HK1077544A - Surface treatment for floors,walls or ceilings - Google Patents

Description

Surface treatment for floors, walls or ceilings

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a surface treatment for floors, walls or ceilings, and more particularly to broadloom or modular fabric coverings having one or more seam strips that create complementary aesthetic design features.

Background

One form of conventional surface treatment is a fabric covering, such as a broadloom reel blanket or a modular blanket. The term "blanket" or "covering" herein refers to a blanket applied to a floor, wall or ceiling. A major and inherent drawback of blankets, particularly in commercial settings, is that the aesthetic features of the blanket deteriorate in appearance retention over extended periods of use. For example, in commercial settings, as well as in residential homes, carpet pile (carpet pile) placed adjacent doorways or areas of high traffic quickly fades with very noticeable degradation characteristics in appearance. Another example of a conventional blanket is where the wheels and/or casters are used frequently on chairs, carts, or other items. The appearance of the blanket also deteriorates rapidly in such areas.

Disclosure of Invention

The disclosure of co-pending U.S. patent application serial No. 09/846782, filed 5/2/2001, attorney docket No. 11-902, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a surface treatment in which the exposed surface, typically the wear surface of a covering, including a portion of the primary backing surface of a blanket, where the blanket pile is generally obscured. It will be appreciated that the primary backing used, for example, in tufted carpets generally serves to support the pile, rather than to impart any aesthetic appeal to the carpet. For most blankets, the primary backing is entirely covered by the pile and does not play any role in the aesthetic design of the blanket. In the blanket construction disclosed in this patent application, the backstitches of the tufts and the exposed portions of the primary backing form the aesthetic portion of the treated surface. The resulting surface treatment provides a dense, low-profile surface that retains its textile aesthetics and allows rolling transportation, such as beds, chairs, etc., to move over the blanket without substantially degrading the appearance of the blanket. In that blanket example, the primary backing is tufted in certain areas in an inverted manner relative to the primary backing so that the backstitches of the tufts form an exposed typical wear surface with the exposed portions of the primary backing.

Furthermore, by providing one or more seam strips on the medial and end edges of the covering in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the aesthetic appearance of the surface treatment is enhanced and is particularly useful in the above-identified patent applications because of the very short pile. The seam strip is preferably formed as an inverted T-section structure with a web and one or a pair of laterally extending flanges. The web terminates at or below the pile height and is provided with an exposed edge to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the exposed surface of the fabric covering. The one or more lateral flanges underlie adjacent edges of adjacent fabric coverings^*And is preferablyApertures are provided to secure the strips to the underlying floor, wall or ceiling. For example, an adhesive may be used to bond the edges of the fabric covering at the seam to the seam strips.

As an example of the use of the surface treatment of the present invention, a rolled blanket in the form of a strip of seam tape may be applied to cover the floor, wall or ceiling beneath it, the strip of seam tape being disposed along the adjoining edges, i.e., the seams of the fabric covering strip. Thus, by exposing the marginal edges of the webs of seam strip to view, along with the exposed surface of the blanket, an overall aesthetic appearance can be achieved. For example, an aesthetically pleasing appearance may be achieved by employing the primary backing of the textile covering and the backstitches of the tufted yarns exposed through the primary backing of the covering as disclosed in the above-identified patent application along with the marginal edges of the webs of the seam strips. It will be readily appreciated that the seam strips, and in particular their exposed marginal edges of the upstanding webs, may be provided in a variety of colors to provide a more aesthetically pleasing appearance to the textile covering. It will also be appreciated that various designs using seam strips may be applied to the textile covering. For example, and as noted above, the seam strips may be disposed parallel to one another at the seams between adjacent blanket strips forming the covering. Alternatively, the blanket pile may be formed interpenetrated with the seam strips at right angles to form a checkerboard pattern. Various other patterns will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

In a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided a surface treatment for a floor, wall or ceiling, comprising a fabric covering for covering a floor, wall or ceiling, with a seam between adjacent parts thereof, the covering having an exposed planar surface opposite the surface aligned therewith and covering the floor, wall or ceiling, the elongated strip with upstanding grid having an upper bounding edge and at least one flange, the flange extending laterally from a side of the web along a lower portion of the web and underlying at least one marginal edge of the covering adjacent the seam, the web extends upwardly from the flange between the marginal edges and terminates at or below the exposed plane, with the upper marginal edge of the web being exposed through the exposed plane of the fabric covering and forming with the fabric covering an exposed decorative surface.

Drawings

FIGS. 1-3 are schematic cross-sectional views of a fabric covering structure incorporating the seam strips to form the surface treatment of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the fabric covering and the seam strips arranged along the seam of the fabric covering; and

fig. 5-7 are various representative aesthetic designs including surface treatments for the seam strips and fabric coverings herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT (S) OF INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a cover, generally designated by the reference numeral 10, representative of various covers for surface treatment constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The covering 10 includes a woven polypropylene primary backing 12 tufted in a conventional manner by passing textured or non-textured continuous filaments or spun yarns 14 through the woven primary backing to form looped yarns 16 along the underside of the primary backing 12. The tufting process is conventional and any form of fiber, such as polyester, polyolefin (e.g., polyethylene or polypropylene), polylactic acid, or polyamide (e.g., nylon) may be used as the tufting yarn, as desired. Moreover, while tufted continuous loop yarns 16 have been illustrated on the back side of base substrate 12, it will be readily appreciated that one or more loops of loop yarns 16 may comprise cut pile yarns along the back side of base substrate 12. The woven primary backing also has an Ultraviolet (UV) stabilizer to protect it from the discoloring effects of UV light. That is, the primary backing is preferably formed of a knitted polypropylene with a UV stabilizer added during extrusion of the polypropylene yarns forming the primary backing.

Resin 18 along the bottomThe backing is coated with a resin 18 that coats, encapsulates and impregnates the loop wire 16, locking the loop wire in place. Then Unibond^*The primary backing or coating is applied over the entire resin-coated, continuous loop yarn 16. The Unibond^*The coating 20 comprises a mixture of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), calcium carbonate and a resin. The Unibond^*The coating is applied as a hot melt composition over the entire resin 18. A second backing, preferably a woven polypropylene scrim 22, is applied to the Unibond while the hot melt is still in a liquid or plastic condition^*On the coating 20. The blanket structure was then passed over a chill station to set and cure the Unibond^*Coating and securing the secondary backing 22 to the blanket structure. The secondary backing 22 provides integrity and dimensional stability to the covering.

As can be readily appreciated from fig. 5-7, backstitches 28 of tufted yarns 14 are exposed through primary backing 12 and form a portion of the knitted wear surface. Moreover, each backstitch 28 is closely tufted such that it is in substantially continuous contact with the woven polypropylene primary backing 12 such that its entire length is exposed through the primary backing 12 on the wear side.

To enhance cushioning, referring to FIG. 2, a woven primary backing 12 is shown, the primary backing 12 being tufted through continuous loop yarns 14, with resin 18 applied to the underside of the loop yarns 14, similar to FIG. 1. However, in this form, a needle-bonded synthetic fiber primary coated mat 30 is located beneath the resin covering 18. The needle-bonded synthetic fibers forming the rug 30 can comprise cut and blended nylon and polypropylene, wherein the nylon and polypropylene are blended with a resin. Preferably, all, none, or a portion of the staple fibers may be formed from waste material from other carpet manufacturing streams.

Referring now to fig. 3, in the case of a woven polypropylene primary backing 12, a non-woven primary backing 40 is provided, which is particularly useful in modular carpet fabric (i.e., modular carpet). The non-woven primary backing is preferably formed from a blend of nylon and polyester fibers. Those fibers are reduced and mixed together and passed between heated rolls to flatten the fibers and form a composite flat sheet structure. The polyester fibers substantially bond the nylon fibers to each other. Such sheets can then be tufted using cut or continuous loop yarns 14 to form a large size stable primary backing.

Can provide any Unibond for non-woven primary backing^*The material, and the woven scrim serves as a secondary backing or needle-bonded synthetic fiber backing, while the non-woven backing need not be used for broadloom blankets. Preferably, and for use in modular carpet tiles, the non-woven primary backing is provided with a PVC primary backing. In particular, a PVC precoat 42 is applied to the tufted loop yarns 14 to restrain and lock the loop yarns 14 in place along the underside of the non-woven primary backing 40. A primary coating 44 of heavier PVC is then applied along with a fiberglass stabilizer layer for enhanced stability. The blanket described above is representative of blanket types that may be used in the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Other types of conventional blankets may be used as part of the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a seam strip, generally designated 50, for forming an aesthetically pleasing surface treatment in combination with a textile covering of the type previously described. Seam strip 50 comprises a generally inverted "T" shaped elongate strip generally comprising a web 52 and one, and preferably a pair of flanges 54 and 56, with flanges 54 and 56 projecting laterally from opposite sides and below web 52. The upper edge 58 of the web terminates at the upper surface of the pile (e.g., backstitches 14) or just below the upper surface of the pile (e.g., backstitches 14). Preferably, the seam strips 50 are formed of a metallic material, such as aluminum. The upper edge 58 is modified to engage the exposed surface of the fabric covering for providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance. For example, the exposed edge 58 may be a polished aluminum surface, or may be dyed or textured in a manner that makes the exposed surface of the fabric covering more aesthetically pleasing.

The flanges 54 and 56 preferably have an array of holes 60 at spaced intervals, the holes 60 for receiving nails, screws or other types of fasteners to secure the strips to the floor, wall or ceiling. Alternatively, the strip may be adhesively secured to the floor, wall or ceiling.

It will be readily appreciated that the edges of the fabric covering on opposite sides of seam strip 50 overlie flanges 54 and 56 and are flush with both sides of web 52. The edges of the fabric cover may be adhesively secured along the upper surface of the flange.

In a preferred embodiment of the seam strip, the overall width of the seam strip may be 1-1/8 inches, and the thickness of the flanges 0.040 inches. The upstanding web 52 may protrude from the bottom surface of the strip toward the edge 58 by 0.230 inches, and the width of the web may be 0.110 inches. It will be readily appreciated that the length of the seam strips may vary depending on the installation requirements. For example, the length of the seam strip may be 12 feet. Thus, in FIG. 5, the seam strips may be disposed in the gaps between adjacent covering strips. The covering may be in the form of a reel of various widths (e.g., 4, 6, or 8 foot widths), with the seam strips extending in the longitudinal direction of installation of the reel covering. The seam strips are thus disposed between the covering strips and are thus placed and appear within the confines of the covered area.

Referring to FIG. 6, it will be readily appreciated that the surface treatment may be performed in a block format (e.g., linear carpet tiles 70) with the seam strips arranged along the edges of the carpet tiles and perpendicular to each other. In this configuration, the risers adjacent the junction of the strips at right angles to each other can be undercut so that the strips are continuously elevated throughout the surface treatment. Thus, the webs of one strip may overlie the flanges of a continuously extending, mutually orthogonal elongate strip to provide a continuous edge in the grid form shown.

Of course, other designs may be provided. For example, in FIG. 7, the covering tile (covering tile)80 may be in the form of a triangle with the seam strip extending along the seam of the adjacent edges of the triangle.

It will be readily appreciated that the use of a combination of a textile covering and seam strips can provide various other aesthetic features to the covering. By using the backstitches of the tufts which form part of the exposed wear surface, and the primary backing which also forms part of the exposed wear surface in the preferred fabric covering, the combination of the backstitches, primary backing portions and the edges of the seam strip gives many aesthetically pleasing design possibilities. Also here, it is noted that the seam strips reinforce the structure. Moreover, because the cushioning of the low pile is reduced as compared to the conventional high-pile construction, the metal seam strips along the seams of the covering (inside the margins of the overall covering) do not impede the passage of wheels or casters and do not impart any underfoot feel different from the low-pile construction. In addition, the exposed edges of the seam strips can be dyed or textured to compensate for the aesthetic characteristics of the adjoining fabric covering.

While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims (17)

1. A surface treatment for a floor, wall or ceiling comprising:

a fabric covering for covering a floor, wall or ceiling with a seam between adjacent portions thereof, said covering having an exposed planar surface opposite a surface of the covering that is aligned with and overlies the floor, wall or ceiling;

an elongated strip of seam comprising a web with an upper edge and at least one flange extending laterally from one side along the bottom of said web, said flange underlying at least one marginal edge of said covering adjacent said seam, said web extending upwardly from said flange between said marginal edges and terminating at or below said exposed plane, said upper edge of said web being exposed through said exposed plane of said textile covering and forming an exposed decorative surface therewith.

2. A surface treatment according to claim 1 wherein said one flange extends continuously along said strip.

3. A surface treatment according to claim 1 wherein said strip includes a second flange extending laterally from an opposite side edge along a lower portion of said web, said second flange underlying a second marginal edge of said covering adjacent said seam.

4. A surface treatment according to claim 3 wherein said flanges extend continuously along said strip.

5. A surface treatment according to claim 1 wherein said one flange is formed of metal.

6. A surface treatment according to claim 1, wherein said edges of said upstanding grid terminate below said exposed plane.

7. A surface treatment according to claim 1 wherein said one flange has a lateral extent of at least twice the width of said web.

8. A surface treatment according to claim 1 wherein said one flange has a plurality of openings for receiving fasteners for securing the strip to a floor, wall or ceiling.

9. A surface treatment according to claim 1 wherein said one marginal edge and said one flange of said cover are adhesively secured to one another.

10. A surface treatment according to claim 1 wherein said strip includes a second flange extending laterally from an opposite edge along a lower portion of said web, the second flange underlies a second marginal edge of the covering adjacent the seam, the seam strip is formed of metal, and extend continuously along opposite sides of said strip, each said flange having a lateral extent at least twice the width of said web, the marginal edges of the web terminate on or below the exposed plane of the cover, the flange having a plurality of holes for receiving fasteners, the fastener is used to secure a strip to a floor, wall or ceiling, the one marginal edge and the one flange of the covering being adhesively secured to one another.

11. A surface treatment according to claim 1 wherein said textile covering has a second seam between second adjacent portions thereof, and the second elongated seam strip comprises a second upstanding web having an upper edge and at least one flange, a flange extending laterally from one side along a lower portion of said second web, said flange of said second seam strip underlying at least one marginal edge of said second adjacent portion of said blanket adjacent said second seam, the second web extends upwardly from the flange of the second strip between the marginal edges of the covering forming the second seam, and terminates at or below the exposed plane through which the upper edge of the second boom is exposed, thereby forming an exposed decorative surface with the fabric covering.

12. A surface treatment according to claim 11 wherein said strips are generally parallel to each other.

13. A surface treatment according to claim 11 wherein said strips are disposed at an angle to each other.

14. A surface treatment according to claim 11 wherein said textile covering is in the form of a block wherein said textile covering is bonded to each other on all sides by said seam strips.

15. A surface treatment according to claim 1 wherein said textile covering includes a primary backing partially exposed on one side of said covering to form discrete wear surface portions of a wear surface of said covering, a plurality of yarns tufted into said primary backing along a remaining portion of said primary backing and forming cut or loop yarns on a back side of said primary backing remote from said wear surface and leaving a plurality of backstitches of the tufted yarns and forming a remaining portion of said exposed wear surface, and a resin securing said cut or loop tufted yarns along the back side of said primary backing, said backstitches and said primary backing portions exposed along said exposed wear surface having aesthetic characteristics different from one another and forming with said edges of said upstanding web a decorative exposed surface of said covering.

16. A surface treatment according to claim 15 wherein said seam strip includes a second flange extending laterally from an opposite side edge along a lower portion of said web, said second flange underlying a second marginal edge of said covering adjacent said seam.

17. A surface treatment according to claim 1 wherein said textile covering comprises a woven primary backing having tufted and non-tufted portions exposed at one side thereof to form discrete wear surface portions of an exposed wear surface of the covering, said tufted portions comprising a plurality of yarns tufted into said primary backing and forming cut or loop yarns on a back side of said primary backing remote from said wear surface and leaving a plurality of backstitches of the tufted yarns forming a portion of said wear surface, and a resin fixing said cut or loop tufted yarns along the back side of said primary backing, said non-tufted portions comprising warp and weft yarns of said primary backing, said tufted and non-tufted portions of said primary backing exposed along said wear surface having aesthetic surfaces different from one another.