Industrial or rental mats are generally owned by a laundry, which rents the mats to its customers. The mats are usually placed at the entrances to shops, offices and factories to remove dirt and moisture from the feet of pedestrians entering the building.

Periodically, soiled mats are exchanged for clean ones and the soiled mats are returned to the laundry for washing and drying. Owing to their intended use, it is essential that the mats are durable and have very high levels of washability.

These mats typically comprise a tufted pile textile top surface having good moisture and dirt absorbing properties and a backing layer of an elastomer material, for example rubber. Various different textile materials are available, including synthetic materials such as high twist nylon and natural fibres such as cotton. Nylon mats have very good dust control properties, are hard wearing and can be washed and dried economically.

However, they do not have very good moisture absorbing properties. Cotton mats on the other hand have very good moisture absorbing properties, but they tend to be less durable than nylon mats. Also, owing to their high moisture absorbing characteristics, they are very energy intensive to dry after washing, by spinning and tumble drying.

This is a very important commercial factor, since energy costs generally comprise a very large proportion of the overall costs of the laundry.

It is known to provide a washable floor mat with a tufted pile textile surface that comprises a variety of fibre types. For example, EP 0965300 A discloses a mat having a textile surface that includes 75% tufts of nylon and 25% tufts made by twisting two plies of cotton with a nylon monofilament. Instead of pure cotton, the cotton can be blended with low melting point polyester, which is partially melted and fused to the cotton. In another embodiment, the mat includes 40% twisted nylon, 40% cotton or cotton blend and 20% nylon monofilaments.

GB 2362568 A describes another mat having a textile surface that includes 50% tufts of nylon and 50% tufts of a blended yarn that includes cotton, an anti-microbial acrylic fibre, and low melting point polyester that is partially fused to the other two fibres.

However, in both of these prior art mats, the cotton or cotton blend yarn forms only part of the tufted pile surface and comprises less than 50% of the total fibre content of that surface. Those mats therefore have neither the moisture absorbing properties nor the appearance of a mat with a cotton textile surface.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a mat with a cotton tufted pile textile surface, which mitigates at least some of the aforesaid problems.

According to the present invention there is provided a washable floor mat having a tufted pile textile surface and an elastomer backing layer, wherein the textile surface includes tufts of a blended yarn that includes at least 40% cotton fibres and at least 25% polyester fibres, the cotton and polyester fibres together comprising at least 90% by weight of the total fibre content of the blended yarn.

We have found that a mat with a tufted textile surface of blended cotton and polyester is surprisingly as effective at removing moisture from the feet of pedestrians as a mat with a 100% cotton textile surface. However, it is much easier to dry, requiring significantly less energy input during spinning and tumble drying. It is also much harder wearing than a 100% cotton mat, with tinting of the cotton fibre during washing and drying being significantly reduced. The mat therefore has a longer useful lifespan and is much cheaper to clean, thereby significantly reducing the operating costs of the laundry. We have also found that the blended yarn has much better colour retention than a pure cotton yarn.

Advantageously, the cotton and polyester fibres together comprise at least 95%, and preferably at least 99%, of the total fibre content of the blended yarn. The blended yarn may also include some other fibres, e. g. polyamide, but generally this should not exceed 5% by weight.

Preferably, the blended yarn includes at least 50% cotton fibres and at least 35% polyester fibres. We have found that blends of 65% cotton with 35% polyester and 50% cotton with 50% polyester are particularly effective.

Advantageously, the blended yarn preferably comprises at least 90%, preferably at least 95%, and more preferably at least 99%, of the tufted pile surface.

The cotton and polyester fibres of the blended yarn are preferably spun together. We have found that the beneficial effects of the blended yarn are particularly pronounced when the cotton and polyester fibres are in intimate mechanical contact with each

other, which is best achieved by mixing the fibres and spinning them together into a yarn.

The tufts of blended yarn may include from one to six plies of yarn. The overall decitex of the blended yarn should be similar to the decitex of a cotton yarn and the number of plies used should also ideally match that of a typical cotton yarn. For example, the yarn may include six plies and have a decitex of 4430 100.

The polyester fibre may have a denier of 1 to 6, preferably 1 to 2, more preferably about 1.5. The use of fine denier polyester fibre results in a larger number of fibres for the same proportion of polyester in the blend. It is believed that this improves the properties of the blend for mats.

The blended yarn may include up to 10% microfiber polyester of less than 1 denier, preferably approximately 0.9 denier. For example, we have found that a blend of 50% cotton with 45% polyester and 5% polyester microfiber of 0.9 denier is particularly effective.

The textile surface may include a woven or non-woven substrate, which may be formed of polyester, polypropylene, a copolymer or any other suitable material.

The backing layer may be made of rubber, preferably nitrile rubber. The thickness of the backing layer may be from 0.5mm to 4mm. Advantageously, the backing layer is made of a foamed rubber. This reduces the weight of the mat, so making it easier and cheaper to transport, and increases its flexibility. We have also found that a mat with a foam rubber backing layer is less prone to move when stepped on, particularly when placed on top of carpet.

The use of a foam backing in combination with the use of tufts of blended yarn provides the advantage that, when the mat is laundered, there is a synergistic saving of energy resulting from the lower weight of the foam backing in combination with the lower residual water content (i. e. the water remaining at various stages of the drying process) of the blended yarn as compared with 100% cotton yarn.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a washable floor mat, in which a tufted pile textile surface is bonded to an elastomer backing layer, wherein the textile surface includes tufts of a blended yarn including at least 40% cotton fibres and at least 25% polyester fibres, and the cotton and polyester fibres together comprise at least 90% of the total fibre content of the blended yarn.

Advantageously, the tufted pile textile surface is bonded to the elastomer backing layer by vulcanising the backing layer in a heated press. The tufted pile textile surface is preferably tufted onto a woven or non-woven substrate, and the blended yarn is preferably made by spinning the cotton and polyester fibres together.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a mat according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a cross sectional side elevation of the mat shown in figure 1.

The mat shown in figures 1 and 2 includes an upper dust control layer 1, which is bonded to a backing layer 2 of vulcanise nitrile rubber. The backing layer 2 is preferably slightly larger than the upper layer 1, leaving a rubber border 3 that extends around the periphery of the mat. The overall size of the mat is typically 85cm x 150cm.

The dust control layer 1 comprises a tufted pile textile, which is tufted onto a substrate (not shown), for example of non-woven polyester or woven polyester or polypropylene.

Typically the tufted pile textile material has a pile length of about 10mm, and a pile weight of about 870gm-2. The substrate typically has a weight of approximately 100 gum 2. The rubber backing layer typically has a thickness of 1.2 to 1.6mm and a weight of 1550 to 2100 gm-2. Optionally, the backing layer may be provided with rubber cleats on its lower surface to reduce creep (movement) of the mat when it is stepped on. A mat with a cleated backing is described for example in WO 01/21875, the entire content of which is incorporated by reference herein.

The tufted pile textile is made up of tufts of a blended yarn that includes at least 40% cotton fibres and at least 25% polyester fibres, by weight. The cotton and polyester fibres together comprise at least 90% of the total fibre content of the blended yarn. The tufts of blended yarn cover substantially the whole of the tufted pile surface. The blended yarn is made by mixing the cotton and polyester fibres and spinning them together. This increases the mechanical contact between the fibres and improves the performance of the yarn. Typically, the tufts of blended yarn include three or more plies of yarn. For example, the yarn may include six plies and have a decitex of 4430 100.

The polyester fibre typically has a denier of about 1.5. The blended yarn may optionally include up to 10% microfiber polyester of approximately 0.9 denier. For

example, the blend may consist of 50% cotton with 45% polyester and 5% polyester microfiber.

The backing layer may optionally be made of a foamed rubber. This reduces the weight of the mat and increases its flexibility and stability.

The mat is manufactured by vulcanising the tufted pile dust control layer to a sheet of nitrile rubber in a heated press, for example at a temperature of 170°C and a pressure of 30 pounds per square inch, applied for a cycle time of up to twenty minutes. The temperature is controlled to ensure that the polyester does not melt or become fused to the cotton fibres. The heat from the press bonds the dust control layer to the rubber sheet and at the same time vulcanises the rubber to form the backing layer. The mat is then removed from the press and allowed to cool and, if necessary, the edges of the backing layer are trimmed. The mat may then be laundered, to raise the pile of the dust control fabric. Optionally, the backing may be provided with valves, to allow the passage of water during the spin drying process.

The performance of mats according to the invention was compared with that of conventional cotton mats, by performing the tests set out below.

