Carpet backing components and methods of making and using the same

Abstract

A carpet backing, such as a primary carpet backing, is a composite material comprising a woven fabric mechanically coupled to a non-woven fabric. The woven fabric component may include monofilament warp yarns and monofilament fill yarns. The yarns may be woven using a plain weave. The non-woven fabric component comprises synthetic fibers. The carpet backing combines the dimensional stability of non-woven fabric backings and the healability of woven fabric backings.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A backing for carpets comprising: 
 a woven fabric component; and    a non-woven fabric component comprising continuous fibers;    the woven fabric component and the non-woven fabric component being joined to each other.    
     
     
         2 . The backing of    claim 1   , wherein the woven fabric component comprises monofilament warp yarns and monofilament fill yarns.  
     
     
         3 . The backing of    claim 1   , wherein the non-woven fabric component comprises synthetic fibers.  
     
     
         4 . The backing of    claim 1   , wherein the woven fabric component and the non-woven fabric component are mechanically joined.  
     
     
         5 . The backing of    claim 1   , wherein the woven fabric component and the non-woven fabric component are joined by needle-punching.  
     
     
         6 . The backing of    claim 5   , wherein the needle-punching has a needling range of about 200 punches per square inch to about 600 punches per square inch.  
     
     
         7 . The backing of    claim 5   , wherein the needle-punching has a needling range of about 300 punches per square inch to about 400 punches per square inch.  
     
     
         8 . The backing of    claim 1   , wherein the woven fabric component further comprises a plain weave.  
     
     
         9 . The backing of    claim 1   , wherein the woven fabric component further comprises a construction of warp yarns of about 24 ends per inch and fill yarns of about 15 to about 18 picks per inch.  
     
     
         10 . The backing of    claim 1   , wherein the woven fabric component further comprises a construction of warp yarns of about 20 to about 30 ends per inch and fill yarns of about 11 to about 18 picks per inch.  
     
     
         11 . The backing of    claim 1   , wherein the woven fabric component further comprises a construction of warp yarns of about 20 to about 35 ends per inch and fill yarns of about 10 to about 30 picks per inch.  
     
     
         12 . The backing of    claim 1   , wherein the non-woven fabric component has a weight of about 0.25 ounce/yard 2  to about 5 ounce/yard 2 .  
     
     
         13 . The backing of    claim 1   , wherein the non-woven fabric component has a weight of about 0.50 ounce/yard 2  to about 3 ounce/yard 2 .  
     
     
         14 . The backing of    claim 1   , wherein the backing has increased healability and increased dimensional stability over woven primary carpet backing.  
     
     
         15 . The backing of    claim 1   , wherein the woven fabric component has a weight of about 2 ounce/yard 2  to about 8 ounce/yard 2 .  
     
     
         16 . The backing of    claim 1   , wherein the woven fabric component has a weight of about 3 ounce/yard 2  to about 5 ounce/yard 2 .  
     
     
         17 . The backing of    claim 1   , wherein the backing has a dimensional stability of about 2.5 pounds to about 22 pounds.  
     
     
         18 . The backing of    claim 1   , wherein the backing has a dimensional stability of about 3 pounds to about 20 pounds.  
     
     
         19 . A method of using a floor covering, comprising the steps of: 
 attaching a woven fabric component to a non-woven fabric component to form a backing component, the woven fabric component comprising monofilament warp yarns and monofilament fill yarns and the non-woven fabric component comprising synthetic fibers;    tufting carpet yarns through the backing component to form a floor covering; and    placing the floor covering on a specified area of the floor.    
     
     
         20 . The method according to    claim 19    wherein the woven fabric component comprises plain weave.  
     
     
         21 . The method according to    claim 19   , wherein the woven fabric component and the non-woven fabric component are attached by needle-punching.  
     
     
         22 . The method according to    claim 21   , wherein the needle-punching has a needling range of about 200 punches per square inch to about 600 punches per square inch.  
     
     
         23 . The method according to    claim 21   , wherein the needle-punching has a needling range of about 300 punches per square inch to about 400 punches per square inch.  
     
