Artificial playground surface with grass

Abstract

A multi-layered surface suitable for a playground, including a top layer of perforated resilient mats is also provided with a bottom shock-absorbing layer having pockets or perforations capable of supporting the growth of grass or other plant material from under the mats. A middle mesh layer helps distributes forces sideways. This invention overcomes the inherent absence of resilience in grassed playgrounds and is compatible with formal tests for impact resistance. The resulting playground environment is more natural in appearance than that of an undressed plastics mat surface.

1 . An artificial surface for a children's playground wherein the artificial surface is resilient and is further comprised of a plurality of layers; the layers providing for the support of a plurality of living plants namely grass plants; the layers being perforated thereby forming an array of apertures over the surface extending downwards to a lower layer bearing soil; said apertures allowing the plants to grow upwards through the apertures in the mats and above the artificial surface. 
   
   
       2 . An artificial surface for a children's playground as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the plurality of layers comprises a first, uppermost layer made of a flexible, moulded or cast material in the form of a plurality of cast, laterally joinable modular mats; each mat including a plurality of perforations and an embossed upper surface, a second layer comprising a stiff, perforated sheet or mesh, supported upon a third layer comprising a thick resilient weight-bearing layer including a plurality of cavities; each cavity being capable of holding at least one living plant within a support matrix, so that the living plants can, when in use, grow upwards through the perforations in the mats and above the artificial surface. 
   
   
       3 . An artificial surface for a playground as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the mats of the first layer are comprised of a plastics composition including polyvinyl chloride, at least one plasticiser, and at least one filler. 
   
   
       4 . An artificial surface for a playground as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the composition of the first layer further includes a coloring material. 
   
   
       5 . An artificial surface for a playground as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the first layer is spaced apart from the mesh layer by the provision of a plurality of downwardly projecting pegs forming part of the first layer all of which pegs, when in use, rest upon the middle layer. 
   
   
       6 . An artificial surface for a playground as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the second (mesh) layer is relatively stiff so that a load applied from the uppermost surface over a small area is at least partially distributed in a sideways direction yet the second layer includes sufficient perforations to allow plant material to grow through the middle layer. 
   
   
       7 . An artificial surface for a playground as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein, when in use, the surface has sufficient impact absorbtion capacity characteristics for use as a children's’ playground (as determined by an appropriate standard test method) and includes structural modifications providing for the germination and growth of grass so that the grass emerges through the artificial surface 
   
   
       8 . An artificial surface for a playground as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the third layer is water-resistant and water-permeable and is resilient.