Abstract:
A Rug Anti-slip Device. The device includes a pin-shaped element that has a sharpened tip end for poking through a mat and into the underlying carpet. The device further has a handle tab made from plastic or other suitably durable and aesthetically pleasing material. The handle tab is designed to stay above the surface of the mat or rug when the pin-shaped element is holding the mat or rug in place. The upper face of the handle tab may have indicia inscribed upon it, or embossed/raised above it in order to provide a decorative aspect to the device beyond the utilitarian purpose of holding the mat or rug in place.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates generally to floor coverings and accessories therefore and, more specifically, to a Rug Anti-slip Device. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    There have been several attempts at solving the problem of holding mats or rugs in place atop a carpeted floor area. Dichtel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,402, for a “Carpet Mat Retainer Clip” discloses a metallic, spring-like clip that grasps the edge of the rug and holds that rug edge to the carpet. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 1,598,127 to J. G. Fleming discusses a “Corner Piece for Rugs” that is designed to prevent the corners of a rug from curling up when the rug is placed atop a polished floor surface, like a hardwood floor. 
         [0006]    The “Automobile Mat and Securing Clip” device awarded U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,664 to Wong is a metallic pin that pins through the carpet surface. Cooperating sections of hook-and-loop fastener material on the top surface of the Wong clip and the bottom surface of the automobile mat releasibly attach to one another in order to hold the mat in its desired location. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 581,634 to I. N. Veal for a “Rug Fastener” is a two-piece pin/clip assembly that pins through the carpet and then clips to a device attached to the underside of the rug. 
         [0008]    The “Carpet Fastener” of N. M. Harrison, U.S. Pat. No. 493,401 is, essentially, a specialized safety pin that pins through the rug and carpet and then attaches to itself (to safely protect the protruding pin tip). 
         [0009]    Finally, the “Rug Anchor” of U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,765 to Fuzzell is a device having upwardly-turned teeth and downwardly-turned teeth on its respective top and bottom surfaces. The Fuzzell device is placed between the rug and carpet and the teeth engage both to keep the rug from moving. 
         [0010]    While each of these devices may serve the purposes that their respective inventors sought to serve, that is to prevent movement of a rug, none seems to have achieved any real penetration into the market. It is believed that this is because they each suffer from one of the following problems: (1) too expensive to make; (2) difficult to install; (3) not durable enough for long-term installations; (4) none actually adds to the aesthetics of the rug or mat; or (5) safety issues related to their use. 
         [0011]    The device of the present invention succeeds where these prior devices fail, and, as discussed herein, does not suffer from any of the itemized problems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Rug Anti-slip Device. The device should include a pin-shaped element that has a sharpened tip end for poking through a mat and into the underlying carpet. The device should further have a handle tab made from plastic or other suitably durable and aesthetically pleasing material. The handle tab should be designed to stay above the surface of the mat or rug when the pin-shaped element is holding the mat or rug in place. The upper face may have indicia inscribed upon it, or embossed/raised above it in order to provide a decorative aspect to the device beyond the utilitarian purpose of holding the mat or rug in place. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the mg anti-slip device of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the device of  FIG. 1  in use; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is an exploded side view of the device of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
           [0017]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are top and back views, respectively, of the handle tab of the device of  FIGS. 1-3 ; and 
           [0018]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  are top and side views, respectively, of the pin portion of the device of  FIGS. 1-3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0019]    The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a Rug Anti-slip Device. 
         [0020]    The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the rug anti-slip device  10  of the present invention. The device  10  has two major components: the handle tab  12  and the pin portion  14 . The handle tab  12  generally is defined by a face  16  from which an indicia element  18  may be imprinted upon or raised therefrom. The pin portion  14  terminates at its furthest end by a pointed tip  20 . In this current embodiment of the device  10 , the indicia  18  is the shape of a rat&#39;s head. In this version, that indicia  18  serves to promote the brand name of the device  10 . In other versions other indicia  18  could be other shapes or messages. 
         [0021]    If we now turn to  FIG. 2 , we can continue to explore the value of this new device.  FIG. 2  is a side view of the device of  FIG. 1  in use. As shown here, the device  10  is designed to pin through the mat  22  and into the carpet  24 . The benefit of this design is that the device  10  can be placed anywhere on the mat, either at the edges or even in the center, depending on the size of the mat  22  or the location of the mat  22  on the carpet  24  in the traffic pattern. 
