AU610125B2 - Lamination process - Google Patents

Description

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A Ua.t MALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFIC 2 FOR OFFICE USE: Application Number: Lodged: Class Int. Class Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: S t Yr It 4.t e.4N4 -r 1 a

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It II iI1 Name of Applicant(s): i t t ,t I t Address of Applicant(s): Si I *tual Inventor(s): *t4I TRIGON PACKAGING SYSTEMS (NZ) LIMITED Corner Avalon Drive and Foreman Road Hamilton NEW ZEALAND ROGER ALLAN EVANS Lii Address for Service: Kelvin Lord Co., 4 Douro Place, WEST PERTH, Western Australia 6005.

Complete Specification for the invention entitled: "LAMINATION PROCESS"

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m1~ The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/ us

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LAMINATION PROCESS This invention relates to the lamination of backing films to wide sheets of substrate such as carpet.

The above process is already performed by feeding carpet up to 2 metres wide together with a plastic backing film through a pair of nip rollers. A heat activated film is used for this purpose, but if the carpet manufacturer wishes the carpet to carry his trade mark, grade information, yarn mix information or other printed matter, this generally appears on a printed fabric label, typically 150 x 150mm which is either stitched or glued to the textile backing layer. The manufacturer may wish this information to be repeated at regular intervals throughout the run of carpet.

*0 This causes problems because the speeds at which the 15 printing machinery and the backing machinery operate for optimum results will not permit synchronisation of the two operations.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus that addresses the above problems.

.20 Further objects and advantages of the present invention will S* become apparent from the following description which is

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given by way of example.

Acccrding to the present invention there is provided a Scarpet laminate comprising: o 25 carpet tuft supported by carpet underlay, a layer of backing film adhered to the outer surface of the underlay, a printed or otherwise characterising intermediate sheet 4ATj material applied to the same side of the carpet 3 underlay as the backing film, wherein the backing film comprises a heat activateable clear plastics film which is capable of lamination with the underlay and the intermediate material as a result of the application of heat and pressure to the laminate so formed.

It is desirable that print can be applied to the intermediate sheet material and that it can adhere to textile backing and plastic film. One material that has these desired properties is ethylene acrylic acid copolymeric film. It is further desirable for cost effectiveness that the intermediate sheet material is narrow.

The present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in 15 which:t* a t 2 8 Figure 1: .is a diagrammatic side view of apparatus in accordance with one possible embodiment of the present invention, and Fiqure 2: is a diagrammatic top view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

With respect to the drawings there is provided a sheet substrate 1 comprising a base layer 9, a layer of backing film 3 and an additional band of printed film 4 applied to said base layer 9.

One possible method of making the above sheet substrate is by applying to the sheet substrate 1 fed from a roll 2 or the like of substrate, a layer of backing film 3 (of a width substantially equal to the width of the sheet substrate) and an additional band of film 4, characterised by the steps of feeding the sheet substrate from a roll 2 thereof, feeding the backing film layer 3 from a first roll of film 7, and feeding the additional band of film 4 from a second roll of film 8 such D that the two films are applied to the substrate as the films and substrate are fed through means (feed rollers 5 and 6) to press the films against the substrate.

*i In the embodiment shown the sheet substrate 1 is carpet which is pulled from a roll thereof 2 by a pair of feed or nip rollers 5 and 6. The nip rollers 5 and 6 also pull the wide backing film 3 from a first roll of film 7 and the second film 4 (which is a narrow band), from the second roll of film 8. The rolls of film 7 and 8 are not driven as are the nip rollers 5 and 6, and therefore the speed at which the carpet 1, backing film 3 and narrow band 4 are unrolled is governed only by the nip rollers 5 and 6.

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ii The backing film 3 is a heat activated film containing an ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) face layer, rendered adhesive upon passing around the feed roller 6 which is heated.

The nip rollers 5 and 6 cause the backing film 3 to nip against the carpet backing or base layer 9 to give a permanently laminated, full width covering layer to the carpet.

The feed speed of these rollers is about 20 metres per minute and the temperature of the nip roller 6 is approximately 80 0

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The narrow band 4 is ethylene acrylic acid copolymeric film and in a preferred embodiment is approximately 200mm wide bearing indicia 10 every 500mm. This narrow band 4 is also heat activated by the heated nip roller 6 simultaneously with the backing film 3. The narrow band 4 is passed over a guide roller 11 in order to clear the roll of film 7 whilst still giving a large degree of wrap on the heated roller 6. A possible alternative position for the roll of film 8 is shown in broken lines in Figure 1.

44L~ 4 $O~ t 4 4 4 4 4t It should be noted that both the films have their non-adhesive face in contact with the hot roller for obvious reasons.

An alternative embodiment is envisaged whereby the backing film 3 and the narrow band 4 are applied to the carpet at separate stations in the process albeit at the same optimum speed of the machinery.

The advantages of this invention are seen to be many. The printed indicia can be incorporated at any desired spacing on the run or across the width of the carpet. The indicia can also be easily changed without disturbing the remainder of the set-up by the mere replacement of the narrow band 4 on the roll 8. Furthermore, the prevailing optimum speed of the backing machinery is preserved as the printing phase is carried out at the same optimum speed as the backing machinery.

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that additions and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope thereof as defined in the accompanying claims.

Claims (6)

1. A carpet laminate comprising: c.rpet tuft supported by carpet underlay, a layer of backing film adhered to the outer surface of the underlay, a printed or otherwise characterising intermediate sheet material applied to the same side of the carpet underlay as the backing film, wherein the backing film comprises a heat activateable clear plastics film which is capable of lamination with the underlay and the intermediate material as a result of the application of *heat and pressure to the laminate so formed.

2. A carpet laminate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the 0 intermediate material is a film of lesser width than 15 the underlay and backing film.

3. A carpet laminate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the intermediate material is disposed between the backing film and the underlay. 0

4. A carpet laminate as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 20 wherein the material is a thermoplastic sheet material.

A carpet laminate substantially as herein described 0 ,O J o with reference to the accompanying drawings. o! r: rj I 7

6. A carpet laminate as claimed in any one of claims 1 to constructed in accordance with the lamination process described herein. DATED DECEMBER 6 1990 TRIGON PACKAGING SYSTEMS (NZ) LIMITED By their Patent Attorneys KELVIN LORD AND COMPANY PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA t