Pattern-tufted, fusion-bonded carpet and carpet tile and method of preparation

Claim 2

A pattern-tufted, fusion-bonded carpet having a fibrous pile face wear surface with a tufted pile pattern thereon, wherein the carpet comprises: a) a woven synthetic fiber sheet material; b) a nonwoven glass fiber fleece sheet material adjacent to the woven synthetic fiber sheet material; c) a primary adhesive layer formed from a water-based polymeric latex material, which polymeric latex material bonds the synthetic fiber sheet material impregnates and the glass fiber fleece sheet material together, and forms a primary adhesive layer on the surface of the synthetic fiber sheet material; d) a plurality of fibrous yarns bonded to and extending generally upright from the primary adhesive layer, to form a fibrous pile face were surface; and e) a plurality of tufted yarns extending from the pile face wear surface through the primary adhesive layer, the synthetic sheet material and the glass fiber fleece sheet material, the tufted yarns forming a selected tufted pattern on the face wear surface, and with the other end of the tufted yarns extending outwardly from the back surface of the glass fiber fleece sheet material.

Claim 3

The fusion-bonded carpet of claim 1 wherein the woven synthetic fiber sheet material comprises generally squared, closely woven openings having a pick range of about 20 to 40.

Claim 4

The fusion-bonded carpet of claim 1 wherein the woven synthetic fiber sheet material comprises fibers selected from the group consisting of polyester fibers, olefinic fibers and combinations thereof.

Claim 5

The fusion-bonded carpet of claim 1 wherein the tufted yarns form a plurality of closed-loop yarns on the face wear surface.

Claim 6

The fusion-bonded carpet of claim 1 wherein the tufted yarns form a plurality of sheared yarns of the same general height as the face wear surface.

Claim 7

The fusion-bonded carpet of claim 1 wherein the water-based polymeric latex material comprises an ethylene-vinyl acetate latex material.

Claim 8

The fusion-bonded carpet of claim 1 wherein the woven synthetic fiber sheet material comprises a closely woven polyester sheet material.

Claim 9

The fusion-bonded carpet of claim 1 wherein the one end of the plurality of tufted yarns forming the selected tufted pattern are sheared yarns of about the same height as the fibrous face wear surface.

Claim 10

The fusion-bonded carpet of claim 1 which includes an adhesive coating layer on the back surface of the glass fiber fleece sheet material to secure the other end of the tufted yarns in position.

Claim 11

The fusion-bonded carpet of claim 1 wherein the tufted yarns which form the selected pattern on the face surface differ in properties, color, textures and types so as to form a distinctive, selected tufted pattern on the face wear surface.

Claim 12

The fusion-bonded carpet of claim 1 which includes a backing layer thereon secured to the back surface of the glass fiber fleece sheet material.

Claim 13

A carpet tile which includes the fusion-bonded carpet of claim 1 and also includes a solid backing layer secured to the back surface of pattern-tufted, fusion-bonded carpet.

Claim 14

The carpet tile of claim 12 wherein the solid, thermoplastic material is selected from the group consisting of: bitumen, atactic polypropylene; olefin; ethylene vinyl acetate; thermoplastic elastomers; polyurethanes; and polyvinyl chloride.

Claim 15

A pattern-tufted, fusion-bonded carpet tile having a fibrous pile face wear surface with a fibrous, tufted pile pattern thereon, wherein the carpet tile comprises: a) a primary adhesive layer formed from a water-based ethylene vinyl acetate latex material; b) a plurality of fibrous yarns bonded to and extending generally upright from the adhesive layer to form a fibrous face wear surface; c) a woven polyester fibrous sheet material; d) a porous, glass fiber fleece sheet material adjacent to the woven polyester sheet material, the woven polyester sheet material and the adjacent glass fiber fleece sheet material bonded to the primary adhesive layer; e) a plurality of tufted yarns extending through the primary adhesive layer, the polyester woven sheet material and the glass fiber fleece sheet material, the tufted yarns forming a selected, sheared, tufted pattern on the face wear surface of the carpet tile, the tufted yarns having a different color, type, style, texture or properties than the fibrous face wear surface, the tufted yarns sheared to about the same height as the height of the fibrous face surface, and the other ends of the tufted yarns cut and extending to the back surface of the glass fiber fleece sheet material; and f) a solid, thermoplastic backing layer bonded to the back surface of the glass fiber fleece sheet material.

Claim 16

A pattern-tufted, fusion-bonded carpet tile having a fibrous pile face wear surface with a fibrous, tufted pile pattern thereon, wherein the carpet tile comprises: a) a primary adhesive layer formed from a water-based ethylene vinyl acetate latex material; b) a plurality of fibrous yarns bonded to and extending generally upright from the adhesive layer to form a fibrous face wear surface; c) a woven polyester fibrous sheet material; d) a porous, glass fiber fleece sheet material adjacent to the woven polyester sheet material, the woven polyester sheet material and the adjacent glass fiber fleece sheet material bonded to the primary adhesive layer; e) a plurality of tufted yarns extending through the primary adhesive layer, the polyester woven sheet material and the glass fiber fleece sheet material, the tufted yarns forming a selected, sheared, tufted pattern on the face wear surface of the carpet tile, the tufted yarns having a different color, type, style, texture or properties than the fibrous face wear surface, the tufted yarns sheared to about the same height as the height of the fibrous face surface, and the other ends of the tufted yarns cut and extending to the back surface of the glass fiber fleece sheet material; and f) a solid, thermoplastic backing layer bonded to the back surface of the glass fiber fleece sheet material.

Claim 19

The method of claim 15 wherein the water-based polymeric latex material comprises an ethylene-vinyl acetate latex material.

Claim 20

The method of claim 15 wherein the woven synthetic sheet material comprises a closely woven polyesters sheet material.

Claim 21

The method of claim 15 which includes tufting the face wear surface of the fusion-bonded carpet in a computer-controlled manner to provide for a desired tufted pattern on the face surface thereof.

Claim 22

The method of claim 15 which includes shearing the top surface of the overtufted yarns, to form the selected pattern to about the same height as that of the face wear surface.

Claim 23

The method of claim 15 which includes selecting fibrous yarns which differ in properties, color, texture, style or type from the face surface fibrous yarns so as to form a distinctive pattern on the face wear surface.

Claim 24

The method of claim 15 which includes applying a solid, thermoplastic backing layer to the back of the pattern-tufted, fashion-bonded carpet.

Claim 25

The method of claim 21 which includes applying a backing layer of a solid, thermoplastic material, and forming carpet tiles from such pattern-tufted, fashion-bonded carpet.

Claim 26

The pattern-tufted, fashion-bonded carpet produced by the method of claim 15.

Claim 27

The pattern-tufted, fashion-bonded carpet title produced by the method of claim 22.

Claim 28

The method of claim 15 which includes forming the plurality of tufted yarns of closed-loop yarns on the face wear surface.

Claim 29

The method of claim 15 which includes applying a latex adhesive coating to the back surface of the glass fiber fleece sheet material, to secure the other ends of the tufted yarns.

Claim 30

The method of claim 15 which includes employing a computer-controlled, needle-tufting machine, to tuft the plurality of tufted yarns and to form a closed-loop-yarn, computer-controlled pattern on the face wear surface therefrom.

Claim 31

The method of claim 26 which includes cutting the tufted yarns on the back surface of the glass fiber fleece sheet material with the tufting step.

Claim 32

The method of claim 15 which includes providing a primary adhesive layer comprising a water-based polymeric latex material, a flame retardant, an inert filler and carbon-black dispersion.