IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,201,066
Granted Patent B2
US 12,201,066 · App. 16/994,557 · Granted Jan 21, 2025

Six-device-in-one material-saving consumer-and-manufacturer-cost-saving shipping-volume-saving multi-barrier-locking multi-root-gripping-and-water-flowing anti-digging garden-and-tree-protecting vertical-truck-bed-extender-and-tonneau-cover stackable landscape barrier

Inventor: Dee Volin (Gresham, OR)
A01G13/10A01G9/28A01G13/0231A01G13/0237A01G13/0243A01M29/30B62D33/046A01G2013/006
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,201,066
App. No.
16/994,557
Granted
Jan 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A six-device-in-one landscape barrier, comprises: a barrier, a end-wing molded to the barrier for saving materials during manufacturing, being half of the length of comparable prior art and saving money for consumers by requiring less overlap at the ends of the landscape barriers and preventing animals from digging beneath the landscape barrier, when inserted into the soil vertically and bending to create a variety of corner angles, corner-angling holes cut out from the barrier for lockingly supporting a garden-plant cage and promoting bending of the end-wing to form a variety of corner angles, tongue-locking openings cut out from the end-wing, barrier-locking tongues molded to the end-wing for saving materials during manufacturing, being half of the length of comparable prior art and saving money for consumers by requiring less overlap at the two barrier ends of the landscape barriers and securely supporting solar-stake-mounted lights or a trellis for vines or climbing plants or an umbrella pole or a sprinkler head or drip line and securely connecting multiple landscape barriers together by inserting through the tongue-locking opening and wrapping over the top or under the bottom of the barrier and securely locking multiple landscape barriers together by inserting through the tongue-locking openings, wrapping in the opposite direction through the corner-angling holes, and again through the tongue-locking opening and anchoring the landscape barrier into soil and protecting garden plants from animals and saving materials during manufacturing, being half of the length of comparable prior art and saving money for consumers by requiring less overlap at the ends of the landscape barriers, a fold-over ridge folded from the top of the material-saving barrier for connecting the ridge of one landscape barrier to the ridge of an another landscape barrier to create a shield to protect garden plants from animals and to create a shield to protect saplings from animals and to create a shield to protect trees from animals and to create a barrier to protect garden vegetation from animals and to create a tonneau cover of a truck bed and providing a guide for the end-wing to slide into, at least one serpentine stake punched out of the barrier for frictionally anchoring the stake into soil by providing a serpentine stake shape and securing the landscape barrier into soil on an inclined or level surface and piercing into soil angledly or vertically, root-gripping tunnels punched out of the barrier for saving materials during manufacturing by stamping out the stake from the barrier and saving time and energy costs when the stake is stored within the root-gripping tunnel during packaging and storage and shipping the landscape barrier to reduce the space needed in each shipping container and to reduce the space needed for the landscape barrier and to reduce unit cost of the landscape barrier and securing the landscape barrier into soil by providing tunnel openings through which grass and plant roots may grow and soil may fill and locking into soil by providing tunnel lower edges below the root-gripping tunnels, stake-locking nipples formed into the barrier for locking the stake to the barrier to provide a secure place to store the stake when not in use and to prevent loss of the stake, a stopper formed into the stake, a stake-locking hole punched out of the stake for locking the stake tip to the barrier for storage and shipping and securing the stake in the soil by providing an opening through which grass and plant roots may grow and creating friction against the soil to secure the stake, at least one single-angled sheath and double-angled sheath and triple-angled sheath, molded to the barrier for connecting multiple landscape barriers by providing an opening for a strap to be threaded therethrough to create a shield to protect gardens or saplings or trees from animals and a barrier to protect garden plants from animals and a tonneau cover of a truck bed and securing the landscape barrier to the utility holes of a pickup truck by providing an opening for the stake to be threaded therethrough to create a vertical truck-bed extender and securing multiple landscape barriers to each other vertically by providing an opening for a stake to be threaded therethrough to create a tree ring or planter ring of varying heights and guiding a stake while being inserted vertically or angledly, ridges respectively pressed into the stake for wedging into the single- and double- and triple-angled sheaths to securely lock the stake for storage and shipping and wedging into the double-angled sheath to securely lock the stake and wedging into the triple-angled sheath to securely lock the stake and frictionally securing the stake into soil, having friction provided by serpentine ridge-shapes, to prevent lifting when ground expands and contracts due to changes in temperature and securingly locking the stake to the barrier by snap-locking to the triple-angled sheath.

Claims (208)

1. A six-device-in-one landscape barrier comprising:

a root-gripping barrier

having two barrier ends and a barrier top;

an angling end-wing

molded to one of said two barrier ends of said root-gripping barrier,

said angling end-wing

for anchoring said six-device-in-one landscape barrier into the ground vertically when said angling end-wing is inserted into the ground

to prevent animals from digging beneath said six-device-in-one landscape barrier;

at least one tongue-locking opening

cut out from said angling end-wing;

at least one corner-angling hole

cut out from another one of said two barrier ends of said root-gripping barrier;

at least one barrier-locking tongue

molded to said angling end-wing,

said at least one barrier-locking tongue

for securely connecting said barrier to an other landscape barrier by inserting through at least one tongue-locking opening of said other landscape barrier;

a safety ridge

folded from said barrier top of said root-gripping barrier,

said safety ridge

for providing a guide for an angling end-wing of another landscape barrier to slide under;

at least one serpentine stake

having a stake tip,

said at least one serpentine stake

press-punched out of said root-gripping barrier

instead of being molded to said two barrier ends to reduce the required length of said root-gripping barrier to save material and to reduce the weight of said root-gripping barrier during manufacturing;

at least one root-gripping angle tunnel

press-punched through said root-gripping barrier

to press-punch said at least one serpentine stake out of there to save material and to reduce the weight of said root-gripping barrier during manufacturing,

said at least one root-gripping angle tunnel

for securing said root-gripping barrier into soil when inserted therein by providing said at least one root-gripping angle tunnel through which grass and plant roots grow and thus grip on said root-gripping barrier, and through which rain water is discharged to prevent plant roots from rotting away;

at least one stake-locking nipple

formed into said root-gripping barrier;

at least one barrier-securing stopper

formed into said at least one serpentine stake;

at least one stake-locking root-gripping hole

press-punched through said stake tip of said at least one serpentine stake,

said at least one stake-locking root-gripping hole

for said at least one stake-locking nipple to respectively snap therein to lock said stake tip to said root-gripping barrier for storage and shipping, and

for securing said at least one serpentine stake in the soil when inserted therein by providing said stake-locking root-gripping hole through which grass and plant roots grow and thus grip on said serpentine stake;

at least one single-angled sheath

molded to said root-gripping barrier,

said at least one single-angled sheath

for said at least one serpentine stake to respectively insert therethrough to secure said at least one serpentine stake to said root-gripping barrier for storage and shipping;

at least one double-angled sheath

molded to said root-gripping barrier,

said at least one double-angled sheath

for securing said six-device-in-one landscape barrier to another landscape barrier or to the ground vertically or in an angle when said at least one serpentine stake is threaded therethrough;

two vertical guiding walls and

two angled guiding walls

each molded to said double-angled sheath,

said two vertical guiding walls and said two angled guiding walls

for guiding said at least one serpentine stake while being inserted through said at least one double-angled sheath;

at least one triple-angled sheath

molded to said root-gripping barrier,

said at least one triple-angled sheath

for securing said six-device-in-one landscape barrier to another landscape barrier or to the ground vertically or in an angle when said at least one serpentine stake is threaded therethrough;

two curved guiding walls

each molded to said at least one triple-angled sheath,

said two curved guiding walls

for guiding said at least one serpentine stake while being inserted through said at least one triple-angled sheath;

