Absorbent Non-Woven Felt Material And Method Of Making Same

• US 20080124533A1
• Filed: 11/29/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bouckaert Industrial Textiles, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bouckaert Industrial Textiles, Inc.
• Inventors: Leroux, Richard A., Bouckaert, Thomas V.
• Granted Patent: US 7,501,364 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/219
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 27/0206 to protect the underlying surface, e.g. temporary covers, disposable carpets, absorbent pads, wheelchair pads, hearth rugs
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 23/266 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/02 Cotton wool; Wadding
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/12 and incorporating artificial organic fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/48 in combination with at least one other method of consolidation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/51 From natural organic fiber [e.g., wool, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/682 Needled nonwoven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/684 Containing at least two chemically different strand or fiber materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/686 Containing polymeric and natural strand or fiber materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/69 Autogenously bonded nonwoven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/692 Containing at least two chemically different strand or fiber materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/697 Containing at least two chemically different strand or fiber materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/698 Containing polymeric and natural strand or fiber materials

Abstract

The present invention provides a non-woven felt material that includes a blend of cotton shoddy and synthetic fibers, and a method of making the same. The blend of cotton shoddy and synthetic fibers is carded and needled to form a batt. The batt is compacted and unified into its stable final shape by heating and soft-pressing, which causes at least a portion of the synthetic fibers to soften and/or melt and thereby bond the needled cotton shoddy and synthetic fibers together. The non-woven felt material according to the invention is strong, tear resistant, yet provides a non-slip, cushioned walking surface that readily absorbs and contains spilled oils, water and/or glycols.

Claims

1. A non-woven felt material comprising a blend of:

from about 40% to about 60% by weight of cotton shoddy;

from about 25% by weight to about 35% by weight of polyolefin fibers; and

from about 15% by weight to about 25% by weight of polyester fibers;

wherein the cotton shoddy, polyolefin fibers and polyester fibers are randomly oriented and mechanically intertwined and interlocked in a sheet structure, and wherein the polyolefin fibers are at least partially melt bonded to the cotton shoddy and polyester fibers throughout the entire sheet structure.

2. The non-woven felt material according to claim 1 wherein the non-woven felt material is latex-free.

3. The non-woven felt material according to claim 1 wherein the structure has a thickness of about 0.125 ±

10% inches and a weight of about 12±

10% ounces per square yard.

4. The non-woven felt material according to claim 1 wherein the polyolefin fibers comprise polypropylene fibers.

5. The non-woven felt material according to claim 4 wherein the polypropylene fibers have a denier within the range of from about 3 to about 25.

6. The non-woven felt material according to claim 1 wherein the polyester fibers comprise polyethylene terephthalate fibers.

7. The non-woven felt material according to claim 6 wherein the polyethylene terephthalate fibers have a denier within the range of from about 3 to about 25.

8. The non-woven felt material according to claim 1 wherein the blend of cotton shoddy, polyolefin fibers and polyester fibers comprises:

from about 45% to about 55% by weight of cotton shoddy;

from 27.5% to about 32.5% by weight of polypropylene fibers having a denier

within the range of from about 3 to about 25; and

from about 17.5% to about 22.5% by weight of polyethylene terephthalate fibers having a denier within the range of from about 3 to about 25;

and wherein the non-woven felt material is latex-free.

9. The non-woven felt material according to claim 8 wherein the sheet structure has a thickness of about 0.125±

10% inches and a weight of about 12±

10% ounces per square yard.

10. A method of making a non-woven felt material comprising:

contacting from about 40% to about 60% by weight of cotton shoddy, from about 25% by weight to about 35% by weight of polyolefin fibers, and from about 15% by weight to about 25% by weight of polyester fibers together to form a blend of fibers;

carding the blend of fibers to form a carded web;

needling the carded web to form a needled batt; and

temporarily heating the needled batt to a temperature above the melting point of the polyolefin fibers to form the non-woven felt material into a unified stable sheet structure;

wherein the cotton shoddy, polyolefin fibers and polyester fibers in the unified stable sheet structure are randomly oriented and mechanically intertwined and interlocked, and wherein the polyolefin fibers are at least partially melt bonded to the cotton shoddy and polyester fibers throughout the entire unified stable sheet structure.

11. The method of making a non-woven felt material according to claim 10 wherein the non-woven felt material is latex-free.

12. The method of making a non-woven felt material according to claim 10 wherein a thickness dimension of the unified stable sheet structure is about 0.125±

10% inches and the unified stable sheet structure weighs about 12±

10% ounces per square yard.

13. The method of making a non-woven felt material according to claim 10 wherein the polyolefin fibers comprise polypropylene fibers.

14. The method of making a non-woven felt material according to claim 13 wherein the polypropylene fibers have a denier within the range of from about 3 to about 25.

15. The method of making a non-woven felt material according to claim 10 wherein the polyester fibers comprise polyethylene terephthalate fibers.

16. The method of making a non-woven felt material according to claim 15 wherein the polyethylene terephthalate fibers have a denier within the range of from about 3 to about 25.

17. The method of making a non-woven felt material according to claim 10 wherein the blend of cotton shoddy, polyolefin fibers and polyester fibers comprises:

from about 45% to about 55% by weight of cotton shoddy;

from 27.5% to about 32.5% by weight of polypropylene fibers having a denier within the range of from about 3 to about 25; and

from about 17.5% to about 22.5% by weight of polyethylene terephthalate fibers having a denier within the range of from about 3 to about 25;

and wherein the non-woven felt material is latex-free.

18. The method of making a non-woven felt material according to claim 17 wherein a thickness dimension of the unified stable sheet structure is about 0.125±

10% inches and the unified stable sheet structure weighs about 12±

10% ounces per square yard.

19. A floor mat for absorbing oils, water and/or coolants comprising a sheet comprising a blend of:

from about 45% to about 55% by weight of cotton shoddy;

from 27.5% to about 32.5% by weight of polypropylene fibers having a denier within the range of from about 3 to about 25; and

from about 17.5% to about 22.5% by weight of polyethylene terephthalate fibers having a denier within the range of from about 3 to about 25;

wherein the blend of cotton shoddy, polyolefin fibers and polyester fibers are non-woven and are randomly oriented and mechanically intertwined and interlocked in the sheet, wherein the polyolefin fibers are at least partially melt bonded to the cotton shoddy and polyester fibers throughout the entire sheet, wherein the sheet is latex-free, and wherein the sheet has a thickness of about 0.125±

10% inches and a weight of about 12±

10% ounces per square yard.

20. The floor mat according to claim 19 wherein the floor mat retains at least about 80% of an as-manufactured tensile strength after having been saturated for a period of 4 hours with a substance selected from the group consisting of oils, water, coolants and mixtures thereof.