A mat for cleaning a liquid spill on a surface has a flexible, liquid-permeable outer shell having a top side, a bottom side, and a peripheral edge. The top and bottom sides are mutually fastened at a fastening area so that an interior space is segregated into a plurality of compartments, each compartment retaining an absorbent material therein. The absorbent material is preferably a powdered polyurethane foam material. In one embodiment, the absorbent material within each compartment is contained within a rectangular substantially flat inner section having a top surface, a bottom surface and a peripheral edge, such that the mat is foldable between such inner sections but not easily folded across each inner section.

Not applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to cleaning of spills, and more particularly to a spill-absorbing mat.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

While lose absorbent powders are well known for absorbing hydrocarbon contaminants in the environment, such as hydrocarbons like oil in a lake or pond, for example, use of such free powders has its own environmental drawbacks. Such free powder, when blown by the wind, becomes difficult or impossible to collect. Several prior art devices aim to contain such absorbent powders within a liquid-permeable tube. However, hydrocarbons typically do not penetrate into the center of such tubes because they are absorbed at the perimeter, which then becomes saturated and blocks the hydrocarbons from absorbing further towards the center of such tubes.

Accordingly, a mat or other flat configuration would be desirable for containing such absorbent powders. Further, there is a need for such a product that would be less bulky and inefficient to transport. Moreover, such a needed product would be readily re-usable once pressed under sufficient pressure to remove the hydrocarbons therefrom. The present invention accomplishes these objectives.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present device is a mat for cleaning a liquid spill on a surface, such as a hydrocarbon spill on a water surface including a tank, pond, reservoir, lake, river, ocean, or the like. Alternately, the spill may be of a water-based liquid on a hard surface, such as cement, streets, floors, tables, sidewalks or the like.

The mat includes a flexible, liquid-permeable outer shell having a top side, a bottom side, and a peripheral edge. The top side and bottom side define an interior space therebetween. The top and bottom sides are mutually fastened at a fastening area so that the interior space is segregated into a plurality of compartments, each compartment retaining an absorbent material therein. Preferably the outer shell includes at least one connection point, such as at a grommet or the like, proximate the peripheral edge thereof.

Such an outer shell may be made from a flexible hydrophilic woven or paper material for applications allowing for the absorption of water into the outer shell, such as when a water-based spill has occurred on a hard surface. Alternately, the outer shell may be made from a hydrophobic mesh or woven material for applications not suitable for the absorption of water into the outer shell, such as when the mat must be able to float on a contaminated water surface, for example.

The absorbent material is preferably a powdered polyurethane foam material. Such an absorbent material may include weighted elements for causing the mat to at least partially submerge under a water surface.

In one embodiment, the absorbent material within each compartment is contained within a rectangular substantially flat inner section having a top surface, a bottom surface and a peripheral edge. Such an inner section may be made from a flexible hydrophilic woven or paper material for applications allowing for the absorption of water into the inner section, such as when a water-based spill has occurred on a hard surface. Alternately, the inner section may be made from a hydrophobic mesh or woven material for applications not suitable for the absorption of water into the inner section, such as when the mat must be able to float on a contaminated water surface, for example.

Such an inner section may further include a non-flexible, rigid or semi-rigid elongated stiffener therewithin, such that a mat having several of the inner sections may fold between such inner sections, but may not easily fold across the inner sections. In one embodiment, such stiffeners in a mat having multiple inner sections are traversely scored with a score line, preferably mutually aligned such that the inner sections may be folded in one direction between each inner section and traversely at each mutually aligned score line.

The present invention is a mat that includes a polyurethane powder for absorbing and/or adsorbing fluid spills, particularly hydrocarbon spills. The present device is less bulky than the tubes of the prior art, and as such can be transported more efficiently. Moreover, the present invention is readily re-usable once pressed under sufficient pressure to remove the hydrocarbons therefrom. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 and 2show a mat10for cleaning a liquid spill15on a surface18, such as a hydrocarbon spill15on a water surface18, such as a tank, pond, reservoir, lake, river, ocean, or the like. Alternately, the spill15may be of a water-based liquid on a hard surface18, such as cement, streets, floors, tables, sidewalks or the like.

The mat10includes a flexible, liquid-permeable outer shell20having a top side28, a bottom side22, and a peripheral edge25. The top side28and bottom side22define an interior space30therebetween. The top and bottom sides28,22are mutually fastened at a fastening area40so that the interior space30is segregated into a plurality of compartments50, each compartment50retaining an absorbent material60therein. The outer shell20has a generally flat configuration, and is preferably a single sheet21of flexible, liquid-permeable material folded over itself and fastened at the edges thereof, such as with heat fusion, adhesive, sewing, or other suitable fastening means. Preferably the outer shell20includes at least one connection point80, such as a grommet110or the like, proximate the peripheral edge25thereof. As such, a plurality of the mats10may be tied together with a zip-tie120, or similar fastener, to create a row of such mats tied together and less likely to individually blow away in the wind, such as can be important in outdoor applications.

Such an outer shell20may be made from a flexible hydrophilic woven or paper material for applications allowing for the absorption of water into the outer shell20, such as when a water-based spill has occurred on a hard surface18. Alternately, the outer shell20may be made from a hydrophobic mesh or woven material for applications not suitable for the absorption of water into the outer shell20, such as when the mat10must be able to float on a contaminated water surface18, for example.

The absorbent material60is preferably a powdered polyurethane foam material, preferably pulverized into particle sizes of between 100 and 500 microns. Such an absorbent material60may included weighted elements for causing the mat10to at least partially submerge under a water surface18.

In another embodiment, the absorbent material60is a granulated polyurethane foam material formed into particle sizes of between 0.05-0.50 inches in diameter. In such an embodiment, the outer shell20may be made from a mesh such as conventional nylon window screen material. As such, petrochemical-laden water may readily flow through such an embodiment while being cleaned. Preferably a plurality of such mats10may be stacked (not shown) in a tube or the like so that contaminated water passes through the stack of such mats10for effective cleaning of the water.

In another embodiment, the outer shell20takes the form of an elongated tube of a mesh material filled with the granulated polyurethane foam material formed into particle sizes of between 0.05-0.50 inches in diameter. Such an embodiment is useful for placement in front of a street storm drain (not shown), for example, where petrochemical-laden water run-off from the street is first cleaned through the mat10before entering the storm drain.

In one embodiment the compartments50are formed by fastening the top and bottom sides28,22along generally parallel lines41to form generally parallel compartments51open at an open edge26of the outer shell20. In one embodiment, a caution indicia100is printed on the top side28of the outer shell to warn passersby of a potentially dangerous spill condition while the mat10absorbs the spill.

In one preferred embodiment, the absorbent material60within each compartment50is contained within a rectangular substantially flat inner section70having a top surface78, a bottom surface72and a peripheral edge75(FIGS. 4,5and6). The top surface78and bottom surface72of each inner section70is preferably a single sheet71of flexible, liquid-permeable material folded over itself and fastened at the edges thereof, such as with heat fusion, adhesive, sewing, or other suitable fastening means.

Such an inner section70may be made from a flexible hydrophilic woven or paper material for applications allowing for the absorption of water into the inner section70, such as when a water-based spill has occurred on a hard surface18. Alternately, the inner section70may be made from a hydrophobic mesh or woven material for applications not suitable for the absorption of water into the inner section70, such as when the mat10must be able to float on a contaminated water surface18, for example.

Such an inner section70may further include a non-flexible, rigid or semi-rigid elongated stiffener90(FIGS. 4 and 6) therewithin, such that a mat10having several of the inner sections70may fold between such inner sections70, but may not easily fold across the inner sections70. In one embodiment, such stiffeners90in a mat10having multiple inner sections70are traversely scored with a score line95, preferably mutually aligned such that the inner sections70may be folded in one direction between each inner section70and traversely at each mutually aligned score line95. Such a stiffener90also helps to keep the absorbent material60spread out within the inner section70, inhibiting same from bunching-up, thereby increasing the available surface area of the absorbent material60that is exposed to the liquid15.

In one embodiment, each mat10includes six of the inner sections70, and each inner section70is between 36 and 40 inches in length. In such an embodiment, the mat is preferably between 28 and 32 inches in width, with each inner section70being between 4.5 and 5.5 inches wide and rectangular in plan view. As such, each mat10may be folded once between the third and fourth inner section, with three such folded mats10laid adjacently together, to form roughly a 45 inch by 38 inch area suitable for placing onto a conventional shipping pallet. Another such layer of three mats10may be then set onto the first layer, albeit rotated 90 degrees, and so on to efficiently fill a shipping pallet with a plurality of the mats10.

In one embodiment of the invention, the outer shell20comprising a mesh material130(FIGS. 7 and 8) having a maximum aperture size Ms, the interior space retaining the absorbent material60therein is granulated instead of pulverized, having a particle size Psof greater than the aperture size Ms. For example, in one embodiment, Ms=0.5 inches and Ps=0.55 inches. Alternately, Ms=0.1 inches and Ps=0.15 inches. Such a mesh material130may be a nylon screen material, metal screen material, plastic screen material, or the like. As such, the mat10may be placed in contact with the liquid15such that the liquid15permeates the outer shell and the contaminates are at least partially absorbed by the absorbent material60. In one such embodiment, the outer shell20is disk-shaped (FIG. 7), whereby the liquid15may be compelled through a stack (not shown) of such mats10for cleaning of the contaminates from the liquid15. In another such embodiment, the outer shell10is cigar-shaped (FIG. 9) and relatively circular in cross-section. Particle sizes Psof greater than 0.05 inches allows for the liquid15, such as water, to more freely flow through the mat10, such as is useful for cleaning petrochemical-laden runoff water15entering a storm drain (not shown), for example.

While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, while the mats10are illustrated in the figures as being generally rectangular in plan view, the mats10could also be made in any other suitable shape in plan view, such as triangular, circular, square, hexagonal, or the like. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.