US5464455A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Specialty sod mats constructed of nonwoven fabric with apertures
Assignee: Beaver Creek Concepts Inc
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Filing: 1993-07-21
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Granted: 1995-11-07
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Expires: 2013-07-21
Abstract
Abstract New and improved sod mats of grasses, nutritional plants and ornamental plants have been developed for many garden and landscape applications. The improvement comprises growing plants whose roots penetrate and entangle with an improved nonwoven sod reinforcement to form versatile sod mats. Nonwoven sod reinforcements contain apertures to facilitate uniform water infiltration and root wetting. The sod mats can be produced with many diverse planting mediums and in both large and small sizes. Sod mats may be sod in rolls or in rectangular mats.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles J. Molnar
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 15:43
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01C; A01C1/00; A01C1/04; A01C1/044; A01G; A01G20/00; A01G20/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
71 words
A new and improved plant sod mat comprising the following: a) a nonwoven sod reinforcement wherein said nonwoven sod reinforcement is a nonwoven fabric with apertures wherein said apertures are at least 0.015 cm in diameter; b) a layer of planting medium on said nonwoven sod reinforcement and; c) viable plants growing in said planting medium and whose roots penetrate and entangle with said nonwoven fabric to form said sod mat.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
71 words
A new and improved plant sod mat comprising the following: a) a nonwoven sod reinforcement wherein said nonwoven sod reinforcement is a nonwoven fabric with apertures wherein said apertures are at least 0.015 cm in diameter; b) a layer of planting medium on said nonwoven sod reinforcement and; c) viable plants growing in said planting medium and whose roots penetrate and entangle with said nonwoven fabric to form said sod mat.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 1 wherein said apertures are from about 0.4 to 0.02 cm in diameter and said apertures are spaced at a distance of less than 0.5 cm from each other.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 2 wherein said root penetration is greater than or equal to about 0.1 gram per 400 cm 2 of sod mat.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
56 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 1 wherein said apertures appear on said nonwoven fabric in a repeating and uniform pattern and said apertures are less than or equal to about 0.4 cm in diameter and said apertures cover less than or equal to about 15% of the surface area of said nonwoven fabric.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
70 words
A new and improved sod mat comprising the following: a) a layer of planting medium; b) a nonwoven sod reinforcement below said layer wherein said nonwoven sod reinforcement is a nonwoven fabric which consists essentially of hydrophobic fibers and said nonwoven fabric contains apertures having diameters of at least 0.015 cm and; c) viable plants whose roots penetrate and entangle with said nonwoven fabric and thus form said sod mat.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
70 words
A new and improved sod mat comprising the following: a) a layer of planting medium; b) a nonwoven sod reinforcement below said layer wherein said nonwoven sod reinforcement is a nonwoven fabric which consists essentially of hydrophobic fibers and said nonwoven fabric contains apertures having diameters of at least 0.015 cm and; c) viable plants whose roots penetrate and entangle with said nonwoven fabric and thus form said sod mat.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 5 wherein said viable plants are garden plants.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 6 wherein said apertures are from 0.4 to 0.02 cm in diameter and repeat in a uniform manner.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 6 wherein said nonwoven sod reinforcement is comprised of fibers from about 0.1 to 3 dtex and said apertures are less than or equal to about 0.25 cm in diameter.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 6 wherein said root penetration is greater than or equal to about 0.1 grams per 400 cm 2 of sod mat.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 5 wherein said viable plants are specialty grasses and said nonwoven fabric is comprised of polyolefin fibers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 10 wherein said apertures cover less than or equal to about 15% of the surface area of said nonwoven fabric.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 5 wherein said nonwoven sod reinforcement is selected from the group of nonwoven fabrics consisting of pattern bonded nonwoven fabrics and pattern entangled nonwoven fabrics.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
55 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 5 wherein said nonwoven sod reinforcement has a basis weight of less than or equal to about 3 opsy and said apertures are less than or equal to about 0.25 cm in diameter and spaced at a distance of less than about 1 cm from each other.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 13 wherein said plants are ornamental plants and said root penetration is greater than or equal to about 0.1 grams per 400 cm 2 of sod mat.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 13 wherein said plants are nutritional plants.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
94 words
A new and improved sod mat comprising the following: a) a garden plant sod mat reinforced with a nonwoven sod reinforcement wherein said nonwoven sod reinforcement is a nonwoven fabric which contains therein apertures and said apertures cover less than 40% of the surface area of said nonwoven fabric and said apertures are from about 0.4 to 0.015 cm in diameter; b) a layer of planting medium on said nonwoven fabric and; c) plant roots which penetrate said apertures and entangle with said nonwoven fabric and said planting medium to form said sod mat.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
94 words
A new and improved sod mat comprising the following: a) a garden plant sod mat reinforced with a nonwoven sod reinforcement wherein said nonwoven sod reinforcement is a nonwoven fabric which contains therein apertures and said apertures cover less than 40% of the surface area of said nonwoven fabric and said apertures are from about 0.4 to 0.015 cm in diameter; b) a layer of planting medium on said nonwoven fabric and; c) plant roots which penetrate said apertures and entangle with said nonwoven fabric and said planting medium to form said sod mat.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
25 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 16 wherein said apertures cover less than 15% of the surface area of said nonwoven sod reinforcement.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
35 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 17 wherein said root penetration is greater than or equal to 0.1 gram per 400 cm 2 of sod mat and said garden plants comprise ornamental plants.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
16 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 17 wherein said garden plants comprise nutritional plants.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
40 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 16 wherein said apertures cover less than 25% of the surface area of said nonwoven fabric and said nonwoven fabric is comprised of polyolefin fibers and said garden plants comprise ornamental plants.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
25 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 16 wherein said nonwoven fabric is comprised of fibers of less than or equal to 6 dtex.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 16 wherein said nonwoven fabric is comprised of fibers of less than or equal to 3 dtex.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
85 words
A new and improved sod mat comprising the following: a) a layer of planting medium and; b) a synthetic reinforcement below said layer wherein said synthetic reinforcement is a nonwoven fabric comprised of synthetic fibers selected from the group consisting of polyester fibers, polyolefin fibers, and nylon fibers and said nonwoven fabric contains apertures of at least 0.015 cm in diameter and; c) viable plants growing in said planting medium whose roots penetrate and entangle with said nonwoven fabric and thus form said sod mat.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
85 words
A new and improved sod mat comprising the following: a) a layer of planting medium and; b) a synthetic reinforcement below said layer wherein said synthetic reinforcement is a nonwoven fabric comprised of synthetic fibers selected from the group consisting of polyester fibers, polyolefin fibers, and nylon fibers and said nonwoven fabric contains apertures of at least 0.015 cm in diameter and; c) viable plants growing in said planting medium whose roots penetrate and entangle with said nonwoven fabric and thus form said sod mat.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
16 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 23 wherein said synthetic fibers comprise polyolefin fibers.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
15 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 24 wherein said plants comprise garden plants.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
51 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 24 comprising the following: a) said apertures are less than or equal to 0.25 cm in diameter and; b) said apertures are spaced at a distance of less than about 0.5 cm from each other and; c) and said plants are garden plants.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
16 words
A new and improved sod mat of claim 23 wherein said synthetic fibers comprise polyester fibers.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-11-06 | 1999-05-08 | 1999-11-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-11-06 | 2003-05-08 | 2003-11-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-11-06 | 2007-05-08 | 2007-11-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |