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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 textile floor coverings such as broadloom carpets and modular carpet tiles. More particularly, according to one or more aspects provided herein, the present disclosure is directed to floor coverings that include a tufted substrate and a reinforcing backing system.

Background Art

[0002] With the advent of tufting equipment, floor coverings have evolved over time from textile carpets to the tufted carpets used today. Mechanical tufting began with a single needle, similar to a sewing machine. The needle penetrates a primary backing substrate to carry the yarn, thereby creating stitches on the back side adjacent to the primary backing substrate. On the surface, the pile of the carpet is formed by a looper holding the yarn at a specific height above the primary backing substrate. The tufted yarn and the primary backing substrate together are referred to as the tufted substrate.

[0003] The single needle configuration has evolved into multiple needles operating side by side, and tufted carpets are now made in this way. A 16-foot tufting width is possible with this equipment, and when carpets are sold in this width, they are referred to in the industry as "broadloom" carpets. This type of carpet is a preferred floor finish in today's residential homes and commercial buildings.

[0004] "Modular" carpet products (carpet tiles) were introduced to address some of the problems faced by broadloom carpet products. Modular carpets are beneficial in applications such as offices, airports, and other high-traffic areas where they are not practical for broadloom carpets because individual tiles of the installation can be removed and replaced if soiled or worn.

[0005] The design of both wide-width woven carpets and carpet tiles has faced challenges in terms of stability and manufacturing costs. For example, the design of typical wide-width woven carpets can be prone to "creep," which causes undesirable stretching. Modular tiles with heavy backing layers are rigid and expensive to manufacture. As a result, modular tiles can become bowl-shaped or curled. Other challenges for modular tiles and wide-width woven carpets arise due to issues related to variations in thickness and weight. Floor covering manufacturers incur significant material and manufacturing costs associated with processing and attaching numerous backing layers and / or pre-formed reinforcing layers to the base fabric.

[0006] The invention described herein is primarily related to U.S. Patent No. 1,0920,354, and the present invention is also related to the patents referenced in the “Background” portion of “'354 Patent.” This application discloses and claims rights to a method relating to the manufacture of a carpet having a reinforcing backing system. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] In the carpet industry, it is known that the machine direction of a carpet contributes most significantly to dimensional stability issues. "Machine direction" is considered to be the direction in which the yarn is tufted. Yarns forming a continuous series of loops in the machine direction are inherently unstable, especially when exposed to heat and / or moisture. Furthermore, the primary backing material of the floor covering is more prone to shrinkage in the machine direction. Therefore, the machine direction is almost always the direction in which the floor covering becomes more unstable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention includes floor coverings having a fiber-reinforced backing system. Floor coverings may be used in wide-width woven products or any various modular products. The manufacturing method and the resulting product include a tufted base fabric having a primary backing material and a plurality of threads that are tufted through the primary backing material. The primary backing material includes a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface, and a portion of each thread forms stitches located on the back surface of the primary backing material.

[0009] The manufacturing process involves preparing the adhesive to create multiple voids within it. After preparation, the adhesive is fed to a first applicator, which applies controlled pressure to press the adhesive against the back surface of the primary backing substrate. The adhesive is pushed into and between the stitches located on the back surface of the primary backing substrate. The movement of the adhesive is controlled by the first applicator and by a vacuum applied to the surface of the primary backing substrate.

[0010] Before applying the prepared adhesive, the separated bundles of reinforcing fibers are selectively cut to form multiple separate reinforcing fibers of the desired length. The cut reinforcing fibers are distributed and positioned to form the desired pattern at the ends of the thread stitch as the thread stitch moves in the machine direction. By distributing and positioning the reinforcing fibers, a patterned layer of reinforcing fibers is formed on top of the ends of the thread stitch.

[0011] After the patterned reinforcing fiber layer is formed over the ends of the thread 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 to cover the patterned reinforcing fiber layer. The first and second applicators are spaced apart and connected in a operable manner. The first and second applicators also form a space and housing for the adhesive reservoir formed by the adhesive passing through the first applicator.

[0012] After the patterned reinforcing fiber layer is placed over the ends of the thread stitches, three steps are performed almost simultaneously. The first step is to press the adhesive against the back surface of the primary backing substrate and push it into the patterned reinforcing fiber layer. The second step is to press the adhesive to form an adhesive reservoir in the space between the first and second applicators. The third step is to use the second applicator to form a cover layer consisting of adhesive on top of the patterned reinforcing fiber layer, with the adhesive for the cover layer coming from the adhesive reservoir between the first and second applicators.

[0013] The resulting mixture of adhesive and reinforcing fibers can be dried, conditioned, or cured through a furnace. The drying, conditioning, or curing brought about by the furnace does not remove multiple voids in the adhesive, and drying the mixture helps to give the adhesive hardness.

[0014] After passing through the furnace, an embossing machine applies controlled pressure to the mixture of adhesive and reinforcing fibers. The mixture is compressed by the embossing machine, flattening the ends of the thread stitches. The pressure applied by the embossing machine crushes the adhesive. By crushing the adhesive, the volume occupied by multiple voids within the adhesive is removed. This results in the formation of a thinner and relatively rigid structure. The reinforcing fibers are also moved by the embossing machine to their final position closer to the primary backing material, while simultaneously engaging and adhering to the flattened ends of the thread stitches.

[0015] These features and benefits of the present invention, as well as other features and benefits, will be better understood by referring to the following description and appended claims. The appended drawings, which constitute part of this specification, illustrate various embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description provided, illustrate the principles of the methods and products of the present invention. A complete and implementable disclosure, including the best mode, of this method and the resulting product is described herein for those skilled in the art, and this specification refers to the accompanying figures. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the equipment layout for attaching fibers and adhesive reinforcing backings to a tufted base fabric. [Figure 2] This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the arrangement of equipment for attaching fibers and adhesive reinforcing backing to a tufted base fabric, illustrating the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the first applicator. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] Referring here to embodiments of the methods and equipment of the present invention, one or more examples of embodiments are shown in the drawings. Each example is provided for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and is not provided as a limitation of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various improvements and modifications can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to cover such improvements and modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an arrangement according to the present invention for forming a reinforcing backing system by attaching adhesive and reinforcing fibers to a tufted base fabric. The floor covering includes a tufted base fabric 10 made of tufted threads that penetrate a primary backing material 22. As is known, the primary backing material 22 has a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface. The threads form stitches 12 on the back surface of the primary backing material 22, with gaps between each thread.

[0019] The manufacturing process disclosed herein begins with preparing the adhesive 14 to form a plurality of voids 16 within it. In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive 14 is a thermoplastic adhesive. Preferably, the adhesive 14 has malleable and modifiable properties when exposed to heat or compressed. Also, preferably, the adhesive 14 is aqueous to assist in the manufacturing process, as will be further described later. For example, it is possible to inject air into the aqueous adhesive 14 to create a plurality of voids in the form of bubbles, so that the adhesive 14 can be compressed as desired during the manufacturing process.

[0020] After adjusting the adhesive 14 to create multiple voids 16, the first applicator 18 can engage the adhesive 14 in a controlled manner, pressing it against the back surface of the primary backing substrate 22. The adhesive 14 is pushed into the stitches 12 and into the spaces between the stitches 12. The movement of the adhesive 14 is further controlled by the vacuum 20 applied to the surface of the primary backing substrate 22. The applicator 18 and the vacuum 20 form a layer of adhesive 14 of the desired thickness that is movable in the machine direction.

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

[0022] A distribution device 30 for the reinforcing fibers 28 is schematically shown in Figures 1 and 2. After being cut from the bundle 24, the cut reinforcing fibers 28 are arranged in a configuration in the direction of the machine. Figures 1 and 2 show an example of reinforcing fibers 28 arranged in a substantially machine direction on the ends of the stitch 12 after being cut from the bundle 24.

[0023] First, after the reinforcing fibers 28 are arranged in a configuration that is substantially in the machine direction, a dispensing device 30 is used to arrange the cut reinforcing fibers 28 in a desired pattern. For example, the desired pattern can include the arrangement of the reinforcing fibers 28 in the machine direction and the arrangement of the reinforcing fibers at various other angles with respect to the machine direction. Further, the reinforcing fibers 28 are bent or rounded and have a length sufficient for the bent or rounded fibers 28 to extend in two or more directions.

[0024] The reinforcing backing composed of the reinforcing fibers 28 and the adhesive 14 can be dried, conditioned, or cured by passing through the furnace 38. It is intended that the drying, conditioning, or curing provided by the furnace 38 does not remove the plurality of voids 16 in the adhesive 14. The drying process provided by the furnace 38 removes water and gives the adhesive a desirable hardness. Since a preferred adhesive is, for example, water-based and thermoplastic and includes pores of air, it is desirable to remove water from the adhesive while maintaining its malleability and leaving it amendable and to dry the adhesive to give it some hardness.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, after passing through the furnace 38, a third applicator 40 applies pressure to the reinforcing backing composed of the reinforcing fibers 28 and the adhesive 14 in a controlled manner. The third applicator 40 can be an embossing machine that compresses the adhesive 14 and the reinforcing fibers 28 (as shown at 44) to flatten the ends of the stitches 12 (as shown at 42).

