CA1301441C - Preferentially needled textile panel and method - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract of the Invention A nonwoven textile fiber panel, useful, for instance, in manufacturing car trunk liners, in which synthetic thermoplastic fibers that vary in fiber length, diameter, denier, and/or density are needle-punched to produce a carpeting material, which can then be directly utilized, or thermoformed to retain a desired shape.
The fibers that one desires to show up on the face side of the final product are preferentially driven by the needle barbs of a needle loom through the precursor batt material. This preferential needling can also be enhanced through selection of various needle lengths, needle diameters, and barb spacing configurations.

Description

13t~1~41 The introductlon of synthetic fibers to the carpeting industry meant that carpeting would become more resistant to weathering, fading, and mildewing. However, the problem of fitting carpeting into irregular spaces stlll existed. Then, ways were developed of using synthetic fibers, whlch would partlally melt when heated up to a certaln temperature, and which would then bond to each other when they were cooled. Thls meant that a carpet-like material could be made out of nonwoven flbers.
Carpet-like material made of nonwoven fibers was easier to shape and contour around irregular and uneven surfaces. Furthermore, while the fibers were still warm, a piece of the material could be molded under conditions of pressure and heat to take on the - general outline of the area to be carpeted. ~This process is known as thermoforming.) Thus, there now existed a way to mold car trunk carpeting guickly and efficiently.
The problem then arose of how to manufacture such carpeting in an efficient and economical way before the carpeting was cut and molded to a given shape. One common approach was to make a soft bulky assembly of fibers, or batt, and then to attach the batt to carpeting that had been loomed on a conventional carpet loom. The loomed carpet would be attached to the batt by a needle loom. A needle loom works by pushlng a needle downwards lnto a bulk of flbers. The needle has barbs on it, but the barbs f~ace downward lnstead of upwards. In a revers-flshhook prlnciple, the barbs that are belng pushed in a downward direction tend to ¢atch fibers and pull them downwards so as to thoroughly entangle and intermix the fibers among each other. This results in a batt that has been compressed, and iæ less likely to fray. The process of running such fibers through the needle loom is commonly known 30~ as needle-punchlng, or simply, needling. This is discussed in more detall in U.S. Patent No. 4,424,250, (Adamæ and Middleton).
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13~1441 1 Taklng development one step further, lt wa~
discovered that the ~tep of attachlng a sepa~ately loomed carpet to the batt could be ellmlnated lf the batt were needle-punched ln such a way as to glve lt a fuzzy surface to make lt look and feel llke loomed carpeting. The problem with thls was that the end product would be glossy or shiny after havlng been molded. Often, there were regions on the surrace where flber~ had vislbly fused together, thu~ glving the product a less pleaslng appear-ance. Also, the end product would not always be stlffenough to sufflciently cover vertlcal ~urfaces.
Furthermore, such a carpet could not alway~ be shaped closely enough to follow particularly sharp contour~.
Thus, there was a need for a way o~ maklng a nonwoven fiber carpeting that had desirable carpet-like qualities, good hand-Eeel, absence of fused, glossy, or shlny surface areas, which could be shaped around particularly sharp contour~, and which had enough ~tlffnes~ to cover vertlcal surface~ wlthout having to be affixed onto such a surface.
; It is therefore an obJect of the present invention to provide a nonwoven, needle-punched carpeting, (among other classes of textlle materlals) which wlll not show glossy, shlny, or rused reglons on the surface after the carpetlng has been subJected to heat during the moldlng process. It is another obJect o~ the present ,~ inventlon to provlde a nonwoven, needle-punched carpetlng, whlch wlll take on the shape of partlcularly sharp contours durlng the moldlng proces~, and whlch wlll be stlrr enough to cover vertlcal, as well as horizontal surraces wlthout having to be mechanically fastened to vertical surraces. It 18 yet another ob~ect Or the present invention to produce a nonwoven, needle-punched carpet from a rlbrous batt in one manufacturlng step, whlch wlll be capable Or being molded.

