Protective ground cover system
OwnerKaren Louise ALY, Kenneth Mervyn ALYinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A protective ground cover system for reducing the impact of a fall onto a surface, said system including a first layer of loose fill material placed on or in the ground at an impact zone; at least one supporting layer, wherein each layer has open channels adapted to be filled by loose fill material and to enable fluid to pass there through, the at least one supporting layer positioned over the first layer; a second layer of loose fill material having a thickness less than the first layer and being placed on the at least one supporting layer, wherein the protective ground cover system substantially prevents displacement of the loose fill material away from the impact zone.
Claims20
A protective ground cover system for reducing the impact of a fall onto a surface defined by an impact zone, comprising:
- a first layer of loose fill material having a predetermined first thickness, wherein the first layer is placed on the surface;
- at least one supporting layer, each supporting layer comprising:
- a substantially flat sheet having a plurality of open channels, each channel having an upper opening at an upper surface of the sheet and a corresponding lower opening at a lower surface of the sheet, thereby enabling loose fill material to be retained therein and enabling fluid to flow there through, wherein the at least one supporting layer lays over the first layer;
- and
- a second layer of loose fill material having a predetermined second thickness, wherein the second layer is placed on the at least one supporting layer,
- whereby the protective ground cover system substantially prevents displacement of the loose fill material away from the impact zone.
A method of forming a protective ground surface for reducing the impact of a fall onto a surface defined by an impact zone, comprising the steps of:
- forming a first layer of loose fill material on or in the surface;
- placing at least one supporting layer over the first layer, each supporting comprising:
- a substantially flat sheet having a plurality of open channels, each channel having an upper opening at an upper surface of the sheet and a corresponding lower opening at a lower surface of the sheet, thereby enabling loose fill material to be retained therein and enabling fluid to flow there through, wherein the at least one supporting layer lays over the first layer;
- and
- forming a second layer of loose fill material of a predetermined thickness over the at least one supporting layer,
- whereby the placement of the protective ground surface substantially prevents displacement of the loose fill material away from the impact zone.
A supporting layer for substantially preventing displacement of the loose fill material away from a surface, comprising:
- a substantially flat sheet having a plurality of open channel, each channel having an upper opening at an upper surface of the sheet and a corresponding lower opening at a lower surface of the sheet, thereby enabling loose fill material to be retained therein and enabling fluid to flow there through, and
- wherein the spacing of the channels and the area of the upper openings thereof result in the upper surface comprising a plurality of ridges extending along the support layer in at least two directions thereby forming a grid,
- whereby the plurality of ridges provide a non-skid surface for retaining loose fill material engaging the plurality of ridges.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.