Design and manufacture of tufted articles, carpet tile webs and carpet tiles, and installation of carpet tiles, having different color, pile height, pile texture or other characteristics that, together with similar other such tiles, may be installed to create borders, edges or other multiple-tile designs, usually without any of the tiles looking out of place or improperly oriented relative to nap or the direction the tile is “facing.”
Embodiments are directed to collections of flooring tiles, such as carpet tiles, that can include (1) a first group of tiles that has a first uniform appearance, visual field, and/or pattern across the entire tile, (2) a second group of tiles that has a second uniform appearance, visual field and/or pattern across the entire tile, and (3) a third group of tiles that are divided into three portions: a first portion that bears the first visual field, a second portion that bears the second visual field, and a third portion generally interposed between the first portion and the second portion and that has an appearance different from both the first and the second visual field. Tiles from the collections can be installed to create a desired appearance on a floor.
Methods of cutting a flooring web into rectangular flooring tiles such that at least one vertical cut along the length of the web defines a shorter edge of the rectangular tiles and horizontal cuts across the width of the web define the longer edges of the rectangular tiles.
Certain aspects and features relate to using an image modifier to generate digital designs and to printing the digital designs on a structure for flooring or other decoration that can more realistically mimic designs found in nature or otherwise provide designers with the freedom to create aesthetic designs more easily. An image modifier can receive an image, such as an image of a naturally occurring view and generate modified designs based on the image. The modified designs can be slight modifications to the image and printed on the structures for flooring such that together the printed structures exhibit the appearance of a design found in nature or a desired appearance by a designer.
B29C 64/188 - Processes of additive manufacturing involving additional operations performed on the added layers, e.g. smoothing, grinding or thickness control
B29C 64/393 - Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
E04F 15/02 - Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements
H04N 1/387 - Composing, repositioning or otherwise modifying originals
H04N 1/00 - PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - Details thereof
B33Y 50/02 - Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
B41J 3/407 - Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed for marking on special material
A wireless load cell monitoring system and method may comprise a remote load cell assembly and a base station. Embodiments of the remote load cell assembly comprise a remote processor, a remote memory, a battery, a remote transceiver, an analog-to-digital converter, and a load cell. Embodiments of the base station comprise a base processor, a base memory, a base transceiver, and a digital-to-analog converter. Embodiments of the remote load cell assembly pair with the base station using a wireless communication protocol, read analog voltage data from the load cell, convert the load cell analog voltage data into digital load data, and transmit the digital load data to the base station. Embodiments of the base station convert the digital load data into analog voltage data and output the analog voltage data.
E21B 47/009 - Monitoring of walking-beam pump systems
H04W 4/80 - Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
Design and manufacture of tufted articles, carpet tile webs and carpet tiles, and installation of carpet tiles, having different color, pile height, pile texture or other characteristics that, together with similar other such tiles, may be installed to create borders, edges or other multiple-tile designs, usually without any of the tiles looking out of place or improperly oriented relative to nap or the direction the tile is “facing.”
Floor coverings, such as modular panels or tiles, for installation on interior surfaces include one or more layers, for example, an upper wear layer and a backing layer, where at least one layer includes a filler that includes a carbon negative material, such as concentrated carbon. The carbon negative material can sequester carbon such that the resulting floor covering has a negative carbon footprint when subjected to a Life Cycle Assessment.
D06N 3/16 - Artificial leather, oilcloth, or like material obtained by covering fibrous webs with macromolecular material, e.g. resins, rubber or derivatives thereof with oil varnishes
D06N 7/00 - Flexible sheet materials not otherwise provided for, e.g. textile threads, filaments, yarns or tow, glued on macromolecular material
D06N 3/00 - Artificial leather, oilcloth, or like material obtained by covering fibrous webs with macromolecular material, e.g. resins, rubber or derivatives thereof
D06N 3/06 - Artificial leather, oilcloth, or like material obtained by covering fibrous webs with macromolecular material, e.g. resins, rubber or derivatives thereof with macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds with polyvinyl chloride or its copolymerisation products
8.
Surface coverings including carbon sequestering materials and methods of making
Floor coverings, such as modular panels or tiles, for installation on interior surfaces include an upper wear layer and a backing layer, where the backing layer includes a filler that includes concentrated carbon. The floor coverings can sequester carbon such that the resulting product has a negative carbon footprint when subjected to a Life Cycle Assessment.
D06N 3/16 - Artificial leather, oilcloth, or like material obtained by covering fibrous webs with macromolecular material, e.g. resins, rubber or derivatives thereof with oil varnishes
D06N 3/00 - Artificial leather, oilcloth, or like material obtained by covering fibrous webs with macromolecular material, e.g. resins, rubber or derivatives thereof
B01J 20/20 - Solid sorbent compositions or filter aid compositions; Sorbents for chromatography; Processes for preparing, regenerating or reactivating thereof comprising inorganic material comprising carbon obtained by carbonising processes
B01J 20/24 - Naturally occurring macromolecular compounds, e.g. humic acids or their derivatives
B01J 20/28 - Solid sorbent compositions or filter aid compositions; Sorbents for chromatography; Processes for preparing, regenerating or reactivating thereof characterised by their form or physical properties
D06N 3/12 - Artificial leather, oilcloth, or like material obtained by covering fibrous webs with macromolecular material, e.g. resins, rubber or derivatives thereof with macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
A system and method configured to measure applied force and pressure on a load cell. The system includes an axial force pressure transducer having a hollow cross section comprising at least two strain sensitive regions, and a plurality of strain sensors connected to the at least two strain sensitive regions, wherein applied force and pressure is calculated based on strain measurements using mathematical formulae. A method of calibration of the axial force pressure transducer using known applied force and pressure measurements to calculate a calibration matrix reflecting the strain sensitivities of the at least two strain sensitive regions.
G01L 3/12 - Rotary-transmission dynamometers wherein the torque-transmitting element comprises a torsionally-flexible shaft involving electric or magnetic means for indicating involving photoelectric means
G01L 1/22 - Measuring force or stress, in general by making use of electrokinetic cells, i.e. liquid-containing cells wherein an electrical potential is produced or varied upon the application of stress using resistance strain gauges
G01G 3/12 - Weighing apparatus characterised by the use of elastically-deformable members, e.g. spring balances wherein the weighing element is in the form of a solid body stressed by pressure or tension during weighing
G01G 3/14 - Weighing apparatus characterised by the use of elastically-deformable members, e.g. spring balances wherein the weighing element is in the form of a solid body stressed by pressure or tension during weighing measuring variations of electrical resistance
G01L 5/1627 - Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes for measuring several components of force using variations in ohmic resistance of strain gauges
10.
Digital printing for flooring and decorative structures
Certain aspects and features relate to using an image modifier to generate digital designs and to printing the digital designs on a structure for flooring or other decoration that can more realistically mimic designs found in nature or otherwise provide designers with the freedom to create aesthetic designs more easily. An image modifier can receive an image, such as an image of a naturally occurring view and generate modified designs based on the image. The modified designs can be slight modifications to the image and printed on the structures for flooring such that together the printed structures exhibit the appearance of a design found in nature or a desired appearance by a designer.
B29C 64/188 - Processes of additive manufacturing involving additional operations performed on the added layers, e.g. smoothing, grinding or thickness control
B29C 64/393 - Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
E04F 15/02 - Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements
H04N 1/387 - Composing, repositioning or otherwise modifying originals
H04N 1/00 - PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - Details thereof
B33Y 50/02 - Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
B41J 3/407 - Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed for marking on special material
Tools are provided that communicate to a pattern designer how much yarn is being used on every needle for a given tuft height pattern and permit the designer to adjust the pattern accordingly to balance the yarn usage on the needles. An electronic representation of a pattern design is received for controlling a carpet tufting operation. The pattern design includes a pile height per tuft. A grid is provided for representing the pattern design using different visual cues to represent different pile heights. A graph depicting use-of-yarn per needle for the carpet tufting operation is generated. The grid and the graph can be on a common user interface and can be viewable at the same time on a display device.
Tools are provided that communicate to a pattern designer how much yarn is being used on every needle for a given tuft height pattern and permit the designer to adjust the pattern accordingly to balance the yarn usage on the needles. An electronic representation of a pattern design is received for controlling a carpet tufting operation. The pattern design includes a pile height per tuft. A grid is provided for representing the pattern design using different visual cues to represent different pile heights. A graph depicting use-of-yarn per needle for the carpet tufting operation is generated. The grid and the graph are on a common user interface and are viewable at the same time on a display device.
A floor covering system can include sensors below a top surface of a floor covering and that can communicate data to a controller for monitoring events occurring in the room with the floor covering. The sensors can include a wireless transmitter associated with a tile connector, a pressure sensor, and a force sensor. The tile connector is positioned between a floor and a floor covering to connect tiles of the floor covering together. The pressure sensor is positioned between the floor and the floor covering. The force sensor is positioned between the floor and the floor covering. The controller is configured for receiving data from the pressure sensor, the wireless transmitter, and the force sensor.
G08B 21/00 - Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
G08B 13/10 - Mechanical actuation by pressure on floors, floor coverings, stair treads, counters, or tills
H04Q 9/00 - Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
E04F 15/02 - Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements
G08B 21/04 - Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons responsive to non-activity, e.g. of elderly persons
15.
Border, edge or pattern carpet tile design, manufacture and installation
Design and manufacture of tufted articles, carpet tile webs and carpet tiles, and installation of carpet tiles, having different color, pile height, pile texture or other characteristics that, together with similar other such tiles, may be installed to create borders, edges or other multiple-tile designs, usually without any of the tiles looking out of place or improperly oriented relative to nap or the direction the tile is “facing.”
B32B 3/02 - Layered products essentially comprising a layer with external or internal discontinuities or unevennesses, or a layer of non-planar form; Layered products essentially having particular features of form characterised by features of form at particular places, e.g. in edge regions
B32B 33/00 - Layered products characterised by particular properties or particular surface features, e.g. particular surface coatings; Layered products designed for particular purposes not covered by another single class
D05C 17/00 - Embroidered or tufted products; Base fabrics specially adapted for embroidered work; Inserts for producing surface irregularities in embroidered products
Header assemblies generally used to handle yarns, for example, to facilitate connection of yarns feeding into a tufting machine or other device. In some embodiments, the improved header assembly includes at least a detachable header and a collector plate. The improved header assembly simplifies the process of loading yarn through a detachable header by positioning the detachable header so that it abuts the collectable plate so that individual yarns can be blown through the collector plate through the appropriate holes in the detachable header. In some embodiments, the header assemblies are configured for use with varying gauges, different alignment requirements, different devices, and/or to otherwise be more universal in nature.
Methods of tufting a pattern in a backing material using a plurality of different yarns A, B, . . . n that are threaded in the needles of a needle bar in a non-repeating sequence or pattern of yarn sets across the width of the needle bar.
A load cell structure for receiving strain gages to monitor applied torsional forces wherein the opposing force-receiving ends have a plurality of sensing beams spaced about an axis of rotation. Limit posts located between the ends each have a discontinuity therein that includes a U-shaped gap to limit relative rotation about the axis and thereby providing overload protection.
Methods of cutting and installing carpet tiles in, among other applications, mass transit vehicles, particularly including aircraft. In some embodiments, the tile lengths in an installation are the same and the tile widths are customized to a particular section of the aircraft or other vehicle in which they are installed.
B21D 39/02 - Application of procedures in order to connect objects or parts, e.g. coating with sheet metal otherwise than by plating; Tube expanders of sheet metal by folding, e.g. connecting edges of a sheet to form a cylinder
B21D 53/92 - Making other particular articles other parts for aircraft
B64D 11/00 - Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
20.
