EP1292733B1 - Kunstrasen - Google Patents

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Publication number
EP1292733B1
EP1292733B1 EP01944842A EP01944842A EP1292733B1 EP 1292733 B1 EP1292733 B1 EP 1292733B1 EP 01944842 A EP01944842 A EP 01944842A EP 01944842 A EP01944842 A EP 01944842A EP 1292733 B1 EP1292733 B1 EP 1292733B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
synthetic
ribbons
assembly according
particles
granules
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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EP01944842A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP1292733A2 (de
Inventor
Jean Prevost
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Fieldturf Tarkett Inc
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Fieldturf Tarkett Inc
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Priority claimed from US09/598,149 external-priority patent/US6551689B1/en
Application filed by Fieldturf Tarkett Inc filed Critical Fieldturf Tarkett Inc
Priority to EP08007368.7A priority Critical patent/EP2166153A3/de
Publication of EP1292733A2 publication Critical patent/EP1292733A2/de
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Publication of EP1292733B1 publication Critical patent/EP1292733B1/de
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    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
    • E01C—CONSTRUCTION OF, OR SURFACES FOR, ROADS, SPORTS GROUNDS, OR THE LIKE; MACHINES OR AUXILIARY TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR
    • E01C13/00—Pavings or foundations specially adapted for playgrounds or sports grounds; Drainage, irrigation or heating of sports grounds
    • E01C13/08—Surfaces simulating grass ; Grass-grown sports grounds

Definitions

  • the invention is directed to a synthetic grass assembly according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a method of installing a synthetic grass assembly on a supporting substrate according to the preamble of claim 21.
  • a grass assembly and a method of this kind are known from US-A-5 958 527 .
  • Natural grass turf on athletic playing or landscaped areas is expensive, natural grass does not grow well within shaded enclosed stadiums and continuous heavy traffic wears out areas in the natural turf surface. Natural turf surfaces deteriorate under heavy use and exposed soil creates an undesirable accumulation of water and mud. Synthetic grasses therefore have been developed in order to reduce the expenses of maintaining heavily used athletic playing areas, to render playing surfaces more uniform, and increase the durability of the grass surface, especially where professional sports are involved.
  • Synthetic grass is installed with a carpet-like pile fabric having a flexible backing laid on a well drained compacted substrate, such as crushed stone or other stabilized base material.
  • the pile fabric has rows of upstanding synthetic ribbons representing grass blades extending upwardly from the top surface of the backing.
  • US-A-4 337 283 discloses a homogeneous infill mixture to imitate soil that is made of fine hard sand particles mixed with 25% to 95% by volume resilient particles to provide an improved resilient and less abrasive infill.
  • resilient granular material may include mixtures of granulated rubber particles, cork polymer beads, foam rubber particles, vermiculite, and the like.
  • US-A-4 396 653 discloses a non-homogeneous infill with rubber particles forming a base layer and sand particles forming a top layer.
  • the rubber particles provide inner resiliency to the surface.
  • the sand layer is exposed and forms a stabilizing cover layer for the underlying rubber particle layer.
  • Synthetic grass infill may comprise a mixture of 60% by weight of sand and 40% granulated rubber particles uniformly mixed and deposited between the upstanding synthetic grass ribbons to a depth of 2.54 cm (1 inch) to 7.62 cm (3 inches).
  • a high percentage of sand is preferred to minimize the cost of such systems, since rubber particles are relatively expensive compared to sand.
  • the sand particles also provide an improved degree of drainage that is needed where the synthetic grass surface is not in an enclosed stadium for example. Rubber particles tend to impede the free flow of water, whereas the capillary action of the sand particles draws surface moisture downwardly due to the differences in surface tension characteristics between rubber and silica sand
  • the conventional infill is a mixture of sand and rubber particles.
  • the rubber particles are compressed and released when a ball hits the surface or an athlete steps on the surface.
  • the soil and humus particles provide some natural resilience but the rebound is more gradual due to moisture, small particle size and relatively low natural resilience.
  • the particles are relatively dry and do not bond together.
  • the rubber particles have a spring-like rapid resilient rebound that tends to hurl adjacent sand particles and rubber upwardly under force.
  • the synthetic infill is continuously subjected to water flow and impact forces that tend to dislodge or segregate the particles, such as from rainfall, flooding, the impact of bouncing balls, vibration and impact from the feet and bodies of players in contact with the top surface of the infill.
  • a top layer with a high proportion of sand will result in spraying of sand particles when a ball or player impacts with the top surface of the infill.
