DESCRIPTION

Technical Field

The present invention refers to a mat, or carpet, of suitable biodegradable material, in particular adapted for the use on shower plates, bathtubs, gym and sauna seats, deckchairs and beach cots and for other similar applications, so as to avoid direct contact of human skin with infectious agents.

Background art

In different environments it is fundamental to avoid potential contact of skin with infectious agents such as, for instance, bacteria, fungi and viruses. In general, prevention against the transmission of bacteria, fungi and viruses from surfaces of various types takes place through different methods.

In the case of shower plates, for example, in order to avoid the contamination of foot skin with bacteria present on the surface of the plate one can operate by: - washing the surfaces with chemical substances that destroy and prevent the formation of germs and fungi;

- using materials constituting the contact surface that release anti-microbial action chemical substances throughout use;

- treating with sanitising substances at the time of use; - using plastic materials or fabrics in the form of mats, towels or slippers.

In the case of saunas, for example, the prevention of skin contact with the microbes on the surfaces of the seats is performed by:

- washing the seats surfaces and by a treatment thereof with suitable antimicrobial agents; - using cotton and/or synthetic material spongy towels by clients to prevent direct contact of the skin with the seat surface.

Instead, in the case of deckchairs and beach cots the following methods can be used:

- washing of the surfaces and treatment thereof with suitable anti-microbial agents;

- using materials constituting the contact surface that release anti-microbial action chemical substances throughout use;

- using cotton and/or synthetic material towels.

It has been observed that all the known procedures for preventing the contact of the skin with microbes and fungi have some drawbacks.

The washing of the surfaces with appropriate anti-microbial substances is efficacious but not long-lasting. In the case of a shower plate, for example, after the first use following the sanitising washing, the surface may already present microbes and/or fungi and the subsequent user could come in to contact therewith. A classic example is the hotel room with two or more guests: the shower plate is generally cleaned only once a day and if more than one guest has a shower on the same day, only the first one is protected. In the case in which shower plates, cots, deckchairs are produced with slow antimicrobial agents releasing materials, the action attenuates over time and the user has no guarantee that at the time of use the anti-microbial action is efficacious. In the case of the use of carpets or mats in plastic material or synthetic fabric, the prevention action is efficacious if the carpet is used once only. In the case of prolonged use, the carpet is certainly a vehicle for infectious agents proliferation. Another great problem is that of the disposal of these products at the end of the use thereof.

Biodegradable material mats or carpets have been known for some time. However often, as the cost thereof is not low, they are used more than once and even utilised for long periods. Furthermore, the materials constituting the known carpets or mats, at the end of their useful lifecycle, are conveyed to landfill sites with very long biodegradation times.

However, document DE10017536 describes a material that, by comprising also the presence of plastic elements, it is rendered biodegradable in long times thus permitting its use several times and thus creating the hygiene problems described. Furthermore, said material is not suited to use in environments in contact with water.

The need is therefore felt to produce mats or carpets able to overcome the abovementioned drawbacks, from both a hygienic and environmental point of view.

Summary of the invention

Primary object of the present invention is to produce a mat with suitable biodegradable, particularly water-soluble, materials having a structure such as to

guarantee a predeterminated duration thereof under the action of water, corresponding to a "disposable" use.

A further object is to provide a mat that allows to guarantee the utmost hygiene by avoiding any direct contact with infectious agents present on different surfaces, such as, for example, shower plates, bathtubs, gym and sauna seats, deckchairs and beach cots, simply by applying it thereto.

The present invention therefore proposes to achieve the objects discussed above by producing a mat that, according to claim 1 , comprises along a section transverse to a plane of major extension at least one first layer, constituted by at least one first material, and at least one second layer, forming a coating of said first layer, constituted by at least one second material, characterised by the fact that said first material is biodegradable and suitable to decompose in water in a first predetermined time t-i, and that said second material is also biodegradable and suitable to decompose in water in a second predetermined time t ₂ higher than the first time ti and lower than a third predetermined time t ₃ of decomposition through composting lower than approximately 30 days.

