing the absorbent layer, adhesive layer and forming layer. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  illustrates a cross section of a shapeable absorbent mat having the absorbent layer and forming layer secured by a taped edge. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  illustrates how a shapeable absorbent mat according to one embodiment of the present invention may be molded around a leaking pipe. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  illustrates how a shapeable absorbent mat according to one embodiment of the present invention may be folded into a pan shape for containing a leaking fluid according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  illustrates a shapeable absorbent mat molded into a trough to direct a leaking liquid into a container according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  illustrates a shapeable absorbent mat with an expanded metal forming layer according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  illustrates a shapeable absorbent mat with a forming layer made of metallic strips according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  illustrates a shapeable absorbent mat with a forming layer disposed between two absorbent layers according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  illustrates the shapeable absorbent mat of  FIG. 9  with a barrier layer to prevent leaching of absorbed liquid according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a shapeable absorbent mat  1  is shown according to one embodiment of the present invention. The mat  1  may be a sheet-like material having a generally planar structure. The mat  1  may be made from two or more layers. As used herein, the term layer refers to a thickness of material covering a surface. As seen in  FIG. 1 , the mat  1  has an absorbent layer  10  and a forming layer  20 . An adhesive layer  30  may be included between the absorbent layer  10  and the forming layer  20  to hold the absorbent layer  10  and forming layer  20  together. 
         [0023]    The absorbent layer  10  may be formed from any material suitable for absorbing oil-based and/or water-based fluids, for example water, oil, and solvents. Examples of suitable material for use as an absorbent layer  10  include natural or synthetic fibrous material or combinations thereof, for example cellulosic material or non-woven polypropylene. The absorbent layer  10  has a thickness, shown as T a  in  FIG. 2 , of about 0.01 inch to about 0.5 inch, for example 0.1 inch. 
         [0024]    Still referring to  FIG. 2 , the forming layer  20  may be made a suitable shapeable material. As used herein, the term shapeable refers to a material characteristic in which a material changes from an original shape to a new shape in response to a pressure or stress and the material does not return to its original shape when the pressure or stress is removed. By way of example, the forming layer  10  may be made from aluminum foil, aluminum alloy foil, sheet steel, copper, tin, nickel, brass or other metals. The forming layer  20  serves as a structural layer of the mat  1  giving the mat its shapeable characteristics. The forming layer  20  is structured to provide deformation capabilities of the mat. In a preferred embodiment, the forming layer  10  is also liquid impervious. However, in certain later described embodiments, the forming layer is permeable. The forming layer has a thickness, shown as T b  in  FIG. 2 , which is important to the functionality of mat  1 . The thickness of the forming layer will be dependent on the material used. If the forming layer is made too thick the mat  1  will not be able to be bent into an a appropriate shape. Furthermore, the forming layer will not be able to be cut by common means, like scissors. If the forming layer is made too thin, the mat  1  will not retain its shape when molded. The forming layer  10  will also likely be easily torn allowing unintended escape of contained liquid. When aluminum foil is used as the forming layer, T b  is about 1 mil to about 6 mil, for example 3 mil. T b  is somewhat dependant on the thickness of the absorbent layer  10 . As the thickness and/or resistance to deformation of the absorbent layer  10  increases, the thickness and deformation ability of the forming layer must correspond. For example, an aluminum foil forming layer  20  with a T b  of 3 mil adequately deforms a mat  1  having a polypropylene absorbent layer  10  with a T a  of 0.1 inch. 
         [0025]    The adhesive layer  30  adheres the absorbent layer  10  to the forming layer  20 . The adhesive layer  30  may include any adhesive system suitable for adhering the absorbent layer  10  to the forming layer  20 . For example, toughened acrylic, cyanoacrylate, two-part epoxy, hot melt adhesive, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, silicone rubber, spray on water-based adhesives and solvent-based adhesives may be suitable adhesives. 