  • a further disadvantage of conventional infills is that abrasive sand particles remain on the top surface of the synthetic grass and players on the surface who come in contact with the sand particles experience skin abrasion. Over time, due to the dynamics of water, vibration and impact, the smaller sand particles will tend to settle toward the bottom of the infill layer and larger more abrasive sand particles will rise to the top surface. The small sand particles tumble downward in the voids between larger particles under the influence of vibration, water and gravity. Smaller particles accumulate at the lower portion of a granular infill layer and tend to compact together. The larger sand particles remain at the top of the granular layer and large particles are highly abrasive to human skin relative to the smaller particles.
  • the rubber particles When shredded rubber, or conventional ground rubber are used the rubber particles have irregular surfaces often with fibrous protrusions that trap air and hold water with surface tension. When the infill is rained on or flooded, the air trapped by the lightweight rubber particles causes the rubber particles to float. This is undesirable since the rubber may wash down a drain with the surface water flow, and the floating rubber separates from the heavier sand in the infill mixture thereby leading to particle segregation, sand compaction and loss of the resilience of the infill.
  • sand is used for construction purposes such as road building or in concrete mixes
  • vibratory compactors are employed and moisture content is controlled to produce maximum soil compaction and density.
  • the conventional solution to the compaction and separation of infill particles is to periodically brush the synthetic grass. Brushing serves to break up compacted material and remix the top surface restoring the original composition of the infill mixture as much as possible. Brushing increases the cost of maintenance, exposes synthetic ribbons to significant wear, and is at best a temporary solution since eventually the conventional infill compacts again and must be brushed regularly.
  • US-A-4 819 933 provides a mixture of sand with a relatively small percentage by weight of straight synthetic fibers randomly distributed and cross-linking in a loose displaceable network. The fibers serve to distribute concentrated loads, hold the sand together under the weight of horses hooves, athletic players' feet, wheeled vehicles or implements.
  • US-A-5 326 192 also provides a method of improving the appearance and performance characteristics of a turf surface by working discreet bunches of synthetic fibers into the soil surface.
  • Granular infill combined with upstanding grass-like synthetic ribbons address the disadvantages of the above systems to a degree by providing a granular synthetic surface intermingled with the upstanding fibers extending from a fabric backing to better imitate a natural soil, embedded roots and grass.
  • the loose particles shift and displace somewhat like natural soil.
  • the upstanding synthetic grass ribbons enmesh with the loose particles and the cleats to reduce or prevent slipping.
  • Synthetic grass surfaces have also been constructed with infill substantially of rubber only. Rubber particles are relatively light, and shredded particles have fibrous surfaces that trap air bubbles. As a result when flooded, the rubber particles of some conventional installations have floated on the surface of water draining off the synthetic grass surface. Rubber particles drain away or are displaced resulting in areas of the synthetic grass which have depleted infill thickness, A lack of uniform infill thickness and resilience across the surface can result in injuries and liability for the owner of the athletic field.
  • US-A-5 958 527 mentioned at the outset discloses a pile fabric with a flexible sheet backing and a plurality of upstanding synthetic ribbons.
  • the ribbons extend upwardly from an upper surface of the backing.
  • An infill layer of particulate material is disposed interstitially between the upstanding ribbons upon the upper surface of the backing.
  • the infill layer has a depth which is less than the length of the ribbons, and is formed of a base course of hard granules, a middle course of inter mixed hard and resilient granules, and a top course of resilient granules.
  • the invention provides a novel synthetic grass assembly for installation on a supporting soil substrate to provide a surface that combines the look and feel of natural turf with the wear resistance of synthetic grass.
  • the description uses an athletic playing field as an example, the invention is equally applicable to any area suitable for grass cover such as high traffic landscaped areas, road and highway medians, indoor gardens or golf greens, and equestrian surfaces.
  • the grass assembly includes a pile fabric with a flexible sheet backing and rows of upstanding synthetic ribbons representing grass blades, extending upwardly from an upper surface of the backing.
  • a unique infill layer of two graded courses of particulate material is disposed interstitially between the upstanding ribbons upon the upper surface of the backing and at a depth less than the length of the ribbons.
  • the bottom course disposed upon the top surface of the backing is made of intermixed hard and resilient granules of identical size distribution and the top course disposed upon the bottom course is made exclusively of resilient granules.
  • the ribbons are tufted through the water permeable fabric backing and have intermittent longitudinal slits in a predetermined pattern.
  • the ribbons are brushed lightly to return the ribbons to an upstanding position, from an initially matted position that results from the compression of ribbons due to rolling of the tufted fabric for shipping and storage after manufacture.