, ~3~)1441 It i~ a ~eature of the present inventlon to able to obtaln a nonwoven, needle-punched carpetln~
(again, amon~ other classes of textlle materlals) materlal, which can be formed into a relatively rigld textile panel from a loosely consolldated, nonwoven fibrous batt, whlch is comprl~ed of dlfferent types of flbers that have been chosen so that the needle-punching process wlll tend to force one type of the fibers to the surface of the final product. It is another feature of the present lnvention to control the varlables of needle size, needle barb type, needle length, and/or depth of needllng during the needle-punchlng process ln order to preferentlally push a desired fiber ln a loosely consoll-dated nonwoven flbrous batt towards one side of the carpeting materlal. It ls yet another feature of the present lnventlon that a carpetlng materlal emerges from the needle-punchlng process wlthout havlng had to attach a separately loomed carpet to the flbrous backlng. It ls yet another feature Or the present lnventlon that the ribers chosen for the loosely consolldated nonwoven flbrous batt can vary not only as to thelr llkelihood of belng preferentlally needled to one slde of the flnal product, but also can be chosen so as to vary ln their ~oftenlng polnt temperatures durlng the thermoformlng process.
Where lt 18 deslred to manufacture carpeting or a carpet-llke materlal, lt ls an advantage of the present lnventlon that the flnal product exhlblts a pleaslng, carpet-llke appearance, whlch has good hand-feel. It is another advantage Or the present lnventlon that a carpetlng materlal emerges from the needle-punchlng process wlthout havlng to ~eparately purchase and attach a separately loomed carpet to the flbrous backlng materlal. For these reasons, and for other reasons that are explalned below, the present lnventlon solves a need ln thl~ area.

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Summary of the Invention The present invention overcomes the problems and satisfies the needs previously considered by providing for a nonwoven batt of a first kind of fiber and at least a second kind of fiber. The first kind of fiber will differ from the second kind of fiber, and any additional fibers, in some characteristic quality that has been selected so that the result will be a greater likelihood of the first kind of fibers being snagged by the needle barbs of a needle loom, and from there being selectively driven to one side of the resulting panel. This is accomplished either by varying the kinds of fibers found in the nonwoven batt before it is needle-punched, or it can be accomplished by varying the types of needles found in the needle loom, or it can be accomplished by a combination of varying either of these factors.
Thus, according to one broad aspect, the invention provides a nonwoven fiber panel which has been needle-punched, comprising, a face side formed predominantly of first fibers which, during needle-punching, have been preferentially snagged from a batt of said first fibers in admixture with other fibers by needle barbs of a needle loom and thence selectively driven to the face side of the panel, said first fibers having an average length which is less than the average length of said other fibers; and a base side jolned to the face side and formed predominantly of said other fibers.
According to another broad aspect, the invention provides a nonwoven fiber panel which has been needle-punched, comprisingt a face side predominantly of first fibers which, during needle-punching, have been preferentially snagged from a batt of said first fibers in admixture with other fibers by needle barbs of a needle loom and thence selectively driven to the face side of the panel, said first fibers having a lower average denier than said other fibers; and a base side joined to the face side and formed predominantly of said other fibers.
According to yet another broad aspect, the invention provides a nonwoven fiber panel which has been needle-punched, .` . \ .

13u1~41 comprising: a face side formed predominantly of first fibers which, during needle-punching, have been preferentially snagged from a batt of said first fibers in admixture with other fibers by needle barbs of a needle loom and thence selectively driven to the face side of the panel, said first fibers having a smaller average diameter than the other fibers; and a base side joined to the face side and formed predominantly of said other fibers.
Thus, one type of fiber is driven to one side of the resulting panel, and that side of the panel then has desirable appearance and feel. The resulting panel can be thermoformed to take on a desirable shape, if thermoplastic fibers were included in the fiber mix.
The present invention also provides for a method of making a nonwoven fiber panel by forming a nonwoven batt of a first and at least a second textile fiber, where the fibers have been chosen so that the first fibers are preferentially driven to one side of a resulting panel by the needle barbs of a needle loom, and needling the nonwoven batt in a needle loom. After the first fibers are thus preferentially driven, the resulting textile panel can be thermoformed to take on a desired shape.
Thus, accordlng to a further broad aspect, the invention provides a method of making a nonwoven fiber panel having a nonhomogeneous fiber distribution characteristic from a single batt of a mixture of different fibers randomly and homogeneously distributed, comprising the steps of: forming a nonwoven batt of an admixture of first textile fibers and at least second textile fibers; selecting at least one needle loom parameter from the group consisting of needle type, needle gauge, needle barb spacing, and depth of needling so that needled barbs of a needle loom preferentially snag said first fibers; and needle-punching the batt in said needle loom to preferentially drive the first fibers to one side of the panel while leaving the second fibers primarily at the other side of the panel.
According to a final broad aspect, the invention provides a method of making a nonwoven fiber panel having a nonhomogeneous fiber distribution characteristic from a single 5a ~3(~1441 batt of a mixture of dlfferent fibers randomly and homogeneously distributed, comprising the steps of: formlng a nonwoven homogeneous batt of an admixture of first textile fibers and at least second textile fibers; selecting at least one fiber parameter from the group consisting of average length, average denier, and average diameter so that needled barbs of a needle loom preferentially snag said first fibers; and needle-punchlng the batt in said needle loom to preferentially drive the first fibers to one side of the panel while leaving the second fibers primarily at the other side of the panel.
By convention herein, the fibers that one desires to have showing on one side of the final product will be referred to as first fibers or alternatively, as high-propensity fibers.