[0026] The compression provided by the third applicator 40 crushes the relatively hard layer of dried adhesive 14, as shown in 44. The crushing action reduces the volume occupied by multiple voids 16 within the layer of adhesive 14. This forms a thinner, relatively hard structure 44 consisting of the crushed adhesive 14 and reinforcing fibers 28. Simultaneously, the resulting layer 44 of reinforcing fibers 28 and adhesive 14 is moved by the third applicator 40 to engage and adhere to the flattened end face 42 of the thread stitch 12. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the layer 44 of reinforcing fibers 28 and adhesive 14 is moved to a final position closer to, or engaging with, the primary backing substrate 22.

[0027] Figures 1 and 2 show a coating assembly 50 of the present invention, which presses the adhesive 14 against a primary backing substrate 22 and substantially simultaneously coats the reinforcing fibers 28 with the adhesive 14. In the disclosed embodiment, the coating assembly 50 is mounted on 52 to support a first applicator 18 and a second applicator 36, and is consequently spaced apart from the primary backing substrate 22. Furthermore, the first applicator 18 and the second applicator 36 are connected to each other in an operable manner, as schematically shown in Figures 1 and 2 and described in more detail later.

[0028] The applicator 18 is selectively movable toward and away from the primary backing substrate 22. The applicator 18 is equipped with a counterweight 53, which makes the applicator 18 heavier, allowing it to move toward the primary backing substrate 22, while a lighter counterweight 53 allows the end of the applicator 18 to float above or near the layer of reinforcing fibers 28. When the applicator 18 is selectively positioned in its operating position, the end of the applicator 18 is typically positioned to engage with the reinforcing fibers 28.

[0029] As described above, the cut reinforcing fibers 28 are initially dispersed over the ends of the moving thread stitches 12. The reinforcing fibers 28 are formed or patterned to form layers of reinforcing fibers 28. The prepared adhesive 14 is applied to one side of the applicator 18, which applies controlled pressure to push the adhesive 14 into the stitches 12 and into the spaces between the stitches 12.

[0030] Referring here to Figures 2 and 3, the first applicator 18 has at least one opening or passage so that the adhesive 14 can pass from one side of the applicator 18 to the other. The adhesive 14 passes through at least one opening and substantially simultaneously forms an adhesive reservoir between the applicator 18 and the applicator 36. The formed adhesive reservoir is also substantially simultaneously applied to cover the reinforcing fibers 28 as shown in Figure 2.

[0031] Figure 3 shows a curved first applicator 18 having openings 54 and 56 of different orientations and sizes. The shape, size, and position of these openings are merely examples of how they allow the adhesive 14 to pass through the applicator 18 and form adhesive reservoirs used to cover the reinforcing fibers 28, as previously described.

[0032] As illustrated and shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first applicator 18 and the second applicator 36 are assembled, connected, and controlled to perform the following substantially simultaneously: (a) pressing a portion of the adhesive 14 against the back surface of the primary backing substrate 22 to pass through the layer of reinforcing fibers 28; (b) pressing a portion of the adhesive 14 through the passage in the first applicator 18 to form a pool of adhesive 14 in the space between the first applicator 18 and the second applicator 36; and (c) using the second applicator 36 to form a cover layer consisting of adhesive 14 on top of the layer of reinforcing fibers 28.

[0033] The end of the first applicator 18 can initially engage with the layer of reinforcing fibers 28, or be positioned in a preferred location close to it. 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. In other words, a gap is formed between the end of the first applicator 18 and the end of the second applicator 36. Furthermore, the surfaces of applicators 18 and 36 create a housing for the accumulation of adhesive 14 flowing through the passage opening of the first applicator 18.

[0034] By combining a gap between the end of applicator 18 and the end of applicator 36, an opening or passage through applicator 18, and the creation of a housing between the operably connected applicator 18 and applicator 36, it becomes possible to press the adhesive 14 against the primary backing substrate 22 to allow the reinforcing fibers 28 to pass through, while almost simultaneously forming an adhesive cover on top of the reinforcing fibers 28.

[0035] Furthermore, since the tip of the applicator 18 can float above the reinforcing fiber 14, for example, vertically, and the gap between the end of the first applicator 18 and the end of the second applicator 36 is fixed or unchangeable once set, as a result of these applicators being connected in such a way that they can operate while maintaining the same preset gap between the first applicator 18 and the second applicator 36, any movement by the first applicator 18 toward or away from the primary backing substrate 22 is automatically transitioned to a similar movement by the end of the second applicator 36.

[0036] As described above, a reservoir of adhesive 14 is formed between the operable-connected applicators 18 and 36. The size, shape, or volume of the formed reservoir of adhesive 14 is selectively varied depending on factors including the position of the passage through applicator 18, the distance of the gap between applicator 18 and applicator 36, and the speed of movement of the primary backing substrate 22. The reservoir of adhesive 14 is controlled to provide the required amount of adhesive 14 needed to form the desired cover on the reinforcing fibers 28, approximately simultaneously with applicator 36 pushing the adhesive 14 into the space between the thread stitches 12.