  • the ribbons may be about 2.54 cm (one inch) wide with several rows of slits across their width.
  • the light brushing tends to open a lower portion of the ribbons and extend the slits open forming laterally linked strands disposed in a lattice structure enmeshing the surrounding particulate infill.
  • the upper portion of the ribbons extending above the infill layer are brushed aggressively.
  • the ribbons are longitudinally split by the brushing action along the slits into several individual free-standing strands of a thinner width resembling grass blades .
  • the invention recognises that the granular infill is a dynamic system of continuously moving hard and resilient particles of different sizes and with different physical properties under the influence of impact and vibration from play activity, surface maintenance and weather precipitation.
  • the invention accommodates such dynamic activity in a number of ways.
  • the top surface is kept substantially sand free using a pure rubber particle top course of relatively large particles, preferably substantially larger than those particles in the bottom layer. Any smaller sand particles that migrate up to the top surface from the displacement action of cleats will then be able to percolate, through the voids between the larger top surface particles, downward back to the bottom course under the influence of water, vibration and gravity.
  • a bottom course of sand and rubber mixed together is provided beneath the pure rubber top course for additional resilience, moisture drainage and as a ballast for stabilisation of the fabric backing.
  • the particle shapes are preferably substantially spherical to reduce interparticle contact friction, improve drainage and prevent compaction.
  • the spherical shape reduces resistance to particle displacement and therefore reduces the degree of compaction compared to conventional angular particles.
  • the particle shapes are broadly in the range of 0.5 to 0.99 but preferably in the range between 0.6 and 0.9 being well rounded or substantially spherical.
  • the particle size distribution for hard sand and resilient rubber particles in the bottom course are chosen to be substantially identical to each other and preferably particle sizes are limited for sports or athletic playing surfaces to the range of 1.40 mm to 0.60 mm (14-30 screen mesh standard).
  • the size of particles may range from 1,27 cm (0.5 inches) to 0.30 mm (50 screen mesh standard). Larger particles may be used for equestrian applications up to about 0.64 cm (0.25 inches) but these large granules are too abrasive for contact with human skin. Particles smaller than 0.30 mm (50 screen mesh standard) tend to create dust and may lead to undesirable compaction, reduced rate of water percolation and particle segregation.
  • Naturally occurring soil particles of this size range are classified as medium sand, coarse sand and fine gravel sized particles.
  • substantially identical size distribution it is meant that when the bottom infill layer is analysed through conventional soil laboratory sieve analysis, and graphically presented on a standard sieve analysis semi-logarithmic graph (y-axis showing 0-100 percent passing the sieve size or smaller by weight and x-axis showing sieve/particle size logarithmically) the line for hard particles and the line for resilient particles are ideally superimposed on each other to a substantial extent. Therefore the hard and resilient particles have substantially equal particle sizes and the distribution of sizes is substantially the same.
  • the standard sieve analysis graphs are by nature an imprecise "rough and ready” measure, since natural soils vary considerably over the surface of a building site for example.
  • the sieve analysis graphs generally do not show the largest 10% and the smallest 10% of particle sizes since these extremes are considered statistically insignificant due to the natural variation in soil particle sizes. Therefore conventionally, only the middle 80% of particles are considered when examining soil particle sizes in a sieve analysis.
  • a numerical difference of 0.85 mm (20 screen mesh standard) may result in a particle size distribution between 2.00 mm (10 screen mesh standard) to 0.60 mm (30 screen mesh standard) for equestrian surfaces or between 0.85 mm (20 screen mesh standard) to 1.40 mm (40 screen mesh standard) for athletic playing surfaces, for example.
  • the most inexpensive hard particulate material is usually sand that is found in a naturally segregated deposit and/or has been mechanically graded to suit various common construction uses, such as for use in concrete mixes and roadbed construction.
  • the demand for sand to be used for artificial grass installation is relatively low and therefore if a design calls for a specially segregated or graded sand particle size distribution, the cost of such material would be increased somewhat.
  • the bottom layer of infill with mixed sand and rubber particles of equally distributed sizes will result in the benefit of significantly reduced settling and separation of the particle mixture in service.
  • the separation of hard and resilient particles in the mixed bottom layer can be prevented or substantially reduced by (1) selecting hard and resilient particles of equal or substantially identical size distribution (2) selecting a relatively narrow range of particle sizes and (3) choosing generally spherical particle shapes for both hard and resilient particles.