5b 13(~41 1 Bri~ Description o~ the Drawin~s .
FIG. 1 ~chematically shows a sequence of manufacturlng steps ~or produclng a preferentlally needled textile panel.
FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged end vlew of a precursor, loosely consolidated batt o~ at lea~t two di~erent kinds o~ textile ~lbers.
FIG. 3 ls a greatly enlarged ~lde vlew of a barbed needle engaging and downwardly pulllng a slngle textile fiber.
FIG. 4 ls a view taken along line 4-4, whlch gives a frontal vlew Or a barbed needle engaglng and downwardlg pulling a slngle textile flber.
FIG. 5 ls a schematlc slde vlew showing the actlon of two needles of a reclprocatlng needle ioom as the needles course up and down through a loosely consolidated batt o~ ~ibers.
FIG. 6 ls a schematic slde view o~ a batt oE
~lbers that have been partially needled and where the dlfferent types of fibers have been at least partlally separated.
FIG. 7 18 a schematlc side vlew of a batt that has been fully needled, and where the ~lbars have reached the desired stage o~ separation, and where the flbers have also subsequently been at least partially fused ln a ; thermoformlng process.
FIG. 8 is a schematic side vlew o~ an alternatlve embodiment o~ the invention, in whlch a foam backing is a~flxed onto a needled and thermo~ormed batt.

Detailed Description of the Drawlngs Turning rlrst to FIG. l there ls shown, ln ~eneral schematic format, processing steps for manu~acturing the pre~erentially needled textile panel.
At 20 there is shown a ~irst rlber bln, whlch contalns ~, . .

13v~441 1 loose, unconsolidat~d ~ibers chosen ~or application ln ~iven version o~ the panel. The fibers are dropped at a controlled rate onto the transfer means 22, which o~ten is simply a type o~ conveyor belt. When the particular desired version of the panel requlres two types of flbers, the second type is stored ln a second fiber bin 26, whlch llkewlse wlll drop loose, unconsolldated flbers at a controlled rate onto the transEer means 22, as well as onto the ~lrst flbers that were deposited from the flrst flber bln 20. It should be understood that where any greatar number of fiber types ls deslred, that such flbers are similarly stored in flber bins, which drop thelr contents at a controlled rate onto a transfer means and onto the other types of fibers with whlch they are to be combined. The transfer means 22 then carries the loose, unconsolldated fibers generally along direction of work-flo~r 24 towards a carding means 28. The cardlng means utilizes some type of mechanical carding operation, which will loosely consolidate the flbers entering into the carding means in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. This results in a loosely consolldated batt 30, which is carrled along to the next step in the operation, which ls needle-punching.
The loosely consolidated batt 30 is fed into a needle loom mean3 32 having an array of barbed needles that reclprocste in an up and down motion indicated by _ 34. Prlor to preferential needle punching, which is fully explalned below, the batt can be preneedled, which means that the batt goes through an lntermediate compaction step. In preneedllng, the needle loom needles do not have the necessary barbs to snag and drlve flbers relatlvely great distances, so the soft and bulky batt only gets somewhat compacted.
In order to better explain the action of the needle loom, FIG. 2 i3 now dlscussed, whlch schematlcally shows a greatly enlarged cross-sectlonal vlew of a loosely consolidated batt, shown generally at 30, as lt would .~ .

:13Vl~l l ~xist navin~ left a car~ing means. Th~ loosel~
consolidated batt 30 wlll be made up of high propensity ~ib~rs 38, lower propensity ~ibers 40, and where rnore than two types of ~ibers ~re used, a lowest propensity t~pe of flbers 42. The hleh propensity fiber~ 38 are so labellsd because they have been ~o chosen, in accordance with the present in~ention, that the~ present the greatest statistical llkelihood of being snagged by the barbs of the needles o~ a needle loom, and then being drlven or thrown towards one side o~ the textile material. As can be seen in FIG, 2, the highest propensity fibers and the lower propenslty fibers thowever many type~ of low propenslty fibers there may be) are found in a totally random state prlor to the needle-punching operation.
There is shown at FIG. 3 in very enlarged detail, a side vlew of a needle loom needle 44 traveling in lts downward stroke 46, and havlng caught ln lts barb 48 a slngle hlgh propenslty fiber 50. ~IG. 4, which is taken along llne 4-4 Or FIG. 3, shows thi3 same action ln a front vlew o~ the needle. As FIGS. 3 and 4 make clear, the downward stroke o~ a needle loom needle snags a flber, thus carrylng the flber downward to the lowest polnt of the stroke of the needle. As the needle beglns lts upward stroke, the flber is released ~rom the barb ln an action that 18 the reverse of using a ~ishhook, and is there~ore ;; left ln an area close to where the downward stroke of the needle ends and lts upward stroke begins.
At FIG. 5, there is shown a close-up 3chematlc vlew of a cross-sectlon of a batt wlth the actlons of two needle loom needles courslng through the batt. As the needle 44 ls golng through lts downward stroke, lt captures a high propensity flber (as was shown in ~IGS. 3 and 4) and drives or throws that fiber towards the bottom side of the panel. The needle then travels upwards until lt reaches the top of the upward stroke where it will be6in a new cycle downwards.

