Carpet plank

Abstract

A rectangular carpet plank includes a baseplate having a first side edge opposed from a second side edge; and a carpet layer attached to a top surface of the baseplate. The carpet layer being divided into carpet sections, wherein each carpet section extends from the first side edge to the second side edge; each carpet section has a carpet pattern; and adjacent carpet sections have different carpet patterns.

1 . A rectangular carpet plank comprising:
 a baseplate having a first side edge opposed from a second side edge; and   a carpet layer attached to a top surface of the baseplate, the carpet layer being divided into carpet sections, wherein:
 each carpet section extends from the first side edge to the second side edge; 
 each carpet section having a carpet pattern; and 
 adjacent carpet sections having different carpet patterns. 
   
     
     
         2 . The carpet plank of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first joining element located along the first side edge of the baseplate; and   a second joining element located along the second side edge of the baseplate, the first joining element and the second joining element being complementary in shape.   
     
     
         3 . The carpet plank of  claim 2 , wherein the first joining element extends along the entirety of the first side edge of the baseplate and the second joining element extends along the entirety of the second side edge of the baseplate. 
     
     
         4 . The carpet plank of  claim 2 , wherein the first joining element is a male joining element and the second joining element is a female joining element. 
     
     
         5 . The carpet plank of  claim 4 , wherein the male joining element is a tongue and the female joining element is a complementary groove. 
     
     
         6 . The carpet plank of  claim 2 , wherein the joining elements are integrally formed with the baseplate. 
     
     
         7 . The carpet plank of  claim 2 , the carpet plank further comprising:
 a third joining element located along a first end edge of the baseplate; and   a fourth joining element located along a second end edge of the baseplate, the third joining element and fourth joining element being complementary in shape.   
     
     
         8 . The carpet plank of  claim 7 , wherein the third joining element extends along the entirety of the first end edge of the baseplate and a fourth joining element extends along the entirety of the second end edge of the baseplate. 
     
     
         9 . The carpet plank of  claim 1 , the carpet pattern of each carpet section being a color of the carpet. 
     
     
         10 . The carpet plank of  claim 1 , wherein each carpet section has a pile and the carpet pattern of each carpet section being an orientation of the pile. 
     
     
         11 . The carpet plank of  claim 10 , wherein the pile is loop pile. 
     
     
         12 . The carpet plank of  claim 10 , wherein the pile is cut pile or tufted pile. 
     
     
         13 . The carpet plank of  claim 10 , wherein the pile of one carpet section is rotated 90 degrees with respect to an adjacent carpet section. 
     
     
         14 . The carpet plank of  claim 10 , wherein the pile of one carpet section is rotated 180 degrees with respect to an adjacent carpet section. 
     
     
         15 . The carpet plank of  claim 1 , wherein the carpet plank is 6 inches by 36 inches. 
     
     
         16 . The carpet plank of  claim 1 , the carpet layer having a first carpet section at a first end of the baseplate, a second carpet section adjacent the first carpet section, a third carpet section adjacent the second carpet section, and a fourth carpet section adjacent the third carpet section and at a second end of the baseplate opposed to the first end of the baseplate. 
     
     
         17 . The carpet plank of  claim 16 , the first and third carpet sections having the same carpet pattern and the second and fourth carpet sections having the same carpet pattern. 
     
     
         18 . The carpet plank of  claim 16 , the first and fourth carpet sections being squares and the second and fourth carpet sections being rectangles that are twice as long as the first and fourth carpet sections. 
     
     
         19 . The carpet plank of  claim 1 , the carpet layer having a first carpet section at a first end of the baseplate, a second carpet section adjacent the first carpet section, and a third carpet section adjacent the second carpet section and at a second end of the baseplate opposed to the first end of the baseplate. 
     
     
         20 . The carpet plank of  claim 19 , the first and third carpet sections having the same carpet pattern and the second carpet section having a different carpet pattern then the first and third carpet sections. 
     
     
         21 . The carpet plank of  claim 19 , the first and third carpet sections being rectangles and the second carpet section being a rectangle that is twice as long as the first and third carpet sections. 
     
