Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
  • E04F15/00—Flooring
  • E04F15/02—Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
  • A47G27/00—Floor fabrics; Fastenings therefor
  • A47G27/02—Carpets; Stair runners; Bedside rugs; Foot mats
  • A47G27/0293—Mat modules for interlocking engagement
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06N—WALL, FLOOR, OR LIKE COVERING MATERIALS, e.g. LINOLEUM, OILCLOTH, ARTIFICIAL LEATHER, ROOFING FELT, CONSISTING OF A FIBROUS WEB COATED WITH A LAYER OF MACROMOLECULAR MATERIAL; FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06N7/00—Flexible sheet materials not otherwise provided for, e.g. textile threads, filaments, yarns or tow, glued on macromolecular material
  • D06N7/0063—Floor covering on textile basis comprising a fibrous top layer being coated at the back with at least one polymer layer, e.g. carpets, rugs, synthetic turf
  • D06N7/0065—Floor covering on textile basis comprising a fibrous top layer being coated at the back with at least one polymer layer, e.g. carpets, rugs, synthetic turf characterised by the pile
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06N—WALL, FLOOR, OR LIKE COVERING MATERIALS, e.g. LINOLEUM, OILCLOTH, ARTIFICIAL LEATHER, ROOFING FELT, CONSISTING OF A FIBROUS WEB COATED WITH A LAYER OF MACROMOLECULAR MATERIAL; FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06N2209/00—Properties of the materials
  • D06N2209/08—Properties of the materials having optical properties
  • D06N2209/0807—Coloured

Definitions

• This invention relates generally to carpet tiles that can be positioned adjacent each other on a flooring surface to create the appearance of light emanating from the floor or the illusion of depth.
• Modular carpet tiles enable alteration of the appearance of a floor covering by simply rearranging all or some of the individual carpet tiles on the floor.
• this invention provides modular flooring designs, particularly including carpet tile designs, suitable for grand spaces as well as smaller scale rooms.
• carpet tile designs and configurations of this invention particular progressions and positioning of color, intensity, and shading, and particular placement of modules relative to each other in a flooring installation, result in flooring in bold, large scale designs that include flooring regions appearing either to have spatial depth or light emanating from the floor.
• the flooring having the properties of this invention is achieved by producing rectilinear, typically rectangular, flooring modules (preferable twice as long as wide) that have color distributed on the module from very dark to very light across the tile from one (preferably longer) edge to the opposite edge.
• uniform height tufts of yarns provide a "background" of constant color and intensity along the longer dimension of the tile that progresses across the tile from very dark along one side to very light along the other side. Between dark and light is an intermediate region of progression of colors that begin dark and become light.
• the heights are controlled of pattern-making yarn tufts of a single appearance compatible with all of the other yarns, which present all over the tile in order to impart a pattern of shapes on the tile.
• the colors in the intermediate region progress from dark to light between the dark bands and the light bands. This facilitates smooth color transition between the dark color and the light color across the intermediate region. While any number of colors may be used in the intermediate region, it is preferable that enough colors be used to ensure this smooth transition.
• the intensities of the colors in the intermediate region preferably progress from bright to relatively muted between the dark bands and the light bands so that the intensity of the light color tile edge is greater, and thus the light color is more prominent on the carpet tile, than the color adjacent it on a carpet tile.
• the presence of the tile areas gradually shading into the lighter region will provide an illusion of depth or of light emanating from a "soft" edged region of the floor.
• Paired rectangular tiles of this invention can provide large square modules with bold, central light regions, and a wide variety of other designs can be produced by varying the arrangement of modules on a floor.
• FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a carpet web pattern in accordance with one embodiment of this invention.
• FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a carpet web pattern in accordance with an alternative embodiment of this invention.
• FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a carpet web pattern in accordance with an alternative embodiment of this invention.
• FIG. 4 is a plan view of rectangular modules arranged in a "herringbone” pattern.
• FIG. 5 is a perspective view of carpet tiles of this invention having the tufting pattern depicted in FIG. 3 and assembled on a floor in a herringbone pattern as depicted in FIG. 4.
• FIG. 6 is a top or overhead view of an installation of carpet tiles of this invention having the tufting pattern depicted in FIG. 2 and arranged as pairs of rectangular tiles with abutting light edges where the pairs are quarter-turned relative to each other.
• FIG. 7 is a perspective view of carpet tiles of this invention having the tufting pattern of FIG. 1 and arranged in pairs of rectangular tiles with abutting light edges, together with tiles having other patterns.
• FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a large installation of rectangular carpet tiles of this invention having the tufting pattern of FIG. 1 arranged in four assemblies of pairs of tiles with abutting light edges and with the pairs in each assembly of tile pairs quarter-turned relative to each other.
• This invention relates to carpet tiles having bands of dark and light colors located on at least one pair of opposed edges of the tiles.
• an "edge" refers to the region on the face of a carpet tile near the actual side edge of the tile.
• the number of possible patterns that may appear on the tiles of this invention is virtually limitless, so long as this color scheme (i.e., edges having light and dark bands in accordance with this invention) is present on the tiles.
• tiles of this invention may be provided without any tufting or other pattern other than the progression from light to dark across the tile.
• FIGS. 1-3 respectively illustrate alternative embodiments of carpet web patterns 10, 20, and 30, all consistent with this invention. Carpet tiles utilizing the web patterns shown in FIGS. 1-3 can be seen in FIGS 5-8, by reference to which understanding of the following will be facilitated.
• FIGS. 1-3 each show one full "repeat” of the respective patterns 10, 20, and 30.
• a full “repeat” is one complete segment of the pattern.
• a carpet web will be formed with a pattern repeating across the width of the web, i.e. with multiple pattern repeats across the web, as well as along the length of the web.
• a web having any number of full or partial repeats of a pattern may be produced depending, in part, on manufacturing capabilities, including the equipment used to produce the web.
• the web may then be partitioned into carpet tiles of any shape or size, provided that the resulting tiles exhibit the color scheme, as set forth below.
• the tiles of this invention need not be cut from a web, but rather the colors and pattern (if any) may be printed on the face of pre-formed carpet tiles.
• the carpet tiles of this invention may be manufactured, among other ways, by manufacturing a floor covering web and then cutting the web into carpet tiles.
• a web may be, but does not have to be, manufactured using a conventional carpet tufting machine to form a textile floor covering face and attaching that face to appropriate backing structure.
• the web face may be produced on a carpet tufting machine having 1/4 gauge and 1/8 gauge needle bars.
• a desired pattern (and full and partial repeats thereof, if desired) may be formed on a web.
• Each needle is threaded with a dedicated yarn type (e.g., single color, space dyed, barber pole, etc.) and color (for purposes of this patent, "color” includes variations in shades of a single color).
• the pattern is formed on the web by color contrast between adjacent yarn colors on a single needle row, by color contrast between the yam colors on the first needle row and the second needle row, and by the prominence of particular yams on the web face as a result of tuft height.
• the types and colors of yam used should be selected to achieve the desired contrast. At least two colors are generally necessary to achieve color contrast. However, it is preferable to use a wide variety of colors on the tiles of this invention.
• the thread-up should include yams of at least one dark color and at least one light color. These yams should be tufted so that relatively wide bands of the dark color and relatively wide bands of the light color alternately appear across the web. Additional colors that fall between the dark and light colors (i.e, are lighter than the dark color and darker than the light color) create an intermediate region containing bands of color between these light and dark bands.
• this intermediate region progress from dark to light between the dark bands and the light bands. This facilitates a smooth color transition between the dark color and the light color across the intermediate region. While any number of colors may be used in the intermediate region, it is preferable that enough colors be used to ensure this smooth transition. It is possible to practice this invention by using a single color that progresses from a dark shade to a light shade across the tile. However, this invention is preferably practiced by using a series of different colors (not just shades of a color) that progress from dark to light across the tile.
• the intensities of the colors in the intermediate region preferably progress from bright to relatively muted between the dark bands and the light bands so that the intensity of the light color tile edge is greater, and thus the light color is more prominent on the carpet tile, than the color adjacent it on a carpet tile. This results in the light color edges "standing out” on the carpet tiles, which contributes to the illusions created by this invention, especially when the light color edges are positioned adjacent dark color edges.
• the carpet web with this color scheme may then be divided into individual carpet tiles.
• the longitudinal cuts should be located on the web so that they fall within, and preferably in the center of, each alternate dark and light band on the web.
• the light and dark bands should be made wide enough on the web so that tiles on both sides of a longitudinal cut will have a portion of the band (either light or dark) through which the longitudinal cut is being made.
• a tile cut from the web will have a portion of the dark band on one edge and a portion of the light band on the opposing edge, separated from the dark band by an intermediate region containing bands of colors.
• These wide bands of light and dark colors are placed on the web will obviously depend on the size of the tiles intended to be cut from the web.
• the lateral cuts may be made at any place along the length of the web, depending on the desired shape (e.g., square, rectangular, etc.) and dimensions of the tiles.
• the background color scheme of the resulting web is symmetrical about the central, longitudinal axis of the web. Such symmetry is not required, however.
• the background of the web is tufted by the 1/8 gauge needles.
• the tufts produced by the 1/8 gauge needles will generally be uniform in height.
• the 1/8 gauge needles are preferably threaded with solid colored yams, other yam types (e.g., barber pole, space dyed, etc.) may be used.
• the background changes colors frequently in a progression from dark to light to dark, etc. across the web.
• the background includes eight different background yams (A-H), each having a particular color. Yams A and H are either the dark or light color. If yam A is the dark colored yam, yam H is the light colored yam, and vice versa.
• Yams B-G create the bands of colors in the intermediate region between the dark and light color bands.
