A modular carpet system includes a carpet tile and an adhesive. The carpet tile is operative for resisting deformation, even under adverse conditions. In some embodiments, the adhesive may comprise a silicone-based adhesive or a urethane-based adhesive.

A modular carpet system includes a carpet tile and an adhesive. The carpet tile is operative for resisting deformation, even under adverse conditions. In some embodiments, the adhesive may comprise a silicone-based adhesive or a urethane-based adhesive.

A dimensionally stable universal floor covering includes a tufted textile having stitches and a reinforcement layer operatively connected to the stitches to provide dimensional stability for the entire floor covering. The reinforcement layer is made of fibers and adhesive that are formed into a reinforcement layer of laminated fibers that is operatively connected to the stitches and/or the fibers and adhesive are formed into a layer of fibers and adhesive that is contained within the stitches. The fibers and adhesive are mixed and then moved by an applicator toward the stitches. A curved slip path is formed on a curved portion of the applicator to improve the movement of the fibers and adhesive toward the stitches. A removable tip portion on the end of the curved portion of the applicator improves the penetration of the adhesive and provides compression of the fibers towards the ends of the stitches. A releasable adhesive cover system is provided to cover the layer of fibers for providing additional strength and stability and for providing a releasable attachment of the universal floor covering to a supporting surface.

A dimensionally stable floor covering comprises a tufted textile substrate and a reinforcement layer attached to the textile substrate. The reinforcement layer includes an adhesive backing compound and reinforcement fibers surrounded by the adhesive backing. The fibers may form a continuous layer on the back side of the floor covering or may be dispersed within the adhesive backing compound. The adhesive backing compound may be hot water-soluble to facilitate recycling of the floor covering. The floor covering may optionally include additional backing layers (including cushions) and may be used as a broadloom carpet, a carpet tile, or other modular floor covering products. Methods of manufacturing, installing, and recycling the present floor coverings are also provided.

A dimensionally stable universal floor covering includes a tufted textile having stitches and a reinforcement layer operatively connected to the stitches to provide dimensional stability for the entire floor covering. The reinforcement layer is made of fibers that are initially contained within a composition of adhesive and fibers. Mixing of the adhesive/fibers composition and/or injection of compressed air, assists in preparing the adhesive and fiber composition to be in the preferred condition and position prior to the forming of the reinforcement layer. Multiple sources of pressure, including vacuum, are applied in a controlled manner for moving the adhesive and fiber composition to form a reinforcement layer of fibers that is operatively connected to the stitches and/or to form a layer of fibers and adhesive that is contained within the stitches. The universal floor covering is selectively cut and transported in a roll for installation, and it can be conveniently recycled if necessary.

A lightweight carpet product includes a greige carpet having a primary backing and tufted fibers, a secondary backing including a nonwoven textile of synthetic fibers, and a thermoplastic adhesive composition adhered to the greige carpet and the secondary backing. The thermoplastic adhesive composition includes a modified polyethylene terephthalate (PET) having a crystallinity less than unmodified PET and a melting point from about 90 C. to about 150 C., and a particulate filler. Methods of manufacture include using a thermoplastic adhesive composition to adhere a greige carpet to a secondary backing to form a lightweight carpet product.

The present invention pertains to carpet and carpet tile. In one aspect, the carpet includes (a) a primary backing which has a face and a back surface, (b) a plurality of fibers attached to the primary backing and extending from the face of the primary backing and exposed at the back surface of the primary backing, (c) an adhesive backing, (d) an optional secondary backing adjacent to the adhesive backing, and (e) at least one non-chlorinated, non-polyvinyl butyral thermoplastic polymer or composition having a specific growth tension at 40 C and a specific residual stress at 25% strain. Additional steps and procedures include washing or scouring the primary backing and fibers prior to the extrusion step, and utilizing implosion agents. The preferred olefin block copolymer are ethylene based block interpolymers. The constructions and methods described herein are particularly suited for making tufted, broad-loom carpet having improved abrasion resistance.

A carpet tile and process for making the same, wherein the carpet tile comprises a facecloth having a plurality of face yarns tufted through a primary backing, an extruded polymer secondary backing layer, and a cushion, comprising a reinforcing scrim layer within a polymer layer. The top surface and bottom surface of the carpet tile are defined by the facecloth and the cushion, respectively. A polymer-based resin is extruded onto the facecloth to form an at least substantially uniform secondary backing layer, and the cushion is laid onto the extruded polymer secondary backing layer while the extruded polymer secondary backing layer remains above a softening temperature for the resin. The entire multi-layer web is then passed through a nip to embed the reinforcing scrim layer into the extruded polymer secondary layer, and the entire web is chilled.

A composite material, and a process for its manufacture is described. A film of polypropylene is layered over a textile core of isotactic polypropylene fibers and is fused to thereto by entangled polypropylene interposed between the textile core and the film so as to inhibit stretching of the textile core. The process includes positioning a film of polypropylene over a textile core of isotactic polypropylene fibers, and applying heat under pressure to the film so as to raise a film temperature above a melting point of the film while preventing melting of a crystalline component of the textile core to fuse the film to the textile core by causing entanglement of polypropylene of the textile core with polypropylene of the film so as to inhibit stretching of the textile core. The composite material is used for sailcloth.

A dimensionally stable universal floor covering includes a tufted textile substrate and a reinforcement layer to provide dimensional stability for the entire floor covering. Vacuum, mixing, and injection of compressed air assists in preparing an adhesive and fiber composition to be in the preferred condition and position before the application of pressure to form the reinforcement layer. The universal floor covering is selectively cut and transported in a roll for installation, and it can be conveniently recycled if necessary.