  • the minimal variation in particle size discourages compaction since there are no relatively smaller particles to fill the interstices between larger particles when all particles are of substantially equal size.
  • the spherical shapes reduce resistance to inter-particle displacement and reduce the tendency of adjacent particles to lock together.
  • the fibrillated grass-like synthetic ribbons at the top surface tend to retain the relatively large top rubber particles in a loose net-like flexible structure.
  • the loose criss-crossed net of fibrillated fibres also allows dislodged rubber particles to work back into the underlying top rubber course when foot traffic passes over the particles and synthetic ribbons.
  • the combination of pure top rubber course and network of fibrillated ribbons gives the look and feel of a natural turf surface.
  • the synthetic ribbons between the fabric backing and the top course provide a degree of resistance to particle displacement in the mixed bottom course by forming an open net or lattice structure of vertically oriented strands laterally cross-linked together.
  • the mixed sand and rubber bottom course provides firm resilient support for the relatively thin rubber top course.
  • the sand content of the mixed course in particular provides the necessary weight for ballast and better drainage due to the capillary action of the sand.
  • the sand content in the mixed bottom course provides ballast weight to hold the grass in place and to quickly drain the surface. Drainage is especially necessary where there is a risk of freezing and selection of a more coarse mixture for improved drainage may be required in cold climates.
  • the resilient particles in the mixed course also provide subsurface resiliency in addition to the top surface resiliency provided by the top layer.
  • the choice of hard and resilient particles of substantially equal size distribution substantially reduces compaction and reduces the maintenance requirements.
  • the top pure rubber top course will always remain substantially free of sand due to the choice of particle sizes.
  • Sand may be displaced from the mixed bottom layer to the surface of the top layer by agitation caused by contact with the player's cleats during a game or practice session much in the same manner as conventional soil is disturbed by this action.
  • the size of sand particles is chosen to be smaller than the size of resilient particles in the top course. The downward washing of the displaced sand particles by rainwater draining through the top resilient surface or from the vibration and agitation of foot traffic returns the smaller sand particles to the bottom course where they came from.
  • the two layer installation with rubber only in the top layer and mixed sand and rubber in the lower layer produces a resilient surface at lower cost and lower thickness than conventional methods such as described in US-A-4 337 283 and US-A-4 396 653 .
  • the prior art infill layers with large and small particles tend to compact or consolidate into a more firm compacted surface.
  • the invention maintains its resilience even when used in thin layers since the top layer is of pure rubber granules and the mixed lower course does not tend to separate or compact. Thus a more predictable long term resiliency is created.
  • the synthetic ribbons can be manufactured and tufted to the fabric backing. It is preferred to slit the ribbons with relatively short longitudinal slits spaced apart across the width of the ribbons. Then after installation of the infill the upper portion of the synthetic ribbons are fibrillated, split or frayed vertically on site by passing over the installed surface with a brush.
  • the ribbons when manufactured have a longitudinally oriented structure and therefore aggressive brushing action on the top surface tends to tear or split the ribbons into thinner grass-like strands by extending the slits longitudinally to form densely packed individual grasslike strands.
  • the lower web-like portion stabilises the infill and the upper grass-like portion allows for cleat penetration and release, rainfall penetration and drainage, adds a slight surface resilience due to the curved grass-like strands, and captures the large resilient particles of the top course in a grass-like net structure.
  • On-site fibrillation of the fibres also permits a more dense top surface coverage of grass-like strands.
  • the relatively wide ribbons with short slit perforations as initially installed can be spaced apart a sufficient distance to permit granular infill to be installed between the ribbons.
  • the brushing of the widely spaced ribbons splits them into thinner grass-like strands that fill in the gap between the ribbons and better cover the top surface of the granular infill.
  • the dense net of criss-crossed fibrillated strands contain the large top course rubber granules while allowing cleat penetration and permitting water to drain through.
  • the split ribbons add better grass-like strand coverage of the visible surface at a lower cost. In applications not oriented to sports uses, such as in landscaping or decorative applications, less dense fibre distributions can be used resulting in lower cost for the same visually apparent coverage as conventional closely spaced synthetic grasses.
  • the invention relates to a synthetic grass assembly consisting of a pile fabric with an infill layer of particulate matter which is installed on a supporting soil substrate to provide a game playing surface.
  • the pile fabric includes a flexible sheet backing 1 that could include two or more layers of open weave fabric, one of which may be dimensionally stable netting to prevent stretching during installation and use.
  • the ribbons 2 are tufted through the backing 1 spaced apart in rows by a distance W and of a length L.
  • the length 'L' of fibres is selected depending upon the total depth (5 plus 6) of infill and the desired resilience of the completed synthetic grass assembly.
  • the particulate matter may be selected from any number of commonly available hard granules such as: sand; hard aggregate; silica sand; gravel; slag; granulated plastic; and polymer beads.
  • the resilient granules may be selected from: cryogenically ground rubber; rubber; cork; polymer beads; synthetic polymer foam; styrene; perlite, neoprene, ground tires, and EPDM rubber.
  • the infill layer 3 is made up of a top course 6 and a bottom mixed course 5.
  • the mixed bottom course 5 is of intermixed hard sand granules and resilient rubber granules.
  • the mix is selected on the basis distribution by volume of different sizes of hard granules and resilient granules that are substantially identical and range in size between 1.27 cm (0.5 inches) and 0.30 mm (50 screen mesh standard).
  • Preferably the range of particle sizes is limited to avoid small or fine particles that fill the interstices between larger particles and encourage compacting.
  • the preferred range is between 1.40 mm to 0.60 mm (14 and 30 screen mesh standard).
  • the range of particle sizes in the mixed course can be limited to between 2.00 mm and 0.60 mm (10-30 screen mesh standard), 1.20 mm to 0.60 mm (15-30 screen mesh standard) or 0.85 mm to 0.42 mm (20-40 screen mesh standard) as selected to suit design parameters.
  • the shape of hard and resilient granules is substantially spherical and not angular as in the prior art to further discourage compaction and settling.
  • a standard screen sieve analysis is depicted with a vertical axis linear scale of "percent by weight passing the sieve size” or alternatively “percent smaller” and the horizontal axis being a logarithmic scale showing particle and/or sieve size.
  • the example line shown in Figure 5 indicate relatively uniform mixtures of particles with a narrow range of particle sizes.
  • the line on Fig. 5 for sand particle size distribution and the line for rubber particle size distribution are identical and would be shown superimposed on each other.
  • the range of 2.00 mm to 0.60 mm (10-30 screen mesh standard) mentioned above is graphically illustrated as a shaded zone within which any line will meet the requirements of this particle size restriction.
  • the top course 6 is substantially exclusively of resilient rubber granules.
  • An upper portion 7 of the synthetic ribbons 2 extends upwardly from a top surface 8 of the top course 6.
  • the resulting artificial grass surface can be adapted for several indoor and outdoor uses, such as: athletic playing fields; horse racing fields, playgrounds, landscaped areas, and recreational areas.
  • brushes pass over the backing with a mixed sand and rubber material many times to ensure that the ribbons are upstanding when embedded in the infill and not submerged under the infill, and to further slightly expand the ribbons to open the slits and produce a lattice structure that stabilizes the infill preventing excessive displacement of the infill particles after installation.
  • a substantially pure rubber particulate material is placed as a resilient top layer.
  • a spreader may be used and thereafter the surface is brushed to raise the nap of the pile fabric and position the ribbons 2 in a generally upright position prior to depositing the top course 6.
  • the upper portion 7 of the synthetic ribbons 2 is further fibrillated by aggressively passing over the surface with a brush. This operation splits the upper portions 7 and spreads the strands uniformly over the top surface 8.
  • the manufactured width of the ribbons 2 is relatively wide such as 2.54 cm (one inch) and the on-site brushing operation further splits the ribbons opening the slits longitudinally and forming thinner grass-like strands of a thinner width as illustrated.
  • the upper ends of the ribbons 2 are brushed more vigorously to achieve the following advantages over prior art methods. Laying over of the fibrillated upper portions 7, interlocks the ribbon ends into a loose network which more realistically simulates the appearance of natural grass.
  • the fibrillated ends impart a slight resilience since they are slightly raised or fluffed and more accurately simulate the resilience of natural grass when balls, during play, bounce on the completed surface.
  • the bent over ends as well hide the rubber crumbs of the top course 6 from view, hold the crumb particles in place and allow a movement of dislodged crumbs back and forth between the top course 6 and upper side of the fibrillated ribbons 2.
  • By splitting orfibrillating the ends of the ribbons 2 less surface tension is created and water more easily permeates through the top surface 8 and is drained away through the bottom course 5.
  • the ribbons 2 include a top structure of multiple grass-like strands fibrillated on site and an expanded web-like lower structure left substantially in their original state but mechanically expanded into a web lattice due to interaction with the infill as it is deposited. Ribbons may be chosen from fibers such as polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon and plastic.
