Bedding

Abstract

A method of making a floor covering including a tufted base and a reinforcing backing system, in which a reinforcing fiber layer is placed on the stitched ends of the yarn, and a plurality of applicators are coupled to optionally drive adhesive into the reinforcing fiber layer toward a primary backing substrate, and generally simultaneously direct adhesive to form a puddle between the plurality of applicators, and generally simultaneously apply a portion of the puddle as a layer of adhesive onto the reinforcing fiber layer.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure is directed to the field of woven floor coverings, such as broadloom carpets and modular carpet tiles. More particularly, according to one or more embodiments provided herein, the present disclosure is directed to a floor covering that includes a tufted backing and a reinforcing backing system. [Background technology]

[0002] With the advent of tufting equipment, floor coverings evolved over time from woven carpets to the tufted carpets used today. Mechanical tufting began with a single needle, similar to a sewing machine. The needle carries the yarn through a primary backing substrate, which creates a stitch on the underside adjacent to the primary backing substrate. On the surface, a looper holds the yarn at a specific height above the primary backing substrate, forming the pile of the carpet. The tufted yarn and primary backing substrate are collectively referred to as the tufted backing.

[0003] The single needle configuration evolved to multiple needles working side-by-side, and tufted carpet is produced in this manner today. Tufting widths of 16 feet are possible with this equipment, and when carpet is sold in this width it is referred to in the industry as "broadloom" carpet. This type of carpet is the preferred floor covering in residential homes and commercial buildings today.

[0004] "Modular" carpet products (carpet tiles) were introduced to address some of the problems faced with broadloom carpet products. Because individual tiles of the fixture could be removed and replaced when soiled or worn, modular carpeting has been beneficial in applications such as offices, airports, and other high traffic areas where broadloom carpeting is impractical.

[0005] Both broadloom and carpet tile designs have faced problems with stability and manufacturing costs. For example, typical broadloom carpet designs can be subject to "creep," which causes undesirable stretching. Modular tiles with heavy backing layers are stiff and expensive to manufacture. As a result, modular tiles can become bowl-shaped or curl. Other challenges with modular tiles and broadloom carpet arise due to problems associated with thickness and weight variations. Floor covering manufacturers have significant material and manufacturing costs associated with fabricating and attaching multiple backing and / or preformed reinforcing layers to a base fabric.

[0006] The invention described herein relates primarily to U.S. Patent No. 10,920,354, and also to the patents referenced in the "Background" section of the '354 Patent. This application discloses and claims methods relating to the manufacture of carpet having a reinforcing backing system. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] It is known in the carpet industry that the machine direction of a carpet contributes most to dimensional stability problems. The "machine direction" is considered to be the direction in which yarns are tufted. Yarns that form a continuous series of loops in the machine direction are inherently unstable, especially when exposed to heat and / or moisture. Furthermore, the primary backing substrate of a floor covering is prone to greater shrinkage in the machine direction. Thus, the machine direction is most often the direction in which floor coverings are more unstable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention includes a floor covering having a fiber reinforced backing system. The floor covering may be used in a broadloom product or any of a variety of modular products. The method of manufacture and resulting product includes a tufted base having a primary backing substrate and a plurality of yarns tufted through the primary backing substrate. The primary backing substrate includes a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface, with a portion of each yarn forming a stitch disposed on the back surface of the primary backing substrate.

[0009] The manufacturing process includes conditioning the adhesive to form a plurality of voids in the adhesive. After conditioning, the adhesive is directed toward a first applicator that applies pressure in a controlled manner to force the adhesive against the back surface of the primary backing substrate. The adhesive is forced into and between stitches that are disposed on the back surface of the primary backing substrate. The movement of the adhesive is controlled by the first applicator and a vacuum that is applied to the surface of the primary backing substrate.

