Carpet products and methods of making same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12134849-B2
Application number	US-202318328179-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2023
Priority date	Feb 9, 2016
Publication date	Nov 5, 2024
Grant date	Nov 5, 2024

Abstract

A carpet product including a primary backing layer and a plurality of yarn tufts. The plurality of yarn tufts are tufted in and extend upwardly from a top surface of the primary backing layer to form a tufted carpet product. The carpet product has an inner portion and a peripheral portion surrounding at least a portion of the inner portion and extending along at least one of the edges of the primary backing layer. The plurality of yarn tufts include a plurality of peripheral yarn tufts positioned within the peripheral portion of the tufted carpet product. A portion of the peripheral yarn tufts are anchored to other peripheral yarn tufts. At least a portion of each anchored peripheral yarn tuft is entangled with one or more of the other peripheral yarn tufts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tufted carpet product having a periphery and comprising:
a primary backing layer having a top surface and a plurality of edges; and
a plurality of yarn tufts tufted in and extending upwardly from the top surface of the primary backing layer to form the tufted carpet product, the plurality of yarn tufts comprising a first plurality of peripheral yarn tufts, wherein the first plurality of peripheral yarn tufts are displaced in an inward direction away from the periphery of the tufted carpet product and entangled with at least one other yarn tuft of the plurality of yarn tufts to anchor the first plurality of peripheral yarn tufts in a desired orientation relative to the primary backing layer,
wherein the first plurality of peripheral yarn tufts and the at least one other yarn tuft of the plurality of yarn tufts are entangled by mechanical engagement to one another without being chemically adhered or fused to one another, and wherein each peripheral yarn tuft of the first plurality of peripheral yarn tufts has at least one filament that is received within gaps between, and in physical contact with, filaments of a respective yarn tuft of the at least one other yarn tuft such that the respective yarn tuft of the at least one other yarn tuft retains said peripheral yarn tuft of the first plurality of peripheral yarn tufts in a respective fixed position.

2. The tufted carpet product of claim 1 , wherein the carpet product is a broadloom carpet.

3. The tufted carpet product of claim 1 , wherein the carpet product is a carpet tile.

4. The tufted carpet product of claim 1 , wherein the at least one other yarn tuft of the plurality of yarn tufts comprises a second plurality of peripheral yarn tufts positioned inwardly of the first plurality of peripheral yarn tufts.

5. The tufted carpet product of claim 4 , wherein the tufted carpet product has an inner portion and a peripheral portion, wherein the first plurality of peripheral yarn tufts and the second plurality of peripheral yarn tufts are positioned within the peripheral portion of the tufted carpet product, and wherein the peripheral portion of the tufted carpet product surrounds at least a portion of the inner portion of the tufted carpet product.

6. The tufted carpet product of claim 5 , wherein the peripheral portion of the tufted carpet product surrounds an entirety of the inner portion of the tufted carpet product.

7. The tufted carpet product of claim 4 , wherein the tufted carpet product has an operative width between a first edge and a second edge of the tufted carpet product, wherein an area of entanglement of the yarn tufts of the first plurality of peripheral yarn tufts with the yarn tufts of the second plurality of peripheral yarn tufts extends inwardly from each of the first edge and the second edge by less than 30% of the operative width.

8. The tufted carpet product of claim 5 , wherein the yarn tufts of the first plurality of peripheral yarn tufts are entangled with the yarn tufts of the second plurality of peripheral yarn tufts such that the peripheral yarn tufts of the first plurality of peripheral yarn tufts have a mechanical stand fastness sufficient to prevent radial displacement of any peripheral yarn tuft of the first plurality of peripheral yarn tufts beyond a reference plane that is positioned at a selected angle relative a vertical plane that is perpendicular to the primary backing layer, wherein the selected angle is less than 40 degrees.

9. The tufted carpet product of claim 8 , wherein the selected angle is less than 30 degrees.

10. The tufted carpet product of claim 8 , wherein the selected angle is less than 20 degrees.

11. The tufted carpet product of claim 8 , wherein the selected angle is less than 10 degrees.

12. The tufted carpet product of claim 8 , wherein the selected angle is negative such that at least a portion of the peripheral yarn tuft of the first plurality of peripheral yarn tufts is angled inwardly away from an edge of the carpet product.

13. The tufted carpet product of claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of at least one peripheral yarn tuft of the first plurality of peripheral yarn tufts is entangled with one or more yarn tufts within the inner portion of the tufted carpet product.

14. The tufted carpet product of claim 1 , wherein each peripheral yarn tuft of the first plurality of peripheral yarn tufts is entangled with at least two other yarn tufts of the tufted carpet product.

15. The carpet product of claim 1 , wherein each peripheral yarn tuft of the first plurality of peripheral yarn tufts comprises at least one filament that has a tip that is displaced inwardly by a selected distance when the peripheral yarn tuft of the first plurality of yarn tufts is entangled with other yarn tufts, and wherein the selected distance ranges from about 0.1 inch to about 1.0 inch.

16. The carpet product of claim 1 , wherein no peripheral yarn tufts of the first plurality of peripheral yarn tufts extends radially beyond a reference plane that is positioned at a selected angle relative a vertical plane that is perpendicular to the primary backing layer, wherein the selected angle is less than about 40 degrees.

Assignees

• Columbia Insurance Co

Inventors

• Odum Tom

Classifications

• B32B3/02

  characterised by features of form at particular places, e.g. in edge regions {(non-uniform thickness B32B3/263)} · CPC title

• A47G27/0268

  Edge finishing · CPC title

• Y10T428/23929

  Edge feature or configured or discontinuous surface · CPC title

• D05C15/00

  Making pile fabrics or articles having similar surface features by inserting loops into a base material (layered products B32B; non-woven pile fabrics D04H11/00) · CPC title

• D06C29/00

  Finishing or dressing, of textile fabrics, not provided for in the preceding groups · CPC title