Artificial grass turf system
AssigneeTen Cate Thiolon B.V.
InventorsJeroen Albert Van Balen, Marc Verleyen
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Abstract
An artificial grass turf carpet comprises a ground structure having an upper surface and upstanding synthetic grass fibers attached to the ground structure, which synthetic grass fibers form a grass surface of the artificial grass turf. The carpet further has upstanding synthetic base layer fibers attached to the ground structure at positions between the upstanding synthetic grass fibers. The base layer fibers have a lower height than the grass fibers. The base layer fibers are positioned tight against one another and against neighboring grass fibers, so that a dense base layer is obtained above which the grass fibers extend. An artificial grass turf system includes such a carpet and preferably includes a thin, rubber-free infill layer on top of the base layer.
Claims34
An artificial grass turf carpet comprising:
- a ground structure having an upper surface,
- a plurality of spaced-apart synthetic grass fibers attached to and upstanding from said ground structure, which synthetic grass fibers form a grass surface of said artificial grass turf, and
- a resilient, dense base layer comprising a plurality of synthetic base layer fibers attached to and upstanding from said ground structure, and positioned between the upstanding synthetic grass fibers, said base layer fibers having a lower height and a greater stiffness than said grass fibers, wherein the base layer fibers are positioned tight against one another and against adjacent grass fibers to provide a tightly packed base layer above which the grass fibers extend,
- wherein the dense base layer has a density of between about 300 and about 800 base layer fibers per meter length of carpet, and the combined cross-sectional area of the grass fibers and base layer fibers, measured at the upper surface of the ground structure, is at least about 90% per unit of the surface area of the grass turf carpet, and
- wherein the resiliency of the dense base layer is substantially restored after being compressed, such that the presence of infill material is optional for compressive use of the artificial grass turf carpet.
A woven artificial grass turf carpet comprising:
- a ground fabric comprising a fabric yarn and having an upper surface,
- a plurality of spaced-apart upstanding synthetic grass fibers woven integrally with said ground fabric, which synthetic grass fibers form a grass surface of said artificial grass turf, and a resilient, dense base layer comprising a plurality of synthetic base layer fibers woven integrally with said ground fabric and positioned between the upstanding synthetic grass fibers, said base layer fibers having a lower height and a greater stiffness than said grass fibers, wherein the woven base layer fibers are positioned tight against one another and against adjacent grass fibers to provide a tightly packed base layer above which the grass fibers extend,
- wherein the dense base layer has a density of between about 300 and about 800 base layer fibers per meter length of carpet, and the combined cross-sectional area of the grass fibers and base layer fibers, measured at the upper surface of the ground structure, is at least about 95% per unit of the surface area of the grass turf carpet, and
- wherein the resiliency of the dense base layer is substantially restored after being compressed, such that the presence of infill material is optional for compressive use of the woven artificial grass turf carpet.
An artificial grass turf carpet for sports play thereon comprising:
- a ground structure having an upper surface,
- a plurality of spaced-apart synthetic grass fibers attached to and upstanding from said ground structure, wherein between about 30 and about 160 grass fibers are arranged per meter length of said carpet, which synthetic grass fibers form a grass surface of said artificial grass turf, and
- a resilient, dense base layer comprising a plurality of synthetic base layer fibers attached to and upstanding from said ground structure, wherein between about 300 and about 800 base layer fibers are arranged per meter length of said carpet, said base layer fibers having a lower height and a greater stiffness than said grass fibers, wherein the base layer fibers are positioned between the grass fibers and tight against one another and against adjacent grass fibers to provide a tightly packed base layer above which the grass fibers extend,
- the combined cross-sectional area of the grass fibers and base layer fibers, measured at the upper surface of the ground structure, is at least about 95% per unit of the surface area of the grass turf carpet, and
- wherein the resiliency of the dense base layer provides damping and is substantially restored after being compressed during sports play thereon such that the presence of infill material is optional for compressive use of the artificial grass turf carpet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.