Advantageously the product, object of the present invention, is produced in forms and sizes such as to be able to be applied on surfaces of various types. The presence of adequate ribs also guarantees a non-slip function. The presence of holes or channels, arranged in various ways on the mat surface, allows an advantageous water run-off, for example in the case of a shower, which permits, together with the choice of a suitable combination of materials, a predetermined product life time before its complete biodegradation. The dissolution of the product in brief time intervals, which can vary from tens of minutes to some days, thus eliminates the persistence in the environment of products that are no longer useable.

The presence of holes in the mats used on beach cots, instead, facilitates skin transpiration thus preventing perspiration. Advantageously, the production of the object of the invention is highly economical and also makes it possible to use it only once. In any case, the use of water alone is sufficient to dissolve the mat entirely.

An advantageous embodiment is provided with an external layer, that wraps the carpet core, in a material that is water-soluble in longer times and however

degradable or compostable in very rapid times in the order of a number of days or even hours. This layer, which is very thin with respect to the core and adequately perforated, allows the passage of water to the soluble mat core which thus dissolves. The residual material that will be put down in the landfill is thus significantly reduced and has rapid decomposition times.

The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention.

Brief description of the figures

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be further evident in view of the detailed description of preferred, though not exclusive, embodiments of a mat, such as illustrated by way of non limiting example with the aid of the appended drawings wherein:

Figs.1a and 1b respectively show an axonometric and a plan view of a first embodiment of the invention mat; Figs. 2a and 2b respectively show an axonometric and a plan view of a second embodiment of the invention mat;

Figs. 3a and 3b respectively show an axonometric and a plan view of a third embodiment of the invention mat.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention

The mat or carpet of the invention presents as a sheet comprising one or more layers of biodegradable materials and with variable thickness. Once applied to the surface of showers, bathtubs, sauna and gym equipment seats, deckchairs and beach cots, the mat prevents possible contact of the skin with infectious agents present on such surfaces. In particular, the mat comprises at least one central part, known as the core 1 and constituted by at least one first material, and at least one external layer 2 constituted by at least one second material. This external layer 2, for example, can be constituted by a protective film or pellicle or by a coating. In the mat of the invention the careful choice of the first and second material makes it possible to obtain a product that is entirely water-soluble and to calibrate the time interval the mat takes to dissolve completely in water. This occurs in the case in which both the core 1 and the external layer 2 are constituted by water- soluble materials. Advantageously the core 1 , under the action of water, has a first predetermined

decomposition time t| during which it comes into contact with the water; the external layer 2, on the other hand, has a second decomposition time t ₂ in water higher than time t|, or at the most a third decomposition time t. ₃ , higher than time t2, in order to completely degrade in landfill sites by composting. Advantageously said third time t ₃ is in the order of a number of days and presents a value lower than approximately 30 days.

A first embodiment is provided with a core 1 of a first biodegradable, preferably foamed material, derived from starch of corn and/or wheat and/or potatoes and/or rice, or more in general chosen from the polymers whose structure includes cellulose and/or starches as constituents. Said first material has a decomposition time ti, under the action of water or of the water/detergents mix, comprised in an interval between 1 and 120 seconds, preferably 40 seconds. The external layer 2 is, on the other hand, constituted by a second biodegradable material, applied in the form of a coating with a water-repellent action with decomposition time t ₂ . In particular, it has been observed that advantageously by treating the surface of the core 1 with suitable water-repellents, the time t ₂ varies in function of the kind and thickness of the water-repellent layer applied. For example, by applying a silicone water-repellent up to a thickness of 10 microns, the time t ₂ reaches 30 minutes; instead, by applying a polyester water-repellent with a thickness of 20 microns a decomposition time t ₂ equal to 1 hour is obtained. It is however possible to modulate the thickness of the coating to obtain times t. ₂ within the interval from 2 to 3 hours.

This first embodiment satisfies, for example, the requirements of hoteliers who prefer a throwaway carpet, used in particular in shower plates. A second embodiment, on the other hand, provides for a carpet with the same core as the first embodiment but with an external layer 2 of a second material, applied preferably in the form of a film of the same chemical nature of the core, that has a decomposition time t ₂ in water slightly lower than 24 hours or of at least 24 hours and in any case a decomposition time t. ₃ of degradation by composting of between 15 and 30 days.

