Multiple fiber floor mat and method

Details Multiple fiber floor mat and method Multiple fiber floor mat and method

2001-06-25

2004-04-27

Juska, Cheryl A. (Department: 1771)

Stock material or miscellaneous articles

Pile or nap type surface or component

Particular shape or structure of pile

C428S097000, C428S370000, C057S350000, C057S908000, C028S258000, C028S271000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06726975

ABSTRACT:

In accordance with the present invention, dual fiber carpet and matting fabrics are comprised of tufted ends of yarn with one end being made from standard carpet denier yarns ranging from about 10 to 30 denier per filament and total denier ranging from about 600 to 5000 denier and the second end being made from heavy monofilament fibers with a denier per filament ranging from about 100 to 500 denier and a total denier ranging from about 300 to 5000 denier per yarn bundle. Both fibers can be made from a variety of synthetic and/or natural materials. For example, polymers including but not limited to nylon, polyester, acrylic, and polypropylene. Alternatively, natural fibers such as cotton, cotton blend, and/or wool may be used. These yarns are tufted together to form a dual or multiple fiber fabric and may be tufted in any combination and pattern.
This type of tufted fabric is typically used in the matting industry because of the high propensity of removing dirt and water from shoes. Mat materials are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,820,566 and 5,055,333. Because of the difficulty of dyeing the monofilament fibers, dyeing must be done with either pressure jet dyeing, pad dyeing, sublimation dyeing, or transfer dyeing. Dyeing using injection dye technology has not been possible because of the inability of the monofilament fibers to absorb the dye readily in order to fill the majority of the available dye sites thereby leaving ends that are only slightly stained. Injection dye technology refers to the fabric dyeing process of applying dye to fiber with jets of dye being sprayed onto the fabric. Some types of this equipment are referred to as the Millitron dye machine by Milliken and Company and the Chromojet dyeing machine by Zimmer. Such dyeing equipment may be indirect jet, direct jet, airjet, bubble jet, ink jet, or the like.
In accordance with the present invention, dual fiber mat material is constructed in such a manner that allows dyeing with the use of injection dye technology. The fibers are constructed in such a way that the dual fiber properties remain and, at the same time, allow the monofilament fibers to absorb and adequately fill the open dye sites for complete coloration of the fiber.
The dyeing of the monofilament fibers in the dual fiber fabric using injection dyeing technology is made possible in the present yarn construction process. The monofilament fibers, which range from about 100 to 500 denier per filament, are textured together through the use of either air jet or mechanical texturing processes. The number of monofilament ends that are textured together can be comprised of from about 2 to 30 filaments. After the texturing process is complete, the monofilament end is then air entangled with one end of conventional carpet yarn which can range from about 10 to 30 denier per filament and a total denier of about 600 to 5000 per yarn bundle. The entangling of the standard carpet yarn with the monofilament ends allows the dye fired from the jets, to be held on the surface of the monofilament fibers long enough for adequate dye penetration. Surface tensions are improved to the point that very intricate and detailed patterns are possible with no shaded dyeing and with high pattern clarity.
This invention allows for precise and complex dyeing of dual or multiple fiber tufted fabrics that yields high pattern clarity and deep dye penetration using injection dyeing technology.
Specific examples of the dual fiber base that can be dyed on an injection dye range are as follows.
I. The base is made from two different ends of yarn to construct the dual fiber base. The first end is made from 9 ends of 300 denier type 6 nylon monofilament fiber that has been airjet textured together. These textured monofilament ends are then air entangled with one end of type 6,6 nylon 1230 denier 18 dpf carpet yarn. The second end is made from three ends of air entangled type 6,6 nylon 1230 denier 18 dpf. The base is then tufted using two yarns. The yarns are tufted in straight rows on a {fraction (5/32)} gauge cut (or loop) pile tufter. The base is made by alternating one end of the air entangled monofilament end and three ends of the air entangled 1230 denier yarn across the total width of the fabric. The base is then dyed on an injection dye machine (Millitron) at a speed of 30 feet per minute and a firing time of 7 milliseconds.
II. A second base is made from two different ends of yarn to construct the dual fiber base. The first end is made from 9 ends of 500 denier type 6 nylon monofilament fiber that is airjet textured together. These textured monofilament ends are then air entangled with one end of type 6,6 nylon 1230 denier 30 dpf carpet yarn. The second end is made from three ends of air entangled type 6,6 nylon 1230 denier 30 dpf. The base is then tufted using the two yarns. The yarns are tufted in straight rows on a {fraction (5/32)} gauge cut (or loop) pile tufter. The base is made by alternating one end of the air entangled monofilament end and three ends of the entangled 1230 denier yarn across the total width of the fabric. The base is then dyed in an injection dye machine (Millitron) at a speed of 50 feet per minute and a firing time of about 2.5-7 milliseconds.
III. A third method of constructing this base would be to use 14 ends of 20 denier type 6 nylon monofilament fiber that has been airjet textured together. The textured monofilament ends are then air entangled with one end of 4/1 cc cotton yarn. The second end is made from three ends of 4/1 cc cotton yarn air entangled together. The yarns are tufted in straight rows on a ⅛ gauge cut (or loop) pile tufter. The base is made by alternating one end of the air entangled monofilament end and three ends of the air entangled 4/1 cotton yarn across the total width of the fabric. The base is then dyed on an injection dye machine (Millitron) at a speed of 28 feet per minute and a firing time of 7 milliseconds.
IV. A fourth method of constructing this base would be to use 9 ends of a non-sulfonated solution dyed 300 denier monofilament (nylon 6 or nylon 6,6) that has been airjet textured together. These textured monofilament ends would then be air entangled with one end of 1381 denier non-sulfonated solution dyed yarn 23 dpf. The second end is made from three ends of 1381 denier non-sulfonated solution dyed yarn 23 dpf (nylon 6 or nylon 6,6), air entangled together. The yarns are tufted in straight rows on a {fraction (5/32)} gauge cut (or loop) pile tufter. The base is made by alternating one end of the air entangled monofilament end and three ends of the air entangled 1381 denier solution dyed end across the total width of the fabric. The base is then dyed on an injection dye machine (Millitron) at a speed of 28 feet per minute and a firing time of 6 milliseconds.
This application is generally related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/989,091, filed on Dec. 11, 1997, herein entirely incorporated by reference.
This invention finds special applicability to a combination of floor coverings arranged in and around an entryway to a building in order to provide effective moisture, dirt, and debris removal from the footwear of pedestrians entering such a building. More particularly, this combination comprises at least three floor covering articles placed inside and outside an entryway of a building and having reduced amount of coarse filament the closer to and further inside the entryway such articles are placed. An alternate arrangement involving a building having an airlock-type vestibule configuration is also provided.
Floor mats have long been utilized to facilitate the cleaning of the bottoms of people's shoes. Moisture, dirt, and debris from out of doors easily adhere to such footwear, particularly in inclement weather and particularly in areas of grass or mud or the like. Such unwanted and potentially floor staining or dirtying objects need to be removed from a person's footwear prior to entry indoors. In response, floor mats, in particular those having a tufted carpet pile comprised solely of

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