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(11) | EP 1 208 771 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | A method for providing a projection covered by grass, having a shape in form of a piece of furniture, such as an arm-chair, bench or the like and a device for carrying out this method |
| (57) A projection covered by grass is made by arranging a supporting skeleton (1) made
of relatively stiff, biodegradable material, forming a plurality of containing cavities
(2) whose tops are open. These cavities are filled with earth to obtain a continuous
external covering surface (3), The skeleton is shaped so that said continuous external
covering surface (3) creates a shape in the form of a piece of furniture, for example,
in the form of an armchair, bench or the like. This surface is sown and cultivated
to obtain grass (4) covering said shape in the form of a piece of furniture. |
[0001] The invention relates to a method for making a projection covered by grass, characterised in that:
- a supporting skeleton made of relatively stiff, biodegradable material, forming a plurality of containing cavities whose tops are open, is arranged,
- said cavities are filled with earth to obtain a continuous external covering surface, said skeleton being shaped so that said continuous external covering surface creates a shape in the form of a piece of furniture, for example, in the form of an armchair, bench or the like,
- said surface is sown and cultivated to obtain grass covering said shape in the form of a piece of furniture.
[0002] In the preferred embodiment of this invention, said skeleton is made of a grid of vertical walls, which are reciprocally crossed, preferably made of cardboard.
[0003] Again according to said preferred embodiment, said walls are obtained by separation from respective semi-blanked rectangular cardboard panels, whose dimensions are respectively identical, carrying semi-blanked lines forming the perimeter of the respective parts of the skeleton, said rectangular panels being arranged in the closed configuration to form an easily transportable package.
[0004] This invention also relates to the device for implementing said method, comprising the supporting skeleton, made as described above.
[0005] According to an additional characteristic, said cardboard panels from which the walls of the skeleton are made, present openings, which coincide in the closed configuration, forming a cavity adjacent to the upper edge of the package forming a handle. Preferably, the front panel of the package presents an extension strip which is folded inside the cavity so to form or cover the upper surface of said cavity so to be grasped by the fingers of the hand holding the handle in correspondence of the upper edge of said opening.
[0006] Again in the case of said preferred embodiment, writings are applied to the various panels of the package indicating the various elements of the skeleton, aimed at facilitating the assembly procedure. The walls of the skeleton each present cuts for respective jointing. Furthermore, the panels in the package, with the exception of the two outermost panels, present corresponding openings which in the closed condition of the package form oddment holder cavities, in which, for example, the assembly instructions and additional material to assist assembly, or, for example, seeds to be used to grow the grass, can be placed.
[0007] Finally, the pack of panels in the package has an edge with an oblique groove formed by a recess made on each edge of the panel. Thanks to this characteristic, the correct order of arrangement of the panels can be immediately checked during production.
[0008] Naturally, the invention tends to protect any area of grass which can be exploited for commercial purposes, such as, for example, a garden in a public place, like a restaurant or amusement park, characterised in that it presents a grass covering comprising at least one projection having a shape in the form of a piece of furniture, such as an armchair, bench of the like.
[0009] Additional characteristics and advantages of the invention will now be described, by the way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
- Figure 1 illustrates the supporting skeleton used in the procedure according to the invention after laying,
- Figure 2 illustrates an intermediate phase of the procedure, which consists in filling the containing cavities formed in the supporting skeleton with earth,
- Figure 3 illustrates a later phase in which the continuous external covering surface of the skeleton is sown and cultivated,
- Figure 4 illustrates the projection covered by grass thus shaped, in this example in the form of an armchair,
- Figure 5 is a perspective view of the package of the device according to the invention, before use,
- Figure 6 is an exploded view of the package, and
- Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view according to the line VII-VII in figure 5.
[0010] According to the invention, a supporting skeleton 1, consisting of a grid of reciprocally crossed vertical walls of cardboard, respectively indicated by 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x, 7x and 1y, 2y, 3y, 4y, 5y, 6y, 7y is arranged (figure 1). The cardboard walls reciprocally form a plurality of containing cavities whose top is open. The upper edge of the profile of the walls x, y is shaped to form an envelope surface essentially shaped in the form of an armchair. After having positioned the skeleton 1 in a flat area, for example on a lawn, the containing cavities 2 are filled with earth, as illustrated in figure 2, to obtain a continuous upper surface shaped in the form of a piece of furniture (in the case of the example shown, having a shape in the form of an armchair). This surface, indicated in general with reference number 3, is sown and cultivated so to form a grass covering 4 (figure 4) which thus forms a continuous, natural continuation of the grass on the lawn 5 on which the projection is made. It is thus possible to equip gardens and grassy areas in general with one or more projections covered by grass shaped in the form of an armchair, or similar.
[0011] As mentioned above, the walls of the supporting skeleton 1 are made of biodegradable material, preferably cardboard. This material is subject to decaying in time also following the action of atmospheric agents and the penetration of water under the grass. This is not a problem because the function of the skeleton is to ensure the shape of the projection obtained until the grass grows.
[0012] Again as mentioned above, the cardboard walls x, y are made by separation from pre-blanked rectangular panels P (see figures 5, 6), which are provided in a configuration which is closed as a pack in a package, generally indicated with numeral 6. Each rectangular panel P in the package, has the same dimensions as the other panels, and presents a semi-blanked line 7 forming one of the walls x or y of the skeleton 1. Each one of the panels in the package 6 comprises one or more walls of the skeleton. Each wall is marked by the respective symbol (e.g. 3y in the case of front wall of the package illustrated in figures 5, 6) which helps assembly. Additionally, a progressive number N (from 1 up) is written in a corner of the panel, externally with respect to the perimeter 7, to distinguish the correct sequence of panels in the package. The correct arrangement of the panels in the package is also facilitated by the provision of an oblique groove 8 on the upper edge of the pack in the package (see figure 5). This groove is formed by a recess on the upper edge of each panel. When the panels are arranged in the package in an order which is not correct, this condition is immediately evident by the fact that the groove 8 is missing. The various walls x and y of the skeleton present cuts T along one of their edges which are made from a respective lower edge of the pre-blanked panel used for reciprocally cross-jointing the panels of the supporting skeleton.
[0013] Furthermore, with the exception of the outermost panels of the package, the panels present wide openings 9 (figure 6) which in the closed configuration of the panels in the package form an oddment holder cavity which can be exploited, for example, for accessories used for assembly, assembly instruction sheets and/or seeds for growing the grass.
[0014] The cardboard panels in the package present respective openings 10, which reciprocally coincide in the closed configuration of the panels in the package, in a central area adjacent to their upper edge forming a cavity 11, which in turn forms a handle for gripping the package. The front panel presents an extension strip 12 which is folded back (figure 7) against the upper edges of the openings 10 in the other panels (with the exception of the last panel P which is not provided with an opening 10) in correspondence with the upper edge of the respective opening 10 so to prevent that said edges can harm the fingers of the hand gripping the handle.
1. Method for making a projection covered by grass, characterised in that:
- a supporting skeleton (1) made of relatively stiff, biodegradable material, forming a plurality of containing cavities (2) whose tops are open, is arranged,
- said cavities are filled with earth to obtain a continuous external covering surface, said skeleton (2) being shaped so that said continuous external covering surface create a shape in the form of a piece of furniture, for example, in the form of an armchair, bench or the like,
- said surface is sown and cultivated to obtain grass (4) covering said shape in the form of a piece of furniture.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that said skeleton (1) consists of a grid of reciprocally crossed vertical walls (1x-7x;
1y-7y).
3. Method according to claim 2, characterised in that said walls are made of cardboard.
4. Method according to claim 3, characterised in that said walls are obtained by separation from respective semi-blanked rectangular cardboard
panels (P), whose dimensions are respectively identical, carrying semi-blanked lines
(7) forming the perimeter of the respective parts of the skeleton (1), said rectangular
panels (P) being arranged in the closed position to form an easily transportable package.
5. Device for making a projection covered by grass, characterised in that said device comprises a supporting skeleton (1) made of relatively stiff, biodegradable
material, forming a plurality of containing cavities (2) whose tops are open and which
can be filled with earth to obtain a continuous external covering surface, which is
then sown and cultivated to obtain a grass covering, said skeleton (1) being shaped
in the form of a piece of furniture, for example, in the form of an armchair, bench
or the like.
6. Device according to claim 5, characterised in that said skeleton consists of a grid of reciprocally crossed vertical walls.
7. Device according to claim 6, characterised in that said walls are made of cardboard.
8. Device according to claim 7, characterised in that said walls are obtained by separation from respective semi-blanked rectangular cardboard
panels (P), whose dimensions are respectively identical, carrying semi-blanked lines
(7) forming the perimeter of the respective parts of the skeleton (1), said rectangular
panels (P) being arranged in the closed position to form an easily transportable package.
9. Device according to claim 8, characterised in that said panels present openings (10) which correspond in the closed position thus forming
a cavity (11) adjacent to the upper edge of the package which can be used to grip
the package.
10. Device according to claim 9, characterised in that the front panel of the package presents an extension strip (12) which is folded inside
said cavity (11) so to cover the upper edges of the openings (10) in the other panels.
11. Device according to claim 8, characterised in that writings are applied to the various panels (P) indicating the various elements of
the skeleton (1), aimed at facilitating the assembly procedure.
12. Device according to claim 6, characterised in that said walls present cuts (T) for respective jointing.
13. Device according to claim 8, characterised in that the panels (P) in the package, with the exception of the two outermost panels, present
corresponding openings (9) which in the closed configuration of the package form oddment
compartment cavities, in which, for example, the assembly instructions and additional
material to assist assembly, or, for example, seeds to be used to grow the grass,
can be placed.
14. Device according to claim 8, characterised in that the pack of panels in the package has an edge with an oblique groove (8) formed by
a recess made on each edge of each panel (P).
15. Grassy location, characterised in that it presents a grass covering, comprising at least one projection having a shape in
the form of a piece of furniture, such as an armchair, bench or the like.