NL2006851C2

NL2006851C2 - Self-adhesive artificial grass.

Info

Publication number: NL2006851C2
Application number: NL2006851A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Jan-Tjerk Mossel
Original assignee: Grassproof B V
Priority date: 2011-05-26
Filing date: 2011-05-26
Publication date: 2012-11-27

Description

Self-adhesive artificial grass

The invention relates to an artificial grass section to be positioned on a foundation and provided with a backing.

5 Moreover the invention relates to a method for laying such artificial grass section.

Artificial grass is well known as replacement for natural grass surfaces in stadiums, gardens, playgrounds, roofing, driving ranges and other facilities. These artificial 10 grass surfaces are becoming increasingly popular as the qualities of artificial grass are becoming more and more equal to that of natural grass, without the drawbacks of natural grass, such as maintenance, water consumption and wear. The artificial grass may be used indoor and outdoor, such as 15 enclosed stadiums, where natural grass hardly grows.

Artificial grass is typically made out of a multitude of upstanding ribbon- like fibers that are secured to a backing. The backing is in general permeable to facilitate drainage of water. The artificial grass may be laid directly onto a suitable 20 hard foundation. An impermeable foundation may require an additional permeable top surface for drainage, such as a geo textile fabric or permeable mat. A softer foundation will require an deflection layer for pressure distribution, such as compacted grit sand. The artificial grass may be loose laid or 25 spot stuck. Sand may be infiltrated at the top side to hold the grass section down and to ensure that the fibers are upright. Also rubber crumb may be used to provide a soft feel underfoot and to provide more comfort when sliding. Other types of artificial grass do however not require any infill. Under the 30 edges normally seaming tape, soaked with a suitable adhesive, is provided to join the artificial grass sections and to prevent the edges to curl up. There may be a small gap between the edges to absorb some relative movement of the artificial grass sections. The artificial grass sections are in general supplied 35 on roll.

Such artificial grass section is for instance known from US Patent 4,152,473. The laying of this known artificial grass is complicated as a solvent is applied to solve the backing of the artificial grass partly as well as to solve a 40 volatile solvent material that is provided on the seaming tape, 2 such that backing and seaming tape will merge and adhere.

It is also common practice, instead of using solvents, to provide the seaming tape with adhesives, such as two component adhesives, in order to adhere the artificial grass 5 section to the seaming tape.

Both the application of solvents and adhesives is critical. In particular since the backing of the artificial grass is permeable. Application of too much solvent or adhesive will damage or stain the artificial grass, in particular its 10 backing and the fibers. This is unacceptable from a functional and aesthetic point of view. Further the application of solvents or adhesives may require specific weather conditions.

The present invention intends to solve one or more of the problems of the prior art as described above, and it is in 15 particular an objective of the invention to provide easy to be laid artificial grass.

The artificial grass according to the invention is characterized by one or several of the appended claims.

According to the invention the backing at its lower 20 side is provided with a double sided self-adhesive tape and the tape opposite the side of the backing is provided with a protection foil. In this way the artificial grass section may be positioned directly on a foundation or on an substrate, such as a seaming tape, edge by edge, without the need to apply solvents 25 or adhesives. The seaming tape may therefore be omitted or may be of a basic type. As soon as the artificial grass sections are positioned in a satisfactory way, simply by turning the section partly, removing the protection foil and replacing the turned part, the artificial grass section will adhere to the 30 foundation, the substrate or the seaming tape and is well positioned with respect to adjacent sections.

Preferably the double sided self-adhesive tape is provided along the long side of the artificial grass section. This makes it possible to remove the protection foil in one 35 movement over a large distance. Also from manufacturing point of view this is preferred as the double sided self-adhesive tape may be attached to the artificial grass section as part of the 3 manufacturing process, for instance combined with rolling up of the artificial grass section.

By placing the double sided self-adhesive tape near the edge of the artificial grass section, the edge of the section 5 will be well secured, preventing it to curl. Moreover, with the double side self-adhesive tape positioned at the edge of the section it is easily accessible for removing the protection foil.

According to another aspect of the invention the double 10 sided self-adhesive tape may protrude at the edge of the grass section and the protruding part of the tape at the side of the backing is provided with a second protection foil. By removing the second protection foil and positioning a second artificial grass section on that part of the double sided self-adhesive 15 tape, the first and second artificial grass section will be interconnected by that double sided self-adhesive tape and both will be secured to the foundation or any other substrate, all by the same tape.

To a further aspect of the invention the adhesive on 20 the tape is a butyl. Such adhesive will maintain its properties independent of the weather conditions. Typically the tape have a width between 15 an 200 mm, in order to provide sufficient adherence in relation to the type of conditions it will observe.

The method for laying an artificial grass section 25 according the invention comprises the steps of a) laying the artificial grass section with the double sided self-adhesive tape at a foundation or a substrate, b) turning the edge of the artificial grass section, c)removing the protection foil and d) returning the edge of the artificial grass section such that the 30 double sided self-adhesive tape adheres to the foundation or substrate. In this way the artificial grass sections may easily be interconnected and be connected directly to the foundation or a substrate. Such substrate may be a seaming tape or for instance a permeable mat.

