Patent Grant
7083841
This invention relates generally to carpet tiles and a method of designing carpet tiles having patterns and color schemes that allow for placement of the carpet tiles in any orientation with respect to adjacent carpet tiles while still achieving the appearance of broadloom carpet.
Conventional carpet tile has historically been a product that sought to mimic the appearance of broadloom carpet and to hide or at least de-emphasize the fact that the product was modular. Achieving this result has required, at minimum, that carpet tiles or modules be placed in a flooring installation with the same orientation, and often in the same relative position on the web, that the modules had at the time they were produced. This is because conventional carpet tiles, particularly including tufted, fusion bonded, or woven face carpet tiles, normally have a “direction” as a result of (1) the manufacturing process and/or (2) the pattern on the tiles.
Conventional production techniques, particularly including tufting techniques, cause the carpet pile to lean or have a nap direction. This property of conventional carpet modules causes a tile (even a solid color tile) within a field of tiles to have a different appearance, particularly under certain lighting and viewing conditions, if it is oriented in a different direction than the tiles with which it is placed. Thus, historically the tiles have all been oriented in the same direction (i.e., they all have uniform rotational orientation). Uniform rotational orientation during module installation is facilitated by the presence of direction indicia on the modules, which usually is placed on the back or underside of the modules, and requires careful attention to rotational orientation during installation. In addition to concerns about nap direction, minor variations in color require that carpet tiles in a particular installation all use yarn dyed in the same dye lot to avoid visually discernable differences between adjacent carpet tiles resulting from variations in dying.
Moreover, the presence of a pattern that spans more than one tile in the web from which the tiles are cut has also sometimes required that not only the rotational orientation of tiles in an installation be the same but for the tiles to be located in particular relative positions. Thus, after the carpet web is cut into tiles, the tiles must be oriented on the floor so that their pattern aligns with the patterns on adjacent tiles or with the appearance of adjacent tiles. Indeed, schemes for insuring or facilitating placement of modular carpet in predetermined relative positions (as well as rotational orientation) have been developed. One such approach is suggested in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,197,400 and 6,203,879, both to Desai.
Most carpet tiles are square. If a first carpet tile is placed on the floor, a second tile may be placed in four different positions relative to each side of the first tile by rotating the second tile in 90° increments relative to the first carpet tile and may be placed in four different locations by placing the second tile adjacent to each of the four sides of the first tile. In only one of the second tile's four rotational positions is the second tile oriented in the same “direction” as the first tile, so that both tiles are in the same rotational orientation as they were relative to each other in the carpet web from which they were cut or as they came off of the carpet producing machine. Moreover, some patterns used on carpet tiles require that the second tile be placed only adjacent to a particular side or sides of the first tile, rather than adjacent to any of the four sides of the first tile. If one carpet tile in an installation is oriented improperly with respect to adjacent carpet tiles, it is usually readily apparent that the tile has been misplaced, thereby destroying the appearance of continuity of pattern, nap, and color of the entire carpet tile installation. The carpet installer, therefore, must spend valuable time during installation ensuring proper orientation of the tiles. Moreover, an important benefit of modular flooring is the opportunity it affords to easily replace selected portions of the flooring, such as when a carpet tile is stained or worn. Often, however, a replacement carpet tile will be unacceptably prominent in appearance when installed together with tiles that have been in use for some time.
One approach to some of the challenges associated with modular flooring described above has been to produce first a web, and then modules of flooring, that are uniform in color and carry no pattern, so that only nap direction and dye lot are important and there are no problems of registration between a tile pattern or design and the tile edges. This makes relative tile position irrelevant. In other instances, tile producers have sought to address the design-to-module registration issues by first producing a uniform color tile or module and then printing a design on the face of the tile that is positioned by reference to the tile edges after the tile is cut from the web. There are, however, design, cost and functional limitations associated with printing on textile face modular flooring. A third approach has been to use relatively small design elements so that such elements at a tile edge will not look odd near tile edges or if they are cut by tile edges.
Moreover, textile face modular flooring designers have recently begun to design flooring and flooring installations that do not seek to mask, but rather showcase or celebrate, the modularity of the flooring. For instance, modules are installed “quarter-turned” with each tile position rotated 90° relative to each adjacent tile. In other instances, module edges are emphasized to achieve an installation appearance similar to that of ceramic tile separated by grout.
There continues, however, to be substantial demand for flooring designs that do not visually emphasize the modularity of flooring components but instead appear to have a design that spans the entire flooring installation or part of the flooring installation rather than appearing to be confined to individual modules so that the modules may be placed in any orientation with respect to adjacent carpet tiles while still achieving the appearance of broadloom carpet.
