Reinforced secondary backing fabric and method of using the same

Abstract

A reinforced secondary backing and method of using the same, in which the reinforced secondary backing includes reinforcing yarns interconnect to the secondary backing fabric. The reinforcing yarns generally extend in the longitudinal or warp direction and provide additional surface area to which an adhesive may bind when combining the reinforced secondary backing to a primary backing in forming a laminate carpet. The reinforcing yarns may be spaced across at least a portion of the backing uniformly, concentrated in an area that typically displays weakness (such as adjacent the edges of the carpet), or a combination thereof. It is noted that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to ascertain quickly the subject matter of the technical disclosure and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

1 . A reinforced secondary backing, comprising: 
 a. a woven fabric having a plurality of substantially parallel warp extending yarns and a plurality of substantially parallel weft extending yarns, in which the warp and weft yarns are oriented transversely to each other, the warp yarns defining longitudinal rows therebetween, the fabric having opposed longitudinal edges extending in the warp direction that define a width therebetween; and    b. a plurality of reinforcing yarns interwoven into the fabric and extending substantially in the warp direction, the plurality of reinforcing yarns comprising a band of reinforcing yarns, in which the band extends in the weft direction a distance less than half of the width of the fabric.    
   
   
       2 . The secondary backing of  claim 1 , wherein there are at least two bands.  
   
   
       3 . The secondary backing of  claim 2 , wherein each of the bands is one inch in width and there are at least two reinforcing yarns in each band.  
   
   
       4 . The secondary backing of  claim 3 , wherein two of the bands are each respectively disposed equal distant from the opposed edges of the fabric, those two bands being the edge bands.  
   
   
       5 . The secondary backing of  claim 4 , wherein the edge bands are spaced approximately one inch from their respective edge.  
   
   
       6 . The secondary backing of  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing yarns of each band are respectively interwoven into at least every fourth row.  
   
   
       7 . The secondary backing of  claim 1 , wherein the band is one inch in width and there are at least two reinforcing yarns in the band.  
   
   
       8 . The secondary backing of  claim 1 , wherein the band is one inch in width and there are four reinforcing yarns in the band.  
   
   
       9 . The secondary backing of  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing yarns are spaced apart at approximately one-inch intervals in the band.  
   
   
       10 . The secondary backing of  claim 1 , wherein the respective reinforcing yarns each extend along a single row and are woven about weft yarns.  
   
   
       11 . The secondary backing of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric is a mesh in which the warp extending yarns use a leno weave and have about 16 ends per inch and the weft yarns have about 5 pics per inch.  
   
   
       12 . The secondary backing of  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing yarns are staple yarns.  
   
   
       13 . The secondary backing of  claim 12 , wherein the warp extending yarns of the fabric are tape yarns and the weft extending yarns are staple yarns.  
   
   
       14 . A reinforced secondary backing, comprising: 
 a. a woven fabric having a plurality of substantially parallel warp extending yarns and a plurality of substantially parallel weft extending yarns, in which the warp and weft yarns are oriented transversely to each other, the fabric defining a width in the weft direction; and    b. a plurality of spaced-apart reinforcing yarns interwoven into the fabric and extending substantially in the warp direction, and the reinforcing yarns laterally spaced apart from each other one and a half inches or less.    
   
   
       15 . The secondary backing of  claim 14 , wherein the reinforcing yarns are spaced apart from each other at approximately one-inch intervals.  
   
   
       16 . The secondary backing of  claim 14 , wherein the fabric is a mesh in which the warp extending yarns use a leno weave and have about 16 ends per inch and the weft yarns have about 5 pics per inch.  
   
   
       17 . The secondary backing of  claim 14 , wherein the reinforcing yarns are staple yarns.  
   
   
       18 . The secondary backing of  claim 17 , wherein the warp extending yarns of the fabric are tape yarns and the weft extending yarns are staple yarns.  
   
   
       19 . A reinforced secondary backing, comprising: 
 a. a fabric having opposed longitudinal edges extending in the warp direction that define a width therebetween; and    b. a plurality of reinforcing yarns interconnected with the fabric and extending substantially in the warp direction,    wherein, when the fabric having the reinforcing yarns interwoven therein is adhesively bonded to a tufted primary backing to form a laminate carpet, the carpet has a delamination strength at least twenty percent greater than a similarly formed carpet constructed using the fabric without the reinforcing yarns interwoven therein.    
   
   
       20 . The secondary backing of  claim 19 , wherein the delamination value is thirty percent greater using the fabric having the reinforcing yarns interwoven therein.  
   
   
       21 . The secondary backing of  claim 19 , wherein the reinforcing yarns are disposed in a respective band laterally extending one inch in width across the fabric, each band including a plurality of reinforcing yarns.  
   
   
       22 . The secondary backing of  claim 21 , wherein there are at least three reinforcing yarns in each band.  
   
   
       23 . The secondary backing of  claim 21 , wherein two of the bands are each respectively disposed equal distant from opposed edges of the fabric.  
   
   
       24 . The secondary backing of  claim 21 , wherein in each band, the reinforcing yarns are disposed in at least every fourth row of the fabric.  
   
   
       25 . The secondary backing of  claim 19 , wherein the reinforcing yarns are spaced apart from each other at approximately one-inch intervals.  
   
   
       26 . The secondary backing of  claim 19 , wherein the reinforcing yarns each extend along a single respective warp row in the fabric.  
   
   
       27 . The secondary backing of  claim 26 , wherein the warp extending yarns of the fabric are tape yarns and the weft extending yarns are staple yarns.  
   
   
       28 . The secondary backing of  claim 27 , wherein the reinforcing yarns are staple yarns.  
   
   
       29 . The secondary backing of  claim 27 , wherein the fabric is a mesh in which the warp extending yarns use a leno weave and have about 16 ends per inch and the weft yarns have about 5 pics per inch.