         [0026]    In one embodiment the adhesive layer is a pressure sensitive adhesive such as a two-sided tape. In certain embodiments, the adhesive is applied as one continuous layer between the absorbent layer  10  and forming layer  20 . In other embodiments, the adhesive is applied to discrete sections; for example, the adhesive may be applied in strips, zones or other discontinuous pattern. 
         [0027]    In another embodiment of the present invention, the absorbent layer  10  is affixed to the forming layer  20  mechanically. For example, the absorbent layer  10  may be sewn on to the forming layer  10  or held to the forming layer by mechanical fasteners. 
         [0028]    Referring now to an embodiment of the present invention shown  FIG. 3 , the absorbent layer  10  is held to the forming layer  20  by a taped edge  32  around a periphery of the mat  1 . The taped edge comprises a one-sided tape applied around the peripheral edge of the mat  1 . An adhesive side of a portion of the tape is in contact with an exterior surface of the forming layer  20 . The one-sided tape is wrapped around an edge of the mat  1  so that the adhesive side of a portion of the tape is in contact with an exterior surface of the absorbent layer  10 . The taped edge  32  may be made of a rubber, vinyl, neoprene or other flexible tape. The taped edge  32  may additionally be stretched or shrunk-fit about the perimeter of the mat  1 . 
         [0029]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4 , a non-limiting example of how the mat  1  may be used according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. The mat  1  may be wrapped around a leaking pipe to absorb and contain the leak until permanent repairs can be made. The mat  1  may be wrapped around the pipe  40  with the absorbent layer  10  in contact with the pipe  40  and then the mat folded or rolled in an interlocking fashion securing the mat  1  in place. 
         [0030]    Referring now to  FIGS. 5 , another non-limiting example of how the mat  1  may be used according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. The mat  1  may folded into a box or other shape to contain a leaking fluid from gearbox  41 . The shapeable nature of the mat  1  allows many shapes to be from a standard sheet-like mat  1 . The ability to bend and hold its shape also increases the absorbent capacity of the mat  1  by utilizing the impermeable forming layer as a fluid container. The impermeable forming layer  20  prevents liquids from leaching through the mat  1 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 6  shows another beneficial aspect of one embodiment of the present invention. The mat  1  may used as a gutter or trough to divert leaking fluid by simply shaping the mat  1  into an appropriate form so that the forming layer  20  creates the interior surface of the trough. The mat  1  embodied in the form of a trough can now be supported in any appropriate fashion to divert leaking fluid to a more desirable location. As shown in  FIG. 6  it may be more desirable to divert the fluid to a separate container  42  or the mat  1  may simply divert fluid away from equipment or personnel below the leak. 
         [0032]    The mat  1  may be packaged as individual pads or may be packaged as a continuous roll. As mentioned above, one embodiment of the mat  1  may be cut to appropriate sizes with scissors. 
         [0033]    Referring now  FIGS. 7 and 8 , a shapeable mat  1  may be made from an absorbent layer  20  affixed to a permeable forming layer  20  such as expanded metal  21  shown in  FIG. 8 . According to another embodiment of the present invention, the absorbent layer may be affixed to multiple sections or strips  22  comprising a forming layer  20 . In yet another embodiment of the present invention, wire may be incorporated into or affixed to the absorbent layer to create a forming layer. 
         [0034]    The forming layer  10  may be located between multiple absorbent layers  20  as shown in  FIG. 9 . In this embodiment, the forming layer  20  may be any of the aforementioned structures or materials. Although not detailed in  FIG. 9 , the absorbent layers  10  may be affixed to the forming layer  10  by any of the above-described means. Additionally, in this configuration one absorbent layer  10  may be bonded or mechanically affixed to another absorbent layer  10 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 10  illustrates the shapeable mat  1  of  FIG. 9  with an additional barrier layer  25 . The barrier layer  25  is a liquid impermeable layer added to prevent leaching when a permeable forming layer  20  is used. The barrier layer  25  may be affixed as above described and may be made from any flexible, impermeable material, for example a plastic, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, cellophane, or polyvinylidene chloride. 
         [0036]    Whereas particular embodiments of this invention have been described above for purposes of illustration, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that numerous variations of the details of the present invention may be made without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.