FOLDING CUTTING MAT

Abstract

A folding cutting mat having a first and second side boards and a flexible connecting plate. The first and second side boards respectively include a cutting surface, a back surface and a waved joining edge. The first and second side boards are connected to each other through the waved joining edges to form a folding portion. The flexible connecting plate is bonded on the back surfaces of the first and second side boards through a bonding material. The waved joining edge is formed with first and second end sides. A plurality of unit blocks is formed between the first and second ends in continuous and staggered distributions. A center line is defined between the first and second ends to divide each of the unit blocks into first and second surface areas. The distribution area of the bonding material covers the second surface areas of each of the unit blocks.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. A folding cutting mat comprising: a first side board; a second side board; and a flexible connecting plate, wherein said first side board and said second side board respectively comprise a cutting surface and a back surface and a wavy joining edge, said first side board and said second side board being connected by the wavy joining edge to form a folding portion, said flexible connecting plate being bonded by a bonding material on the back surface of said first side board and the second side board, said flexible connecting plate covering the wavy joining edge, wherein the wavy joining edge defines a first end and a second end, a plurality of unit blocks being positioned between the first end and the second end in a continuous and staggered distribution, the first end and the second end defining a center line therebetween, the center line dividing each of the plurality of unit blocks into a first surface area and a second surface area, wherein a distribution of the bonding material covers the second surface area of the plurality of unit blocks, wherein the first surface area of the plurality of unit blocks is not covered by the bonding material.

7. The folding cutting mat of claim 6, wherein said flexible connecting plate has a contour conforming to a contour of the back surface of the first side board and the second side board.

8. The folding cutting mat of claim 6, wherein the wavy joining edge is formed by one of an arc line segment, an oblique line segments and a segment distributed in a continuously bending form.

9. The folding cutting mat of claim 6, wherein opposite ends of the wavy joining edge are adjacent to edges of said first side board and said second side board, the opposite ends of the wavy joining edge are in a form of a pair of straight line segments aligned with and parallel to the center line.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] FIG. 1 is a front-side perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the folding cutting mat according to the invention.

[0008] FIG. 2 is a back-side perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the folding cutting mat according to the invention.

[0009] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the flexible connecting plate, the first side board, and the second side board in a preferred embodiment of the folding cutting mat according to the invention.

[0010] FIG. 4 is a plane view showing the distribution range of bonding material around the folding portion of preferred embodiment of the folding cutting mat according to the invention.

[0011] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the part marked as 5 in FIG. 4.

[0012] FIG. 6 is a first perspective view of the folded state of a preferred embodiment of the folding cutting mat according to the invention.

[0013] FIG. 7 is a second perspective view of the folded state of a preferred embodiment of the folding cutting mat according to the invention.

[0014] FIG. 8 is a first varied embodiment view of the waved joining edge according to the invention.

[0015] FIG. 9 is a second varied embodiment view of the waved joining edge according to the invention.

[0016] FIG. 10 is a plane view of the partial structure of a prior-art folding cutting mat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] A preferred embodiment of the folding cutting mat according to the invention is depicted in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4. However, such an embodiment is for illustrative purposes only, and is not intending to limit the scope of patent protection for the invention.

[0018] The folding cutting mat comprises a first side board 10, a second side board 20 and a flexible connecting plate 30. The first side board 10 and the second side board 20 respectively comprises a cutting surface 11 (21), a back surface 12 (22) and a waved joining edge 13 (23). The first side board 10 and the second side board 20 are connected to each other through the waved joining edges 13 (23) to form a folding portion. The flexible connecting plate 30 is bonded on the back surface 12 (22) of the first side board 10 and the second side board 20 through a bonding material 40, with the area of the flexible connecting plate 30 covering the waved joining edges 13 (23). Based on the varying wave points of the waved joining edge 13 (23), a first end 50 and a second end 60 are defined. Between the first end 50 and the second end 60, a plurality of unit blocks 70 is defined, in a continuous and staggered distribution. A center line 73 is defined between the first end 50 and the second end 60, dividing each of the unit blocks 70 into a first surface area 71 and a second surface area 72. Specifically, the distribution range of the bonding material 40 covers the second surface areas 72 of the unit blocks 70, whereas the first surface areas 71 of the unit blocks 70 are not covered by the bonding material 40 and can turn upward. Thus, the bonding material 40 is evenly distributed around the folding portion with a sufficient covering area.

[0019] Referring to FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, the area contour of the flexible connecting plate 30 matches (or conforms to) the area contour of the back surfaces 12 (22) of the first side board and the second side board 10, 20. Further, the flexible connecting plate 30 can also be a soft non-slip material (such as TPE or thermoplastic elastomer) to achieve better smoothness and anti-slip performance of the folding cutting mat. When the user uses a cutter to conduct a pulling and cutting operation, as the folding cutting mat is flat and smooth and will not slip, it is more stable and safe to avoid accidental hurt.

[0020] Specifically, the line form of the waved joining edge 13 (23) is a waved line formed by any of arc line segments, oblique line segments or straight line segments distributed in a continuous bending form. Firstly referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the line form of the waved joining edge 13 (23) is a waved line formed by arc line segments distributed in a continuous bending form. Further referring to FIG. 8, in this embodiment, the line form of the waved joining edge 13b (23b) is a waved line formed by oblique line segments distributed in a continuous bending form. Further referring to FIG. 9, in this embodiment, the line form of the waved joining edge 13c (23c) is a waved line formed by straight line segments distributed in a continuous bending form. Of course, other forms not depicted in the drawings and similar or close to the above line forms can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art and are naturally covered by the patent protection range of the present invention, although not detailed here one by one.

[0021] Specifically, said bonding material 40 refers to glues (such as sprayed glues or coated glues), adhesive materials (such as double-side adhesive tapes), or hot molten portions formed by high frequency or ultrasonic means.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 7, in this embodiment, the opposite two ends of the waved joining edges 13 (23) are adjacent to the edges of the first side board 10 and the second side board 20, and are formed with two straight line segments L1 aligned and parallel to the center line 73; based on the structural characteristic of the straight line segments L1, when the first side board 10 and the second side board 20 are folded, (see FIG. 7), the edges will be straight and smooth, free of burrs.

[0023] Based on the above structural forms and technical features, the folding cutting mat of the present invention offers a number of benefits in actual applications. According to the invention, the distribution range of the bonding material 40 covers the second surface areas 72 of each of the unit blocks 70, whereas the first surface areas 71 are not covered by the bonding material 40 and can turn upward. Therefore, when the folding cutting mat is folded in a state as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, a bending will occur between the first side board 10 and the second side board 20, with the center line 73 of the folding portion as the axis. At this time, the first surface areas 71 with no distribution of bonding material 40 will relatively turn upward, so that the first side board 10 and the second side board 20 can be fully folded together face to face; on the other hand, when the first side board 10 and the second side board 20 are unfolded to form a flat usage state as shown in FIG. 1, the state of each first surface area 71 with no distribution of bonding material 40 are depicted in FIG. 3. There is only a plurality of discontinuously distributed narrow blocks. Even though there is difference in thickness, the feeling of sinking when the user slides the cutter across the cutting mat is reduced to the minimum (comparing to the prior art disclosed in FIG. 10). Therefore, the present invention can truly improve the uniformity and bonding area of the bonding material 40 around the folding portion, and improve the flatness of the folding portion of the cutting surface 11 (21), therefore greatly enhancing the stability and accuracy of the cutting operation. Furthermore, as the bonding area is much bigger than the prior art, the bonding strength between the folding portion and the flexible connecting plate 30 can be effectively increased to reduce the possibility of separation. Thus, the folding cutting mat can have better durability and longer life cycle.