[0010] Prior to application of the conditioned adhesive, the spaced apart bundles of reinforcing fibers are selectively cut to form a plurality of separate reinforcing fibers having a desired length. The cut reinforcing fibers are distributed and positioned in a desired pattern at the ends of the yarn stitches as the yarn stitches move in the machine direction. The distribution and positioning of the reinforcing fibers forms a patterned layer of reinforcing fibers on the ends of the yarn stitches.

[0011] After the patterned reinforcing fiber layer is formed over the ends of the yarn stitches, adhesive is applied toward the first applicator. In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive passes through the first applicator while the first applicator presses the adhesive against the back surface of the primary backing substrate. The second applicator presses the adhesive over the patterned reinforcing fiber layer. The first and second applicators are spaced apart and operatively connected. Additionally, the first and second applicators form a space and a housing for an adhesive puddle formed by the adhesive passing through the first applicator.

[0012] After the patterned reinforcing fiber layer is placed over the ends of the yarn stitches, three steps are performed substantially simultaneously: a first step is to press the adhesive against the back surface of the primary backing substrate into the patterned reinforcing fiber layer; a second step is to press the adhesive to form a puddle of adhesive in the space between the first and second applicators; and a third step is to use the second applicator to form a cover layer of adhesive over the patterned reinforcing fiber layer, with the adhesive for the cover layer of adhesive coming from the puddle of adhesive between the first and second applicators.

[0013] The resulting adhesive and reinforcing fiber mixture can be passed through an oven to dry, condition, or cure. The drying, conditioning, or curing provided by the oven does not eliminate voids in the adhesive, and drying the mixture helps provide hardness to the adhesive.

[0014] After passing through the oven, an embossing machine applies pressure to the adhesive and reinforcing fiber mixture in a controlled manner. The mixture is compressed by the embossing machine to flatten the ends of the thread stitches. The compression provided by the embossing machine crushes the adhesive. The crushing of the adhesive removes the volume occupied by the voids in the adhesive, thus forming a thinner, relatively rigid structure. The embossing machine also moves the reinforcing fibers to engage and adhere to the flattened ends of the thread stitches, while simultaneously moving them to a final position closer to the primary backing substrate.

[0015] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, illustrate various embodiments of the invention and, together with the written description, serve to explain the principles of the method and products of the invention. A full and enabling disclosure of the present method, and the resulting products, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art is set forth in this specification, which makes reference to the accompanying figures. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an equipment layout for attaching fibrous and adhesive reinforcing backing to a tufted fabric. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic diagram of an equipment layout for attaching a fiber and adhesive reinforcing backing to a tufted fabric illustrating the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first applicator. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Reference will now be made to embodiments of the method and apparatus of the present invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided for the purpose of illustrating the invention, and not as a limitation of the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover all such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0018] 1 is a schematic diagram of an arrangement according to the present invention for applying adhesive and reinforcing fibers to a tufted backing to form a reinforcing backing system. The floor covering includes a tufted backing 10 made with yarns tufted through a primary backing substrate 22. As is known, the primary backing substrate 22 has a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface. The yarns form stitches 12 on the back surface of the primary backing substrate 22 with interstitial spaces between each yarn.

[0019] The manufacturing process disclosed herein begins by preparing the adhesive 14 to form a plurality of voids 16 therein. In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive 14 is a thermoplastic adhesive. The adhesive 14 preferably has malleable and modifiable properties when exposed to heat or compressed. The adhesive 14 is also preferably water-based to aid in the manufacturing process as will be further described below. For example, air can be injected into the water-based adhesive 14 to create a plurality of voids in the form of air bubbles to allow the adhesive 14 to be compressed as desired during the manufacturing process.

[0020] After conditioning the adhesive 14 to create a plurality of voids 16, a first applicator 18 may engage the adhesive 14 in a controlled manner to press the adhesive 14 against the backside of a primary backing substrate 22. The adhesive 14 is forced into the stitches 12 and into the spaces between the stitches 12. The movement of the adhesive 14 is further controlled by a vacuum 20 applied to the surface of the primary backing substrate 22. The applicator 18 and vacuum 20 form a layer of adhesive 14 of a desired thickness that is movable in the machine direction.

