U.S. patent application number 11/521355 was filed with the patent office on 2007-04-12 for anchor sheet and anchor sheet module.
This patent application is currently assigned to Tac-Fast Georgia L.L.C.. Invention is credited to Joseph Rocco Pacione.
Application Number | 20070079572 11/521355 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 21732332 |
Filed Date | 2007-04-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070079572 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pacione; Joseph Rocco |
April 12, 2007 |
Anchor sheet and anchor sheet module
Abstract
This application discloses a relatively thin flexible anchor
sheet for instalation under carpets or other decorative coverings
and a covering module composed of a pre-attached decorative
covering and anchor sheet which can be assembled by overlapping
hook and loop attachment to an additional covering module to create
a complete floor covering of carpet, tile, stone or other material
and without substantial attachment to a floor.
Inventors: |
Pacione; Joseph Rocco;
(Newmarket, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MCCARTHY TETRAULT LLP
BOX 48, SUITE 4700,
66WELLINGTON STREET WEST
TORONTO
ON
M5K 1E6
CA
|
Assignee: |
Tac-Fast Georgia L.L.C.
Atlanta
GA
|
Family ID: |
21732332 |
Appl. No.: |
11/521355 |
Filed: |
September 15, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10265247 |
Oct 7, 2002 |
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11521355 |
Sep 15, 2006 |
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09617229 |
Jul 14, 2000 |
6460303 |
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10265247 |
Oct 7, 2002 |
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PCT/CA99/00015 |
Jan 11, 1999 |
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09617229 |
Jul 14, 2000 |
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09008565 |
Jan 16, 1998 |
6298624 |
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PCT/CA99/00015 |
Jan 11, 1999 |
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08850726 |
May 2, 1997 |
6306477 |
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09008565 |
Jan 16, 1998 |
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08684004 |
Jul 19, 1996 |
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08850726 |
May 2, 1997 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/506.05 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 16/10 20150115;
A47G 27/0487 20130101; B44C 1/10 20130101; A47G 27/0437 20130101;
A47G 27/0468 20130101; A47G 27/025 20130101; A47G 27/0293 20130101;
B44C 1/28 20130101; E04F 15/02138 20130101; A47G 27/0475 20130101;
E04F 13/0882 20130101; Y10S 52/13 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/506.05 |
International
Class: |
E04B 9/00 20060101
E04B009/00 |
Claims
1. A decorative covering and anchor sheet combination for forming a
finished decorative surface, he combined covering and anchor sheet
comprsing: a first decorative covering having an upper decorative
surface and an opposite lower surface substantially covered by
loops of a hook and loop attachment system, and a non-decoratve
anchor sheet having an upper surface substantially covered in hooks
of the attachment system, the decorative covering being detachably
attached across a substantial portion of its lower surface to the
anchor sheet by the attachment system and the anchor sheet
dimensioned so that, after attachment of the decorative covering to
the anchor sheet, there is provided an exposed overlap area of the
upper surface of the anchor sheet for detachable attachment by
hooks thereof to loops on an underside of a second decorative
covering when attached to a neighboring anchor sheet.
2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the anchor sheet is more
rigid than each said deorative covering.
3. The combination of claim 1, wherein the each said decorative
covering is a carpet piece.
4. The combination of claim 3, wherein a said carpet piece is dye
cut.
5. The combination of claim 3, further comprising resilient cushion
layer affixed across an underside of the anchor sheet.
6. The combination of claim 4, further comprising resilient cushion
layer affixed across an underside of the anchor sheet.
7. The combination of claim 6, wherein the anchor sheet comprises a
laminate.
8. The combination of claim 1, wherein the first decorative
covering is of a smaller size than the anchor sheet.
9. The combination of claim 7, wherein the anchor sheet is
substantially rectangular.
10. The combination of claim 9, wherein the anchor sheet is
substantially square.
11. The combination of claim 1, wherein the anchor sheet is 50/1000
of an inch or higher.
12. The combination of claim 11, wherein the anchor sheet comprises
plastic.
13. The combination of claim 12, wherein the anchor sheet comprises
a plastic selected from the group of plastics consisting of
polycarbonate, polyester, polyethylene, and polypropylene.
14. The combination of claim 1, further comprising a temporary
coverng for the overlap area to prevent premature engagement of the
hooks of the overlap area and the loops of the second decorative
covering to permit proper placement and adjustment of the
decorative covering.
15. The combination of claim 14, wherein the temporary covering is
a thin smooth sheet which cannot bind to either a hook part or a
loop part of the attachment system.
16. The combination of claim 1 comprising a plurality of said
anchor sheets installed side by side, and a plurality of said first
and second decorative coverings to form a contiguous mass.
17. The combination of claim 16, wherein the each said decorative
covering is a carpet piece.
18. The combination of claim 17, wherein each said anchor sheet has
a resilient cushion layer affixed across an underside thereof.
19. The combination of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first
decorative coverings is of a smaller size than a said anchor sheet
to which it is attached.
20. The combination of claim 16, wherein each said anchor sheet
comprises plastic.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of prior U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/617,229, filed Jul. 14, 2002, U.S. Pat. No.
6,460,303 having an issue date of Oct. 8, 2002, which application
is a continuation of prior international patent application No.
PCT/CA 99/00015, filed Jan. 11, 1999, which is a
continuation-in-part application of prior co-pending U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/008,565, filed Jan. 16, 1998, which issued
as U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,624 on Oct. 9, 2001, which application is a
continuation-in-part application of prior co-pending U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 08/1850,726, filed May 2, 1997, which issued
as U.S. Pat. No. 6,306,477 on Oct. 23. 2001, which application is a
continuation-in-part application of prior U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 08/684,004, filed Jul. 19, 1996, now abandoned, the
specifications of all of which prior applications are incorporated
herein by reference.
INTRODUCTION TO THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention concerns a relatively thin flexible but
relatively rigid anchor sheet for use under carpets or other
decorative coverings. In practice, when installed, the anchor sheet
acts to tie the decorative covering together as a functional unit
and to add mass and stability to such unit, particularly a unit
having a flexible decorate covering such as a carpet. An anchor
sheet may be substantially covered over one side with hooks for
anchoring a decorative covering to a by engagement of complementary
loops on the lower side of the covering. The anchor sheet itself
may be attached to the underlying substrate, such as a floor or
wall, or it may be loose laid on a floor where the sheet with or
without the covering together have sufficient mass or are so placed
as to prevent movement. It is possible to supply the anchor sheet
as a small or large module with pre-attached decorative covering as
will be explained later. It is also possible to supply the anchor
sheet as a smaller modular unit which can be made to form a
contiguous mass by using an overlapping nondecorative material such
as hook tape or by using modular anchor sheets or modular covering
units to form a larger unit as will be explained later.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It is common to attach a decorative flexible covering, such
as carpets, to rigid supporting substrates such as floors, made of
wood or concrete. It is often desirable, or even required, to
fasten carpet to the flooring which it covers and a variety of
attachment methods have been developed over the years.
[0004] Carpet can be glued directly to the flooring. This is often
the approach taken in an institutional setting in which the
underlying flooring is concrete and liquid glue is applied across
the entire concrete area to be covered. This approach has the
advantage that, so long as the adhesive bond provided between the
carpet and flooring remains intact, the carpet cannot buckle. Of
course, adjustment or replacement of such carpet can be difficult
in the sense that previously applied glue might be required to be
stripped from the flooring and new glue applied. In addition, such
glues often contain volatile organic components that are banned in
some places or are required to be ventilated, in other places.
[0005] Another approach taken to installing wall-to-wall carpet
involves the use of "tackless strips", which are wooden strips
having angled tacks driven upwardly therethrough. The strips are
secured around the perimeter of the area to be covered, often by
nailing them into wooden flooring, and the carpet is stretched over
the tacks. This approach has the advantage that the carpet can be
restretched to remove a buckle that develops, and the carpet and
underpad, not being permanently adhered to the flooring can be
removed without being destroyed. However, stretching is a labour
intensive art which makes installing wall-to-wall carpet by this
method relatively expensive. This approach also avoids the use of
volatile organics, but some difficulties can arise in installing
tackless strips to concrete.
[0006] More recent approaches involving the use of Velcro-type
fasteners have been described in the patent literature: Germany
7,029,524 (Aug. 8, 1970, Velcro France); U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,019
(Apr. 6, 1971, Girard); UK 1,546,901 (May 31, 1979, Allied Chemical
Corporation); U.S. 4,822,658 (Apr. 18, 1989, Pacione); U.S. Pat.
No. 5,191,692 (Mar. 9, 1993, Pacione); U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,462
(Jan. 17, 1995, Pacione); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,755 (Jan. 2,
1996, Pacione).
[0007] U.S. '658 from the same inventor describes a wall-to-wall
installation in which hooked strips are secured by pressure
sensitive adhesive around a room perimeter and at the carpet seams.
A carpet having loops across its backside is cut to fit the room
and the loops engage the hooked tape. U.S. '692 describes a method
for seaming a carpet such as the one described in U.S. '658. Both
of these patent specifications also disclose advantages obtained
through the use of a cover for the hooked tape, a primary advantage
being that such a cover prevents premature engagement of the hooks
and loops to permit proper placement and adjustment of the carpet
without the need for disengaging prematurely engaged hooks and
loops during installation. This prior approach provides the
advantages of installing strips at the perimeter and seams of a
carpeted area, particularly that the carpeting can be lifted
without being destroyed and the avoidance of the use of compounds
containing volatile adhesives.
[0008] The "holy grail" of carpet and other decorative covering,
would be a system which when laid had such mass and stability as to
require little or no attachment to the underlying substrate and
which can be installed over existing substrates without the
necessity of the removal of existing covering. However for
transportation in trucks and to physically fit into a site, such as
a room, such a system has to either provide for sufficient
flexibility so that it can be rolled or, if rigid, a way of
assembling modules so as to form a contiguous mass in situ with
sufficient mass and stability to remain in place with minimal
detachable attachment or perhaps no attachment, particularly when
dealing with different existing floors or flooring surfaces to be
covered.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] As previously mentioned, there are advantages to allow the
carpet or other decorative covering to be attached to an underlying
undersurface at only a few discrete attachment points or even in
some cases not attached at all so as to be easily removable.
Attachment to the underlying substrate at discrete attachment
points provides for minimal damage to the underlying substrate,
ease of removal from the substrate and ease of installation.
However, a product, method and system is needed to convert these
individual attachment points to structurally integrated attachment
across the undersurface of a carpet or other decorative covering to
enable overlaying carpet or other decorative covering to be
engineered to maintain atmospheric stability, flatness and
horizontal plane stability when stressed with forces produced by
human traffic, rolling vehicles, moving furniture or moisture or
temperature changes.
[0010] In addition, the system provides that the pieces of carpet
or other decorative covering such as hardwood, ceramics or stone
can be integrated together by use of the underlying detachable
anchor sheet. Then individual modules can be made consisting of a
decorative covering and an anchor sheet attached together in
advance of installation at a remote site. Such modules can be
easily removed and re-attached as required for repair or
replacement or for design reasons. In addition such individual
modules can be locked together by overlapping the anchor sheet or
decorative covering of adjacent modules so as to give the complete
structure sufficient mass and stability to minimize or remove the
need for attachment to the substrate.
[0011] In addition an anchor sheet can be separately installed on a
floor using individual anchor sheet modules to create a complete
anchor sheet subfloor covered in hooks ready to receive overlaying
decorative pieces provided with loops.
[0012] The present invention in one aspect features an anchor
sheet, preferably of plastic or other polymer, for detachable
attachment of a decorative covering such as carpet, ceramic, tile,
hardwood, marble or a wall covering to an underlying rigid
supporting substrate, such as the surface of flooring or a
wall.
[0013] By providing an anchor sheet preferably in the form of one
or a multiple of relatively thin flexible relatively rigid sheets,
integrity can be given to covering materials, such as flexible
carpets which can be pre-assembled or assembled on site onto the
surface of the sheet by the use of a complementary hook on the
upper surface of the flexible sheet matching a complementary loop
on the undersurface of the carpet or carpet pieces. The sheet can
then be installed onto an underlying substrate such as concrete or
wood at only a discrete number of points. The anchor sheet enables
the installation of decorative covering even onto stone or tile,
without significant destruction of the stone or tile floor. It also
enables decorative patterns to be preassembled at a factory or
other location or to be assembled on she by cutting and fitting
different colours or pieces of decorative covering together on the
anchor sheet to form decorative patterns. Such a system is suitable
for either area rugs or wall-to-wall covering and in certain types
of wall-to-wall and area rugs, or even tile, it may not be
necessary to attach the anchor sheet to the underlying substrate at
all. If the carpet is cut to fit the walls or boundaries of a room
the anchor sheet may give sufficient integrity to the carpet to
allow it to simply sit in the location under constraint of the
perimeter walls or other boundaries or if enough furniture, for
example, was placed on top. It should be emphasized that the anchor
sheet, however, is not structural support in the conventional sense
as disclosed for example, in the anchor board of Pacione 5,060,443
since it does not support the floor or wall on which a is placed.
It is a vehicle for stabilizing the carpet or other decorative
covering which is overlaid and for tying individual pieces of
carpet or decorative covering together with each other but not
necessarily to the floor. Normally in fact the anchor sheet
maintains a certain level of flexibility to enable the anchor sheet
to "ride" over imperfections in the floor.
[0014] Normally the anchor sheet is relatively thin in relation to
the overlying decorative covering, but in some cases, for instance,
where there is a thin layer of marble veneer, then the anchor sheet
could be thicker and more rigid than the overlying material and
could be made of materials other than plastic such as metal
(aluminum or steel) or wood.
[0015] We have described the anchor sheet as both "flexible" and
"rigid". It is flexible in the sense that over a reasonable length
it can bend and in most circumstances can even be rolled with a
radius of curvature for example of perhaps 3 to 4 inches. It is
rigid in the sense that if held at one end it can support itself
for instance over a distance of 12-24 inches without droop unlike a
cloth or fabric or tape.
