CA1186980A

CA1186980A - Method of bonding a floor-covering web with a backing web

Info

Publication number: CA1186980A
Application number: CA000397928A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Hans-Joachim Friedrich
Original assignee: JF Adolff AG
Current assignee: JF Adolff AG
Priority date: 1981-04-04
Filing date: 1982-03-09
Publication date: 1985-05-14
Also published as: JPS57190804A; DE3266975D1; JPS6315405B2; US4477299A; EP0062741B1; DE3113636A1; EP0062741A1; ATE16205T1

Abstract

A b s t r a c t Method of bonding a ground-covering web consisting of a pile material coated on its back at least partially with a thermoplastic substance, with a backing web, the upper side of said backing web being formed at least partially by a thermoplastic substance and wherein the pile material and the backing web are moved synchronously and guided such that they run towards each other before being bonded, the underside of the ground-covering web and the upper side of the backing web thereby facing at least one heat source, that the coating on the back of the floor-covering web and the other side of the backing web are at least par-tially plastified by heating and wherein the heated sides of the pile material and the backing web are placed against each other and the webs bonded together.

Description

S p ~ c: i f i ~ a t i o n ~

M~thod of Borldin~ a Flc~or Ct~vering Web with a Backing Web ~he iIlverltion r~l21t~3$ 1:o a m0thod c~f bon~ing a ground-covering web consisting of a pile material coated on its back at least par~ially with a t~rmo-plastic sul~stan~, with a backing web, the upp~r side of said backing web being formed at least partial:Ly b~ a tl~rmoplastic substanc The in-v~n~ion rela~es in par~icular ~o 3UC~ a met~od of producing ~o-called artificial lawn~ or sports f ields ,.

Suc::h arti:Eicial lawns are already offes-ed in the market, wh~re the upper we}:>, when installed for use, is pro-vided with a b~sic ~ub~trat~ to which Ith~ pale th~ead~
ox pil~ ribbo~s re~p~ are ~ecured and whi~:h i~ eoat~d on iks back entirely ~r partially with a ~hermo-pla~tic ~ubstan~e, e~g. ~oft ~VC, which ~rve~, ~mon~
other ~bject~, f~r impr~vi~ the lockin~ of th~ pile thr~ad~ in the ~ub~trat~. ~he l~wer web, w~en in-~all~d for u~ an ~la~ic ~loqsd ~x perorat~d ~at consi~t~n~ of a ~ore ~ wove~ or knitted ~abri~
or ~he like, co~ted, Q~., wi~h ~oft P~C.
The final product after the coating is solid i.e.
water impermeable. The webs

-2-~re perma~ently bonded toget3:1er.

It i the object o~ the inve2ltion to provide ~
~imple methc>d f or b~ndirlg the two web~; already before ~dding the 100r covering, whieh carl be carried out continuously and render~ it po~6ible tl~
~conomic~lly and permanently bor~d larger batches of the two webs , which may t e . gO, b~ ~vailable in rolled up ~

This pro:blem c:~n ~e ~olved in line with t~e invention :by ~yDs~r~nously ~oving the two webs i~ ns7itudinal direction and ~uiding them such that they ru~ to~rards each oth*r be~ore bein~ bc~TIded, tbe ~Ader~ide of th~
floor-covering web and ~he upper side of the ba~kir~g web thereby i~aci~g at least one hea~ source, by pla~ti-fyinç3 the coating on the back o:F the ~loor-coverir~g web and the upper s~:d~, when i~stalled for use, of ~he backing web at 1east partially by heating, ~d by pla~ing the heated ~ides of the two webs against ~ach other and ~ondi~g the two webs h~reby together this process could be called a hot ~3ealing proce~. When c:arrying out the i~rentive method it is not ~ece~a~
~o use an adhe~ive or to p~rf 02~ relatively compli-cated st~p, such as sewing the two web~ tog~th~r, ~yor~d this t~e inventive method achievee a b~nd, the chara~ter of which is extraordinarily ea~y ~o control, a~ the method can c~ption~lly be vari~d b~twee~ a ~o~ding over the entire ~urfac~ and a~ on7y partial bo~ading, it would~ 0, be po~s~ble to heat t~e w~bs tc~ b~

bonded ~nly along ~trip~hap~d r~gion ~actendinç~
lo~gitudinally ~o the webs and arranged ~t ~ tran3verse dista~ce frc~m eac~ ~ther, and ~he width a~d num~r of ~3uch heated ~rips r:ould be elected as desired -it w~uld o~ly be nec~essary t9 provid~ aIId arra~ge the heat aouxce~ re~pectivel~f.
It ~ esp~cially advanta~eous tc~ u~e infra~red h~ater~
for tbe heat:Ln~a operatiorl, 80 that a preferable e~
~diment of the irlventive method i3 charact~3rized by the use of at least one in~ra-xed heater a~ heat ~ource .
In c)rder to eliminate the dan~aer of bur~in~3 the thermoplasti :: substarlce, it is rçeommended to prehea~
the underside of the floor~coY~rirlg web and the u~per ~ide o~ the backing web :befoxe l:ringing t~e two we~
t~yether and to plastify them immediately befGre they are placed agains~ ~arh othex by directi~g ~e radia-tion of at least one infra-red heater into the wedge_ shaped ~pace formed by bri~g.in~ the webs together.
W~en proceedi~g in this say, it is not necessary to perform th~ heating at ~uch hi~h den,3ities of energy as it w~uld b2 required if the the:nmoplastic mat~ri~l of the two webs passing kh2 apparatus would ~e heated over its entire area.
In order to obkain a product ~f ~pecial in~erent ~tabili~y, it i~ rec~mmended to place t~e bond~d webs, kefore rolling th~m up or hand l i~g them otherwi~e, on a onveyor belt to ~ool 9 preferably with the pile side direc ed upwardly, and in a preferred emb~diment of ~i the inv~n tive methc>d the two webs are ~u~seguently cut to 1:he reS~uired width , ~ ., by severing with a knif~ marginal ~trips along one or both longi~
tudinal edç~es of the bc~ ded wç~!bso It is also ~ug ge~ted to fix the lonç~itudinal edges OI the web~
~hus bonded or~ th~ conveyc: r belt , e . g O, by pro~riding on th~ conveyor belt two rows of ~ails or needles arranged at a transver~e distance ~rom each ~ther, which would intnade into the two webs and thus prevent a 6hri~ g of aid webs in transYerse direction durinS;
the cooli~g~ As a rule, hc~wever, i:he product will be allowed to fréely shrink.

As the application oî th~ method a cording to the invention admits to abstain from using an adhesivç ar~d applying high cont~cting pre~ur~ ~or bonding the tw~ webs tc)gether ~ the inverltion also oper~s up the po.ssibility of pr~ducinçT ;~n arti f icial lawn c~ntaini~g a plurality of ~mall water ~.anks, which admit to "air eorlditis~n" to a certainl degree sports field~ in bot countries provid~d with such an artificial law~.
If a backing web is used cosl~istir~g at least at it~
~urfac:e o~ a thermoplasti~ material and provided at i s upper ~ide with trough-'~ike rece. ~e~, and if furthe~n~re a water-perm2abl~ ~lo~r~c~vering web i~
used, a preferable embodiment of the inventive method provide~ to bond ~ub~tantially only the margins of the trou~ah-like reeesses with t~ back coatir~g o~E
the ~Eloor~coveri~g web, whereb~ the rece~es re ~t ~' .

least partially mainta a~d. True, if 8uch ~n arti-~icial lawn i~ ~prinkled, the water pas e~ through the upper web, but i~ partially retained ~y the trough-like recesse3, ^~.o tha~ the ~vaporating water will ksep the surfa~e o ~ ~port~ field relativ~ly cool.

An excessive amount of water, on the other hand, can be readily drained as the thermoplastic bond and the structure of the ground covering web of the present invention retains its water permeability, as will be explained later.
~urther features, advantages and detail~ ~f the in-v~t~on will re~ult from the ~ollowlng 5p2cifi~atio~
together wit~ the attached drawing~ of a particularly adva~tageous embodiment o~ the inventive method and the final product ~chieved ~herebyO In the attached drawin~:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a lawn web ~orming an artificial la~n, viewed diagonal~y from the botto~:

Fi~. 2 a view of a porti~n ~f a backing web, viewed diagonally from abo~e;

Fig. 3 an apparatas according to t~e inventi~n for carrying out t~e i~ve~tive method in a highly simplified ~ide view:

Pi~. ~ the part o~ the apparatus, wh~re t~e two we}: s are bc~nded toç7ethe~, at a some-w~t l~rger E~cale and partly in 8e~
ti~rl alo~g a ~ertis:al plane:

Fig. 5 a ~iew of part of the ::~n~eyor bel ~hown in Fig~ 3 3 YieW2d dias;lon~lly om ~ve, aE-d Fig. 6 a ~ction through the fir~al product produc0d ~ lin~3 wi1:h the inYentive m~thod.

