Patent Application
20160066496
The invention relates generally to a fluid injection apparatus and a method for providing fluid to turf using such apparatus, and more particularly in one exemplary embodiment, to systems and methods including use of an air injection apparatus to aerate golf course greens and other areas.
Golf course greens constructed in accordance with US Golf Association (USGA) standards are sand-based. The uppermost portions of such greens include a rootzone mix covering a layer of sand. When grass is planted on a rootzone mix, the soil physical properties change over time as a result of natural root growth cycles. Roots grow down through the soil in large soil pores (macropores). The roots provide the grass plant with the water, oxygen, and nutrients needed for growth. But over time, these macropores begin to diminish. Compaction, organic material, deposits from irrigation water, etc. all reduce the amount of macropores over time. There is less space in the soil profile for roots to establish. The turf suffers due to a lack of oxygen.
For convenience only, reference is made herein to applications involving golf course turf, and in particular golf course greens and related areas. However, the invention is not so limited. One of ordinary skill in the art, having the benefit of this disclosure, will recognize its applicability not only for golf course greens, but also golf course fairways and tees, sports fields (e.g., baseball fields, soccer fields (e.g. goalie boxes)), and other areas where turf compaction in particular is especially a problem.
Further, for convenience only reference is primarily made herein to systems and methods including the use of pressurized air. However, other fluids (water, liquid fertilizers, fungicides (particularly those meant for the soil that have a difficult time penetrating turf), carbon dioxide, nitrogen, etc.) may also be injected in accordance with the systems and methods described herein. Thus, the invention is not limited to those examples involving turf aeration.
For golf course greens, core aeration at depths of three inches or greater is used to remove organic matter from rootzones and to create additional macropores that promote grass growth. However, core aeration has its drawbacks. Often golf course greens are unusable after core aeration, or at a minimum core aeration makes the green surface rough for golf play. In addition, large core aeration equipment cannot get close to areas such as sidewalks, valve boxes, sprinkler heads, etc., so many turf areas on a course go untreated. Thus, an additional or improved method for turf aeration and for creating macropores in golf course greens and other turf areas is desirable.
The present disclosure provides air injection systems and methods for turf aeration and macropore creation. In one exemplary embodiment, an air injection system includes a source of compressed air fluidly coupled to an air injector. The air injector includes: (a) a handle portion; (b) a spike portion operatively coupled and distal to the handle portion; and (c) an air pathway. The air pathway extends from an inlet disposed proximate the handle portion to a plurality of exit ports positioned on the spike portion. The inlet is fluidly coupled to the compressed air source. The spike portion is adapted to be removably insertable into turf. The air pathway includes a selector switch and valve for selectively providing air from the compressed air source out the exit ports to locations proximate turf desired to be aerated.
Other benefits and advantages of the present disclosure will be appreciated from the following detailed description.
Embodiments of the invention and various alternatives are described. Those skilled in the art will recognize, given the teachings herein, that numerous alternatives and equivalents exist which do not depart from the invention. It is therefore intended that the invention not be limited by the description set forth herein or below.
One or more specific embodiments of the system and method will be described below. These described embodiments are only exemplary of the present disclosure. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concise description of these exemplary embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.
Further, for clarity and convenience only, and without limitation, the disclosure (including the drawings) sets forth exemplary representations of only certain aspects of events and/or circumstances related to this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will recognize, given the teachings herein, additional such aspects, events and/or circumstances related to this disclosure, e.g., additional elements of the devices described; events occurring related to turf aeration; etc. Such aspects related to this disclosure do not depart from the invention, and it is therefore intended that the invention not be limited by the certain aspects set forth of the events and circumstances related to this disclosure.
Turning now to the drawings,
As shown in
In one exemplary embodiment, the spike portion 16 provides fluid communication between the air pathway 20 and a plurality of exit ports 36, which may be disposed along a portion of the length of the spike portion 16. In another exemplary embodiment, the exit ports 36 are located on the spike portion 16 proximate its tip 34. A distal connector 38 operatively couples the air pathway 20, which may comprise rubber, plastic, or other tubing, with the spike portion 16, which may comprise a metal conduit. The exit ports 36 may be arranged in any desired configuration, depending upon the circumstances involved in a particular application. In one exemplary embodiment, exit ports 36 may be disposed at multiple locations along a portion of the length of the spike portion 16, with each location including four exit ports 36 spaced ninety degrees from each other about the circumference of the spike portion 16 at the location. In another exemplary embodiment, one or more exit ports 36 are located at a single location along the length of the spike portion 16, proximate the tip 34. The total number of exit ports 36 and their location(s) may depend upon the circumstances involved in a particular application.
Use of the air injector 10 includes coupling the air injector 10 to a source of compressed air 40 via line 42 (see
In one exemplary embodiment, use of the air injector 10 includes the step of supplying air proximate turf 44 to be aerated as the spike portion 16 of the air injector 10 is slowly removed from its inserted location. Once the spike portion 16 is completely removed from the turf, the user 28 again may activate the valve 24 and switch 26 to stop the flow of air through the air injector 10. The air injector 10 is then positioned at another location, and the air injection process is repeated.
In an alternate method, air may be supplied to the exit ports 36 as the spike portion 16 is being inserted proximate turf 44 to be aerated. In yet a further exemplary embodiment, air flow to the exit ports 36 may be stopped before the spike portion 16 of the air injector 10 is removed from its insertion location. The steps actually performed will of course depend upon the circumstances involved in a particular application.
In an alternate method, the fluid supplied to the injector 10 may be a pressurized liquid. In such cases, the connector 22, distal connector 38, switch 26, valve 24, and air pathway 20 should be selected to handle the operational requirements associated with the delivery of pressurized liquids.
As shown in
In general, then, localized areas of turf that suffer (e.g., due to compaction, lack of oxygen, minimal macropore spaces, lack of nutritional supplements) may be directly remediated rapidly in accordance with the system and method described herein.
It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the invention. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure, without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances.
Certain exemplary embodiments of the disclosure may be described. Of course, the embodiments may be modified in form and content, and are not exhaustive, i.e., additional aspects of the disclosure, as well as additional embodiments, will be understood and may be set forth in view of the description herein. Further, while the invention may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62047100 | Sep 2014 | US |
