Patent Publication Number: US-9402492-B2

Title: Convertible mat

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a National Stage application of co-pending PCT application PCT/GB2011/001700 filed 8 Dec., 2011, which claims the benefit of GB application number 0121815.4 filed 21 Dec., 2010. These applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
     The present invention relates generally to a mat and particularly to a convertible mat providing two or more alternative uses. 
     It is known to provide mats in a variety of situations, for example a piece of fabric or flat material can be placed on a floor or other flat surface and serve a variety of purposes including protecting the underlying surface. For example, a placemat is a protective table pad used in restaurants or households the primary function of which is to protect a table from water marks, food stains or heat damage. 
     Known mats fulfil a single function, for example receiving a plate or dish whilst positioned on a table. The present invention seeks to provide improvements over such known mat- or pad-like structures. 
     According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a convertible mat comprising a generally planar base and a border extending around the base, the border comprising border sections joined together by webs, the webs being single, substantially non-folding web sections which cause the border sections to be movable together between a first position in which they are coplanar with the base and a second position in which they are inclined whereby to form a tray. 
     The present invention therefore provides a mat which can have an alternate function as a tray so that it can serve the dual purpose of transporting items or receiving them on a support surface. This allows for the possibility for the mat to be used to both transport items to a support surface and receive them on that surface. Because the mat is convertible between the planar and tray configurations this can be used to facilitate easier loading and use steps. For example, the mat can be converted to the mat-like planar configuration to facilitate loading before conversion to the tray-like configuration for transport and back again to the mat-like configuration on a support surface, for example for unloading or use of the item on the mat. 
     According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a convertible mat comprising the generally planar base and a border extending around at least part of the base, the border being movable from a first position in which it is substantially co-plainer with the base to a second position in which it is inclined to the base whereby to form a tray. 
     The border may extend from the periphery of the base. Embodiments in which the border projects from a position inboard of the periphery are also contemplated. 
     The border may extend completely around the base. Accordingly the border may be substantially continuous. Alternatively the border may extend around discrete sections of the base, for example opposite sides, as discrete border sections. 
     The border may be hingedly connected to the base. For example, the border may be connected and moveable by a series of fold lines which allow folding of the border relative to the base to move between the first and second position. 
     The border may be formed integrally with the base. In other words, the border may be formed so as to be continuous with the base. In some embodiments, however, the border may be separate from and releasably connectable to the base. 
     The border may comprise one or more connecting webs to facilitate movements. This may be particularly relevant where the border is required to extend around corners on a base so that flexible connecting webs can be used to connect adjacent rigid border sections. 
     The border may be movable in either direction with respect to the base plane so that the mat is reversible. This means that, for example, either side of the base could be used to form the face which receives items. This allows for the possibility that the sides of the base could be different, such as different colours or different properties which could be chosen by user depending on a required situation. 
     The border may include one or more handles. The handles may be used to hold the mat and in doing so retain the mat in the tray configuration. The handles may be formed as openings in the border or, for example, as straps or lops connected to the border. 
     The base may be substantially rectangular. Other shapes of base are contemplated including square, triangular or other polygons. Irregular as well as regular shapes are contemplated. 
     The periphery of the border may be generally parallel to the periphery of the base. In other words, the border has the some general outline as the base and the line along which the border extends from the base is generally parallel to the outer periphery of the border. 
     The mat may be bistable. In other words, the mat and tray positions are stable and the mat will hold itself in those positions, but can be “flipped” between. Alternatively the mat may be biased to one of the end positions. 
     In some embodiments there may be provided means for holding the mat in the tray configurations. For example, an array of magnets and ferromagnetic materials may be positioned in the corners to temporarily hold border parts together. 
     The border may include two border sections extending along two shorter sides of a rectangular base, either of both of which may comprise a handle. 
     The periphery of the border may be generally parallel to the periphery of the base. 
     At least one of the border sections may be generally trapezoidal. 
     When present the webs may be generally triangular. Although the webs may be arranged so as not to fold in use, they may be flexible. The webs may be joined to the ends of adjacent border sections by fold lines. 
     In the second position the plane of the webs may be parallel to the plane of an adjacent border section. 
     At least one of the border sections may extend beyond the perimeter of the base. 
     The mat may be made from any suitable material and may comprise, for example, synthetic and/or natural materials including paper, wood, metal, plastics or fabrics. The mat may comprise a covering such as a leather or leatherette covering. The materials from which the mat and any covering is formed can be selected on the basis of the required properties. For example, table placemats may require heat-resistance. 
     The mat may comprise a place mat. The invention may therefore be formed as a table placemat intended to receive plates dishes and the like so that such items can be transported with the mat in the tray configuration and placed on a table before converting to the mat configuration so that the border does not interfere with subsequent access to the items. 
     According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a convertible mat comprising the generally planar base and a border extending around at least part of the base, the border being movable from a first position in which it is substantially co-plainer with the base to a second position in which it is inclined to the base whereby to form a tray. 
     Other applications for the present invention are envisaged including, for example, use in the building industry where the mat could be placed on the floor and loaded easily with materials before conversion to a tray configuration for easy transport, or in the DIY industry where a moulded plastics (such as polypropylene) mat could, for example, be used for assembling and moving items. 
     Further particular and preferred aspects and embodiments of the present invention are set out in the accompanying independent and dependent claims. Features of the dependent claims may be combined with features of the independent claims as appropriate, and in combinations other than those explicitly set out in the claims. 
    
