Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
W(~ 9~/077g0 P(~ JS~2~09148
~1--
DESCRIPTION
2122~)~3
Method for Producing Tufted and Bonded
Carpet Ma~erial and the Carpet So Produced
Backqround_ of the Invention
5Carpet material used as a surface covering generally
c:omprises a tufted carpet material known as tufted greige
goods, or a bonded carpet material, such as a ~usion-bonded
carpet material. Greige carpet comprises an uncolored
or precolored yarn tuf ted into a primary backing sheet
(not precoated). Carpet tiles are usually prepared by
bonding a backing to either the tufted carpet material
or the fusion-bonded carpet tile material. ~ :
Tufted carpet material is typically~ prepared by
employing yarns together with a primary backing sh~eet
and sending ~he material through one or more tufting
machines, such as for example, a tufting machine to provide
for the desirable .tufting:to produce:~ a~ cut pile~ loop
pile or combination thereof. The tufted greige carpet
material ma~ then be prec:oclted on the back surface, such
as~ typlcally by::carboxylated~ styrene-bu~adiene lakex
~ : pr~coat ~to:secure the tufted c~arpet to the primary backing: sheet.
: ~ ~Generally,: tufted greige carpet material is tufted~
: in a~ range~of about 12 to 7:0 ounces o~ fiber ~per~:square :
;~ 25 yard,~ for example from:~ about 16 to 32 ounces per~square
yard, ~nd the :~yarn~may~bé of :natural or synthetic material
; and typical~ly may`be a precoIored or a white yarn. Tufted~
carpet ~materlal is desirable Ln ~ that graphics~ ~or:other
:: pat~erns can ~be formed on the~ fibrous;face:sur~ace~e~lther
during the: original~ tufting operation or~by an~overt~u~tinq~ ;
` opers~l~n, to provide: f~or design capabilities~:to the tufted
:carpet :material.:~ The tufted~ product :~;~f~or example :made
: ~ with~ a white:or~ light-colored:yarn~can~also be continuously
.~ :dyed or printed to provide for ~a~ desirable ~psttern or
~ 35 design theraon.
:
~: :, :
:
~ : .
lBSTlTUTE SHEET
:
W093/077gO 2 1 2 2 0 3 3 -2- PCT/US92/09148
sonded or fusion-bonded carpet material provides
for a very high density wear surface at a low cost and
comprises the insertion of fibrous yarns into an adhesive
layer secured to a backing sheet material. Fusion~bonded
or bonded carpet material is generally prepared either
from folded yarn insertion, resulting in a "U" tuft,
or cut yarn insertion, resulting in an "I" tuft, wherein
a non-woven, glass fiber fleece material and a woven
material, such as a glass scrim material, are generally
coated with an adhesive layer material, but typically
comprising a PVC compound, a hot-melt adhesive-type
material or a water-based adhesive.
In one embodiment, a p}eater bar pleats yarn materials
and the one surface of the pleated fibrous material is
inserted into the PVC layer which is then heated to fuse
the PVC layer. The process is repeated to insert the
other surface of the pleated yarn material into a
thermoplastic layerj heated and then to spli~ the layer
of fibrous material to produce two rolls of fusion-bonded
2 b carpet, each having~ a cut r fibrous face wear surf ace .
: Fusion-bonded carpet may also be formed by a vertical
: technique wherein the pleated yarn has an adhesive layer
and backing material on each side, and is passed t~rough
a pair of vertica~l heaters and then split. In an~ther
~5 technique, the~;yarn may merely be inserted at one end
into the adhesive layex material to form a fusion-bonded
carpet material. ~ ~
Fusion-bonded carpet material is characterized by
toughness and:: hiyh fiber density. However, the
,
fusion-bonded processes:do not permit design flexibility
in ~providing for a pattern or design on the fibrous face
wear su~face ~ of ~the fusion-bo~ded carpet material.
Typically, design surfaces are printed onto the fibrous
face surface of the fusion-~onded ~arpet material, which
is not wholly desirable.
I~ is desirable to provide for a new and improved
method of producing a comhined tufted and ~usion bond~d
carpet material, particularly a carpet material having
SUBS~lT(Jl~ SHEE~
3 26720-118
a tufted design pattern on the face wear surface therPof, which
new method is more efficient and provides for greater capabllity
to turn out unique tufted products at a high speed operation with
cost savings. The resulting tufted and fusion-bonded carpet
material may be usefully employed by applyi~g a backing layer to
the tufted or fusion-bonded carpet material, which could
optionally be cut into tiles.
