Patent Abstract:
A mat for a urinal. The mat includes a base, a disk with indicia thereon, baffles, hooks, and an optional container. The container receives either a urinal cake or an annunciator. The annunciator includes an activity switch, a signal conditioner, a counter conditioner, a sensor transducer that is exposed to the stream of urine, and an annunciator display that is visible and activates, either visibly and/or audibly, when the sensor transducer is impinged upon by the stream of urine.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a mat. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mat for a urinal. 
     2. Description of the Prior Arts 
     Numerous innovations for urinal mats have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention. 
     A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,672 to Luedtke et al. teaches a urinal mat provided with upstanding baffles to decelerate a stream of urine impinging thereon. The base of the mat is contoured and flexible to conform generally to the geometry within the urinal. Openings through the base are provided to permit liquids to drain through. Optionally provided are upstanding posts to receive a cake of deodorant thereon. An alternative embodiment provides a depression in the base into which deodorant may be deposited during manufacture. A flexible flange depends from an edge of the mat to engage the urinal sidewall in order to direct flush water over the mat. 
     A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,937 to Davenport teaches a urinal screen assembly for disposition adjacent the drain of a urinal. The screen assembly includes feet or risers depending from the lower surface to maintain a spaced relation between at least the marginal edge of the assembly to allow liquid to flow therebetween and simultaneously prohibit the passage of unwanted solid materials. The main body portion of the screen assembly is provided with a plurality of tapered apertures which provide fluid communication therethrough and minimizes splash-back caused by an impinging stream of urine. 
     It is apparent that numerous innovations for urinal mats have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     ACCORDINGLY, AN OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a mat for a urinal that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art. 
     ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a mat for a urinal that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. 
     STILL ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a mat for a urinal that is simple to use. 
     BRIEFLY STATED, STILL YET ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a mat for. a urinal. The mat includes a base, baffles, hooks, and an optional container. The container receives either a urinal cake or an annunciator. The annunciator includes an activity switch, a signal conditioner, a counter conditioner, a sensor transducer that is exposed to the stream of urine, and an annunciator display that is visible and activates, either visibly and/or audibly, when the sensor transducer is impinged upon by the stream of urine. 
    
    
     The novel features which are considered characteristic of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiments when read and understood in connection with the accompanying drawing. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     The figures of the drawing are briefly described as follows: 
     FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention in use; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic top plan view of the area generally enclosed by the dotted curve identified by arrow  2  in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic cross sectional view taken along line  3 — 3  in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded diagrammatic perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded diagrammatic perspective view of a third embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the circuitry of the third embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a forth embodiment of the present invention in use; 
     FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic elevational taken along in direction of arrow  8  in FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic cross sectional view taken along line  9 — 9  in FIG. 7; and 
     FIG. 10 is an electrical schematic of the forth embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS UTILIZED IN THE DRAWING 
     First Embodiment 
       10  mat of present invention for urinal  12   
       12  urinal 
       14  drain of urinal  12   
       16  base for overlying drain  14  of urinal  12   
       17  throughbores in base  16  for permitting stream of urine to drain therethrough 
       18  baffles for decelerating stream of urine impinging thereon 
       20  hooks 
       22  central portion of base  16   
       24  periphery defining central portion  22  of base  16   
     Second Embodiment 
       26  container for selectively receiving item 
       28  lowermost periphery of container  26   
       30  tabs extending intermittently, and radially outwardly, from lowermost periphery  28  of container  26   
       32  uppermost periphery of container  26   
       34  posts of container  26   
       36  hooks terminating posts  34  of container  26   
       37  urinal cake 
       38  disk of container  26   
       40  perforations through disk  38  of container  26   
       42  amusing indicia on disk  38  of container  26   
       43  optional lens 
     Third Embodiment 
       44  annunciator 
       46  activity switch of annunciator  44   
       48  signal conditioner of annunciator  44   
       50  counter integrator of annunciator  44   
       52  sensor transducer of annunciator  44  for exposing to stream of urine 
       53  corresponding perforation 
       54  annunciator display of annunciator  44  for activating when sensor transducer  52  of annunciator  44  is impinged upon by stream of urine 
       56  group of perforations of perforations  40  through disk  38   
       58  LED (Light Emitting Device) 
     Fourth Embodiment 
       60  indicia 
       62  tabs 
       64  optional lenticular lens with cooperating indicia 
       66  side wall 
       68  upper surface of container  74   
       70  battery 
       72  separate discreet flasher component 
       74  container 
       76  electronic flasher components 
       78  housing of the at least one LED  58   
       80  optional switch device 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the figures, in which like numerals indicate like parts, and particularly to FIG. 1, a first embodiment of the mat of the present invention is shown generally at  10  for a urinal  12  having a drain  14 . 
     The configuration of the mat  10  can best be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, and as such, will be discussed with reference thereto. 