Load cell for monitoring torsion and having over load protection
A load cell structure for receiving strain gages to monitor applied torsional forces wherein the opposing force-receiving ends have a plurality of sensing beams spaced about an axis of rotation. Limit posts located between the ends each have a discontinuity therein that includes a U-shaped gap to limit relative rotation about the axis and thereby providing overload protection.
Systems and methods that facilitate the creation and harvesting of algae using tufted products. One exemplary tufted product comprises a substrate and tufts tufted through the substrate. The use of a tufted product provides various advantages with respect to the creation and harvesting of algae. Among other things, such products can be configured to improve the amount of algal-growing surface area provided and other growing environment characteristics and to facilitate the harvesting of the algae from the tufted product by facilitating the release of all or most of the algae from attachment to the tufted product.
Creels having frames configured to receive one or more trays of yarn packages. The trays of yarn packages are removable from the frame and can be loaded with packages of yarn when not inserted into the frame. Separately loading trays with yarns can simplify and provide other benefits with respect to the process of loading a creel with yarn packages. Also disclosed is an assembly that is positioned with respect to a detachable header and a stationary header on a creel and that comprises an air flow unit that causes yarns to move through to an alignment mechanism that aligns the yarns for attachment to yarns already feeding into a tufting machine.
Connectors for joining adjacent modular floor covering units. Embodiments of the connectors include a film and an adhesive layer coated on one side of the film. The connectors can have a conductive component that allows electrical continuity to be maintained between adjacent tiles. In yet another embodiment, the connectors can be equipped as radio frequency identification tags by including radio frequency transponders. To install tiles using the connectors, a first tile is placed on the floor and a connector is positioned so that the adhesive layer faces upward and does not contact the floor. The connector is typically positioned so that only a portion of the adhesive layer adheres to the underside of the tile, leaving the remainder of the connector extending from the underside of the tile. One or more tiles are then positioned adjacent the first tile so that a portion of the connector adheres to the adjacent tiles. In this way, the connectors span adjacent tile edges. The tiles are assembled on an underlying flooring surface without the need to attach them to the floor surface. Rather, the tiles are linked to each other with the connectors, so that the tiles create a floor covering that “floats” on the underlying floor surface. Additionally, the tiles need not be installed directly on the floor surface. Rather, an underlayment, such as a film or cushion or cushion composite, may be positioned on the floor surface prior to the installation of tiles.
Low weight and non-square carpet tile suitable for use in mass transit vehicles, particularly passenger aircraft. The carpet tile preferably weighs less than about 82 ounces per square yard. The carpet tile of this invention may have a carpet pile and at least one backing layer. The backing layer may use a low weight filler material. The carpet tiles satisfy transportation industry standards for flame, smoke and toxicity.
Low weight and non-square carpet tile suitable for use in mass transit vehicles, particularly passenger aircraft. The carpet tile preferably weighs less than about 82 ounces per square yard. The carpet tile of this invention may have a carpet pile and at least one backing layer. The backing layer may use low weight filler material. Secondary backing plastic material may be compressed into the tile structure with pressure rollers or other pressure applying process on an improved tile production line.
Low weight and non-square carpet tile suitable for use in mass transit vehicles, particularly passenger aircraft. The carpet tile preferably weighs less than about 82 ounces per square yard. The carpet tile of this invention may have a carpet pile and at least one backing layer. The backing layer may use a low weight filler material. The carpet tiles satisfy transportation industry standards for flame, smoke and toxicity. Tiles may be sized during manufacture and installed in configurations that minimize the number of tile sizes needed and minimize the need for cutting tiles during installation. The patterns used for such tiles may be orthogonally ambiguous or otherwise suitable for “random” installation. In other embodiments, a passenger aircraft cabin includes a floor having rectangular carpet tiles installed thereon, and the carpeting can be installed in the aircraft without removing seats from the aircraft.
patents
