Milliken + Co

Milliken Research Corporation

Ronald Magee

Steven W Cox

Jonathan C McCay

Richard A Bittner

Dane M Owen

Jennifer L Beedy

Debra M Michalak

Shandra L Shermerhorn

Marilyn F McClanahan

Ritchie D Eisenhour

J Michael Hartley

Ellen E Olsen

R Lee Burch, Iii

Seiin Kobayashi

Louis W Adams, Jr

Frank W Teaster

Kevin D West

Yoko Zaikawa

James C Bridges

Mary T Child

James L Thorn, Jr

James L Thom, Jr

Provided herein is a process for randomly patterning a plurality of carpet tiles, each tile having a composite pattern containing at least a base pattern and an overlay pattern. When installed, the random order of patterning results in random tile placement and an overall random appearance. The overlay patterns are randomly chosen from a library of patterns until each individual pattern has been used to create a tile series. The overlay patterns may be manipulated by rotating, mirror-imaging, rotating and mirror-imaging, or repositioning to produce additional variations and increase the number of tiles in the series. The base pattern may optionally be manipulated before being incorporated into the composite pattern. A tile collection, containing such randomly ordered composite patterns, is also described.

Automated randomized pattern generation using pre-defined design overlays and products produced thereby

An automated system for generating large numbers of digitally-defined patterns suitable for printing on textiles wherein each pattern is individually different but shares one or more unifying design motifs with all other patterns. In the general case, each pattern is comprised of at least two components in the form of separately configurable pattern layers that are digitally superimposed to form a composite pattern that is unique but visually related to all other unique patterns that use pattern layers taken from the same pattern sources.

Automated pattern generation processes

Surface covering display elements, systems and/or methods are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, a multi-patterned rug display sample, element or unit has at least two different geometric designs and/or coloration schemes across a common surface for simultaneous comparative evaluation by a potential purchaser. The rug display sample may be patterned to include two or more geometric or solid patterns corresponding to patterns available on floor covering products independent of the display sample. Also, the display unit may include a feature rug, color runner, color rug, and/or hang tag.

Multi-patterned surface covering sample elements, display systems, and methods

Floor covering display system

A system and method for enabling customer specification of images to be used for decorating textile substrates at the economies of mass customization. An automated patterning apparatus is implemented that comprises a plurality of individual colorant substances that are directed through a set of colorant applicators in accordance with predetermined pattern data, the colorant substances capable of being selectively applied to individual pixels on the substrate in accordance with the predetermined pattern data. The system and method particularly implements a device providing an interface for enabling remote access to an image manipulation design tool that enables user customization of the digitized image to form a target image over a communications network. A digitized image of the user's choice is imported into the image manipulation design tool and that image is manipulated according the user's artistic vision. A dithering algorithm may be implemented for generating a dithered image from the digitized target image using a dithering palette of colors that are able to be generated at specified pixel locations on the textile substrate using the plurality of individual colorants. Finally, an order is generated and electronically communicated to the automated patterning apparatus for initiating transformation of the dithered image into a dyed pattern on the textile substrate. Through the use of the automated patterning apparatus, appropriate firing instructions are generated for each of the color applicators necessary to reproduce the dithered image on the substrate.

Interactive system and method for design, customization and manufacture of decorative textile substrates

A process by which dithering techniques and in situ blending techniques may be used to reproduce a desired multi-colored dyed pattern on a substrate using precisely delivered quantities of liquid colorants that are available in only a relatively few colors. Specific preferred process colors, as well as procedures for expanding the range of reproduced colors using such process colors, are presented Optionally, specific actuation instructions for a specific dye injection machine capable of patterning a moving textile substrate may be generated.

Patterning system using a limited number of process colors

Color, pattern, design, and/or the like is applied by means of a jet dye process, or any other secondary or post pattern application process, including but not exclusively, silk screen printing and rotary printing, etc., to a carpet substrate, where the yarn in the carpet is all white (no dye applied) or where the yarn is pre-dyed with a single or multiple colors or where the yarn is treated chemically. The carpet can, for example, be made with any conventional loom weaving process or hand weaving process, for example Wilton, Axminster, spool, spool gripper, and Chenille looms, hand gun tufted, or any other conventional method.

Patterned carpet and method

A computer-assisted process for the design and placement of multi-colored patterns on absorbent substrates using a limited number of transparent process colorants is described. Through use of this system, a designer, working with a computer-aided design system, can generate and accurately represent on a computer monitor or similar display a multi-colored pattern, as that pattern would appear on a specified absorbent substrate, using coloring elements comprised of groups of multiple pixels in which process colors have been mixed in a controlled manner to expand the range of available colors, and to compensate for colorant delivery limitations that prevent the application of small, accurately metered quantities of colorant. Actuation instructions for a specific dye injection machine capable of patterning a moving textile substrate may be generated.

Construction of colored images on absorbent substrates using a computer-aided design system

The present invention provides a sculptured pile fabric having both a printed pattern and a sculpted surface of various pile heights. The fabric of the present invention has improved aesthetic qualities as compared with sculptured products of the prior art. This improved sculptured fabric is the result of a chemical sculpting method, in which the height of the pile surface is selectively reduced in a pattern configuration, and that is followed by an overall &ldquo;dilute&rdquo; dyeing process. This &ldquo;dilute&rdquo; dyeing process is similar to that used to &ldquo;tea stain&rdquo; textile products, wherein an overall hue is imparted to a textile by the use of a relatively dilute (low concentration) dyestuff. The resulting sculptured product has an appearance that emphasizes the sculptured areas, making the sculptured areas appear to have greater depth, especially when viewed at a distance.

Sculptured pile fabric having improved aesthetic characteristics

Method to jet dry carpet tiles by controlling the solenoid valve to the dye jet to provide a subliminal design over which a darker geometric design is imposed with the darker geometric design crossing the seam line so that the seam line between abutting carpet tiles is very indistinct to the human eye.

Growing community of inventors

LaGrange, GA, United States of America

Ronald Magee