NOV- 3, 1953
`
`M. J. SLTURTEVANT
`VEHICLE SILL MAT
`
`Filed Dec. 23. 1949
`
`2,657,948
`
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`EX101 1
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`Yita V. MacNeil
`
`IPR2020-01139
`
`EX1011
`Yita v. MacNeil
`IPR2020-01139
`
`

`

`Patented Nov. 3, 1953
`
`2,657.948
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE
`
`2,657,948
`
`VEHICLE SILL MAT
`
`Mark J. Sturtevant, St. Clair Shores, Mich., as-
`signor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park,
`Mich, a corporation of Delaware
`
`Application December 23, 1949, Serial No. 134,676
`2 Claims.
`(01. 296—1)
`
`1
`My invention relates to coverings for sills and
`the like and more particularly to an improved
`type sill covering for a motor vehicle as well as
`to improved fastening members for securing such
`coverings or parts of other assemblies in place.
`In the past, many foot mats for vehicle sills
`have been made by bonding rubber-like material
`to metallic backing plates and thereafter secur-
`ing the latter to the sills of the vehicles.
`It has
`been proposed to eliminate the backing plates
`from the structures by providing the rubber—like
`material with depending integral yieldable plugs
`which would secure the rubber-like material di—
`rectly to the sill.
`A principal object of my invention is to provide
`a vehicle sill with an improved covering or mat
`which may be made as an integral structure un-
`like those known in the art.
`Another object of my invention is to provide
`an improved yieldable mat for vehicles which
`may be conveniently and readily applied thereto.
`A further object of my invention is to provide
`an improved vehicle sill mat which is made en-
`tirely of rubber-like yieldable material thereby
`eliminating any metallic members or any process
`of bonding any metallic members to yieldable
`rubber—like material.
`Still another object of my invention is to pro-
`vide an improved vehicle sill mat which is easily
`and economically manufactured.
`An additional object of the invention is to pro-
`vide improved snap-on like fastening means in a
`device of this kind which may consist substan—
`tially entirely of rubber—like material and which
`may be utilized to form a secure attachment be-
`tween diverse types of parts of many different
`assemblies.
`Other objects and advantages will become
`more apparent from the following description of
`one embodiment of my invention, reference be-
`ing had to the accompanying drawings in which:
`Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of a
`motor vehicle having portions broken away to
`more clearly locate my invention.
`Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2—2
`of Fig. 1.
`Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on
`the line 3-—3 of Fig. 2.
`Fig. 4 is a sectional View similar to Fig. 2
`showing the application of a tool to my invention.
`Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View illustrat—
`ing another use of a fastening member embody-
`ing the invention.
`In the drawings I have shown a motor vehicle,
`generally designated by the numeral ID,
`includ—
`ing a body portion i l, a conventional seat l2 and
`a vehicle door It. The vehicle is also provided
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`10
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`15
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`20
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`25
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`3O
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`35
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`40
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`45
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`2
`with a floor portion or tacking plate I 4, the outer
`extremity thereof forming a sill
`[5 which is di—
`rectly disposed beneath the lower edge of the
`door [3. The floor portion [4 is provided with
`a floor mat
`l6 composed preferably of a fabric
`or rubber material and is also provided with a
`sill mat, generally designated by the numeral H,
`which is disposed over the sill
`[5 of the .floor
`portion 14. The sill mat
`[1 extends longitudi—
`nally of the sill it the entire length of the lower
`lateral edge of the door [3. The sill mat [1 is prio-
`vided with a raised section 18 which overlaps the
`outer lateral edge of the floor mat [6 as well as
`a section is which engages the sill 15.
`The sill I5 is provided with a plurality of sub—
`stantially cylindrical depressions 25 which are
`aligned in the direction of the length of the sill
`l5 and each depression is provided with a circu—
`lar opening 2| in the lower portion thereof. The
`openings 2i are adapted to receive plugs, general—
`ly designated by the numeral 22, which are in—
`tegral with the section IQ of the sill mat
`ll.
`Each plug 22 is provided with a neck portion 23
`which connects the section I!) of the sill mat I?
`to a head portion 24 of the plug, the head por-
`tion having a circular shoulder 25 which engages
`the sill 15 on the opposite side from the section
`19 of the sill mat H adjacent the periphery of
`the opening 2|.
`In this manner the mat H is
`rigidly secured to the sill Hi. When the plugs 22
`are in their normal relaxed state, the circular
`shoulders 25 thereof are not spaced sufficiently
`from the under side of the section is of the mat
`to allow those shoulders to contact the lower side
`of
`the bottom walls of
`the depressions. The
`neck portion 23 is under tension when in the
`position as shown in Fig. 2, and exerts pressure
`upon the lower surface of the section [3 and the
`shoulder 25. This is obviously accomplished by
`providing that the distance between the heads
`24 of plugs 22 and section 89 of sill mat
`I1 is
`less, in the disassembled and relaxed state of the
`plugs, than the distance between the upper sur-
`face of floor portion 14 and the lower surface
`of the depressions 20. The section [9 of the mat
`ll is provided with a pair of longitudinally ex—
`tending ornamental grooves 21 which facilitate
`gripping action between the sill mat and the shoe
`of a person entering or leaving the vehicle. The
`section It is also provided with a recess 38 which
`extends downwardly through one of the grooves
`21 and the section It! and opens into a cylindrical
`opening 3| which is disposed in the neck por—
`tion 23 and the head portion 24.
`The recess 36 is provided in each of the plugs
`22 for receiving a tool 32 to facilitate stretch—
`ing of the necks 23 and heads 24 of the plugs.
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`50
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`55
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`2,657,948
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`3
`The tool 32 is utilized to stretch the plug 22 longi-
`tudinally by exerting pressure in the direction of
`the arrow in Fig. 4, thereby reducing the width
`of the head of the plug and allowing it to pass
`through the opening 2| while at the same time
`placing the neck 33 under tension. After the
`plug 22 has been pushed through the opening, the
`tool 32 is removed and the plug assumes the con-
`figuration as shown in Fig. 2. The head portion
`24 of the plug 22 is of a substantially frusto-
`conical configuration to facilitate the aforemen-
`tioned passage of the head portion 24 through
`the opening 2|, the base of this configuration be-
`ing the shoulder 25.
`Although numerous yieldable materials may be
`used to form my improved sill mat and the at-
`taching plugs thereof,
`it has been found very
`desirable to use materials such as natural rubber
`or synthetic rubber, as, for example, vinyl resins,
`elastomer resins and thermosetting plastic ma-
`terials.
`The improved plug type fastening member 22
`of the sill mat H may be used to secure various
`types of parts of diverse assemblies together or
`to hold in place yieldable abutments of different
`constructions.
`In Fig. 5 of the drawing is illus-
`trated an assembly comprising adjacent parts 35
`and 36 of rigid or semi-rigid material having reg-
`istering apertures 31 and 38. A plug type fasten-
`ing member. generally designated by the numeral
`39. is utilized to clampingly attach the parts 35
`and 36 together. This fastening member is sub-
`stantially identical
`to the fastening plugs 22
`shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, but in place of
`being integral at its upper end with a mat of
`extended dimensions, it is provided with a head
`portion 40 having a lower side surface 4| en-
`gageable with the upper surface of the part 35.
`The head portion 40 of the fastening plug is pro-
`vided with a downwardly extending neck 42
`which has a second head portion 43 on its lower
`end substantially identical in construction to the
`head portions 24 of the plug type fastening mem-
`bers shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. Extending
`axially of the plug type fastening member 39 is
`a cylindrical passage or recess 44 which passes
`through the upper head portion 40, neck 42 and
`into the lower head portion 43 where it termi-
`nates in a slightly enlarged spherical cavity 45.
`The plug type fastening member 39 may be
`applied in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4 with
`the aid of a suitable tool which will elongate
`the plug axially and reduces its cross sectional
`dimensions to accommodate passage of the lower
`head portion 43 through the openings 31 and as
`in the parts 35 and 36, respectively.
