WO2005055701A1

WO2005055701A1 - Modular garden edging

Info

Publication number: WO2005055701A1
Application number: PCT/AU2004/001751
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ralph Edward Lee; Anthony Norbert Almer
Original assignee: Sterlway Pty Limited
Priority date: 2003-12-12
Filing date: 2004-12-13
Publication date: 2005-06-23

Abstract

A modular garden edging has a plurality of edging components (20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32) adapted to be arranged around a garden, with each edging component including a male end portion (36) and a female end portion (38). The male end portion (36) of any one edging component is adapted to interengage the female end portion (38) of any other edging component so as to form an end to end modular assembly of adjoining edging components.

Description

MODULAR GARDEN EDGING FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to modular garden edging. In this specification, the term "garden" will include reference to the common flowering and non-flowering garden areas, vegetable patches, bushes and trees. BACKGROUND ART Over the years, there have been many forms of prefabricated edging used to define the perimeter of a garden, most of which have comprised various arrangements of end to end abutting cement blocks, log pieces or other components. Depending on the user's requirements, these may suffer a number of shortcomings, such as a propensity for each of the edging components, when in use, to be moved from its intended position upon impact by, say, a lawnmower, and thus loose its alignment with adjacent components, or to, by virtue of the imperfect mating of abutting edge faces of adjacent components, provide gaps therebetween for the growth of weeds. SUMMARY OF INVENTION It has been found by the present inventors that improved garden edging may be provided by prefabricating the edging components as modules that have a variety of shapes so as to suit a desired pattern of the edging around any garden, and wherein each one of such modules can be so interengaged with any one of other such modules that, when in use, they prevent impact movement and prevent weed growth therebetween. It is an object of the present invention to provide modular garden edging that will overcome, or at least substantially ameliorate, many of the problems and shortcomings of the prior art, and will provide many improvements over the prior art. According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided modular garden edging comprising a plurality of edging components adapted to be arranged around a garden, each edging component including a male end portion and a female end portion, the male end portion of any one edging component being adapted to interengage the female end portion of any other edging component so as to form an end to end modular assembly of adjoining edging components. Preferably, the male end portion and the female end portion include interlocking means which prevent impact movement of any one edging component in an end to end modular assembly. Preferably, the male end portion and the female end portion include overlapping means which prevent weed growth between any two adjacent edging components in a modular assembly. Preferably, the male end portion includes tapered edge surfaces which enable any one edging component to be interengaged with any one of a plurality of variously shaped edging components so as to suit a desired pattern of the edging around any garden. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a modular edging component for garden edging, the edging component including a male end portion and a female end portion, the male end portion of the edging component being adapted to interengage the female end portion of another one of the edging component so as to form an end to end modular assembly of adjoining edging components. In order that the invention may be better understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a top perspective view of modular garden edging comprising a plurality of interengaged edging components according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, arranged in a first pattern; Fig. 2 is a top perspective view of modular garden edging comprising a plurality of interengaged edging components according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, arranged in a second pattern; Fig. 3 is a top perspective view of modular garden edging comprising a plurality of interengaged edging components according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, arranged in a third pattern; Fig. 4 is a top perspective view of modular garden edging comprising a plurality of interengaged edging components according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, arranged in a fourth pattern; Fig. 5 is a top perspective view of each of the variously shaped edging components and an anchor pin used in forming the patterns of modular garden edging shown in Figs. 1 to 4; Fig. 6 is a right end, top perspective view of the smallest straight edging component shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a left end, top perspective view of the straight edging component shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a right-end, bottom perspective view of the straight edging component shown in Figs. 6 and 7; Fig. 9 is a top perspective view of two straight edging components, as shown in Figs. 6 to 8, in a first position prior to being assembled together; Fig. 10 is an enlarged, top perspective view of a lower part of the interengaging male and female end portions of the two straight edging components shown in Fig. 9 in a second position prior to being assembled together; Fig. 11 is a cut-away view of the lower part shown in Fig. 10 specifically showing a lower clip of the female end portion of one of the straight edging components about to be interlocked with a lower slot of the male end portion of the other straight edging portion and a lower spigot about to be inserted into a lower recess; Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 11 but in which the lower clip is interlocked with the lower slot, and in which the lower spigot is inserted in the lower recess;

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 9 but also showing an anchor pin received through the lower spigot and incompletely inserted through both straight edging components; Fig. 14 is a top perspective view of the two straight edging components shown in Figs. 9 to 11 assembled together;

Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 14 but also showing an anchor pin about to be received through the lower spigot and then inserted through both straight edging components; Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. 15 but in which the anchor pin is completely inserted through both straight edging components; Fig. 17 is a bottom perspective view of the two straight edging components and anchor pin shown in Fig. 13 as an incomplete assembly; Fig. 18 is a top plan view of the straight edging component shown in Figs. 6 and 7;

