Multicolor carpet and method of making same

Abstract

A multicolor carpet comprising a plurality of tufted yarns, wherein the yarns comprise solution-dyed bulked continuous filaments, wherein at least one of the yarns is of a different color than any of the other yarns, wherein the yarns have not been twisted, and wherein the yarns have not been heatset.

1 . A multicolor carpet comprising a plurality of tufted yarns of at least two different colors, wherein the yarns comprise solution-dyed bulked continuous filaments, wherein the yarns have not been twisted, and wherein the yarns have not been heatset. 
     
     
         2 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 1  wherein the carpet has an appearance rating of at least 3 when subjected to a walk test according to ASTM D6119. 
     
     
         3 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 1  wherein the carpet has not been subjected to any downstream wet processing after tufting. 
     
     
         4 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 1  wherein yarns contain less than 30 moderate interlace nodes per meter. 
     
     
         5 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 1  wherein yarns contain less than 20 moderate interlace nodes per meter. 
     
     
         6 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 1  wherein yarns contain less than 5 severe interlace nodes per meter. 
     
     
         7 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 1  wherein the carpet has a pile height of 0.5 inches or less. 
     
     
         8 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 1  wherein the carpet has a pile height of 0.375 inches or less. 
     
     
         9 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 1  wherein the carpet has a face weight in range of about 12 to about 50 ounces per yard. 
     
     
         10 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 1  wherein the carpet has a face weight in range of about 18 to about 40 ounces per yard. 
     
     
         11 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 1  wherein the carpet comprises between 2 to 8 different color yarns. 
     
     
         12 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 1  wherein the yarns are comprised of a plurality of filaments, and wherein at least a portion of the yarns are comprised of filaments of at least two different colors. 
     
     
         13 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 1  wherein the carpet is comprised of a plurality of tufts, wherein each tuft is comprised of at least one tufted yarn. 
     
     
         14 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 13  wherein the majority of tufts are immediately adjacent to at least one other tuft comprised of tufted yarn of at least one different color. 
     
     
         15 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 13  wherein each tuft is immediately adjacent to at least one other tuft comprised of tufted yarn of at least one different color. 
     
     
         16 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 1  wherein there is no 12 square inch area of the carpet covered by yarns of only a single color. 
     
     
         17 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 1  wherein there is no 4 square inch area of the carpet covered by yarns of only a single color. 
     
     
         18 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 1  wherein there is no single square inch area of the carpet covered by yarns of only a single color. 
     
     
         19 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 1  wherein the solution-dyed bulked continuous filaments are formed from filaments selected from the group consisting of polyamides, polypropylenes, polyesters and copolymers and blends thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 1  wherein the solution-dyed bulked continuous filaments are formed from nylon 6,6 filaments. 
     
     
         21 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 1  wherein the solution-dyed bulked continuous filaments further comprises an aromatic sulfonate or an alkali metal salt thereof. 
     
     
         22 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 21  wherein the carpet has a stain rating of at least 5. 
     
     
         23 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 21  wherein the carpet has a stain rating of about 10. 
     
     
         24 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 21  wherein the aromatic sulfonate is 5-sulfoisophthalate. 
     
     
         25 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of tufted yarns further comprises at least one conductive filament. 
     
     
         26 . The multicolor carpet of  claim 25  wherein the amount of conductive filaments is sufficient to form an antistatic carpet. 
     
     
         27 . A multicolor carpet comprising a plurality of tufted yarns, wherein the yarns comprise solution-dyed bulked continuous filaments, wherein the solution-dyed bulked continuous filaments further comprises an aromatic sulfonate or an alkali metal salt thereof, wherein at least one of the yarns is of a different color than any of the other yarns, wherein the yarns have not been twisted, and wherein the yarns have not been heatset. 
     
     
         28 . A multicolor carpet comprising a plurality of tufted yarns, wherein the yarns comprise solution-dyed bulked continuous filaments, wherein the solution-dyed bulked continuous filaments further comprises an aromatic sulfonate or an alkali metal salt thereof, wherein at least one of the yarns is of a different color than any of the other yarns, wherein the plurality of tufted yarns further comprises at least one conductive filament , wherein the yarns have not been twisted, and wherein the yarns have not been heatset. 
     
     
         29 . The method of making a multicolor carpet comprising the step of tufting a plurality of yarns to form a carpet, wherein the yarns comprise solution-dyed bulked continuous filaments, wherein at least one of the yarns is of a different color than any of the other yarns, wherein the yarns have not been twisted, and wherein the yarns have not been heatset. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the carpet has an appearance rating of at least 3 when subjected to a walk test according to ASTM D6119. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the carpet has not been subjected to any downstream wet processing after tufting. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29  wherein yarns contain less than 30 moderate interlace nodes per meter. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29  wherein yarns contain less than 5 severe interlace nodes per meter. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the carpet has a pile height of 0.5 inches or less. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the carpet has a face weight in range of about 12 to about 50 ounces per yard. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the carpet comprises between 2 to 8 different color yarns. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the yarns are comprised of a plurality of filaments, and wherein at least a portion of the yarns are comprised of filaments of at least two different colors. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the carpet is comprised of a plurality of tufts, wherein each tuft is comprised of at least one tufted yarn. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the majority of tufts are immediately adjacent to at least one other tuft comprised of tufted yarn of at least one different color. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38  wherein each tuft is immediately adjacent to at least one other tuft comprised of tufted yarn of at least one different color. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 29  wherein there is no 12 square inch area of the carpet covered by yarns of only a single color. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 29  wherein there is no 4 square inch area of the carpet covered by yarns of only a single color. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 29  wherein there is no single square inch area of the carpet covered by yarns of only a single color. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the solution-dyed bulked continuous filaments are formed from filaments selected from the group consisting of polyamides, polypropylenes, polyesters and copolymers and blends thereof. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the solution-dyed bulked continuous filaments are formed from nylon 6,6 filaments. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the solution-dyed bulked continuous filaments further comprises an aromatic sulfonate or an alkali metal salt thereof. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46  wherein the carpet has a stain rating of at least 5. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 46  wherein the aromatic sulfonate is 5-sulfoisophthalic acid. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the plurality of tufted yarns further comprises at least one conductive filament. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49  wherein the amount of conductive filaments is sufficient to form an antistatic carpet. 
     
     
         51 . An article of manufacture, at least a portion of which comprises the multicolor carpet of any of  claims 1  through  50 .