Water absorbency test It is known that synthetic fibres, of which nylon fibres are the most frequently used yarn for rental mats, have significantly lower absorbency characteristics than cotton fibre. It could be feared therefore that the blended yarn used in the invention might decrease the absorbency performance when the mats are in use on the floor.

Two sample mats with blended cotton/polyester tufts were therefore compared with a 100% cotton tufted mat using an absorbency test. Each mat was laid flat on the floor and a tray containing 1 litre of water was placed in front of the mat. A person stepped into the tray with both feet and thereafter took three steps on the mat and finally placed both feet on a piece of blotting paper positioned behind the mat. This sequence of walking from tray to mat to blotting paper was repeated fifty times for each mat, whereafter the increase in the weight of the blotting paper was determined.

The test was conducted twice for each type of mat, first on a dry mat and then again on a mat that had previously been wetted with two litres of water, sprayed onto the mat.

Mats with tufted pile surfaces made with three different yarns were tested, each yarn including six plies and having a decitex of 4430 100. The fibre content of each of the \snrnst wac ac fnllwnc

Yarn A: 100% cotton Yarn B: 65% cotton, 35% polyester Yarn C: 50% cotton, 45% polyester, 5% polyester microfibre In Yarns B and C, the polyester fibre had a denier of 1.5 and in Yarn C the microfiber polyester had a denier of 0.9.

The results are summarised in table A below.

Table A: Water absorbency Weight increase (dry mat) Weight increase (mat wetted with 2 litres of water) Yarn A 7. 66g 28. 64g Yarn B 4. 48g 20. 15g Yarn C 4. 38g 24. 09g The change of the weight of the blotting paper depends on the amount of water remaining on the feet of the person after stepping off the mat, and therefore indicates the effectiveness of the mat. A lower weight change corresponds to a mat with better absorbency characteristics, whereas a larger weight change corresponds to a mat with poorer absorbency characteristics. As can be seen from table A, the blended tufted mats exhibited similar, or even improved performance, when compared to the 100% cotton tufted mat.

Spin drying test The ease with which the mats can be dried after washing was assessed by washing and spin drying the mats, and then weighing them to determine the amount of water remaining. The sample mats each had a nitrile rubber backing and a tufted pile surface with the same number of plies, the same overall decitex and a tuft density of 870 g m-2.

Mats with tufted pile surfaces made with the same three yarns (Yarns A, B and C) as described above were tested, and the results are summarised in table B below.

Table B: moisture level after spin drying Yarn A 850 g/mz Yarn B720 g/m-" Yarn C 670 g/m

It can clearly be seen from Table B that, compared with an equivalent 100% cotton mat of the prior art, the mats according to the invention had a significantly lower residual moisture content after spin drying. The mats according to the mats therefore need less tumble drying than conventional 100% cotton mats, providing time and energy savings for the laundry and reduced wear on the mats.

Yarn loss test The yarn loss that a mat may experience in use owing to repeated washing and drying was assessed by putting sample mats through a series of washing, spin drying and tumble drying cycles, and weighing the mats at predetermined intervals to determine the amount of yarn lost. The sample mats all had a cleated solid nitrile rubber backing and a tufted pile surface with the same number of plies, the same overall decitex and a tuft density of 870 g m-2. Mats with tufted pile surfaces made with the same three yarns (Yarns A, B and C) as described above were tested, and the results are summarised in table C below.

Table C: Yarn loss after washing and drying (no. of cycles) 1 cycle 50 cycles 100 cycles 150 cycles 175 cycles Yarn A 3. 75% 20.00% 30.00% 40.05% 43.13% Yarn B 1. 88% 16.25% 28. 13% 36.26% 40.00% Yarn C 2. 50% 15.63% 26.88% 33. 75% 37.50% It can clearly be seen from Table C that, compared with an equivalent 100% cotton mat of the prior art, the mats according to the invention had a significantly lower loss of pile yarn caused by the laundry processes, which means prolonged lifetime of the mat.

Colour change The colour change of the mats with repeated washings was assessed visually by comparing a mat washed once with another of the same type after 175 washing cycles.

The results are indicated in table D, the colour change being assessed as a rating on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being best (i. e. least colour change).

Table D: colour change Yarn Colour change rating Yarn A 4 Yarn B 7 Yarn C 8

It can be seen from table D that the mats according to the invention (with yarns B and C) had a lower colour change rating than conventional 100% cotton mats, indicating that they retained their original colours much better. In this area the mats also therefore outperformed the conventional mat.