[0016] Thus, the invention consists of, in one aspect, a detachable
anchor sheet for detachable attachment of a decorative covering,
such as a carpet, to a rigid supporting substrate, such as a floor,
in which the decorative covering has a finished upper surface and
an opposite surface substantially covered in loops. The anchor
sheet can comprise a relatively thin flexible relatively rigid
sheet, preferably of plastic such as a polycarbonate, polyester,
polyethylene, or polypropylene, substantially covered with hooks on
its upper surface facing the loop surface of the decorative
covering and placed intermediate between the decorative covering
and the supporting substrate. This flexible anchor sheet or sheets
can be, but normally is not, exactly the some size as the combined
pieces of overlying sheet goods. Normally overlapping areas of
anchor sheet or decorative covering are used to enable tying of the
anchor sheets used in a location together. The anchor sheet may be
larger than the area under the sheet goods or it can be smaller in
cases where it is desired to trim the overlaying carpet to a wall
or other boundary. The anchor sheet and decorative covering must,
in combination or in combination with other flooring materials
placed adjacent or intermediate to the anchor sheet, have
sufficient rigidity to support the decorative covering from shear
horizontal force applied to the sheet goods on the floor or other
substrate when the combination is laid onto the rigid supporting
substrate. In some cases, the anchor sheet will be attached to the
substrate at a limited number of discrete points or in some cases
along with the covering it may have sufficient rigidity and mass to
free float within the boundaries of a room or even on its own.
[0017] Thus, in another aspect of this invention it is possible to
install anchor sheets to abut each other and to use either the hook
covering of the anchor sheet, or other overlapping piece or the
overlying decorative covering such as a carpet to tie the abutting
anchor sheets together with the use of complementary hook and loop
technology. In some cases the overlying covering will overlap the
joins of the anchor sheets and the anchor sheets will overlap the
joins of the covering to tie the anchor sheets and covering
together. In some cases the anchor sheets may first be made to form
a contiguous mass using overlapping hook tape or tape covering
installed at the seams of anchor sheet using either hook and loop
or pressure sensitive adhesive. This anchor sheet mass can then
form the substrate for installation of an overlying decorative
covering or in some cases the framework for abutting or inserting
other decorative pieces.
[0018] It is preferable, but not required in all cases, for the
decorative covering to be detachable from the anchor sheet. In the
case of smaller modules the decorative covering would normally be
pre-installed, and possibly even permanently installed, on the
non-decorative anchor sheet leaving an area of anchor sheet or
decorative covering exposed for detachable attachment by
overlapping with adjoining modules. It is required that this
overlapping area provide for detachable attachment and also for a
means to prevent attachment during installation to enable the
modules to be adjusted for correct alignment during installation.
The means for detachable attachment is preferably a hook and loop
attachment system, but it could also be an adhesive which provided
for multiple opening and closing while maintaining tackiness. In
the case where hook and loop is used to join the modules, the
covering could be a "slip covering" of a hand smooth plastic which
does not bind to the hook and loop, or one could use a textile or
paper hook covering not unlike the hook covering in original patent
Pacione '658. For parquet, tile, hardwood, ceramics or other rigid
decorative covering, a flexible tape covering could be used in the
overlapping area, which is provided with a pull string which can be
pulled from under the pre-assembled covering. This whole process
could be duplicated using entirely adhesive or part adhesive and
part hook and loop.
[0019] Thus, the individual modules of anchor sheet and the
individual modules of covering are tied together in a supporting
mass which can "free float" on the floor or be connected at only
very few discrete points.
[0020] In another aspect the invention consists of an anchor sheet
or sheets and pieces of covering in an overlapping staggered
relationship to form a contiguous floor covering having sufficient
rigidity, atmospheric stability, horizontal plane stability (shear
force stability) and flexibility so that in general use such floor
covering may not require attachment to the underlying foor.
Attachment may be required for a small area rug over a slick marble
floor or at a ramp or stairs or where the end use involves heavy
traffic or where an area rug might be installed within an anchor
sheet framework where such rug may be inserted into the framework
and attached to the anchor sheet at only the perimeter or not at
all.
[0021] Another aspect of this invention consists of anchor sheet
modules connected in an overlapping staggered relationship to form
a contiguous anchor sheet covering having an upper surface
substantially covered in hooks so as to be ready to receive pieces
of covering to be attached by complementary loops and to tie the
pieces of covering together into a rigid, atmospherically stable
covering.
[0022] In another aspect of this invention, decorative modules
comprising an anchor sheet and decorative covering can be
preassembled offsite by detachably attaching some of the hooks on
the upper surface of the anchor sheet to some of the loops on the
underside of the decorative covering so that the decorative
covering on the anchor sheet overlaps the anchor sheet by a
predetermined amount.
[0023] Alternatively, decorative covering can be assembled onto a
first carrier anchor sheet and then assembled onto a second anchor
sheet. Pre-assembled decorative modules (or anchor sheet modules)
can then be shipped to the site and individually placed on the
underlying substrate in an abutting fashion to permit interlocking
between the loops on the underside of the decorative covering (or
on the underside of the upper layer of the anchor sheet module) of
one unit and the hooks on the upper surface of the anchor sheet of
an adjacent decorative module (or on the upper surface of the lower
layer of an anchor sheet module). Each decorative module (or anchor
sheet module) added to the growing modular surface covering can be
guided into its proper position by placing thin, rigid pieces of
plastic over the exposed hooks of the anchor sheet of an
established decorative module (or anchor sheet module). After
properly aligning the decorative module (or anchor sheet module) to
be added to the established module, the thin, rigid plastic pieces
are slid out and away from the two modules, parallel to the
horizontal plane, thereby allowing the abutting module to become
engaged through a hook and loop system. The thin, rigid pieces of
plastic can also be used to detach individual modules of the
modular surface covering. The thin, rigid plastic is inserted
between the mechanically bonded portions of the hook and loop
fastener of abutting modules, parallel to the horizontal plane,
thereby breaking the mechanical bond and maintaining the hooks and
loops out of contact with one another to enable the units to be
dislodged and removed from the modular surface covering.
[0024] In another aspect, the invention consists of a covering
module for transportation to a surface to be covered and for
attachment to additional modules to form a finished decorative
surface comprising at least one decorative covering having an upper
decorative surface and an opposite lower surface, a non-decorative
anchor sheet having an upper surface, the decorative covering
attached across a substantial portion of its lower surface to the
non-decorative anchor sheet and the anchor sheet dimensioned so
that, after attachment of the decorative covering to the anchor
sheet, there is provided an overlap area of upper surface of anchor
sheet exposed along at least one edge of the module which overlap
area is provided with means for detachable attachment of such
module to an adjoining module by attachment to an overlapping area
of the lower surface of a decorative covering attached to an
adjoining module.
[0025] Covering modules of an unlimited variety of shapes and sizes
can be constructed and decorative patterns may be assembled on site
by combining different colours or patterns of the same type of
decorative covering, such as alternating between units of red and
blue carpet or by combining different types of decorative covering
such as carpet and hardwood in a hotel, restaurant or ballroom
setting or carpet, hardwood, ceramic or stone in a home setting. In
general use, such contiguous covering could have sufficient
rigidity and mass so as not to require attachment to the underlying
surface. In some cases, attachment of the anchor sheet at discrete
points may be required as for example, when the surface to be
covered is a wall, but such attachment is merely to hold the unit
in place not to provide stability to the structure.
[0026] As previously mentioned the principles described for
covering modules are equally applicable for anchor sheet modules
which can be units having an upper layer of hooks and a lower layer
and which can provide for overlap between the upper and lower
layers so that the anchor sheet modules interlock and establish a
finished subfloor primanly covered in hooks for receiving
decorative pieces in a second step.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] Embodiments of the invention will now be described,
reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0028] FIG. 1 shows anchor sheets of a first embodiment of the
invention laid side by side on a floor with a temporary hook
covering bridging the abutting joins to tie the sheets
together.
[0029] FIG. 2 shows a section of anchor sheet laid onto a floor
with the sheet, covered with separate detachable hook cover pieces
A-A at a boundary.
[0030] FIG. 3 shows a section along the lines 3-3 in FIG. 1 with a
connecting hook cover piece.
[0031] FIG. 4 shows carpeting laid onto the anchor sheeting of FIG.
1.
[0032] FIG. 5 shows a section along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 4.
[0033] FIG. 6 shows pre-assembled carpeting and anchor sheet
together being laid in abutting overlapping relationship onto a
floor.
[0034] FIG. 7 shows a section along the lines 7-7 in FIG. 6.
[0035] FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment with a separate
carpet piece bridging abutting anchor sheets.
[0036] FIG. 9 is a section along the lines 9-9 of FIG. 8.
[0037] FIG. 10 shows another arrangement of anchor sheet and carpet
with a decorative pattern.
[0038] FIG. 11 shows an area rug installed on an anchor sheet
having a lip.
[0039] FIG. 12 is a section along the lines 12-12 of FIG. 11.
[0040] FIG. 13 is yet another embodiment of anchor sheet and
overlying decorative covering pieces which have been created from
modular units.
[0041] FIG. 13a is yet another embodiment of anchor sheet and
overlying decorative covering pieces pre-assembled as individual
modular units and laid in an abutting and overlapping fashion.
[0042] FIG. 14 shows an anchor sheet having an upper surface
substantially covered with hooks and an optional cushion on the
underside of the anchor sheet.
[0043] FIG. 15 shows a decorative covering module having a
decorative finished upper surface and an underside substantially
covered with loops.
[0044] FIG. 16 shows one covering module of a modular surface
covering having a decorative covering detachably precision attached
in an overlapping manner to an anchor sheet by means of hook and
loop technology.
[0045] FIG. 17 (which is on the same page as FIG. 19) shows a
section along lines 17-17 of FIG. 16.
[0046] FIG. 18 shows two pre-assembled covering modules being laid
in an abutting overlapping relationship onto an underlying
substrate.
[0047] FIG. 18a shows three pre-assembled covering modules laid in
an abutting overlapping relationship on an underlying substrate and
a fourth covering module being installed.
[0048] FIG. 19 shows a portion of a finished modular surface
covering.
[0049] FIG. 20 shows a section of two covering modules attached
together.
[0050] FIG. 21 shows another arrangement of the modular surface
covering composed of covering modules of a rectangular size and
shape.
[0051] FIG. 22 shows another arrangement of the modular surface
covering representing a decorative pattern with artificial grout
separating carpet tiles.
[0052] FIG. 23 shows a decorative pattern separator for use in the
arrangement of FIG. 22.
[0053] FIG. 24 shows one way in which the covering modules
assembled as shown in FIG. 22 may be delivered on site.
[0054] FIG. 25 shows another arrangement of covering modules as an
altemative to the arrangement shown in FIG. 22.
[0055] FIG. 26 shows an arrangement of anchor sheet modules joined
by hooked tape.
[0056] FIG. 27 shows a finished anchor sheet ready to receive
decorative covering pieces.
[0057] FIG. 28 shows another arrangement to anchor sheet and
decorative pieces during installation using a slip cover.
[0058] FIG. 29 shows an assembly of surface covering onto a first
carrier anchor sheet and then onto a second anchor sheet for
modular assembly.
[0059] FIG. 30 shows a combination of wide covering sheet pieces
and individual decorative pieces over an anchor sheet.
[0060] FIG. 31 shows an anchor sheet module.
[0061] FIG. 32 shows a template for assembling covering pieces.
[0062] FIG. 33 shows a finished anchor sheet ready to receive
decorative covering pieces by use of a template.
[0063] FIG. 34 shows the use of a different template.
[0064] FIG. 35 shows an integrated anchor sheet arrangement with
hardwood and carpet roll goods and hardwood border.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Anchor Sheets
[0065] Turning to the drawings, a first embodriment anchor sheet 1
is illustrated in FIG. 1 having abutting anchor sheets 3 and 5.
Each anchor sheet is covered with plastic or filament hooks 7 which
can be better seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 similar to hooks currently used
on conventional hook and loop fastening systems. Covering pieces 9,
preferably of doth, cover the hooks 7. The covering could also be a
film. The covering can be better seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. In order to
keep the hooks 7 dean and to prevent premature attachment of a
to-be-installed overlying covering, this form of anchor sheet is
completely covered with a covering. Preferably there is a separate
covering strip 11 of a width A, as shown in FIG. 2, which
establishes a pre-cut slit 12 in the covering of a width A along
the border of each anchor sheet. While the anchor sheet can be
provided in rolls as described later, in the embodiment of FIG. 1
it is simply a sheet, for instance, a rectangle of four feet by
eight feet. It can be laid on the floor, in the case of a
wall-to-wall installation, in continuous abutting relationship to
other anchor sheets to cover the entire surface of the floor or
other rigid substrate. As it is covered with coverings 9 and strips
11, it is possible to lay and install carpet on it without
premature attachment of the hooks 7 and complementary loops. The
carpet constructed, for instance, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
4,822,658 (Pacione) can be installed onto this anchor sheet.
[0066] However when working on the anchor sheet with carpet, it may
be preferable if the anchor sheets are at least anchored to each
other and possibly pre-attached at discrete loations to the floor.
Anchor sheets can be attached to each other by the removal of
precut hook covering strips 11 on either piece of abutting anchor
sheets for instance 1 and 3 and replacement of such hook covering
with a bridging piece of hook covering for instance 13 which covers
the join between abutting anchor sheets and attaches them to each
other. Strip 13 can cover the join between a number of anchor
sheets. For instance in FIG. 1, it is also covering the abutting
join between anchor sheets 8 and 10 as well.
[0067] Anchor sheets can also be attached to the floor at discrete
locations such as at point 14 in FIG. 1. The anchor sheet can be
glued down, attached by hook tape affixed to the floor and
attachable to complementary loops on the back of the anchor sheet
or attached by double-sided adhesive tape, but in most cases the
simplest form of attachment of the anchor sheet to the rigid
substrate, particularly if the substrate is, for example, a wooden
floor, is to attach the anchor sheet at discrete points by the use
of nails or tacks. In this case it is advisable to have
perforations, slits or holes in hook cover sheet 9 so as to enable
the anchor sheets such as 1, 3, 5 etc. to be nailed to the floor
through the hook cover sheets 9 without the head of such nail or
tack attaching the hook cover sheet 9 permanently to the anchor
sheet 1, 3, 5 etc. so that such sheet can be removed after the
overlying carpet has been cut and fit in place for attachment of
the overlying carpet to the anchor sheet in addition, depending on
the thickness or brittleness of the anchor sheets, it may be
advisable to have pre-drilled holes in the anchor sheets.
[0068] Depending upon the form of attachment, if any, of the anchor
sheet to the floor, it may not be necessary to attach the anchor
sheets to each other by the use of bridging hook cover 13 during
installation of the carpet.
[0069] It may also be possible, depending upon where the underlying
carpet joins occur, to leave bridging hook cover 13 attached to the
anchor sheets since there will be normally sufficient attachment of
the carpet to the anchor sheet in a large area underneath hook
cover 9. It is not necessary to attach the anchor sheets to the
underlying floor substrate in every situation. The overlying carpet
(not shown in FIGS. 1, 2 or 3) will provide additional mass and
rigidity to the anchor sheets which will be firmly attached to each
other by such overlying carpet. In this case, depending upon the
mass of the carpet and the rigidity of the anchor sheets, the
combination may be firmly enough held in place by being constrained
within the surrounding boundaries of the walls or other perimeter
of the room or area in which the anchor sheet and carpet have been
installed.
[0070] In some cases, given a large enough carpet area, and
depending upon the underlying floor structure, it may not be
necessary even to attach area rugs to the underlying floor since
they may have sufficient mass to remain in place without
substantial movement on their own. It will also depend, for
instance, in the case of both area rugs and wall to wall carpet on
whether or not furniture or other heavy objects are installed on
the combination carpet and anchor sheet.
[0071] In some cases, the abutting anchor sheets as shown in FIG.
1, will be installed under carpets of a wider width than the anchor
sheet so that the carpet 15 overlaps the anchor sheet as shown in
FIG. 4. Loops 18 on the back of the carpet are engageable with
hooks 7 when the cover 9 has been removed. For installation, carpet
15 is rolled out onto the anchor sheets which are entirely covered
by a hook covering 9. The carpet can now be cut and fit and
adjusted in place and abutted against another carpet roll before
any attachment to the underlying anchor sheet 1 is made. In FIG. 5
is shown a cross-section of the anchor sheet and carpet prior to
removal of the hook covering 9 or 13. Thus carpet 15 overlaps join
17 between abutting anchor sheets 1 and 3. Anchor sheets 1 and 3
are possibly attached to the floors as previously described and
they are also attached to each other by hook covering 13 bridging
join 17. Once covering 9 is removed, at least part of anchor sheet
1 and at least part of anchor sheet 3, are now both attached to
carpet 15 so that carpet 15 now also bridges the join 17 between
anchor sheets 1 and 3 and ties such anchor sheets together. It is
possible, and even in some situations preferable, to also remove
bridging hook cover 13. However, it is not always necessary to do
this. Once at least hook covering 9 is removed, the carpet and
anchor sheet whether or not attached to the underlying substrate
form a contiguous rigid floor covering of relatively great
strength, mass and rigidity which does not buckle under ordinary
use even if there has been no attachment directly to the floor.
[0072] In fact the carpet and anchor sheet would only need to be
attached to the floor at discrete points to prevent the entire unit
from moving. The carpet and anchor sheet, while individually
flexible together create a relatively rigid mass which is
frequently greater than the sum of its parts because even a
lightweight carpet attached by hook and loop to a properly designed
thin relatively rigid plastic or polymer anchor sheet has strong
atmospheric and structural stability.
[0073] The anchor sheet itself is preferably made of thin
polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene or polyester of
preferably from 10/1000 to 30/1000 thickness, but could be, with
respect to thick covering materials such as stone or ceramic, as
high as 50/1000 or even higher. The thickness may vary depending
upon the covering material and the stability requirements for the
carpet. It is also possible for the anchor sheet to be made of thin
sheet metal, carbon fibres or some form of polymer. The anchor
sheet can indude a foam layer which provides resiliency. Hooks can
be attached to the sheet by any conventional means but extrusion or
coextrusion are the preferred methods. It may be advisable for the
hook material to be a defferent plastic or polymer material and
even applied as a film with adhesive since the hooks may need to be
relatively more resilient and flexible than the anchor sheet
itself. In this case a laminate anchor sheet rather than unitary
construction can be used.
[0074] The anchor sheets and carpet together are, in many
situations, thin enough and flexible enough to be rolled as a
single unit. This enables the carpet, in some embodiments, to be
pre-installed onto the anchor sheet in which case it can be more
easily installed as shown in FIG. 6. As previously discussed the
anchor sheet is also relatively rigid in the sense that it is not
tape or cloth like.
[0075] In this case, carpet 19 installed on anchor sheet 21 (as
seen in FIG. 7) is rolled onto the floor and cut to fit adjoining
walls 23 and 24.
[0076] Carpet piece 19 and anchor sheet 21 is delivered to the site
in the same form as carpet piece 29 and anchor sheet 31 but in the
case of the part which abuts wall 23, the extra width carpet may be
trimmed off or left as it is not a necessity that the anchor sheet
abut the wall.
[0077] Carpet piece 19 has come pre-installed (as can better be
seen in FIG. 7) onto anchor sheet 21 which is, in this case, bigger
than carpet piece 19 so as to leave exposed an area of hooks 25
covered with a hook covering 27. Most carpet rolled in this way
will be installed on an anchor sheet at a factory with an overlap
as shown for carpet piece 29 so that the carpet overlaps on one
side of the anchor sheet 31 and on another side the anchor sheet 31
itself extends beyond carpet piece 29. Carpet and anchor sheet
combination 29 and 31 are then unrolled to abut carpet piece 19 and
can be cut and fit in place after which hook covering 27 can be
removed by pulling the hook covering up thereby rolling back carpet
piece 29 or in some cases by pulling the covering 27 up and through
join 33. Carpet piece 29 is now firmly attached to both anchor
sheets 21 and 31 and, as it bridges the join 35 between the two of
them attaches the two anchor sheets together. It is now possible to
repeat this process by laying an additional similar carpet roll
over hook covering 37 and remove such hook covering to attach the
next adjoining carpet piece to anchor sheet 31 and to repeat this
process again and again until the room is covered in carpet and
anchor sheet in a continuing piece.
[0078] If it is necessary to attach the anchor sheets to the floor,
it can be done in the area exposed where the anchor sheet hooks and
hook covering are not covered by the pre-installed carpet roll such
as at 39 or 41 (as seen in FIG. 6). In this case the hook covering
27 or 37 can have perforations, slits or holes so that a nail or
tack attached through the hook covering will not attach the hook
covering to the underlying anchor sheet so that it can be removed
as previously described. Attachment of the anchor sheet to the
floor at for instance strips 39 and 41 should be sufficient
attachment in many, if not most, instances, especally when combined
with the fact that the decorative carpet covering also ties the
anchor sheets together as a single unit.
[0079] There is an advantage in some situations to install the
carpet over an anchor sheet in a factory. The factory can cut and
fit a number of different carpaetpiees onto the a sheet, both for
decorative purposes and for transportation of the carpet pieces
together as one piece. Thus as shown in FIG. 6 it is possible to
have an insert, for instance 43, repeated with a decoration or
pattern at intervals on the carpet roll and with smaller
geometrical inserts 45. Typically these inserts would be of a
different colour or different design or pattern to create a
pleasing carpet pattern.
[0080] FIG. 8 shows an additional form of carpet installation. In
this case the carpet and anchor sheet will be delivered from the
factory attached but the carpet, for instance 47, is narrower than
the anchor sheet 48 to leave an exposed area of anchor sheet hook
49 and hook covering 50 of approximately width C as shown in FIG. 9
on both longitudinal edges. In this case, the carpet is unrolled
and, if desired, attached to the underlying floor. Another similar
anchor sheet 51, having installed thereon carpet 52 is unrolled and
abutted to anchor sheet 48 (seen in FIG. 9). Anchor sheet 53 is
also unrolled and abutted to anchor sheet 51. Anchor sheets can be
attached to the floor by, for instance, nailing through strip areas
55, 57, 59 and 61 since at this stage of the installation, those
areas do not contain a carpet covering. Bridging carpet strip 63
can be fit to the area not covered by carpet 55 and 57 (the area
labelled D in FIG. 9). After fitting, underlying hook coverings 50
and 54 can be removed so that carpet piece 63 can be installed on
the anchor sheet to bridge and firmly attach anchor sheet 48 to
anchor sheet 51. A similar process can then be followed for anchor
sheet 53.
[0081] Normally this form of installation would be used where it is
desired to have carpet strip 63 of a different colour or pattern
than carpet pieces 47 and 52 so as to provide a decorative border
around individual carpet areas 47 and 52. In this case, it is
likely that the pattern or border will also be contained along
edges 65 and this can be easily accommodated by installing carpet
piece 47 of a size smaller than the anchor sheet 48 to create strip
65 of any desired thickness. This form of installation may also
allow for room variations since the carpet trim at the border is
installed and trimmed last.
[0082] Again it is possible for anchor sheets 48 and 51 to be
attached to the floor either by tacking or nailing or also by a
complementary hook and loop attachment system, or (although it is
usually not preferable) by gluing or pressure sensitive
double-sided tape.
[0083] In FIG. 10 is shown another form or pattern 67 containing a
central medallion 69 and corner pieces 71 installed on an anchor
sheet 73. In this case the anchor sheets and carpet pieces simply
abut and are attached to the floor by small pieces of hook tape 75
which will normally have hook covering (not shown), hooks on an
upper surface and a pressure sensitive adhesive 77 on a lower
surface for attachment to the floor. The pressure sensitive
adhesive will normally have a peelable dry strippable covering.
[0084] In this case the carpet 67 and anchor sheet 73 can be
attached by individual pieces 75 at the corners which can overlap
with the adjoining carpet pieces. Strips could also be used along
joins between for instance carpet pieces 67 and 79, but if a number
of pieces is to be used, normally an overlapping modular system
such as shown in FIG. 19 would be used, since this assists in
holding seams in place and assists with gauge differential problems
that might exist between different carpets which could cause seam
abuse. If a modular system is used attachment points to the
underlying floor may not be required.
[0085] This same pattern could be used as described later, without
attachment to the floor by overlapping piece 79 for instance onto
adjoining anchor board 73. In this case, of course, piece 67 must
be made shorter.
[0086] One advantage of the anchor sheet system is that carpet
inserts 69 and 71 for instance can be removed, replaced, or
exchanged if different colours or patterns are desired and
similarly as shown in FIG. 6 inserts 43 and pieces 45 can also be
removed and changed. Any pattern can be inserted, and if standard
sizes are used, the patterns can be interchangeable so as to
convert the carpet piece from for instance a boy's pattern to a
girl's pattern or from a living room pattern to a bedroom or
bathroom pattern.
[0087] Another prime advantage is that the anchor sheet need only
be attached at a discrete corner area such as with pad 75 shown in
FIG. 10 but, nevertheless, carpet pieces 67, 69, 71 and 72, for
instance, are all attached across their entire undersurface on the
anchor sheet 73 so that a pattern can be inserted or replaced at
any point.
[0088] As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, an area rug can also be created
in which carpet piece 81 is installed over anchor sheet 83 as best
seen in FIG. 12. Anchor sheet 83 has upturned or curled lip 85
which covers the exposed edges 87 of the carpet.
[0089] An anchor sheet for such area carpet can be attached by
nails or by hook and loop technology (if the underside of the
anchor sheet is covered in loops and is then installed with
corresponding hooked tape) or by any conventional attachment
system. In most cases it would be sufficient to simply attach the
anchor sheet at discrete points to the underlying floor by a small
piece of loop tape attached by pressure sensitive adhesive to the
underside of the anchor sheet 83 matched to a corresponding small
piece of hook tape attached by pressure sensitive adhesive to the
floor. In some cases the area carpet may have sufficient mass and
stability not to have to be attached to the underlying floor at
all. The need for attachment is reduced if, for instance, anchor
sheet 83 has a non-slip surface on its underside. With the anchor
sheet disclosed it is possible to attach area rugs to granite,
marble or stone, floors to which it has been difficult to apply
area rugs in the past. In addition, carpet 81 can, like carpets 67
and 79, have inserted patterns and those patterns can be quite
elaborate allowing, for the first time, a relatively cheap
patterned rug which can mimic even, for instance, oriental carpets,
in which a large number of carpet piece are installed over a
unitary anchor sheet 83. It is even possible to create a crazy
quilt or a do-it-yourself carpet using carpet pieces installed over
a pre-formed anchor sheet 83.
[0090] Anchor sheets, either large sheets or in modular form, can
also be attached to each other as shown in FIG. 26 where the anchor
sheet 140 is formed of a laminate consistng of a hook portion 142
and a base portion 144 without hooks. The base portion overlaps the
hook portion at least on two sides and preferably on four sides. An
anchor sheet mass can then be created using tape 146 (which may
have hooks or not on its upper surface) installed by pressure
sensitive adhesive (or by hook and loop) across the seam or join,
as at for instance join 148. The anchor sheet formed in this way
can be seen in FIG. 27 and presents a relatively flat surface. If
hook tape is used to make the seam join as shown in FIG. 27, hooks
150 win generally extend across the entire surface of the anchor
sheet Such an anchor sheet can be formed with an attached cushion
152 as shown in FIGS. 26 or 27. When laid onto a structural
support, such as a finished or unfinished floor, the anchor sheet
is ready to receive any combination of decorative pieces, either
carpet, tile, ceramic, wood, etc., which can be installed by hook
and loop. An unlimited array of overlying patterns can be formed by
the use of for instance a temporary removable jig or template 154
as shown in FIGS. 27, 32, 33 and 34. The template may have a wall
of teeth 189 projecting downwardly for a frame structure 191. Such
teeth, such as are found in a comb or brush, such as for instance a
dog brush, are rigid narrow and flexible enough to narrowly guide
decorative covering pieces into location in abutting relation to
each other when the template 154 is removed. Also shown in FIG. 32
is a smaller template 155. In FIG. 33, a different template 193 is
shown which is made of a wall framework 195, typically of plastic.
This also provides for the insertion of decorative pieces such as
carpet pieces 197 without spacing once the template is removed.
Carpet pieces 197 have an underside covering in loops (not shown)
for attachment to hooks 199 on the anchor sheet 201 or hook tape
203.
[0091] As shown in FIG. 34, an additional template can provide for
spacing so that when the template is removed, carpet pieces 207 and
209, for instance are appropriately spaced from each other on
anchor sheet 211. So spacing is provided at for instance template
wall 213 because this will be provided by the reuse of the template
shown in FIG. 34 at the next location where for instance template
wall 215 may abut for instance location 217 to provide appropriate
spacing.
[0092] When the anchor sheet is stabilized as shown in FIGS. 26 or
27 or if a relatively large anchor sheet is used, then individual
surface covering pieces 156 as shown in FIG. 28 can be more easily
installed in sequence using a slip cover 158 which can be
conveniently provided with a handle 160 which if at an upward angle
to slip cover 158 allows the slip cover to be maintained at a
relatively flat angle to the anchor sheet 162. Covering pieces 156
are shaped to interlock with each other along surfaces 164 and 166
to guide the installation.
[0093] If anchor sheet 162 is preattached to an abutting anchor
sheet 168, particularly by use of bridging hooked tape 146 as shown
in FIG. 26, then the next row of covering pieces 170 and 172 will
naturally overlap the join 174 between anchor sheets 162 and 168.
