Abstract: A pet ramp system has a central pier and at least one ramp with an axle that is received in an axle receiver disposed near the top of the pier. The axle is disposed inwardly, in both a fore and aft direction and in a transverse direction, from a base perimeter of the pier. The pier's axle receiver(s) permit installation of the ramp axle when the ramp is in a vertical orientation, but the receiver(s) will not permit separation of the ramp from the pier when in use.

Abstract: A mud flap is attachable to a selected group of through-holes of a vehicle running board. Plugs clamp to inclined surfaces of the through-holes, thereby firmly affixing a bracket portion of the integrally molded mud flap body to the running board. A flap portion of the mud flap body is connected to the bracket portion of the mud flap body only by a hinge portion. The hinge portion has a straight front surface, a straight rear surface and a thickness that is less than the overall thickness of the mud flap body. The flap portion has at least one wall portion that does not conform to any yz plane, stiffening the flap portion and inducing it to rotate around the hinge portion as a unit when a front-to-rear shear force impinges on the flap portion. A notch may be formed to interrupt an otherwise convexly curved rear flap portion surface so to receive a downwardly depending running board reinforcing member when the flap portion flexes out of its rest position.

Abstract: A hitch step assembly comprises a first shot component injection molded from a first polymer compound with a high flexural modulus and a second shot component injection molded from a second polymer compound having a relatively low Shore D hardness but high elastic compression. A post and a step body core are molded from the first polymer compound. A shell of the step body is molded from the second polymer compound and is overmolded on the step body core. The shell forms a compression zone that provides some protection against rear impacts. The hitch step assembly exhibits satisfactory resistance to torsion around the hitch receiver axis and deflection, even when a width of the step body exceeds 10.7 inches and the weight of a large man is placed on the top surface of the hitch step near its end.

Abstract: An improved pet barrier has first and second spaced-apart vertical poles and one or more horizontally oriented fences that are affixed to the poles. At least the top ends of the poles terminate in resilient, convexly curved feet. The feet have contact surfaces that are approximately hemitoroidal in shape. Each pole may have a tube and an elongate upright extending out of the tube and may have a coarse adjustment mechanism that permits the vertical insert to extend out of the top end of the tube by one of several preselected heights. Each pole may have a fine adjustment mechanism including a lead screw and a nut that rotates on a groove formed near the end of the pole tube. A fence clamp clamps upper and lower cross bars of the fence to the clamp using a single threaded fastener, the clamping action also affixing the fence to the pole.

Abstract: An improved pet barrier has first and second spaced-apart vertical poles and one or more horizontally oriented fences that are affixed to the poles. At least the top ends of the poles terminate in resilient, convexly curved feet. The feet have contact surfaces that are approximately hemitoroidal in shape. Each pole may have a tube and an elongate upright extending out of the tube and may have a coarse adjustment mechanism that permits the vertical insert to extend out of the top end of the tube by one of several preselected heights. Each pole may have a fine adjustment mechanism including a lead screw and a nut that rotates on a groove formed near the end of the pole tube. A fence clamp clamps upper and lower cross bars of the fence to the clamp using a single threaded fastener, the clamping action also affixing the fence to the pole.

Abstract: A top surface of an elevating stand of a pet feeding system defines bowl receptacles into which respective food and water bowls may be removably installed. A first zone of the top surface of the stand includes an upwardly convex ring that laterally surrounds a respective bowl receptacle. A second zone of the top surface of the stand laterally surrounds the first zone, except as interrupted by a finger notch. Each bowl has a peripheral lip with a lower surface formed as a downwardly concave ring that fits over the upwardly convex ring of the stand. An edge of the bowl rests on the second zone at a location below the upper limit of the convex ring. A base of the stand cooperates with upstanding ribs in an elastomeric mat to prevent lateral movement of the stand and to prevent rotation of the stand around the stand center.