[0037] The present invention can be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention; therefore, the appended claims, as well as the above specification, should be referenced to illustrate the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing floor coverings, A step of manufacturing a floor covering from a group of components comprising: a tufted base fabric having a primary backing material having a surface and a back surface opposite to the surface, extending in a first direction; a plurality of threads tufted through the primary backing material, each thread forming a stitch portion having an end positioned on the back surface of the primary backing material; and spaces existing between the stitch portions; The steps include forming a reinforcing fiber layer on the end of the stitched portion and moving the reinforcing fiber layer in the first direction, The steps include: operably connecting a first applicator, which is movable toward the reinforcing fiber layer, to a second applicator, which is also movable toward the reinforcing fiber layer, forming a housing for an adhesive reservoir, and forming a passage in the first applicator to enable the formation of the adhesive reservoir; The steps include applying controlled pressure using the first applicator, pushing the adhesive into and between the stitches on the back surface of the primary backing substrate using the passage for forming the adhesive reservoir within the housing, and simultaneously forming a cover layer consisting of the adhesive on the reinforcing fiber layer using the second applicator, A method for manufacturing floor coverings, including the method described above.

2. A method for manufacturing a floor covering according to claim 1, further comprising the step of compressing the adhesive and simultaneously moving the reinforcing fiber layer toward the primary backing substrate.

3. The method for manufacturing a floor covering according to claim 2, further comprising the step of drying the adhesive before compressing it to give the adhesive hardness.

4. A method for manufacturing floor coverings, A step of manufacturing a floor covering from a group of components comprising: a tufted base fabric having a primary backing material having a surface and a back surface opposite to the surface, which is moved in a first direction; a plurality of threads tufted through the primary backing material, each thread forming a stitch portion having an end that is positioned on the back surface of the primary backing material; and spaces existing between the stitch portions; The steps include forming a reinforcing fiber layer on the end of the stitched portion and moving the reinforcing fiber layer in the first direction, The steps include: operably connecting a first applicator, which is movable toward the reinforcing fiber layer, to a second applicator, which is also movable toward the reinforcing fiber layer, forming a housing for an adhesive reservoir, and creating a passage that allows the adhesive to pass through the first applicator and form the adhesive reservoir between the first and second applicators; The steps include: floating the first applicator above the reinforcing fiber layer, applying controlled pressure using the first applicator to push the adhesive into and between the stitched portions, maintaining a gap between the first and second applicators, and substantially simultaneously forming a cover layer consisting of the adhesive on the reinforcing fiber layer using the second applicator through the passage for forming the adhesive reservoir within the housing; A method for manufacturing floor coverings, including the method described above.

5. The method for manufacturing a floor covering according to claim 4, further comprising the step of compressing the adhesive to move the reinforcing fiber layer toward the primary backing substrate.

6. The method for manufacturing a floor covering according to claim 4, further comprising the step of distributing and arranging reinforcing fibers to form a patterned reinforcing fiber layer.

7. The method for manufacturing a floor covering according to claim 5, further comprising the step of drying the adhesive before compressing it to give the adhesive hardness.

8. A method for manufacturing floor coverings, A step of manufacturing a floor covering from a group of components comprising: a tufted base fabric having a primary backing base material having a surface and a back surface opposite to the surface, and moving the primary backing base material in a first direction; a plurality of threads tufted through the primary backing base material, each thread forming a stitch portion having an end positioned on the back surface of the primary backing base material; and spaces existing between the stitch portions; The steps include forming multiple voids within the adhesive, The steps include forming a reinforcing fiber layer on 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, Steps include: connecting a first applicator having an end spaced apart from the reinforcing fiber layer to a second applicator having an end spaced apart from the reinforcing fiber layer in a movable manner, forming a housing for the adhesive reservoir, creating a gap between the ends of the first and second applicators and the reinforcing fiber layer, and providing a passage in the first applicator that allows the adhesive to move beyond the first applicator to form the adhesive reservoir between the first and second applicators; The steps include: floating the first applicator above the reinforcing fiber layer, applying controlled pressure using the first applicator to push the adhesive into and between the stitched portions, maintaining the gap between the first and second applicators, and substantially simultaneously forming a cover layer consisting of the adhesive on the reinforcing fiber layer using the second applicator through the passage that allows the adhesive to pass through the first applicator and form the adhesive reservoir; The steps include curing the layer of the adhesive without removing the plurality of voids in the adhesive, The steps include compressing the adhesive layer and simultaneously crushing the plurality of voids within the adhesive, thereby moving the reinforcing fiber layer toward the primary backing substrate, A method for manufacturing floor coverings, including the method described above.

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