This invention addresses the above-described problems by providing carpet tiles and a method of making carpet tiles having patterns and color schemes that obviate the need to orient the tiles (with respect to pattern or nap) relative to each other and that generally eliminate the need to match tiles as to dye lot. Instead, the tiles exhibit orthogonal ambiguity, meaning that the appearance of the face of the tiles (as well as their shape) enables the tiles to be laid in any side-by-side orientation with respect to adjacent tiles without looking out of place to the ordinary viewer and thereby still achieving an appearance of continuity across the entire installation as if the tiles were part of a broadloom web.
“Orthogonally ambiguous” tiles must be positioned in one of sixteen positions relative to each other tile. Such positioning is achieved by rotating adjacent tiles in ninety degree increments relative to each other and by positioning one of the tiles in each of the four possible locations relative to the other tile. A “rotational position indeterminate” carpet web pattern can be imaged in which any tile can be cut from the web in any rotational position relative to any other tile cut from the web, including a rotational position displaced by other than ninety degree increments (e.g. forty-five degrees). However, cutting tiles from a web at such orientations would generally produce substantial waste and be impractical.
The eye/brain visual system is remarkably sensitive to visual patterns and wonderfully adept at recognizing patterns. This ability is apparently an element of how the brain deals with and makes sense of the jumble of “data” in any visual field. The brain recognizes pattern in a relatively few bits of data and thereby identifies objects in the visual field without the need to “analyze” all of the available data.
The same pattern recognition ability makes it challenging to design modular, pattern-bearing units that present the same visual impression when modules are rotated or moved relative to each other, because the brain easily detects subtle “pattern interruptions.” Successful design of orthogonally ambiguous carpet tiles thus requires designs that do not carry pattern-interruption clues and that incorporate design features that fool the brain's pattern recognition abilities.
This is accomplished in this invention using a pattern including an assembly of visual features, including shapes, that appear to be, but are not, arbitrarily oriented. Rather, the features are oriented so that they, in combination, present an appearance that does not present a discernable pattern change when tiles bearing the pattern are rotated or moved relative to each other. While consideration is given to feature placement in the pattern, the overall appearance of the pattern is random. “Random” in this application is not used in the sense that, for example, dots of color thrown on a background are random. Rather, unlike such dots where no organization is detectable, the patterns of this invention clearly include detectable shapes and other design elements visible, at least in part, to the human eye. But, while these features are identifiable, their placement in the pattern is such that they appear to be randomly placed. Rotation or movement of the tiles discernably changes the position and orientation of tile features, but still results in a random appearance that is indiscernible as different from the previous pattern. The function of this invention can be analogized to a “carpet” of dead leaves on a forest floor. While the shapes of the individual leaves in the pile are discernable, if the leaves are thrown in the air and settle into a new pile, while the relative position of the leaves has obviously been changed, the overall appearance of the “carpet” of leaves is the same.
One embodiment of this invention includes shapes having both straight and curved elements. The pattern preferably includes both straight elements parallel and straight elements not parallel the tile edges. The shapes are preferably formed from a color or combination of colors so that adjacent shapes on each tile have at least one color in common. Furthermore, each tile preferably has at least one color in common with every other tile, so that when the tiles are laid, the colors on adjacent tiles coordinate. All of the colors typically may have similar intensities so that no one color significantly stands out from the other colors.
The orthogonally ambiguous tiles of this invention are produced by first producing a carpet web having a pattern exhibiting the characteristics described herein and then cutting the web into tiles in the conventional ways that tiles are typically cut from a carpet web produced for that purpose. Because the pattern on each tile appears random, placement of the tiles on the floor in any orientation simply creates a larger, apparently random pattern, rendering it impossible for any tile to look out of place. Such apparent randomness masks the visual effects of having adjacent carpet tiles with misaligned or differently-oriented naps and also masks slight color variations resulting from dye lot differences or differences in wear. Given the apparent randomness of the pattern and color scheme, worn or soiled tiles in a particular installation may easily be replaced with an unused tile without the new tile looking as dramatically different from the remaining tiles as often results with tiles with conventional patterns.
It is thus an object of this invention to provide carpet tiles that may be laid in any orientation with respect to each other and still achieve the appearance of a continuous piece of broadloom carpet.
The file of this patent contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Patent and Trademark Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
The pattern produced on web 22 produces tiles with shapes that appear randomly positioned on the tile. Shapes having certain characteristics are preferable. First, at least some of the shapes should have straight sides parallel to the “machine” and “cross-machine” direction of the web 22, and therefore parallel to the tile edges. For instance, shape 32 in
Size of the shapes within the pattern is also important, as is lateral position of the shapes within the web. The shapes must generally be small enough so that several shapes will end up positioned within each tile. Otherwise, the fraction or fractions of larger shapes falling on a particular carpet tile would potentially look odd. Shapes should be positioned laterally within the web so that longitudinal partition lines 24, 25, and 26 do not partition a shape so that an oddly narrow portion falls on one of the tiles.