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13V1~41 1 In the meantlme however, the rlbrouc ~a~s nac been moved horizontally a small distance so that ln lts next downward ~troke, the needle is punching through the ribrous mass at a sllghtly dlfferent position. As the ribers are fed through the needle loom in this manner, the fiber types slowly begin to separate lnto dlstlnct zones (or layers), whlch will have hlgher percentages of either the higher propenslty or the lower propenslty fibers. At FIG. 6, there 13 shown a glven portlon o~ the flbrous mass where needllng has at least partlally begun to separate the flber types. It can be seen that at the uppermost portion of the flbrous mass, there are virtually no hlgh propenslty flbers left. At FIG. 7, there ls shown the flbrous mass 36, whlch 18 now a fully needle-punched batt, and whlch has dlstlnct zones of vlrtual homogeneous fiber types. (By the term "virtual homogeneous" it ls meant that ~ very hlgh percentage of a glven flber type ls predomlnant.) At 52, there is a vlrtual homogeneous zone almost excluslvely of high propenslty fibers. At 54, there is a virtual homogeneous zone of the lower propensity fibers. If more than one type of lower propensity fibers had been used in a glven mlxture of flbers, then those flbers likewise would have been separated into dlstln¢t homogeneous zones by the needle-punching operatlon Just descrlbed.
Returning now to FIG. l, the needled batt 36,which now ha~ taken on the appearance o~ carpeting, contlnues on ln dlrectlon of workflow 24. In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the needle-punched carpet wlll now be subJected to elevated temperature in an oven or furnace means 56. Thls wlll be done so that, where lt is desired to include synthetlc thermoplastlc flbers in the fiber mix, those flbers can be heated to their temperature so~tenlng polnt so that they will at least partially soften and wlll then fuse to each other and to other adJacent fiber type~ upon subsequently being cooled. Returnlng to FIG. 7, there is shown at 64 - 9 - .

1 mu]~iple ~using contact po~ ~t.s, at whlch s~nthetic thermoplastic flbers that have been heated to their te~perature softanln~ polnt have subsequently cooled, and ln dolng so have fused among themselves and to other adjacent fiber types. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the lower propensity flbers 40, 42 were chosen so as to have a temperature softenlng polnt below that o~ the higher propensity flbers 38. Upon being subsequently recooled, the lower propensity fibers depicted ln FIG. 7 fuse among themselves and fuse to the higher propensity fibers in region 66, thus anchoring the hlgher propensity flbers to the rest o~ the fibrous batt. Region 54 primarily contalns areas o~ fusion contact points 64 between lower propensity fiber.s themselves. It should be noted that in the region 52 of the higher propenslty fibers, there is very little, lf any, fusing between the higher propensity fibers themselves. Thuq, in this particular embodlment of the invention, there is ~ormed a ~lbrous panel that will have one type of fiber on its face, which flber type will be anchored at fusion contact polnts wlth a second type of flber, whlch along with any addltional flber types present will make up the rest of the p~nel. Furthermore, the second type of fiber will be fused in and amongst itself, and with any additlonal fiber types present, and will there~ore provide a strong, somewhat rigid backing.
.!,~ In another embodiment of this lnvention, the heated needled carpet material, as it leaves the oven or furnace mean3 56, can be lnserted lnto a moldlng means 58. One can then give the carpeting a contour oP desired shape (lncluding complex shapes) under heat and pressure, as the molding means moves through downward and upward ~trokes 60, in order to provide a final contoured carpet product 62.
In its most preferred embodiment, the prererentially needled textile panel comprises a nonwoven batt of a first and at least a second riber, the first 13~1441 - l fi3er different ~rom the second ~iber, and any additior.
fibers, in a characteristic quality that is ~elected so as to result in a greater likelihood Or the first fibers bein~ snagged by the needle barbs of a needle loo~, and thence being selectively driven to one side of the panel. Preferably, the needling is one-sided needling in a needle loom. Although the fibers are selected partially on the criteria of how li~ely they are to be snagged by the needle barbs of a needle loom, they can also be selected according to their ability to be so~tened and rehardened in a thermoforming operatlon. Therefore, the first flbers selected for the panel may be fibars of a synthetic thermoplastic resin. The first fibers as such may be selected from the group consistlng of a polyethy-lene, polypropylene, polyester, polyamide, polyphenylenesulfide, and a polychlal.
Where the ability to soften and reharden is not an especially important criteria for the first fibers, or any other fibers, they can also be natural fibers or thermosettlng resin or any other nonthermoplastic fibers. In this instance, such fibers are instead chosen for their propenslty to be drlven to one side o~ a textile panel by a needle loom, as compared to other fibers present.
Furthermore, the second flbers may be fibers of ,3 a synthetic thermoplastlc resln. The second fibers may be sele¢ted from the group conslsting Or a polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, polyamlde, polyphenylene sulflde, and a polychlal. If there are any flbers ln addltion to these second flbers, the second and any such additional fibers may be rlbers Or a synthetic thermoplastic resin, taken from the groups just reclted above. Or, those fibers alone (which are fibers additional to the second fibers) may be the fibers Or a synthetic thermoplastlc resln.

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~3Ct1441 l The d~frerence ~n so~tening points o~ rlbers chosen ~or a g~ven verslon Or the preferentlally needled textlle panel ~ay be such that the fir~t fibers dlffer from the second fibers ln that when the second flbers are heated to a predetermlned deslred temperature, the second flbers wlll soften and upon thelr subsequently belng cooled, they wlll at least partially fuse to each other, and in so dolng, wlll at least partially anchor the ~lrst ~ibers. Or, fibers may be chosen so that lf there are any flbers ad~itional to the second flbers, lt ls those additional flbers that, when heated to a predetermined desired tempera~ure, at least one o~ such additlonal fibers will soften and upon thelr qubsequently belng cooled, will at least partlally fuse to each other and ln so doing wlll at least partially anchor the ~ her ~lbers, lncludlng the flrst flbers. Flnally, the fi~er3 may be so chosen such that when the flrst fibers are hsatad to a predetermined desired temperature, the ~lrst ~ibers will soften, and upon their subsequently being cooled, wlll at least partlally fuse to each other, and ln so dolng, will at least partlally anchor the second flbers and any additional fibers.
Choosing fibers wlth regard to thelr llkellhood Or belng snag~ed by the needled barbs of a needle loom, and therefore selectively driven to one side of the panel, lnvolve3 several dlfrerent parameters. From the following dlscussion, lt should be understood that these parameters do not necessarlly depend on chemlcal dl~ferences.
Flr~tly, flbers may be chosen with regard to their average flber length. In general, shorter average length fibers T~re more llkely to be snagged and driven to one slde o~
the panel by the needle loom than are longer average length fibers. By conventlon, the flbers which one most desires to have showing on one qlde of the final product wlll be the flrst fibers. Therefore, fibers can be chosen so that the flrst flbers differ from the second flbers or any addltlonal flbers ln that the average length Or the ~3C~1~41 l second or any additional fibers ls longer than the a~ter length of the first fibers. Furthermore, the second ~ibers can be chosen so that they differ from any fibers addltional to the second ~lbers ln that the avera~e length of the additlonal fibers is greater than the average len3th of the second fibers. Losically, any number of those ~ibers that are additional to the second fibers can be chosen accordin~ to havlng successlvely greater average ~lber lengths. There~ore upon needllng, the Pirst fibers, having the shortest average flber len~th, would be prefer-entially driven to one slde of the finished product, whlle the second fibers would be oriented behind them and any additional fibers chosen would be successively oriented behind the second fibers, according to avera,e fiber length. The longest average length flbers ~rould logically be furthest away fro;n the first fibers.
The same selectlon process can be per~ormed wlth other parameters whlch control llkelihood of being snagged and driven by the needles of the needle loom. Thus, flrst flbers can be chosen as to dlffer from second fibers in that the flrst flbers are of a lower average denier than the second and any addltlonal flbers, slnce those fibers having a lower average denier have a higher likelihood of being snagged and being drlven to one slde of the finished product. The second fibers llkewlse can be chosen so that they dlffer from any flbers addltlonal to the ~econd flbers, ln that the average denler Or the addltional flber~ i8 hlgher than the average denler of the second rlbers. Loglcally, any number Or addltlonal fibers can be chosen which have successlvely hlgher denlers.
Another parameter ls average flber dlameter.
Flrst flbers can be chosen so as to dlffer from second flbers ln that the first fibers are Or a smaller average diameter than second and any additional fibers. Second flbers can be chosen to dlffer from any additional fibers so that the average diameter of any additional fibers is larger than the average diameter Or the second fibers.