    
     
       The present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanied drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of a mat formed according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a magnified view of one corner of the mat of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the mat leaving a first, flat position; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the mat shown in an intermediate position; 
         FIG. 5  is a magnified view of one corner of the mat of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the mat shown in a second position; 
         FIG. 7  is a magnified view of one corner of the mat  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the mat of  FIG. 6  shown being unfolded towards the flat position; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the mat shown as it is being rotated 180°; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the mat of  FIG. 9  shown following complete reversal; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the mat of  FIG. 10  shown in a second position; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the mat of  FIG. 11  shown with its border flipped in the opposite direction. 
     
    
    
     Referring first to  FIG. 1  there is shown a convertible mat generally indicated  10 . 
     The mat  10  comprises a generally rectangular pad-like base  20  having four sides  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 . At the periphery of each side of the base  20  a respective border section  25 ,  26 ,  27 ,  28  extends and is joined to the base side by a respective folding line  30 ,  31 ,  32 ,  33 . 
     The border sections  25 ,  27  which extend along the longer sides  21 ,  23  of the base  20  are generally trapezoidal. The border sections  26 ,  28  extending along the shorter sides  22 ,  24  of the base  20  are generally rectangular. 
     The border sections  25 ,  26 ,  27 ,  28  are joined together at the corners of the base by generally triangular connecting webs  35 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38 . The webs  35 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38  are joined to the ends of adjacent border sections at respective fold lines  35   a ,  35   b ,  36   a ,  36   b ,  37   a ,  37   b ,  38   a ,  38   b.    
     The base  20  and border sections  25 ,  26 ,  27 ,  28  are formed from relatively stiff material. The webs  35 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38  are formed from more flexible material. In this embodiment the base and border sections are formed from stiffened panels and the entire mat is covered in leather. The webs  35 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38  do not include stiffened panels and thus simply comprise leather so as to be flexible. 
     The border sections  26 ,  28  each comprise a generally oval cut-out  40 ,  41  which form handles. 
     In the configuration shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the mat  10  is in a generally uniplanar state and would generally adopt this form if placed on a flat surface such as a table of floor. In this configuration it would be easy to load items on to the base  20  for transport and/or use. The mat  10  is moveable to a tray-like configuration now described with respect to  FIGS. 3 to 7 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , a user can place their hands under the border sections  26 ,  28  and begin raising them as shown in  FIG. 6 . Because the sections  26 ,  28  are joined to the sections  25 ,  27  by the webs  35 ,  36 ,  37 , 38  this also causes the sections  25 ,  27  to begin to fold upwards. Each of the sections  25 ,  26 ,  27 ,  28  folds along the respective fold lines  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24  and folding also occurs along the connecting web fold lines as shown in  FIG. 5 . It will be noted that, although they cause the folding, the web themselves are not folded, with folding occurring at the peripheral fold lines. 
     In  FIG. 6  the mat  10  is shown in the second end position in which all of the border sections  25 ,  26 ,  27 ,  28  are folded upwards and inwards. In this configuration a user can hold the mat turn by the handles  40 ,  41 , which keeps the mat in the tray-like configuration and allows for items to be readily transported. 
     In this embodiment all of the fold lines are constructed so that the respective borders and connecting webs can be folder in either direction. Accordingly, the mat can be moved from the tray-like configuration of  FIG. 6  back down to the flat configuration shown in  FIG. 8  by pulling down the border sections  26 ,  28 . Subsequently, the mat can be flipped 180° as shown in  FIG. 9  so that the opposite face of the base  20  is exposed as shown in  FIG. 10 . The border sections  26 ,  28  can then be folded the other way to move the mat  10  back to a tray-like configuration as shown in  FIG. 11 . This means that the face of the base  20  which formed the top side in  FIG. 6  now forms the underside as shown in  FIG. 12 . 
     In this embodiment the mat  10  is represented as a place mat, but in other embodiments the sample principals could be employed to provide larger or smaller mats and with different materials for different purposes. 
     Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiment and that various changes and modifications can be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.