Random Tile Installation Using Non-Random Installation Technique

Abstract

A modular textile system includes a plurality of modular tiles having a machine direction. Each modular tile includes an indicium that is randomly oriented with respect to the machine direction and/or randomly positioned on the tile. The modular tiles are positioned in an installation with the indicia arranged in a uniform manner, so that the resulting installation of modular tiles is a random modular tile installation.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A modular tile system, the modular tile system comprising:
 a plurality of modular tiles, the modular tiles each having a face and a backing, wherein the modular tiles are formed to have a machine direction and a cross-machine direction, wherein   the backing of each modular tile is provided with an indicium, wherein the indicium comprises at least one of a randomly oriented indicium and a randomly positioned indicium, wherein the randomly oriented indicium is randomly oriented with respect to the machine direction of the face of the modular tile, and the randomly positioned indicium is randomly positioned on the modular tile,   wherein the modular tiles are for being placed in an edge-to-edge configuration with one another in an installation with the indicium of each modular tile configured in a like manner with respect to one another, such that the at least one of the
 randomly oriented indicia of the modular tiles are oriented in the same direction, and 
 randomly positioned indicia of the modular tiles are positioned in the same position with respect to one another, 
 so that the installed modular tiles are randomly oriented with respect to one another. 
   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein
 the indicium is a randomly oriented indicium, and   the randomly oriented indicium is rotated 0, 90, 180, or 270 degrees with respect to the machine direction of the modular tile.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the indicium comprises a directional indicium. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the indicium comprises an arrow. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein
 the indicium is a randomly positioned indicium, and   the randomly positioned indicium is positioned adjacent to a corner of the modular tile.   
     
     
         7 . A modular tile system, the modular tile system comprising:
 a plurality of modular tiles formed from a textile web, the textile web having a face and a backing, and wherein the textile web is formed to have a machine direction, and wherein the modular tiles are formed from the textile web by
 dividing the textile web into a plurality of frames, such that the plurality of frames each define one modular tile of the plurality of modular tiles, 
 providing the backing of the textile web within the frames with indicia that is at least one of
 randomly oriented with respect to the machine direction of the textile web, and 
 randomly positioned within the frames, and 
 
 cutting the textile web into the modular tiles defined by the frames, 
   wherein the plurality of modular tiles are for being installed on a surface with the indicium of each modular tile configured in a like manner with respect to one another, such that the at least one of the
 randomly oriented indicia of the modular tiles are oriented in the same direction, and 
 randomly positioned indicia of the modular tiles are positioned in the same position with respect to one another, 
 so that the installed modular tiles are randomly oriented with respect to one another. 
   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein
 the indicium is a randomly oriented indicium, and   the modular tiles are further formed from the textile web by providing a plurality of orientation values, wherein the plurality of orientation values each correspond to an orientation of the indicium to be provided in each frame of the plurality of frames.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein providing the plurality of orientation values comprises generating the plurality of orientation values using a random number generator. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein providing the plurality of orientation values comprises manually generating the plurality of orientation values. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the orientation values each correspond to a 0, 90, 180, or 270 degree rotation of the indicium relative to the machine direction of the modular tile. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the indicium comprises a directional indicium. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the indicium comprises an arrow. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein
 the indicium is a randomly positioned indicium, and   the modular tiles are further formed from the textile web by providing a plurality of positional values, wherein the positional values each correspond to a position of the indicium to be provided in each frame of the plurality of frames.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein providing the plurality of positional values comprises generating the plurality of positional values using a random number generator. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein providing the plurality of positional values comprises manually generating the plurality of positional values. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the positional values each correspond to a corner of the respective frame. 
     
     
         18 . A modular tile system, the modular tile system comprising:
 a plurality of modular tiles formed from a textile web, the modular tiles and the textile web each having a face and a backing, wherein the textile web has a machine direction and a cross-machine direction, and wherein the modular tiles are formed from the textile web by
 defining a plurality of areas of the textile web, the plurality of areas defining the modular tiles to be formed from the textile web, 
 providing the backing of the textile web within the areas with indicia that is at least one of
 randomly oriented with respect to the machine direction of the textile web, and 
 randomly positioned within the area, and 
 
 cutting the textile web into the modular tiles defined by the areas, 
   wherein when the modular tiles are installed with the indicia of the modular tiles configured in a like manner with respect to one another, the installed modular tiles are randomly oriented with respect to one another.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein
 the indicium is a randomly oriented indicium, and   the modular tiles are further formed from the textile web by generating orientation values for the indicia to be provided in the areas, wherein the orientation values each correspond to a 0, 90, 180, or 270 degree rotation of the indicium relative to the machine direction of the textile web.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein generating orientation values comprises using a random number generator. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein generating orientation values comprises manually generating the orientation values. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the indicium comprises a directional indicium. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the indicium comprises an arrow. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein
 the indicium is a randomly positioned indicium, and   the modular tiles are further formed from the textile web by generating positional values, wherein the positional values each correspond to a position of the indicium to be provided in each frame of the plurality of frames.   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein generating positional values comprises using a random number generator. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein generating positional values comprises manually generating the positional values. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the positional values each correspond to a corner of the respective frame.