Claims:I/We Claim:
1. A method (300) for fabricating a mat comprising:
a first step (301) of forming a gel (201), wherein the gel (201) is either formed in-situ or externally;
a second step (302) of forming a foam (202);
a third step (303) of forming a lamination of the Gel (201) and the foam (202) by,
curing the gel (201) to obtain a Gel brick, wherein the Gel brick is fixed into a mould, and
pouring the foam (202) into the mould having a predefined temperature range and for a predefined period in order to form the mat; and
a fourth step (304) of placing an anti-skid layer (203) on lower side of the mat in order to provide grip to the mat on the floor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gel 201 is formed by
mixing an elastomer, laboratory grade paraffin oil, and one or more ingredients in a form of polymer in order to form a mixture with a process of nourishing for a predefined period of 24 hours, wherein the one or more ingredients are selected from a group of elastomers consisting of Kraton, EPDM, and paraffin oil;
melting said mixture at a predefined temperature of 150°C-240°C in order to obtain to a liquefied material; and
transforming said liquefied material into a solidified gel at controlled temperature range of 20°C-40°C based upon required curing time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the foam 202 is formed by
mixing and blending an Isocyanate and a Polyol at a certain temperature based on a required curing time, and
pouring a mixture of Isocyanate and Polyol into a mould through a hot vessel in a predefined temperature range of 140° C to 250° C to obtain a Polyurethane (PU) as a foam 202.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the mixing and blending of the Isocyanate and the Polyol is in a predefined ratio of 30:70 or 40:60.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the Polyurethane (PU), obtained from the mixture of the Isocyanate and the Polyol, is poured into the mould having a predefined temperature range of 150° C to 250° C and for a predefined period of 10 to 30 minutes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pouring of the foam 202 into the mould is performed by highly defined process in order to maintain the viscosity of the material.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the Polyurethane (PU) is formed by mixing the Isocyanate [20 to 40%] and the polyol [60 to 80%] along with stabilizing additives based upon the cushioning requirements.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the poured mixture takes a predetermined time for formation of required density ranging from 0.22 to 0.7 gm/cm³, based on the cushioning requirements.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a natural cooling of the mat is required prior to final packing of the mat.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the gel (201) formed comprises of one or more of layers, wherein each layer of gel (201) is separated with non-woven or polyester fabric for better cushioning effects, and wherein the thickness of each layer of the gel (201) is varied from 5mm to 75mm based upon the level of comfort required.

11. A mat (200) comprising:
a gel (201);
a foam (202);
wherein the gel (201) and the foam (202) are laminated together to form a mat by,
curing the gel (201) to obtain a Gel brick, wherein the Gel brick is fixed into a mould, and
pouring the foam (202) into the mould having a predefined temperature range and for a predefined period in order to form the mat; and
an anti-skid layer (203);
wherein, the anti-skid layer is placed on lower side of the mat in order to provide grip to the mat on the floor.

12. The mat of claim 11, wherein the gel (201) is a mixture of an elastomer, laboratory grade paraffin oil, and one or more ingredients in a form of polymer, wherein the mixture is nourished for a predefined period of 24 hours, and wherein the one or more ingredients are selected from a group of elastomers consisting of Kraton, EPDM, and paraffin oil, wherein said mixture is melted at a predefined temperature of 150°C-240°C in order to obtain to a liquefied material, wherein said liquefied material is transformed into a solidified gel at controlled temperature range of 20°C-40°C based upon required curing time.

13. The mat of claim 11, wherein the foam (202) is formed by
mixing and blending an Isocyanate and a Polyol at a certain temperature based on a required curing time, and
pouring a mixture of Isocyanate and Polyol into a mould through a hot vessel in a predefined temperature range of 140° C to 250° C to obtain a Polyurethane as a foam (202).

14. The mat of claim 13, wherein the mixing and blending of the Isocyanate and the Polyol is in predefined ratio of 30:70 or 40:60.

15. The mat of claim 13, wherein the Polyurethane (PU), obtained from the mixture of the Isocyanate and the Polyol, is poured into the mould having a predefined temperature range of 150° C to 250° C and for a predefined period of 10 to 30 minutes.