Summary of the Invention
The invention ls concerned wlth a method for the
~0 combined prepara~ion of a tufted and bonded carpet material and to
the tu$ted and bonded carpet material produced therefrom. In
particular, the invention is directed to a method for the combined
preparation of a tufted and a fusion-bonded carpet material havi~ng
a design pattern on each of the fibrous~face~su~rfaces and to the
carpet and carpet tile materlal produced thereby.
A method for ~the~ combined pr~eparation of a tufted and a
bonded carpet material has been discovered which me~thod comprlses
bonding the fibrous t~fted face surface of a tufted carpet
material~to a layer of an adhesiv~e~material se~aured to a backlng
2-0 ~ayer to f~rm a sandwich-type mate~rlal, and~there;after splitting~
the~fibrous tufted layer of~ehe sandwlch-type materlal to~provide
for separate~ufted carpe~t material~and fusion-bonded~carpet
;;~ material, each of which carpet materials has a~;separate, fibrou5,
split`~faae wear surface. ~ ;~
According~to the present invention there is prov~lded a~
method for the preparatlon of a tufted carpet material and an
adhesive-bonded carpet material, each;having the~same face surface
~esign pattern, whlch~ethod comprisss:~al providing a fi~rst
:; : : :
3a 26720-118
tufted carpet material which comprises a primary backing sheet
having a plurality of tufted fibers through the primary backing
sheet to form a tufted layer having a tufted face wear surface and
a fibrous back surface which has an overtufted face surface of the
first tufted carpet material with a plurality of tufted fibers
which extend through the tufted layer and through the primary
backing sheet to form an overtufted face wear surface having a top
surface with a pre~elected design pattern thereon, the said desi~n
pattern for~ed by a plurality o$ tufted:fiber~ of~different
.10 colors; b) providing a backing layer having a layer of adhesive
mater~al thereon; c) bondlng the ~ufted:~ace waar surface and the
overtufted face wear surface to the layer of the adhesive material
to for~ a sandwich material; and d):splitting the sandwich
material to form: i) an adhesive-bonded~carpet:material:having a
backing layer with a back sur$ace and a :layer of:adhesive thereon
:
and:a plura~lity of fibers in ~the adhe~siv~e~ laye~r and~having:a face
wear, generally :flat:top surface~of~split, tufte~d and ovértu~ted
fibers~wlth~the preselected colo~r~de~sign thereon;:and ll~ a~second
tufted carpet~materlal~whlch~:comp;rlse~s~the;primary~backlng~sheet~
~20 ~ ~ith a fibr:ous back:~surface~and:a~plur~ality of:~tufted~:fibers~
extending~through the~prlmary~backing~sheet and having a~spllt~
fib rou;s ~ace~we~ar,~;ge~e~rally ~l~at~:top 5U rface;with the pre~sele:cted
-~ color desig~lthe:reon.
;The me~thod ls~particu~larly~adapted~o~r~ the combined~
pre~para~ion ~f a~tufted:and a fus~ion-bonded:carpet~material: :;
whereln a;pre~ele:Gted~design~, imparted~to the ~tufted~carpet :
material:can then~be;:~imparted to the~fusion~-bonded carpet.
Generally,:w~here:the~ tu~te~d carpet greige:gooùs mate:rial employed :~
.: ~ : : :
3b 26720-118
in the process has been tufted to a particular design or
overtufted t~ a particular design, ~he method and the resulting
carpet ma.terial of the method overcomes many disadvantages of the
prior art in connection with preparing pattern or design fusion-
bonded carpet material. :
:: : ~ :
:: ~ :
W~93/07790 PCT/USgt/0~148
2 122~3~ ~4~
The method of the invention employs a tufted carpe~
material as one layer of a sandwich-type carpet material,
and particularly a tufted carpet material, such as a
carpet greige material or a precoated material, which
has been tu~ed in a particular design or pattern, or
even more particularly, overtufted in a particular design,
and which design or pattern is desired to be imparted
to the other part of the sandwich-type carpet material,
to wit, to the fusion-bonded carpet material. The method
overcomes th~ disadvantages associated with imprinting
a design or pattern on the fibrous face surface of fusion~
~onded carpets, and permits the preparation of
fusion-bonded carpets with a wide variety and capability
for unique designs or patterns on the face wear surface
thereto.
