GB2510633A

GB2510633A - Rollable or foldable temporary pathway

Info

Publication number: GB2510633A
Application number: GB1302421.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Damian Nicholas Nunez Cardozo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-02-12
Filing date: 2013-02-12
Publication date: 2014-08-13
Anticipated expiration: 2033-02-12
Also published as: GB2510633B; GB201302421D0

Abstract

A temporary pathway is constructed from a series of struts or panels (shown) or a grid type material joined to or enclosed within a length of fabric. The fabric forms a flexible coupling between the struts or panels thereby allowing the path to be folded or rolled up. The fabric may be sufficiently opaque to prevent sunlight from passing through it and may be of a sufficiently tight weave to prevent weeds from growing through it. The fabric may also contain copper or another slug deterring substance. There may be loops at the edges of the path that align with toggles at the end of the path when it is in its folded or rolled up position. There may be a handle at one end of the path.

Description

Title: Temporary pathway

DESCRIPTION

Background

This invention relates to a temporary, portable pathway that can be easily folded or rolled up for storage when not in use, constructed from a durable fabric such as a weed barrier with a series of hard struts or panels of a mesh type material that are attached to the fabric or held between two layers of the fabric.

The pathway can be placed between rows of plants in a vegetable patch and may be walked on thereby allowing easy access to the plants without disturbing the surrounding soil. The struts or panels of mesh type material in the pathway provide enough stability for a wheelbarrow to be wheeled over it and for a person to walk along it without it folding or crumpling up. The fabric of the pathway may form a barrier that stops weeds growing between the rows of plants and the barrier may also contain copper to deter slugs and snails. The pathway has loops at its edges so that it can be secured to the ground with pegs and these loops may also be used to keep the pathway in its folded or rolled up position for storage. The pathway may also have a handle at one end to facilitate carrying and hanging up for storage. The pathway can also be used to temporarily protect grass lawns from wear by wheelbarrows and foot traffic, particularly in wet conditions.

Advantages There are various temporary pathways readily available which can be rolled up for storage, which provide a structure to walk on or wheel a wheelbarrow along. However, existing designs do not include the use of a fabric which can stop weeds from growing through them and which may also deter slugs and snails. Existing designs are based on a construction method that utilises a quantity of struts normally made from wood or moulded plastic which are connected to each other with a flexible or hinged coupling system thereby allowing the path to be rolled up. The current invention utilises the fabric itself to create a flexible coupling between the struts or panels and these struts or panels are attached to or enclosed within the fabric. There may also be loops attached to the edges of the pathway and toggles at one end so that when the pathway is folded or rolled up the toggles may be pushed through the loops to hold the pathway in its folded or rolled up position. There may also be a handle at one end of the pathway to facilitate carrying and hanging up. This novel method of construction enables the use of lighter weight and less expensive materials than previous designs which will make the product cheaper, easier to use and store, and lighter to carry as well as having the potential extra functions of preventing weed growth and deterring slugs.

Statement of Invention

This invention proposes a novel design and method of construction of a temporary pathway that can be folded or rolled up. The design utilises a series of struts or panels of grid type material which are attached to or enclosed within a length of fabric. The fabric forms a flexible coupling between the struts or panels allowing the path to be folded or rolled up and can also act as a barrier to weeds. The incorporation of copper into the fabric would also deter slugs and snails. The addition of 1oops to the edges of the pathway and two toggles at one end allow the pathway to be held in its folded or rolled up position. The addition of a handle at one end facilitates the carrying or hanging up of the path.

An example of the invention will now be described by referring to the following drawings -Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the separated components needed to construct the pathway using 2 lengths of fabric and a series of panels of a grid type material enclosed between the 2 lengths of fabric.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the pathway constructed from the components shown in Figure 1 in a semi-folded position where the panels are hinged alternately up and down.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the pathway constructed from the components shown in Figure 1 in a folded up position.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the pathway constructed from a single length of fabric with a series of panels of a grid type material attached to one side of the fabric.

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the pathway constructed from a single length of fabric with a series of struts attached to one side of the fabric.

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the pathway shown in Figure S in a rolled up position.

Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the pathway constructed from a single length of fabric with a single length of a flexible grid type material attached to the fabric.

Figure 8 shows a perspective view of the pathway shown in Figure 7 in a rolled up position.

The drawings show 3 different embodiments of the pathway. Figures 1-3 show a pathway that is constructed from 2 separate lengths of fabric (1), which could equally be a single length of fabric folded along one side to form 2 layers, with a series of panels of plastic mesh (2) enclosed within the 2 layers of fabric, with loops (3) attached to the edges of the pathway and toggles (4) attached to one end of the pathway and a handle (5) attached to one end of the pathway. The pathway can be folded up by a concertina arrangement and when folded the toggles can be pushed through the loops to hold the pathway in its folded up position. Alternatively the pathway may be constructed by attaching the panels of plastic grid to one side of a single layer of fabric (6) as shown in figure 4. A further alternative method of construction is shown in Figures Sand 6 where a series of struts (7) are attached to a single layer of fabric (6). Equally 2 layers of fabric could be used to enclose the struts between the layers of fabric. A further alternative method of construction is shown in Figures 7 and 8 where a single panel of flexible grid (8) is attached to one side of a single layer of fabric. Equally 2 layers of fabric could be used to enclose the single panel of flexible grid.

Claims

Claims 1. A temporary pathway constructed from at least one layer of fabric with a series of struts or panels or a single flexible panel attached to or fitted into the fabric so that the pathway can be folded or rolled up.
2. A pathway according to claim 1 where the fabric is a weed barrier.
3. A pathway according to claim 1 or claim 2 where the fabric contains copper to deter slugs.
4. A pathway according to any of the previous claims where the panel or panels are made from a hard but flexible material such as a plastic mesh.
5. A pathway according to any of the previous claims where a number of panels are attached to or enclosed within the fabric with gaps between the panels forming a series of hinges so that the pathway can be folded up for storage.
6. A pathway according to any of claims 1-4 where a series of struts are attached to or enclosed within the fabric with gaps between the struts forming a series of hinges so that the pathway can be rolled up for storage
7. A pathway according to any of claims 1 -4 where a single panel of hard but flexible material is attached to or enclosed within the fabric and where the panel is flexible enough to allow the path to be rolled up for storage.
8. A pathway according to any of the previous claims where a number of loops are attached to the edges of the pathway that can be used for securing the pathway to the ground with ground pegs or the like.
9. A pathway according to any of the claims 1, 2, 3,4, 5, 8 where loops are attached to the edges of the pathway at every second point where the pathway folds so that when the pathway is folded the loops can be gathered together and secured using toggles or the like that may also be attached to the pathway.
10. A pathway according to any of the claims 1, 2, 3,4, 6, 7, 8 where loops are attached to the edges of the pathway at such positions that when the pathway is rolled up the loops may be secured with toggles or the like that may also be attached to the pathway.
11. A pathway according to any of the previous claims where the pathway has a carry handle.
12. A pathway according to any of the claims 1, 2, 3,4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 where the panels or struts are separated from each other by a row of stitching or other type of seal that joins two layers of fabric together.