Soiling detector for fabrics
AssigneeMohawk Brands, Inc.
InventorRobert D. Hutchison
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fabric is formed of yarns having soiling-hiding and soiling-prone characteristics which are visually distinct one from the other in the surface of the fabric once the fabric has been soiled. The soiling-prone yarns comprise yarns formed of multi-lobal fibers or filaments where the soiling particles collect in the cavities of the lobed surfaces. Preferably, the soiling-hiding yarns are formed of hollowfil synthetic fibers or filaments. By embedding one or more yarns of the soiling-prone type in the fabric, e.g., carpet, the yarns become differentially visually distinctive relative to one another upon soiling of the fabric.
Claims21
A method of monitoring soiling in a fabric, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing the fabric with soiling-hiding yarns and at least one soiling-prone yarn that is not visually distinguishable from the soil-hiding yarns before the fabric has been soiled, including spacing the soiling-prone yarn or groups thereof from one another in at least selected areas of the fabric;
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- (b) visually distinguishing the one soiling-prone yarn and soiling-hiding yarns in the fabric, after the fabric has been soiled, as an indicator of the extent of soiling of the fabric.
A method of monitoring soiling in a carpet, comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming the carpet with yarns formed of hollowfil fibers and yarns formed of multi-lobal fibers to provide a carpet with visually non-distinguishable aesthetic characteristics on the technical face thereof when the carpet is clean, including spacing the yarns formed of multi-lobal fibers from one another in at least selected areas of the fabric;
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- (b) visually distinguishing the yarns from one another in response to a soiling of the carpet.
A fabric having a soiling indicator therein comprising predominantly soiling-hiding yarns and at least one soiling-prone yarn enabling visual distinction between the soiling-hiding and soiling-prone yarns as an indicator of the extent of soiling of the fabric and wherein said fabric has a face with said soiling-hiding yarns and said one soiling-prone yarn visually exposed in said face and visually indistinguishable from one another absent soiling of the fabric and wherein the at least one soiling-prone yarn is in at least selected areas of the fabric and is spaced from other soiling-prone yarns or groups thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.