Turf system for sports or decorative use and method for positioning such system

Abstract

A turf system comprising a base member having a predetermined thickness and a turf arranged to be positioned upon the base member. The turf comprises a mat provided with a first face and a second face opposite to the first face. The mat is configured to be water-permeable in such a way to allow rain or irrigation water to flow from the second face to the first face and to reach the base member. It is, furthermore, provided a plurality of blades made of synthetic material fixed to the mat and configured to protrude from the second face in such a way to form an artificial turf. The turf system comprises, furthermore, a base member constituted by natural fibres of vegetable origin that are kept together by an adhesive based on natural latex.

1 . A turf system comprising:
 a base member having a predetermined thickness and constituted by natural fibres of vegetable origin having a determined length;   a turf arranged to be positioned upon said base member, said turf comprising:
 a mat provided with a first face and a second face opposite to the first face, said mat being configured to be water-permeable in such a way to allow rain or irrigation water to flow from said second face to said first face and to reach said base member; and 
 a plurality of blades made of synthetic material fixed to said mat, said plurality of blades made of synthetic material being configured to protrude from said second face in such a way to form an artificial turf; 
   wherein:
 said base member is constituted by an adhesive based on natural latex arranged to keep said natural fibres of vegetable origin together; and 
 said predetermined thickness is greater than 5 mm. 
   
     
     
         2 . The turf system according to  claim 1 , wherein said predetermined thickness of said base member is comprised between 5 mm and 80 mm. 
     
     
         3 . The turf system according to  claim 1 , wherein said predetermined thickness of said base member is comprised between 8 mm and 50 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The turf system according to  claim 1 , wherein said length of said natural fibres of vegetable origin is greater than 5 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The turf system according to  claim 1 , wherein said natural fibres of vegetable origin are one or more selected from the group consisting of:
 fibres of coconut,   fibres of linen,   fibres of canvas,   fibres of jute,   fibres of ramie,   fibres of sisal,   fibres of cotton,   fibres of Genisteae,   fibres of  Manila  hemp,   fibres of bamboo,   fibres of  Ceiba pentandra,      fibres of straw,   fibres of  Hibiscus,      fibres of banana plant,   fibres of  Agave,      fibres of  Aloe,      fibres obtained from arboreous plants, and   fibres of  Eucalyptus.      
     
     
         6 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The turf system according to  claim 1  wherein said natural fibres of vegetable origin comprise at least two different types of natural fibres of vegetable origin selected from the group consisting of:
 fibres of coconut, 
 fibres of linen, 
 fibres of canvas, 
 fibres of jute, 
 fibres of ramie, 
 fibres of sisal, 
 fibres of cotton, 
 fibres of Genisteae, 
 fibres of  Manila  hemp, 
 fibres of bamboo, 
 fibres of  Ceiba pentandra,    
 fibres of straw, 
 fibres of  Hibiscus,    
 fibres of banana plant, 
 fibres of  Agave,    
 fibres of  Aloe , and 
 fibres obtained from arboreous plants. 
 
     
     
         23 . The turf system according to  claim 1 , wherein said base member comprises a predetermined amount of a natural antibacterial material selected from the group consisting of:
 rachis of cereal ear, which is not coated by a film, or layer of a coating material; and   cork; or   a combination thereof.   
     
     
         24 . The turf system according to  claim 1 , wherein said base member comprises at least a substantially planar member constituted by at least a layer of said natural fibres of vegetable origin pressed and kept together by said adhesive based on natural latex. 
     
     
         25 . The turf system according to  claim 1 , wherein said base member comprises a plurality of planar members adjacent to each other, said planar members adjacent to each other being mutually engaged by said adhesive based on natural latex. 
     
     
         26 . The turf system  claim 1 , wherein said artificial turf comprises, furthermore, a infill material arranged to be distributed on said second face of said mat. 
     
     
         27 . The turf system according to  claim 26 , wherein said infill material is constituted by loose material of vegetable origin selected from the group consisting of:
 maize cob or another rachis of cereal ear;   rice husks or other cereal husks;   a loose product obtained from raw material based on cork; and   a loose product obtained from raw material based on ground coconut; or   a combination thereof.   
     
     
         28 . The turf system according to  claim 27 , wherein said loose material of vegetable origin is obtained by a step of mixing a predetermined amount of the aforementioned loose material of vegetable origin with a predetermined amount of a predetermined compound based on at least a drying, or semi-drying oil, in such a way to improve the properties of the loose material of vegetable origin. 
     
     
         29 . The turf system according to  claim 1 , wherein said turf comprises blades of natural grass obtained by at least a vegetable species that form a natural grass turf, in such a way to obtain a mixed turf synthetic and natural. 
     
     
         30 . The turf system according to  claim 26 , wherein said infill material comprises synthetic material selected from the group consisting of:
 granules of rubber,   granules of a styrene-butadiene rubber,   granules of a thermoplastic material,   granules of an ethylene-propylene-diene monomer,   granules of polyvinyl chloride, and   granules of a synthetic organic material, or   a combination thereof.   
     
     
         31 . The turf system according to  claim 26 , wherein said infill material comprises a predetermined amount of sand. 
     
     
         32 . The turf system according to  claim 26 , wherein said infill material comprises a lower layer and at least an upper layer positioned upon said lower layer. 
     
     
         33 . The turf system according to  claim 32 , wherein said lower layer is a layer of sand, or a layer of maize cob, or a mix of sand and maize cob. 
     
     
         34 . The turf system according to  claim 32 , wherein said upper layer is constituted by a material selected from the group consisting of:
 maize cob or another rachis of cereal ear;   rice husks or other cereal husks;   a loose product obtained from raw material based on cork;   a loose product obtained from raw material based on ground coconut; and   a synthetic material selected from the group consisting of:
 granules of rubber, 
 granules of a styrene-butadiene rubber, 
 granules of a thermos-plastic material, 
 granules of an ethylene-propylene-diene monomer, and 
 granules of polyvinylchloride, granules of a synthetic organic material; or 
 a combination thereof. 
   
     
     
         35 . A method for positioning a turf system comprising the steps of:
 positioning a base member having a predetermined thickness upon a support surface, said base member being constituted by natural fibres of vegetable origin having a determined length; and   positioning a turf upon said base member, said turf comprising:
 a mat provided with a first face and a second face opposite to the first face, said mat being configured to allow rain or irrigation water to flow from said second face a said first face in such a way to reach said base member; and 
   a plurality of blades in synthetic material fixed to said mat, said plurality of blades in synthetic material configured to protrude from said second face in such a way to form said turf;   wherein:
 said natural fibres of vegetable origin have a length greater than 5 mm; and 
 said base member is constituted by an adhesive based on natural latex arranged to keep said natural fibres of vegetable origin together.