ITEM RETAINING MAT

Abstract

An item retaining mat includes a base sheet and an array of projections extending from the base sheet to define an item receiving surface. When an item is pressed against the item receiving surface of the mat, one or more projections of the array of projections that are engaged by the item are depressed from an extended position to a depressed position to define a recess in the item receiving surface, the recess being shaped to limit lateral movement of the received item.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/787,247, entitled “ITEM RETAINING MAT” and filed Mar. 15, 2013, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Tool cabinet drawers or trays, tool boxes, storage cases, inventory display or storage shelving, or other such item retaining structures are often provided with pads, inserts, or other such mats to organize the items stored on or in the structure. Examples of conventional item storing mats include foam pads with cut recesses or plastic inserts with molded recesses. These recesses may be shaped to receive items (e.g., hand tools or other instruments) of varying size and shape in a consistent, organized arrangement, making the items easier to find, less likely to shift or slide on the mat, and/or less likely to be damaged, and their absence more easily recognized.

SUMMARY

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, an item retaining mat includes a base sheet and an array of projections extending from the base sheet to define an item receiving surface. When an item is pressed against the item receiving surface of the mat, one or more projections of the array of projections that are engaged by the item are depressed from an extended position to a depressed position to define a recess in the item receiving surface, the recess being shaped to limit lateral movement of the received item.

Another exemplary embodiment of the present application involves a method of retaining an item against lateral movement. In the exemplary method, an item retaining mat is provided, including a base sheet and an array of projections extending from the base sheet to define an item receiving surface. An item is pressed against the item receiving surface of the mat to engage one or more projections of the array of projections thereby depressing the one or more projections from an extended position to a depressed position to define a recess in the item receiving surface, with the recess being shaped to limit lateral movement of the received item.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the present application, an item retaining mat includes a base sheet, an array of projections extending from the base sheet to define an item receiving surface, and means for depressing one or more projections of the array of projections from an extended position to a depressed position to define a recess in the item receiving surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary item retaining mat, with projections on the mat depressed to define an item retaining recess;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the item retaining mat of FIG. 1, shown retaining an exemplary item in the recess;

FIG. 3 illustrates an enlarged perspective view of the item retaining mat of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional schematic view of an exemplary item retaining mat including collapsible projections;

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional schematic view of another exemplary item retaining mat including collapsible projections;

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional schematic view of still another exemplary item retaining mat including collapsible projections;

FIG. 7 illustrates another exemplary item retaining mat, shown with some of the projections depressed to define an item retaining recess; and

FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the item retaining mat of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The Detailed Description merely describes exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims in any way. Indeed, the invention as claimed is broader than and unlimited by the exemplary embodiments, and the terms used in the claims have their full ordinary meaning.

Tool cabinet drawers and other item retaining structures are often provided with item organizing mats to retain one or more items in a consistent arrangement. These inserts may include one or more recesses shaped to closely receive one or more items in desired locations and/or orientations. Examples of foam mats having cut or molded tool retaining recesses are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,223 to Allen (describing cut recesses) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,632,162 (describing molded recesses), the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein. These mats, while facilitating consistent storage and organization of existing items, require an additional recess generating operation (e.g., cutting, heating/curing, or spraying reactive chemicals on the foam), and are not reconfigurable to accommodate new items of different sizes and shapes, thus requiring replacement of the mat with a new mat to be appropriately cut or molded with new item retaining recesses.

According to an aspect of the present application, an item retaining mat may be provided with an array of projections that are depressible when an item is placed onto or pressed against one or more of the projections on the mat, or by engagement of the projections with another implement (e.g., a user's fingers or a stylus or other such component). The depressed projections form a recess, with respect to the non-depressed projections, shaped to closely receive and retain the placed item. The projections may be of a sufficient depression depth (i.e., difference in height between non-depressed and depressed conditions) to form a deep enough recess to suitably retain the placed item. Further, the projections may be of a sufficiently small cross-sectional size, and/or sufficiently closely spaced, to be depressible to form a recess that sufficiently conforms to the shape of the placed item (e.g., sufficiently limiting lateral movement of the item on the mat).

