Flooring tile collections and methods of making and installing same

Abstract

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A collection of carpet tiles, each tile comprising a tile face and a first edge having a length, a second edge having a length, a third edge having a length, and a fourth edge having a length, wherein the first and third edges of each tile oppose each other and the second and fourth edges of each tile oppose each other, wherein the collection of carpet tiles comprises:
 a. first carpet tiles, wherein a portion of a first visual field extends across the entirety of the tile face of each first carpet tile;   b. second carpet tiles, where a portion of a second visual field different from the first visual field extends across the entirety of the tile face of each second carpet tile; and   c. third carpet tiles, wherein the tile face of each third carpet tile comprises:
 i. a first portion that comprises a portion of the first visual field, wherein the first portion of the tile face of the third carpet tile extends along at least a portion of the length of the first edge of the third carpet tile but does not extend along a portion of the length of the third edge of the third carpet tile; 
 ii. a second portion that comprises a portion of the second visual field, wherein the second portion of the tile face of the third carpet tile extends along at least a portion of the length of the third edge of the third carpet tile but does not extend along a portion of the length of the first edge of the third carpet tile; and 
 iii. a third portion interposed between the first portion and the second portion, wherein at least part of the third portion is devoid of the first visual field and the second visual field and wherein a first boundary is formed between the first portion and the third portion and a second boundary is formed between the second portion and the third portion, wherein at least one of the first boundary or the second boundary is at least partially defined by consecutive linear segments, wherein each of the consecutive linear segments is oriented at an angle relative to an adjacent linear segment. 
   
     
     
         2 . The collection of carpet tiles of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first visual field or the second visual field comprises a background color. 
     
     
         3 . The collection of carpet tiles of  claim 2 , wherein the part of the third portion that is devoid of the first visual field and the second visual field comprises only the background color. 
     
     
         4 . The collection of carpet tiles of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion and the second portion of the tile face of each third carpet tile extends along a portion of the length of the second and fourth edges of the third carpet tile. 
     
     
         5 . The collection of carpet tiles of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first portion of the tile face of at least some of the third carpet tiles extends along the entire length of the first edge of the at least some third carpet tiles; or   the second portion of the tile face of at least some of the third carpet tiles extends along the entire length of the third edge of the at least some third carpet tiles.   
     
     
         6 . The collection of carpet tiles of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the linear segments extends parallel to the first and third tile edges. 
     
     
         7 . The collection of carpet tiles of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the linear segments extends perpendicular to the first and third tile edges. 
     
     
         8 . The collection of carpet tiles of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the linear segments extends at an oblique angle relative to the first and third tile edges. 
     
     
         9 . The collection of carpet tiles of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the adjacent linear segments are oriented perpendicular to each other and other of the adjacent linear segments are oriented at an oblique angle relative to each other. 
     
     
         10 . The collection of carpet tiles of  claim 1 , wherein the first visual field comprises a color that is different from a color of the second visual field. 
     
     
         11 . An installation of the collection of carpet tiles of  claim 1 , positioned on the floor adjacent and abutting each other, the installation comprising a plurality of the first carpet tiles, the second carpet tiles, and the third carpet tiles positioned on a floor adjacent and abutting such that:
 at least some of the first carpet tiles abut either the first, second, or fourth edge of an adjacent third carpet tile;   at least some of the second carpet tiles abut either the second, third, or fourth edge of an adjacent third carpet tile; and   the second or fourth edge of at least some of the third carpet tiles abut either the second or fourth edge of an adjacent third carpet tile such that the first portions of the abutting third carpet tiles are adjacent, the second portions of the abutting third carpet tiles are adjacent, and the third portions of the abutting third carpet tiles are adjacent.   
     
     
         12 . The installation of  claim 11 , wherein the at least some of the first carpet tiles abut the first edge of the adjacent third carpet tile and the at least some of the second carpet tiles but the third edge of the adjacent third carpet tile. 
     
     
         13 . The installation of  claim 11 , wherein the at least some of the first carpet tiles abut at least one other first carpet tile. 
     
     
         14 . The installation of  claim 11 , wherein other of the first carpet tiles abut only other first carpet tiles. 
     
     
         15 . The installation of  claim 11 , wherein the at least some of the second carpet tiles abut at least one other second carpet tile. 
     
     
         16 . The installation of  claim 11 , wherein other of the second carpet tiles abut only other second carpet tiles. 
     
     
         17 . The installation of  claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of first carpet tiles, second carpet tiles, and third carpet tiles comprises a rotational orientation established during tile manufacture and wherein the rotational orientations of at least some of the abutting carpet tiles in the installation are not aligned. 
     
     
         18 . The installation of  claim 11 , wherein no first carpet tile is adjacent a second carpet tile in the installation. 
     
     
         19 . A method of making the collection of carpet tiles of  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 tufting a plurality of carpet webs such that each of the plurality of carpet webs bears at least one of the first visual field or the second visual field; and   cutting the plurality of first carpet tiles, second carpet tiles, and third carpet tiles from the plurality of carpet webs.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of carpet webs comprises:
 a first carpet web bearing only the first visual field across the entirety of the first carpet web, wherein the first carpet tiles are cut from the first carpet web;   a second carpet web bearing only the second visual field across the entirety of the second carpet web, wherein the second carpet tiles are cut from the second carpet web; and   a third carpet web bearing a portion of the first visual field and a portion of the second visual field, wherein the third carpet tiles are cut from the third carpet web.