Advanced automobile floor mat

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an automotive vehicle floor mat having an insert area to receive a removable dirt-trapping insert material.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An automotive vehicle floor mat, comprising a base portion configured to be arranged on a floor of an automotive vehicle, and having an insert area formed therein to receive a removable dirt-trapping insert material.  
     
     
         2 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 1 , further comprising a non-tacky area associated with the insert area.  
     
     
         3 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 2 , wherein the non-tacky area is bordered by or adjacent to the insert material when the insert material is received within the insert area.  
     
     
         4 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 2 , wherein a location of the non-tacky area depends at least in part on where a person's feet are likely to be when the person is in the automotive vehicle.  
     
     
         5 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 2 , wherein the base portion comprises a flat portion and a ramp portion having a width in at least a region thereof that is less than a width of the flat portion.  
     
     
         6 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 5 , wherein the non-tacky area is in the flat portion.  
     
     
         7 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 5 , wherein the non-tacky area extends across substantially all of a length of the flat portion.  
     
     
         8 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 5 , wherein the non-tacky area extends across substantially all of a length of the flat portion but does not extend into the ramp portion.  
     
     
         9 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 5 , wherein the non-tacky area extends into both the ramp portion and the flat portion.  
     
     
         10 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 5 , wherein the non-tacky area extends across substantially all of the ramp portion and a length of the flat portion.  
     
     
         11 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 9 , wherein the insert area is laterally offset with respect to the ramp portion.  
     
     
         12 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 1 , further comprising a dirt-trapping insert material configured to be received in the insert area.  
     
     
         13 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 12 , wherein the insert material includes a surface comprising areas with varying degrees of tackiness.  
     
     
         14 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 13 , wherein a degree of tackiness in a given area depends at least in part on where a person's feet are likely to be when the person is in the automotive vehicle.  
     
     
         15 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 13 , wherein the areas with varying degrees of tackiness include a passive portion and an active portion, the active portion being more tacky than the passive portion.  
     
     
         16 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 15 , wherein the passive portion extends into both the ramp portion and the flat portion.  
     
     
         17 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 15 , wherein the passive portion extends across substantially all of the ramp portion and a length of the flat portion.  
     
     
         18 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 17 , wherein the active portion is laterally offset with respect to the ramp portion.  
     
     
         19 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 15 , wherein the passive portion is in the flat portion.  
     
     
         20 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 19 , wherein the passive portion extends across substantially all of a length of the flat portion but does not extend into the ramp portion.  
     
     
         21 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 15 , wherein the passive portion is configured to cooperate with a plurality of protrusions formed in the base portion.  
     
     
         22 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 1 , wherein the floor mat includes an anti-slip feature.  
     
     
         23 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 22 , wherein the anti-slip feature includes treads in the insert area.  
     
     
         24 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 23 , further comprising a dirt-trapping insert material configured to be received in the insert area, and having apertures formed therein corresponding to the treads.  
     
     
         25 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 24 , further comprising an overlay configured to be received within the insert area and arranged between an upper exposed surface of the insert area and the insert material, and having apertures formed therein corresponding to the treads.  
     
     
         26 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 12 , wherein the insert material is tacky.  
     
     
         27 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 12 , wherein the insert material is porous.  
     
     
         28 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 12 , wherein the insert material is water-absorbing.  
     
     
         29 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 12 , wherein the insert material is tacky, porous and water-absorbing.  
     
     
         30 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 12 , wherein the insert material includes an anti-slip property.  
     
     
         31 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 12 , wherein the insert material comprises a plurality of separable disposable layers.  
     
     
         32 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 31 , wherein a layer has a remove tab.  
     
     
         33 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 31 , wherein a bottom layer of the plurality has adhesive on a lower surface thereof.  
     
     
         34 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 33 , where the bottom layer has a release layer associated therewith.  
     
     
         35 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 31 , wherein a top layer of the plurality of layers has a release layer associated therewith.  
     
     
         36 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 31 , wherein a layer is porous.  
     
     
         37 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 31 , wherein a layer is water-absorbing.  
     
     
         38 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 31 , wherein a layer is porous, water-absorbing and includes a water-resistant underlining.  
     
     
         39 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 31 , wherein a layer includes a non-smooth texture on an upper exposed surface thereof.  
     
     
         40 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 31 , wherein the insert area is formed as a cut-out area in the base portion, and a bottom layer of the plurality of layers is larger than the cut-out area.  
     
     
         41 . An automotive vehicle floor mat, comprising a base portion having an attachment mechanism to attach the base portion to another floor mat, and having an insert area formed therein to receive a removable dirt-trapping insert material.  
     
     
         42 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 41 , wherein the attachment mechanism comprises an extent of material connected to the base portion, and having a fastening mechanism associated therewith to engage a corresponding mechanism associated with the other floor mat.  
     
     
         43 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 41 , further comprising a dirt-trapping insert material configured to be received in the insert area.  
     
     
         44 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 41 , wherein the floor mat includes an anti-slip feature.  
     
     
         45 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 44 , wherein the anti-slip feature includes treads in the insert area.  
     
     
         46 . The automotive vehicle floor mat of  claim 45 , further comprising a dirt-trapping insert material configured to be received in the insert area, and having apertures formed therein corresponding to the treads.