In addition, in the preparation of conventional
~usion-bonded carpet material, either in the U-bo~d process
:
where the yarn is placed in a corrugated form prior to
being inserted~ into a thermoplastic adhesi~e layer, or
in the I-bond process where the~;ends ~of t~he ~fiber are
implanted into an adhes`ive' ~layer, the pleating and
insertion steps~of the~ process ~are relatively slow speed
,
steps which ~limit~ the~ ~efficient ~production of `the
fusion-bonded carpet~materia~ The~emp~oymen~t~of~ tufted,
e.g. grelge ~goods,~ carpet ~materlal in a~fusion-bondlng
process in~place~of the~corrugated, that is~, the U-bond
; or I-bond insertion,~permits~a~much higher ~speed op~eration
together~ with~ the ~asso~iated~co~st savings of~such~a
manufacturing operation. Thus, the~method o~f the~invention
provides~for~ the~ preparation~ of ~both;~a~ tufted~ ~: and a ;
fusion-bonded unique ~carpet material in ~a high speed,~
i cost-effisient operation and provides~unique~ design ~or
; pattern~ ~capabilitles for ~ the resulting~fusion-bonded
carpet material.
~ The~ tu~ted~ carpet ~materia1 ~employed ~in~ the~method~
may comprise~ tufted~ carpet~ material ~ :uRua~lly produced
by tufting yarns; through~a~prlmary backing sheet to~form
a ~tufted or ~overtufted carpet with ;or without a design
:: ~ :
~ SlJBSTlllJrE SH~EF
: ~: :
W0~3/0779~ 2 1 2 2 0 3 3 ~CT/US92/09148
--5--
or pattexn on the tufted face wear surface~ The tufted
carpet may be cut, loop or a combination thereof pile
on the fibrous face wear surface, and optionally may
be precoated in order to secure the stitches to the primary
backing employing an adhesive precoat such as by the
use of a carboxylated styrene-butadiene latex composition,
or other type of latex or adhesive composition. The
selected precoat composition should be compatible with
the par~icular type of carpet backing layer to be employed
on the tufted carpet material, e.g. if used for carpet.
tile, for example an ethylene vinyl acetate precoat latex
material, where the backing layer would be composed of
a vinyl resin, like polyvinyl chloride.~
In the method of t~e lnvention, a layer of adhesive
material is placed onto the sur~ace of a mesh material,
typically a glass scrim, adjacent to a non-woven glass
fleece material, and then the top surface of: the fibrous
tu~ted sheet material inserted into the adhesive material
layer. The adh~sive layer~may be composed for example
of a ~PVC plastisol which forms~a ~viseous~layer~into~:which
the~closed loop or open~ends~of :the fibrou~s ~ufted~face
surface of: the tufte:d carpet material are inserted a
~: sh~rt distance~, e.g. 25% to 75~ o~ the depth~of the layer,
and~then the ~lay~r~ heated to gel and fuse~the vinyl r~sin.
: 25~ ~ Where~ a thPrmoplastic~ hot-melt ~ adhesive : material is
employed, e.g. modlfied~ ethylene~ vinyl acetate,~then~
the hot-melt::;adhesive ~material ls:~heated~to~ form~a~layer,~
~and :after insertion:~ of~::the ~fibrous~:face~:surface of the~
tuf~ed carpet therein, the~:hot: melt:adhesive material
~; 30; is ~hen cooled to solidify the material to:form the bonded,
sandwiah carpet material.
In I anothe~ embodiment, the fusion-bonded carpet
materiai may~be prepared by~the employment~ of ~a layer
o~a ~woven, synthetic fibrous screen-type:mesh::material,
such~as ~a ~relatively~closely~woven ~polyester~ material,~
~adjao~nt~to ~a~:~non-woven glass: fleece ~material, which
is~then ooated not with a thermoplastic vinyl or hot-melt
: adhesive~ material t but rather with a polymeric latex
:
SUBS111lrrE S~tE~
W093J077~0 PCT/US92/09148
2 1 2 2 0~ 6
composition, such as an ethylene vinyl acetate latex
composition, subsequently heated and split to form a
fusion-bonded carpet having a backing layer of a non-woven
glass ~iber tissue sheet laminated to a closely woven,
5 screen-type polyester material and to a polymeric latex
layer ~o which the fibrous face surface of the tufted
fibrous face carpet has been inserted prior to heating.
After the prepaxation of the sandwich-type carpet
material, the sandwich-type carpet material is severed,
such as by the employment of a continuous band knife,
for example, where a horizontal bonding process is employed
or by an oscillating blade, more particula.rly where a
vertic:al ~onding process is emp? oyed, se~rering generally
intermediate the tufted yarn across the plane or cross
section of the fibrous tufted layer~ The resulting method
prvvides for a fusion-bonded carpet having a severed
or split fibrous face wear surface and with any design
pattern imparted by the tufted fibrous face surface of
the tuf~ed carpet material, and a pxecoated (optional~
tuf~ed carpet material having a cut fibrous fa`ce surface,
either of the "U"-bond yarns or "I"-bond yarns, depending
upon whether the tufted carpet material was cut, l~op
or combination pile fibers as the startlng material.