Each tile preferably has the same background color. At least one color, different from the background color, is used to form the shapes on the tile. Regardless of how many colors are used, all of the colors preferably have similar intensities so that no one color significantly stands out from the other colors. Note that multiple shapes may be, and preferably should be, formed on each tile. It is important, however, that each shape have at least one color in common with adjacent shapes on the tile. Use of multiple shapes and colors contributes to the apparent random quality of the pattern, thereby making an installation of such tiles appear to be continuous without regard to the orthogonal orientation of the tiles within the installation.
While the adjacent shapes of each tile have at least one color in common, additionally, each tile preferably has at least one color in common (in addition to the background color) with every other tile, so that when the tiles are laid, the colors on adjacent tiles will coordinate.
Because the pattern on each tile appears random, placement of the tiles on the floor in any orientation simply creates a larger, apparently random pattern, rendering it impossible for any tile to look out of place. Such apparent randomness obviates the need to align the nap or “direction” of adjacent tiles, as misaligned naps further enhance the random appearance of the carpeting. Such randomness also masks color variation resulting from dye lot differences.
In summary, the preferred guidelines for creating web patterns in accordance with this invention are as follows. All of these guidelines need not necessarily be incorporated in every pattern.
The carpet web 22 shown in
For ease of manufacture, in the embodiment shown in
The background color A (in this instance, yellow) is tufted over the entirety of the carpet web 22. The patterns of the outer portions BC of the web 22 are further formed from alternating colors B and C (light green and dark green, respectively, in this embodiment). Directly adjacent the outer portions BC, the patterns of middle portions CD are further formed from alternating colors C and D (dark green and blue, respectively, in this embodiment). Finally, the patterns of center portion DE are further formed from alternating colors D and E (blue and purple, respectively, in this embodiment).
While the carpet web 22 may be divided into any number of tiles, the carpet web 22 of
Moreover, adjacent tiles have at least one color in common (in addition to the background color). For example, tile 1 and tile 2 have both color C and color D in common. When the tiles are placed on the floor, therefore, the colors on these adjacent tiles blend to facilitate the appearance of continuity.
While
The pattern 100 includes a mixture of shapes that includes shapes having at least one curved side, such as circles 130. Multiple lines (see, e.g., 132 in FIG. 4), preferably, but not necessarily, straight lines, partition each circle 130, thereby dividing the circles 130 into secondary shapes defined by both rectilinear and curved elements. Thus, if the circles 130 are severed during web cutting, these truncated circles will not look out of place because the design already incorporates this feature (i.e., circles severed by straight lines). Rather, the edge of a tile placed during installation adjacent a truncated circle on another tile merely appears as yet another straight line partitioning the circle and not at all odd or out of place.
The pattern 100 preferably also includes elements that will parallel the “machine” (see, e.g., line 134) and “cross-machine” direction (see, e.g., line 136) of a web formed with the pattern, and therefore parallel the resulting tile edges. Incorporation into the pattern of these straight elements parallel to the tile edges mimics, and therefore helps to visually mask, the seams formed by abutment of adjacent tile edges so that these edges and seams are not prominent on the installation.
Orthogonal ambiguity is also achieved in the pattern 100 by including straight lines and shapes having straight edges (together “straight elements”) that are neither parallel nor orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the web on which pattern 100 is created and thus will not parallel a resulting tile edge (see, e.g., line 138). Rather, these straight elements are oriented at acute angles to the longitudinal axis of the web. It is preferable, but not required, that for every straight element oriented at an acute angle α relative to the longitudinal axis, another straight element be provided in the pattern that is oriented at that same angle α to a line orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the web, or, said another way, is oriented relative to the longitudinal axis at the angle complementary to angle α. Thus, rotation and replacement in a flooring assembly of a tile having a line oriented at an acute angle to the tile edge does not introduce lines in the assembly which form angles different from all other lines in the assembly. The tile, therefore, does not look out of place, but rather blends with the other tiles.
A web bearing pattern 100 may be, but does not have to be, manufactured using a conventional carpet tufting machine. Among other alternatives, the web may be produced on a carpet tufting machine having ¼ gauge and ⅛ gauge needle bars. By controlling the “thread-up” (i.e., the arrangement of yarn colors dedicated to the needles of the machine) and height of the yarn tufts, the pattern 100 (and full and partial repeats thereof, if desired) may be formed on a web.
