Absorbent non-woven felt material and method of making same

• US 7,501,364 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2006
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bouckaert Industrial Textiles, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bouckaert Industrial Textiles, Inc.
• Inventors: Leroux, Richard A., Bouckaert, Thomas V.
• Primary Examiner(s): TORRES VELAZQUEZ, NORCA LIZ
• Application Number:
  US11/564,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20080124533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 442/402, 442/405, 442/409, 442/415, 442/416, 442/403, 264/123
• US Class Current: 442/405
• 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 sheet structure is unified and stabilized by temporarily heating and soft pressing the sheet structure at a temperature sufficient to at least partially melt bond the polyolefin fibers to the cotton shoddy and polyester fibers throughout the entire sheet structure,

wherein the non-woven felt material has a thickness of about 0.125±

10% inches and a weight of about 12±

10% ounces per square yard, and

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

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

3. The non-woven felt material according to claim 2 wherein the polypropylene fibers have a denier within the range of from about 3 to about 25.

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

5. The non-woven felt material according to claim 4 wherein the polyethylene terephthalate 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 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.

7. A floor mat for absorbing oils, water and/or coolants comprising a latex-free non-woven felt material 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 randomly oriented and mechanically intertwined and interlocked in a sheet structure,

wherein the sheet structure is unified and stabilized by temporarily heating and soft pressing the sheet structure at a temperature sufficient to at least partially melt bond the polyolefin fibers to the cotton shoddy and polyester fibers throughout the entire sheet structure, and

wherein the latex-free non-woven felt material has a thickness of about 0.125±

10% inches and a weight of about 12±

10% ounces per square yard.

8. The floor mat according to claim 7 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.

9. 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 in which the cotton shoddy, polyolefin fibers and polyester fibers are randomly oriented and mechanically intertwined and interlocked; and

temporarily heating and soft pressing the needled batt at a temperature sufficient to at least partially melt bond the polyolefin fibers to the cotton shoddy and polyester fibers throughout the entire needled batt and thereby form a latex-free unified stable sheet structure having a thickness of about 0.125 ±

10% inches and a weight of about 12±

10% ounces per square yard.

10. The method of making a non-woven felt material according to claim 9 wherein the polyolefin fibers comprise polypropylene fibers.

11. The method of making a non-woven felt material according to claim 10 wherein the polypropylene fibers have a denier within the range of from about 3 to about 25.

12. The method of making a non-woven felt material according to claim 9 wherein the polyester fibers comprise polyethylene terephthalate fibers.

13. The method of making a non-woven felt material according to claim 12 wherein the polyethylene terephthalate fibers have a denier within the range of from about 3 to about 25.

14. The method of making a non-woven felt material according to claim 9 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.