Abstract:
A snow and ice prevention paper having a layer of de-icing composition bonded to a substrate such as paper, plastic or other sheet material. The snow and ice prevention paper includes an adhesive or anti-slip backing to keep the paper in place upon porches, steps, sidewalks, driveways, truck beds, etc.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to preventative safety materials and, more particularly, to a material that prevents the buildup of snow and ice on sidewalks, steps, driveways, etc. which is contained to a desired area and is easily removed.  
           [0002]    It is known in the art to heat sidewalks, driveways and road surfaces to prevent formation of snow and ice. The heat is typically produced by electrical heating elements or hot water pipes embedded beneath the treated surface. These systems are typically expensive to install, operate and maintain.  
           [0003]    It is also known to spread granular or liquid salt or other de-icing compositions over a surface to melt existing ice or snow or to prevent buildup. These compositions are typically spread by hand, use of mechanical lawn broadcast-type spreaders or by a spreader or spray truck. The effect of applying these compositions is generally short term as traffic over the treated area tends to crush the composition particles and push them to the sides of the treated surface. Water from the melted snow or ice containing the salt or deicing composition drains away from the treated surface into the surrounding soil or into streams, creeks and lakes. Additional salt or de-icing composition is applied and the cycle is repeated. The spray or granules may also be misapplied such that they miss the target surface entirely, landing instead along the side of the walkway, driveway or road.  
           [0004]    These problems create an economic and safety burden on homeowners, business owners and other maintenance and safety departments in terms of time spent retreating surfaces and the expense of the additional material. These problems also create an environmental problem by directly damaging the environment surrounding the treated surface, and the collateral environment affected by the runoff.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a snow and ice-melt mat system with a de-icing compound bound to the mat substrate.  
           [0006]    Another important object of the present invention is to provide a snow and ice-melt mat system, as aforesaid, which retains the de-icing compound in the desired application area.  
           [0007]    Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a snow and ice-melt mat system, as aforesaid, that remains in place until removed.  
           [0008]    Yet another important object of the present invention is to provide a snow and ice-melt mat system, as aforesaid, that is disposable.  
           [0009]    These and other objects of the invention are achieved by binding a snow and ice-melt compound to a substrate such as heavy paper. The mat is held in place by a pressure sensitive adhesive or by a non-slip or skid strips on the back of the paper. The mat may be placed on a porch, steps, sidewalk and driveway, for example, to prevent or limit accumulation of snow and ice.  
           [0010]    Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, a now preferred embodiment of this invention.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is an enlarged diagrammatic sectional illustration of the invention of FIG. 1 along line  3 - 3 ;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of the present invention applied to a set of stairs and walkway;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of the present invention applied to a driveway and sidewalk in front of a house;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 is an enlarged diagrammatic sectional view of another embodiment of FIG. 3.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0017]    Turning more particularly to the drawings, FIGS.  1 - 3  illustrate snow melt paper  10  comprising a substrate  12  and a chemical de-icing composition  14  secured to substrate  12  by adhesive layer  16 . One or more adhesive or strips  18  may be attached to the back of substrate  12 . If strips  18  are adhesive strips, an additional wax paper strip  19  may cover strips  18  until snow melt paper  10  is ready for use. It should be appreciated that FIGS.  1 - 3  are illustrative of snow melt paper  10  only and are not intended to represent actual dimensions or proportions.  
         [0018]    In the preferred embodiment, substrate  12  is a strong paper such as is used for coarse sandpaper. However, other substrates may be used. A fibrous, water-resistant substrate  12  may be used to withstand heavy traffic without breaking down or tearing. A porous substrate may also be used to allow melting water to pass through snow melt paper  10  and not accumulate on the surface.  
         [0019]    In the preferred embodiment, de-icing composition  14  may comprise a commercially available, granular chloride salt blend which may include sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride hexahydrate and calcium chloride, such as Ice Melt®, for example. Composition  14  may also include abrasive or anti-slip materials such as sand, cinders and gravel, for example. Additionally, inclusion of a moisture absorbent such as calcined diatomaceous earth aborsbents may be desirable to aid in the anti-slip properties of the composition  14 . The potential for the composition mix is unlimited to tailor the product to the specific end use.  
         [0020]    Strips  18  help keep snow melt paper  10  in place and from moving or slipping when walked or driven over. Strips  18  can be made of sand or other rough material adhered to the back of substrate  12  such as coarse sandpaper that helps grip an uneven or soft surface. Strips  18  can also be made up of a commercially available pressure sensitive, water-resistant adhesive to secure snow melt paper  10  in place.  
         [0021]    Referring to FIG. 4, snow melt paper  10  may be placed in front of a door  20  of a house  26  on steps  22  and along sidewalk  24 . Snow melt paper  10  may be produced in pre-cut sheets sized to fit the common width of a step and in rolls the width of a sidewalk  24 . Snow melt paper  10  may easily be trimmed to fit any surface.  
         [0022]    Referring to FIG. 5, a large roll of snow melt paper  10  may be produced the width of a driveway  28  in front of garage door  30  for house  26 , for example. Alternatively, narrower rolls of snow melt paper  10  may be laid in strips across or down driveway  28  to effectively cover the entire surface, or just the tire tracks.  
         [0023]    Snow melt paper  10  may be installed or placed by simply removing the wax paper backing  19  from adhesive strip  18  and pressing the adhesive strips  18  of paper  10  firmly on the sidewalk or other surface. Depending on the amount of snow or ice accumulation, snow melt paper may remain in place for weeks or months eliminating the need to shovel the sidewalks or driveway, thus reducing the likelihood of injury from falls on a slick surface or over exertion from removing the snow. Additionally, the snow and ice is removed automatically, 24 hours a day eliminating repeated need to re-shovel the sidewalks and driveway. When the threat of snow or ice has passed, or the effectiveness of the snow melt paper  10  has diminished, the paper may be rolled up and thrown away.  
         [0024]    Snow melt paper  10  may also be used in commercial applications such as on sidewalks in front of retail stores, shopping centers, restaurants, and schools. In these applications, substrate  12  may be a fibrous wear and water-resistant material such as canvas or tarp material. A heavier application of de-icing composition  14  may be used to compensate for the increased foot traffic. In this application, safe access to the business or school is ensured without the need to periodically remove additional accumulation of snow. Snow melt paper  10  may also be used on a flatbed truck or in the back of a pick up truck to eliminate the need to periodically remove the accumulated snow and ice.  
         [0025]    In another embodiment (FIG. 6) substrate  12  may be a plastic turf-type doormat with de-icing composition  14  embedded below the plastic fibers  32  that extend above the surface. As shoes and boots are brushed over the mat to remove snow, the snow falls onto the de-icing composition  14  and melts preventing an accumulation of snow on the mat. The mat may include strips  18  on the back to prevent the mat from slipping on a porch, for example.  
         [0026]    In addition to the advantages described above, snow melt paper  10  reduces environmental damage from de-icers and salts spread on the vegetation surrounding the treated surface. The de-icing composition  14  enters the environment only to the extent that it is dislodged from snow melt paper  10  or is dissolved in the melted water. Any remaining deicing composition  14  left after the threat of snow has passed and the snow melt paper  10  is no longer needed, is rolled or gathered along with substrate  12  and may be disposed of properly.  
         [0027]    It is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto, except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims.