EP2087066A1 - Sports grounds with a synthetic turf - Google Patents
Sports grounds with a synthetic turfInfo
- Publication number
- EP2087066A1 EP2087066A1 EP07826125A EP07826125A EP2087066A1 EP 2087066 A1 EP2087066 A1 EP 2087066A1 EP 07826125 A EP07826125 A EP 07826125A EP 07826125 A EP07826125 A EP 07826125A EP 2087066 A1 EP2087066 A1 EP 2087066A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- synthetic
- layer
- filling material
- natural
- natural organic
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- C09K—MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- C09K17/00—Soil-conditioning materials or soil-stabilising materials
- C09K17/14—Soil-conditioning materials or soil-stabilising materials containing organic compounds only
- C09K17/16—Soil-conditioning materials or soil-stabilising materials containing organic compounds only applied in a physical form other than a solution or a grout, e.g. as platelets or granules
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
- E01C—CONSTRUCTION OF, OR SURFACES FOR, ROADS, SPORTS GROUNDS, OR THE LIKE; MACHINES OR AUXILIARY TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR
- E01C13/00—Pavings or foundations specially adapted for playgrounds or sports grounds; Drainage, irrigation or heating of sports grounds
- E01C13/08—Surfaces simulating grass ; Grass-grown sports grounds
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a filling material for synthetic grass sports grounds and to the associated sports grounds comprising said filling material.
- Synthetic fibre turfs used as surfacing for sports grounds for example, for golf courses, tennis courts, hockey or football pitches are known. These usually comprise synthetic fibres capable of simulating the fibres of natural grass and made for example from synthetic materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, polyamide. The synthetic fibres are attached to a substrate conventionally made from polypropylene fabric, optionally combined with geotextiles or reinforcing meshes.
- the reverse of the substrate namely the opposite side to which the fibres are attached, is then spread with synthetic rubber latex, polyurethane, PVC or another material to anchor the fibres permanently to the substrate, such that said fibres assume an overall V-shape and a final length suitable for simulating a natural grass surface, hi order to hold the fibres in a substantially upright position, a filling material is dispersed between the fibres.
- Conventional filling materials consist of a mass of plastics granules, which is generally laid in a layer over a compact layer of sand. Both of the above-stated layers are dispersed between the synthetic fibres attached to the support with the aim of also preventing the fibres from being completely folded over during use of the turf.
- the filling materials are usually composed of a mass of granules of UV-stabilized thermoplastic or vulcanised synthetic material derived from virgin compounds and/or from recycling materials which are no longer in use such as tyres (SBR), moulding industry processing waste from the production of shoe soles, gaskets, medicine stoppers and the like (SBR, EPDM, etc.).
- SBR tyres
- SBR moulding industry processing waste from the production of shoe soles, gaskets, medicine stoppers and the like
- the mass of granular material constituting the filling material has the function of imparting greater elasticity to the synthetic grass sports grounds, so enhancing the bounce of the ball and avoiding the injuries which users would suffer if the fibres were filled solely by the compact layer of sand.
- the filling material must exhibit some essential characteristics, including not being subject to variation due to atmospheric agents. In particular, it must be non-hygroscopic and frostproof, even without the addition of additives such as salt, which are highly polluting.
- the sand, filler material and synthetic fibres must be separated.
- this separation operation is costly and complex when the filling material is a plastics material which is no longer reusable and is of elevated specific weight.
- plastics materials most commonly used as filling materials may contain harmful substances, which means that such materials may constitute a hazard both to human health and to the environment.
- the object of the present invention is to provide a filling material for synthetic grass sports grounds which allows the above-stated problems to be overcome straightforwardly and economically and which in particular makes it possible to produce sports grounds which, at the time of disposal, do not cause environmental problems and which do not in general constitute a threat to human health.
- said object is achieved by means of a filling material consisting of a mass of particulate material comprising granules, each granule consisting of a core of natural organic material, in particular cork, coated with a coating layer of natural or synthetic resin.
- the filling material of the invention will be designated as natural organic filling material.
- the core coating layer may be composed of any single-component or two-component natural and/or synthetic resin.
- a natural resin suitable for use in the present invention which may be mentioned by way of example is natural rubber; synthetic resins which may be mentioned are polyurethane resins and silicone resins. Polyurethane resin is highly preferred as a coating material for the cork. Whilst
- the natural organic filler material of the present invention is produced as follows. First of all, the natural organic starting material, preferably cork, is crushed or ground to obtain granules of variable shape and size but having a particle size within the range from 0.1-10 mm. The granules are then placed in a vessel equipped with a dispenser and mixer (which may be automatic or manual) and are sprayed with the coating resin at ambient temperature. The quantity of resin used varies between 0.1 and 90% by weight relative to the weight of the material to be treated. Once a homogeneous mixture is obtained, a catalyst/accelerator is added which ensures that crosslinking proceeds sufficiently rapidly. The type and quantity of catalyst/accelerator varies depending on the resin used and selection thereof is within the ability of a person skilled in the art.
- the resultant coating layer formed on the core imparts some advantageous characteristics to the material.
- the granules become waterproof (thanks to saturation of the cork pores), rotproof and increase their wear resistance and density (increase of approx. 15-35%), without losing their original elasticity.
- the invention furthermore relates to a synthetic turf sports ground comprising the above- described natural organic filler material.
- a synthetic turf sports ground falling within the scope of the invention is shown by way of non-limiting example in the attached drawing, in which (1) denotes the overall synthetic turf sports ground.
- the synthetic turf sports ground (1) comprises a plurality of synthetic fibres capable of simulating the fibres of natural grass denoted overall as (2), each synthetic fibre being attached to a support (3).
- the synthetic fibres are held in substantially upright position by means of a filling layer dispersed between the synthetic fibres (2), in which the filling layer comprises natural organic filling material according to the invention.
- the filling layer is composed solely of the natural organic filling material of the invention.
- the filling layer comprises a layer of natural organic filling material (6) according to the invention and a layer of sand (5).
- the layer of sand (5) is located between the support (3) and the layer of natural organic filling material (6).
- the synthetic fibres (2) are of a length capable of simulating the fibres of natural grass, preferably a length of 5-70 mm, and have a substantially V-shaped configuration perpendicular to the support (3). They are made, for example, from polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide or polyester.
- the percentage by weight of the natural organic filling material (6) relative to the total weight of the filling layer may vary between 5% and 100%.
- the sports ground according to the present invention advantageously comprises a natural organic filling material, such as cork, which does not exhibit problems of environmental compatibility or disposal. Said material is furthermore available at low cost.
- coating the cork with a resin as described above makes it possible to obtain a material which is fireproof, non-hygroscopic (and consequently frostproof) and rotproof, without losing the elasticity of the original material, which promotes the elasticity of the corresponding sports ground and thus the bounce and spin of the ball in play. Finally, such features reduce the probability of physical injury to the users of the sports ground.
Landscapes
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Soil Sciences (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Architecture (AREA)
- Civil Engineering (AREA)
- Structural Engineering (AREA)
- Road Paving Structures (AREA)
- Acyclic And Carbocyclic Compounds In Medicinal Compositions (AREA)
Abstract
The invention describes a natural organic filling material for synthetic turf sports grounds consisting of a mass of particulate material comprising granules, each granule consisting of a core of a natural organic material coated with a coating layer of synthetic or natural resin. A corresponding synthetic grass sports playing surface comprising a plurality of synthetic fibres capable of simulating the fibres of natural grass (2), each synthetic fibre being attached to a support (3) and held in substantially upright position by means of a layer of filling material dispersed between the synthetic fibres (2) comprising the natural organic filling material of the invention (6) and optionally a layer of sand (5) located between the support (3) and the layer of natural organic filling material (6), is also described.
Description
Sports grounds with a synthetic turf
The present invention relates to a filling material for synthetic grass sports grounds and to the associated sports grounds comprising said filling material.
Synthetic fibre turfs used as surfacing for sports grounds, for example, for golf courses, tennis courts, hockey or football pitches are known. These usually comprise synthetic fibres capable of simulating the fibres of natural grass and made for example from synthetic materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, polyamide. The synthetic fibres are attached to a substrate conventionally made from polypropylene fabric, optionally combined with geotextiles or reinforcing meshes. The reverse of the substrate, namely the opposite side to which the fibres are attached, is then spread with synthetic rubber latex, polyurethane, PVC or another material to anchor the fibres permanently to the substrate, such that said fibres assume an overall V-shape and a final length suitable for simulating a natural grass surface, hi order to hold the fibres in a substantially upright position, a filling material is dispersed between the fibres.
Conventional filling materials consist of a mass of plastics granules, which is generally laid in a layer over a compact layer of sand. Both of the above-stated layers are dispersed between the synthetic fibres attached to the support with the aim of also preventing the fibres from being completely folded over during use of the turf.
The filling materials are usually composed of a mass of granules of UV-stabilized thermoplastic or vulcanised synthetic material derived from virgin compounds and/or from recycling materials which are no longer in use such as tyres (SBR), moulding industry processing waste from the production of shoe soles, gaskets, medicine stoppers and the like (SBR, EPDM, etc.).
The mass of granular material constituting the filling material has the function of imparting greater elasticity to the synthetic grass sports grounds, so enhancing the bounce of the ball and avoiding the injuries which users would suffer if the fibres were filled solely by the compact layer of sand.
W
The filling material must exhibit some essential characteristics, including not being subject to variation due to atmospheric agents. In particular, it must be non-hygroscopic and frostproof, even without the addition of additives such as salt, which are highly polluting.
Furthermore, when it becomes necessary to replace the turf, the sand, filler material and synthetic fibres must be separated. However, this separation operation is costly and complex when the filling material is a plastics material which is no longer reusable and is of elevated specific weight.
Furthermore, the plastics materials most commonly used as filling materials, in particular SBR rubber, may contain harmful substances, which means that such materials may constitute a hazard both to human health and to the environment.
The object of the present invention is to provide a filling material for synthetic grass sports grounds which allows the above-stated problems to be overcome straightforwardly and economically and which in particular makes it possible to produce sports grounds which, at the time of disposal, do not cause environmental problems and which do not in general constitute a threat to human health.
According to the present invention, said object is achieved by means of a filling material consisting of a mass of particulate material comprising granules, each granule consisting of a core of natural organic material, in particular cork, coated with a coating layer of natural or synthetic resin.
In the remainder of the description, the filling material of the invention will be designated as natural organic filling material.
The core coating layer may be composed of any single-component or two-component natural and/or synthetic resin. A natural resin suitable for use in the present invention which may be mentioned by way of example is natural rubber; synthetic resins which may be mentioned are polyurethane resins and silicone resins. Polyurethane resin is highly preferred as a coating material for the cork.
W „
The natural organic filler material of the present invention is produced as follows. First of all, the natural organic starting material, preferably cork, is crushed or ground to obtain granules of variable shape and size but having a particle size within the range from 0.1-10 mm. The granules are then placed in a vessel equipped with a dispenser and mixer (which may be automatic or manual) and are sprayed with the coating resin at ambient temperature. The quantity of resin used varies between 0.1 and 90% by weight relative to the weight of the material to be treated. Once a homogeneous mixture is obtained, a catalyst/accelerator is added which ensures that crosslinking proceeds sufficiently rapidly. The type and quantity of catalyst/accelerator varies depending on the resin used and selection thereof is within the ability of a person skilled in the art.
The resultant coating layer formed on the core imparts some advantageous characteristics to the material. The granules become waterproof (thanks to saturation of the cork pores), rotproof and increase their wear resistance and density (increase of approx. 15-35%), without losing their original elasticity.
The invention furthermore relates to a synthetic turf sports ground comprising the above- described natural organic filler material.
A synthetic turf sports ground falling within the scope of the invention is shown by way of non-limiting example in the attached drawing, in which (1) denotes the overall synthetic turf sports ground.
The synthetic turf sports ground (1) comprises a plurality of synthetic fibres capable of simulating the fibres of natural grass denoted overall as (2), each synthetic fibre being attached to a support (3). The synthetic fibres are held in substantially upright position by means of a filling layer dispersed between the synthetic fibres (2), in which the filling layer comprises natural organic filling material according to the invention.
In one embodiment not shown in the figure, the filling layer is composed solely of the natural organic filling material of the invention.
In another embodiment, shown in the figure, the filling layer comprises a layer of natural organic filling material (6) according to the invention and a layer of sand (5). In this embodiment, the layer of sand (5) is located between the support (3) and the layer of natural organic filling material (6).
The synthetic fibres (2) are of a length capable of simulating the fibres of natural grass, preferably a length of 5-70 mm, and have a substantially V-shaped configuration perpendicular to the support (3). They are made, for example, from polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide or polyester.