  • a mix of thick and thin width of fibrillated strands produces a more natural appearance and causes a ball to roll in a more predictable manner depending on the resistance of the fibers to the ball during play. Modification of the ribbon width and density in the grass will also modify the ball rolling characteristics.
  • the ribbons when initially tufted to the fabric backing, may be of a width in the range of 2.54-7.62 cm (1-3 inches), and when fibrillated the individual grasslike strands may be in the range of I mm to 15 mm (1/8 inch to 1/2 inch approx.) in width.
  • the strands range from 800 to 5000 Denier, and the thickness of ribbons and strands range preferably from 45 to 200 microns ( ⁇ ).
  • the hard and resilient particle sizes should range between 1,27 cm (0.5 inches) and 0.30 mm (50 U. S. screen mesh standard), however preferably a narrower range of 1.40 mm to 0.60 mm (14-30 mesh) avoids the risk of compaction.
  • Hard granules larger than 1.40 mm (14 screen mesh standard) can be perceived as somewhat abrasive by users of the athletic surface if direct contact is made. However, since the fibres above the top surface tend to arch over and shield the user from direct contact with an arched resilient fibrous matting of synthetic fibres, somewhat larger particles can be used without perceiving the particles as abrasive.
  • Particles smaller than 0.300 mm will tend to impede the percolation of water and detrimentally affect the drainage characteristics of the infill layer 3 in relatively wet climates. In dry climates, use of smaller particles may be desirable to maintain an optimal moisture content for optimal level of compaction and resilience. Larger resilient particles (such as 1.40 mm (14 screen mesh standard)) may be used where skin contact with the surface and potential abrasion from the nature of the sport are expected.
  • the sand is washed and graded to remove substantially all the fine particles below size 0.30 mm (50 screen mesh standard).
  • the natural tendency of the large relatively light rubber particles to migrate to the top and the complementary tendency of smaller heavier sand particles to migrate to the bottom of the infill layer 3 is reduced by use of equally sized particles. Particle migration is also reduced by the interaction with the synthetic web-like ribbon structure and by the use of spherical particle shape.
  • the bottom course of the infill retains its initial mixture of equally sized sand and resilient particles due to the selection of substantially identical particle sizes and the interference to particle movement resulting from the web-like structure of the ribbons in contact with the bottom infill layer. These characteristics of the infill tend to discourage compaction and maintain the uniform predictable resilience of the infill.
  • the particle size of rubber particles in the top layer 6 of infill are larger than the sand and resilient particles in the bottom layer 5.
  • the larger particles of the top layer permit smaller particles of the bottom layer to fall back down through gaps between the large particles, and as a result, the particle size compositions of the layers remain distinct.
  • the resilience of the final layer of infill can be fine tuned by testing resilience at the surface and gradually spreading rubber particles to marginally increase the thickness of the top course 6 and achieve the desired resilience of the final top course.
  • the synthetic ribbons are preferably disposed in rows spaced apart a selected minimum distance "W".
  • W can vary between 5.72 cm (2.25 inches) and 1.59 cm (0.625 inches) or less. A closer spacing provides firmer support for the infill 3 whereas a wider spacing permits easier rotation of embedded cleats.
  • the depth of the infill layer 3 relative to the length "L" of synthetic ribbons can range from 90% to 40% however the preferred range for most applications will be 85% to 55% or 80% to 70%.

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Claims (21)

  1. Synthetischer Grasaufbau zur Installation auf einem Trägersubstrat, wobei der Aufbau aufweist:
    - ein Florgewebe mit einem flexiblen tuchartigen Florgrund (1) und einer Vielzahl davon abstehender synthetischer Bänder (2) einer ausgewählten Länge, wobei die Bänder (2) sich von einer oberen Fläche des Florgrunds (1) nach oben erstrecken,
    - einer Füllschicht (3) aus einem Teilchenmaterial, das Zwischenräume zwischen den abstehenden Bändern (2) füllend auf der oberen Fläche angeordnet ist und eine Dicke hat, die geringer ist als die Länge der Bänder (2), wobei das Teilchenmaterial ausgewählt ist aus der Gruppe, die besteht aus: harten Körnchen und elastischen Körnchen, und wobei die Füllschicht (3) eine obere Lage (6) aufweist, die im wesentlichen ausschließlich aus elastischen Körnchen besteht, die auf einer unteren Lage (5) angeordnet sind, wobei ein oberer Abschnitt (7) der synthetischen Bänder (2) sich von einer oberen Fläche (8) der oberen Lage (6) nach oben erstreckt,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß
    -- die untere Lage (5) aus vermischten harten und elastischen Körnchen besteht, die im wesentlichen die gleiche Größenverteilung haben und auf der oberen Fläche des Florgrunds (1) angeordnet sind.