35 The various aspects of the invention will now be described in more detail and will be elucidated, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows in 4 - Figure 1, a perspective view of two artificial grass sections according to the invention, with a seaming tape on a foundation; - Figure 2, a cross-sectional view of two artificial grass 5 sections according to the invention, directly secured to the foundation; - Figure 3, a cross-sectional view of two artificial grass sections according to the invention, secured on a permeable substrate; 10 - Figure 4, a cross-sectional view of an artificial grass section provided with a protruding double sided self-adhesive tape; and - Figure 5, across-sectional view of the artificial grass section according to Figure 4, secured to a seaming tape 15 and to an adjacent section.

In Figure 1 on a hard foundation 4 a seaming tape 3 is positioned under two artificial grass sections 1 and 2. Section 1 is attached to seaming tape 3 by double sided self-adhesive tape 7. The double sided self-adhesive tape is with one of both 20 adhesive sides attached to the backing 5 of the artificial grass section, along the long side of the artificial grass section and near the edge thereof. This backing is in general made of a permeable material for drainage of water. The backing is provided with a multitude of fibers 6. The section 1 and 2 may 25 be infiltrated with sand to hold the sections down and to ensure that the fibers are upright. There are however also types of artificial grass available that do not require such infiltration. The present invention may be applied for artificial grass of both the infill and non-infill type. In 30 addition the section may be infiltrated with rubber crumb for a soft feel underfoot and to provide more comfort when sliding. Section 2 is at its edge turned such that the protection foil 9 may be removed from the double side self-adhesive tape 7. After removal of the protection foil the turned part of section 2 may 35 be placed on seaming tape 3. The sections 1 and 2 are then positioned edge to edge. The seaming tape 3 will prevent the edges of the section 1 and 2 to curl. Between the edges a small gap may introduced in order to absorb some small movement of the 5 section 1 and 2 relative to each other. The laying of the sections according to the invention is a smooth and clean operation .

In the embodiment of the invention of Figure 2 the same 5 artificial grass sections 1 and 2 are directly secured to foundation 4. Such configuration is in particular suitable for permanent courts and field. In case of outdoor application a hard impermeable foundation will require an incorporated drainage system or a permeable substrate should be provided in 10 between the foundation and the artificial grass sections for drainage. Such permeable substrate 11 is provided for in the embodiment of Figure 3.

The artificial grass section of Figure 4 is provided with a protruding double sided self-adhesive tape 13. This tape 15 13 consists of a double sided adhesive layer 14, a first protection foil 15 and a second protection foil 16. With reference to Figure 5, the artificial grass section 2 may be fixed to seaming tape 3, positioned on foundation 4, by removing the first protection foil 15. After removing the second 20 protection foil 16 an adjacent artificial grass section 17 may placed with its edge on the self-adhesive tape 13. Both sections 12 and 17 are thus connected, edge to edge, and are also connected to the seaming tape, just by one and the same doublesided self-adhesive tape 13.

25 The figures of the drawing are all schematic an it should therefore be understood that the self adhesive tapes and the seaming tapes have a neglect able thickness such that this will not noticeably influence the flatness of the field or court.

30 To the person skilled in art it is obvious that the above given embodiments represent only a few of the many possible variations in which the artificial grass sections according to the invention may be embodied. Therefore the embodiments given here must be understood as an elucidation to 35 the appended claims without limiting the scope of the invention. Within the protective scope numerous variations are conceivable.

Claims

Artificial grass part (1,2) for placement on a surface (4) and provided with a back piece (5), characterized in that the back piece (5) is provided on the underside with a double-sided self-adhesive tape (7) and that the double-sided self-adhesive tape 5 (7) on the side remote from the back piece (5) is provided with a protective film (9).

Artificial grass part (1,2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the double-sided self-adhesive tape (7) is arranged along the long side of the artificial grass part (1,2).

The artificial grass part (1,2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the double-sided self-adhesive tape is arranged near an edge of the artificial grass part (1,2).

Artificial grass part (1,2) according to claim 3, characterized in that the double-sided self-adhesive tape (13) protrudes from the edge 15 of the artificial grass part (12) and that the protruding part of the double-sided self-adhesive tape (13) is on the side of the back piece (5) is provided with a second protective film (16).

The artificial grass part (1,2,12) according to claim 1, characterized in that the glue of the double-sided self-adhesive tape 20 (7,13) is a butyl.

The artificial grass part (1,2,12) according to claim 1, characterized in that the double-sided self-adhesive tape (7,13) has a width of between 15 and 200 mm.

7. Method for laying an artificial grass part 25 (1,2,12) according to claim 1, comprising the steps of a) laying the artificial grass part (1,2,12) on a substrate (4) or substrate (3) , b) turning over an edge of the artificial grass part (1,2,12), c) removing the protective film (9,15) and d) turning back the edge of the artificial grass part 30 (1,2,12) in such a way that the double-sided self-adhesive tape (7,13) adheres to the substrate (4) or the substrate (3).

Method for laying an artificial grass part (1.2.12) according to claim 7, characterized in that the substrate is a seam band (3).

Method for laying an artificial grass part (1.2.12) according to claim 7, characterized in that the substrate