FIGS. 1-3 illustrates an exemplary item retaining mat 10 including a base sheet 20 and an array of depressible projections 30 extending from an upper surface of the base sheet 20. While the projections may be provided in any suitable shape, in the illustrated embodiment, the projections 30 are substantially frustoconical, with a gradually tapering side wall, such that the projections are nearly cylindrical in shape. As shown, the projections 30 are depressible, either under the weight of an item I placed on the mat 10 (FIG. 2), or by pressure applied to the placed item I, to a depressed condition. The reduced height h′ of the depressed projections 30′, with respect to the height h of the non-depressed projections, produces a recess r shaped to substantially conform to the shape of the mat engaging portion i of the item I. In an exemplary embodiment, the projections 30 have a base or maximum diameter of approximately ⅛ inch to 1/2 inch, a non-depressed height h of approximately 1/2 inch to 1 inch, a fully depressed height h′ of approximately 1/10 inch to ½ inch, and a distance between projection center points of approximately ¼ inch to 1 inch. In still other embodiments, larger or smaller projections and/or more or less closely spaced projections may be utilized, or an array of projections of varying size, shape, and position may be provided. In an exemplary embodiment, each projection may be depressible to a range of depressed heights, for example, to conform to a contoured surface on the mat engaging portion of the item. While the projections 30 are shown in a grid-type array, in other embodiments, the projections may additionally or alternatively be arranged in staggered parallel lines, concentric rings of projections (e.g., circular, elliptical, diamond, or other shaped rings), or in random patterns.

In one exemplary embodiment, projections on an item retaining mat may be permanently collapsible or crushable, such that the placed item produces a permanent recess in the mat for repeatable placement of the item in a consistent position and orientation on the mat. Exemplary projections may be formed from paper, air filled capsules, or other non-resilient materials. While this arrangement would not allow for repeated use of the same portion of the mat with new, different-shaped items, the collapsible or crushable projections would facilitate formation of an item retaining recess without additional recess generating operations (e.g., cutting, heating/curing, or spraying reactive chemicals on the mat material).

In another exemplary embodiment, projections on an item retaining mat may be resiliently depressible, such that when the placed item is removed from the mat, the projections automatically return to the non-depressed height. Exemplary projections may include biasing springs to return the depressed projections to the non-depressed condition, or may be formed from resilient materials configured to automatically expand or extend when pressure has been removed. While this arrangement would not facilitate repeatable placement of the item in a consistent position and orientation on the mat, the resilient projections would allow for repeated use of the same portion of the mat with new, different-shaped items, and would facilitate formation of an item retaining recess without additional recess generating operations (e.g., cutting, heating/curing, or spraying reactive chemicals on the mat material).

In still another exemplary embodiment, projections on an item retaining mat may be collapsible and extendable between bi-stable extended (or non-depressed) and depressed conditions. This arrangement would allow for both repeatable placement of the item in a consistent position and orientation on the mat and repeated use of the same portion of the mat with new, different-shaped items. When different shaped recesses in the item retaining mat are desired, the user may selectively move one or more of the depressed projections back to the non-depressed or extended position.

Many different arrangements may be used to provide bi-stable depressible projections on an item retaining mat. In one embodiment, the circumferential side wall of each projection may include one or more rings of thinner and/or perforated material, such that the ring forms a hinge bout which all or part of the projection may bend between an extended position and a collapsed position. Exemplary collapsible shapes are shown and described on a larger scale, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,439,128 and 7,654,402, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, which disclose collapsible plastic containers having rings of concentric wall elements joined by thinner flexure zones or film hinges. This arrangement accommodates a telescoping accordion-style collapse or compression of the containers. In the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, the projections include annular wall portions 31 (evident in the collapsed condition, see FIG. 3) that are collapsible or foldable in a telescoping accordion-style arrangement, such that the collapsed height h′ may be as small as a height of one of the wall portions 31. In one example, where a projection includes five foldable annular walls each having substantially the same height, the fully collapsed projection may have a collapsed height that is approximately ⅕ of the non-collapsed height of the projection.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional views of a collapsible projection 130 extending from a base sheet 120 of an exemplary item retaining mat 100. The exemplary projection 130 includes a series of annular peripheral wall portions 131, 133, 135, 137, 139 extending from the base sheet to a top portion or dome 139a of the projection. The wall portions are joined by flexible hinge portions 132, 134, 136, 138, which permit folding or collapsing of the projection at these hinge portions. As shown, the hinge portions 132, 134, 136, 138 may include a reduced wall thickness, compared to the wall portions 131, 133, 135, 137, 139, to facilitate bending or folding at the hinge portions. When pressure is applied to the dome 139a of the projection 130, the projection 130 bends or collapses along the hinge portions 132, 134, 136, 138, such that the height H of the collapsed projection 130′ is reduced to a height H′ limited by the maximum height of any of the wall portions 131, 133, 135, 137, 139. Additionally or alternatively, the hinge portions may include material weakening perforations and/or more flexible material to facilitate bending at the hinge portions. The base sheet 120 and projections 130 may be provided in any suitable material, including, for example, flexible and/or deformable plastics, elastomers, natural or synthetic rubber, and metals.

In one exemplary embodiment, projections of an item retaining mat may be partially collapsed, for example, to conform to an item having a contoured projection-engaging surface. As shown in FIG. 6, a portion of an item surface may only partially collapse one or more of the projections 130, such that the height H″ of the partially collapsed projection 130″ more closely conforms to the surface of the item.

When the mat 100 is to be used to retain different items, or to retain the items in a different orientations, the undersides of the collapsed projections 130 may be pressed by a user (e.g., by direct finger contact or using a narrow tool) to return the collapsed projections to the extended or non-collapsed positions.

Other types of collapsible projections may be used on an item retaining mat. In one exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, an item retaining mat 200 may include a raised base sheet 220, elevated, for example, by outer walls 210, and collapsible projections 230 that bend at one or more hinge portions 232, 234 to be partially or fully recessed below the base sheet 220. In another exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, an item retaining mat 300 may include a raised base sheet 320, elevated, for example, by outer walls 310, and pin projections 330 extending through openings 325 in the base sheet 320 in press-fit or interference-fit engagement, such that the pin projections remain in extended, collapsed, or partially collapsed conditions until a force is applied to the top or bottom of the pin 330.

In another exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, an item retaining mat 400 may include an array of hollow base projections 425 extending from a base sheet 420, with depressible projections 430 extending from, and being collapsible into, the base projections 425 to define a recessed surface r on the mat 400. The base projections 425 may be more rigid than the depressible projections 430 (e.g., using a thicker or stronger material) to resist compression. Alternatively, the base projections 425 may be at least partially compressible to further define a recessed surface for an item placed on the mat 400. The height h′ of the collapsed projection 430′ is smaller than the height h of the non-collapsed projection 430. As shown, the height h′ of the collapsed projection 430′, measured from the top of the corresponding base projection 425, may, but need not, be substantially zero, and may be recessed below the top of the base projection 425 (i.e., a “negative” height h′).

While various inventive aspects, concepts and features of the inventions may be described and illustrated herein as embodied in combination in the exemplary embodiments, these various aspects, concepts and features may be used in many alternative embodiments, either individually or in various combinations and sub-combinations thereof. Unless expressly excluded herein all such combinations and sub-combinations are intended to be within the scope of the present inventions. Still further, while various alternative embodiments as to the various aspects, concepts and features of the inventions—such as alternative materials, structures, configurations, methods, circuits, devices and components, software, hardware, control logic, alternatives as to form, fit and function, and so on—may be described herein, such descriptions are not intended to be a complete or exhaustive list of available alternative embodiments, whether presently known or later developed. Those skilled in the art may readily adopt one or more of the inventive aspects, concepts or features into additional embodiments and uses within the scope of the present inventions even if such embodiments are not expressly disclosed herein. Additionally, even though some features, concepts or aspects of the inventions may be described herein as being a preferred arrangement or method, such description is not intended to suggest that such feature is required or necessary unless expressly so stated. Still further, exemplary or representative values and ranges may be included to assist in understanding the present disclosure; however, such values and ranges are not to be construed in a limiting sense and are intended to be critical values or ranges only if so expressly stated. Moreover, while various aspects, features and concepts may be expressly identified herein as being inventive or forming part of an invention, such identification is not intended to be exclusive, but rather there may be inventive aspects, concepts and features that are fully described herein without being expressly identified as such or as part of a specific invention. Descriptions of exemplary methods or processes are not limited to inclusion of all steps as being required in all cases, nor is the order that the steps are presented to be construed as required or necessary unless expressly so stated.

