GB1558973A

GB1558973A - Printed carpets and method for producing them

Info

Publication number: GB1558973A
Application number: GB3790576A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Armstrong Cork Co
Current assignee: Armstrong World Industries Inc
Priority date: 1975-09-12
Filing date: 1976-09-13
Publication date: 1980-01-09
Also published as: DE2640846A1; DE2640846C3; AU1761676A; DE2640846B2

Description

(54) "PRINTED CARPETS AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THEM" (71) We, ARMSTRONG CORK COMPANY, a Corporation organized according to the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States of America, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17604, United States of America, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to methods of printing carpet and is an improvement in or modification of the invention described and claimed in Patent Application No. 37900/76 of even date (Serial No. 1558890).

According to the parent application printed carpet is made by a method which comprises dyeing at least some of the carpet fibres using one or more sublimable dyes, wherein the dye or dyes are printed on a porous transfer sheet and transfer of the dye(s) is effected by passing a heated gaseous medium through the transfer sheet and then through the face fibres of the carpet so as to volatilise the dye(s) and bring it or them into contact with the carpet face fibres in the adjacent portion of the carpet to dye the face fibres substantially throughout the depth of the pile of the carpet.

In one embodiment of the invention of the parent application the transfer sheet is itself the carpet backing.

This invention is based on the observation that when the transfer sheet is the carpet backing the dye or dye(s) can be transferred to the carpet piles simply by heating the carpet instead of by passing a heated gaseous medium through the transfer sheet and the carpet.

The invention therefore comprises a method of making a decorative tufted carpet, which comprises dyeing at least some of the carpet fibres using one or more sublimable dyes, wherein the dye or dyes are printed onto a carpet backing material, carpet face fibres are tufted into the backing material to form a carpet and the carpet is heated, other than by passing a heated gaseous medium through the carpet from the backing to the face fibres, to vapourise the dye(s) and to cause them to be transferred to the face fibres.

Preferably the heat treatment is such that the carpet is heated to a temperature of from 260"F. to 450"F. and time for transfer of the dye is of preferably from 30 seconds to 15 minutes, especially from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.

Insofar as the various carpet backing materials, carpet face fibre materials, dyes and inks containing the dyes are concerned and other variables of the method, these are fully described in the specification of the parent application.

The following Example illustrates the invention: Example Conventional woven polypropylene scrim primary carpet backing with a 24 x 11 count is utilized. The 24 x 11 count is the number of yarns in the warp and woof direction. The aforesaid polypropylene scrim weighs approximately 3 ounces per square yard (101 g. per square meter). This material is run across a Zimmer printer and printed with conventional inks containing sublimable dyes. Specifically, the dyes being used are Latyl Cerise NSN, C.I. Disperse No. Red 60, C.I. Constitution No. 60756; Latyl Violet 2R, C.I. Disperse No. Violet 28, C.I. Constitution No. 61102; and Acetamine Yellow CG, C.I. Disperse No. Yellow 3, C.I. Constitution No. 11855. The design printed on the polypropylene may be any type of aesthetic design and after it is printed on the polypropylene with the abovesaid sublimable dyes, it is permitted to dry.Nylon 66 yarn, Dupont Type 846, 1300 denier, bulked continuous filament is then tufted into the jute using a 5/64 (.2 cm) gauge, 12 tufts per inch to produce a 1/8 inch (.3 cm) pile level loop carpet weighing 13 ounces per square yard (455 g. per square meter).

The above product is then placed in an oven wherein the air in the oven is heated to 435"F. (224"C.). No air flow through the carpet is specifically caused by a mechanical means driving the air through the carpet. The heat within the carpet will cause the sublimation of the dye and the dye vapor will rise up and pass through the carpet face yarn which is setting on the upper side of the product as it sets within the oven. The product is kept in the oven for 2 minutes. In this time, the pattern which was printed on the polypropylene scrim with the sublimable dyes is transferred and fully developed throughout the height of the pile. The print is brightly colored with a soft diffused appearance.

If desired the face yarns may be tufted into the surface of the carpet opposite to the printed design, as described in the parent application. In such a case it may be neces sarp to heat either at a higher temperature or for a longer time to effect the dye transfer.

Further, in such a case it is possible and may be desirable to print the dye(s) on the carpet backing after the pile fibres have been tufted therein.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A method of producing a decorative tufted carpet, which comprises dyeing at least some of the carpet fibres using one or more sublimable dyes, wherein the dye or dyes are printed onto a carpet backing material, carpet face fibres are tufted into the backing material to form a carpet and the carpet is heated, other than by passing a heated gaseous medium through the carpet from the backing to the face fibres, to vapourise the dye(s) and to cause them to be transferred to the face fibres.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carpet is heated to a temperature of from 260"F to 450"F.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the time for transfer of the dye(s) is within the range of from 30 seconds to 15 minutes.

4. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the dye(s) are printed on one surface of the carpet backing and the carpet fibres are tufted into the backing so that they extend from the printed surface.

5. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the dye(s) are printed on one surface of the carpet backing and the carpet fibres are tufted into the backing so that they extend from the unprinted surface.

6. A decorative carpet whenever pro duced by a method as claimed in any one of

Claims

claims 1 to 3.

7. A decorative carpet whenever pro duced by a method as claimed in claim 4.

8. A decorative carpet whenever produced by a method as claimed in claim 5.

9. A method of producing a decorative carpet product substantially as described in the Example herein.

10. A decorative carpet whenever produced by a method as claimed in claim 9.

11. A process for making a decorative carpet through the use of sublimable dyes comprising the steps of: (a) printing sublimable dyes on the carpet backing prior to the time the carpet face yarns are tufted into the carpet backing, (b) tufting the carpet face yarn into the carpet backing with the carpet face yarn pile being on the side of the carpet backing which contains the sublimable dyes, and then (c) transferring the sublimable dyes from the carpet backing to the carpet face yarn through the application of heat to the carpet, other than by passing a heated gaseous medium through the carpet from the backing to the face fibres, to vaporize the dyes and permit the dyes to transfer to the carpet face yarn.

12. A process for making a decorative carpet through the use of sublimable dyes comprising the steps of: (a) printing sublimable dyes on one side of the carpet backing prior to the time the carpet face yarns are tufted into the carpet backing.

(b) tufting the carpet face yarns into the carpet backing with the carpet face yarn pile being on the opposite side of the carpet backing from that side of the carpet backing which contains the sublimable dyes, (c) transferring the sublimable dyes from the carpet backing to the carpet face yarn through the application of heat to the carpet, other than by passing a heated gaseous medium through the carpet from the backing to the face fibres, to vaporize the dyes and permit the dyes to transfer to the carpet face yarn, and (d) applying a coating to the back of the carpet backing on that side of the backing which is the side of the carpet backing that had the design printed thereon with sublimable dyes to lock in excess or residual dyes to the back side of the carpet backing.

13. A process according to claim 11 or claim 12 wherein the carpet is heated at a temperature ranging from 260"F. to 450"F.

for a period ranging from 30 seconds to 15 minutes.

14. A product made according to the process of claim 11 or claim 13.

15. A product made according to the process of claim 12 or claim 13.