Washable floor mat

Abstract

A washable floor mat has a tufted pile textile layer ( 1 ) and an elastomer backing layer ( 2 ). The textile layer ( 1 ) includes tufts containing cotton fibres, and the backing layer ( 2 ) is made of a foamed elastomer material and includes a plurality of cleats ( 4 ) on a lower surface if the backing layer.

1 . A washable floor mat having a textile layer and a backing layer, wherein the textile layer includes a tufted pile textile having tufts containing cotton fibres, and the backing layer is made of a foamed elastomer material and includes a plurality of cleats on a lower surface of the backing layer.  
   
   
       2 . A washable floor mat according to  claim 1 , wherein the tufted pile textile includes tufts of a blended yarn including at least 40% cotton fibres and at least 25% polyester fibres.  
   
   
       3 . A washable floor mat according to  claim 2 , wherein the blended yarn includes at least 50% cotton fibres and at least 35% polyester fibres.  
   
   
       4 . A washable floor mat according to  claim 2  or  claim 3 , wherein the cotton and polyester fibres together comprising at least 90%, preferably at least 95%, and more preferably at least 99%, of the total fibre content of the blended yarn.  
   
   
       5 . A washable floor mat according to any one of  claims 2  to  4 , wherein the cotton and polyester fibres of the blended yarn are spun together.  
   
   
       6 . A washable floor mat according to any one of  claims 2  to  5 , wherein the tufts of blended yam include from one to six plies of yarn.  
   
   
       7 . A washable floor mat according to any one of  claims 2  to  6 , wherein the polyester fibre has a denier of 1 to 6, preferably 1-2, more preferably about 1.5.  
   
   
       8 . A washable floor mat according to any one of  claims 2  to  7 , wherein the blended yarn includes up to 10% microfiber polyester of less than 1 denier, preferably approximately 0.9 denier.  
   
   
       9 . A washable floor mat according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the textile layer includes a woven or non-woven substrate.  
   
   
       10 . A washable floor mat according to  claim 9 , wherein the substrate is formed of a polyester, polypropylene or a copolymer material.  
   
   
       11 . A washable floor mat according to any, one of the preceding claims, wherein the backing layer is made of foamed rubber, preferably foamed nitrile rubber.  
   
   
       12 . A washable floor mat according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the thickness of backing layer is from 0.5 mm to 5 mm, preferably 0.8 mm to 3 mm.  
   
   
       13 . A washable floor mat according to any one of the preceding claims in which the backing layer has a Shore A hardness in the range from 20 to 40.  
   
   
       14 . A washable floor mat according to any one of the preceding claims in which the foamed elastomer material has a degree of expansion in the range 1.5 to 2.5.  
   
   
       15 . A washable floor mat according to any one of the preceding claims in which the cleats are formed partly from foamed rubber and have a thick skin of dense rubber on at least their lower surface.  
   
   
       16 . A washable floor mat according to any one of the preceding claims in which the cleats are distributed over substantially the entire lower surface of the backing layer.  
   
   
       17 . A washable floor mat according to any one of the preceding claims in which the cleats are arranged in groups of rows with spaces of approximately the same width between the groups.  
   
   
       18 . A washable floor mat according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein tufts containing cotton fibres cover substantially the whole of the textile layer.