JP2656066B2 - Tufted carpet - Google Patents

Description

Description: FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to tufted carpet materials, particularly carpet materials useful as entrance mats for removing dirt and water from shoes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A portion of the entrance passageway of a building that contacts the surface of the shoes of people and other pedestrians entering the building, such as on the soles and heels (all such portions are hereafter referred to as "soles"). A variety of solid matter deposits (hereinafter simply referred to as "fouling") and various devices for reducing or removing water are typically used. Such devices typically include a mat that provides a brushing or wiping action to the sole of the shoe.

Such mats are generally fibrous or woven to provide the desired frictional surface and wiping action.
However, most woven or fibrous mats are not entirely satisfactory, because they have very poor storage capacity for removed dirt and water, and most are particularly resistant to the rapid evaporation of water. This is because there is no conductivity. They often need to be shaken and washed to continue using the mat.

Attempts have been made to supply floor mats having a larger capacity to store the deposited dirt, but they have generally been less than satisfactory. For example, a length of solid material, such as a piece of metal stretched along an edge, or a piece of an automobile tire has been combined to leave a space therebetween to provide storage for dirt and debris. However, such mats are poor water sorbents, leaving the removed dirt barely visible and the dirt also collecting, and the mat is generally soiled after transfer since there is no bottom layer. Must also be removed, which is by no means satisfactory.

Certain woven or fibrous mats fail to provide an unattractive or luxurious underfoot surface. More attractive and elegant mats are generally formed of very heavily carpet piles, with surfaces and structures that have little capacity to store dirt, from which water will slowly evaporate.

Such carpet mats are typically composed of heavy backing material adhered to maintain the mat in place and have a typical size per filament which is the usual size for conventional carpet materials. Is provided with 6 to 15 denier tufted fibers. Although these fibers look good and have a pleasant texture when used in carpet, such conventional carpet fiber mats provide a rather closed surface,
This has little room, if any, to accumulate and hide dirt. Such defects cause a phenomenon known as "retracking" in the entrance passage matte service.

The dirt is removed on the surface of the mat, such as a tufted carpet, which leaves only insufficient room for dirt on the top of the mat, and is picked up by the next person walking on the mat, and the dirt further along the mat. It will be re-followed when it is brought into the building.

Mats containing larger denier fibers, such as those made from coyer (sometimes called "coco") fibers, are defibrated polypropylene films or larger denier vinyl fibers, and stains between such fibers. Large denier fibers are not very effective at absorbing and evaporating water, although they provide a well-released mat to store water.

U.S. Patent No. 4,045,605 {Breens et al.}
Is 75 to 98% by weight of conventional carpet fibers and 2
Disclosed is a carpet material that includes a pile or tufted fiber containing stiff fibers or filaments, and that does not provide a gap to store removed soil, but is arranged to act as a soil remover. Hard fibers are not crimped. Conventional carpet fibers are less than 30 decitex per filament (about 27 denier), but stiff fibers or filaments are between 30 and 300
Texus (from about 270 to about 2700 denier). (The term "denier" refers to the weight in grams of 9,000 meters of fiber, while the term "tex" is
It refers to the weight in grams for 1,000 meters of fiber. 0.11
Tex fiber or 1.1 dtex fiber will be 1 denier). Breins et al. Point out that rigid fibers can be supplied with customary piles or tufts of yarn in each row, or in alternating rows or less frequently using conventional tufting or carpet textile machines. Also contemplates one or more rows of tufts of ordinary carpet yarn followed by a row of rigid fibers or filaments. Such an arrangement will not provide sufficient clearance for a pool of removed soil.

The present invention provides a tufted carpet mat particularly suitable for pedestrian traffic. The mat of the present invention can be conveniently used to wipe wet and / or dirty soles in the entrance passage of a building. The mat of the present invention overcomes many of the above-mentioned deficiencies, wipes the soles, retains dirt removed from the soles therein, wipes water from the soles, and promotes water evaporation. Gorgeous, attractive,
Provides a long-lasting surface.

