MICROWAVE CURING OF UNCURED LATEX CARPET

• US 20140030473A1
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Interface Aust Pty., Limited (Interface Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Interface Aust Pty., Limited (Interface Incorporated)
• Inventors: Boyd, Michael Lindsay
• Application Number:
  US14/009,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20140030473A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/96
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 27/02 Carpets; Stair runners; Bedside rugs; Foot mats mat-like foot scrapers A47L23/22 ; doormats A47L23/26
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2037/243 Coating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2038/0076 Curing, vulcanising, cross-linking
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2310/0862 using microwave
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2471/00 Floor coverings B32B2419/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/06 characterised by the heating method
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 10/003 Treatment with radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2203/048 Polyvinylchloride (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2207/123 using electromagnetic radiation, e.g. IR, UV, actinic light, laser, X-ray, gamma-ray, microwave, radio frequency
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 7/0073 the back coating or pre-coat being applied as an aqueous dispersion or latex
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 7/0076 the back coating or pre-coat being a thermoplastic material applied by, e.g. extrusion coating, powder coating or laminating a thermoplastic film
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/80 Apparatus for specific applications stoves or ranges F24C7/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23986 With coating, impregnation, or bond

Abstract

There is disclosed a floor covering comprising a primary backing having a fibrous face and an underside; and a microwave cured precoat layer on the underside of the primary backing. There is also disclosed herein a method of making a floor covering comprising: tufting or implanting a fibrous material or yarn into a primary backing; precoating the underside of the primary backing layer by applying a precoating composition followed by microwave curing the precoating. An apparatus for curing a precoated primary backing layer also described.

Claims

1. A floor covering comprising:

a primary backing having a fibrous face and an underside; and

a microwave cured precoat layer on the underside of the primary backing.

2. A method of making a floor covering comprising:

tufting or implanting a fibrous material or yarn into a primary backing;

precoating the underside of the primary backing layer by applying a precoating composition followed by microwave curing the precoating.

3. A floor covering comprising:

a primary backing having a fibrous face and an underside;

a microwave cured precoat layer on the underside of the primary backing;

and a backing layer fixed to the primary backing.

4. A method of making a floor covering comprising:

tufting or implanting a fibrous material or yarn into a primary backing;

precoating the underside of the primary backing layer by applying a precoating composition followed by microwave curing the precoating;

applying a backing layer to the precoated primary backing layer; and

if necessary curing the backing layer.

5. A method of making a floor covering comprising:

coating a first layer of a thermoplastic resin plastisol on a support surface;

optionally placing a dimensionally stable sheet material onto the top surface of the first layer and heating the layer to gel the layer and position the sheet material;

optionally applying a second layer of a thermoplastic resin plastisol onto the gelled surface of the first layer;

tufting or implanting a fibrous material or yarn into a primary backing material;

precoating the underside of the primary backing and curing the precoating using microwaves;

optionally coating a thermoplastic resin plastisol over the precoat layer;

layering the precoated primary backing onto the top surface of the plastisol of the first or second thermoplastic resin layer to form a floor covering;

heating the floor covering so formed to fuse the thermoplastic layers into an integrally-fused backing layer;

cooling the flooring covering; and

optionally cutting the floor covering into a carpet tile.

6. A floor covering produced by the method of claim 5.

7. An apparatus for curing a precoated primary backing layer, the apparatus comprising:

a microwave generator for generating microwaves;

a single pass or multipass slotted waveguide applicator; and

means for forwarding a primary backing layer having an uncured precoated provided thereon into the waveguide applicator.