13~144~

l ~galn, any number of fibers can be cho~sen aAdit~onal t~
the second fibers, whlch have successively larger dlameters.
Yet another parameter that can be varied i3 average fiber density. First fibers can be chosen to dirferentiate ~rom second fibers in that the first ribers are of a 3reater average density than the second fibers.
Second fibers can be cho.sen to dlf~erentlate ~rom any additional fibers in that the avera~e density of the additional fibers is lesser than the average density Or the second fiber~. Any number of fibers additional to the second fibers can be chosen, having successively lower ., .
average densities.
The above-described fiber parameters can be chosen in combination to achieve the desired mix of high propensity and lower propenslty fibers.
In addition to varying parameters affecting fiber types, parameters can be varled wlth re~ard to the needles and the needle loom in order to achleve prefer-ential needllng.
The gauge of the needles used in the needle loomcan also be varied. Needle gauges up to and including the ~au~e of 38, which ls the gauge used in the most preferred embodiment of the panel, can be used. However, ~augas greater than 38 could al80 be used. Those skilled in the art know that the barbs on needle loom needles can be selected a8 to the spacing of the barbs. The most preferred embodlment of this invention makes use Or a close-barbed spaced needle. The depth Or needling can also be varied. Needling can be performed up to a depth in the range of .49 lnches to .89 inches, which is a preferred range, or a depth greater than this ran~e. Or, needling can be performed up to a depth Or 0.69 inches, which is the most pre~erred depth.
In order to obtain intermediate effects, the types of needles embedded in the needle carrier of the needle loom can be varied. Thus, the needles need not all ~ ~U14~1 1 be of the same gauge. Di~ferent gauges o~ needles coul be mounted in the needle carrier of the loom ln order to achieve varylng desired denslties or riber distriblltlons withln the flnal product. Furthermore, needles o~ the needle loom could be varied as to needle barb spaclng, or as to the length of the needles mounted in the carrler.
Any or all three parameters of needle gauge, barb spaclng, and length could simultaneously be varled withln the are~s Or needles mounted within the needle carrier Or the needle loom. Finally, needle parameters can be varied along wlth varying fiber parameters ln order to achieve a desired final fiber distributlon.
In addition to provldlng for a new type of panel, the present lnvention also provldes for a new method o~ maklng such a panel.- Thls method essentially uses the ~teps of formlng a nonwoven batt of a first and at least a second tex~lle flber, wlth those ~lbers havlng been chosen so that the flrst rlber will prererentially be drlven to one slde of the panel by the needle barbs of the needle loom. This batt ls then red lnto a needla loom, and the rlbers are prererentlally drlven to one slde of the panel, due to the factors relatlng to Piber type and needle type as dlscussed above. This method results in a novel nonwoven flber panel.
The lnventlon further comprl3es another embodlment, whlch provldes ror a method of maklng a rigld nonwoven ~lber panel. Thls again lnvolves formlng a nonwoven batt Or a flrst and at least a second textlle rlber, the ribers belng chosen so that the first fibers are preferentlally drlven to one slde o~ the panel by the needle barbs Or a needle loom. However, the rlbers have also been chosen so that at least one of the ribers, other than the ~lrst rlbers, ls capable oP being softened upon belng heated to a predetermined deslred temperature, and o~ then at least partlally ruslng to each other when the flbers are subsequently cooled. The flbers wlll also then at least partlally anchor the flrst flbers. Havlng so :

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~3~J14~1 1 chosen the ~ibers, the hatt is needled Ln the needle lç
and the flrst flbers are pre~erenttally drlvan to one ;31de of the resultln~ panel. The resultlng panel 1s then heated ln some type of furnace or oven means so that the lower melting polnt flbers will soften. The panel ls then allowed to cool some~hat whereupon the partlally softened ~ibers fuse to each other and also fuse to the higher temperature fibers, thereby anchorlng them.
If lt is deslred, in yet another embodlment o~
the lnventlon, the heated panel can be subJected to a thermoforming operation so as to take on a des1red contour or configuration by being molded under pressure and/or :
heat in a thermoformlng means accordlng to methods well ~nown by those skllled ln the art of thermoformln2. This method results ln a unlque rigid nonwoven fiber panel product. Or, the heated panel may slmply be compressed to obtain a substantially flattened product, which can be cut to desired dlmensions for later optlonal thermoforming.
The amount Or heating can be controlled so as to control the amount of flbers that are melted and will subsequently fuse, thereby dlctatlng the relatlve rlgidity of the flnal product.
If lt is deslred, ln yet another embodiment o~
the lnventlon, a layer of foam backlng 67 can be adhered or attached to the backslde of the carpet panel by methods well know to those skllled in the art. (FIG. 8) ~; One more parameter whlch can be controlled ln flbertype 19 that of color. Hlgh propenslty fiber types can be chosen to have a contrasting color from lower propensity flber types. The resultlng panel would have opposed slde~ of dlfferent colors ln thls case. Alter-natlvely, colors can be mlxed to obtaln a heather-llke appearance ln the flnal product.

13~1~41 1 ExamDle I

A homogeneous blend of fiber was carded lnto a batt uslng coarse denler (1~-20 denler) polypropylene fiber, 15 denier pol~ester fiber, and 6 denier polJ~st-r fiber. The batt was needled on one side to a depth of approxlmately 0.69 lnches using 38 gauge needles having close-barbed spaclng. The resulting carpet panel was th~n molded uslng conventional thermoforming techniques.
Example II

A homogeneous blend of fibers was carded into a batt conslsting o~ 50% by weight 20 denier polypropylene and 50% by weight 6 denier pol~aster. The needllng was performed, as described ln Example I, to produce a car-peting panel.

Example III
A homogeneous blend of fibers was carded using 50% by weight of 20 denier polypropylene, 25% 15 denier polyester, and 25% 6 denler polyester. The batt was needle-loomed, as described in Example I, to produce a product havlng a predominantly polyester face capable of being thermo~ormed, and having good rigldity and shape ,.~ deflnltlon.
Example IV

A nonwoven homogeneous batt 1s carded, in which a polypropylene portion 1s made up o~ both black and white colored fibers and a polyester portlon is comprised of both black and white flbers, which have been selected so as to have the same average length, denier, density, and flber dlameter. When thls product is needle punched and thermoformed, as described above, a heather grey product ls obtained, as opposed to a product havlng a solld color on the carpet slde.
:

13~44~
1 I is thou~ht that the ~re~erential1~ neea e~
textile panel and method of the present lnvantion alld man~
o~ lts attendant advanta~es w111 be understood r~om ~he ~ore~oin~ description, and lt will be apparent to tho3e skllled ln the art that various changes may be made ln the ~orm, construction and arrangement Or the parts thereof wlthout departin~ Lrom the spirit and scope of the inventlon or sacri~lclng all of lts materlal advantages.
The ~orms hereln descrlbed are merely pre~erred embodi-ments, and the descrlption herein should not be construedor interpreted as the only smbodiments. Although thls deqcrlptlon has largely discuqsed appllcation o~ this invention to the productlon o~ carpetlng, thls ls only one maJor appllcation of the technology, and other appli-cations to the production o~ other textlle or textile-containing products are not intended to be precluded.
These may include, but are not limlted to, blankets, bedding ~aterlal, to~el material, clothlng ma~erial, tenting material, composite reinforcement mat~rial, sound and/or thermal insulating materlal, absorbent material, and ~eotaxtlle materlal. The followin3 clalms should therefore be lnterpreted as broadly as is reasonable.

~i f ~

Claims (36)

1. A nonwoven fiber panel which has been needle-punched, comprising: a face side formed predominantly of first fibers which, during needle-punching, have been preferentially snagged from a batt of said first fibers in admixture with other fibers by needle barbs of a needle loom and thence selectively driven to the face side of the panel, said first fibers having an average length which is less than the average length of said other fibers; and a base side joined to the face side and formed predominantly of said other fibers.

2. The panel, as claimed in claim 1, which has been needle-punched by one-sided needling.

3. The panel, as claimed in claim 1, in which at least a portion of said other fibers have softened and rehardened so as to fuse to one another and to the first fibers, at least partially anchoring the first fibers, said first fibers not having softened or fused.

4. The panel, as claimed in claim 3, in which needle-punching takes place prior to softening, rehardening and fusing of the other fibers.

5. The panel, as claimed in claim 1, in which the first fibers consist of two or more distinct types of fibers having the common characteristic of being preferentially snagged by the needle barbs, compared to the other fibers which are not so preferentially snagged.

6. The panel, as claimed in claim 1, which has been needle-punched with a needle having a gauge of up to 38.

7. The panel, as claimed in claim 6, in which the needles of the needle loom use a close-barbed spacing.

8. The panel, as claimed in claim 7, in which the batt is needle-punched to a depth in the range of 0.49 inches to 0.89 inches.

9. A nonwoven integrated fabric panel which has been needle-punched and thereafter thermoformed by molding into a shape-stabilized rigidified form of desired non-planar shape, comprising: a face side formed predominantly of first thermoplastic resin textile fibers which, during needle-punching, have been preferentially snagged from a batt of said first fibers in admixture with other thermoplastic resin textile fibers having a lower temperature softening point than the first fibers by needle bars of a needle loom and then selectively driven to the face side of the panel; and a base side, joined to the face side, formed predominantly of such other fibers, at least a portion of which have softened and rehardened so as to fuse to one another and to the first fibers, at least partially anchoring the first fibers, the first fibers not having softened or fused; said first fibers having a smaller average diameter than the other fibers, facilitating said preferential snagging thereof.