The tuf~ed carpet material will also contain the original
25 tufted or overtufted design or pattern on the fibrous
face wear surface thereof.
The resulting fusion-bonded carpet material and
the tufted carpet material prep~red by the method i5
unique and may subse~uently be back coated :Eor use as
broadloom or op~ionally, backed and cut to form carpét
tiles. The fusion-bonded carpet and the tufted carpet
.~ ~aterial may be back coated in the usual man~er by a
vinyl resin, such as a plasticized PVC resin wherein
the resin is then heated and fused to form a solid or
foam backing layer or by the employment of a thermoplastic
material, such as atactic polypropylene or bitumen, which
bitumen may be a pol~mer-modified bitumen~ such as a
polyethylene-modified or a styrene-butadiene-styrene
SUB~ SHEET
W~3/07790 2 1 ~ 2 0 3 ~ PCT/US92/09148
--7--
thermoplastic block copolymer-modified bitumen typically
containing a limestone filler to form a backing layer.
Alternately, a thermoset polyurethane solid or foam backing
may be applied. Whether the backing layer is applied
in one or two coats or is of a vinyl resin or of a atactic
polypropylene or bitumen material, generally one or more
layers of a glass fiber tissue or mesh-type material
are employed within the backing layer to impart dimensional
stability, and optionally a secondary backing sheet may
be employed for example of g1ass fiber, polypropylene
or polyes~er. For example, the carpet tile backing may
be composed of a polyvinyl chloride backing with a glass
fleece mat rial inserted therein; The resulting backed
carpet material may be then cut into carpet tiles.
The invention will be described for the purposes
of illustration only in connection with certain
embodiments however, it is recognized that those persons
skilled in the art may make various improvements,
additions, modifications and changes in the described
and illus~rated embodiments,~ all falling within the spirit
and scope of the invention. :
~rief Descripti n of the Drawin~s
Fig. 1 i5 a schématic, illustrati~e ~iew of a method
of preparing a~fusion-bo~ded carpet and precoated, tufted
carpet material~ of the invention~
Fig. 2 is an illustr~ative cross sectional view along
line 2-2 of the precoated,~ tufted, greige carpet material
used in the me~hod of Pig. 1~
~ Fig. 3 is an illustrative, cross sectional~ vlew
along line 3-3 of the sandwich carpet material prepared
by the~me~hod of Fig.~
, I Fig. 4 is an ill~strative, cross sectional view
along l~ne 4-4~ of the fusion-bonded carpet material
prepared by the:method of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5~ is a~ illustrative~ cross sectional view
of the fusion-bonded, tufted carpe~ material prepar~d
by the method~of Fig. :1.
Sl IBsTlTvTE SHEE~
W093/077~0 2 1 ~ Q3 ~ -8- PCT/US92/09148
Fig. 6 is an illustrative, sectional view of a carpet
tile material prepared employing the fusion-bonded carpet
of Fig 3.
Fig. 7 is an illustrative, sectional view of a carpet
5 tile ma~erial prepared by the pre~oated, tufted carpet
material of ~ig. 4.
FigO ~ is a schematic, illustrative view of an
alternate method of preparing a combined tufted and
fusion-bonded carpet mate~ial of the invention.
De ~ ~L~
With particular reference to Figs. 1-4, there is
shown a me~hod for the pr~paration of a combined tufted
30 and fusion-bonded 20 carpet material of the invention
with precoated tu~ed carpet material 10 ( see Fig. 2 ~
ha~ing about 16 to 32 ounces per square yard of a fibrous
face wear surface loop, predyed yarn 12 and 14, 14 being
a different color than yarn 12 to form a pattern on the
ibrous face surface. Undyed yarns can also be used
for post-dyeing or a mix of predyed or undyed ~ yarns may
20 be used to form the tufted design. The fibers 12 and
14 ~re tufted : through a primary backing sheet 16, such
as a polypropylene or jute sheet, and the ends of the
yarn belng secured by a latex pxecoat 18~ applied to the
bacl~ surface of the primary baclcing sheet 16. A mesh
25 material 24 , such as a fiberglass , open: scrim-type
material, together with ::a non-woven glass fiber f leece
mateirial 26, such as~a porous, resin-bonded, lightweight
fleece material 26 is coated with a PVC resin 22 in two
stages~ to form a viscous ~ liquid PVC plastisol layer
30 on the surface of the mesh sheet material 24 which
penetrates ~hrough to the porous, non-woven glass fiber
! I sheet m~terial 26.
