Patent Application
20100035056
This invention relates to a new, improved carpet binding tape which abuts the cut edge of the carpet with a glue-filled stitched matrix, resulting in a closer fitting binding than prior art carpet binding tapes.
Carpeting is generally supplied on large rolls with the edges unbound. If the carpeting is installed wall-to-wall, there is no need to bind the edges. If, however, the carpeting is used as a hall or stairway runner or as an area rug or if it is desired to use a remnant as a mat, the carpet edges need to be bound to prevent fraying and to present a pleasing appearance.
The traditional way to bind carpeting is by stitching a binding tape to the cut edges of a carpet. Binding requires heavy duty sewing machines and skilled workers who move the carpet through the machine while an experienced sewing machine operator sews the binding on. Binding is typically done in a special shop, away from the customer's site. While portable carpet binding sewing machines exist, they are very bulky, difficult to handle, and are limited in their use.
Another system for carpet binding involves a stapler and glue gun system. This system is inferior to sewing. The user staples binding tape to the front of the carpet, folds it over the carpet edge, then glues the tape to the back of the carpet. The problem with this system is that the staples sometimes stick out from the binding tape and pose hazards to floor and foot. Furthermore, the process is very time-consuming.
Another system, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,329,324 to Boatwright, is also available. It consists of a welted carpet tape that uses a double adhesive system: a two-sided tape used to temporarily position the carpet edge on the tape, and a hot melt glue applied with a glue gun to form a permanent bond of tape to the carpet. This system has a number of drawbacks. Among them, the binding leaves a gap between the welting and the carpet fibers. The gap appears as a separation between binding and carpet and is not particularly visually pleasing. In addition, this gap traps dirt and debris and, after a while, becomes even more unsightly.
Another do-it-yourself system, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,517,922 to Ang and U.S. Pat. No. 6,703,097 to Moffat Devine, is composed of carpet tapes backed with two-sided adhesive strips. The user removes a protective backing from the strip and folds the strip over the cut carpet edge. The drawback to this system is that binding tapes are somewhat stiff pieces of fabric and hard to manage with just fingertip control; thus, it is difficult to get a smooth binding using these tapes. Also, the adhesive is usually insufficient to create a sturdy bond, and the tapes are apt to peel away from the carpet edge, exposing the edge and creating a circumstance where fraying occurs, as well as creating a tripping hazard.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,974,616 discloses a thermoglue binding tape that requires a fusing iron to adhere the tape to the carpet edge.
The present invention is an improvement over the prior art carpet binding tapes. It consists of a welted carpet binding tape having a glue-filled stitched matrix surface for adhesion to the carpet edge.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in
The user applies glue 51 to a length of the vertical matrix surface 60 and to the horizontal fabric tape 40. Glue 51 may be a specially formulated non-toxic latex fast-drying glue. Carpet edge 52 is then positioned on fabric tape 40 so carpet fibers 53 adhere to matrix surface 60; fabric tape 40 folds along line 49 and the carpet bottom 54 adheres to the fabric tape 40.
A second embodiment of the invention is shown in
The decorative edging material 43 overlaps the carpet edge to cover imperfections thereof. The line of stitching at points 46 give the carpet tape the appearance of being stitched to the carpet edge.
