STABILIZED WATER FLOW CONTROL GROUND COVER
A non-woven mat of randomly oriented thermoplastic or polymeric fibers defining interstitial gaps that form interference pathways for non-direct water flow therethrough, whereby the mat being disposed on a ground surface moderates a rate of flow of environmental water for increased seepage of the environmental water into a subground and resists rapid lateral flow of environmental water across the ground cover, and with a stabilization layer in a bottom surface portion of the mat or optionally secured with staples to the ground. A method of forming a stabilized water flow control ground cover is disclosed.
1 . A stabilized water flow control ground cover, comprising:
a non-woven mat of randomly oriented polymeric fibers defining interstitial gaps, the mat having respective extended longitudinal and transverse axis and a thickness that is less than an significant minority of the transverse axis,
the interstitial gaps defining a plurality of interference pathways for non-direct water flow therethrough,
whereby the mat being disposed on a ground surface moderates a rate of flow of environmental water for increased seepage of the environmental water into a subground and resists rapid lateral flow thereof across the ground surface.
2 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 1 , wherein the mat exhibits high permittivity.
3 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 1 , wherein the denier of the fibers is in a range of about 100 denier to about 15,000 denier.
4 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 1 , wherein the mat provides an apparent opening size in a range from U.S. sieve size 3 to U.S. sieve size 30.
5 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 1 , wherein the mat has a thickness in a range of about 0.1 inch to about 4.0 inches.
6 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 1 , where in the mat has a mass per unit area of about 3 ounces per square yard to 60 ounces per square yard.
7 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of spaced-apart tufts extending from an upper surface of the mat.
8 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 7 , wherein the tufts are tufted with a polymeric yarn to form one or more synthetic blades in each tuft extending from the upper surface of the mat to a blade extent to simulate a field of grass.
9 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 8 , wherein the yarn includes a UV-resistant component.
10 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 7 , wherein the tufts are tufted for a density of about 5 ounces per square yard to about 60 ounces per square yard.
11 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 7 , wherein the tufts have a length of about 0.5 inches to about 4 inches.
12 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a stabilizer layer in a lower portion of the mat.
13 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 12 , wherein the stabilizer layer comprises a minor thickness dimension of the mat.
14 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 12 , wherein the stabilizer layer comprises a plurality of contacting engagements of portions of at least some of the fibers, whereby the mat is stiffened.
15 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 12 , wherein the contacting engagements comprise adjacent contacting fibers heat-bonded together.
16 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 12 , wherein the tufting disposes bridges across a bottom surface of the mat between adjacent tufts.
17 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 16 , wherein the contacting engagements comprise heat bonded connecting of portions of a respective fiber and a respective one of the bridges.
18 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 17 , wherein the contacting engagements of the respective fiber and the respective one of the bridges are heat bonded by calendaring of the mat between heated calendar rollers.
19 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of staples for spaced-apart insertion through the mat disposed over a ground surface.
20 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 1 , wherein upon disposing the mat over a ground surface, and upon exposure to wind, the open interstitial gaps in an upper surface forming in situ a turbulent flow field across the mat for resisting wind upload.
21 . A method of abating water flow off of a ground surface, comprising the steps of:
(a) forming an elongated non-woven mat of randomly oriented polymeric fibers to define a plurality interstitial gaps providing a plurality of interference pathways for non-direct water flow therethrough; and
(b) disposing the mat over a ground surface,
whereby the mat upon exposure to a flow of environmental water, moderates the rate of water flow for increased seepage of the water though the mat into a subground while resisting rapid lateral flow of the water across the ground surface.
22 . The method as recited in claim 21 , wherein the mat exhibits high permittivity.
23 . The method as recited in claim 21 , wherein the step of forming the mat uses a fiber having a denier in a range of about 100 denier to about 15,000 denier.
24 . The method as recited in claim 21 , wherein the step of forming the mat forms the mat to have an apparent opening size in a range from U.S. sieve size 3 to U.S. sieve size 30.
25 . The method as recited in claim 21 , wherein the mat forms to have a thickness in a range of about 0.1 inch to about 4.0 inches.
26 . The method as recited in claim 21 , wherein the mat forms to have a mass per unit area of about 3 ounces per square yard to 60 ounces per square yard.
27 . The method as recited in claim 21 , further comprising a step of tufting a plurality of spaced-apart tufts extending from an upper surface of the mat.
28 . The method as recited in claim 27 , wherein the tufting uses a polymeric yarn to form one or more synthetic blades in each tuft extending from the upper surface of the mat to a blade extent to simulate a field of grass.
29 . The method as recited in claim 28 , wherein the yarn includes a UV-resistant component.
30 . The method as recited in claim 27 , wherein tufting step tufts the yarn to have tufts density of about 5 ounces per square yard to about 60 ounces per square yard.
31 . The method as recited in claim 27 , wherein the tufting forms tufts having a length of about 0.5 inches to about 4 inches.
32 . The method as recited in claim 21 , further comprising a step of forming a stabilizer layer in a lower portion of the mat.
33 . The method as recited in claim 33 , wherein forming the stabilizer layer comprises forming a plurality of contacting engagements of portions of at least some of the fibers.
34 . The method as recited in claim 32 , wherein forming the stabilizer layer comprises heat bonding adjacent fibers as the contacting engagements.
35 . The method as recited in claim 27 , wherein the tufting disposes bridges across a bottom surface of the mat between adjacent tufts; and wherein forming the stabilizer layer comprises heat bonding portions of a respective one of the fibers and a respective one of the bridges.
36 . The method as recited in claim 35 , wherein the respective fiber and the respective bridge heat bond by calendaring of the mat between heated calendar rollers.
37 . The method as recited in claim 21 , further comprising a step of securing the disposed mat to the ground surface by positioning a plurality of staples in spaced-apart relation inserted through the mat into a subground below the ground surface.
38 . The method as recited in claim 37 , wherein upon disposing the mat over a ground surface, and upon exposure to wind, the open interstitial gaps in an upper surface forming in situ a turbulent flow field across the mat for resisting wind upload.
39 . A stabilized environmental water flow control ground cover, comprising:
a non-woven mat of randomly oriented polymeric fibers defining interstitial gaps, the mat having respective extended longitudinal and transverse axis and a thickness that is less than an significant minority of the transverse axis,
the interstitial gaps defining a plurality of interference pathways for non-direct water flow through the mat;
a stabilization layer in a surface portion of the mat comprising a plurality of contacting engagements of portions of at least some of the fibers, whereby the mat is stiffened,
whereby the mat being disposed over a ground surface moderates a rate of flow of environmental water for increased seepage of the environmental water through the interference pathways into a subground and resists rapid lateral flow of the environmental water across the ground surface.
40 . The stabilized water flow control ground cover as recited in claim 38 , further comprising a plurality of spaced-apart tufts extending from the upper surface of the mat to simulate a field of grass blades.