Generally, the tufted carpet mats of the present invention are comprised of a backing having a number of fine denier fiber tufts thereon and a number of stiff, woven or crimped, coarse denier fibers. The coarse denier fiber tufts can be mixed randomly and in a regular pattern into the fine denier fiber tufts. One way to achieve this is to provide a coarse denier fiber tuft mixed with a fine denier fiber tuft by tufting the coarse denier fiber over a backing material that has already been tufted or simultaneously tufted the fine denier fiber. That is. The relative proportions of the crimped, coarse denier fiber tufts to the fine denier fiber tufts are sufficient for the wiping action and water absorption which are believed to be primarily a function of the fine denier fiber tufts, and for the crimped coarse deniers. It should be adjusted to collect the dirt, which is believed to be a function of the fiber tufts, and to provide sufficient clearance to hide the collected dirt. Preferably, the fine denier fiber tuft is in an area separate from the area of the coarse denier fiber tuft. Most preferably, areas of fine denier fiber tufts are distinguished from coarse denier fiber tuft areas, such as in a checkerboard configuration or in the form of alternating stripes in each area. Each area is preferably at least about 2 mm in its smallest dimension, which is typically about the width of a row of tufts of crimped, coarse denier fibres, to provide adequate space for dirt storage. Give, but its minimum dimensions are not more than 500mm, so the pedestrian sole will always contact both areas at each step. Preferably, the carpet has a checkerboard pattern and the areas have a substantially rectangular shape, with each area preferably measuring about 2 to 50 cm ² .

Fine denier fiber is preferably about 15 per filament
To 50 denier (dpf) and the coarse denier fiber is preferably from about 150 to 500 dpf. The total weight ratio of fine to coarse denier fibers in the tufted carpet is preferably from 1: 3 to 3: 1. The carpet preferably has a tufted pile surface weight of at least about 600 g / m ² and a pile height of at least about 0.5 cm.

The preferred pattern of fine and coarse denier areas is a checkerboard pattern or stripe pattern and areas of coarse denier fibers are adjacent to areas of fine denier fibers in the checkerboard or stripe. The area of the tuft of fine denier fiber and the area of the tuft of coarse denier fiber will be the same height. Preferably, however, the area of tuft of coarse denier fiber is an area of height less than the height of the tuft of fine denier fiber to provide a depression to collect dirt directly over the tuft of coarse denier fiber. The collected dirt will then be received in the voids provided in the coarse denier fiber tufts, since these fibers are crimped. Crimp imparts a very open structure to the area containing the coarse denier fiber tact, which can easily accept and obscure dirt once it has entered it. The fine denier fiber tufts provide a wiping action to the sole, which removes dirt therefrom.

The preferred carpet mats of the present invention include cut fine denier fiber tufts and annular, crimped, coarse denier fiber tufts. Although coarse denier fibers can be cut, they are preferably not cut, so that the carpet mat can be more easily cleaned.

Fine denier carpet fibers are preferably nylon, acrylic, regenerated cellulose, wool, polyester,
Cotton or polypropylene fibers, or a mixture of two or more of these. The stiff, coarse denier fibers are preferably nylon, polyester, or polypropylene.

The tufted carpet of the present invention can be manufactured by a conventional carpet manufacturing apparatus. A useful commercially available carpet making machine is the Tufting Machine Davision of Taftco Corporation.
Of Chattanooga, Tennessee (Tufting Machine Divi
sion of TUFTCO Corporation of Chattanooga, Tennesse
e) can be obtained from Tufting is a method whereby the tuft of yarn is referred to as a "primary" backing and is typically inserted into a backing made of woven or nonwoven fabric. A yarn is, as is well known, a continuous or discontinuous length aggregate or bundle of suitably sized crimped fibers. The thread tuft is inserted by a vertical, reciprocating needle similar to a conventional sewing machine. A conventional tufting machine is like a large sewing machine with multiple sewing needles held in a needle ber on a bed plate across the width of the machine. The needle receives a thread from a large beam or cone placed in a rack or creel. The coarse denier fiber yarn is fed to a spaced needle assembly on a regularly spaced needle bar to create a spaced tufted area of coarse denier filament. The fine denier fiber yarn is fed to a needle on a needle bar occupying a void between the needles receiving the coarse denier fiber, producing a fine denier fiber tuft between the coarse denier fiber tufts and usually tufting. Over the carpet surface, there is a continuous tufted area of separated areas of coarse denier fiber tufts and separated areas of fine denier fiber tufts.

The yarn is tufted on the main backing, typically with at least two rows of coarse denier fiber tufts deployed between the rows of fine denier fibers, typically in side-by-side rows. The simplest structure produced is made in mats by alternating stripes of tufts of coarse denier fibers and tufts of fine denier fibers, and the stripes are arranged linearly along the entire length or width of the primary backing.

Alternatively, the initial accumulation of tact is done as much as anyone does to create a streak pattern, but then the needle set is moved using a moving bar to shift rows, typically Is shifted two tacts from the original path, starting at the position where the new stripe pattern is transferred, making at least two tufts at the new position, transferring back to the original stripe path, and repeating this transfer back and forward. This produces a checkerboard pattern. Other variations for obtaining a tufted area are possible.

While it is possible to use conventional carpett tufting machines to produce tufted carpets having alternating stripes of tufts of coarse and fine denier fibres, such tufting machines can produce a checkerboard pattern in accordance with the present invention. Some modification is required to make it suitable for making a tufted carpet. This can be achieved mechanically by the addition of a moving cam. The moving cam creates a checkerboard pattern by shifting the needles from the original tufting path to the path, usually one or two tufts, to one or more sides of the original path.

The main backing into which the thread is inserted is usually in the form of a roll,
Typically applied at the front of the machine. Spiked rolls are typically placed on the front and back of the tufting machine to pull the original backing over the bed plate and through the machine. The speed of the spiked roll controls the number of seams per unit length. Moving the initial backing slower will produce more seams per unit length, but faster speeds will produce fewer seams per unit.

Typically, located below the bead plate of the tufting machine is a combination of a looper and a knife, which picks up the thread carried by the needle and holds it between the toes. The action of the looper matches the time with the needle stroke. When tufting cuts the pile, the looper and knife combination grabs and cuts the thread in one operation. As the backing advances through the machine toward the cutting pile looper, the yarn picked up from the needle is cut toward the end of the looper by a scissor-like action between the back of the looper and the knife. Except for the selection of fibers of the type and reasonable size and the production of tufted carpets by the section of cut coarse denier fiber tufts and the section of fine denier fiber tufts, tufting equipment and methods are well known in the art.

The coarse denier fibers are crimped to provide sufficient openness to accept and hide dirt and waste, and to provide an area where these coarse denier fibers contain. Coarse denier fibers are used as yarns in the method of making the tufted carpet of the present invention. Such yarns comprise a large number of crimped fibers, typically from about 10 to 20 fibers per yarn. Crimp provides a tuft having sufficient voids to provide sufficient three-dimensional structure to the fiber to accept dirt and sufficient entanglement to retain or hide dirt within the area of the tuft of coarse denier fiber. Should be sufficient to form. Crimping by customary means, for example a stuffer box, will give suitable results. Conventional tufting machines usually require that coarse yarns be composed of continuous fibers for workability.

Fine denier fibers can be made from filaments, which are either continuous or thread size staples commonly used to make tufted carpets. Fine denier fibers are usually bulky crimped. Such conventional carpet yarns are typically on the order of about denier and about 200 to 300 fibers per yarn.

The face weight is determined by the thread spacing (or machine gauge) and tuft length (pile height, thread denier and seam percentage). If the pile height is too high, the fibers will fall on themselves and will impede the ability to accumulate dirt. If the pile height is too high, it will endanger light transport. If the fibers or piles are too low, the capacity to hide dirt is reduced. If the stitch spacing is too tight, the tufted carpet will not have enough clearance to accumulate dirt.

A height of the tufted pile of at least 5 mm is preferred for a reasonable soil concealment capacity, but the height of the tufted pile should preferably not exceed 15 mm. Most preferred tufted pile heights are on the order of 9 to 15 mm. If the pile thickness is less than 15mm, cleaning is also easy.

The primary backing may be woven or non-woven and made of natural or synthetic fibers. Preferred backings for making the primary backing are those conventionally used for ordinary carpet backings, e.g., made from natural fibers such as those made from jute or cotton, and made from synthetic fibers, preferably polyester or polypropylene. Things. Preferred primary backings have a weight on the order of 135 g / m ² . The primary backing fibers or filaments are slit films, extruded filaments, or other conventional fibers made by any of a variety of methods. The primary backing is bonded to the nonwoven mat with a needle to provide a clamping action to the tuft to prevent the backing from unraveling. Such backings are well known to carpet manufacturers and this description is given for illustrative purposes only and such primary
It is useful in the production of carpet.

The tufted carpet of the present invention preferably includes a second backing, which adds weight or trunk to the carpet material to prevent it from being moved when walking thereon. The second backing is made of ordinary materials well known for this purpose. Preferred second backings include those made from vinyl plastisols, polyurethanes, rubber latex and similar materials. The second backing can be foamed or ridged like a honeycomb pattern. The second backing may also be filled with conventional materials used in carpet mat production in such backings.

The tufts can be formed on the backing without using conventional tuft carpet machines. One method of forming tufts in such a manner is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,028.

EXAMPLES The present invention is further described by the following examples, in which all parts are by weight unless otherwise specified.

Examples 1-4 9 to 13 mm available from Taftco Corporation
A conventional straight seam cut pile tuft machine with a pile height up to and having a hydraulic moving needle mounting bar to create a checkerboard carpet tuft pattern was used. Made of polypropylene non-woven web with needle-attached polypropylene slit film filament fabric13
Ivy to get a "square" Taft seams with a seam interval of 5mm in major backing in was Otsu of 5g / m ^2. The primary backing material is Amoco Fabrix Company
cs Company) under the trade name "Polybac" FLW Style 2483. Approximately 45:55 weight ratio of coarse 300dpf fiber to 37dpf fiber made from 7900 denier fine denier fiber yarn made of 37dpf continuous polypropylene filament and 6,500 denier yarn of coarse denier fiber crimped from 300 denier polypropylene fiber. Gave.

Tufting needles are threaded in an "AABB" array, with two adjacent needles threading 37dpf fiber and the next two needles 300dp
f Thread the fiber and repeat this continuation through the length of the needle bar. Knife fixed on looper and cut
Make pile fabric.

Example 1 was a carpet sample set without moving the needle bar, resulting in a striped pattern having alternating pairs of two fiber rows.

The second embodiment is made in the same manner as the first embodiment, except that the needle bar is moved by two intervals from the original sewing path after the initial seven stitches, and the needle bar is moved in the opposite direction from the initial movement by two stitches. In this direction, the sewing and moving patterns are repeated to produce a slightly extended square checkerboard pattern.

Control Example 1 was a subject carpet containing only slightly fine denier 37 dpf fiber and performed in a manner similar to that described in Example 1.

Control Example 2 was also a control carpet containing only coarse denier 200 dpf fibers and was performed in a manner similar to that described in Example 1.

The surface weights of Examples 1 and 2 and Control Examples 1 and 2 were 75
It varied from 0 to 1000 g / m ² and the pile height was 9.5 mm. Each of the carpet examples described above was lined with a 2700 g / m ² filled vinyl plastisol as commonly used on mats depleted by walking. The plastisol consists of about 32% of a mixed plasticizer, 36% of a vinyl acetate / polyvinyl chloride copolymer, 28% of a filler and small amounts of surfactants and pigments. A second plastisol backing was prepared by applying the plastisol onto a support belt, forcing the main backing side into a liquid plastisol, and melting the plastisol in a hot air oven at 150 ° C for 10 minutes.

Control Example 3 is a commercially available walk-off.
Mat (walk off matt) in thickness which is believed to consist of a surface weight of about 1000 g / m ² in 50dpf polypropylene fibers Tafutetsudo Kapetsuto and 2700 g / m ² second flexible rubber-like backing material which Crown "Tatsufun Thai Day "
(Crown "Tuff'n Tidy") and Ludlow Ccmposi
tes Company).

Water Absorption Test Each example carpet was tested in the water absorption test to determine the amount of water each would absorb from the soles of the test feet.

The test rig was originally constructed in accordance with Mil-D-16651D as an abrasion tester for deck coverings. The test apparatus includes a 380 mm diameter horizontal turntable that rotates under a vertical movable mandrel at about 23 revolutions per minute and has a longitudinal axis located 130 mm from the axis of rotation of the turntable. The addition of two hidden bolts to the shaft end closest to the surface of the turntable creates a 50-foot diameter "foot"
It is a 3mm thick tanned shoe sole leather. As the turntable rotates, the mandrel raises the foot from approximately a 12mm rest position onto the turntable surface, so that it is released and falls back to the turntable surface and repeats six times per revolution or 138 times per minute . The combined weight of the mandrel and foot is
It weighed 1.7 kg. Two torn annular specimens are placed on the turntable surface and restrained, each limited by an outer radius of 400 mm and an inner radius of 130 mm. The two semi-annuli were fastened to an internal retaining ring and a thin metal band turntable, which filled the gap between the semi-annuli. One of the semi-annular carpet samples is completely saturated with water and has a leaky surface from which the shoe will absorb water. Another semicircle is the test sample, which is weighed dry before testing.

The water-saturated semi-annular sample was supplied by Minnesota Mining and Manufacture Company.
ng and Manufacturing Company)
er) "Nomad" available under the name Matsuto. Water is added to the mat to completely saturate it until water can be observed on the surface of the mat. The equipment was tested to determine performance using another sample of the all weather "Nomad" matt test carpet as another semicircle. The apparatus was run around 100 or cycles, stopped there, added additional water to the saturated mat, and the sequence was repeated, adding additional water after each 100 cycles until 500 cycles were completed. The initially dry test sample is then weighed again and its dry weight is subtracted from its wet weight to report the weight in grams. Water absorption for all-weather “Nomad” matts is typically on the order of 62.5 to 66.5 g, with a standard deviation of about 2 g for an average of 64.5 g.

The results of the water absorption test for Examples 1-2 and Control Examples 1 and 2 are given in Table I.

It was surprising to note that the amount of water absorbed by the carpet of the invention, Examples 1 and 2, was not less than in Control 1 and more than in Control 2. . This was completely unexpected as the water absorbed was expected to be close to the average weight of water absorbed by Controls 1 and 2.

Stain Removal Tests Soil removal and soil separation tests are conducted by people in 12.6.
By measuring the amount of dirt left on the mat by walking through a 1.8m long x 0.9m wide box plate containing 1.5 kg of sand to a 1.5m long x 0.9m wide test mat. It was done. After walking on the test mat, people walk on the buffer mat, walk in the sand box, and scrub the shoes before repeating on the test mat. During the test, the same 20 people took this cycle 25 times
Repeated times. At the conclusion of the soil removal test, the test mat was weighed and compared to the test mat weight before testing to determine soil stop.

The results of this test are given in Table II. Table II Examples Examples Soil stop (g) 1 908 2 1078 Control experiment 1 936 Control experiment 2 985 Control experiment 3 936 Examples 3-6 Control experiments 4 and 5 In these examples, large denier and small denier fiber Experiments designed to determine the effect of changing the ratio on water removal potential were performed.

An example of a tufted carpet was made according to the method used in Example 2, except that the weight of each yarn was varied.

This table shows that the ratio of fine fiber to coarse fiber is about 1/3 → 2
/ 3 → 2/3 → 1/3 indicates that all are more effective than fine or coarse denier fibers.

Examples 7-10 To determine the effect of large denier fibers in mats on mat performance, a series of tufted mats were made according to those given in Example 1 and the specifications given in Table IV.

The last line shows the effect of this change on water absorption performance. 30
The advantage over large denier fibers in the range of 0 dpf is noted.

Example 11 Control Example 6 Control Example 6 is based on Breens U.S. Pat.
It is made according to the disclosure of No. 045,605. Control Example 6 was performed according to the special embodiment disclosed by Breens, but only using fibers falling within his teachings identified below. The specialty fibers disclosed by Breens have not been available. This is to compare the performance of a non-crimped coarse denier fiber carpet blended with fine denier fiber with the carpet of the present invention (Example 11), which is composed of crimped coarse denier fiber area and fine denier fiber area. I went. Fiber types and carpet surface weights and patterns are shown in Table V, as are water absorption test results.

Control Example 6 was made using a non-crimped 300 denier coarse denier filament uniformly blended into a 22 dpf yarn. Example 11 has two stitch widths as described in Example 2.
It had fibers arranged in a rectangular pattern with a 7 stitch length. Even due to the advantage of high surface weight over Control Example 6,
Its absorbent properties were significantly less than carpets having discrete areas of crimped coarse denier fibers according to the present invention.

Examples 12 and 13 Example 12 Carpet mats were composed of sections of annular tufts of fine denier fiber and sections of annular tuft of crimped coarse denier fiber. Instead of a knife, a 3/16 gauge tufting machine with a looper and an example needle bar was used. The needles are composed of 25dpf polypropylene crimped bulky filament (each tuft of the fine filament is referred to as "A") and 6000 denier crimped bulk yarn and 170dpf polypropylene coarse filament (each tuft of coarse denier filament is labeled "B"). 600 denier crimped bulky yarn consisting of AAAA and BBBB. Eight rows of tufts were created consecutively on the first track, with each row having an alternating AAAA, BBBB sequence. The needle bar then moves each needle course two times from the first
The rows were shifted to transfer one row of the resulting tufts. The needle bar was moved again to change each needle bar path from the original path for a total of four rows and eight tufts on the new path. The needle bar is then returned to its original course by the reverse sequence and the same sequence is repeated to alternate 19 mm (3/4)
Inches) resulted in a checkerboard pattern of 25 dpf yarns and 170 dpf yarns measuring 31.75 mm (11/4 inches) long. Pile height is approximately 6.3mm (1/4 inch) pile height and 866g
/ m ² (26 oz / square yard surface weight) of total fiber.

Example 13 Example 13 was made in exactly the same manner as Example 12, except that the 170dpf yarn had a low pile height, about 1.
It is sewing lower than 6mm (1 1/16 inch) 25dpf thread. The resulting carpet had the same finished appearance as Example 12, except that the 170 dpf yarn rectangle was
It is about 1.6 mm (1/16 inch) lower than the 25dpf yarn rectangle. The resulting carpet is called reel shear (Tip shear).
e) The cutter was passed under a cutter adjusted to cut the annular top of the 25dpf yarn. This is the plush inside the 25dpf rectangle of the cut pile carpet (plus
h) Created a mold appearance.

Examples 12 and 13 and Control Example 7, a tufted carpet mat made of commercially available 22 dpf polypropylene fiber, were tested for water absorption and the results are shown in Table VI. Table VI Example Gram Absorbed Water 12 101 13 105 Control 7 78 This result clearly demonstrates the superiority of Examples 12 and 13 in their ability to remove and separate water.

Examples 14 to 26 Examples 14 to 26 describe the production of carpet mats having an annular tuft of crimped coarse denier fibers. These carpet mats had excellent cleaning properties.

Examples 14-18 A mat according to the invention having a high-low tufted ring morphology was made. AAAA, BBBB on 53mm (3/16 inch) gauge tufting machine with looper to catch thread from needle
The yarn was passed in a repeating yarn form. The machine had a moving needle bar and was adjusted to move four rows every six stitches. This gave a pile carpet having a 100 x 150 mm rectangle composed of a tuft of fine denier fiber in a ring and a tuft of crimped coarse denier fiber in a ring. The tension on the yarn was adjusted so that the ring of fine denier yarn was about 4 mm (1/6 inch) higher than the ring of coarse denier fiber yarn. The fine denier fibers were then cut using a conventional tip cutter to give the carpet area a more luxurious appearance than that of the fine denier fiber tufts.

Yarn A, which provides fine denier fiber, was 6000 denier yarn made of 25 dpf polypropylene fiber. Yarn B, which gives coarse denier fiber, was a crimped fiber identified in Table VII opposite the specific example number.

The sample was tufted in a woven polypropylene primary backing and the resulting tufted mat was backed with 80 oz vinyl plastisol.

Examples 19-26 Examples 19-26 were made by tufting coarse denier fibers on a backing that had previously been tufted with fine denier fibers.

These examples were made on a tufting machine having two needle bars arranged in series. The first needle bar is 3mm (1/8 inch gauge)
It was prepared to give a cut pile carpet. The second needle bar was 6.3 mm (1/4 inch gauge) and was arranged to provide an annular pile. The loop pile needle bar is also arranged to move to perform the zigzag pattern, and the yarn supplied to this needle bar is adjusted by individually adjusted tension rolls, so that the loop of crude fiber is It was pulled by the perforated material and was not visible when looking at the surface of the cut pile created by the 3 mm (1/8 inch gauge) needle bar and did not extend to the same height as the fine fiber cut pile.

By selectively adjusting and varying the tension above 6.3 mm (1/4 inch gauge), a fabric was created in which none of the loops of coarse denier fiber were visible or all loops of coarse denier fiber were visible. .

The carpet mats of Examples 19-26 were prepared using a 3 mm (1/8 inch gauge) cut pile needle bar and 300 denier, 2
5dpf polypropylene yarn was passed as fine denier fiber. The coarse denier fiber is shown in Table VII. The coarse denier fiber is threaded through each needle of the needle bar for Examples 19-21 and 13 mm (1/2 inch) effective through alternate needles of the needle bar for Examples 22-26. Gauge) loop threading was provided.

Carpet mats made according to Examples 14-26 were tested for their ability to separate and retain water according to a water absorption test. The results of this test are given in Sections IX and X
Display each in the table.

From Table IX it can be seen that mats comprising combinations in which the crimped coarse and fine fibers are in separate areas are preferred over mats comprising alternating rows of the same fiber and mats consisting only of fine denier fibers. A preferred structure is Example 15, which absorbs and separates 43% more water than Control 7, a tufted 22dpf polypropylene carpet mat used in industry today. This was quite unexpected, as we expected that larger denier fibers, especially hydrophobic polymers such as polypropylene, would provide less and less gap space for water to wick and store. It is.

A mat including a discrete area as in Example 15 absorbs more than 31% of the water than a mat including alternating rows of coarse and fine fibers, such as Example 14.

Inspection of the data in Table IX shows a significant improvement in carpet mats made in combination with crimped coarse denier fibers of circular pile and finer denier carpet fibers conventionally used in carpets in distinct areas. The obtained water absorption and separation properties are obvious. Coarse denier annular pile mats are preferred because these matts are easier to clean as compared to cut pile coarse denier fiber mats.

Table X shows that similar water absorption results are obtained by over-tufting a ring of crimped coarse denier fiber over fine denier fiber carpet mat.

Analysis of the data in Table X illustrates the advantage of having randomly protruding fiber rings on the cut pile carpet for improved water absorption. In addition, the data illustrates that larger fibers perform better than smaller ones, but small loops also benefit in some ways.

Examples 19-26 show the benefit of having coarse denier fibers in separate areas rather than being dispersed throughout the carpet mat.

All of the examples made in accordance with the present invention performed better than control carpets consisting entirely of fine denier polypropylene fibers as commonly used in commerce.

In essence, it has been found that blending a coarse denier fiber model with an annular pile with fine denier carpet fibers results in a walking-removing mat having excellent water absorption and retention capabilities. It has also been found that tufting a loop of coarse denier fiber through a fine denier cut pile carpet significantly increases the water absorption and retention performance of the walking-removing mat.

The present invention could be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The embodiments described are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that are within the meaning and scope of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A tufted carpet comprising a backing material, a tuft of fine denier fibers and a tuft of rigid crimped coarse denier fibers held on the backing material,
The carpet wherein the rigid crimped coarse denier fiber tufts provide the carpet with a very open structure, the structure being easily incorporated when dirt enters the interior and making the dirt invisible. . 2. The method of claim 1, wherein both the hard crimped coarse denier fiber tuft-containing fiber and the fine denier fiber tuft-containing fiber are annular, and the fine denier fiber has a diameter of about 15 to 50 dp.
and wherein the rigid crimped coarse denier fiber is from about 150 to 500 dpf and the weight ratio of the fine denier fiber to the coarse denier fiber is from about 1: 3 to 3: 1. 2. The tufted carpet of claim 1. 3. A tufted carpet comprising a backing material, a first section of a plurality of tufts of fine denier fibers retained thereon and a second section of a plurality of tufts of annular rigid crimped coarse fibers. The annular rigid crimped coarse denier fiber tuft is shorter than the fine denier fiber tuft, and each of the sections is from about 5 mm to about 100 mm wide so that an opening can be provided in the carpet. Both zones are grouped, the fine denier fiber is from 15 to 50 dpf, the hard coarse denier fiber is from about 150 to 500 dpf, and the weight ratio of the fine denier fiber to the coarse denier fiber is about 1: 3. To 3: 1 and the tufted carpet has at least about 500 g / m ²
Tufted pile surface weight and at least about 5mm
Tufted carpet having a narrow denier pile height.