16. The mat of claim 15, wherein the Polyurethane (PU) is formed by mixing the Isocyanate [20 to 40%] and the polyol [60 to 80%] along with stabilizing additives based upon the cushioning requirements.

17. The mat of claim 11, wherein the gel (201) formed comprises of one or more of layers of gel (201), wherein each layer of gel (201) is separated with non-woven or polyester fabric for better cushioning effects, and wherein the thickness of each layer of the gel (201) is varied from 5mm to 75mm based upon the level of comfort required.

18. A mat (200) comprising:
a gel (201); and
a foam (202);
wherein the gel (201) and the foam (202) are laminated together to form a mat by,
curing the gel to obtain a Gel brick, wherein the Gel brick is fixed into a mould, and
pouring the foam into the mould having a predefined temperature range and for a predefined period in order to form the mat.

, Description:FORM 2

THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENT RULES, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(See Section 10 and Rule 13)

Title of invention:
AN ANTI-FATIGUE MAT AND FABRICATING METHOD THEREOF

APPLICANT
Genex Science and Technologies Pvt. Ltd.,
An Indian entity having address,
1,2,3, 'C' Wing, 2nd floor, Tex Centre, Chandivali road,
Andheri (East), Mumbai - 400072

The following specification describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS AND PRIORITY
The present application does not claim priority from any other patent application.

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present subject matter described herein, in general, relates to anti-fatigue mats and fabricating method thereof, and more particularly to anti-fatigue mats having gel composition that improves comfort of a user.

BACKGROUND
The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely because of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also correspond to implementations of the claimed technology.

Floor mats have been used for years to provide comfort to the person standing on the mat. However, the person who works standing up most of the day still experiences fatigue since the person has to stand on the mat for longer/extended period of time. Such person may be a cashier, an assembly line operator, or a person working in home or commercial kitchens.

Conventionally, mats made of resilient foams have been provided to reduce the fatigue caused to the person. However, such mats suffer from several disadvantages. First, the resilient foam-based mats become brittle over a period of time. Second, the resilient foam-based mats tend to lose their properties due to compression of the air cells in these mats. Further, the conventional foam mats may collect moisture which may result in growth of bacteria and fungus thereby making these mats unsuitable for use.

The resilient foams-based mats in form of comfort/anti-fatigue mats using gel technology have been proposed to reduce fatigue of users in both commercial and consumer environment. These mats include a gel-receiving cavity, wherein the gel receiving cavity is formed in the mat due to a frame assembly in the support sheet. Such gel receiving cavity 101 is illustrated in the Figure 1.The expansion of the gel is proportional to the comfort provided to the user. Therefore, greater the expansion, more is the comfort experienced by the user. In the conventional mats using the gel technology, it is observed that the frame assembly restricts expansion of the gel present in the gel receiving cavity when external force is exerted on the surface of the mat. Therefore, the available comfort/anti-fatigue mats provide less comfort to the user due to gel expansion restriction of the mats.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is fabricating an anti-fatigue mat with a gel composition that enables in significantly improving the comfort provided to a user.

Another object of the present invention is to form an anti-fatigue mat that reduces strain, fatigue, and discomfort of a user

Yet another object of the present invention is to form an anti-fatigue mat with bevelled edges which provide non-curling property.

Yet another object of the present invention is to form an anti-fatigue mat having anti-skid bottom surface to prevent slippage on the floor.

SUMMARY
This summary is provided to introduce concepts related to an anti-fatigue mat with a gel composition and method for fabricating the said anti-fatigue mat and the concepts are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter nor is it intended for use in determining or limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In one embodiment, a method for fabricating an anti-fatigue mat is disclosed. In one aspect, the method for fabricating the anti-fatigue mat may include a first step of forming a gel, wherein the gel is either formed in-situ or externally. In one exemplary embodiment, the gel may be formed by mixing an elastomer, laboratory grade paraffin oil, and one or more ingredients in a form of polymer in order to form a mixture with a process of nourishing for a predefined period. In this exemplary embodiment, the said mixture may be melted at a predefined temperature of in order to obtain to a liquefied material. Further, in this exemplary embodiment, the said liquefied material may be transformed into a solidified gel at a predefined controlled temperature range based upon required curing time. Further, the method may include a second step of forming a foam. In one exemplary embodiment, the foam may be formed by mixing and blending an Isocyanate and a Polyol at a certain temperature based on a required curing time and pouring a mixture of Isocyanate and Polyol into a mould through a hot vessel in a predefined temperature range to obtain a Polyurethane (PU) as a foam. Further, the method may include a third step of forming lamination of the Gel and the foam. The third step may include forming a lamination of the Gel and the foam by curing the gel to obtain a Gel brick which is fixed into a mould and pouring the foam into the mould having a predefined temperature range and for a predefined period in order to form the mat. Furthermore, the method may include a fourth step of placing an anti-skid layer on the lower side of the mat in order to provide grip to the mat on the floor.

In another embodiment, an anti-fatigue mat is disclosed. In one aspect, the anti-fatigue mat may include a gel and a foam laminated together. In one exemplary embodiment, the gel may be mixture of an elastomer, laboratory grade paraffin oil, and one or more ingredients in a form of polymer, wherein the mixture is nourished for a predefined period and melted at a predefined temperature in order to obtain to a liquefied material, and wherein said liquefied material is transformed into a solidified gel at a predefined controlled temperature range based upon required curing time. In one exemplary embodiment, the foam may be formed by mixing and blending an Isocyanate and a Polyol at a certain temperature based on a required curing time and pouring a mixture of Isocyanate and Polyol into a mould through a hot vessel in a predefined temperature range to obtain a Polyurethane (PU) as a foam. The lamination of the gel and the foam may be formed by curing the gel to obtain a Gel brick which is fixed into a mould and pouring the foam into the mould having a predefined temperature range and for a predefined period in order to form the mat. The anti-fatigue mat may further include an anti-skid layer which is placed on lower side of the mat in order to provide grip to the mat on the floor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying Figures. In the Figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the Figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer like features and components.

Figure 1 illustrates a conventional anti-fatigue mat available in the art.

Figure 2(a) and 2(b), illustrates an anti-fatigue mat, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 3 illustrates a method 300 for fabricating an anti-fatigue mat, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Reference throughout the specification to “various embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “one embodiment,” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” “in one embodiment,” or “in an embodiment” in places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

Referring now to Figure 2 is an anti-fatigue mat 200, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. In one embodiment, the anti-fatigue mat 200 may include a gel 201, a foam 202, and an anti-skid layer 203. In one embodiment, the gel 201 may be formed by mixing an elastomer, laboratory grade paraffin oil, and one or more ingredients in a form of polymer in order to form a mixture with a process of nourishing for a predefined period of 24 hours. In one embodiment, the elastomer may be a high-grade elastomer. In one embodiment, a special kind of elastomer may be mixed with paraffin oil along with Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM), in order to form the gel 201 upon the requirement of the softness. In one embodiment, the one or more ingredients may be selected from a group of elastomers. In one exemplary, the group of elastomers consists of Kraton, EPDM, and paraffin oil. Further, the said mixture may be melted at a predefined temperature of 150°C-240° C in order to obtain to a liquefied material. Further, the said liquefied material may be transformed into a solidified gel at controlled temperature range of 20°C-40° C based upon required curing time, thereby forming the gel 201. In one embodiment, a quarantine time may be decided for the formation of the gel 201 in the mould based on the shape of the anti-fatigue mat. In one embodiment, thickness of the gel 201 may vary from 5 mm to 75 mm based upon the level of comport to be provided to the user. In one embodiment, the gel may be formed either in-situ or externally.

In one embodiment, the foam 202 may be formed by mixing of Isocyanate and Polyol together in a predefined ratio of 30:70, or 40:60 at a certain temperature based on required curing time. Further, the mixture may be blended before pouring to a mould through a hot vessel at a predefined temperature of 140°C to 250° C. In one embodiment, the mixture of Isocyanate and Polyol may be poured to the mould by highly defined process in order to maintain the viscosity of the material. In one embodiment, the foam may be Polyurethane (PU) layer formed by mixing Isocyanate [20 to 40%] with polyol [60 to 80%] along with the stabilizing additives based upon the requirement of cushioning. In one embodiment, the poured mixture may take a predetermined time for formation of the foam of required density ranging from 0.22 to 0.7 gm/cm³ based on the cushioning requirement. In one embodiment, the temperature at the time of pouring may be between 150 to 250 degrees centigrade. In one embodiment, the foam 202 and the gel 201 may be separated by the fabrics woven, non-woven, or polyester fabric for better cushioning and dispersion of the gel 201 in the mat 200.

In one embodiment, the Gel 201 and the foam 202 may be laminated together in order to form an anti-fatigue mat 200. The lamination may be formed by following the methodology as explained hereinafter. In one embodiment, the solidified gel may be cured in order to obtain a Gel brick which may be fixed into a mould. In one embodiment, the Polyurethane (PU) obtained may be poured into the mould at the predefined temperature range of 150° C to 250° C and for predefined period of 10 to 30 minutes based on the cooling of the mould in order to form the mat 200. In one embodiment, thickness of the PU foam may vary from 10 mm to 50 mm.

The anti-skid layer 203 may be placed on lower side of the mat 200 in order to provide grip to the anti-fatigue mat on the floor. In an exemplary embodiment, the anti-skid layer 203 may include a high friction material which prevents slippage when contacted to the floor.

Figure 3 illustrates a method 300 depicting stepwise process of fabricating an anti-fatigue mat, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

At step 301, the gel 201 may be formed. In one embodiment, the gel may either be formed in-situ or externally. In one embodiment, the gel 201 may be formed by mixing of an elastomer, laboratory grade paraffin oil and one or more ingredients in a form of polymer in order to form a mixture with a process of nourishing for a predefined period of 24 hours. In one embodiment, the one or more ingredients may be selected from a group of elastomers. Further, the said mixture may be melted at a predefined temperature of 150° C-240° C in order to obtain to a liquefied material. Further, the said liquefied material may be transformed into a solidified gel at controlled temperature range of 20° C -40° C based upon required curing time, thereby forming the gel 201. It must be understood herein the aforementioned method of forming the gel 201 is one of the methods employed for forming the gel 201, however, the other known methods of forming the gel 201 may be employed and the present disclosure is not limited to employing any particular method of forming the gel 201.

At step 302, a foam 202 may be formed. The foam 202 may be formed by mixing and blending an Isocyanate and a Polyol in a predefined ratio of 30:70, or 40:60 at the certain temperature, and further by pouring the mixture of Isocyanate and Polyol into the mould through a hot vessel in a predefined temperature range of 140° C to 250° C. It must be understood herein the aforementioned method of forming the foam 202 is one of the methods employed for forming the foam 202, however, the other known methods of forming the foam 202 may be employed and the present disclosure is not limited to employing any particular method of forming the foam 202.

At step 303, a lamination of the Gel 201 and the foam 202 may be formed. The lamination may be formed by curing the solidified gel in order to obtain the Gel brick, wherein the Gel brick is fixed into a mould. Further, the Polyurethane (PU), obtained from the mixture of Isocyanate and Polyol, may be poured into the mould having a predefined temperature range of 150° C to 250° C and for a predefined period of 10 to 30 minutes in order to form the anti-fatigue mat 200.

In one exemplary embodiment, the anti-fatigue mat 200 may provide comfort to the tired and hurting feet. These anti-fatigue mats may offer maximum support by uniformly distributing the load of the body, so user stand for longer periods without experiencing discomfort and fatigue. In one embodiment, the gel 201 of the mat is strain resistant. At step 304, an anti-skid layer 203 may be placed at the bottom of the gel mat. The anti-skid layer 203 of the mat 200 may provide grip on the floor and prevent slippage.

Exemplary embodiments discussed above may provide certain advantages. Though not required to practice aspects of the disclosure, these advantages may include those provided by the following features.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure may provide anti-fatigue mats that reduce strain, fatigue, and discomfort of a user.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure may provide anti-fatigue mats with bevelled edges which provide non-curling property.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure may provide anti-fatigue mats having anti-skid bottom surface to prevent slippage on the floor.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure may provide anti-fatigue mats useful for anyone suffering from back pain, leg pain or any kind of foot discomfort, including arthritis etc.

Although implementations of an anti-fatigue mat and fabricating method thereof have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methods, it is to be understood that the appended claims are not necessarily limited to the specific features or methods described. Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed as examples of implementations an anti-fatigue mat and fabricating method thereof.