Fis~,, 1 R~Ow~ ~ portion of a lawr~ web 10 w~ic~ ca~ ~
used as a ground-covering web, consisting substantially of a textile base carrier 12 and pile ribbons or elements 14 secured therein. The carrier 12 can e.g., be a woven or kinitted fabric of yarns of a plastic material, whereas the pil~ ri~on~ 14 ~re expedi~ntly produced of thexlDoplastic &ubstance~. The basis c:arrier 12 is c:oated at its u~derside with a ~o c~lle~ back-coveri~g mas~ 16, which is only par~ially effec~ed in the embodi~Dent ~hown, in t~rder lto make the law~ web water -permeable "

~he portion of a b~cki~y web 20 show~ ig. 2 co~-~i~ts ia the preferable ~ diment of a wc~6~en ox knit~ed fabric ~f ~r~ ~hread~ 22 aI~d a coating mas~
2~ forming ~:u~hion like burls 26 projecting downwardly and lea~,rirlg ap~rture~ 28 free, 50 that al~o ~h~ backin.ç~ web 20 i~ wate:z-permeable~, Preferably the ba~-coatin~ mas~ 16 and 1:he coati~g ma~ 24 con~ist at lea~t ~ubstantially o~ thermoplast~ c:
~u~tance~ ~nd in particular both of 80ft pVC .

. _ . _ . _ . . _ . . _ _ _ . . . . _ .. . .

The apparatu~ accordin~ t~ the illvention ~h~ n P~ig a 3 to 5 fOI ç:arrying out an e#pecially ~dYantage-ou~ ~mbodiment of the ia~ve~tiY~ method ha~ two rc~a~ably ~ol~ted carrier bar~ 30 and 32 for ~ roll ~f lawn web 34 ~r3d ~ roll o~ backing web 36, ~rt~m b~hich carrier bars the twc: w~bs ~re dr~ off. ~t ~irst each web pas~e~ Z3upporting roll~r~ 38 arrange~ in a horizontal plane, ~o th~ the path~ ~f the web~ ~re alsc~ horizo~al, the ~wo aide~ to ~ b~nded ~o~ether being direc~d upwardlyO ~hereupo~ ~he two web~ are g~ided l~ver tw~ co~ling rollers 40, w~ h are s as the ~upply roller~ 38, ro~ atably mounted, but dri~en i~
~trary ~en~e and cooled by ~eans not ~how~ hey are arrans~ed at su~h a di~tanc~ frc)m ~ac~ ~ther t~at the two webs will come into contact with the face~ to ~e bonded urlder a ~light pre~sureO

As it can bes~ ~ recoynized from Fig. 4, infra-red heaters 44 are arrar~ged above the lawn w~b 10 ar~d the backins web 20 b~îore they pas~ th~ c:c~ling roller~
40, w~ich inra re~d heaters 44 ~erve ~or preheating t~e back-cover:Lng ma~s 16 of the lawn web and the s:oating ma~s 24 ~f the ba~lcing web. They consi~t ~ub-sta~t~ ally of a h~ati~g r~d 46 and a ~ousin;~ 50 prc~vided with a cor~cave ref le~tor 49, all of which e xtend ove~ th~ entire widt~ of 1:he re~pective web 10 or 20 and are sle~i~ned ~nd arranged such ~hat ~he ~ocal line 52 o~ each o~E ~aid inf r2-red heaters is ~itua~ed i~ t~e plaIle of the under~ide of l;he l~w~
we~ 10 or the upper ~id~ of the ba~kin~ web 20 r~p~

When ~he two webs 10 9 20 run around ~he cooli~g roller~ 40 ~hey f~rm, before c~ing in ~n~act, a wedge-shaped space 54 open on top above, and a f~rther i~fra-red heater 56 ~-~ arranged abo~e aid wedge-shaped space 54. This latter infa-red heater i~ principally ~f the ~a~e design as the infra-red ~2a~er~ 44, 1:he ~al ler~gth of i1:~ h~llow ref lector beiny, h~wever, ~ar~r, 8C~ khat the focal lil~e 58 of this latter ialfra-red heater 56 i~ ~ituated within said wedge-shaped space and preferable shortly be-for~ or at the place w~ere t~e two web~ come in con-tact for the fixst time~

In line with the inventi~n th apparatus i ~ c:os~-Rtruc::ted ~uch that the speed of the two webs i~ wit~
the r ange of 1 to 3 meters per minu~e, and that the tempe~atures below the infra-red heaters 44 and ~ shQrt di~tance above the two webs arnount to abou~ 300 CO
~Iowever, the temperature irl t:he top region of th~
wedge-shaped space 54 and a short distance above the contactirls~ line of the two webs only amoun~ to about 130 to 150 C.