     
         22 . A system of carpet planks, comprising:
 a first carpet plank of  claim 1 ; and   a second carpet plank of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second carpet planks having the same lengths and widths; and   wherein the first and second carpet planks having an equal number of carpet sections, each section being the same in size as a corresponding carpet section of the other plank, and the corresponding carpet sections having different carpet patterns, the first carpet plank being a first carpet plank type and the second carpet plank being a second carpet plank type.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein carpet planks are arranged in a repeating pattern of rows including a first row and a second row, wherein:
 the first row of carpet planks alternating between the first carpet plank type and the second carpet plank type;   the second row of carpet planks alternating between the first carpet plank type and the second carpet plank type; and   each carpet plank of the second row is offset with a corresponding carpet plank of the first carpet plank type of the first row and a corresponding carpet plank of the second carpet plank type of the first row so that carpet sections of the carpet planks from the first row align with carpet sections having the same carpet pattern of the carpet planks from the second row.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein aligned carpet sections of the same carpet pattern from the rows cooperate to form a square carpet area of the carpet pattern. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the repeating pattern further includes a third row and a fourth row, wherein square carpet areas of the carpet pattern in the third and fourth rows are offset with the square carpet areas of the carpet pattern in the first and second rows to form a checkerboard pattern. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein carpet planks are arranged in a repeating pattern of rows including a first row, a second row, and a third row, wherein:
 the first row comprises carpet planks of the first carpet plank type;   the second row comprises carpet planks of the second carpet plank type, wherein each carpet plank of the second row is offset with two corresponding carpet planks of the first row so that carpet sections of the carpet planks from the first row align with carpet sections having the same carpet pattern of the carpet planks from the second row; and   the third row comprises carpet planks of the first carpet plank type, wherein each carpet plank of the third row is offset with two corresponding carpet planks of the second row so that carpet sections of the carpet planks from the second row align with carpet sections having the same carpet pattern of the carpet planks from the third row.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein aligned carpet sections of the same carpet pattern from the three rows cooperate to form a square carpet area of the carpet pattern. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the repeating pattern further includes a fourth row, a fifth row, and a sixth row, wherein square carpet areas of the carpet pattern in the fourth, fifth, and sixth rows are offset with the square carpet areas of carpet pattern in the first, second and third rows to form a checkerboard pattern. 
     
     
         29 . A carpet plank comprising:
 a rectangular baseplate having a top surface, a first side edge opposed from a second side edge, a first end edge extending between the side edges and a second end edge extending between the side edges and opposed from the first end edge, wherein the side edges are longer than the end edges;   a carpet layer attached to a top surface of the baseplate and having dimensions to cover the top surface;   a first joining element located along the first side edge of the baseplate; and   a second joining element located along the second side edge of the baseplate, the first joining element and the second joining element being complementary in shape.   
     
     
         30 . The carpet plank of  claim 29 , wherein the first joining element extends along the entirety of the first side edge of the baseplate and the second joining element extends along the entirety of the second side edge of the baseplate. 
     
     
         31 . The carpet plank of  claim 29 , wherein the first joining element is a male joining element and the second joining element is a female joining element. 
     
     
         32 . The carpet plank of  claim 31 , wherein the male joining element is a tongue and the female joining element is a complementary groove. 
     
     
         33 . The carpet plank of  claim 29 , wherein the joining elements are integrally formed with the baseplate. 
     
     
         34 . The carpet plank of  claim 29 , the carpet plank further comprising:
 a third joining element located along a first end edge of the baseplate; and   a fourth joining element located along a second end edge of the baseplate, the third joining element and fourth joining element being complementary in shape.   
     
     
         35 . The carpet plank of  claim 34 , wherein the third joining element extends along the entirety of the first end edge of the baseplate and a fourth joining element extends along the entirety of the second end edge of the baseplate. 
     
     
         36 . The carpet plank of  claim 29 , wherein the carpet plank is 6 inches by 36 inches. 
     
     
         37 . The carpet plank of  claim 29 , wherein the end edges of the baseplate are planar. 
     
     
         38 . The carpet plank of  claim 29 , wherein the side edges are more than twice as long as the end edges. 
     
     
         39 . A system of carpet planks, comprising:
 a first carpet plank of  claim 29 ; and   a second carpet plank of  claim 29 , wherein the first joining element of the first carpet plank is mated with the second joining element of the second carpet plank.   
     
     
         40 . The system of carpet planks of  claim 39 , wherein the first end edge of the first carpet plank is longitudinally offset from the first end edge of the second carpet plank.