Sports surface

Abstract

A sports surface is disclosed with upstanding synthetic yarn tufts which simulate blades of grass. The blades are widely spaced and supported by an under layer of high denier, knit-deknit yarn tufts, without the need of particulate in-fill.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A synthetic sports surface comprising: 
 a flexible backing;    a first yarn tufted at spaced intervals in said backing to provide first yarn segments extending upwardly from said backing suggestive of blades of grass; and    a second yarn tufted in the intervals between said first yarn, to provide second yarn segments; 
 wherein the second yarn segments are a texturized yarn having a length under tension approximately equal to that of the first yarn segments;  
 wherein the second yarn segments form a layer having a lower vertical height than the first yarn segments; and  
 wherein the second yarn segments are sufficiently numerous and of sufficient dimension to maintain the first yarn segments in an approximately vertical orientation in use without requiring the provision of a particulate fill.  
   
     
     
         2 . The synthetic sports surface of  claim 1 , wherein the second yarn is a knit-deknit yarn having a kinked form.  
     
     
         3 . The synthetic sports surface of  claim 2 , wherein the second yarn has a denier of at least 7000.  
     
     
         4 . The synthetic sports surface of  claim 1 , further comprising a third yarn tufted in the intervals between the first yarn to provide third yarn segments, which together with the second yarn segments form the mat which maintains the first yarn segments in an approximately vertical orientation.  
     
     
         5 . The synthetic sports surface of  claim 2 , wherein the first, second and third yarns are of different denier.  
     
     
         6 . The synthetic sports surface of  claim 1 , wherein the first yarn is a twisted fibrillated, polyethylene tape yarn.  
     
     
         7 . The synthetic sports surface of  claim 1 , wherein the first yarn segments extend upwardly from the backing from 2 to 3 inches.  
     
     
         8 . The synthetic sports surface of  claim 1 , wherein the first yarn is made from a thermoplastic having a coefficient of friction lower than unmodified nylon.  
     
     
         9 . The synthetic sports surface of  claim 8 , wherein the first yarn is made from a nylon modified with an additive for lowering the coefficient of friction selected from the group comprising silicone and Teflon.  
     
     
         10 . A game playing surface 
 having first upstanding tufts of polymeric yarn at least one inch in height, tufted at intervals of at least ½ inch and    having second, tufts of knit-deknit yarn located around the upstanding tufts wherein the upstanding tufts extend upwardly beyond the second tufts and wherein at least about half of the yarn face weight is contained in the second tufts.    
     
     
         11 . A method of making a sports surface comprising: 
 providing a carpet tufting machine for producing rows of tufts in a backing with a separation distance G;    feeding a first yarn to the tufting machine for producing first tufts at line separations no less than twice G to form tufts of vertical length L;    feeding a second, knit-deknit yarn to the tufting machine for producing second tufts between said first tufts, said second tufts having a length under tension approximately equal to the height L; and    heat treating the tufted backing to cause the yarn of the second tufts to tend to return to their knitted shape, thereby forming a supporting base for maintaining the first tufts in an approximately vertical orientation.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least about half of the yarn face weight is contained in the second tufts.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the denier of the yarn of the second tufts is at least about 7000.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the separation between first tufts in a row is at least about ½ inch.