         [0022]    The pin portion  14  penetrates the mat  22  and into the carpet  24 . This is aided by the sharpened tip  20 , as shown here. When it is fully installed, the handle tab  12  continues to sit atop the mat  22  which makes it easy to grasp either for installation or removal. It should also be clear the face  16  is clearly visible and, therefore, becomes an aesthetic part of the mat  22  and the carpet  24 .  FIG. 3  provides additional detail. 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  is an exploded side view of the device of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The handle tab  12  in this version is made from a molded plastic. Plastic is used because it is highly durable and can be painted or made from a colored material. This gives a virtually unlimited variety of options to the manufacturer in creating a highly durable and very inexpensively made product. The tab  12  is defined by a base portion  26 , which in this version is flat and generally circular in shape, but may be in other shapes for other versions. 
         [0024]    There is an attachment hub  28  extending downwardly from the backside of the base portion  26 . The attachment hub is defined by a hub face  32  from which a series of teeth  34  extend downwardly. The teeth  34  serve to bite into the top surface of the mat  22  (see  FIG. 2 ) in order to prevent the device  10  from being inadvertently kicked aside or from slipping loose. The groove  30  formed at the perimeter of the attachment hub  28  is provided as an interface location for the attachment loop  38  of the wire member  36 . The wire member  36  is made from high-strength metallic material that preferably provides some spring tension to prevent it from being deformed while in use. As such, the attachment loop  38  can have an interference fit with the groove  30  of the attachment hub  28 , so that when it is snapped over the attachment hub, the loop  38  will continue to be snugly captured within the groove  30 . The pin portion  14  extends downwardly from the attachment loop  38 . As discussed above and depicted in  FIG. 2 , that pin portion  14  is the section of the wire member  36  that penetrates the mat and the carpet. 
         [0025]    If we now turn to  FIGS. 4A and 4B  we can examine the handle tab in additional detail.  FIGS. 4A and 4B  are top and back views, respectively, of the handle tab of the device of  FIGS. 1-3 . The handle tab  12  as discussed above is defined by a generally circular base portion  26  from which the rat head raised indicia  18  protrudes. In this version, the circular base portion  26  was chosen for the purposes of flexibility but is by no means intended to limit the options available to the manufacturer. The attachment hub  28  extends from the rear face  40  of the base. As shown here, there are four teeth  34  that extend from the face of the hub  32 . The inner perimeter of the groove  30  is shown here by a dashed line. The attachment hub  28  has a teardrop shape to it. The intent behind this shape is to prevent the wire member (see  FIG. 3 ) from twisting with respect to the handle tab  12 . Other shapes may be used such as triangular or square or other polygon; however, it is unlikely that the manufacturer would ever choose that the attachment hub  28  be circular. 
         [0026]    Finally, we turn to  FIGS. 5A and 5B .  FIGS. 5A and 5B  are top and side views, respectively, of the pin portion of the device of  FIGS. 1-3 . The wire member  36  has a teardrop-shaped attachment loop  38  and a pin portion  14  terminating in a tip  20 . As shown in  FIG. 5B , the pin portion in this version is defined by a proximal leg  42  that extends downwardly from the attachment loop  38 . The proximal leg  42  then transitions to the medial leg  44 . The medial leg  44  is separated from the proximal leg  42  by the first bend  48 . In this case, the first bend  48  is approximately 110 degrees because it provides a suitable declination angle for the medial leg as compared to the attachment loop  38 . This facilitates the insertion of the wire member  36  into the rug and carpet and then holding it snugly in place. The pin portion  14  terminates in the distal leg  46 , which is separated from the medial leg  44  by a second bend  50 . The angle of second bend  50  cooperates with the angle of first bend  48  such that the total is preferably 90 degrees so that the distal leg  46  is perpendicular to the proximal leg  42  which is, in turn, perpendicular to the loop  38 . It has been demonstrated in testing that the relationship between these bends  48  and  50  will provide supreme ease in installing the device through a mat and carpet while also holding that device snugly in place. 
         [0027]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.