  2. Synthetischer Grasaufbau nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die elastischen Körnchen in der oberen Lage (6) größer sind als die elastischen Körnchen in der unteren Lage (5).
  3. Synthetischer Grasaufbau nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die harten Körnchen und die elastischen Körnchen in der unteren Lage (5) eine Form haben, die durch einen Bereich von 0,5 bis 0,99 auf der Krumbein-Sphärizitätsskala festgelegt ist.
  4. Synthetischer Grasaufbau nach Anspruch 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die harten Körnchen und die elastischen Körnchen in der unteren Lage (5) eine Form haben, die durch einen Bereich von 0,6 bis 0,9 auf der Krumbein-Sphärizitätsskala festgelegt ist.
  5. Synthetischer Grasaufbau nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die elastischen Körnchen ausgewählt sind aus der Gruppe, die besteht aus: kryogenisch gemahlenem Gummi, Gummi, Kork, Polymerkügelchen, synthetischem Polymerschaum, Styrol, Perlit, Neopren und EPDM-Gummi.
  6. Synthetischer Grasaufbau nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die harten Körnchen ausgewählt sind aus der Gruppe, die besteht aus: Sand, Hartgranulat, Quarzsand, Kies, Schlacke, granuliertem Kunststoff und Polymerkügelchen.
  7. Synthetischer Grasaufbau nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 6, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Partikelmaterial der Füllschicht (3) Körner aufweist, deren Größe zwischen 1,27 cm (0,4 Zoll) maximalem Nominaldurchmesser und 0,30 mm (50 Netzmaschenstandard) beträgt.
  8. Synthetischer Grasaufbau nach Anspruch 7, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Partikelgrößen von 80 Gewichtsprozent der harten Körnchen und elastischen Körnchen in der unteren Lage (5) in einem Bereich angeordnet sind, der eine numerische Differenz von 0,42 mm (40 Netzmaschenstandard) überspannt.
  9. Synthetischer Grasaufbau nach Anspruch 8, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Partikelgrößen von 80 Gewichtsprozent der harten Körnchen und elastischen Körnchen in der unteren Lage (5) in einem Bereich angeordnet sind, der eine numerische Differenz von 0,85 mm (20 Netzmaschenstandard) überspannt.
  10. Synthetischer Grasaufbau nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die synthetischen Bänder (2) in Längsrichtung in einem vorgegebenen Schlitzmuster wiederkehrend geschlitzt sind, wobei ein oberer Abschnitt der Bänder (2), der sich über die Füllschicht (3) hinaus erstreckt, in Längsrichtung in einzelne freistehende Stränge einer ausgewählten Breite geschlitzt sind, um Grashalme zu repräsentieren; und wobei in einem unteren Abschnitt der Bänder (2) die Schlitze, wenn sie auseinander gezogen werden, seitlich verbundene Stränge bilden, die in einer Gitterstruktur angeordnet sind und das umgebende partikelförmige Füllmaterial umnetzen.
  11. Synthetischer Grasaufbau nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die synthetischen Bänder (2) in Reihen angeordnet sind, die mit einem ausgewählten Minimalabstand voneinander beabstandet sind.
  12. Synthetischer Grasaufbau nach Anspruch 11, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der maximale Abstand zwischen Reihen synthetischer, in den Florgrund (1) eingetufteter Bänder (2) 5,72 cm (2,25 Zoll) beträgt.
  13. Synthetischer Grasaufbau nach Anspruch 12, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der maximale Abstand zwischen Reihen synthetischer, in den Florgrund (1) eingetufteter Bänder (2) 2,54 cm (1,0 Zoll) beträgt.
  14. Synthetischer Grasaufbau nach Anspruch 13, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der maximale Abstand zwischen Reihen synthetischer, in den Florgrund (1) eingetufteter Bänder (2) 1,59 cm (0,625 Zoll) beträgt.
  15. Synthetischer Grasaufbau nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Dicke der Füllschicht (3) im Bereich zwischen 90% und 40% der Länge der synthetischen Bänder (2) liegt.
  16. Synthetischer Grasaufbau nach Anspruch 15, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Dicke der Füllschicht (3) im Bereich zwischen 85% und 55% der Länge der synthetischen Bänder (2) liegt.
  17. Synthetischer Grasaufbau nach Anspruch 16, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Dicke der Füllschicht (3) im Bereich zwischen 80% und 70% der Länge der synthetischen Bänder (2) liegt.