The percentage by weight of the natural organic filling material (6) relative to the total weight of the filling layer may vary between 5% and 100%.
The sports ground according to the present invention advantageously comprises a natural organic filling material, such as cork, which does not exhibit problems of environmental compatibility or disposal. Said material is furthermore available at low cost. Finally, coating the cork with a resin as described above makes it possible to obtain a material which is fireproof, non-hygroscopic (and consequently frostproof) and rotproof, without losing the elasticity of the original material, which promotes the elasticity of the corresponding sports ground and thus the bounce and spin of the ball in play. Finally, such features reduce the probability of physical injury to the users of the sports ground.
It is apparent that, modifications and variants falling within the ability of a person skilled in the art may be made to the natural organic filling material of the invention and to the corresponding sports grounds and that such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. Natural organic filling material for synthetic turf sports grounds consisting of a mass of particulate material comprising granules, each granule consisting of a core of a natural organic material coated with a coating layer of synthetic or natural resin.
2. Filling material according to Claim 1, in which the natural organic material is cork.
3. Filling material according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the coating layer is made of a material selected from natural resins and synthetic resins, in particular polyurethane resins and silicone resins.
4. Filling material according to Claim 3, in which the coating layer consists of polyurethane resin.
5. Synthetic turf sports ground (1) comprising a plurality of synthetic fibres (2) capable of simulating the fibres of natural grass, each synthetic fibre being attached to a support (3) and held in substantially upright position by means of a filling layer dispersed between the synthetic fibres (2), the filling layer comprising a natural organic filling material according to any of Claims 1 to 4.
6. Synthetic turf sports ground according to Claim 5, in which the filling layer comprises a layer of natural organic filling material (6) according to any of Claims 1 to 4 and a layer of sand (5), the layer of sand (5) being located between the support (3) and the layer of filling material (6).
7. Synthetic turf sports ground according to Claim 5 or 6, in which the percentage by weight of natural organic filling material (6) relative to the total weight of the filling layer is between 5% and 100%.
8. Synthetic turf sports ground according to any of Claims 5 to 7, in which the synthetic fibres (2) are made of a material selected from polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamides and polyester.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
ITTO20060775 ITTO20060775A1 (en) | 2006-10-30 | 2006-10-30 | SPORTS PLAYING SURFACES WITH SYNTHETIC HERBS |
PCT/IB2007/053396 WO2008053389A1 (en) | 2006-10-30 | 2007-08-24 | Sports grounds with a synthetic turf |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP2087066A1 true EP2087066A1 (en) | 2009-08-12 |
Family
ID=39167451
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP07826125A Withdrawn EP2087066A1 (en) | 2006-10-30 | 2007-08-24 | Sports grounds with a synthetic turf |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP2087066A1 (en) |
IT (1) | ITTO20060775A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2008053389A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
IT202100021329A1 (en) | 2021-08-05 | 2023-02-05 | Adalberto Principi | PROCESS FOR THE CREATION OF FILLER MATERIAL FOR SYNTHETIC TURF, RELATIVE STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION |
Families Citing this family (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
ITMI20051403A1 (en) * | 2005-07-21 | 2007-01-22 | Italgreen S P A | STRUCTURE OF ARTIFICIAL HERBAL MANTO AND RELATIVE METHOD OF REALIZATION |
DE102009000179A1 (en) * | 2009-01-13 | 2010-07-15 | Evonik Degussa Gmbh | Quick test to determine the influence of irradiation on the abrasion of granules |
CN102964092B (en) * | 2012-10-23 | 2016-02-17 | 亿利沙材料科技有限责任公司 | For plantation sand and the methods for making and using same thereof in desert |
CN103952963B (en) * | 2014-05-07 | 2016-06-08 | 江苏共创人造草坪有限公司 | A kind of fire retardant man-made lawn and preparation method thereof |
ITUA20163186A1 (en) * | 2016-05-05 | 2017-11-05 | Polygreen S R L | FILLED MATERIAL FOR ARTIFICIAL HERBAL MANTI, ARTIFICIAL GRASS WEIGHT STRUCTURE AND RECYCLING METHOD |
EP3604676A1 (en) * | 2018-07-30 | 2020-02-05 | Polytex Sportbeläge Produktions-GmbH | Artificial turf infill with pu-coated walnut shell granulate |
EP3604677A1 (en) * | 2018-07-30 | 2020-02-05 | Polytex Sportbeläge Produktions-GmbH | Artificial turf infill with pu-coated corn cob granulate |
EP4242376A3 (en) | 2020-02-19 | 2024-01-24 | Tarkett Sports Canada Inc. | Artificial turf having olive pit particles |
IT202100000038A1 (en) | 2021-01-04 | 2022-07-04 | Polygreen S R L | PRODUCTION PROCESS OF A GRANULAR INFILL MATERIAL AND RELATED GRANULAR INFILL MATERIAL |
IT202200013222A1 (en) | 2022-06-22 | 2023-12-22 | Polygreen S R L | FILLING GRANULES, SYNTHETIC GRASS SURFACE COMPRISING SAID FILLING GRANULES AND RELATED PRODUCTION PROCESS |
Family Cites Families (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4337283A (en) * | 1980-09-11 | 1982-06-29 | Haas Jr Frederick T | Synthetic turf playing surface with resilient top-dressing |
US4637942A (en) * | 1985-09-23 | 1987-01-20 | Tecsyn Canada Limited | Synthetic grass playing field surface |
WO1989007635A1 (en) * | 1988-02-09 | 1989-08-24 | Martin Collins Enterprises Limited | Exercise areas |
GB9109536D0 (en) * | 1991-05-02 | 1991-06-26 | Bowers Frank | Polymeric compositions |
CA2247484C (en) * | 1998-09-21 | 2001-07-24 | Jean Prevost | Process of laying synthetic grass |
-
2006
- 2006-10-30 IT ITTO20060775 patent/ITTO20060775A1/en unknown
-
2007
- 2007-08-24 EP EP07826125A patent/EP2087066A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2007-08-24 WO PCT/IB2007/053396 patent/WO2008053389A1/en active Application Filing
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
See references of WO2008053389A1 * |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
IT202100021329A1 (en) | 2021-08-05 | 2023-02-05 | Adalberto Principi | PROCESS FOR THE CREATION OF FILLER MATERIAL FOR SYNTHETIC TURF, RELATIVE STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION |
EP4130382A1 (en) | 2021-08-05 | 2023-02-08 | Adalberto Principi | Process for the manufacture of filler material for synthetic turf, filler material for synthetic turf and coating substance |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
ITTO20060775A1 (en) | 2008-04-30 |
WO2008053389A1 (en) | 2008-05-08 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
EP2087066A1 (en) | Sports grounds with a synthetic turf | |
US7060334B2 (en) | Infill material for synthetic-grass structures, corresponding synthetic-grass structure and process of preparation | |
US4337283A (en) | Synthetic turf playing surface with resilient top-dressing | |
US6299959B1 (en) | Filled synthetic grass | |
US6527889B1 (en) | Method for making stabilized artificial turf | |
ES2708132T3 (en) | Artificial turf comprising an agglomerate filler | |
HU227351B1 (en) | Synthetic grass | |
WO1999005218A2 (en) | Sport and recreational surface | |
CN102549217A (en) | Artificial turf infill and artificial turf including the same | |
WO2009084150A1 (en) | Particulate substance for filling artificial turf and artificial turf structure filled with the particulate substance for filling artificial turf | |
JP5416921B2 (en) | Method for forming elastic pavement | |
JPH07158007A (en) | Artificial lawn made athletic ground | |
JPS587005A (en) | Construction of artificial turf athletic field | |
JP3874901B2 (en) | Artificial grass | |
US8889777B2 (en) | Engineered earthen recreational and sport surface | |
JP4022441B2 (en) | Artificial grass sports field | |
CN211006227U (en) | Outdoor special artificial turf protection ground structure | |
JPS646862Y2 (en) | ||
JPH026084Y2 (en) | ||
RU47013U1 (en) | COATING FOR CHILDREN, SPORTS FIELDS AND AQUAPARK | |
NL1032878C2 (en) | Substructure for an artificial grass field. | |
JPS6131046Y2 (en) | ||
JPS646863Y2 (en) | ||
JPS6335044Y2 (en) | ||
JPS5948505A (en) | Athletic field made of artificial turf |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 20090525 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MT NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR |
|
DAX | Request for extension of the european patent (deleted) | ||
17Q | First examination report despatched |
Effective date: 20100630 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN |
|
18D | Application deemed to be withdrawn |
Effective date: 20101111 |