Abstract: Spaced-apart elongate ribs formed on a floor of an upper surface of a coaster have sidewalls that each have a concave curved surface extending upward from the floor, and a convex curved surface extending upward from an upper end of the concave curved surface to a top of the rib. A radius of the concave curved surface is larger than a height of the rib. A lower surface of the coaster has spaced-apart nibs having surfaces formed as surfaces of rotation, each of which downwardly extends from a general lower surface of the coaster body to a bottom of the nib. A sidewall of the nib has a concave curved surface that extends downwardly from the general surface, and a convex curved surface that extends downwardly from a lower end of the concave curved surface to the bottom of the nib. A radius of the concaved curved surface of the nib sidewall is greater than a height of the nib. The avoidance of crevasses, corners and channels in the coaster makes the coaster easier to keep clean.

Abstract: A mat for removable installation on the floor surface of a vehicle foot well has at least one through-hole for receiving a mat retention device. At least one endless elastomeric sealing member extends radially inwardly from a general sidewall surface of the through-hole. A grommet for the through-hole includes a bottom grommet and a cap. An outer sealing surface of the grommet compresses the elastomeric sealing member of the through-hole, thereby creating an impermeable barrier to water incident on an upper surface of the mat body. The mat body may have an endless ridge on its upper surface that is radially outwardly spaced from the through-hole and that is compressibly engaged by a lower surface of a cap retention flange.

Abstract: Cargo organizers may be used for various sized boxes and packages. A friction pad overmolded on a bottom panel of the organizer body prevents movement when the cargo is transported in a vehicle.

Abstract: A hitch step assembly comprises a first shot component injection molded from a first polymer compound with a high flexural modulus and a second shot component injection molded from a second polymer compound having a relatively low Shore D hardness but high elastic compression. A post and a step body core are molded from the first polymer compound. A shell of the step body is molded from the second polymer compound and is overmolded on the step body core. The shell forms a compression zone that provides some protection against rear impacts. The hitch step assembly exhibits satisfactory resistance to torsion around the hitch receiver axis and deflection, even when a width of the step body exceeds 10.7 inches and the weight of a large man is placed on the top surface of the hitch step near its end.

Abstract: A top surface of an elevating stand of a pet feeding system defines bowl receptacles into which respective food and water bowls may be removably installed. A first zone of the top surface of the stand includes an upwardly convex ring that laterally surrounds a respective bowl receptacle. A second zone of the top surface of the stand laterally surrounds the first zone, except as interrupted by a finger notch. Each bowl has a peripheral lip with a lower surface formed as a downwardly concave ring that is spaced over the upwardly convex ring of the stand. An edge of the bowl rests on the second zone at a location below the upper limit of the convex ring, thereby supporting the entire weight of the bowl and its contents on the stand. A base of the stand cooperates with upstanding ribs in an elastomeric mat to prevent lateral movement of the stand and to prevent rotation of the stand around the stand center.

Abstract: A top surface of an elevating stand of a pet water station defines a bowl receptacle into which an oblong water bowl may be removably installed. A foot of the stand is downwardly displaced from the top of the stand and has a foot locating surface. A mat of the station has a mat locating feature that extends upwardly from a general upper surface of the mat, and this mat location feature has a mat locating surface that reciprocally conforms to the foot locating surface. An antirotation feature of the mat intersects an arc on which the foot locating surface is disposed and is positioned adjacent an end of the stand foot, preventing rotation of the stand relative to the foot in at least a first predetermined angular direction. The bowl, bowl receptacle, stand foot, mat locating feature and antirotation feature coact to orient the oblong bowl in a predetermined angular orientation relative to the front of the pet water station.

Abstract: A foldable mat has a flat flexible base portion with a margin and has finger tabs integrally molded with the base portion out of a polymeric material. The finger tabs extend upward from the base portion. The finger tabs can be grasped and pulled upward to allow the mat to fold so that the bottom surface halves of the mat fold inward on each other, masking the potentially contaminated bottom surface of the mat from contact with anything else. The mat can then be stored in a folded condition.

Abstract: A foldable mat has a flat flexible base portion with a margin and has finger tabs integrally molded with the base portion out of a polymeric material. The finger tabs extend upward from the base portion. The finger tabs can be grasped and pulled upward to allow the mat to fold so that the bottom surface halves of the mat fold inward on each other, masking the potentially contaminated bottom surface of the mat from contact with anything else. The mat can then be stored in a folded condition.