This second embodiment of the mat of the invention meets, for example, the needs of hoteliers who prefer to use rapidly biodegradable shower carpets but with a guaranteed duration of at least one day.

The first material of the core 1 can be advantageously chosen from polylactic acid based polymers; cellulose based polymers or other cellulose derivates, starchy polymers such as the material known by the trade name "materbi", bacterial polymers such as polybutyrate (PHB) or as an alternative plant fibres such as linen, cotton, hemp, juta or a combination of plant fibres and materials with cellulose and/or starches in the structure thereof.

Advantageously, the external layer 2 in the first embodiment of the invention mat, i.e. that applied as a coating, can be advantageously chosen from resins and waxes. The resins that can be chosen comprise, for example, silicone resins, saturated and unsaturated polyester resins, alkyd resins, polyamide resins, polyesteramide resins, epoxy resins, epoxy acrylic resins, polyurethane resins or urethane acrylic or ureic resins. Such resins can be used pure or diluted in nonreactive monomers such as ethyl alcohol, acetates, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone or reactive monomers such as vinyl benzenes, methyl methacrylate, acrylic monomers and methacrylics in general.

On the other hand, the waxes used as coating can advantageously be chosen from: paraffin waxes, fluorinated paraffin waxes, beeswax. In the second embodiment, the core 1 and external layer 2, this time applied in the form of a film, can also be constituted by the same type of material, for example material derived from starches such as "materbi" or any other material of those cited for the core 1 , but this material for the external layer 2 is differently formulated through chemical or mechanical blending thereof with polymers such as polyethers, polyurethanes, silicones, polyolefins or by treating the surface thereof with resins or waxes of the type mentioned previously so that the external layer 2 is more resistant to the action of water than the core 1. Alternatively the external layer 2 can comprise a film or pellicle of thermoplastic material, such as plastified PVC, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, cellophane, polyvinyl butyral, EVA, EVOH, MXD6 polyamide or films deriving from the chemical or mechanical blending of two or more of these thermoplastic materials. The film can also be constituted by rapidly biodegradable plastic materials, for example that one known under the trade name Ecoflex.

The application of the external film can take place using the vacuum technique, in such a way as to compress the core of the mat or carpet, thus compacting the entire system as far as possible. Alternatively, it is possible to apply hot said film using a heat-shrinking plastic material. The example illustrated in Fig. 1 shows a mat according to the present invention wherein the inner part or core 1 is made in an corrugated foamed material whereas the layer 2 or external shell is a protective film. The three dimensions of the core 1 are preferably comprised within the values of 5 - 100 cm x 5 - 200 cm x 0,5 - 10 cm and the thickness of the external layer 2 is between 5 and 300 microns.

Advantageously, the carpet of the invention, in the shape also of overlapping plates or sheets, may be produced in the desired dimensions by cutting and trimming in such a way as to adapt it to the surface to protect or support. It can be punched in order to provide holes 3 to allow water runoff or skin transpiration in the case of application on deckchairs or beach cots or sauna seats. The example illustrated in Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the mat of Fig. 1 provided with passing holes 3. Such holes can have, for example, a circular, rhomboid, elliptic or star shape and the distribution thereof is between 1 and 10000 holes/m ² with a superficial area from 4mm ² to 25cm ² . The thickness of the mat can preferably vary from 5 to 100 mm.

The mat surfaces may advantageously be provided with grooves, ribs or ridges of various shapes, which also guarantee a non-slip function.

The core 1 , in addition to being corrugated, can also simply be flat, with or without passing holes 3 and with or without grooves. The example of figs. 3a and 3b illustrates a carpet with a flat core 1 with grooves 4 and passing holes 3.

It should however be noted that the previous lists of materials constituting the core 1 and the external layer 2 are non exhaustive and the scope of the invention covers all the materials equipped with similar biodegradability characteristics. Advantageously, the solution provided by this invention makes it possible to produce disposable mats of great constructive simplicity with consequential production costs lower than known products.

The carpet can also be customised with logos by printing or the application of adhesive labels on the coating material, according to the requirements of users,

including gyms, hotels and beauty centres. It may also be made in different colours.