     
         24 . The method according to    claim 19   , wherein the woven fabric component comprises warp yarns having about 24 ends per inch and fill yarns having about 15 to about 18 picks per inch.  
     
     
         25 . The method according to    claim 19   , wherein the woven fabric component comprises warp yarn having about 20 to about 30 ends per inch and fill yarns having about 11 to about 18 picks per inch.  
     
     
         26 . The method according to    claim 19   , wherein the woven fabric component comprises warp yarns having about 20 to about 35 ends per inch and fill yarns having about 10 to about 30 picks per inch.  
     
     
         27 . The method according to    claim 19   , wherein the non-woven fabric component has a weight of about 0.25 ounce/yard 2  to about 5 ounce/yard 2 .  
     
     
         28 . The method according to    claim 19   , wherein the non-woven fabric component has a weight of about 0.50 ounce/yard 2  to about 3 ounce/yard 2 .  
     
     
         29 . The method according to    claim 19   , wherein the floor covering has increased healability and increased dimensional stability over woven primary carpet backing.  
     
     
         30 . The method according to    claim 19   , wherein the woven fabric component has a weight of about 2 ounce/yard 2  to about 8 ounce/yard 2 .  
     
     
         31 . The method according to    claim 19   , wherein the woven fabric component has a weight of about 3 ounce/yard 2  to about 5 ounce/yard 2 .  
     
     
         32 . The method according to    claim 19   , wherein the backing component has a dimensional stability of about 2.5 pounds to about 22 pounds.  
     
     
         33 . The method according to    claim 19   , wherein the backing component has a dimensional stability of about 3 pounds to about 20 pounds.  
     
     
         34 . A method of making a carpet backing comprising joining a woven fabric component, comprised of monofilament warp yarns and monofilament fill yarns, to a non-woven fabric component.  
     
     
         35 . The method according to    claim 34   , wherein the non-woven fabric component comprises continuous synthetic fibers.  
     
     
         36 . The method according to    claim 34   , wherein the carpet backing has increased healability and increased dimensional stability over woven primary carpet backing.  
     
     
         37 . The method according to    claim 34    wherein the woven component comprises plain weave.  
     
     
         38 . The method according to    claim 34   , wherein the woven fabric component and the non-woven fabric component are attached by needle punching.  
     
     
         39 . The method according to    claim 38   , wherein the needle-punching has a needling range of about 200 punches per square inch to about 600 punches per square inch.  
     
     
         40 . The method according to    claim 38   , wherein the needle-punching has a needling range of about 300 punches per square inch to about 400 punches per square inch.  
     
     
         41 . The method according to    claim 34   , wherein the woven fabric component comprises a construction of warp yarns having about 20 to about 30 ends per inch and fill yarns having about 11 to about 18 picks per inch.  
     
     
         42 . The method according to    claim 34   , wherein the woven fabric component comprises a construction of warp yarns of about 24 ends per inch and fill yarns of about 15 to about 18 picks per inch.  
     
     
         43 . The method according to    claim 34   , wherein the woven fabric component comprises warp yarns having about 20 to about 35 ends per inch and fill yarns having about 10 to about 30 picks per inch.  
     
     
         44 . The method according to    claim 34   , wherein the non-woven fabric component has a weight of about 0.25 ounce/yard 2  to about 5 ounce/yard 2 .  
     
     
         45 . The method according to    claim 34   , wherein the non-woven fabric component has a weight of about 0.50 ounce/yard 2  to about 3 ounce/yard 2 .  
     
     
         46 . The method according to    claim 34   , wherein the woven fabric component has a weight of about 2 ounce/yard 2  to about 8 ounce/yard 2 .  
     
     
         47 . The method according to    claim 34   , wherein the woven fabric component has a weight of about 3 ounce/yard 2  to about 5 ounce/yard 2 .  
     
     
         48 . The method according to    claim 34   , wherein the carpet backing has a dimensional stability of about 2.5 pounds to about 22 pounds.  
     
     
         49 . The method according to    claim 34   , wherein the carpet backing has a dimensional stability of about 3 pounds to about 20 pounds.