US3755051A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
High-loft, nonwoven paneling material and covering
Assignee: Kimberly Clark Corp
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Filing: 1972-06-12
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Granted: 1973-08-28
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Expires: 1992-06-12
Abstract
Abstract A paneling material comprising a laminated construction having a layer of adhesive and a multiplicity of elements looped outwardly from the layer and a layer of nonflexible material, such as plywood, plastic or the like, laminated to the adhesive layer; and a method of making the paneling material by first embedding a web of elements in an open pattern of adhesive, bonding the elements in the adhesive, consolidating the adhesive into a continuous backing layer while looping the elements outwardly from the adhesive backing, and laminating the nonflexible material to the adhesive backing. In certain instances, a second pattern of adhesive may be applied to the first pattern of adhesive in general registry therewith prior to the consolidation step. Also a barrier layer may be interposed between the nonflexible material and the adhesive backing. Also, the invention includes a new use for a high-loft nonwoven material, namely: as a wall covering material.
Inventors
- 👤 R Stumpf
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 15:40
CPC Classifications
D; D04; D04H; D04H11/00; D04H11/08; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/23907; Y10T428/23929; Y10T428/23936; Y10T428/23957; Y10T428/23986; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24802; Y10T428/24826; Y10T428/29; Y10T428/2904; Y10T428/2907
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
123 words
A paneling material comprising a laminated construction having: a high-loft, nonwoven fabric comprised of a multiplicity of outwardly looped flexible elements, with the ends of each loop embedded in a flexible, substantially continuous nonuniform in thickness, gathered adhesive backing layer; said backing layer having been formed by gathering softened adhesive having said flexible elements embedded therein at spaced points on said elements while outwardly looping the portions of said elements between said points, and a curved nonflexible backing material attached to the adhesive backing layer of the nonwoven fabric, said nonwoven fabric and backing layer material being attached throughout substantially the entire interface between the backing layer and the backing material, and the nonwoven fabric conforming to the curvature of the backing material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
118 words
A high-loft, nonwoven fabric molded into a curved panel and comprised of a multiplicity of outwardly looped flexible fibrous elements, with the ends of each loop embedded in a flexible, substantially continuous nonuniform in thickness, gathered adhesive backing layer; said backing layer having been formed by gathering softened adhesive having said flexible elements embedded therein at spaced points on said elements while outwardly looping the portions of said elements between said points, and having been molded and set into a curved shape; and a nonflexible backing material attached to the adhesive backing layer of the nonwoven fabric, the nonwoven fabric and backing material being attached throughout substantially the entire interface between the backing layer and the backing material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
81 words
A high-loft nonwoven fabric molded into a curved panel and comprised of a multiplicity of outwardly looped elements, with the ends of each loop embedded in a flexible, substantially continuous, nonuniform in thickness, gathered adhesive backing layer, said adhesive backing layer having been formed by gathering softened adhesive having said flexible elements embedded therein at spaced points on said elements while outwardly looping the portions of said elements between said points, and having been molded and set into a curved shape.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
The paneling material of claim 1 wherein the spacing of the points at which the ends of the loops are embedded in the adhesive backing layer varies regularly for flexible elements throughout the fabric so that the loops vary in height regularly throughout the fabric.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The paneling material of claim 1 wherein the nonwoven fabric and backing layer are substantially coextensive and of a predetermined size and shape.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The paneling material of claim 1 wherein the nonflexible material is selected from the group consisting of plywood, pressed wood, cardboard and plastic materials.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The paneling material of claim 1 wherein the nonflexible material is comprised of a thermoplastic sheet material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The paneling material of claim 1 wherein the nonflexible material is thermoplastic sheet material selected from the group consisting of a polyolefin, an acrylic, a vinyl, and copolymers and terpolymers thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
The paneling material of claim 1 wherein the adhesive backing layer of the nonwoven fabric is comprised of first and second plies of adhesive adhering to each other.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The paneling material of claim 1 wherein a barrier layer is interposed between the adhesive backing layer and the nonflexible backing material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The paneling material of claim 1 wherein the barrier layer has an adhesive applied to one side thereof for attachment to the backing material.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
136 words
A method for producing a formed panel comprising a high-loft, nonwoven fabric with a surface of looped flexible elements, laminated to a nonflexible backing sheet, comprising the steps of: providing a web formed of a multiplicity of flexible, extended elements, embedding said web of flexible, extended elements at spaced points on said elements in a pattern of adhesive, activating the adhesive layer to a softened, tacky state, gathering the softened adhesive layer while outwardly looping the portions of said elements between said points, to form i. a flexible, gathered adhesive backing layer, and ii. a multiplicity of loops providing the fabric surface with the ends of each loop embedded in said adhesive backing layer; laminating a sheet of nonflexible formable material to said backing layer, forming the laminate, and setting the laminate in the formed shape.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method according to claim 13 for producing a formed panel in which said flexible, extended elements are selected from the group consisting of staple length natural fibers, staple length synthetic fibers monofilaments, threads, yarns, strands, and blends thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
79 words
A method for producing a formed panel comprising the method steps according to claim 13 wherein a backing sheet of thermoplastic material is adhesively laminated to the backing layer to produce a laminate, and in which the forming step includes: heating the laminate to raise the backing sheet to forming temperature and the adhesive backing layer to a softened, plastic state, molding the laminate under heat and pressure, and setting the laminate in the shape formed by the molding.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method for producing a formed panel according to claim 13, in which the adhesive backing layer is reactivated for adhesively bonding sheet material thereto.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 13 for producing a formed panel wherein the pattern of adhesive in which the web of elements is embedded, is in the form of an open adhesive pattern.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
134 words
A method for producing a formed panel comprising the steps of: providing a web formed of a multiplicity of flexible, extended elements, embedding said web of flexible, extended elements at spaced points on said elements in a pattern of adhesive, activating the adhesive layer to a softened, tacky state, gathering the softened adhesive layer while outwardly looping the portions of said elements between said points, to form i. a flexible, gathered adhesive backing layer, and ii. a multiplicity of loops providing the fabric surface with the ends of each loop embedded in said adhesive backing layer; activating the adhesive backing layer to a softened, plastic state, forming the fabric while the adhesive backing layer is in a softened plastic state, and setting the adhesive backing layer to set the fabric in the formed shape.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method for producing a formed panel according to claim 13 in which the sheet of nonflexible material is thermoplastic sheet material selected from the group consisting of a polyolefin, an acrylic, a vinyl, and copolymers and terpolymers thereof.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method for producing a formed panel according to claim 13 in which the sheet of nonflexible material is selected from the group consisting of plywood, pressed wood, cardboard and plastic materials.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3293105A
Cited
US3322606A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-08-27 | 1977-02-26 | 1977-08-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-08-27 | 1981-02-26 | 1981-08-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-08-27 | 1985-02-26 | 1985-08-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |