EP0053700A1 - Non woven floor covering - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Non-woven floor covering (1) having a surface layer of mutually parallel thick fibre strands (4) of untwisted or twisted fibre material (6) and with a fibrous backing 5 layer (2), in which the fibre strands (4) are present without mutual attachment transverse to their longitudinal directions and are passively needled to the backing layer (2) by retaining threads (5) originating from that backing layer, characterised in that the retaining threads (5) originating from the backing layer (2) extend in a manner which is invisible from outside into the strands (4) at the most up to that part of the periphery of the strands (4) which is furthest from the backing layer (2) and within the strands (4) they are present in a folded-back form terminating in an end portion (5') which extends towards the backing layer (2).

Description

The invention relates to a non-woven floor covering with untwisted or twisted fiber material on its upper side, which is fastened to a fibrous carrier layer by means of fibers originating from the same and present as holding fibers.

Non-woven floor coverings are known (for example DE-OS 26 04 098), in which at least one layer of textile threads arranged parallel to one another are needled with a support layer from the threads by fibers originating from them. Since the needling is done by fibers of the threads, ie from the top of the floor covering, due to the risk of destroying the twisted threads and thus their appearance, however, only a small part of the fibers of each thread is needled to the supporting layer with an insufficient density. As a result, there is insufficient strength of the thread layer on the support layer for many purposes, which, if the fibers originating from the threads are damaged when the floor covering is used, can lead to a separation of the thread layer and thus to destruction of the top of the floor covering. If one wants to carry out a denser needling on the basis of this known method, this at best leads to a flat, felt-like deformed structure, for which the production of individual threads is not worthwhile, even if a structured appearance can be achieved therewith. The known coverings therefore do not meet the requirements placed on them and are limited to threads that allow a low needling density and are therefore limited to coverings of small thickness. Sections A further layer of thread above the first layer of thread only leads to an additional pattern with these known coverings.

It is also known (for example DE-OS 17 19 848) ktex to manufacture non-woven carpets of two mutually crossed layers of yarn of a thickness of for example 2 _0, which are fastened by needling with each other and, for example also needled to a carrier layer. The crossed position of the threads is needled from the thread side, ie the threads are actively needled to the backing layer and two layers of threads are always required so that the layers of thread are pressed together again by the needling.

Floor coverings are also known (e.g. BE 700 540), in which threads or slivers are needled from the nonwoven side, but which are always brought together with the nonwoven in a prefabricated layer. These known coverings therefore require prior formation of the thread or sliver layer with the desired pattern, which e.g. is also complex when changing patterns and in particular does not allow individual patterns. In particular, however, the fibers made of the nonwoven fabric are needled through the thread or sliver layer, so that they protrude from the top of the covering and are therefore open in the thread or sliver layer. As a result, they are not only exposed to wear, but the strength of the thread or sliver layer on the nonwoven fabric is also jeopardized because it can easily strip away from worn or worn needled fibers and can therefore separate from the nonwoven fabric.

It is therefore the object of the invention to create a non-woven floor covering of the type mentioned at the outset without the disadvantages of the known coverings, which has a clearly structured, e.g. have a hand-weave appearance and the fiber material of which should be attached to a support layer with sufficient strength, such that a e.g. raised structure should be achieved undisturbed by the type of attachment.

The object is achieved according to the invention for the covering of the type mentioned at the outset in that individual thick strands are passively tied to the carrier layer by the holding fibers which have only penetrated the same.

The strands present on the top of the covering according to the invention are therefore on the e.g. actively acting support layer, of which a part of the fibers as the holding fibers for fastening have only penetrated into the strands, so that the top of the floor covering is free or essentially free of protruding holding fibers. Due to the active involvement of the fibers from the carrier layer, the strands are therefore attached passively.