`The relaxed length of the neck portion 42 is
`less than the combined thicknesses of the parts
`36 and 36 and thus, when the tool is removed, the
`parts 35 and 36 are clampingly engaged between
`the upper and lower head portions 43 and 40,
`moctively, of the. fastening plug.
`If the device is desired to be employed as. an
`abutment, for example, it may be applied to a
`single thickness of material by suitably predeter-
`mining the length of the neck 42 with respect to
`the thickness of the material and the upper head
`49 may be formed to any desired shape.
`My improved sill mat is conveniently applied to
`a vehicle due to its integral construction, its sim-
`plicity and its yieldability.
`It should also be
`noted that my improved mat may be used as a
`replacement for sill mats used on many vehicles.
`It will be noted that my improved sill mat may
`be provided with a backing plate bonded thereto
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`50
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`55
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`60'
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`65
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`70
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`75
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`10
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`15
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`20
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`25
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`30
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`35
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`40
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`'4
`if it is found desirable to stiffen the sill mat.
`It should also be noted that my structure forms
`a seal when connected to the vehicle at the head
`portion of the plug on one form and at both the
`head and neck portions on the form shown in
`Fig. 5. This seal prevents the influx of dust
`and other foreign matter into the vehicle.
`While I have illustrated and described but one
`embodiment of my invention, it is to be under-
`stood that such is for the purpose of illustration
`only, and it is contemplated that those skilled in
`the art may modify certain details without de-
`parting from the spirit or scope of the invention
`as defined in the claims appended hereto.
`I claim:
`1. In a vehicle including a body portion having
`a sill, said sill having an opening therein, a mat
`adapted to cover said sill comprising a rubber-
`like strip adapted to engage one face of said sill.
`a yieldable rubber-like plug integrally connected
`to said strip having a neck adapted to extend
`through said opening and a head adapted to en-
`gage another face of said sill to clampingly con-
`nect said sill and strip, said mat being provided
`with a tool receiving recess for facilitating the
`elongation of said head to permit passage there-
`of through said opening. said recess having an
`entrant portion of a predetermined diameter in
`said strip and said receSs extending through said
`neck and terminating in said head in a portion
`of enlarged diameter whereby the recess is adapt-
`ed to receive a tool of not to exceed said pre~
`determined diameter and the portion of said re-
`cess which has an enlarged diameter facilitates
`reduction in diameter of the head portion during
`said elongation.
`2. In a device including a body portion having
`a backing plate provided with an opening there-
`in, a mat adapted to cover said backing plate
`comprising a rubber-like strip adapted to engage
`one face of said backing plate, a yieldable rubber-
`like plug integrally connected to said strip having
`a neck adapted to extend through said opening
`and a head adapted to engage another face of
`said backing plate to clampingly connect said
`backing plate and strip, said mat being provided
`with a tool receiving recess for facilitating the
`elongation of said head to permit passage there-
`of through said opening, said recess having an
`entrant portion of a predetermined diameter in
`said strip and said recess extending through said
`neck and terminating in said head in a portion
`of enlarged diameter whereby the recess is adapt-
`ed to receive a tool of not to exceed said prede-
`terminad diameter and the portion of said recess
`which has an enlarged diameter facilitates re-
`duction in diameter of the head portion during
`said elongation,
`
`MARK J. STURTEVANT.
`
`References Cited in the file of this patent
`UNITED STATES PATENTS
`Date
`Name
`Carr ______________ Oct. 13, 1931
`Duffy ______________ Nov. 5, 1935
`Foges ______________ May 5, 1936
`Geyer _____________ Aug. 3, 1937
`Schneible __________ Sept. 5, 1939
`Cavanagh _________ Jan. 20, 1942
`Kramer ____________ May 5, 1942
`Boersma __________ Sept. 12, 1944
`Cavanagh _________ Jan. 30, 1945
`Tooms ____________ Aug. 26, 1947
`
`Number
`1,826,705
`2,019,663
`2,039,401
`2,088,739
`2,172,132
`2,270,266
`2,281,586
`2,358,206
`2,368,200
`2,426,326
`
`