At the feed rate o~th~ two webs stat~d above the af ore li~te~ temperatures wi:Ll suff ice ~or ~bringin~ ~e PVC cf the bac~s ~overiny n~a~s 16 ~nd of th~ coatirl~a ma~s 24 at th~ir a~rface~ at lea~t into a pa~ty Rtate ao ~bat, when ~e ~wo ~ebs are plac:ed again~t ~ac~
other :by lthe c~olirl~ rollerQ 40, t~e webs are bonded or welded to~eth~r d~ to tbe state of the PVC. In line with ~he ianYeIItio~ tl~e cc~ g xoller~ prevent a~
~nde~ired deformat~ on o~ the pile ribbo~ 14 of the~ we~ 10 ~rad o~ the burls 26 o~ the backi~y w~ 2û

_g_ ~v during t~e he~tir~g prc~ce~s o~ t~e inventive m~th~d.

Leavin~ he cc~oling rvllerR 40, the webs pas~ a rotatably mounted de~ ting roller 60, and l3ub~e~
quently they are dep~ited on a cv~veyor :belt 62 ~c: rmed of wire netting, th~ lawn web 10 ~ing . ire~t~d upw~rdlyO Also the conveyor belt 62 is driven by means not ~h~wn in such a way t~aat the webs between ~he cc>olinçl rs:~llers 40 and ~e ~n~eyor belt 62 remairl at lea~t substantially free ~rom longitudir~ lly exerted tensile stre~ses.
As ik cari best be se~n ~Erom FigO 5, the c:c~nveyor belt 62 move~ alc~ng a frame 64 with ~upporting rollers ~6 rotatably mc)~n ed in ~aid îrame. At a ~ufficiellt distance f rom the bonding s: r welding apparatus a severing means 68 is arrarlged a~e the conveyor belt 62 or cutting the I ~ngitudinal e~s~es of the webs having cooled in ~he meantime ar)d thu~ givin~ the predetermined width to the w~ebsr This severing means ~8 is prc>vided with brids~e 70 ~xtending across the convey~r belt 62, Raid bridge }:~ing mt~unted ~n t~e frame 64 by means not illu5~ rat2d aa~d b~i~g pr~vided irl the region of each of tlle two longitudinal e~ges s~ tl~ we'bs wit~
an edge- or wedge-shaped cc:ntacting ~hoe 74 arrans~ed between the cl~nveyor ~lt 62 and the web~ and lift~n~
the l~n~itudinal marginal regio~æ o the web~ rom the eo~veyor belt 62~, Furt~rmore th~ ~ev~rin~ me~ns provided at sach ide with a ~:utter di~c: 76 d~iven by an el~ctric mt~tor 72 for ~uttir~g the liîted lc~ngitud~ ~al ed~e ~eçli~n~ o the web~., Before th~y pa~s t~e ~:utter di~c:s the w~b~ axe ~?re~ ed ~ lboldi~g-down roller~ 80 agairl~: th~ cc~Iltacting æh~3~ 74.

~' ~2hind the co~Yeyor bel~c 62 the tw~ webs b~ded ko-gether ::an ~e rolled up to ~ roll 84.

In lin~3 with the invention the ill~ra-red heater-~ 44 ar~d 56 c:an ~e replaeed by microwaY2 ~a~ g apparatus, whic~ are on principle ~uited as b~at ~ource~ for melti~s~ c>n the back-coveri~g mass 16 and the coating ma~R 24, a~ far as cher~i~al ~:har~ges of these ~as~es ~an ~ avoid~d,D

Fi~ . 6 6howc ~he f irlal product, the sarn~ re~ere~ce numeral~ as ial Figs . 1 and 2 having beerl u~ed . A~ Fiç~. 6, ~owever, ~how~ ~learly, the backin~ web 20 is pro~ided at ilt,8 sur~ac.~ with trough 1 ike recess~s 100, which are formed accordin~ to the invention,wh~n applyins~ the coating m~ss 24 oa~ the textil~ cor~ of the backing web 20, by permitting the ma~erial to flsw at the 3nargins of the burl-~hap~d cushic~nin~a regions ~lightly beyond the ~ex~ile core (durir~g th~ prc~ductior~ dc~ wardly ) .
In k~epin~ with the invention, olaly t~e margirlal re-~ions 102 of the recesses 100 pr~trudi~g upwardly are bonded with the lawn web, o that the trough~like re-ces~e~ ~00 ar~ ~ub~tantially maintained ar~d a~e thus ir~
a posiltic~n to retain water whi~:h has leaXed out throu~h the 1 awn web ~.

E:~pecially pre~erred heat sc~uxces ~re tl2e elo~at~d radiator SATURN 250 (2 Trademark~ and medium-wave modulus radiators of the firm He~aeus which are available in the market. Instead of heat sources extending across the entire width of the ~ebs, it i5 of course also possible to use 3hort~!r ~eater,!3, and, ~or heating ~he funrlel- ~aped ~pace 54, they are ~rr~Dged in tandem, wher~as, ~or preheatirlg the two web~, ~heater~ ~an be ~d whi~h are arranged in t~z~dem relative to ~h directior o passage vf t~e web~, b~t in la~erally tagg~r~d relatio~ to each other~, ~ 12--~'

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Method of producing a ground-covering web such as an artificial turf, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a top covering web having pile elements on its normally upper surface, said pile elements being secured to and protruding from a normally upper surface of a water permeable carrier web section, said carrier web section being provided at its normally downwardly facing surface with a coating of a thermoplastic substance, said coating being so arranged as to retain water permeability of the carrier web section;
(b) providing an elastic backing web having a normally upper surface portion formed at least partially by a thermo-plastic substance, said elastic backing web having a plurality of passages therethrough, whereby it is water permeable;
(c) moving the covering web and the backing web synchronously and guiding same to each other such that the normally down-wardly facing surface of the covering web and the normally upper surface portion of said backing web converge to each other to form a wedge-shaped space therebetween;
(d) applying heat to the normally downwardly facing surface of the covering web and to the normally upper surface portion of said backing web sufficient to plastify at least a part of said coating of a thermo-plastic substance and of the thermo-plastic substance of said backing web; and (e) while the plastic substances are plastified, bringing the normally downwardly facing surface and the normally upper surface portion into contact with each other, to join same by fusion of said thermo-plastic substances

2. Method of claim 1, wherein the step of heat application is effected by an infrared heater.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, further including the step of placing the webs bonded with each other on a conveyor belt to cool.

4. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the webs bonded with each other are placed on a conveyor belt to cool, with the backing web resting on the conveyor belt.

5. Method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step of cutting the webs bonded with each other after cool-ing to the required width.

6. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step of heat application is carried out by an oblong energy radiator extending transversely of the longintudinal direction of the web and in particular over the entire width of the web.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying heat to respective surfaces of the webs is effected by emission of an energy radiator focused such that the focal point is at a bottom area of the wedge-shaped space, where the two webs meet.

8. Method according to claim 1 or 2, in which the backing web has in its normally upper surface trough-like depresssions and wherein essentially only side edges of the trough-like depressions are heat-sealed with the coating of the normally downardly facing surface of the top covering web, whereby water permeability of the entire ground-covering web is at least partially maintained.

9. A ground-covering web such as an artificial turf, comprising:
(a) a top covering web provided with pile elements at its normally upper surface, said pile elements being secured to and protruding from a normally upper surface of a water permeable carrier web section, said carrier web section being provided at its normally downwardly facing surface with a coating of a thermoplastic substance, said coating being so arranged as to retain water permeability of the carrier web section;
(b) an elastic backing web having a normally upper surface portion formed at least partially by a thermo-plastic substance, at least a part of said thermo-plastic substance being fused with the thermo-plastic substance forming said coating of the top covering web whereby the elastic backing web and the top covering web are fusion-secured to each other;
(c) said elastic backing web having a plurality of passages therethrough at points offset relative to said coating at the normally downwardly facing surface, said points thus being also offset relative to areas at which the top covering web and the backing are fusion bonded to each other;
whereby the entire ground covering web is water permeable.

10. A ground covering web as claimed in claim 9, wherein the normally upwardly facing surface of the backing element is provided with a plurality of shallow depressions capable of retaining a part of water passed through the top covering web on watering or the like treatment of the ground covering.

11. A ground covering web as claimed in claim 10, wherein said depressions are trough-shaped depressions, each having two oppositely disposed, raised edges, said edges being coincident with the areas at which the top covering web and the backing are fussion bonded to each other.

12. Method according to claim 1 or 2, further including the step of placing the webs bonded with each other on a conveyor belt to cool, in which the backing web has in its normally upper surface trough-like depressions and wherein essentially only side edges of the trough-like depressions are heat-sealed with the coating of the normally downwardly facing surface of the top covering web, whereby water permeab-ility of the entire ground-covering web is at least partially maintained.