• background yam A is threaded on needles 1-15
• background yams A and B are alternately threaded on needles 16-25
• background yam B is tlireaded on needles 26-35, etc.
• yams B-G of any color may be used (although, preferably, are all lighter than the dark color and darker than the light color)
• yams B- G are preferably chosen so that a progression of color from dark to light and a progression of color intensity from bright to relatively muted is created in the intermediate region between the dark and light bands.
• the tufting pattern is produced on the web by the 1/4 gauge needles.
• the height of the tufts formed by the 1/4 gauge needles varies depending on the pattern.
• patterns 10, 20, and 30 may all be formed on a web having the above-described background by merely adjusting the height of the tufts formed by the 1/4 gauge needles.
• the 1/4 gauge needles may be threaded with any type of yam, ya s of solid colors have proven particularly well-suited for this application.
• all of the 1/4 gauge needles are threaded with yam I.
• the pattern may be formed by a variety of types and colors of yam.
• Yam I preferably has, but does not have to have, a relatively neutral color which provides enough of a contrast to the background colors to portray a pattern without overpowering and significantly detracting from the background colors.
• tiles may be cut from the web.
• Tiles in accordance with this invention may be cut into rectilinear shapes including squares, but are preferably cut into rectangles.
• the longitudinal cuts should be located so that they fall within, and preferably in the center of, each alternate dark and light band (formed in this case by yams A and H) on the web.
• a tile cut from the web will have a portion of the dark band (formed by ya A or H) on one edge and a portion of the light band (formed by yam A or H) on the opposing edge, separated from the dark band by an intermediate region of bands of colors (formed by yams B-G).
• tiles in accordance with this invention need not be produced from a tufted carpet web. Rather any method may be used to form tiles having a color scheme in accordance with this invention.
• the colors and patterns disclosed herein could be printed on pre-formed carpet tiles with no pattern or only some elements of the pattern.
• the tiles of this invention can be assembled on a flooring surface in numerous arrangements of similar and dissimilar tiles to create a number of different looks, all of which give the impression of light emanating from the floor.
• the tiles can be installed on the floor in the same relative positions they occupied in the web.
• the tiles could be placed in aligned rows and columns but be reoriented so that all or at least some dark tile edges are placed adjacent light tile edges. This contrast between dark and light colors helps create the illusion of light.
• tiles of this invention may installed as aligned columns that do not form aligned rows of modules.
• the tiles may be positioned so that a column of tiles appears shifted up or down relative to adjacent tile columns ("the ashlar installation method"). This staggers the horizontal seams or tile edges formed by the adjacency of the "tops” and “bottoms” of tiles within the columns.
• a "brick-laid” installation method may be desired in which "rows" of tiles are aligned, but the columns are staggered. Again, placement of the dark edges relative to the light edges can be controlled by the installer to vary the appearance of light on the floor.
• Square tiles cut from the web, or pairs of rectangular tiles together forming a square can be installed in a "quarter-tum" pattern, meaning that each tile (or pair of rectangular tiles) is positioned in an orientation rotated ninety degrees by reference to each adjacent tile (or pair of rectangular tiles) .
• Tiles are typically produced with a direction arrow on the back so that tiles installed with the arrows all pointing in the same direction will be in the same rotational orientation as they had within the web.
• half of the tiles (or pairs of rectangular tiles) have their arrow pointing in one direction
• the other half of the tiles (or pairs of rectangular tiles) have their arrow pointing in a direction offset by ninety degrees from the direction of the arrows of the first half.
• Rectangular shaped tiles cut from the web may also be installed in a "herringbone" pattern, in which, similar to the quarter-tum installation method, some tiles are positioned in an orientation rotated ninety degrees by reference to adjacent tiles. More specifically, in a herringbone installation, L-shaped pairs of tiles (having a short side of one tile abutting a long side of the other tile) are nested (see FIG. 4).
• a flooring installation may include a mixture tiles of this invention and other tiles, not in accordance with this invention, bearing different patterns and color schemes. The appearance of light on the floor is particularly prominent in such an installation if the tiles other than those of this invention are relatively dark compared to the light edges of the tiles of this invention.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Carpets (AREA)
• Synthetic Leather, Interior Materials Or Flexible Sheet Materials (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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ID=29732074

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (7)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2003
  • 2003-06-05 AU AU2003240567A patent/AU2003240567A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-06-05 JP JP2004511046A patent/JP2005529248A/ja active Pending
  • 2003-06-05 WO PCT/US2003/017865 patent/WO2003103944A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-06-05 CA CA002488756A patent/CA2488756A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-06-05 MX MXPA04012239A patent/MXPA04012239A/es unknown
  • 2003-06-05 EP EP03731584A patent/EP1515839A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-06-05 BR BR0311661-1A patent/BR0311661A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
• 2004
  • 2004-12-07 ZA ZA200409878A patent/ZA200409878B/en unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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