     The mat  10  comprises a base  16 , baffles  18 , and hooks  20 . The base  16  is for overlying the drain  14  of the urinal  12 . The base  16  has throughbores  17 . The throughbores  17  are for permitting a stream of urine to drain therethrough. The baffles  18  upstand from the base  16 . The baffles  18  are for decelerating the stream of urine impinging thereon. The hooks  20  upstand from the base  16 . The hooks  20  selectively engage an item, that consist of the group comprising a disk  38  and a container  26 . 
     The base  16  is contoured and flexible for conforming generally to the urinal  12 . 
     The base  16  has a central portion  22 . The central portion  22  of the base  16  is defined by a periphery  24 . The periphery  24  of the central portion  22  of the base  16  is circular-shaped. 
     The hooks  20  are inverted L-shaped. The hooks  20  upstand intermittently from the periphery  24  of the central portion  22  of the base  16 . 
     The baffles  18  are slender, elongated, and pin-shaped. The baffles upstand from outboard of, and around, the hooks  20 . 
     The throughbores  17  through the base  16  are disposed both in, and outboard of, the central portion  22  of the base  16 . 
     A second embodiment of the mat  10  can be seen in FIG. 4, and as such, will be discussed with reference thereto. 
     The mat  10  further comprises a container  26 . The container  26  is selectively engaged in the hooks  20 . The container  26  is for selectively receiving an item. 
     The container  26  has a lowermost periphery  28 . The lowermost periphery  28  of the container  26  is continuous, ring-shaped, and has tabs  30 . The tabs  30  of the container  26  extend intermittently, and radially outwardly, from the lowermost periphery  28  of the container  26 . The tabs a  30  of the container  26  are selectively received by the hooks  20 , and when engaged thereby, the container  26  is maintained in the central portion  22  of the base  16 . 
     The container  26  further has an uppermost periphery  32 . The uppermost periphery  32  of the container  26  is continuous, ring-shaped, and spaced above the lowermost periphery  28  of the container  26 . 
     The container  26  further has posts  34 . The posts  34  of the container  26  are spaced-apart from each other so as to form spaces in the container  26 . The posts  34  of the container  26  extend upwardly from the lowermost periphery  28  thereof to the uppermost periphery  32 , where they terminate in hooks  36 . The hooks  36  of the posts  34  are inwardly radially facing. 
     The container  26  is for receiving a urinal cake  37 . 
     The hooks  36  of the posts  34  receive a disk  38 . The disk  38  may have optional perforations  40  therethrough and amusing indicia  42  thereon protected by an optional lens  43 . 
     A third embodiment of the mat  10  can best be understood from FIGS. 5 and 6, and as such, will be discussed with reference thereto. 
     The mat  10  further comprises an annunciator  44 . The annunciator  44  is received in the container  26 . 
     The annunciator  44  comprises an activity switch  46 , a signal conditioner  48 , and a counter integrator  50 . 
     The annunciator  44  further comprises a sensor transducer  52 . The sensor transducer  52  of the annunciator  44  is for exposing to the stream of urine. 
     The annunciator  44  further comprises an annunciator display  54 . The annunciator display  54  of the annunciator  44  is visible and is for activating when the sensor transducer  52  is impinged upon by the stream of urine. 
     The perforations  40  through the disk  38  are a group of perforations  56 . The group of perforations  56  through the disk  30  coincide with, so as to expose, the sensor transducer  52 , the annunciator display  54 , and the LEDS (Light Emitting Device)  58 . 
     The disk  38  may be covered by an optional protective lens  43  having a corresponding perforation  53 . 
     A fourth embodiment of the mat  10  can best be understood from FIGS. 7,  8  , 9  and  10 , and as such, will be discussed with reference thereto. 
     The mat  10  comprises further comprises a container  74 . The container  74 , having a side wall  66 , is selectively engaged in hooks  20  of base  16  for overlying drain  14  of urinal  12 , utilizing tabs  62 . The container houses a battery  70  and associated electronics. The associated electronics comprises at least one LED (Light Emitting Device)  58 . electronic flasher components  76  may be optionally contained in housing  78  of the at least one LED  58  or may be installed as a separate discreet flasher component  72  so as to cause the at least one LED  58  to flash. 
     An upper surface  68  of container  74  will have indicia  60  thereon and may be covered by an optional lenticular lens with cooperating indicia  64 . The at least one LED  58 , will be placed so as to be visible through the upper surface  68  and may or may not protrude through both the upper surface  68  and the optional lenticular lens with cooperating indicia  64 . 
     An optional switch device  80  is shown connected in a series loop with the battery  70  and the at least one LED  58  for activating and deactivating the this forth embodiment. It is to be noted that the light emitting device may be typically an incandescent lamp or a light emitting diode. 
     It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above. 
     While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a mat for a urinal, however, it is not limited to the details shown, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 
     Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4