Patent ID: 6953545

Claim:
A method of producing a vehicle mat comprising the steps of: providing a sheet of thermoplastic material, said sheet having a first and second side, said second side having a plurality of nibs extending therefrom; placing said sheet directly over a contoured molding tool having one or more sidewalls that extend upwardly from a base and a top surface, said first side directed toward said sidewall and top surface of said tool and said second side directed away from said tool; heating said sheet; and drawing said heated sheet toward said tool until said sheet is substantially shaped to the contour of said sidewall and said top surface of said tool, wherein a portion of said heated sheet shaped to the contour of said sidewall of said tool has said second side with a portion of the plurality of nibs extending therefrom arranged such that said portion of the plurality of nibs extend in a different direction than another portion of the plurality of nibs extending from said second side of another portion of said heated sheet shaped to the contour of said top surface of said tool.