Orthogonally ambiguous carpet tiles having curved elements

Abstract

Carpet tiles having patterns and color schemes that obviate the need to orient the tiles in a particular positional or rotational relationship relative to each other. The tiles exhibit orthogonal ambiguity, meaning that they may be laid in any side-by-side orientation with respect to adjacent tiles without looking out of place to the ordinary viewer and thereby still achieving an appearance of continuity like broadloom carpet. Each tile has patterns of shapes having some straight and curved elements. At least some of the straight elements on each tile preferably parallel a tile edge. The shapes are formed from a color or combination of colors so that adjacent shapes on each tile have at least one color in common. Furthermore, each tile has at least one color in common with every other tile, so that when the tiles are laid, the colors on adjacent tiles coordinate. Moreover, because the pattern on each tile appears random, placement of the tiles on the floor in any side-by-side orientation simply creates a larger, apparently random pattern, rendering it impossible for any tile to look out of place.

1 - 35 . (canceled)  
     
     
         36 . Carpet tiles comprising tile edges and textile faces, each face having a pattern comprising shapes, wherein the pattern on each tile face comprises: 
 a. at least one curved element;    b. a first straight element parallel to a tile edge;    c. at least one background color and at least one color different from the background color; and    d. a first shape and a second shape, wherein the first shape and the second shape are adjacent to each other and comprise at least one common color;    wherein:    e. the tiles comprise at least one common color in addition to the background color;    f. each tile comprises a color of similar intensity to a color on another tile; and    when the tiles are assembled on a flooring surface so that each tile is adjacent to and abuts at least one other tile, the tiles exhibit orthogonal ambiguity without pattern alignment between adjacent tiles.    
     
     
         37 . The carpet tiles of  claim 36 , wherein the pattern further comprises a second straight element that is substantially perpendicular to the first straight element.  
     
     
         38 . The carpet tiles of  claim 37 , wherein the pattern further comprises a third straight element that parallels neither the first straight element nor the second straight element.  
     
     
         39 . The carpet tiles of  claim 36 , wherein the pattern further comprises a second straight element that is neither substantially parallel nor substantially perpendicular to a tile edge.  
     
     
         40 . The carpet tiles of  claim 36 , wherein the pattern on each tile face comprises more than one background color.  
     
     
         41 . The carpet tiles of  claim 36 , wherein at least one of the carpet tiles comprises a color not present on at least another of the tiles.  
     
     
         42 . Floorcovering comprising a plurality of the carpet tiles of  claim 36  positioned adjacent to each other and in abutment on a flooring surface.  
     
     
         43 . The floorcovering of  claim 42 , wherein the carpet tiles comprise yarn and wherein at least one of the carpet tiles comprises yarn dyed a color in a different dye lot than yarn of the same color in at least one other of the carpet tiles.  
     
     
         44 . The floorcovering of  claim 42 , wherein at least one of the carpet tiles comprises a color not present on at least another of the tiles in the floorcovering.  
     
     
         45 . Carpet tiles comprising tile edges and textile faces, each face having a pattern comprising shapes, wherein the pattern on each tile face is formed by at least two colors and comprises: 
 a. at least one curved element;    b. a first straight element parallel to a tile edge; and    c. a first shape and a second shape, wherein the first shape and the second shape are adjacent to each other and comprise at least one common color;    wherein:    d. the tiles comprise at least one common color;    e. each tile comprises a color of intensity similar to the intensity of a color on another tile; and    f. when the tiles are assembled on a flooring surface so that each tile is adjacent to and abuts at least one other tile, the tiles exhibit orthogonal ambiguity without pattern alignment between adjacent tiles.    
     
     
         46 . The carpet tiles of  claim 45 , wherein the pattern on each tile face comprises more than two colors.  
     
     
         47 . Carpet tiles compxrising tile edges and textile faces, each face having a pattern comprising shapes, wherein the pattern on each tile face comprises: 
 a. at least one curved element;    b. a first straight element parallel to a tile edge;    c. at least one background color and at least one color different from the background color; and    d. a first shape and a second shape, wherein the first shape and the second shape are adjacent to each other and comprise at least one common color;    wherein:    e. the tiles comprise at least one common color in addition to the background color; and    f. when the tiles are assembled on a flooring surface so that each tile is adjacent to and abuts at least one other tile, the tiles exhibit orthogonal ambiguity without pattern alignment between adjacent tiles.    
     
     
         48 . Carpet tiles comprising tile edges and textile faces, each face having a pattern comprising shapes, wherein the pattern on each tile face is formed by at least two colors and comprises: 
 a. at least one curved element;    b. a first straight element parallel to a tile edge; and    c. a plurality of shapes, at least two of which are adjacent to each other and comprise at least one common color;    wherein:    d. the tiles comprise at least one common color; and    e. when the tiles are assembled on a flooring surface so that each tile is adjacent to and abuts at least one other tile, the tiles exhibit orthogonal ambiguity without pattern alignment between adjacent tiles.    
     
     
         49 . The carpet tiles of  claim 48 , wherein the plurality of shapes comprises a first shape and a second shape.  
     
     
         50 . The carpet tile of  claim 49 , wherein the first shape is larger than the second shape.  
     
     
         51 . The carpet tiles of  claim 49 , wherein the first shape has a different shape than the second shape.  
     
     
         52 . The carpet tiles of  claim 49 , wherein the plurality of shapes further conprises a third shape.  
     
     
         53 . The carpet tiles of  claim 52 , wherein the first shape is larger than the second shape and the second shape is larger than the third shape.  
     
     
         54 . The carpet tiles of  claim 52 , wherein the first shape has a different shape than the second shape and the third shape, and the second shape has a different shape than the third shape.  
     
     
         55 . The carpet tiles of  claim 48 , wherein the pattern on at least one but not all of the tile faces comprises a first color.  
     
     
         56 . The carpet tiles of  claim 55 , wherein the pattern on at least one but not all of the tile faces comprises a second color.  
     
     
         57 . The carpet tiles of  claim 56 , wherein the pattern on at least one but not all of the tile faces comprises a third color.  
     
     
         58 . The carpet tiles of  claim 48 , wherein, when the tiles are assembled on a flooring surface so that each tile is adjacent to and abuts at least one other tile, a first tile is adjacent to a second tile, wherein the first and second tiles comprise at least two comnmon colors.  
     
     
         59 . The carpet tiles of  claim 48 , wherein, when the tiles are assembled on a flooring surface so that each tile is adjacent to and abuts at least one other tile, a first tile is adjacent to a second tile, wherein the first tile comprises a color not present on the second tile.  
     
     
         60 . The carpet tiles of  claim 48 , wherein, when the tiles are assembled on a flooring surface so that each tile is adjacent to and abuts at least one other tile, a first tile is adjacent to a second tile, wherein: 
 a. the first and second tiles comprise at least two common colors; and    b. the first tile comprises a color not present on the second tile.    
     
     
         61 . The carpet tiles of  claim 48 , wherein, when the tiles are assembled on a flooring surfacc so that each tile is adjacent to and abuts at least one other tile, a first tile is adjacent to a second tile and a third tile, wherein: 
 a. the first and second tiles comprise at least two common colors; and    b. at least one of the at least two common colors is not present on the third tile.    
     
     
         62 . The carpet tiles of  claim 48 , wherein, when the tiles are assembled on a flooring surface so that each tile is adjacent to and abuts at least one other tile, a first tile is adjacent to a second tile and a third tile, wherein: 
 a. a first color is common to the first tile and second tile but not the third tile; and    b. a second color is common to the first tile and third tile but not the second tile.    
     
     
         63 . Carpet tiles comprising tile edges and textile faces, each face having a pattern comprising a plurality of differently colored yarns forming shapes, wherein: 
 a. at least one shape on each tile ends at a tile edge, and at least one shape on each tile has at least one shape edge parallel to a tile edge that does not intersect any tile edge, thereby camouflaging tile edges in an assembly of such tiles by providing design elements that look like tile edges but are not;    b. at least some of the shape-forming yarn colors are significantly different to camouflage tile-to-tile appearance differences associated with nap differences in an installation of tiles, thereby providing: 
 i. more easily detected color differences than nap differences in the installation of tiles; and  
 ii. only small areas of abutting regions on two adjacent tiles in the installation having the same tile color but different nap; and  
   c. when the tiles are assembled on a flooring surface so that each tile is adjacent to and abuts at least one other tile, the tiles exhibit orthogonal ambiguity without pattern alignment between adjacent tiles.