The covering pieces, while they will reinforce the join between
sheets 162 and 168, will not be necessary to create or maintain the
join.
[0094] An anchor sheet may be composed of a single layer or
laminated layers and multiple anchor sheets may be used depending
on the requirements. Thus an anchor sheet may have a cushion layer
as previously explained. It may also have a separately laminated
hook containing layer which may be provided with hookless areas 175
as shown in FIG. 27.
[0095] As shown in FIG. 29, a first anchor sheet may act as a
carrier for surface covering pieces 176 which may first be
preassembled on sheet 177 by any permanent or detachable means
(such as adhesive or hook and loop) and such piece may then be
assembled onto anchor sheet 178 as shown in variations A and B by
either permanent or detachable means to create a module for
overlapping installation as previously described.
[0096] A combination of surface covering pieces 184 and surface
covering sheets 182 on anchor sheets may be used as shown in FIG.
30 where anchor sheets 180 (which in this case are provided with
cushion 181) are assembled and attached by any of the ways
previously disclosed or are held together by surface covering 182.
Such sheets 180 may also be simply attached to the floor directly
by tasks or staples or may be free floating by abutting each other
if otherwise constrained by the room environment. A further
decorative pattern made of surface covering pieces 184 with inserts
186 may be added or preassembled carpet modules such as those shown
in FIG. 30 may be used. FIG. 31 shows an anchor sheet module 219
transported to a site that is to be covered. The anchor sheet
module 219 can be attached to additional modules to form an anchor
sheet subfloor for installation of overlaying decorative covering
pieces (not shown), such decorative covering pieces having a
complimentary loop for detachable attachment to anchor sheet
modules such as 219. Anchor sheet module 219 has an upper layer 223
covered with a plurality of hooks on its upper surface 220 and on
its lower surface 224 and a lower layer 225 attached to the upper
layer 223 in such a way that an overlap area 226 of lower layer 225
is provided for the detachable attachment of an overlapping portion
of the upper layer of an adjoining module or of an additional piece
overlapping the join between the module and an adjoining module.
The lower layer can be provided with a resilient material (not
shown in FIG. 31) such as a cushion, as shown for example in FIGS.
26, 27, 30 or 35. The detachable attachment of the anchor sheet
module 219 shown in FIG. 31 is by way of hook and loop technology.
However, the upper layer 223 and lower layer 225 of the anchor
sheet module 219 can be joined by any conventional method, either
permanenty or detachably using adhesive or hook and loop
technology. The anchor sheet modules can be joined to other anchor
sheet modules through hook and loop technology or by some other
detachable method such as pressure sensitive adhesive.
[0097] When a "finished" anchor sheet is first installed on a floor
as a module as shown in FIG. 26 or as larger units as shown in for
instance FIG. 1. the joins can remain covered with a tape or tape
covering as for instance 13 in FIG. 1 or 146 in FIG. 26. This
enables the anchor sheet assembly to create a relatively moisture
proof barrier for use, for instance, in a kitchen or bathroom prior
to installation of the decorative covering.
[0098] A "finished" anchor sheet subfloor can provide for an easier
installation of decorative covering pieces and for removal,
replacement or redesign, such as for instance when a customer
wishes to switch from hardwood to marble or to add a marble insert
or hardwood border. Trimming of modular pieces can be easier than
having to deal with roll goods or modular units which combine an
anchor sheet and decorative covering.
Covering Modules
[0099] As shown in FIG. 13, anchor sheets 89 can be made in smaller
modules. Decorative covering such as carpet pieces 91, can be, for
instance, carpet tiles, and if they are laid in overlapping
relationship as shown in FIG. 13, a contiguous mass can be formed
by anchor sheets 89 and carpet pieces 91, which would be sufficient
to provide for stable installation wthout attachment to a floor.
This would particularly be the case if piece 91 is not carpet but
parquet or another rigid decorative covering. If however a is
desired to attach the anchor sheets 89 to the floor, that can be
easily done by tacking or nailing, or using conventional hook and
loop technology. In this case again it would be preferable to have
slits, perforations or holes 93 in the tape covering 95 (if tape
covering is used) so that the anchor sheet can be attached to the
floor before removal of any hook covering, but without the
attachment of the hook covering to the floor.
[0100] FIG. 35 shows an integrated floor showing the versatility of
the anchor sheet system. An anchor sheet subfloor 202 is shown with
a hardwood covering unit 204 to be installed using hook and loop. A
hardwood border 206 can be installed defining an area where anchor
sheet 208 with attached cushion 212 and wide width carpet rolls 210
can be installed. Additonal decorative coverings can be "mixed and
matched" both, ceramic and plastic tile, hardwood and carpet.
[0101] In FIG. 13a is shown a similar arrangement to FIG. 13, but
in which the pattern is built in a modular way so that, for
instance, units of a covering 91 and an anchor sheet 89 can be
created before assembling the entire surface covering. A form of
such units, which we call covering modules, is described below.
[0102] As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, in an additional forrn of
installation, covering modules comprising an anchor sheet 96 having
an upper surface covered substantially with hooks 97, with an
optional cushion on its lower surface 98 and a decorative covering
99 for placement over the anchor sheet having a decorative finished
upper surface 100 and a lower surface substantially covered with
loops 101 are detachably preattached offsite in an overlapping
manner along surface AA as shown in FIG. 17 (which is on the same
page as FIG. 19) such that an area of hooks are left exposed BB
while some of the loops on the underside of the decorative covering
are also left exposed CC. Covering pieces, preferably of cloth can
cover the hooks 97, but are not necessary where temporary coverings
106 as seen in FIGS. 18 and 18a are used. It might be advisable to
use covering pieces to prevent dirt from covering the hooked
surface before assembly.
[0103] These pre-assembled covering modules are then shipped to the
site and as shown in FIGS. 18 and 18a, placed on the underlying
substrate individually, in an abutting fashion, in order to engage
the exposed loops 101 on the underside of the decorative covering
of one overing module and the exposed hooks 97 on the upper surface
of the anchor sheet of an adjacent covering module. As shown in
FIG. 18, each covering module 105 added to the growing modular
surface covering is guided into its proper position by laying thin,
rigid pieces of plastic 106, over the exposed hooks of the anchor
sheet of the established covering module 107. The rigid pieces of
plastic permit placement and adjustment of the unit without
premature engagement of hooks and loops during installation. After
properly aligning the loops on the underside of the decorative
covering of one covering module with the hooks on the upper surface
of the anchor sheet of the abutting covering module, the thin,
rigid pieces of plastic are slid out parallel to the horizontal
plane and away from the two units thereby enabling the abutting
units to become engaged through hook and loop technology. Any hook
covering pieces (not shown) of the recently added covering module
are then removed in preparation for the addition of a subsequent
covering module. This step by step process of attaching covering
units to adjacent covering units mechanically bonded through hook
and loop technology is repeated to create a contiguous surface
covering as shown in FIG. 19. FIG. 20 shows a section of two
covering modules attached together.
[0104] A disadvantage of using covering modules is the difficulty
of aligning them over a great distance. The anchor sheet should
preferably be precisely located in relation to the neighbouring
anchor sheet and the decorative covering should preferably be
precisely located in relation to the decorative covering of a
neighbouring covering module. If the length AA, BB or CC (as shown
in FIG. 17) is off by even a small amount, this amount multiplied
over many modules will result in a misalignment of the surface
covering. Thus unless the anchor sheet and the decorative covering
are precisely aligned on the covering module, it will not be
possible in practice to easily install an overlapping system, such
as disclosed here. In practice, it is necessary to have these
modules preattached in a precise relationship as shown in FIG. 17,
preferably by preassembly at a factory using a machine for accurate
alignment. It is also possible but slow to use a pattern or form at
the point of installation for maintaining a constant alignment of
the decorative covering with the anchor sheet.
