GB2309172A - Weather protection cover for land areas - Google Patents

Description

WEATHER PROTECTION COVERS FOR LAND AREAS The present invention relates to a weather protection apparatus for land areas and in particular to apparatus having a cover which is inflatable, and to a method of assembling such apparatus. The invention is applicable in particular, though not exclusively, to the prevention of frost in a sports surface and to the thawing of a frozen surface.

Covers for protecting large area sports surfaces are known from GB 1,214,798 and GB 2,139,100. These covers comprise large tarpaulins which are spread over the surface to be protected. A continuous flow of air is blown under the covers to inflate the covers and elevate a central region thereof. A problem with these covers is that they are extremely large and heavy and it is not a simple matter to position them over a surface. Typically, a waterlogged cover for a football pitch may weigh ten tons or more.

Furthermore, it is difficult to store and transport these covers and it is generally necessary, particularly in the case of especially large surfaces such as football and rugby pitches, to have them permanently located beside the surface. However, this can be an uneconomic option for sports surface operators given that the cover may be in use only for a few weeks every year. Further, the continuous presence of a cover beside the surface may be inconvenient and, for example, restrict access to a running track surrounding the pitch. The stored cover may also be vulnerable to damage.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or at least mitigate the disadvantages of known covers as set out above. It is a further object of the present invention to provide weather protection apparatus which can be easily transported from one land area to another.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided weather protection apparatus for a land area, the apparatus comprising a plurality of cover strips which, in use, are laid side-by-side to cover the land area, longitudinally extending edge regions of adjacent cover strips being provided with mutually cooperating temporary fastening means to form a substantially air and water-tight seal between the strips, wherein the cover strips can be assembled to provide a relatively large air and water-tight cover, the apparatus further comprising edge securing means for securing the periphery of the cover to the land area such that air may be blown under the cover to elevate a central portion of the cover from the land area surface.

The invention is preferably provided in combination with air blowing means for blowing air under the cover to inflate the cover.

The present invention provides a cover which can be quickly and easily disassembled into a plurality of relatively small sections, which sections may be rolled up and easily transported for storage away from the land area or for transfer between venues. The invention provides for the possibility of offering a large area weather protection cover for hire to venues for which permanent hire or purchase is not economically viable.

Preferably, the temporary fastening means provided along the longitudinally extending edge regions of the cover strips comprises hook and loop fasteners, such as those sold under the Velcro trademark. Alternative fastening means include, for example, press-fit studs or strips, or lacing means.

Preferably also, the edge securing means comprises pole pockets extending along the outermost longitudinally extending edge regions of the cover strips arranged at either end of the cover, and pole pockets provided along the outermost transversely extending edge regions of each cover strip. These pole pockets are arranged to receive scaffold poles or the like which can be secured to the land area to be protected. Securing may be achieved by attaching flexible members such as webbed strips at spaced apart locations to each pole and by providing ratchet means, secured to the surface by pins, for receiving and tensioning the webbing.

In order to enable a single cover to be used with land areas of different sizes, one or more additional inner pole pockets may be provided to allow the cover to be secured over a smaller area of land.

Preferably also, one or more of the cover strips is provided with a cut-out section, reinforced with webbing or similar material, to receive ducts for carrying air from the air blowing means to inflate the cover.

In order to prevent frost forming in the land area, and to permit growth of grass during cold weather, the air blown under the cover may be heated. The provision of heated air will also aid in thawing already frozen ground and will increase the speed at which water-logged ground dries.

In one embodiment of the invention, the cover material, or a portion thereof, is transparent or translucent. By allowing the surface to be exposed to sunlight, prolonged use (for example one week or longer) of the cover will not seriously affect grass growth or condition over the area.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of protecting a land area from adverse weather conditions, the method comprising laying a plurality of cover strips, side-by-side, over the land area to be protected, temporarily joining adjacent strips along their opposed longitudinally extending edge regions to provide a substantially air and water-tight seal therebetween, securing the periphery of the cover to the land area and blowing air under the cover to inflate the cover.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for providing weather protection for a land area, the apparatus comprising a substantially air and water-tight cover, means for securing the cover around its periphery to the land area, and means for blowing air under the cover to inflate the cover, at least a portion of the cover being of a material which is at least partially transparent or translucent to allow light to penetrate through the cover to the covered land surface thereby allowing natural development of grass over the surface.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for providing weather protection for a land area, the apparatus comprising a substantially air and water-tight cover, means for securing the cover to the land area, and means for blowing air under the cover to inflate the cover, wherein the means for securing the cover to the land area comprises a first set of pole pockets provided around the peripheral edge regions of the cover and one or more further sets of pole pockets provided around the cover and arranged inwardly of the first set of pole pockets, wherein poles are inserted into a selected one of the sets of pole pockets in dependence upon the area of land to be protected.

The third and fourth aspects of the invention may be provided in combination with the first aspect of the invention and the preferred features thereof.

For a better understanding of the present invention and in order to show how the same may be carried into effect reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a weather protection cover in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line A-A of Figure 1 showing the cover in its inflated condition; and Figure 3 shows one of a plurality of cover strips used to form the cover of Figures 1 and 2.

A cover for providing protection for a sport surface against adverse weather conditions will now be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The cover 1 comprises a large rectangular section of water and air-tight material which may be, for example, reinforced vinyl. When assembled, the cover 1 extends over the entire region of the surface to be protected, with the periphery of the cover 1 being secured to the surface. An air blower (not shown in the Figures) blows a continuous supply of air underneath the cover 1 through cover openings 2, 3 provided at each end of the cover. The supply of air is sufficient, despite the lack of perfect air-tight seals, to raise the centre of the cover off the ground. The cover thus prevents rain water and snow from collecting on the sports surface.