a plurality of serpentine ridges

respectively pressed into said at least one serpentine stake,

said serpentine ridges

for wedging into said at least one single-angled sheath or said at least one double-angled sheath or said at least one triple-angled sheath to securely lock said at least one serpentine stake therein, for storage and shipping, and

for frictionally securing said at least one serpentine stake into soil when inserted therein;

a plurality of anti-digging plates

for preventing animals from digging underneath said six-device-in-one landscape barrier, and

for stabilizing said six-device-in-one landscape barrier by soil, gravel, rocks, bark chips, or other landscaping materials, being amassed upon said anti-digging plates;

a barrier-conforming connector

molded to said anti-digging plates;

a plurality of top plate-securing hooks

respectively molded to said barrier-conforming connector,

said top plate-securing hooks

for hooking through said at least one root-gripping angle tunnel,

to attach said anti-digging plates to said root-gripping barrier;

a plurality of bottom plate-securing snap-hooks

respectively molded to said barrier-conforming connector,

said bottom plate-securing snap-hooks

for hooking through said at least one root-gripping angle tunnel,

to attach said anti-digging plates to said root-gripping barrier;

a plurality of root-gripping locking tunnels

respectively formed into said serpentine stake,

said root-gripping locking tunnels

for securing said at least one serpentine stake in soil when inserted therein by providing said root-gripping locking tunnels through which grass and plant roots grow and thus grip on said serpentine stake; and

a plurality of branching bridges

respectively molded to said serpentine ridges,

said branching bridges

for creating friction against soil to secure said at least one serpentine stake in the soil when inserted therein.

2. The six-device-in-one landscape barrier of claim 1 ,

wherein:

said at least one tongue-locking opening

has a cul-de-sac shape.

3. The six-device-in-one landscape barrier of claim 1 ,

wherein:

said at least one barrier-locking tongue

has an elongated cul-de-sac shape.

4. The six-device-in-one landscape barrier of claim 1 ,

wherein:

said at least one root-gripping angle tunnel

has a wavy shape.

5. The six-device-in-one landscape barrier of claim 1 ,

wherein:

said at least one serpentine stake

is made of metallic material.

6. The six-device-in-one landscape barrier of claim 1 ,

wherein:

said at least one serpentine stake

has a wavy shape.

7. The six-device-in-one landscape barrier of claim 1 ,

wherein:

said at least one stake-locking nipple

has a round-domed shape.

8. A root-gripping landscape barrier comprising:

a root-gripping barrier

having two barrier ends and a barrier top;

an end-wing

molded to one of said two barrier ends of said root-gripping barrier

for anchoring said root-gripping landscape barrier into the ground vertically when said end-wing is inserted into the ground,

to prevent animals from digging beneath said root-gripping landscape barrier;

at least one tongue-locking opening

cut out from said end-wing;

at least one corner-angling hole

cut out from another one of said two barrier ends of said root-gripping barrier;

at least one barrier-locking tongue

molded to said end-wing

for securely connecting said root-gripping landscape barrier to an other landscape barrier by inserting through at least one tongue-locking opening of said other landscape barrier;

a safety ridge

folded from said barrier top of said root-gripping barrier

for providing a guide for an end-wing of another landscape barrier to slide into;

at least one serpentine stake

having a stake tip,

said at least one serpentine stake

press-punched out of said root-gripping barrier

instead of being molded to said two barrier ends to reduce the required length of said root-gripping barrier to save material and to reduce the weight of said root-gripping barrier during manufacturing;

at least one root-gripping angle tunnel

press-punched through said root-gripping barrier

to press-punch said at least one serpentine stake out of there to save material and to reduce the weight of said root-gripping barrier during manufacturing for securing said root-gripping landscape barrier into soil when inserted therein by providing said at least one root-gripping angle tunnel through which grass and plant roots may grow and thus grip on said root-gripping barrier;