Claims

1. An item retaining mat comprising:

a base sheet; and

an array of projections extending from the base sheet to define an item receiving surface;

wherein when an item is pressed against the item receiving surface of the mat, one or more projections of the array of projections that are engaged by the item are depressed from an extended position to a depressed position to define a recess in the item receiving surface, the recess being shaped to limit lateral movement of the received item.

2. The mat of claim 1, wherein each of the array of projections is collapsible to the depressed position, such that when the received item is removed from the mat, the recess remains in the item receiving surface.

3. The mat of claim 1, wherein each of the array of projections is re-extendable to the extended position to eliminate the recess in the item receiving surface.

4. The mat of claim 1, wherein each of the array of projections comprises first and second annular wall portions joined by a first annular hinge portion configured to permit the second wall portion to fold toward the first wall portion when the projection is depressed from the extended position to the depressed position.

5. The mat of claim 4, wherein the annular hinge portion of each of the array of projections includes a reduced wall thickness relative to the first and second wall portions.

6. The mat of claim 4, wherein the first and second annular walls are frustoconical.

7. The mat of claim 4, wherein each of the array of projections further comprises a third annular wall portion joined to the second annular wall portion by a second annular hinge portion, configured to permit the third wall portion to fold toward the second wall portion when the projection is depressed from the extended position to the depressed position.

8. The mat of claim 1, wherein each of the array of projections is integrally formed with the base sheet.

9. The mat of claim 1, wherein each of the array of projections extends a first height from the base sheet when in the extended position and a second height from the base sheet when in the depressed position, the second height being less than the first height.

10. The mat of claim 9, wherein the second height is approximately one fifth of the first height.

11. The mat of claim 9, wherein each of the array of projections is further depressible to a partially depressed position extending a third height from the base sheet, the third height being less than the first height and greater than the second height.

12. The mat of claim 1, wherein each of the array of projections has a maximum diameter of up to approximately ½ inch.

13. The mat of claim 1, wherein each of the array of projections is spaced apart from an adjacent one of the array of projections by a maximum distance of up to approximately 1 inch between center points of the adjacent projections.

14. A method of retaining an item against lateral movement, the method comprising:

providing an item retaining mat including a base sheet and an array of projections extending from the base sheet to define an item receiving surface; and

pressing one or more projections of the array of projections thereby depressing the one or more projections from an extended position to a depressed position to define a recess in the item receiving surface, the recess being shaped to limit lateral movement of an item; and

positioning the item in the recess.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein depressing the one or more projections from the extended position to the depressed position comprises collapsing the one or more projections to the depressed position, such that when the received item is removed from the mat, the recess remains in the item receiving surface.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein depressing each the one or more projections from the extended position to the depressed position comprises folding a second annular wall about an annular hinge portion toward a first annular wall.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the array of projections extends a first height from the base sheet when in the extended position, wherein depressing each of the one or more projections from the extended position to the depressed position comprises positioning the projection to extend a second height from the base sheet, the second height being less than the first height.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising depressing one or more of the array of projections to a partially depressed position extending a third height from the base sheet, the third height being less than the first height and greater than the second height.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein pressing one or more projections of the array of projections comprises placing the item on the item receiving surface.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein pressing one or more projections of the array of projections comprises pressing the item against the item receiving surface.

21. An item retaining mat comprising:

a base sheet;

an array of projections extending from the base sheet to define an item receiving surface; and

means for depressing one or more projections of the array of projections from an extended position to a depressed position to define a recess in the item receiving surface.

22. The mat of claim 21, wherein the means for depressing comprises first and second annular wall portions of each of the array of projections, joined by an annular hinge portion configured to permit the second wall portion to fold toward the first wall portion when the projection is depressed from the extended position to the depressed position.