In order to prevent frost from forming on the surface, to thaw already frozen surfaces or to promote grass growth, the air blown under the cover may be heated.

The cover is formed from a plurality of elongate strips of material 4 which are laid side by side over the surface and are joined at adjacent, overlapping, iongitudinaily extending edge regions by temporary fastening means 5. As shown in Figure 3, each longitudinally extending edge region 6 is provided with one side of a hook and loop Velcro fastener 7. As the strips 4 are laid side-by-side, adjacent and overlapping fasteners 7 are coupled together. It has been found that the degree of sealing provided by the fasteners 7 is sufficiently airtight to allow the assembled cover to be inflated and to prevent water from penetrating through the cover to any significant extent. It has not previously been appreciated that such temporary fastening means could provide an adequate degree of sealing, and thus prior proposals have utilised permanent fastening methods, and preferably welding.

The outermost longitudinally extending edges of the two outermost cover strips 4a, 4b are provided with pole pockets 8 arranged to receive scaffold poles 9 or the like.

Similarly, the short transverse edges of each strip 4 are provided with pole pockets 10. Once the cover has been assembled, scaffold poles 9 are inserted through the pockets 8, 10. In order to secure the cover 1 to the surface, and to allow it to be inflated, webbing straps 11 are secured around the scaffold poles 10 at spaced apart intervals. The webbing straps are fixed to respective steel pins 12, hammered into the surface, via ratchets 13.

The ratchets 13 are then used to tension the webbing strips 11, pulling the poles and the associated edges of the strips to the surface and substantially reducing the flow of aIr under the edges of the cover.

The cover strips 4 are small enough and light enough (e.g. 1/4 ton) to be manhandled even when waterlogged.

In order to allow the cover 1 to be used with a variety of surface sizes, one or more additional, inner, pole pockets 14 may be provided on the cover strips 4 as shown in Figure 1.

Where the cover material is substantially opaque, prolonged use of the cover may result in damage to grass covering the sports surface. In order to alleviate this problem, the cover strips are formed of a material which is at least partially transparent or translucent to sunlight; even a relatively low level of light transmitted to the grass surface can significantly improve the surface condition.

It will be appreciated that modifications may be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in order to achieve a satisfactory seal between adjacent cover strips it is possible to join adjacent edges by way of cooperating, elongate flexible PVC extrusions which are press-fitted together as an alternative or in addition to the hook and loop-type fasteners described above.

Claims (14)

1. Protection apparatus for a land area, the apparatus comprising a plurality of cover strips which, in use, are laid side-by-side to cover the land area, longitudinally extending edge regions of adjacent cover strips being provided with mutually cooperating temporary fastening means to form a substantially air and water-tight seal between the strips, wherein the cover strips can be assembled to provide a relatively large air and water-tight cover, the apparatus further comprising edge securing means for securing the periphery of the cover to the land area such that air may be blown under the cover to elevate a central portion of the cover from the land area surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, in combination with air blowing means for blowing air under the cover to inflate the cover.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the temporary fastening means provided along the longitudinally extending edge regions of the cover strips comprises hook and loop fasteners.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the edge securing means comprises pole pockets extending along the outermost longitudinally extending edge regions of the cover strips arranged at either end of the cover, pole pockets provided along the outermost transversely extending edge regions of each cover strip, and scaffold poles or the like for location in the pole pockets, wherein the scaffold poles or the like can be secured to the land area to be protected.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the securing means further includes flexible members attached at spaced apart locations to each pole and ratchet means, adapted to be secured to the surface by pins, for receiving and tensioning the flexible members.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 or 5, wherein, in order to enable a single cover to be used with land areas of different sizes, one or more additional inner pole pockets are provided to allow the cover to be secured over a smaller area of land.

7. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein one or more of the cover strips is provided with a cut-out section, reinforced with webbing or similar material, to receive ducts for carrying air from air blowing means to inflate the cover.

8. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein at least a portion of the cover material is transparent or translucent.

9. A method of protecting a land area, the method comprising laying a plurality of cover strips, side-byside, over the land area to be protected, temporarily joining adjacent strips along their opposed longitudinally extending edge regions to provide a substantially air and water-tight seal therebetween, securing the periphery of the cover to the land area and blowing air under the cover to inflate the cover.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the air blown under the cover is heated.

11. Apparatus for providing protection for a land area, the apparatus comprising a substantially air and watertight cover, means for securing the cover around its periphery to the land area, and means for blowing air under the cover to inflate the cover, at least a portion of the cover being of a material which is at least partially transparent or translucent to allow light to penetrate through the cover to the covered land surface thereby allowing natural development of grass over the surface.

12. Apparatus for providing protection for a land area, the apparatus comprising a substantially air and watertight cover, means for securing the cover to the land area, and means for blowing air under the cover to inflate the cover, wherein the means for securing the cover to the land area comprises a first set of pole pockets provided around the peripheral edge regions of the cover and one or more further sets of pole pockets provided around the cover and arranged inwardly of the first set of pole pockets, wherein poles are inserted into a selected one of the sets of pole pockets in dependence upon the area of land to be protected.

13. Protection apparatus for a land area substantially as described herein and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

14. The method of protecting a land area substantially as described herein and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.