The closed loop top surfaces of the yarns 12 and
14 of the precoated tufted carpet material 10 are the~
imm~rsed~:in the viscous, liquid layer 22, the PVC coating
applied in an amoun~ ranging from about:35 ko 60 ounces
per squaxe yard and ~he ends of the closed loops 12 and
14~ inser~ed in the l~yer to ~ depth of about 40% to 60%
â~JBSTrr~E SHEET
W0~3/0779U 2~ ~2 ~3 ~CT/US~2/09148
and then heated through an oven or infrared heater 32
to gel and fuse the PVC layer 22 and to bond the top
loops of the fibers 12 and 14 to the PVC layer 22 thereby
forming a sandwich-type carpet material ~Fiy. 3) with
the tufted yarns 12 and 14 tufted to the fibrous face
material with the primary backing sheet 16 on one side
of the sandwich and bonded to the PVC layer 22 on the
other side which is backed with the woven glass 26 and
the mesh glass 24.
The yarns of the reciulting sandwich are then severed
by an oscillating blade, knife or saw 36 genera}ly
intermittent the thîckness of the tufted yarns 12 and
14 to provide a fusion-bonded carpet 20 (shown in Fig.
4) and a precoated tufted carpet matexial 30 (shown in
~ig. 5). The fusion-bonded carpet 20 contains a
thermoplastic adhesive layer 22 of PVC in which the top
loops of the fibers 12 and 14 are bonded, a open mesh
material 24 and a glass fiber tissue material 26 laminat~d
to the PVC layer 22, and with the ~ops of the fibers
12 and 14 severed by the oscillating blade 36.
Fig. 4 shows the fusion ~onded carpet 20 with fibers
12 and 14 forming a design on the face wear s~rface.
The design of the tufted carpet 10 by the fibers 12 and
14 is retained in the: tufted carpet 30 and transferred
in part to the bonded carpet 20.
Fig. 5 shows the precoated tufted carpet materia~
which comprises a primary backing ~sheet 16. with a
precoat layer 18 with the closed loop, fibrous yarns
12 and 14 now surface cut to form a cut: face wear surface
wi~h th~ original design thereon.
Fig. 6 is an illustration of carpet tile 40 prepared
by the-~sion-bonded carpet material 20~ and Fîg. 7 is
a carpe~ tile 60 prepared by the precoated tufted carpet
material 30, but each showing a backing .layer 42: of a
PVC rei~in with a layer of a fiberglass fleece material
44 for dimensional stability in the backing layer, and
eaah having a secondary backing sheet 46, such as of
polyester~ polypropylene or gla5s fiber sh~et material.
- SlJ13STlTlJTE SHE~
... , . , , , . . .. . . .. , . , .. ... . , .. , .. . , . . , ,, . . , , ., . . ~ .. . . . .. . .
.. .. .
W093/07790 PCT/US92/09~48
212203~ -lO-
Fig~ 8 is an alternate method of preparing tufted
and fusion-bonded carpet material of the invention in
a vertical configuration wherein a feed roll of tufted,
greige sheet material 50 is employed having a primary
backing sheet 52 and a clo~ed loop f ibrous surf aces 54
on either side. A glass fiber tissue sheet material
56 is employed on either side, with one. side having
adhesive material 62, such as of PVC resin, coated onto
the fiberglass tissue sheet material 56 by a blade S8,
and the closed loops of each of the fibrous face surfaces
54 inserted in the PVC layer 62. On the opposite side,
a precoat adhesive layer, such as a latex layer 60, is
applied through a doctor blade 58 onto a glass fiber
tissue sheet 56 and secured to the back surface of the
lS primary back surface 52. The material is then sent through
a pair of vertical heaters 64 to gel and fuse the PVC
layer 62 and to heat and cure the precoat latex layer
60 to se~ure the glass fiber tissue sheet 56 to each
back surface.
Th~ sandwich material ;so prepared is then severed
or cut with a blade 66 to provide a tuf~ed carpet material
68 ~d a fusion-bonded carpet material 70, each having
a cut fiber face wear surface. The carpet materials
: 68 and 70 may be used as a free lay carpet or back coated
~5 and cut into carpet tiles.
.
s
.
.
:: :: : :
: : :
SUBSI~UTE SHEET
