WO2001086056A1

WO2001086056A1 - Carpet underlay system and method

Info

Publication number: WO2001086056A1
Application number: PCT/US2001/009665
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rhonda K. Hyden; Samuel E. Graham; William R. Hursey
Original assignee: Milliken & Company
Priority date: 2000-05-10
Filing date: 2001-03-26
Publication date: 2001-11-15
Also published as: GB2362098A; GB0109841D0; AU2001251003A1

Abstract

A triple layer carpet underlay system that provides easy removal of the carpet and underlay from the floor without leaving cushion residue thereon, prevents the buckling and wrinkling of the cushion material, and is inexpensive to manufacture. A scrim layer (4) is attached to a bottom portion of a cushion member, or alternatively to the bottom of a carpet. An intermediate layer (6) is attached beneath the scrim layer, and a release sheet (8) is removably attached beneath the intermediate layer. The scrim layer (4) in combination with the two separable nonwoven layers (6 and 8) provides a strong, dimensionally stable, lightweight, inexpensive apparatus for removing carpet and/or carpet underlays from a floor surface. The release layer remain adhered to the surface of the floor, while the intermediate layer and all other layers (including the cushion member and the carpet) may be removed from the surface of the floor.

Description

Carpet Underlay System and Method

Background of the Invention 1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a system for easily removing carpet from a floor. More specifically, this invention relates to a carpet underlay system that employs a pair of non-woven sheets in combination with an open scrim material to facilitate removal of a carpet, after installation, from a floor. Generally, carpeting and an underlying cushion material have been affixed together and also affixed to a floor surface using some type of adhesive. This process is easy for installers to follow, and the carpet requires minimal maintenance after this kind of installation. The frequent heavy loads and forces that are imparted to the carpet require that the carpet be firmly bonded to the floor, to prevent movement and wrinkling of the carpet.

Often times, the cushion materials used beneath carpets have low tensile strength. Thus, when the carpet is stripped from the floor for repair or replacement, the sponge or foam is torn, and large portions remain stuck to the floor. This problem requires extensive time and effort to fix, as the remaining portions are difficult to remove from the floor. Efforts to solve this problem have met with limited success at best.

Thus, it would be desirable to provide a thin, strong, dimensionally stable, lightweight carpet underlay system that may be applied to carpets or carpet and cushion combinations. Further, it would be desirable to provide a carpet underlay system that would facilitate easy removal of the carpet and/or underlay system from the surface of a floor for repair or replacement thereof. 2. Discussion of the Prior Art

U.S. Patent number 4,647,484, issued to Higgins, teaches an underlay for carpets and especially carpet tiles having a scrim supported, lower foam rubber portion and a Mylar upper portion having adhesive on both sides to provide an attachment to the lower portion and an adhesive upper portion for attachment to a carpet tile. The upper adhesive layer is protected by a release paper, which is removed to install carpet tiles thereon. An alternate form of the invention eliminates the use of the scrim layer and the bottom layer of adhesive. This apparatus is used for attaching the carpet underlay to the carpet tiles, not for attachment to the floor.

U.S. Patent number 4,824,498, issued to Goodwin, et al., discloses a sponge cushion material that is suitable for use as a carpet underlay. The sponge cushion has a cellular layer bonded to two nonwoven textile layers which can delaminate. The carpet is adhesively bonded to the cellular layer and one of the textile layers is adhesively bonded to the floor. The carpet can be easily removed by pulling it away from the floor so that the two textile layers delaminate and one of the textile layers remains bonded to the floor. The problem with this apparatus is that the cellular layer tends to buckle and wrinkle, especially when the carpet was rolled toward the backing, because the backing is unable to absorb the compressive forces placed on it by being rolled. Such buckling and folding causes indentations in the carpet, which remain visible in the surface of the carpet for extended periods.

U.S. Patent number 4,853,280, issued to Poteet, teaches a floor covering that may be easily removed from its underlying surface and which resists buckling or folding when rolled, which includes a facing layer, a nonwoven fabric release backing layer on a bottom portion, and a polymer layer bonded to the release backing layer on one side and bonded to the facing layer on the other side. The polymer layer of this reference is a blown polyurethane foam layer, which serves as the cushioning portion of the floor covering.

U.S: Patent number 5, 116,439, issued to Raus, is directed to a method and apparatus for permitting ready removal of a floor covering through the use of a two-component release web secured between the floor covering and the floor.

This allows the floor covering to be peeled from the floor, leaving one portion of the release web secured to the floor covering and the other portion of the release web secured to the floor. This arrangement permits reuse of the floor covering over the portion of the release web secured to the floor. This apparatus discloses a two-layer system, which may be two layers of nonwoven material, or alternatively may be a single layer of scrim combined with a single layer of nonwoven material as a release sheet.

None of the prior art, however, discloses a triple layer carpet underlay system that provides easy removal of the carpet and underlay from the floor without leaving cushion residue thereon, prevents the buckling and wrinkling of the cushion material, and is inexpensive to manufacture. The scrim layer in combination with the two separable nonwoven layers provides a strong, dimensionally stable, lightweight, inexpensive method for removing carpet and/or carpet underlays from a floor surface. Brief Description of the Drawings

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a scrim layer adhered to an upper surface of an intermediate nonwoven layer, and a release sheet removably adhered to a lower surface of the intermediate nonwoven layer;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the triple layer carpet underlay system shown in Figure 1 , and further showing a cushion layer on top of the scrim layer, and a carpet layer attached to an upper surface of the cushion layer; and

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the triple layer carpet underlay system shown in Figure 2, further illustrating the separation between the intermediate layer and the release sheet.

Detailed Description

As shown in Figure 1 , a carpet underlay system 2 is disclosed. Typically, this system will be used in conjunction with a cushion layer and a carpet layer

(illustrated in Figure 2). The scrim layer 4, in a preferred embodiment, is ultimately attached on its upper side to a cushion layer. The intermediate layer 6 is attached directly to an underside of the scrim layer 4. The release sheet 8 is removably attached to an underside of the intermediate layer 6. The scrim layer

4 provides dimensional stability to the nonwoven sheets, and to the underside of a cushion material when applied thereto. The intermediate sheet, attached to an underside of the scrim layer 4, ensures that none of the cushion material sticks to the release sheet 8 either during or after the removal process, serving as a buffer or barrier therebetween.

In a preferred embodiment, the release sheet 8 is a nonwoven fabric, particularly polyester, at a preferred weight of 1.25 ounces per square yard. The intermediate layer 6 is also preferably made from polyester having a weight of 0.5 ounces per square yard, and the scrim layer 4 is preferably a fiberglass, tri- axial open scrim. Tri-axial scrim is defined as scrim having yarns disposed in three different directions, for example: one warp yarn direction, one weft yarn direction, and one diagonal yarn direction. A suitable substitute configuration for the scrim layer 4 would be a square pattern scrim, woven or knit open scrim. Any other suitable material may be used for the scrim layer 4, as long as it imparts dimensional stability to the system. Specifically, Basalt yarns or polyester yarns may be used for the scrim layer. An acrylic adhesive is used to bind the nonwoven layers together, although any suitable adhesive may be used, as long as the release sheet 8 is removable from the intermediate layer 6. The adhesive used between the scrim layer 4 and the intermediate layer 6 should be significantly stronger than the adhesive between the release sheet 8 and the intermediate (the separable interface). Similarly, the adhesive used between the release sheet 8 and the surface of the floor 14 should be stronger than that used on the separable interface.

As shown in Figure 2, the triple layer carpet underlay system is attached to a cushion member 10 and a carpet layer 12 in a preferred embodiment. In use, the scrim layer 4 is attached to the lower side of the cushion member 10, and some portions of the intermediate layer 6 are attached to the cushion member 10 between the holes formed in the scrim layer 4. The release sheet 8 or layer is removably attached to the intermediate layer 6, and is permanently attached to the surface of the floor 14. Alternatively, the carpet underlay system may be directly attached to the underside of the carpet without a cushion member 10.

When the carpet eventually needs to be repaired and replaced, removal of the carpet is facilitated by peeling the intermediate layer 6 away from the release sheet 8, as shown in Figure 3. The intermediate layer 6 and the scrim layer 4 carry the cushion member 10 and the carpet away from the floor 14, and the release sheet 8 is the only portion of the carpet underlay system remaining on the surface of the floor 14. Figure 3 shows the system used with a cushion layer and a carpet layer, where the intermediate layer 6 and all other layers are being separated from the release sheet 8, which remains adhered to the floor surface 14. Because the release sheet is generally a thin fabric, another carpet overlay system may be installed on top of the remaining release sheet, without noticeable effect after the new carpet is installed.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. For instance, the intermediate layer and the release sheet may be made from any suitable material, which could be woven or nonwoven, synthetic or natural, or any other material that meets the necessary requirements for operation. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein. All features disclosed in this specification may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

Claims

ClaimsWhat is claimed is:

1. A carpet underlay system having separable, releasable layers to facilitate removal of carpet and cushion material, said carpet underlay system comprising: a layer of scrim having a top side attachable to an underside of a cushion and a bottom side; an intermediate layer attached to said bottom side of said scrim layer; and a release sheet removably attached to an underside of said intermediate layer.

2. The carpet underlay system set forth in claim 1 , wherein said intermediate layer is a nonwoven material.

3. The carpet underlay system set forth in claim 1 , wherein said release sheet is a nonwoven material.

4. The carpet underlay system set forth in claim 1 , wherein said scrim layer is a fiberglass open scrim.

5. A method for removing carpet and carpet underlay from a floor, said method comprising the steps of: providing a layer of scrim material beneath a carpet; providing an intermediate layer of material permanently attached to an underside of said scrim material; providing a release sheet removably attached to an underside of said intermediate layer; and separating said intermediate layer from said release sheet, and removing said intermediate layer and all other layers attached thereto from said release sheet.

6. The method set forth in claim 5, wherein said intermediate layer is made from non-woven material.

7. The method set forth in claim 5, wherein said release sheet is made from a non-woven material.

8. The method set forth in claim 4, wherein said scrim material comprises a fiberglass open scrim.

9. The method set forth in claim 5, further including the step of providing a cushion member between said carpet and said scrim layer.