[0021] 1, one or more bundles 24 of reinforcing fibers 28 are positioned relative to the moving stitch 12 and the moving primary backing substrate 22. A cutting mechanism 26 cuts the fiber bundles 24 into a plurality of separate reinforcement fibers 28. Each reinforcement fiber 28 is cut to a desired length. The cut reinforcement fibers 28 are distributed and positioned in a desired pattern by a distribution device 30.

[0022] A distribution device 30 for the reinforcing fibers 28 is shown generally in Figures 1-2. After being severed from the bundles 24, the severed reinforcing fibers 28 are arranged in a machine direction configuration. Figures 1-2 show an example of reinforcing fibers 28 arranged generally in the machine direction on the ends of stitches 12 after the reinforcing fibers 28 are severed from the bundles 24.

[0023] After the reinforcing fibers 28 are first arranged in a configuration generally in the machine direction, a distribution device 30 is used to arrange the chopped reinforcing fibers 28 in a desired pattern. For example, the desired pattern may include arrangement of the reinforcing fibers 28 in the machine direction, as well as arrangement of the reinforcing fibers at various other angles relative to the machine direction. Additionally, the reinforcing fibers 28 have a length sufficient to allow bending or curling of the reinforcing fibers 28 such that the bent or curled fibers 28 extend in more than one direction.

[0024] The reinforcing backing, comprised of the reinforcing fibers 28 and adhesive 14, may be passed through an oven 38 to dry, condition, or cure. It is intended that the drying, conditioning, or curing provided by the oven 38 does not remove the plurality of voids 16 in the adhesive 14. The drying process provided by the oven 38 removes water and imparts a desired hardness to the adhesive. Because the preferred adhesive is water-based and thermoplastic, including, for example, air voids, it is desirable to dry the adhesive to remove water from the adhesive and impart some hardness while remaining malleable and modifiable.

[0025] 1 and 2, after passage through oven 38, a third applicator 40 applies pressure in a controlled manner to the reinforcing backing of reinforcing fibers 28 and adhesive 14. Third applicator 40 may be an embossing machine that compresses adhesive 14 and reinforcing fibers 28 (as shown at 44) and flattens the ends of stitches 12 (as shown at 42).

[0026] The compression provided by the third applicator 40 collapses the relatively stiff layer of dried adhesive 14 as indicated at 44. The squeezing and collapsing action reduces the volume occupied by the voids 16 in the layer of adhesive 14. This results in a thinner, relatively stiffer structure 44 of the collapsed adhesive 14 and reinforcing fibers 28. At the same time, the resulting layer of reinforcing fibers 28 and adhesive 14 is moved by the third applicator 40 to engage and adhere to the flattened end surface 42 of the yarn stitch 12. Additionally, the layer of reinforcing fibers 28 and adhesive 14 44 is moved to a final position closer to or engaging the primary backing substrate 22 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0027] 1 and 2 illustrate an application assembly 50 of the present invention for pressing adhesive 14 against a primary backing substrate 22 to generally simultaneously coat reinforcing fibers 28 with adhesive 14. In the disclosed embodiment, application assembly 50 is mounted at 52 for supporting first applicator 18 and second applicator 36 such that it is spaced apart from primary backing substrate 22. Additionally, first applicator 18 and second applicator 36 are operatively coupled to one another as shown generally in FIGS. 1 and 2 and described in more detail below.

[0028] The applicator 18 is selectively movable toward and away from the primary backing substrate 22. The applicator 18 includes a counterweight 53 such that making the applicator 18 heavier allows the applicator 18 to be moved toward the primary backing substrate 22 and a lighter counterweight 53 allows the end of the applicator 18 to float on or near the layer of reinforcing fibers 28. When the applicator 18 is selectively positioned in its operative position, the end of the applicator 18 is typically positioned to engage the reinforcing fibers 28.

[0029] As previously discussed, the chopped reinforcing fibers 28 are initially distributed over the ends of the stitches 12 of the moving yarn. The reinforcing fibers 28 are shaped or patterned into a layer of reinforcing fibers 28. A conditioned adhesive 14 is applied to one side of the applicator 18, which applies controlled pressure to force the adhesive 14 into the stitches 12 and into the spaces between the stitches 12.

[0030] 2 and 3, the first applicator 18 includes at least one opening or passageway to allow passage of adhesive 14 from one side of the applicator 18 to the other. The adhesive 14 passes through the at least one opening and generally simultaneously forms a puddle of adhesive between the applicator 18 and the applicator 36. The puddle is also generally simultaneously applied over the reinforcing fibers 28 as shown in FIG.

[0031] 3 shows a curved first applicator 18 with differently oriented and sized openings 54 and 56. The shapes, sizes and locations of these openings are merely examples of ways to allow adhesive 14 to pass through the applicator 18 and form a puddle that is used to cover the reinforcing fibers 28, as previously described.

[0032] As described and shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first applicator 18 and the second applicator 36 are operatively assembled, coupled and controlled to substantially simultaneously: (a) press a portion of adhesive 14 against the back surface of the primary backing substrate 22 through the layer of reinforcing fibers 28, (b) press a portion of adhesive 14 through a passage in the first applicator 18 to form a puddle of adhesive 14 in the space between the first applicator 18 and the second applicator 36, and (c) use the second applicator 36 to form a cover layer of adhesive 14 over the layer of reinforcing fibers 28.

[0033] The end of the first applicator 18 may be positioned at a preferred location initially engaging or near the layer of reinforcing fibers 28. The second applicator 36 is positioned such that the end of the first applicator 18 is closer to the reinforcing fibers 28 than the distance between the end of the second applicator 36 and the reinforcing fibers 28. That is, a gap is formed between the end of the first applicator 18 and the end of the second applicator 36. Additionally, the surfaces of the applicator 18 and applicator 36 create a housing for a puddle of adhesive 14 that flows through the passage opening of the first applicator 18.

[0034] The combination of the gap between the end of applicator 18 and the end of applicator 36, the opening or passageway through applicator 18, and the creation of a housing between operatively connected applicator 18 and applicator 36 allows adhesive 14 to be forced against primary backing substrate 22 and through reinforcing fibers 28 while generally simultaneously forming an adhesive covering over reinforcing fibers 28.

[0035] Furthermore, because the tip of the applicator 18 is capable of floating above, e.g., above or below, the reinforcing fibers 14, and because the gap between the end of the first applicator 18 and the end of the second applicator 36 is fixed or does not change once set, any movement by the first applicator 18 toward or away from the primary backing substrate 22 is automatically translated into a similar movement by the end of the second applicator 36 as a result of the applicators being operably connected to maintain the pre-set gap between the first applicator 18 and the second applicator 36 remaining the same.

[0036] As previously discussed, a puddle of adhesive 14 is formed between the operatively coupled applicator 18 and applicator 36. The size, shape or volume of the formed puddle of adhesive 14 is selectively varied depending on factors including the location of the passageway through the applicator 18, the gap distance between the applicator 18 and applicator 36, and the speed of movement of the primary backing substrate 22. The puddle of adhesive 14 is controlled to provide the necessary amount of adhesive 14 needed to form the desired covering over the reinforcing fibers 28 at approximately the same time that the applicator 36 forces the adhesive 14 into the interstitial spaces between the yarn stitches 12.

[0037] The present invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from its spirit and essential characteristics, and therefore, reference should be made to the appended claims, as well as the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a floor covering, comprising: producing said floor covering from a group of components including: a tufted base having a primary backing substrate having a front surface and a back surface opposite said front surface, the primary backing substrate having a plurality of yarns tufted through said primary backing substrate, each of a portion of said yarns forming stitched portions having ends disposed on said back surface of said primary backing substrate, and spaces existing between said stitched portions; forming a reinforcing fiber layer on the end of the stitched portion and moving the reinforcing fiber layer in the first direction; operatively connecting a first applicator movable toward the reinforcing fiber layer to a second applicator movable toward the reinforcing fiber layer to form a housing for a puddle of adhesive and forming a passageway in the first applicator to allow formation of the puddle of adhesive; applying controlled pressure with the first applicator to force adhesive into and between the stitched portions on the back surface of the primary backing substrate using the passageway to form the adhesive puddle within the housing and substantially simultaneously forming a cover layer of the adhesive over the reinforcing fiber layer using the second applicator; A method for manufacturing a floor covering comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of compressing the adhesive and simultaneously moving the reinforcing fiber layer toward the primary backing substrate.

3. 3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of drying said adhesive before compressing it to give said adhesive a hardness.

4. A method for manufacturing a floor covering, comprising: producing said floor covering from a group of components including a tufted backing having a primary backing substrate having a front surface and a back surface opposite said front surface, said primary backing substrate having a plurality of threads tufted through said primary backing substrate, each of said threads forming stitched portions having an end portion disposed on said back surface of said primary backing substrate, and spaces present between said stitched portions; forming a reinforcing fiber layer on the end of the stitched portion and moving the reinforcing fiber layer in the first direction; operatively connecting a first applicator movable toward the reinforcing fiber layer to a second applicator movable toward the reinforcing fiber layer to form a housing for a puddle of adhesive and to form a passageway to allow adhesive to pass through the first applicator to form the puddle between the first applicator and the second applicator; forming a cover layer of the adhesive over the reinforcing fiber layer using the second applicator substantially simultaneously, while floating the first applicator over the reinforcing fiber layer and applying controlled pressure with the first applicator to force the adhesive into and between the stitched portions and maintain a gap between the first and second applicators, and substantially simultaneously using the passageway to form a puddle of the adhesive within the housing; A method for manufacturing a floor covering comprising:

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising compressing the adhesive to move the reinforcing fiber layer toward the primary backing substrate.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising distributing and arranging the reinforcing fibers to form a patterned reinforcing fiber layer.

7. 6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of drying said adhesive before compressing it to give said adhesive a hardness.

8. A method for manufacturing a floor covering, comprising: producing said floor covering from a group of components including: a tufted base having a primary backing substrate having a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface, said primary backing substrate being moved in a first direction; a plurality of threads tufted through said primary backing substrate, each of said threads forming stitched portions having an end portion disposed on the back surface of said primary backing substrate, and spaces present between said stitched portions; forming a plurality of voids in the adhesive; forming a reinforcing fiber layer over the end of the stitched portion, arranging the reinforcing fibers to form a patterned reinforcing fiber layer, and moving the patterned reinforcing fiber layer in the first direction; operatively connecting a first applicator having an end spaced from the reinforcing fiber layer to a second applicator having an end spaced from the reinforcing fiber layer to form a housing for the puddle of adhesive, forming a gap between the ends of the first and second applicators and the reinforcing fiber layer, the first applicator providing a passageway to allow the adhesive to travel past the first applicator to form the puddle of adhesive between the first and second applicators; hovering the first applicator over the reinforcing fiber layer and applying controlled pressure with the first applicator to force the adhesive into and between the stitched portions and to maintain the gap between the first and second applicators, and substantially simultaneously forming a cover layer of the adhesive over the reinforcing fiber layer with the second applicator using the passageway to allow the adhesive to pass through the first applicator to form the adhesive puddle; curing the layer of adhesive without removing the plurality of voids in the adhesive; compressing the layer of adhesive to simultaneously collapse the plurality of voids in the adhesive and move the reinforcing fiber layer toward the primary backing substrate; A method for manufacturing a floor covering comprising:

Images