10. The panel, as claimed in claim 9, in which the first fibers are polyester to produce a predominantly polyester faced panel.

11. A nonwoven fiber panel which has been needle-punched, comprising. a face side predominantly of first fibers which, during needle-punching, have been preferentially snagged from a batt of said first fibers in admixture with other fibers by needle barbs of a needle loom and thence selectively driven to the face side of the panel, said first fibers having a lower average denier than said other fibers; and a base side joined to the face side and formed predominantly of said other fibers.

12. The panel, as claimed in claim 11, which has been needle-punched by one-sided needling.

13. The panel, as claimed in claim 11, in which at least a portion of said other fibers have softened and rehardened so as to fuse to one another and to the first fibers, at least partially anchoring the first fibers, said first fibers not having softened or fused.

14. The panel, as claimed in claim 13, in which needle-punching takes place prior to softening, rehardening and fusing of the other fibers.

15. The panel, as claimed in claim 11, in which the first fibers consist of two or more distinct types of fibers having the common characteristic of being preferentially snagged by the needle barbs, compared to the other fibers which are not so preferentially snagged.

16. The panel, as claimed in claim 11, which has been needle-punched with a needle having a gauge of up to 38.

17. The panel, as claimed in claim 16, in which the needles of the needle loom use a close-barbed spacing.

18. The panel, as claimed in claim 17, in which the batt is needle-punched to a depth in the range of 0.49 inches to 0.89 inches.

19. A nonwoven fiber panel which has been needle-punched, comprising, a face side formed predominantly of first fibers which, during needle-punching, have been preferentially snagged from a batt of said first fibers in admixture with other fibers by needle barbs of a needle loom and thence selectively driven to the face side of the panel, said first fibers having a smaller average diameter than the other fibers; and a base side joined to the face side and formed predominantly of said other fibers.

20. The panel, as claimed in claim 19, which has been needle-punched by one-sided needling.

21. The panel, as claimed in claim 19, in which at least a portion of said other fibers have softened and rehardened so as to fuse to one another and to the first fibers, at least partially anchoring the first fibers, said first fibers not having softened or fused.

22. The panel, as claimed in claim 21, in which needle-punching takes place prior to softening, rehardening and fusing of the other fibers.

23. The panel, as claimed in claim 19, in which the first fibers consist of two or more distinct types of fibers having the common characteristic of being preferentially snagged by the needle barbs, compared to the other fibers which are not so preferentially snagged.

24. The panel, as claimed in claim 19, which has been needle-punched with a needle having a gauge of up to 38.

25. The panel, as claimed in claim 24, in which the needles of the needle loom use a close-barbed spacing.

26. The panel, as claimed in claim 25, in which batt is needle-punched to a depth in the range of 0.49 inches to 0.89 inches.

27. A method of making a nonwoven fiber panel having a nonhomogeneous fiber distribution characteristic from a single batt of a mixture of different fibers randomly and homogeneously distributed, comprising the steps of, forming a nonwoven batt of an admixture of first textile fibers and at least second textile fibers; selecting at least one needle loom parameter from the group consisting of needle type, needle gauge, needle barb spacing, and depth of needling so that needled barbs of a needle loom preferentially snag said first fibers; and needle-punching the batt in said needle loom to preferentially drive the first fibers to one side of the panel while leaving the second fibers primarily at the other side of the panel.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the batt is needle-punched solely from one side.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the needles of the needle loom have a gauge up to 38.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the batt is needle-punched to a depth of 0.49 to 0.89 inches.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein the needles of the needle loom use a close-barbed spacing.

32. A method of making a nonwoven fiber panel having a nonhomogeneous fiber distribution characteristic from a single batt of a mixture of different fibers randomly and homogeneously distributed, comprising the steps of: forming a nonwoven homogeneous batt of an admixture of first textile fibers and at least second textile fibers; selecting at least one fiber parameter from the group consisting of average length, average denier, and average diameter so that needled barbs of a needle loom preferentially snag said first fibers; and needle-punching the batt in said needle loom to preferentially drive the first fibers to one side of the panel while leaving the second fibers primarily at the other side of the panel.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the batt is needle-punched solely from one side.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the needles of the needle loom have a gauge up to 38.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the needles of the needle loom use a close-barbed spacing.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the batt is needle-punched to a depth of 0.49 to 0.89 inches.