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.

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. a plurality of first carpet tiles, wherein a portion of a first visual field or pattern extends across an entirety of the tile face of each first carpet tile;   b. a plurality of second carpet tiles, wherein a portion of a second visual field or pattern different from the first visual field or pattern extends across an entirety of the tile face of each second carpet tile; and   C. a plurality of 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 or pattern, 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 or pattern, 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 and extending from the second edge to the fourth edge of the third carpet tile so as to separate entirely the first portion from the second portion on the third carpet tile, the third portion extending along at least a portion of the length of the second edge and of the fourth edge of the third carpet tile, wherein the third portion is devoid of both the first visual field or pattern and the second visual field or pattern, 
   
       wherein a first boundary line extends between the first portion and the third portion and a second boundary line extends between the second portion and the third portion, wherein the third portion is located between the first boundary line and the second boundary line and wherein at least one of the first boundary line or the second boundary line is at least partially defined by consecutive linear segments that are oriented at an angle relative to each other. 
     
     
         2 . The collection of carpet tiles of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first visual field or pattern or the second visual field or pattern comprises a background color and an accent color. 
     
     
         3 . The collection of carpet tiles of  claim 2 , wherein the third portion comprises the background color and not the accent 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 or pattern comprises a color that is different from a color of the second visual field or pattern. 
     
     
         11 . An installation of the collection of carpet tiles of  claim 1 , the installation comprising the plurality of the first carpet tiles, the plurality of second carpet tiles, and the plurality of 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 abut 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 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The collection of carpet tiles of  claim 1 , wherein the first visual field or pattern comprises a background color and a first accent color, wherein the second visual field or pattern comprises the background color and a second accent color different from the first accent color, and wherein the third portion comprises only the background color. 
     
     
         22 . The collection of carpet tiles of  claim 1 , wherein the tile faces of all of the first carpet tiles, the second carpet tiles, and the third carpet tiles comprise a common color.