MODULAR PAD

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention is a CIP of application Ser. No. 18/826,421, filed Sep. 6, 2024, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

Description of the Prior Art

Pads are widely used in various fields (such as playroom environments, sports environments, work environments, etc.) and for different needs (such as shock absorption, cushioning, sound insulation, etc.). Since these environments usually cover a large area, modular pads have been developed that can be pieced together according to the size of the area to be covered, which is convenient, quick and economic to use.

Conventional modular pads have sides which include male protrusions and female protrusions. These protrusions allow pads to be engaged. However, the conventional modular pads have only vertical sides, making it easy for the overall surface to become uneven due to an uneven laying surface or varying depths of vertical engaged. Moreover, since the edges of the pads are independently aligned in the vertical direction, they cannot provide mutual support, which can cause the engaged edges to easily become depressed and permanently deformed.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,345,481 discloses that the second surface does not extend from the bottom surface to be obliquely connected to the first surface such that the two main body layers cannot be simply assembled to each other in a straight direction, and that the second surface of the first side of one of the two main body layers are not identical to the second surface of the second side of one of the two main body layers such that there is a gap formed therebetween.

Similarly, FR2808826 discloses that the second surface does not extend from the bottom surface to be obliquely connected to the first surface such that the two main body layers cannot be simply assembled to each other in a straight direction.

CN115489169 discloses that the first surface and the second surface of the first side of one of the two main body layers are fixedly connected to the second side of the other of the two main body layers by thermocompression such that the two main body layers are not disassemblable from each other, and that a circular corner portion is connected to and between the first surface and the second surface and the two main body layers cannot be simply assembled to each other in a vertical direction.

The present invention is, therefore, arisen to obviate or at least mitigate the above-mentioned disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main object of the present invention is to provide a modular pad which can be quickly and accurately engaged so that it ensures the flatness of the surface after engaged, and provides good support to effectively prevent the engaged edges from being depressed and permanently deformed, and is easy and quick to process.

To achieve the above and other objects, a modular pad, wherein the modular pad includes: a main body layer, the main body layer including a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side and a second side, the first side including a first surface and a second surface, the first surface extending from the top surface toward the bottom surface, the second surface being obliquely connected between the bottom surface and the first surface, the first side surface being configured to be engaged with a second side surface of another modular pad which has a shape complementary to a shape of the first surface in parallel. The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment(s) in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of engagement of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial view of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 4 for an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. A modular pad 1 of the present invention includes a main body layer 10, and the main body layer 10 includes a top surface 11, a bottom surface 12, a first side 13 and a second side 14. The first side 13 includes a first surface 131 and a second surface 132, the first surface 131 extends from the top surface 11 toward the bottom surface 12, and the second surface 132 is obliquely connected between the bottom surface 12 and the first surface 131. The first side 13 is configured to be engaged with a second side 14 of another modular pad 1 which has a shape complementary to a shape of the first surface 131 in parallel. The modular pad 1 may have mutually parallel and complementary first surface 131 and second surface 132 on two opposing sides, or may have mutually parallel and complementary first surface 131 and second surface 132 on two pairs of opposing sides, respectively, for longitudinal and transverse engagement. However, the modular pad 1 may be of any of other shapes, for example, including more than four sides.

Because of inclined and stepped side structures, the modular pad 1 can be quickly and accurately engaged, ensuring the flatness of the surface after engaged, and providing good support to effectively prevent the engaged edges from being depressed and permanently deformed. Furthermore, the first side 13 and the second side 14 of the another modular pad 1 may be simultaneously formed by a single tool cut along a direction parallel to the first side 13, where the blade of the tool preferably extends in the same and parallel direction as the first side 13. Cutting methods may include vibrating cutting, hot melting cutting or laser cutting. Thus, a single cut of a raw material sheet can simultaneously obtain two sides of two modular pads that are mutually parallel and complementary in shape, without the need for plural tool cuts, flipping or moving the raw material sheet, or destroying or removing part of the raw material sheet, and thus it makes the process simple, fast, material-saving, structurally complete and dimensionally accurate.

The main body layer 10 further includes at least one flexible layer, and the at least one flexible layer may be a foamed structure made of rubber, plastic or silicone material, depending on different functionalities or needs (such as shock absorption, sound insulation, cushioning, etc.). In this embodiment, the main body layer 10 includes a plurality of flexible layers. The at least one flexible layer includes a first flexible layer 10a and a second flexible layer 10b, the first flexible layer 10a includes the top surface 11, the second flexible layer 10b is adjacent to the first flexible layer 10a and includes the bottom surface 12. Optionally, at least one of the first flexible layer 10a and the second flexible layer 10b may be a multilayer structure. The first flexible layer 10a and the second flexible layer 10b may be made of the same or different materials, have the same or different densities, and/or have the same or different hardness.

In this embodiment, at least two of the plurality of flexible layers have different hardness. For example, the hardness of the first flexible layer 10a is greater than the hardness of the second flexible layer 10b, which provides better support and reduces the issue of depression deformation of the modular pad 1. Preferably, the uppermost layer of the main body layer 10 has greater hardness than the adjacent flexible layer, and the second surface 132 extends from the bottom surface 12 to within the range of the first flexible layer 10a. As a result, the engaged position of the modular pad 1 is located in the flexible layer with greater hardness, thus significantly improving engaged accuracy and support capacity, and providing better resistance to depression deformation in both vertical and horizontal directions.

Furthermore, the first surface 131 and the second surface 132 form a convex corner portion 133, and the second side 14 of the another modular pad 1 forms a concave corner portion 141. The convex corner portion 133 and the concave corner portion 141 are fittingly engaged with each other, which allows for quick and accurate installation and engagement. The convex corner portion 133 and the concave corner portion 141 may be either sharp or rounded. Specifically, the height of the first surface 131 is about 1.5 mm to 2.0 mm, the included angle θ1 between the first surface 131 and the top surface 11 is 90 degrees, and the included angle θ2 between the second surface 132 and the bottom surface 12 ranges from 105 degrees to 165 degrees. The included angle θ1 of 90 degrees between the first surface 131 and the top surface 11 can effectively align the modular pads 1 and prevent horizontal displacement. The included angle θ2 between the second surface 132 and the bottom surface 12 ranges from 105 degrees to 165 degrees (for example, 135 degrees), so that it helps guide the relative sliding of the modular pads 1 to the accurate engaged position, disperse the applied force, and avoid stress concentration.

In an alternative embodiment, the modular pad 1 may further include a cladding layer 20 disposed on the main body layer 10, and the cladding layer 20 may be a fiber layer or a film layer. Depending on different functionalities and needs, the cladding layer 20 may be, but is not limited to, a water-absorbing layer, a waterproof layer or a non-slip structural layer. However, in another possible embodiment, the main body layer 10 of the modular pad may include only a first flexible layer 10a and a second flexible layer 10b, and the main body layer 10 may not include a cladding layer.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.