According to the invention, the thick strands can be attached without the risk of destroying them or affecting their appearance, because their fibers themselves are not used for attachment to the carrier layer. As a result of the thickness of the strands, the holding fibers can have penetrated into them at several points in parallel across the cross section, so that the strands are fastened to the carrier layer with sufficient strength. Therefore, e.g. a high density of the holding fibers and thus passive compacting is possible, which means e.g. a desired high strength and also uniformity of the attachment are present.

Strands of at least 5 mm in thickness, but also of 20 mm in thickness and more can be present or processed, which, because of their large thickness, are held in place at several points across the cross section by the holding fibers and therefore with high uniformity. The strands can have a fineness of 10-100 ktex. The holding fibers can in embodiments only be on part of the thickness e.g. penetrated into half of the thickness of the strands or penetrated over the entire thickness of a strand up to at most the periphery of the strands facing away from the carrier layer.

The strands are preferably attached to the carrier layer by a conventional needling process, in which the carrier layer here, for example by means of needles with barbs, fibers of the same and only inserted as needling fibers, ie the holding fibers into the strands and these can thus be passively needled. However, other known methods, such as mali methods, can also be used for passive fastening. The carrier layer is preferably needled actively by the own holding fibers originating from it.

Also in the following, "actively needled" should be understood to mean that fibers of a fiber layer are moved relative to other fibers in it by a needling process, e.g. undressed and swallowed together, i.e. can actively make a difference. They can be introduced into a further layer adjacent to the fiber layer, so that the further layer is connected to the fiber layer. "Passively needled" or "passively attached", on the other hand, means that there are fibers from a different fiber-containing layer than holding fibers in a fiber-containing material layer, but the fibers of the material layer are essentially not used for active purposes, but remain passive . For this purpose, e.g. refer to CH-PS 493.206.

As a result of the strands preferably needled passively on the carrier layer, e.g. the needle punctures are made on the underside of the backing and the covering and are therefore on the top of the covering e.g. out of view of an observer and invisible. The strands can therefore by a so-called "blind stitch technique", i.e. invisible technology from the actively needle-bearing backing layer, so that it e.g. cannot be influenced by use and therefore the top of the floor covering e.g. heavy wear and tear cannot be damaged or changed.

Depending on the type of strands, the desired covering or the desired or necessary strength, the strands can be needled from the carrier layer with a needle density of 20 to 200 punctures / cm ² . Due to the strand thickness of, for example, more For example, 5 mm is not only a high needling density, but there can also be floor coverings with a weight of, for example, 0.5 to 8 kg / m2.

In the floor covering according to the invention, a thick product is preferably possible with a single layer of the strands, in which the strands can be clearly raised and e.g. as three-dimensional structures from the bottom, i.e. the carrier layer can be seen protruding. E.g. making a preliminary sample. Rather, the strands can be individually and e.g. be applied to the carrier layer in a desired pattern, as a result of which not only the application of the same to the carrier layer, but also a variety of patterns or structures and a change thereof are possible. The strands are preferably mutually unconnected, so that they can gap when the floor covering is bent or bent in the direction of the support layer without, for example, their attachment to the support layer is impaired or stressed. This gives the floor covering, for example, a smoothness, as it e.g. cannot be reached with a needled felt, e.g. similar properties to tufted or woven carpets. As a result of the passively penetrated holding fibers according to the invention, which may be present under tension or loosely in the strands, e.g. compression of the strands and thus a compressed, flat product, as is e.g. avoided when needling from above, especially with high needling density.

The strands can be of any shape or form, e.g. have a circular or substantially circular, elliptical, rectangular, square or triangular cross section. They can contain or consist of natural or synthetic fibers, fiber-reinforced plastics or glued fibers or threads. The strands can be arranged in parallel or substantially in parallel. The strands can also have different diameters, and groups of strands of the same diameter can be mixed with groups of strands of a different diameter.

The strands can be ribbon or yarn-like e.g. be coarse structures and preferably have their own cohesion through solidification. The strands can e.g. in the non-prepublished CH-PS No. (corresponding to CH-Application No. 9087/80-0 from 10.12.1980, titled "fiber strand and process for its production") is described, to which in more detail at this point Explanation is referenced. The strands can be spun to impart twist or contain fibers wrapped around a core, e.g. a fiber core, may be around. They can be wrapped around the core in the form of a cylinder jacket or helically. With untwisted strands, i.e. in the case of strands of untwisted fibers, the consolidation can have been effected by a wrap or binding thread or by the aforementioned gluing of the fibers or threads, e.g. by binders which are introduced from the carrier layer and can penetrate from there into the strands, i.e. e.g. be treated by so-called splashing or by watering.

In one embodiment, the strands can therefore be wound with a visible, finer binding thread, for example up to 200 turns / m ² , and have the appearance of a warp thread imitation. It should be noted that, for example, in the known hand-woven carpets, chains made of yarn are clearly visible compared to, for example, coarse wool yarn or loose wool and represent a quality characteristic of the carpet. In the floor covering according to the invention, the binding thread can achieve the appearance of a hand-woven-like floor covering in a completely surprising manner, as can the chains in hand-woven carpets, without such being present. The appearance of a needled floor covering can thus be avoided and therefore that of a hand-woven floor covering can be achieved.

In another embodiment, each strand may have constrictions drawn through a wrapping thread, whereby the appearance of a tufted loop imitation can be achieved. During the manufacture of the strand, the winding thread is wound around it with tension, so that it can shift inward in the strand and appears to be soul-like wrapped around the strand. When looking at the strand, it appears to be deflected in the longitudinal direction and surrounded by the strand itself. The binding or wrapping thread is therefore essentially no longer recognizable as such and the fibers of the strands can swell plastically and, for example, in a loop-like manner, so that, for example, a high _/ low structure, ie a relief-like structure, results. The binding thread can have a fineness of 100-8000 dtex and the tension during the production of the strand is preferably below the tensile strength of the binding thread. With a fineness of, for example, 4000 dtex, the tension is preferably less than 20 kg.

With regard to such embodiments, reference is again made to the aforementioned, not previously published CH application No. 9087/80 - O for a more detailed explanation.

The holding fibers that have only penetrated into the strands are bent, for example, with some of them inside the strands in the direction of the carrier layer. They can be hook-shaped, e.g. barb-shaped, n-shaped, reversed V-shaped or looped or loop-shaped. As a result of this bending, the holding fibers can be hooked at one end to the fibers of the strands and can therefore be firmly anchored in them. Through the other end of the holding fibers located in the carrier layer, the strands are thus firmly connected to the carrier layer, with e.g. loop-shaped bending both ends can be anchored in the carrier layer.

The production of the floor covering according to the invention requires, for example, a targeted needling of the holding fibers out of the carrier layer into the strands. This is preferably done with needles, which enables both a grasping and an undisturbed release of the holding fibers, for example looped by barbs or recesses on the needles, when the needles are withdrawn from the strands, so that the holding fibers can be present within the strands with their bent ends. The needling can be done with so-called close-barb needles (eg information sheet F01A, SINGER felting needles). For example, the distances from barb to barb, the barb, and the puncture depth, for example and / or stitch density determining whether individual fibers or tufts can be gripped by, for example, one of the barbs and how deep and at what distance they can be positioned in the strands and, for example, bent in the manner of a loop. The latter is also dependent, for example, on the length of the staple fiber material. By arranging the needles appropriately in the needle board and position of the strands, for example next to one another with free spaces in between, the strands can be needled in the desired manner, so that the holding fibers can only be penetrated into the strands in a targeted manner.

The backing layer can contain or consist of natural or synthetic fibers and be nonwoven e.g. a nonwoven fabric, a fiber composite or just a single layer of fibers. On the side of the carrier layer facing away from the strands, an underlayer e.g. a cover layer on the back, which is common for floor coverings, e.g. a layer of spring back, attached by needling or gluing to form the covering according to the desired requirements. The floor covering can be a flat structure, e.g. available in web form or as piece goods, table or tile.

• Fig. 1 einen Teil eines Bodenbelages in perspektivischer Ansicht in schematischer Darstellung mit einem Schnitt,
• Fig. 2 den Bodenbelag im Schnitt entlang der Linie II - II der Fig. l,
• Fig. 3 einen Teil eines anderen Bodenbelages in schaubildlicher schematischer Darstellung mit einem Schnitt,
• Fig. 4 eine photographische Abbildung der Oberseite eines weiteren Bodenbelages und
• Fig. 5 einen Teil eines Stranges des Bodenbelages von Fig. 4 in einer Ansicht in schematischer Darstellung.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing in exemplary embodiments. Show it:

• 1 a part of a floor covering in a perspective view in a schematic representation with a section,
• 2 shows the floor covering in section along the line II - II of FIG. 1,
• 3 a part of another floor covering in a diagrammatic representation with a section,
• Fig. 4 is a photographic illustration of the top of another floor covering and
• Fig. 5 shows part of a strand of the floor covering of Fig. 4 in a view in a schematic representation.

According to FIGS. 1 and 2, a non-woven floor covering 1, for example a carpet, has a carrier layer 2 made of fiber material 3 and, on this essentially parallel, fiber-containing thick strands 4, which have a thickness D (FIG. 2) of more than 5 mm . The fiber material 3 is twisted, so that each strand 4 has its own strength. The carrier layer 2 is actively needled to the strands 4, that is to say the strands 4 are fastened to the strands 4 by holding fibers 5 originating from the carrier layer 2 and are therefore passively needled. The holding fibers 5 only extend into the strands 4 and, as shown in the right part of FIG. 2, up to or essentially up to the periphery 6 of the strands 4 or a section of the periphery 6 which faces away from the carrier layer 2. As shown in an embodiment in the left part of FIG. 2, the holding fibers 5 can also have penetrated into the strands 4 only over a part of the thickness D and extend in the strands 4 over half or less than half the thickness D / ₂ . The depth of penetration of _H old fiber 5 is, for example, depending on the-Vernadelungsbedingungen and / or the staple length of the fiber material of the support layer 2. On its only penetrated the strands 4 part 7 are bent over the retaining fibers 5 and of the strands 4 can hooked thus in the fiber material 3, and be attached to it. The bent fiber part 7 can be a fiber end part 8 or a fiber loop 9, which has remained in the carrier layer 2 with its two free leg ends 10. This depends on the length, for example the length of the stack, the fiber material 3 or the fiber part present on the needle during needling. For clarity, the bent fiber parts 7 and 1 ₀ wider, ie more gaping shown, as they can actually be present; they are practically narrower, ie the bent legs are closer together.

On the underside 11 of the backing layer 2 and thus of the floor covering 1 there are punctures 12 which are created when the backing layer 2 is needled with the strands 4 and are invisible from the top 13 of the floor covering 1. Due to the needling from the carrier layer 2 and the holding fibers 5 which have only penetrated into the strands 4, the upper side 13 of the Floor covering 1 therefore also free of the holding fibers 5.

The strands 4 are attached to the carrier layer 2 with sufficient strength by the holding fibers 5 because the needling was carried out at a multiplicity of needling points in accordance with the punctures 12. For the production, the strands 4 can be applied individually to the carrier layer 2 and, seen transversely to their longitudinal direction L, can be present without mutual cohesion, so that the floor covering 1 can be bent transversely to the longitudinal direction L, with gaps between the strands 4, and is therefore flexible in its transverse direction.

In the case of a floor covering 14 according to FIG. 3, untwisted strands 15 are also passively needled to a carrier layer 17 by holding fibers 16, which originate from the fiber material 18 of the carrier layer 13. The actively needled carrier layer 17 is thus connected to the strands 15. The holding fibers 16 have in turn only penetrated the strands 15 to at most the periphery 19 thereof, without the fiber material 20 of the strands 15 having been used in any way for the needling process. The floor covering 14 is thus again free on its upper side 21, or essentially free of protruding holding fibers 16. A cover layer 23 is attached to the underside 22 of the carrier layer 13. The strands 15 consisting of the untwisted fiber material 20 are wound around by a binding thread 24, so that they have their own cohesion.

Fig. 4 shows the top 25 of a floor covering 26 with strands 27, which are not recognizable, but as described in the embodiments according to FIGS. 1 and 2, are passively needled from a fiber-containing carrier layer, with fibers of the carrier layer acting as holding fibers only in the Strands 27 penetrated and are thereby passively needled. The strands 27 are constructed from a non-twisted fiber material 28 and are wrapped by a binding thread in such a way that the strands 27 are drawn together in their longitudinal direction and have constrictions 29, the The thread is soul-like and is not visible. As can be seen, the appearance of a tufted loop imitation can thereby be achieved.

5 shows one of the strands 27 pulled apart in its longitudinal direction E by tensioning, so that the mutual wrapping of binding thread 30 and strand 27 can be seen. When the tension is released, the tied thread 30 pulls the strand 27 together in such a way that its e.g. constricted parts appear pearl-like as strung on a string (Fig. 4). The strand 27 therefore shows in its longitudinal direction E an elasticity resulting from the tension of the binding thread during the manufacture of the strand and the apparent rotation resulting therefrom.

Claims (19)

1. Non-woven flooring with untwisted or twisted fiber material on its upper side, which is fastened to a fibrous carrier layer by means of fibers which originate from the same and which are present as retaining fibers, characterized in that individual thick strands are passively bound on the carrier layer by the retaining fibers which have only penetrated into them . 2. Floor covering according to claim 1, characterized in that the strands are passively needled by the penetrating holding fibers. 3. Floor covering according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the holding fibers with a part, e.g. an end part, within which the strands are bent in the direction of the carrier layer. 4. Floor covering according to claim 3, characterized in that the penetrating holding fibers are hook-shaped, e.g. barb-shaped, n-shaped, inverted V-shaped or looped or loop-shaped. 5. Floor covering according to claim 1, characterized in that the strands have a thickness of at least 5 mm, e.g. of more than 20 mm. 6. Floor covering according to claim 1, characterized in that the holding fibers extend invisibly from the outside only into the strands up to at most the periphery of the strands facing away from the support layer. 7. Floor covering according to claim 1, characterized in that the strands have any shape or form, for example have a circular or substantially circular, elliptical, rectangular, square or triangular cross section. 8. Floor covering according to claim 1, characterized in that the strands have a rotation. 9. Floor covering according to claim 1, characterized in that each strand is wrapped with a visible finer binding thread and thereby the appearance of a warp thread imitation is present. 10. Floor covering according to claim 1 or 9, characterized in that the strands contain fibers which are around a core, e.g. a fiber core around, e.g. wrapped around in a cylindrical or helical shape. 11. Floor covering according to claim 1, characterized in that each strand has constrictions contracted by a soul-like binding thread and thereby has the appearance of a tufted loop imitation. 12. Floor covering according to claim 1, characterized in that the strands are arranged parallel or substantially parallel. 13. Floor covering according to claim 1, characterized in that the strands have different diameters. 14. Floor covering according to claim 1, characterized in that the carrier layer is needled with the strands with a needle density of up to 200 stitches / cm ² . 15. Floor covering according to claim 1, characterized in that the strands contain natural or synthetic fibers, fiber-reinforced plastics, or glued fibers or threads. 16. Floor covering according to claim 1, characterized in that a weight of the floor covering of 0.5 - 8 kg / m ² is present. 17. Floor covering according to claim 1, characterized in that the strands are present transversely to their longitudinal direction without mutual cohesion. 18. Floor covering according to claim 1, characterized in that the carrier layer is actively needled by the own holding fibers originating from it. 19. Floor covering according to claim 1, characterized in that the retaining fibers have penetrated into the strands at several points as seen in the cross section thereof.

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