Tuftable and tufted fabrics
AssigneeBP Corporation North America Inc.
InventorsHugh Chester Gardner, Thomas Lee Baker, Stephen G. Ceisel, Richard C. Moon, Thomas L. Oakley, Mark B. Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Tuftable primary backings comprise a closed-weave, woven tape fabric to which is affixed a coherent web layer comprising staple fibers with fibers oriented in at least two directions and a plurality of the fibers being fused. The web layer is affixed to the fabric by penetration of fibers from the web into the fabric. The backings have substantial weftline straightness and stability against deformations in the machine, cross and off-axis directions. Improved tufted goods and methods for making the composites and tufted goods are also provided.
Claims30
A tuftable backing composite comprising a tuftable, closed-weave fabric comprising warp and weft tapes and having a coherent nonwoven web of staple fibers in contact with one surface of the fabric without fusion thereto and a plurality of fibers from the web penetrating the fabric to attach the web to the fabric, wherein the fibers have a weight of 1 to about 4 osy, the fibers of the web are oriented in at least two directions and a plurality but not all of the fibers of the web are fused, and wherein weft tapes of the composite have weftline straightness suitable for patterned tufting and the composite has stability against deformation during tufting as indicated by MDR of at least about 20 pounds and ODR of at least about 4 pounds/inch.
A tufted product comprising a backing having face yarn penetrating therethrough to form a plurality of tufts on a face side and a plurality of stitches on a stitched side, wherein the backing comprises a closed-weave fabric comprising warp and weft tapes and a coherent nonwoven web of staple fibers on the stitched side and in contact with a surface of the fabric without fusion thereto and a plurality of fibers from the web penetrating the fabric, wherein the fibers have a weight of 1 to about 4 osy, the fibers in the web are oriented in at least two directions and a plurality but not all of the fibers in the web are fused, and wherein the tufted product has MDR of at least about 15 pounds and ODR of at least about 2.5 pounds/inch.
A method for making a tuftable backing comprising needling to a tuftable, closed-weave fabric comprising warp and weft tapes a coherent nonwoven web comprising staple fibers oriented in at least two directions and a plurality but not all of which are fused, wherein the web has a weight of 1 to about 4 osy and ODR of at least about 2.5 pounds/inch and the needling is effective to affix the web to the fabric and stabilize the fabric.
A method for making a tufted product that comprises tufting face yarn into a first side of a tuftable backing composite comprising a tuftable, closed-weave fabric comprising warp and weft tapes and having a coherent nonwoven web of staple fibers in contact with a surface of the fabric on the first side, without fusion thereto, and a plurality of fibers from the web penetrating the fabric to attach the web to the fabric, wherein the fibers have a weight of 1 to about 4 osy, the fibers in the web are oriented in at least two directions and a plurality but not all of the fibers in the web are fused, and wherein the weft tapes of the composite have weftline straightness suitable for patterned tufting and the composite has stability against deformation during tufting as indicated by MDR of at least 20 pounds and ODR of at least about 4 pounds/inch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.