Fig. 19 is an enlarged, bottom plan view of interengaging male and female end portions of two arcuate edging components, as shown in Fig. 5, which have been assembled together to form a U-shape pattern; Fig. 20 is a view similar to Fig. 19 but in which one of the arcuate edging portions has been replaced with another arcuate edging portion having an opposite arc direction, so as to form an S-shape pattern; Fig. 21 is an enlarged, cut-away view of interengaging male and female end portions of the two straight edging components and anchor pin shown in Fig. 16, specifically showing the mounting location of the anchor pin; Fig. 22 is an enlarged, cut-away view of interengaging male and female end portions of the two straight edging components shown in Fig. 9, specifically showing an upper clip about to be interlocked with an upper slot, and an upper spigot about to be inserted into an upper recess; Fig. 23 is a view similar to Fig. 22 but in which the interlocking and inserting is completed; Fig. 24 is a top perspective view of an end cap component for use in the modular garden edging shown in Figs 1 to 23; and . Fig. 25 is a bottom perspective of the end cap component shown in Fig 24. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The modular garden edging components shown in the drawings are preferably fabricated of UV stabilized polypropylene and ideally are injection moulded. As is apparent from the various patterns of garden edging shown in Figs. 1 to 4, there are a number of variously shaped edging components, each of which is then shown individually in Fig. 5. There are, in this case, small, medium and large prefabricated lengths of straight edging components 20, 22, 24 being respectively 150mm, 300mm and 450mm in length; small and large prefabricated radii of arcuate edging components 26, 28; and small and large prefabricated lengths of corner edging components 30, 32. Each of the edging components has a first male end portion and a second female end portion, such as male end portion 36 and female end portion 38 of the arcuate edging component 26. The position of the male and female end portions may be reversed so that each edging component may be fabricated in two directional forms. Also, each of the edging components has a high or peak section and a low or floor section, such as peak section 40 and floor section 42 of the arcuate edging component 26. The position of the peak and floor sections in the arcuate and corner edging components may be reversed so that each such edging component may be fabricated in two configured forms, namely a form that has an externally configured peak section and a form that has an internally configured peak section. The floor section may serve as a platform for receiving thereon a wheel of a lawnmower and/or as a trimming edge to ensure that the adjacent lawn is suitably cut. The straight edging component 20 shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 has a male end portion 36 and a female end portion 38, and has a peak section 40 and a floor section 42. As shown in Figs. 9 to 17, the male end portion 36 of any one straight edging component 20 is adapted to interengage the female end portion 38 of any other straight edging component 20 so as to form an end to end modular assembly of adjoining straight edging components (see especially Figs. 14 to 16). The male end portion 36 integrally projects from the main body portion 44 and is adapted to be overlapped across its entire width by the female end portion 38 of an adjacent edging component so as to prevent weed growth therebetween in a modular assembly. The male end portion 36 includes upper slot 46, upper recess 48, lower slot 50 and lower recess 52. The female end portion 38 is formed continuously with the body portion 44, and includes upper clip 54, upper spigot 56 (see Fig. 8), lower clip 58 and lower spigot 60. The clips 54, 58 are adapted to be interlocked with the slots 46, 50 of an adjacent edging component so as to prevent impact movement of any one edging component in an end to end modular assembly. The spigots 56, 60 are adapted to be inserted into the recesses 48, 52 of an adjacent edging component so as to provide increased stability against lateral movement and guidance for interlocking of the clips with the slots. The lower spigot 60 has a passageway 61 formed therethrough, as has the lower recess 52, for receiving the shaft of an anchor pin 34 (see Figs. 13 and 21 ) adapted to anchor the garden edging in the ground. Each of the clips 54, 58 is capable of flexing slightly to engage with its respective slot 46, 50 (see Figs. 10, 11), and has an arrow - like tip 64 that, once inserted through the slot, catches on the bottom wall of the slot and obstructs the release of the clip from its slot (see Fig. 12), unless pressure is applied directly by the user against the tip 64. As shown in Fig. 18, the male end portion 36 of the straight edging component 20 has tapered edge surfaces 66, 68 which enable the male end portion 36 to be interengaged either with a left-direction arcuate or corner edging component, or with a right direction arcuate or corner edging component, a well as with another straight edging component. This is clearly shown in Figs. 19 and 20 where, instead of a straight edging component, there is an arcuate edging component 26, and the tapered edge surfaces 70, 72 enable the male end portion 36 to be interengaged with another right-direction arcuate edging component 26 (see Fig. 19) or with a left-direction arcuate edging component 74 (see Fig.20). The end cap component 80 shown in Figs 24 and 25 has a male end portion 36, a peak section 40 and a floor section 42. The length of the peak and floor sections 40, 42 is shorter than that for the other edging components 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 and 32, and there is no female end portion at the end opposite to the male end portion 36. Rather, there is a wall 82 which provides a blunt but aesthetically appealing profile for a dead end of the garden edging, say, in instances where the pattern of the garden edging is linear-or otherwise non-endless. The male end portion 36 of the end cap component 80 is adapted to interengage the female end portion 38 of any other edging component. The modular garden edging of the present invention also includes an end cap component having a female end portion and having a wall at the opposite end. Various modifications may be made in details of design and construction without departing from the scope or ambit of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Modular garden edging comprising a plurality of edging components adapted to be arranged around a garden, each edging component including a male end portion and a female end portion, the male end portion of any one edging component being adapted to interengage the female end portion of any other edging component so as to form an end to end modular assembly of adjoining edging components.

2. Modular garden edging according to claim 1 wherein the male end portion and the female end portion include interlocking means which prevent impact movement of any one edging component in an end to end modular assembly.

3. Modular garden edging according to claim 1 wherein the male end portion and the female end portion include overlapping means which prevent weed growth between any two adjacent edging components in a modular assembly.

4. Modular garden edging according to claim 1 wherein the male end portion includes tapered edge surfaces which enable any one edging component to be interengaged with any one of a plurality of variously shaped edging components so as to suit a desired pattern of the edging around any garden.

5. A modular edging component for garden edging, the edging component including a male end portion and a female end portion, the male end portion of the edging component being adapted to interengage the female end portion of another one of the edging component so as to form an end to end modular assembly of adjoining edging components.