  18. Synthetischer Grasaufbau nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die synthetischen Bänder (2) Fasern sind, die ausgewählt sind aus der Gruppe, die besteht aus: Polypropylen, Polyethylen, Nylon and Kunststoff.
  19. Synthetischer Grasaufbau nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der obere Abschnitt der synthetischen Bänder (2) in einzelne Stränge fibrilliert ist, deren Breite im Bereich zwischen 1,0 und 15,0 mm liegt.
  20. Synthetischer Grasaufbau nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die synthetischen Bänder (2) ein Dicke im Bereich zwischen 45 und 200 Mikrometer haben.
  21. Verfahren zur Installation eines synthetischen Grasaufbaus auf einem Trägersubstrat, wobei das Verfahren die folgenden Schritte aufweist:
    - Bereitstellen eines Florgewebes mit einem flexiblen tuchartigen Florgrund (1) und einer Vielzahl davon abstehender synthetischer Bänder (2) einer ausgewählten Länge, wobei die Bänder (2) sich von einer oberen Fläche des Florgrunds (1) nach oben erstrecken;
    - Legen des Florgewebes über das Trägersubstrat;
    gekennzeichnet durch die weiteren Schritte:
    - Anordnen einer unteren Lage (5) aus vermischten harten und elastischen Körnchen, die im wesentlichen die gleiche Größenverteilung haben, auf der oberen Fläche des Florgrunds (1);
    - Anordnen einer oberen Lage (6), die im wesentlichen ausschließlich aus elastischen Körnchen besteht, auf der unteren Lage (5), wobei ein oberer Abschnitt (7) der synthetischen Bänder (2) sich von einer oberen Fläche (8) der oberen Lage (6) nach oben erstreckt, so dass die untere Lage (5) und die obere Lage (6) eine Füllschicht (3) aus Partikelmaterial bilden, das Zwischenräume zwischen den abstehenden Bändern (2) füllend auf der oberen Fläche angeordnet ist und eine Dicke hat, die geringer ist als die Länge der Bänder (2).
EP01944842A 2000-06-21 2001-06-21 Kunstrasen Expired - Lifetime EP1292733B1 (de)

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US598149 2000-06-21
US09/598,149 US6551689B1 (en) 1998-09-21 2000-06-21 Synthetic grass with resilient granular top surface layer
PCT/CA2001/000922 WO2001098589A2 (en) 2000-06-21 2001-06-21 Synthetic grass with resilient granular top surface layer

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ZA200210075B (en) 2003-06-17
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BR0112289B1 (pt) 2010-06-29
ATE392508T1 (de) 2008-05-15
CN1432089A (zh) 2003-07-23
CA2535641A1 (en) 2001-12-27
CN1800493A (zh) 2006-07-12
UA75599C2 (en) 2006-05-15
NZ523282A (en) 2005-10-28
EP2166153A2 (de) 2010-03-24
CA2412767A1 (en) 2001-12-27
CA2535641C (en) 2010-04-06
NO20026174D0 (no) 2002-12-20
CN1232703C (zh) 2005-12-21
AP2003002732A0 (en) 2003-03-31
GB0220077D0 (en) 2002-10-09
AU2005246956B2 (en) 2007-09-20
DE60133643D1 (de) 2008-05-29
DE60133643T2 (de) 2009-07-30
GB2376639B (en) 2005-02-02
CA2412767C (en) 2008-02-19
AU6723701A (en) 2002-01-02
AP1864A (en) 2008-08-31
BR0112289A (pt) 2003-05-06
JP2004501298A (ja) 2004-01-15
NO321879B1 (no) 2006-07-17
PT1292733E (pt) 2008-06-09
EP2166153A3 (de) 2014-12-24
EP1292733A2 (de) 2003-03-19
HU227351B1 (en) 2011-04-28
JP4098078B2 (ja) 2008-06-11
KR20030019453A (ko) 2003-03-06
MA28243A1 (fr) 2006-11-01
WO2001098589A2 (en) 2001-12-27
WO2001098589A3 (en) 2002-04-04
HK1058383A1 (en) 2004-05-14
EA200300043A1 (ru) 2003-08-28
ES2304389T3 (es) 2008-10-16
AP1594A (en) 2006-03-28
GB2376639A (en) 2002-12-24
AU2001267237B2 (en) 2005-10-06
MXPA03000195A (es) 2004-09-13
NO20026174L (no) 2003-02-03
CR6865A (es) 2004-02-03
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YU97802A (sh) 2005-06-10
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