Patent Publication Number: US-2005123722-A1

Title: Fluid absorbing apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This is a continuation of copending application Ser. No. 10/325,587 filed on Dec. 19, 2002. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a fluid absorbing apparatus.  
      2. Background Art  
      A fluid absorbing apparatus can be used to absorb and retain a fluid from spreading to the surrounding area. Such a fluid absorbing apparatus can be used in a number of environments, like a restroom, for absorbing fluid that may leak or spill from a urinal or a commode.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a fluid absorbing apparatus. The apparatus includes a protective layer adhered to a fluid absorbing layer. The protective layer includes a number of tapered apertures extending through the protective layer and in fluid communication with the absorbing layer. The underside of the protective layer is adhered to the absorbing layer and includes a number of tapered grooves around each aperture. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a fluid absorbing apparatus, in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  illustrates a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the fluid absorbing apparatus, in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  illustrates a result of applying a downward force to the fluid absorbing apparatus, in accordance with the present invention; and  
       FIG. 4  illustrates an underside portion of a protective layer of the fluid absorbing apparatus before attachment to the absorbing layer, in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)  
       FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a fluid absorbing apparatus  10  in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. The fluid absorbing apparatus  10  can be used for absorbing and retaining a fluid from spreading to the surrounding area. In particular, the fluid absorbing apparatus  10  shown is shaped for placement below a urinal, but the fluid absorbing apparatus  10  can also be shaped to fit around a commode, or it can be shaped for and used in any other configuration or environment.  
      The fluid absorbing apparatus  10  includes an absorbing layer  12  and a protective layer  14 . The absorbing layer  12  adheres, as shown through the cut-away section, to the underside of the protective layer  14 . The absorbing layer  12  can comprise a fluid absorbing material and the protective layer  14  can be an injected molded plastic so that, together, the absorbing layer  12  and the protective layer  14  comprise a disposable floor mat product that can be easily removed and replaced below a urinal or around a commode for absorbing fluid. If the absorbing layer  12  becomes saturated or begins to smell, the absorbing apparatus  10  can be simply thrown away and replaced.  
       FIG. 2  illustrates a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a portion of the fluid absorbing apparatus  10 . In operation, the fluid that spills or leaks from the urinal is directed by a number of apertures  16  in the protective layer  14  for passage to the absorbing layer  12 . The apertures  16  are tapered and extend through the protective layer  14  so that the fluid can be absorbed by the absorbing layer  12 . The large arrows illustrate the passage of the fluid through the apertures  16  for absorption by the fluid absorbing layer  12 .  
      The fluid absorbing layer  12  can adhere to a moisture barrier layer  24 . The fluid absorbing layer  12  can be any fluid absorbing material like a non-woven fiber or a thermal bonded web consisting of fluff pulp, bonding fiber, and super-absorbent fiber. The moisture barrier layer  24  can be any waterproof material, like a closed-cell foam. The moisture barrier layer  24  prevents substantially any fluid that enters through the apertures  16  from leaking through the bottom of the moisture barrier layer  24  to contaminate or stain the floor. The moisture barrier layer  24  can be a material having a low coefficient of friction for use in preventing movement of the fluid absorbing apparatus  10  relative to the surface on which it is placed, such as the floor beneath the urinal. Instead of, or in combination with, the low coefficient of friction material, the protective layer can include a piece of velcro  22 . The velcro  22  is secured to the underside of the protective layer  14  for securement with a mating piece of velcro attached to the floor. The velcro  22  can be used to further limit slipping and for providing a common floor location that can be used for repeatedly locating the mat in a desired position. While not shown, the moisture barrier layer  24  can wrap around the ends of the fluid absorbing layer  12  or extend laterally to a bottom edge  25  of the protective layer  14  for adhering to the protective layer  14  to prevent any absorbed fluid from leaking out the sides of the absorbing layer  12 . Alternatively, the moisture barrier layer  24  may be unnecessary if a moisture barrier substance is sprayed or rolled over the moisture barrier layer  12  to adhere and seal the moisture barrier layer  12  to the protective layer  14 .  
      The protective layer  14  includes a number of tapered grooves  28  around each tapered aperture  16  that, in cooperation with the downwardly opening tapered apertures, help direct forces in a lateral direction when the apparatus  10  is stepped on. The ability to direct the forces in a lateral direction is proportional to a groove tapered angle θ and an aperture tapered angle α. When the groove angle θ equals the aperture angle α, the tapered apertures  16  are characterized as parallelly matching the tapered grooves  28 . As shown, the tapered apertures  16  parallelly match the tapered grooves  16 , but the angles do not have to match.  
       FIG. 3  illustrates the result of applying force, typically that of a person standing on top of the fluid absorbing apparatus  10 , to the fluid absorbing apparatus  10 . As described above, the tapered apertures  16  and the tapered grooves  28  bend to cause the force to exert against the absorbing layer  12  in a substantially lateral direction, as opposed to only a perpendicular direction. As the moisture barrier layer  24  prevents fluid that passes through the apertures  16  from seeping onto the floor, the angles should be selected so that when a downward force is supplied, there is a resultant lateral force which spreads the loading and prevents puncturing of the moisture barrier layer  24 . Depending on the type of material comprising the protective layer  14 , the taper for the grooves  28  and the apertures  16  may need to be adjusted accordingly. For example, a relatively flexible plastic will require less of a taper than a relatively stiff plastic, as the relatively flexible plastic tends to bend more easily. The bending action of the protective layer  14  causes the fluid absorbing layer  12  to compress and, depending on the type of fluid absorbing material comprising the fluid absorbing layer  12 , the release of the compression can create a vacuum or a wicking action that causes absorbed fluid to flow into the area under the grooves  28 . Such action can be useful in absorbing more fluid and for preventing the fluid from dripping from the apparatus  10  when turned upside down.  
      In addition to laterally directing the force, the tapered grooves  28  and the tapered apertures  16  define aperture faces  30  around the apertures  16 . The aperture faces  30  have a surface area that is proportional to the tapered angles θ and a and a thickness of the protective layer  14 . The angles θ and α can be adjusted to increase or decrease the surface area of the faces  30 . For example, it may be desirable to increase the surface area of the faces  30  so that the faces  30  have a larger area in contact with the absorbing layer  12 . The larger surface area provides more area to apply glue for adhering the absorbing layer  12  to the protective layer  14  and the larger surface area helps blunt the faces  30  so that less of an edge or point contacts the absorbing layer  12 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 1 , the apparatus  10  can include portions that do not include the apertures  16 . One of these portions is an outer rim portion  32 . The outer rim portion  32  can include a bevel edge portion  34  overlaying the thickness of the absorbing layer  12  to help hide the absorbing layer  12  and to help prevent tripping. Moreover, the protective layer  14  can include an upper wall portion  36  surrounding the apertures  16  and extending upwardly from the outer rim portion  32 . The upper wall portion  36  can be sufficiently rounded for preventing fluid from becoming stationary on the upper wall portion. This helps to ensure all fluid is directed to the absorbing layer  12 . In addition, the outer rim portion  28  can include a finger relief  38  for assisting with picking up the absorber  10 .  
      The protective layer  14  is flipper over and the absorbing layer  12  is removed to reveal a portion of the underside in  FIG. 4 . The differential shading is used to illustrate the bottom edge  25 , the tapered grooves  28 , the aperture faces  30 , and the underside portion  42  with more detail. The grooves  28  appear with a dotted configuration to show a difference in elevation from the aperture faces  30  and the underside portion  42 . The grooves  28  also appear in a generally orthogonal arrangement, but such an arrangement is not required. Other shapes for the apertures  16 , like an oval or triangle, could be used with grooves  28  shaped to correspond with the oval or triangular apertures  16 . The aperture faces  30  and the underside surface  42  have a light shading to show a common elevation illustrating that these two portions can be substantially coplanar for ensuring the absorbing layer  12  lies substantially flat against the underside of the protective layer  14 . Glue, or other adhesive, can be sprayed or rolled onto the coplanar surfaces for adhering the absorbing layer  12  to the protective layer  14 . The absorbing layer  12 , since the adhering surfaces are coplanar, should require minimal, if any, pressure to adhere the protective layer  14  while the glue cures. The non-shaded portion illustrates the different elevation for the bottom edge  25  of the bevel edge  34 .  
      While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.