[0105] As previously discussed where anchor sheets are installed
first and are either permanently or temporarily tied to each other
or the floor, a temporary removable template or jig 154 as shown in
FIGS. 27, 32, 33 and 34 can be used to install an unlimited number
of overlaying patterns.
[0106] One advantage of this form of installation is that an
unlimited variety of patterns can be created. Decorative coverings
or the entire covering module can be removed, replaced or exchanged
if different colour or pattern combinations are desired. Any
pattern can be inserted and if standard sizes are used, patterns
can be interchangeable. For example, units of different coloured
carpet can be installed to create a unique carpet design or a
combination of different types of covering modules, such as carpet
and hardwood or ceramic and marble can be combined and subsequently
replaced or exchanged to form yet other unique arrangements.
[0107] To facilitate this process, the thin, rigid pieces of
plastic discussed above can also be used to detach individual units
of the modular surface covering. The thin, rigid pieces of plastic
are inserted between the mechanically bonded portions of the hook
and loop fastener of abutting units, parallel to the horizontal
plane, thereby breaking the mechanical bond and maintaining the
hooks and loops out of contact with one another to enable the units
to be dislodged and removed from the modular surface covering.
[0108] Another advantage is that in most cases, the mass of the
decorative covering and the rigidity of the anchor sheet when
attached together will enable the modular surface covering
resulting from the hook and loop attachment of abutting covering
modules, to abutting anchor sheets to be held firmly in place
without the need for attachment to the underlying substrate.
However, if it is necessary to attach selected covering modules to
the substrate, as for example, with a wall covering, that can be
done by tacking, nailing, gluing or by use of hook and loop
technology. The exposed portion of the anchor sheet of a covering
module yet to be bonded through hook and loop technology to a
subsequently added abutting module can be used for tacking to the
underlying substrate. Such exposed portion is then covered by a
decorative covering of an abutting covering module. Such discrete
tacking points could be as shown at 108 in FIGS. 16, 18, 19 and 21.
Attachment of the anchor to the substrate at points 108 or even
fewer points should be sufficient attachment in many, if not most,
instances. Depending on the thickness or brittleness of the anchor
sheets, it may be advisable to have predilled holes in the anchor
sheets. In this case again it would be preferable to have slits,
perforations or holes (not shown) in the tape covering (not shown)
so that the anchor sheet can be attached to the floor before
removal of any hook covering, but without the attachment of the
hook covering to the floor.
[0109] Shown in FIGS. 22, 23, and 24 is an additional carpet or
ceramic tile pattern using covering modules 110 such as shown in
FIG. 24. Such covering modules consist of an anchor sheet 112 and a
tile or decorative covering 114 which can be of ceramic or carpet
or any other suitable material. Normally the tile or decorative
covering 114 and anchor sheet 112 are pre-attached at a factory in
a precisely pre-determined relationship as shown. If the tile or
decorative covering contains loops across its undersurface and the
anchor sheet hooks across its top surface, then detachment and
reattachment are possible if required on site. A permanent adhesive
can be used for a permanent bond between tile 114 and anchor sheet
112 or a temporary adhesive having the properties of hook and loop
(i.e. can be attached and reattached and good horizontal strength)
can be used. The covering module, for instance as shown in FIG. 25,
can be of different sizes and include different numbers of covering
pieces to form large modules. For instance, the covering modules
shown in FIG. 25 could be a single module assembled onto a single
anchor sheet. In this case anchor sheets 130, 134, 136 and 137 are
manufactured as one single piece of anchor sheet.
[0110] Assuming hook and loop is used, then the anchor sheet 112
will be covered in hooks similar to hooks 97 in FIGS. 14 and 18
and, the underside of the tile will be covered in loops similar to
loops 101 in FIGS. 15 and 17. Tile or decorative covering such as
116 in FIG. 22 overlaps and binds to anchor sheets 112, 118, 120
and 122 and helps to tie those anchor sheets together. If the tile
is carpet tile, then tiles such as 114, 116 and others including
centre tile 124 can be formed by dye cutting of a larger carpet
piece. In this case grour shaped spacing pieces 126 as shown in
FIG. 23 are formed. If other carpets of contrasting colours are
also cut, these pieces can be used with other similarly shaped
patterns cut from such carpets. This piece 126 (shown in FIG. 23),
if it came from the carpet used to make tde 114 or 124 would go off
for use in another pattern and a new piece (not shown) of the same
shape as piece 126 would be included (from a dye cutting of a
carpet of a contrasting colours).
[0111] By using such decorative pattern separators, such as 126,
the places where similar colours meet can be minimized. By
providing a contrasting colour for piece 126, the eye is drawn to
the pattern rather than any imperfections where straight lines of
similar but not identical dye lots meet. Thus in the pattern of
FIGS. 22 or 25, similar colours meet only at, for instance, 125 in
FIG. 23 or 119 in FIG. 25. It is possible to provide a third or
even more colours to eliminate places where the same colours meet,
which could provide difficulty for subsequent matching. Shown in
FIG. 25 is another arrangement in which, for instance, tile 128 is
placed on anchor sheet 134. The pattern is similar but the tile or
decorative covering is in a different orientation to anchor sheet
134. In this case tile 128 for instance overlaps anchor sheet 130
and 134, but anchor sheet 134 and 136 are attached by medallion 132
and also by an insert or "grout" 126 as shown in FIG. 23, which has
not yet been installed in the arrangement of FIG. 25.
[0112] In the case where tiles such as 114 or 128 are ceramic
tiles, it is possible to size them in relation to the anchor sheet
so that the space between, for instance, tiles 114, 116 and
medallion 124 is less than shown in FIG. 22, and then a resilient
grout, such as rubber caulking, could be friction fit into the
space between the tiles to simulate real grout or the rubber
caulking could be provided as an elastic band of a size to fit
around tile 114 or medallion 124. Such elastic band could even be
preinstalled onto the tile before the covering modules such as 110
are assembled. Additionally even real grout could be used directly
into the space between the tiles.
[0113] The anchor sheet and covering module of this invention in
its various embodiments allows for increased versatility in the
installation of decorative coverings or carpets that have been
created with loops such as the hook and loop system disclosed in
Pacione U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,658. Using the covering modules, in
which the decorative covering and anchor sheet are pre-attached, it
is possible to reduce the attachment area to an exposed overlapping
area and to use an adhesive which can be pulled apart and
re-attached or hook and loop in such exposed area. With the anchor
sheet, carpets and other decorative covering can be installed
easily on almost any surface without destroying the surface. This
removes the necessity of having to remove underlying substrate such
as carpet or hardwood and having to strip adhesives such as glue
from the surface. Large quantities of decorative covering such as
carpet no longer have to be disposed of as they are simply covered
by a new decorative covering. Further, with this invention, it is
now possible to maintain a valuable flooring, such as marble,
intact for later use, but to temporarily cover such flooring with
carpet or tile.
[0114] While certain embodiments of the invention have been
disclosed, it is intended to cover all variations and combinations
of the invention as claimed in the attached claims.
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