Pile fabrics and systems and methods for forming pile fabrics

Abstract

An example method for forming a pile fabric includes: providing a primary backing material (configured as a sheet), a layer of thermoplastic material (disposed at the back side of the primary backing material), and a plurality of pile tufts extending through the primary backing material and at least partially into the layer of thermoplastic material with back stitch portions of the pile tufts being disposed at the back side of the primary backing material; and heating only the back of the pile fabric to melt the back stitch portions of the pile tufts and the layer of thermoplastic material to form a melt bond disposed at the back side of the primary backing material to secure the pile tufts to the primary backing material.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for forming a pile fabric, the pile fabric having a front and a back, the method comprising:
 providing a primary backing material, a layer of thermoplastic material, and a plurality of pile tufts, the primary backing material being configured as a sheet having a front side oriented at the front of the pile fabric and an opposing back side oriented at the back of the pile fabric, the layer of thermoplastic material being disposed at the back side of the primary backing material, each of the plurality of pile tufts extending through the primary backing material and at least partially into the layer of thermoplastic material with back stitch portions of the pile tufts being disposed at the back side of the primary backing material; and   heating only the back of the pile fabric to melt the back stitch portions of the pile tufts and the layer of thermoplastic material to form a melt bond disposed at the back side of the primary backing material to secure the pile tufts to the primary backing material.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein heating only the back of the pile fabric comprises exposing the back stitch portions of the pile tufts and the layer of thermoplastic material to an open flame. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein exposing the back stitch portions of the pile tufts and the layer of thermoplastic material to the open flame is performed at a location where the primary backing material is redirected about a roller with the back side of the primary backing material facing outwardly from the roller. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the melt bond is formed without the primary backing material being tentered. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising cooling the front of the pile fabric for at least a portion of time during which the back of the pile fabric is heated to form the melt bond. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the cooling is performed by a first chill roller as the primary backing material, the layer of thermoplastic material and the plurality of pile tufts are conveyed about the first chill roller. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising pressing, while molten, the back stitch portions of the pile tufts and the layer of thermoplastic material against the back side of the primary backing material. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the pressing is performed with a second chill roller; and   the method further comprises wetting the second chill roller to reduce a potential for the pile tufts and the layer of thermoplastic material to stick to the second chill roller.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the melt bond is disposed only at the back side of the primary backing material. 
     
     
         10 . A pile fabric comprising:
 a front and a back;   a primary backing material configured as a sheet having a front side oriented at the front of the pile fabric and a back side oriented at the back of the pile fabric;   a layer of thermoplastic material disposed at the back side of the primary backing material;   a plurality of pile tufts, each of the plurality of pile tufts extending through the primary backing material and at least partially into the layer of thermoplastic material with back stitch portions of the pile tufts being disposed at the back side of the primary backing material; and   a melt bond, disposed only at the back side of the primary backing material, formed of melted material of the back stitch portions of the pile tufts and melted material of the layer of thermoplastic material.   
     
     
         11 . The pile fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the pile fabric is configured as artificial turf. 
     
     
         12 . The pile fabric of  claim 11 , wherein the pile fabric is liquid permeable. 
     
     
         13 . The pile fabric of  claim 12 , wherein the melt bond defines voids, configured as areas of liquid permeability, at which the back side of the primary backing material lacks the melted material of the layer of thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         14 . The pile fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the layer of thermoplastic material is configured as a sheet. 
     
     
         15 . The pile fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the pile fabric is a recyclable pile fabric formed only of thermoplastic materials. 
     
     
         16 . The pile fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the melt bond comprises material of the back stitch portions pressed against the primary backing material. 
     
     
         17 . The pile fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the melt bond comprises material of a first of the back stitch portions adhered to material of adjacent back stitch portions. 
     
     
         18 . The pile fabric of  claim 10 , further comprising a secondary backing material, configured as a sheet, adhered to the back side of the primary backing material by the melt bond. 
     
     
         19 . The pile fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the primary backing material exhibits transverse shrinkage due to exposure to heat. 
     
     
         20 . The pile fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the primary backing material is an olefin-based primary backing material.