Each needle is threaded with a dedicated yarn type (e.g., single color, space dyed, barber pole, etc.) and color(s). The shapes of the pattern 100 are formed on the web by color contrast between adjacent yarn colors on a single needle row and by color contrast between the yarn colors on the first needle row and the second needle row. Thus, the types and colors of yarn used should be selected to achieve the desired contrast. At least two colors must be used to achieve color contrast. However, it is preferable, but not necessary, to use more than two colors to contribute to the apparent randomness of the pattern.
The following is an example of a thread-up that uses a variety of colors to create the pattern 120 of
The carpet web pattern 120 shown in FIG. 5 and this thread-up practices some, but not all, of the above-mentioned preferred guidelines. With this thread-up, as with the embodiment shown in
Unlike the embodiment shown in
The pattern 120 is produced on the web by the ¼ gauge needles. The height of the tufts formed by the ¼ gauge needles varies depending on the pattern. While the ¼ gauge needles may be threaded with any type of yarn, barber pole yarn has proven particularly well-suited for this application. The ¼ gauge needles are threaded with primary yarns, in this case yarns D, E, F, and G, each having a particular primary color(s). Yarns D and E are alternately threaded on needles 1-38, yarns F and E are alternately threaded on needles 39-116, etc. As with the background colors, the primary colors may have, but do not have to have, similar intensities.
To create additional design elements (other than straight lines and circles) in the pattern during the manufacturing process, one or more of the needle bars may be, but do not have to be, shifted during tufting. For example, in a preferred embodiment, the ⅛ gauge needle bar is subjected to a 3×3×1 shift during tufting. In a 3×3×1 shift, the following sequence occurs: the needles penetrate twice, the bar shifts to the right one gauge (i.e., ⅛ of an inch if the ⅛ gauge bar is shifting), the needles penetrate twice, the bar shifts to the right one gauge, the needles penetrate twice, the bar shifts to the right one gauge, the needles penetrate twice, the bar shifts to the left one gauge, the needles penetrate twice, the bar shifts to the left one gauge, the needles penetrate twice, the bar shifts to the left one gauge, and the needles penetrate twice. At this point, the needles are back in their initial position relative to the web. This shifting introduces additional curved elements into the pattern by creating a snake-like or serpentine pattern on the web. However, this 3×3×1 shift pattern is merely exemplary, and the bar can be shifted in any number of sequences to alter the pattern formed on the web.
Tiles cut from the web having the above-described thread-up will have at least one background and one primary color in common with every other tile cut from the web. Moreover, the tiles are preferably cut so that a variety of shapes appear on each tile and few, if any, “entire” shapes (most importantly circles 130) appear on any tile. Use of multiple shapes and colors contributes to the apparent random quality of the pattern 100, thereby making an installation of such tiles appear to be continuous without regard to the orientation of the tiles within the installation. Thus, the tiles may be shuffled and laid in any orientation with respect to adjacent tiles without looking out of place to the ordinary viewer and without emphasizing that the flooring is modular, thereby still achieving an appearance of continuity across the entire installation as if the tiles were part of a broadloom web.
The foregoing is provided for the purpose of illustrating, explaining and describing embodiments of the present invention. Further modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims. For instance, different shapes and sizes of shapes than those illustrated can be used. Similarly, a wide variety of color combinations are possible. Furthermore, while the embodiment described above is tufted, the face fabric could also be woven on a conventional or computer controlled Jacquard or other loom, and the face fabric could be fusion bonded or formed in other manners. Moreover, the patterns or portions thereof could be printed on pre-formed carpet tiles. This invention could also be used for modular flooring or surface covering materials other than carpet tile, such as vinyl tile.
This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/783,354, filed Feb. 14, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3850783 | Peters et al. | Nov 1974 | A |
| 3875716 | Eusemann | Apr 1975 | A |
| 5011411 | Loewy | Apr 1991 | A |
| 5198277 | Hamilton | Mar 1993 | A |
| 6203879 | Desai | Mar 2001 | B1 |
| 6526704 | Berard et al. | Mar 2003 | B1 |
| 20020136855 | Daniel et al. | Sep 2002 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 890 436 | Jan 1982 | BE |
| 0 698 863 | Feb 1996 | EP |
| 1 537 727 | Jan 1979 | GB |
| 4-125773 | Nov 1992 | JP |
| 5-163825 | Jun 1993 | JP |
| 2003-96654 | Apr 2003 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20030031821 A1 | Feb 2003 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 09783354 | Feb 2001 | US |
| Child | 10165842 | US |
