SURFACE COVERING SYSTEM

Abstract: The system comprises two parts, tape (1) having a multiplicity of hook-like fibrous projections (5) and tile material (7). The tape is secured to, for example, a floor, so as to cover no more than 60% of the surface. The tiles have a plane of symmetry (9) and are fully reversible; both top and bottom layers (8, 6) are fibrous and are capable of engagement with the fibrous projections (5).

Description: Surface Covering System The present invention is concerned with a surface covering system, and a method of applying a surface covering (such as a floor covering) using such a system. Floor coverings with a textile surface are generally referred to as carpets or rugs; carpets are frequently used domestically and in offices and the like in the form of tiles. It is necessary to secure such tiles to a floor by means of , for example, adhesive or staples, and/or to provide the tiles with sufficient weight per unit area to ensure that they stay in place and do not migrate substantially . Releasable carpet tiles (that is, carpet tiles which can be fixed in position, released at will and replaced or relocated) are also known. For example, U.K. Patent Specification 1546901 discloses a releasable carpet tile, the underside of which is substantially covered by one surface of a "velvet- type fastening system" (that is a system comprising a the ends of at least some of which are provided with material-engaging means, and a "loopy fabric" having loops engageable by the material'-engaging means just 5 mentioned). U.S. patent 3866267 discloses a similar releasable tile; in this case the fastening system is provided around the edges only of the tiles (rather than substantially covering the underside). Suitable velvet-type fasteners are available 10 commercially under the trade mark "Velcro". While this type of fastener is very satisfactory for securing small areas together (for example, as in clothing), it becomes very expensive when used for large areas ,as in carpets. The provision 15 of the fastener around the edge of the tile only (as in U.S. patent 3866267) does not satisfactorily solve the problem, since if the tile is conventional (apart from the fastener around the edges) the body portion of the tile has a tendency to undesirable 20 movement when the tile is in place. e have now developed an improved and simpli¬ fied surface covering system which can be arranged to have dimensional stability with reduced weight per unit area compared with known carpet tiles, and 25 which, unlike any prior art tiling system of which we are aware, employs completely reversible tiles. According to the present invention, there is provided a surface covering system comprising (a) a material having a multiplicity of fibrous 30 projections, said material being secured to the surface of a rigid support such that said fibrous project¬ ions are present at discrete areas constituting no more than 60 % by area of said surface; and (b) tiles each comprising a bottom layer of textile 35 material releasably engageable by said material having a multiplicity of fibrous projections, and a top layer of textile material bonded to said bottom layer, characterized in that said tiles are reversible such that each top layer can be engaged by said material 40 having a multiplicity of fibrous projections on reversal of a respective tile. The present invention further comprises a method of applying a surface covering, employing a surface covering system according to the invention, which comprises securing the above-mentioned material (a) to the surface of the rigid support, and disposing the tiles over the surface such that the bottom layer of some at least of the tiles are secured to said material (a) by means of the latter's fibrous projections. The surface covering system according to the invention is primarily intended for use as covering for a floor of a building; however, it may be used for other purposes, for example, for covering vehicle floor¬ ing or as a wall covering. When reference is made to the bottom layer of the tile, it should be understood that the tile is reversible, so that the top and bottom are interchange¬ able. It is not always necessary for every tile to be secured by the material having a multiplicity of fibrous projections; in some cases, such material need only be present in high traffic areas. Of the tiles which are secured, the material having a multiplicity of fibrous projections is preferably only in contact with a relatively small area of the bottom layer of the respective tile. It is generally preferred to employ the material having a multiplicity of fibrous projections in such a way that every corner of every tile is engaged by such material. The material having a multiplicity of fibrous projections is preferably in the form of a tape secured at intervals to the surface of the rigid support. Such a tape may be secured to the surface of the rigid support in the form of strips along edges of the tiles; preferably along the edge of each and every tile. In an alternat¬ ive arrangement, the material having a multiplicity of fibrous projections is secured to the support underneath a plurality of adjacent tiles. For example, when the tiles are square or rectangular, the material having a plurality of fibrous projections may be disposed beneath four adjacent corners of the tiles. It is particularly ■ preferred that 4 to 20?ό of the bottom layer should be -in contact with the material having a multiplicity of fibrous projections. The surface of the top and bottom layers may be plain or patterned; preferably the top layer has a different colour and/or pattern to that of the bottom layer so that the appearance of the surface covering system may be changed by reversing selected ones (or all) of the tiles preserrt on the surface The top layer and the bottom layer are each preferably of washable textile material, such as poly- propylene, which is preferably in the form of a non-woven (e.g. needle-punched) fabric. The total thickness of the tile is preferably 4 to 20 ml; the weight per unit area of the tile is perferably 100 to 500g per metre (for example, 150 to 400g per square metre). In one embodiment of the invention, the multiplicity of fibrous projections constitutes at least the entire periphery of the above-mentioned material (a); the latter may comprise a support-engaging fabric layer secured to a tile-engaging layer having the multiplicity of fibrous projections. The material having a multiplicity of fibrous projections may have projections in the form of hooks or loops; such projections must be capable of engaging both top and bottom surfaces of the tiles so as to releasably secure a respective tile to the support. An example of a suitable material having a multiplicity of fibrous projections is one of the two complementary parts of the material commercially available under the trade mark "Velcro", as described above; such a material is available commercially in the form of a tape. The tiles used in the surface covering system according to the invention may be square, triangular, rectangular, hexagonal, or other s'pace-filling shape. If part of the surface area covered by the tiles becomes worn or soiled, then the relevant tiles can be removed and either washed, reversed or replaced in the worn or soiled area only. The present invention will further be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic cross-section of a surface covering system according to the invention (the parts are shown slightly separated for clarity ); Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a first embodiment of a surface covering system according to the invention; and Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of a second embodiment of a surface covering system according to the invention . Referring to Figure 1, there is shown an elon¬ gate tape 1 having a smooth undersurface 2 secured to a floor 3; the upper surface 4 of the tape has a multiplicity of hook-like fibrous projections 5 along the length thereof. The fibrous projections 5 engage the fibrous underlayer 6 of a tile 7 which is symmetrical about a horizontal plane of symmetry. The tile 7 has a fibrous upper layer 8 which is equally capable of engaging the fibrous projections 5 on reversal of the tile. The fibrou upper layer 8 is bonded to the fibrous underlayer 6 by means of a bonding layer 9. Referring to Figure 2, there is shown an array of nine square carpet tiles 10 secured to a floor by means of a grid-pattern of tape 11 (shown by dotted lines) having hook-like projections. The tape 11 is secured, along the . Referring to Figure 3, there is shown an alternative means of fixing an array of nine carpet tiles 12 by means of crosses 13 of material having hook- like projections. Each cross 13 is disposed beneath adjacent corners of four tiles.

Claims: 1. A surface covering system comprising (a) a material having a multiplicity of fibrous projections, said material being secured to the surface of a rigid support such that said fibrous projections are present at discrete areas constituting no more than 60% of said surface; and (b) tiles each comprising a bottom layer of textile material releasably engageable by said material having a multiplicity of fibrous projections, and a top layer of textile material bonded to said bottom layer, characterized in that said tiles are reversible such that each top layer can be engaged by said material having a multiplicity of fibrous project¬ ions on reversal of a respective tile. 2. A surface covering system according to claim 1, charact- erized in that said top layer has a different colour and/ or pattern to that of said bottom layer. 3. A surface covering system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said material having a multiplicity of fibrous projections is in the form of a tape secured at intervals to the surface. 4. A surface covering system according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said multiplicity of fibrous projections constitutes at least the entire periphery of said material (a). 5. A surface covering system according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said material (a) comprises a support - engaging fabric layer secured to a tile- engaging layer having said multiplicity of fibrous pro¬ jections. 6. A surface covering system according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that each tile has a weight per unit area of 100 to 500 grams per square metre. 7. A surface covering system according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that each tile is of washable textile material. 8. A surface covering system according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said support is a floor of a building. 9. A method of applying a surface covering employing a . surface covering system according to any of claims 1 to 8, which comprises securing said material (a) to said surface of said support, and disposing said tiles over the surface such that the bottom layers of some at least of said tiles are secured to said material (a) by means of said fibrous projections. 10. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that said material (a) is located under every corner of every tile.

Inventors: OWEN PHILLIP, WALTERS IAN DAVID, OWEN, PHILLIP, WALTERS, IAN, DAVID
Applicants: DESIGNAFLOOR LTD, DESIGNAFLOOR LTD.
Application year: 1985
Main classification: E04F15
IPC codes: A47G27, E04F15