Carpet tiles and systems and methods of making same

Abstract

A carpet tile having a greige good, an adhesive layer, and a secondary backing material. The greige good has a primary backing component and a plurality of fibers attached to the primary backing component. The adhesive layer has an adhesive composition and a reinforcement material that is at least partially embedded within the adhesive composition. The adhesive layer is applied to a back surface of the primary backing component. The secondary backing material is adhered to the primary backing component by contact with a portion of the adhesive composition that flows through the reinforcement material. The reinforcement material and the secondary backing material are co-laminated onto the adhesive composition.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A carpet tile comprising:
 (a) a greige good comprising:
 i) a primary backing component having a face surface and a back surface; and 
 ii) a plurality of fibers attached to the primary backing component and extending from the face surface of the primary backing component; and 
   (b) an adhesive layer having a first surface and an opposed second surface, wherein the adhesive layer comprises an adhesive composition and a reinforcement material that is at least partially embedded within the adhesive composition, wherein the first surface of the adhesive layer is applied to the back surface of the primary backing component; and   (c) a secondary backing material adhered to the primary backing component by contact with the second surface of the adhesive layer,   wherein the reinforcement material has opposed first and second sides that are spaced apart relative to a vertical axis, wherein the reinforcement material has an open structure that permits flow of the adhesive composition through the reinforcement material from the first side of the reinforcement material to the second side of the reinforcement material during co-lamination of the reinforcement material and the secondary backing material onto the adhesive composition, thereby embedding at least a portion of the reinforcement material within the adhesive composition and defining the adhesive layer.   
     
     
         2 . The carpet tile of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers comprises a polyamide, an olefin, a polyester, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The carpet tile of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers are present in yarn. 
     
     
         4 . The carpet tile of claim, wherein a portion of the plurality of fibers are exposed at the back surface of the primary backing component. 
     
     
         5 . The carpet tile of  claim 1 , wherein the greige good comprises a precoat layer disposed between the back surface of the primary backing component and the adhesive layer, wherein the precoat layer at least partially encapsulates the plurality of fibers of the greige good. 
     
     
         6 . The carpet tile of  claim 5 , wherein the precoat layer comprises latex. 
     
     
         7 . The carpet tile of  claim 5 , wherein the precoat layer comprises an acrylic material. 
     
     
         8 . The carpet tile of  claim 5 , wherein the precoat layer is provided at a coating weight ranging from about 10 to about 25 ounces/sq. yard. 
     
     
         9 . The carpet tile of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive composition comprises a thermoplastic elastomer. 
     
     
         10 . The carpet tile of  claim 9 , wherein the adhesive composition is provided at a coating weight ranging from about 8 to about 30 ounces/sq. yard. 
     
     
         11 . The carpet tile of  claim 9 , wherein the adhesive composition comprises filler in an amount ranging from about 0% to about 80% by weight of the adhesive composition. 
     
     
         12 . The carpet tile of  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement material of the adhesive layer comprises a fiberglass scrim. 
     
     
         13 . The carpet tile of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary backing material comprises a non-woven material. 
     
     
         14 . The carpet tile of  claim 13 , wherein the non-woven material comprises a fleece material. 
     
     
         15 . The carpet tile of  claim 13 , wherein the secondary backing material comprises polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The carpet tile  claim 15 , wherein the secondary backing material comprises a spunbond material. 
     
     
         17 . The carpet tile of  claim 15 , wherein the secondary backing material is needle-punched. 
     
     
         18 . The carpet tile of  claim 15 , wherein the secondary backing material comprises a pointbond material. 
     
     
         19 . The carpet tile of  claim 13 , wherein the secondary backing comprises a PET or polypropylene needlebond pad. 
     
     
         20 . A carpet tile comprising:
 (a) a greige good comprising:
 i) a primary backing component having a face surface and a back surface; and 
 ii) a plurality of fibers attached to the primary backing component and extending from the face surface of the primary backing component; and 
   (b) an adhesive layer having a first surface and an opposed second surface, wherein the adhesive layer comprises a thermoplastic adhesive composition and a reinforcement material that is at least partially embedded within the adhesive composition;   (c) a precoat layer disposed between the back surface of the primary backing component and the adhesive layer; and   (d) a secondary backing material adhered to the primary backing component by contact with the second surface of the adhesive layer,   wherein the reinforcement material has opposed first and second sides that are spaced apart relative to a vertical axis, wherein the reinforcement material has an open structure that permits flow of the adhesive composition through the reinforcement material from the first side of the reinforcement material to the second side of the reinforcement material during co-lamination of the reinforcement material and the secondary backing material onto the adhesive composition, thereby embedding at least a portion of the reinforcement material within the adhesive composition and defining the adhesive layer.   
     
     
         21 . A method of making a carpet tile, comprising:
 (a) extruding an adhesive composition onto a back surface of a primary backing component of a greige good, the greige good further comprising a plurality of fibers attached to the primary backing component and extending from a face surface of the primary backing component; and   (b) co-laminating a reinforcement material and a secondary backing material onto the adhesive composition, wherein the reinforcement material has an open structure and opposed first and second sides that are spaced apart relative to a vertical axis;   (c) allowing the adhesive composition to flow through the reinforcement material from the first side of the reinforcement material to the second side of the reinforcement material such that the adhesive composition on the second side of the reinforcement material contacts the secondary backing material; and   (d) cooling the adhesive composition to define an adhesive layer in which the reinforcement material is at least partially embedded within the adhesive composition,   wherein the secondary backing material is adhered to the primary backing component by contact with the adhesive composition of the adhesive layer.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising, following cooling of the adhesive composition, cutting the greige good, the adhesive layer, and the secondary backing material to form the carpet tile. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the greige good is provided at a first width greater than a width of the carpet tile, the method further comprising, following cooling of the adhesive composition:
 cutting the greige good, the adhesive layer, and the secondary backing material to a second width that is less than the first width;   positioning a portion of the greige good, the adhesive layer, and the secondary backing material having the second width within a cutting machine configured to receive material having the second width; and   operating the cutting machine to form the carpet tile from the portion of the greige good, the adhesive layer, and the secondary backing material within the cutting machine.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the first width is about 12 feet, and wherein the second width is about 6 feet. 
     
     
         25 . The method of any one of  claim 21 , wherein the adhesive composition is the only portion of the carpet tile that is extruded, and wherein the method does not comprise any additional extrusion steps.