Patterned textile product

• US 20050106355A1
• Filed: 01/12/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milliken & Company
• Original Assignee: Milliken & Company
• Inventors: Kohlman, Randolph S., McBride, Daniel T., Kang, Peter K., Stewart, William H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,243,513 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/85
• CPC Class Codes: D06B 11/0059 by spraying
• CPC Class Codes: D06Q 1/06 by local treatment of pile fabrics with chemical means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23979 Particular backing structure or composition

Abstract

A textile substrate is patterned by the selective application of various dyes to the substrate surface in a way that provides desirable, visually apparent enhancements in the area of pattern detail, definition, and color range, through the use of a novel patterning system, including the application of various chemical agents, that makes such enhancements possible. In one embodiment, the patterning system described herein is capable of producing pile-faced textile substrates, useful as floor coverings, that exhibit a unique combination of desirable pattern attributes that have been identified and measured using novel techniques specifically developed for these substrates and pattern attributes.

Claims

1. A patterned textile comprising a substantially planar backing substrate to which a plurality of individual pile yarns have been secured, each of said individual yarns extending upwardly from said backing substrate and having a proximal portion where each of said yarns is attached to said backing substrate and a distal portion, located opposite said proximal portion and comprising a pile surface comprising distal portions of said pile yarns, said pile surface further comprising contiguous pattern areas within which different dyes have been selectively and respectively dispensed under the control of electronically-defined patterning data to said distal portions of said pile yarns and allowed to migrate from said distal portions of said pile yarns toward the respective proximal portions of said pile yarns, said contiguous pattern areas having a coincident border region, said border region having a minimum semi-infinite Transition Width less than 1.3 mm and wherein a majority of said pile yarns comprising said border region show dye penetration that, for each pile yarn comprising said majority, extends from said distal portion of said yarn to a location at least 40% of the distance along said yarn separating respective distal and proximal portions of said yarn, and wherein, for at least one such pile yarn comprising said majority, dye penetration extends to a location less than 100% of said distance.

2. A patterned textile comprising a substantially planar backing substrate to which a plurality of individual pile yarns have been secured, each of said individual yarns extending upwardly from said backing substrate and having a proximal portion where each of said yarns is attached to said backing substrate and a distal portion, located opposite said proximal portion and comprising a pile surface comprising distal portions of said pile yarns, said pile surface further comprising contiguous pattern areas within which different dyes have been selectively and respectively dispensed under the control of electronically-defined patterning data to said distal portions of said pile yarns and allowed to migrate from said distal portions of said pile yarns toward the respective proximal portions of said pile yarns, said contiguous pattern areas having a coincident border region, said border region having a minimum Feature Width that, for a given wet pickup level, is no larger than the diameter of a spherical drop of dye corresponding to such wet pickup level boundary region having a minimum Feature Width in any direction less than 1.5 mm and said Feature Width exhibits an Isotropy Index of less than 1.1, and wherein a majority of said pile yarns comprising said boundary region show dye penetration that, for each pile yarn comprising said majority, extends from said distal portion of said yarn to a location at least 50% of the distance along said yarn separating respective distal and proximal portions of said yarn, and wherein, for at least one such pile yarn comprising said majority, dye penetration extends to a location less than 100% of said distance, said distance being at least about 2 mm.

3. A valve card for use in a substrate treatment apparatus adapted to controllably discharge a treatment fluid onto a substrate, the valve card comprising in combination:

a plurality of selectively operable valves operable between open and closed positions, wherein at least a portion of the valves are in fluid communication with corresponding dedicated fluid discharge jets;

a power input port adapted to receive a power cable for supply of electrical power to the valve card;

an instruction data input port adapted to receive a valve control cable for transmission of valve operating instructions from a control unit to the valve card; and

an integral circuit board adapted to translate instruction data from the data input port into powered valve operating commands such that the valves may be selectively opened and closed, and wherein the valve card is a modular unit suitable for independent operation within the substrate treatment apparatus and which is removable as a one piece structure from the substrate treatment apparatus.

4. The invention as recited in claim 3, wherein the valve card further comprises an identification board adapted to retain and transmit an electronic identification code.

5. The invention as recited in claim 4, wherein the identification board is adapted to transmit the identification code through the power input port.

6. A substrate treatment apparatus adapted to controllably discharge at least one of a colorant or chemical composition to a substrate, the substrate treatment apparatus comprising:

a plurality of independently operable modular valve cards adapted to discharge said colorant or chemical composition onto said substrate, wherein at least a portion of said modular valve cards comprise;

a plurality of selectively operable valves operable between open and closed positions, wherein at least a portion of the valves are in fluid communication with corresponding dedicated fluid discharge jets;

a power input port adapted to receive a power cable for supply of electrical power to the valve card;

an instruction data input port adapted to receive a valve control cable for transmission of valve operating instructions from a control unit to the valve card; and

an integral circuit board adapted to translate instruction data from the data input port into powered valve operating commands such that the valves may be selectively opened and closed, and wherein said at least a portion of said modular valve cards are suitable for independent operation within the substrate treatment apparatus and are independently removable as a unitary structures from the substrate treatment apparatus.

7. The invention as recited in claim 6, wherein said at least a portion of said modular valve cards further comprise an identification board adapted to retain and transmit an electronic identification code.

8. The invention as recited in claim 7, wherein the identification board is adapted to transmit the identification code through the power input port.

9. The invention as recited in claim 6, wherein the substrate treatment apparatus further comprises an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the distance between the fluid discharge jets and the substrate.

10. A processing range for application of at least one of a colorant or chemical composition to a textile substrate, said processing range comprising:

a substrate treatment apparatus adapted to controllably discharge said at least one colorant or chemical composition onto the substrate;

a pretreatment station adapted to heat the substrate prior to entering the substrate treatment apparatus; and

at least one treatment station disposed downstream of the pretreatment station, wherein the substrate treatment apparatus comprises;

a plurality of independently operable modular valve cards adapted to discharge treatment fluid onto said substrate, wherein at least a portion of said modular valve cards comprise;

a plurality of selectively operable valves operable between open and closed positions, wherein at least a portion of the valves are in fluid communication with corresponding dedicated fluid discharge jets;

a power input port adapted to receive a power cable for supply of electrical power to the valve card;

an instruction data input port adapted to receive a valve control cable for transmission of valve operating instructions from a control unit to the valve card; and

an integral circuit board adapted to translate instruction data from the data input port into powered valve operating commands such that the valves may be selectively opened and closed, and wherein said at least a portion of said modular valve cards are suitable for independent operation within the substrate treatment apparatus and are independently removable as a unitary structures from the substrate treatment apparatus.