at least one stake-locking nipple

formed into said material-saving multi-root-gripping barrier;

at least one barrier-securing stopper

formed into said at least one serpentine stake;

at least one stake-locking hole

press-punched through said stake tip of said at least one serpentine stake

for said at least one stake-locking nipple to respectively snap therein to lock said stake tip to said root-gripping barrier for storage and shipping, and

for securing said at least one serpentine stake in the soil when inserted therein by providing said stake-locking hole through which grass and plant roots may grow and thus grip on said serpentine stake;

at least one single-angled sheath

molded to said root-gripping barrier

for said at least one serpentine stake to respectively insert therethrough to secure said at least one serpentine stake to said root-gripping barrier for storage and shipping;

at least one double-angled sheath

molded to said root-gripping barrier

for securing said root-gripping-landscape barrier to another landscape barrier or to the ground vertically or in an angle when said at least one serpentine stake is threaded therethrough;

two vertical guiding walls and

two angled guiding walls

each molded to said double-angled sheath

for guiding said at least one serpentine stake while being inserted through said at least one double-angled sheath;

at least one triple-angled sheath

molded to said root-gripping barrier

for securing said root-gripping landscape barrier to another landscape barrier or to the ground vertically or in an angle when said at least one serpentine stake is threaded therethrough;

two curved guiding walls,

each molded to said at least one triple-angled sheath

for guiding said at least one serpentine stake while being inserted through said at least one triple-angled sheath;

a plurality of serpentine ridges

respectively pressed into said at least one serpentine stake

for wedging into said at least one single- and double- and triple-angled sheath to securely lock said at least one serpentine stake therein, for storage and shipping, and

for frictionally securing said at least one serpentine stake into soil when inserted therein;

a plurality of anti-digging plates

for preventing animals from digging underneath said root-gripping landscape barrier, and

for stabilizing said root-gripping landscape barrier by soil, gravel, rocks, bark chips, or other landscaping materials, being amassed upon said anti-digging plates;

a barrier-conforming connector

molded to said anti-digging plates;

a plurality of top plate-securing hooks

respectively molded to said barrier-conforming connector

for hooking through said at least one root-gripping angle tunnel,

to attach said anti-digging plates to said root-gripping barrier;

a plurality of bottom plate-securing snap-hooks

respectively molded to said barrier-conforming connector

for hooking through said at least one root-gripping angle tunnel,

to attach said anti-digging plates to said root-gripping barrier;

a plurality of root-gripping locking tunnels

respectively formed into said serpentine stake

for securing said at least one serpentine stake in soil when inserted therein by providing said root-gripping locking tunnels through which grass and plant roots may grow and thus grip on said serpentine stake; and

a plurality of branching bridges

respectively molded to said serpentine ridges

for creating friction against soil to secure said at least one serpentine stake in the soil when inserted therein.

9. The root-gripping landscape barrier of claim 8 ,

wherein:

said at least one tongue-locking opening

has a cul-de-sac shape.

10. The root-gripping landscape barrier of claim 8 ,

wherein:

said at least one barrier-locking tongue

has an elongated cul-de-sac shape.

11. The root-gripping landscape barrier of claim 8 ,

wherein:

said at least one root-gripping angle tunnel

has a wavy shape.

12. The root-gripping landscape barrier of claim 8 ,

wherein:

said at least one serpentine stake

is made of metallic material.

13. The root-gripping landscape barrier of claim 8 ,

wherein:

said at least one serpentine stake

has a wavy shape.

14. The root-gripping landscape barrier of claim 8 ,

wherein:

said at least one stake-locking nipple

has a round-domed shape.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 3, 2025
From: VOLIN, DEE
To: ZHEJIANG ZHENGTE CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 070718/0426 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62905389 · Sep 25, 2019
Related Publication 20210084838A1 · Mar 25, 2021
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