Patent ID: 11878491
Assignee: ENGINEERED FLOORS LLC
Field: Surface technology, coating (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B  D | IPC B  D

Claim 13:
14. A method for forming a liquid-blocking textile fabric, the method comprising:
forming a surface contour in a fibrous surface of a textile fabric layer, the surface contour comprising a plurality of elevated areas and a plurality of depressed areas;
placing a liquid-blocking polymeric layer on top of the fibrous surface; and
applying heat to the liquid-blocking polymeric layer and vacuum to a back of the fabric layer opposite the fibrous surface to pull heated and softened liquid-blocking polymeric layer at least partially into the fabric layer, to attach the liquid-blocking polymeric layer to the surface and to conform a top of the liquid-blocking polymeric layer continuously to the fibrous surface through the elevated areas and depressed areas to maintain the surface contour,
the method further comprises forming a surface texture in the fibrous surface with loops of woven yarns, knit yarns, stitched yarns, or tufted yarns, wherein the surface texture of the fibrous surface contains a plurality of gaps among the loops of woven yarns, knit yarns, stitched yarns, or tufted yarns, or yarns, filaments, or fibers in the fibrous surface; and
applying heat and vacuum further comprises applying heat and vacuum to pull heated and softened liquid-blocking polymeric layer into the gaps and to conform the liquid-blocking polymeric layer continuously to the surface texture, and
the method further comprises
placing a separate adhesive sublayer between the fibrous surface and the liquid-blocking polymeric layer; and
applying heat and vacuum further comprises applying heat and vacuum to pull heated and softened liquid-blocking polymeric layer and adhesive sublayer at least partially into the textile fabric layer, to attach the liquid-blocking polymeric layer and adhesive sublayer to the fibrous surface and to conform the liquid-blocking polymeric layer and adhesive sublayer continuously to the fibrous surface through the elevated areas and depressed areas to maintain the surface contour.