Scrim-reinforced cushion mat for carpet tiles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11510515-B2
Application number	US-201816179269-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2018
Priority date	Nov 2, 2018
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A carpet tile includes a textile top member and a cushion mat that is coupled with the textile top member via a thermoplastic material. The textile top member includes carpet yarns and a backing that is coupled with the carpet yarns so that the backing structurally supports the carpet yarns. The cushion mat includes a polymeric material component having polymer fibers that are randomly oriented and entangled together and a scrim reinforcement that is disposed within the polymeric material component. The scrim reinforcement reinforces and stabilizes the polymeric material component and is entirely covered and concealed by the intermeshed polymer fibers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A carpet tile comprising:
a textile top member including:
carpet yarns; and
a backing that is coupled with the carpet yarns so that the backing structurally supports the carpet yarns; and

a cushion mat coupled with the textile top member via a thermoplastic material, the cushion mat having a layered configuration comprising:
a first portion of polymer fibers that are randomly oriented and entangled together;
a second portion of polymer fibers that are randomly oriented and entangled together; and
a scrim reinforcement that is positioned between and separates the first portion of polymer fibers from the second portion of polymer fibers so that the scrim reinforcement is entirely covered and concealed by the entangled polymer fibers of the first portion and second portion of fibers to prevent the scrim reinforcement from exposure to a user, the scrim reinforcement being configured to mechanically reinforce and stabilize the polymeric material component and carpet tile;
wherein the thermoplastic material penetrates into the first portion of polymer fibers to couple the cushion mat with the textile top member;
wherein the scrim reinforcement is configured to control penetration of the thermoplastic material so that the thermoplastic material does not penetrate into the second portion of polymer fibers; and
wherein the scrim reinforcement is positioned so that the second portion of polymer fibers is at least 65% of a volume of the cushion mat and the first portion of polymer fibers is at least 5% of the volume of the cushion mat.

2. The carpet tile of claim 1 , wherein the cushion mat has a thickness between 1 and 8 millimeters.

3. The carpet tile of claim 1 , wherein the cushion mat has a weight of between 250 and 1,000 grams per square meter (gsm).

4. The carpet tile of claim 1 , wherein the polymer fibers of the first portion or the second portion of polymer fibers comprises polyesters, polyolefins, or a combination of polyesters and polyolefins.

5. The carpet tile of claim 1 , wherein the cushion mat does not include a binder that adhesively bonds the polymer fibers together.

6. The carpet tile of claim 1 , wherein the scrim reinforcement: consists of glass fibers having an average fiber diameter between about 10 and 90 tex.

7. The carpet tile of claim 1 , wherein the cushion mat includes a binder that adheres or bonds the first portion of polymer-fibers, the second portion of polymer fibers, and the scrim reinforcement together.

8. The carpet tile of claim 1 , wherein the cushion mat does not include any binder or adhesive materials below the scrim reinforcement.

9. The carpet tile of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of polymer fibers or the second portion of polymer fibers have an average fiber diameter of between 0.5 and 10 denier.

10. The carpet tile of claim 9 , wherein the first portion of polymer fibers are mechanically needled together with the second portion of polymer fibers so that the scrim reinforcement is mechanically bonded to the first portion of polymer fibers and the second portion of polymer fibers.

11. A carpet tile comprising:
a textile top member including:
carpet yarns; and
a backing that is coupled with the carpet yarns so that the backing structurally supports the carpet yarns; and

a cushion mat coupled with the textile top member via a thermoplastic material, the cushion mat having a layered configuration comprising:
a first portion of polymer fibers that are randomly oriented and entangled together;
a second portion of polymer fibers that are randomly oriented and entangled together; and
a scrim reinforcement that is positioned between and separates the first portion of polymer fibers from the second portion of polymer fibers so that the scrim reinforcement is entirely covered and concealed by the entangled polymer fibers of the first portion and second portion of fibers to prevent the scrim reinforcement from exposure to a user, the scrim reinforcement being configured to mechanically reinforce and stabilize the polymeric material component and carpet tile;
wherein the thermoplastic material penetrates into the first portion of polymer fibers to couple the cushion mat with the textile top member;
wherein the scrim reinforcement is configured to control penetration of the thermoplastic material so that the thermoplastic material does not penetrate into the second portion of polymer fibers; and
wherein the cushion mat does not include any binder or adhesive materials below the scrim reinforcement.

12. The carpet tile of claim 11 , wherein the cushion mat has a thickness between 1 and 8 millimeters.

13. The carpet tile of claim 11 , wherein the cushion mat has a weight of between 250 and 1,000 grams per square meter (gsm).

14. The carpet tile of claim 11 , wherein the polymer fibers of the first portion or the second portion of polymer fibers comprises polyesters, polyolefins, or a combination of polyesters and polyolefins.

15. The carpet tile of claim 11 , wherein the cushion mat does not include a binder that adhesively bonds the polymer fibers together.

16. The carpet tile of claim 11 , wherein the scrim reinforcement:
consists of glass fibers having an average fiber diameter between about 10 and 90 tex.

17. The carpet tile of claim 11 , wherein the scrim reinforcement is positioned so that the second portion of polymer fibers is at least 65% of a volume of the cushion mat and the first portion of polymer fibers is at least 5% of the volume of the cushion mat.

18. The carpet tile of claim 11 , wherein the first portion of polymer fibers or the second portion of polymer fibers have an average fiber diameter of between 0.5 and 10 denier.

19. The carpet tile of claim 18 , wherein the first portion of polymer fibers are mechanically needled together with the second portion of polymer fibers so that the scrim reinforcement is mechanically bonded to the first portion of polymer fibers and the second portion of polymer fibers.

Assignees

• Johns Manville

Inventors

• Himstedt Heath H
• Nandi Souvik
• Horn Katelyn Grace
• Sharpe Philip Christopher

Classifications

• B32B7/12

  using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties · CPC title

• A47G27/0212 Primary

  to support or cushion · CPC title

• A47G27/0243

  Features of decorative rugs or carpets · CPC title

• D06N7/0081

  with at least one extra fibrous layer at the backing, e.g. stabilizing fibrous layer, fibrous secondary backing · CPC title

• A47G27/0275

  Surface patterning of carpet modules, e.g. of carpet tiles · CPC title