Conformable colored multilayer composite fabrics
AssigneeEngineered Floors LLC
InventorsJohn Joseph Matthews Rees, Stephen Tsiarkezos, Dimitri Zafiroglu
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Abstract
An adhesive layer carrying a uniform color or a color-scheme is placed within or under a colored or color-printed conformable fabric that is simultaneously or subsequently molded into a three-dimensional shape or embossed with a three-dimensional pattern. The thermoplastic adhesive layer proceeds towards the fabric surface and matches or masks the color gaps opened on the surface by molding or embossing. The fabric can also be laminated to a backing during the molding or embossing process.
Claims35
A method for producing textile fabric composite having a colored top surface, the method comprising:
- combining a textile fabric comprising a top surface and a first color disposed on at least a portion of the top surface with a color-carrying layer comprising a second color, the color-carrying layer spaced from and located below the top surface;
- and
- propagating the color-carrying layer partially through the textile fabric toward the portion of the top surface containing the first color.
A method for producing a textile fabric composite having a colored top surface, the method comprising:
- combining a textile fabric comprising a top surface and a first color disposed on the top surface with a low melting color-carrying adhesive layer comprising a second color, the color-carrying layer spaced from and located below the top surface;
- and
- propagating the low melting color-carrying adhesive layer partially through the textile fabric toward the top surface containing the first color by applying heat or heat and pressure to melt the low-melting color-carrying adhesive layer and to propagate melted low-melting color-carrying adhesive through the textile fabric.
A method for producing a textile fabric composite having a colored top surface, the method comprising:
- combining a textile fabric comprising a top surface and a first color pattern disposed on the top surface with a color-carrying layer comprising a second color pattern, the color-carrying layer spaced from and located below the top surface and the second color pattern aligned with the first color pattern and comprising a complementary colors to the first color pattern;
- and
- propagating the color-carrying layer partially through the textile fabric toward the top surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.