Sculptured pile fabric having improved aesthetic characteristics

Abstract

The present invention provides a sculptured pile fabric having both a printed pattern and a sculpted surface of various pile, heights. The fabric of the present invention has improved aesthetic qualities as compared with sculptured products of the prior art. This improved sculptured fabric is the result of a chemical sculpting method, in which the height of the pile surface is selectively reduced in a pattern configuration, and that is followed by an overall “dilute” dyeing process. This “dilute” dyeing process is similar to that used to “tea stain” textile products, wherein an overall hue is imparted to a textile by the use of a relatively dilute (low concentration) dyestuff. The resulting sculptured product has an appearance that emphasizes the sculptured areas, making the sculptured areas appear to have greater depth, especially when viewed at a distance.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A process for visually enhancing a sculptured textile substrate having a dyed pile surface, said surface being comprised of a first pile area having a first pile height and pile yarns carrying a first dye at a first concentration and a second pile area, contiguous to said first pile area, said second pile area having a second pile height, wherein said first pile height is higher than said second pile height, and said first pile areas are visually distinct from said second pile areas, said process comprising the steps of: 
 (a) uniformly applying and fixing a second dye, in dilute form, onto said first pile area and said second pile area, said second dilute dye having a concentration lower than that of said first dye and wherein said second pile area preferentially accepts more of said second dye than said first pile area;    (b) washing said textile substrate; and    (c) drying said textile substrate.    
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said second dilute dye is of the type selected from the group consisting of acid dyes, acid premetallized dyes, acid milling dyes, dispersed dyes, direct dyes, and reactive dyes.  
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said second dilute dye is of the same type as said first dye.  
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said second dilute dye is applied at a temperature in the range of 140° F. to about 160° F.  
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said second dilute dye is applied at ambient temperature and is fixed by heating said textile substrate to a temperature in the range of about 180° F. to about 250° F.  
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said drying is accomplished by heating said textile substrate to a temperature in the range of about 220° F. to about 310° F.  
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6  wherein said drying is accomplished by heating said textile substrate to a temperature in the range of about 230° F. to 260° F.  
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 6  wherein an effective drying time for heating said textile substrate is in the range of about three to about fifteen minutes.  
     
     
         9 . A textile substrate having a patterned surface, said surface being comprised of a pile formed of dyed pile yarns and being arranged in a pattern comprising first pile areas and second pile areas, said first and said second areas being contiguous, said first pile areas being comprised of a plurality of dyed yarns having a first pile height, said dyed yarns in said first pile areas carrying a first dye at a first concentration and a second dye at a second concentration, and said second pile areas being comprised of a plurality of dyed yarns having a second pile height, said yarns in said second pile areas carrying said second dye at a third concentration, wherein said first pile areas have a higher pile than said second pile areas, and wherein said third concentration of said second dye is greater than said second concentration of said second dye.  
     
     
         10 . The substrate of  claim 1  wherein said first concentration of said first dye in said first pile areas is higher than said third concentration of said second dye in said second pile areas.  
     
     
         11 . The substrate of  claim 1  wherein the concentration of said first dye in said first pile areas is lower in those portions of said first pile areas that are immediately adjacent to said second pile areas than in those portions of said first pile areas that are further removed from said immediately adjacent areas.  
     
     
         12 . The substrate of  claim 1  wherein the concentration of said second dye in said first pile areas is higher in those portions of said first pile areas that are immediately adjacent to said second pile areas than in those portions of said first pile areas that are further removed from said immediately adjacent areas.  
     
     
         13 . The substrate of  claim 1  wherein the concentration of said first dye in said first pile areas is lower in those portions of said first pile areas that are immediately adjacent to said second pile areas than in those portions of said first pile areas that are further removed from said immediately adjacent areas, and wherein, in said immediately adjacent areas, the concentration of said second dye in said first pile areas is higher than in those portions of said first pile areas that are further removed from said immediately adjacent areas.  
     
     
         14 . The substrate of  claim 1  wherein at least some of said pile yarns in said first pile area carry a third dye.  
     
     
         15 . The substrate of  claim 1  wherein at least some of said pile yarns in said first pile areas and at least some of said pile yarns in said second pile areas carry a third dye.  
     
     
         16 . A textile substrate having a patterned surface, said surface being comprised of a pile formed of pile yarns and being arranged in a pattern comprising first pile areas and second pile areas, said first and said second areas being contiguous, said first pile areas being comprised of a plurality of dyed yarns having a first pile height and said second pile areas being comprised of a plurality of dyed yarns having a second pile height, said first pile height being greater than said second pile height, said dyed yarns in said second pile areas carrying a dye at a first concentration, and said dyed yarns in said first pile areas carrying said dye at a second concentration in regions directly adjacent to said second pile areas and carrying said dye at a third concentration in regions of said first pile areas further removed from said directly adjacent areas, wherein said first concentration of said dye is greater than said second concentration, and said second concentration of said dye is greater than said third concentration.