Turf system for sports or decorative uses and method for positioning such a system

Abstract

The turf system (1) comprises a base member (10) having a predetermined thickness (s) and a turf (20) arranged to be positioned on the base member (10). The turf (20) comprises a mat (21) provided with a first side (22) and a second side (23) opposite the first side (22). The mat (21) is configured to be permeable in a manner that allows rain or irrigation water to flow from the second side (23) to the first side (22) and reach the base member (10). Additionally, a plurality of blades (25) made of a synthetic material are provided, secured to the mat (21) and configured to protrude from the second side (23) in a manner that forms an artificial turf. The turf system (1) further comprises a base member (10) composed of natural fibers of plant origin (15) held together by a natural latex-based adhesive.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to artificial grass or mixed artificial and natural grass turf systems for sports or decorative use at both professional and amateur levels.

[0002] Additionally, the present invention relates to a method for positioning such a turf system. [Background technology]

[0003] As is well known, artificial turf essentially consists of a mat made of plastic material to which blades (also called "bristles") made of synthetic material, usually polyester, with a length of 3 to 10 cm are fixed to form a synthetic grass lawn. The synthetic blades are woven into the mat by a known process that allows the camber of the blades to be adjusted as needed.

[0004] Typically, between the blades made of synthetic material, there is distributed a filler material, simply called "filler." The filler material, usually in granular form, is selected based on the type of sport in which the synthetic grass will be used, e.g., soccer, hockey, cricket, rugby, and also based on the prevailing weather conditions in the area where the synthetic grass will be placed.

[0005] As is known, the infill material essentially provides drainage, since it regulates the flow of rainwater or irrigation water, protects the mat in such a way as to provide the artificial turf with high durability over time, but above all provides the turf with mechanical, physical and technical properties similar to, and possibly even better than, natural turf.

[0006] The most important properties of the filling material are specifically the resilience of the ground for the user, the recoil of the ball, the ability to absorb shock in the event of a fall, the tensile and torque resistance to forces generated by the shoe, the resistance to compression, and the permeability of the outer shell, as well as the ability to absorb and drain water in the event of weather and environmental events.

[0007] The drainage function of synthetic turf is usually performed by the base or "stabilizing filler," which is usually sand. Instead, the resilience of the turf is ensured by the presence of rubber granules or "performance filler" granules, usually concentrated in the upper part of the turf. An example of a similar filler material is described in US2002 / 081399.

[0008] Artificial turf is usually placed on a base member that can provide drainage. An example of such a base member is a first and second sheet made of synthetic material, usually consisting of two layers of perforated nonwoven fabric, generally made of polyester, between which is placed a material in the form of a granular or mesh-like material or a woven fabric braid, for example made of nylon.

[0009] However, prior art base members suffer from a number of drawbacks.

[0010] Prior art products, in particular, tend to lose their properties, in particular their elasticity, and even harden over time, especially when there are considerable temperature variations over the course of a year, and with use of the turf, especially the components in the synthetic materials, in particular synthetic rubber.

[0011] Another drawback of prior art products, for the reasons mentioned above, as well as due to the risk of blocking the base member with materials such as sand, rubber granules, and similar other materials that are carried by the flow of irrigation or rainwater that runs off the lawn infill, is that over time the drainage properties of the base member are also lost, thus increasing the risk of flooding and the need to remove the lawn and replace the base member, which consumes considerable time and energy.

[0012] A further drawback of the prior art base members is that, as explained above, because the base members are made of synthetic materials, if the base member has to be removed, for example replaced with a new base member, these types of materials have to be sent to a sanitary landfill, which involves high costs in addition to the considerable environmental impact that these materials have on the environment.

[0013] Another example of a drainable panel with synthetic grass is described in EP1900874. More specifically, the drainable panel comprises a synthetic grass-provided element having an upper surface from which protruding blades made of synthetic grass protrude, and a lower surface opposite the upper surface to which an elastically deformable layer provided with lateral drainage holes is permanently fixed. The synthetic grass-provided element is fixed to the elastically deformable layer by a thermal adhesive. The drainable panel may also comprise a reinforcing sheet made of a material formed from intertwined but non-woven textiles. The reinforcing sheet may be positioned between the synthetic grass-provided element and the elastically deformable layer and may be fixed only to the latter. The fibers of the reinforcing sheet may be glass fiber, carbon fiber, polyester fiber, rock wool fiber, or cotton.

[0014] However, the drainable panels described in EP 1900874 also have a high environmental impact, since they must be sent to landfills and require the use of thermo-adhesive adhesives to fasten the synthetic grass-provided elements to the elastically deformable layer. Summary of the Invention

[0015] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a turf system that has high performance and is able to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of prior art turf systems.

[0016] Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a turf system that is capable of maintaining the structure and drainage benefits it had at the time of its placement substantially unchanged over time.

[0017] It is also an object of the present invention to provide a turf system that is capable of controlling the temperature of the turf, specifically through the ability of the base member to absorb a determined amount of moisture.

[0018] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a turf system made of synthetic grass or mixed synthetic and natural grass that can significantly reduce the amount of material sent to sanitary landfills over prior art turf systems.

[0019] A particular object of the present invention is to provide a turf system having synthetic grass or a mixture of synthetic and artificial grass that can reduce the impact of a person, for example an athlete, on the turf surface after an accidental fall.

[0020] These and other objects are achieved by the turf system according to the present invention, which comprises: - a base member made of natural fibers of plant origin having a predetermined thickness (s) and a determined length (l); - an artificial lawn arranged to be positioned on the base member, the artificial lawn comprising: - a mat provided with a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the mat being configured to be water permeable in a manner that allows rain or irrigation water to flow from the second side to the first side and reach the base member; - a plurality of blades made of synthetic material fixed to the mat, the blades protruding from the second surface in such a way as to form the lawn; Its main characteristics are that said base member is further comprised of a natural latex based adhesive arranged to hold together the natural fibres of plant origin, and that said thickness (s) is greater than 5 mm.

[0021] Further features of the invention and related embodiments are set out in the dependent claims.

[0022] Specifically, the aforementioned plant-derived natural fibers are: -Coconut fiber, -flax fiber, -Canvas fiber, - jute fiber, -ramie fiber, -sisal fiber, -cotton fibers, - broom fiber, -Manila hemp fiber, -Bamboo fiber, - Kapok fiber, -straw fiber, -hibiscus fiber, -Banana plant fiber, -Agave fiber, -Aloe fiber, -fibers obtained from woody plants, especially eucalyptus; or a combination thereof.

[0023] Advantageously, said base member comprises an at least substantially planar member made of pressed natural fibres of said plant origin and held together by said natural latex based adhesive.

[0024] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned base member further comprises a predetermined amount of natural antimicrobial material selected from the group consisting of cereal cobs uncoated with a film or layer of coating material, and cork, or combinations thereof, in such a way as to provide an antimicrobial effect and thus slow down the deterioration of the natural fibers of plant origin.

[0025] In particular, the aforementioned base member may be formed by a plurality of adjacent planar members, more particularly, the adjacent planar members may be engaged with one another by means of the aforementioned natural latex-based adhesive, advantageously by means of connecting lines of the aforementioned natural latex-based adhesive.

[0026] According to a preferred embodiment, the aforementioned artificial turf may further comprise an infill material distributed on the second surface of the aforementioned mat.

[0027] Advantageously, said filling material may be constituted by free material of plant origin.

[0028] Specifically, the plant-derived free material is: - the cob of an ear of grain, especially the cob of corn, i.e., corn cob, -grain husks, especially rice husks, - free products obtained from cork-based raw materials, -Free products obtained from raw materials based on ground coconut, or a combination thereof.

[0029] According to an alternative embodiment, the plant-derived free material can be mixed with a predetermined amount of a predetermined compound based on at least a drying or semi-drying oil in a manner that improves the properties of the plant-derived free material. For example, the drying or semi-drying oil can be a stand oil obtained by subjecting the drying or semi-drying oil, or each of them, to a heat treatment in which heat is applied to the drying or semi-drying oil until a predetermined temperature T* is reached. Specifically, the heat treatment can be carried out in the absence of air in a manner that causes polymerization in the drying or semi-drying oil, or each of them, and increases its stability. For example, the temperature T* can be higher than 200°C, advantageously higher than 250°C.

[0030] Advantageously, the drying oil may be selected from the group consisting of linseed oil, walnut oil, poppy oil or sunflower oil, or combinations thereof.

[0031] Specifically, the natural fibers of plant origin may have a length greater than 5 mm, and preferably have a length comprised between 5 mm and 100 cm, advantageously between 5 mm and 60 cm, and preferably between 5 mm and 40 cm.

[0032] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for positioning a turf system includes: - positioning a support surface of a base member made of natural fibers of plant origin having a determined length (l), the base member having a predetermined thickness (s); - positioning a lawn on said base member, said lawn comprising: a mat provided with a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the mat being configured to allow rain or irrigation water to flow from the second surface to the first surface in such a way as to reach the base member; a plurality of blades made of a synthetic material configured to protrude from the second surface in a manner to form the lawn; Its main characteristics are that the base member is further comprised of a natural latex based adhesive arranged to hold together said natural fibres of plant origin, and that said thickness (s) is greater than 5 mm. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0033] The invention will now be illustrated by the following description of exemplary embodiments thereof, given by way of illustration and not by way of limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0034] [Figure 1] 1 shows a schematic side elevation perspective view of a first embodiment of a turf system according to the present invention arranged in an exploded configuration; [Figure 2] To highlight some technical features of the system of FIG. 1, an enlargement of its base member is shown diagrammatically. [Figure 3] 2 shows a schematic side elevation perspective view of the turf system of FIG. 1 arranged in an assembled configuration. [Figure 4] 4 shows a schematic side elevation view of the system of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] 2A and 2B are schematic side elevation perspective views of a first alternative embodiment of the turf system of FIG. 1 arranged in an exploded configuration; [Figure 6] 1A and 1B show schematic side elevation perspective views of possible embodiments of a base member of a system according to the invention; [Figure 7] 4A and 4B are schematic side elevation perspective views of another alternative embodiment of the turf system of FIG. 3 in an assembled configuration; [Figure 8] 8 shows a schematic side elevation view of the turf system of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 4A and 4B are schematic side elevation perspective views of another alternative embodiment of the turf system of FIG. 3 arranged in an assembled configuration; [Figure 10] 10 shows a schematic side elevation view of the system of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] 4A and 4B schematically show a side elevation view of yet another alternative embodiment of the system of FIG. 3, according to the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] 1 to 4, a turf system 1 according to the present invention comprises a base member 10 having a predetermined thickness (s) and a turf 20 arranged to be positioned on the base member 10.

[0036] Specifically, the turf 20 comprises a mat 21 provided with a first side 22 and a second side 23 opposite the first side 22. More specifically, the base member 10 is provided with an upper side 11 and a lower side 12 opposite said upper side 11. When the turf 20 is positioned on the base member 10, the first side 22 of the turf 20 is disposed adjacent to the upper side 11 of the base member 10. Instead, the lower side 12 of the base member 10 is positioned in contact with the support surface 100 (FIG. 4).

[0037] The mat 21 is configured to be water permeable in such a way that rain or irrigation water can flow from the second side 23 to the first side 22 and thus reach the base member 10. More precisely, the mat 21 can be provided with through holes 24, for example as shown in Figure 4, or can be made of a water permeable material, for example a nonwoven fabric, advantageously polyester.

[0038] The lawn 20 is further provided with a plurality of blades 25 made of synthetic material, for example polypropylene, fixed to the mat 21 in such a way as to form an artificial lawn and configured to protrude a predetermined length from the second surface 23. In particular, the synthetic blades 25 may have a length comprised between 20 mm and 150 mm, preferably between 30 mm and 100 mm.

[0039] According to the present invention, the base member 10 is composed of natural fibers 15 (see FIG. 2) of plant origin that are held together by a natural latex-based adhesive. For example, the natural latex-based adhesive can be natural latex, preferably natural rubber latex.

[0040] The base member 10 may comprise at least substantially planar members 13 or "tiles" constituted by at least a layer of the aforementioned natural fibers of plant origin 15. These are advantageously pressed and held together by the aforementioned natural latex-based adhesive in such a way as to obtain slabs, "blocks" or "bricks" of a product of a predetermined size. For example, the pressing step that the aforementioned natural fibers of plant origin 15 may undergo may thus achieve a reduction of at least 30% of their starting height. Advantageously, the pressing step that the aforementioned natural fibers of plant origin 15 may undergo may thus achieve a reduction of at least 50% of their presented height.

[0041] In addition to holding the natural fibers 15 together, the natural latex provides high resilience to the base member 10, and therefore the entire turf system 1, thus avoiding the use of synthetic materials such as rubber or similar materials commonly used in prior art base members. Specifically, the base member 10 can comprise a predetermined weight amount of the natural fibers 15 of plant origin and a predetermined weight amount of the natural latex-based adhesive. More specifically, the base member 10 can be composed of 30% to 70% of the natural fibers 15 of plant origin and 70% to 30% of the natural latex by weight. Advantageously, 40% to 60% of the base member 10 can be composed of the natural fibers 15 of plant origin and 60% to 40% of the natural latex by weight.

[0042] Preferably, the natural latex is natural rubber latex, i.e., an aqueous emulsion of natural rubber. Specifically, the natural latex-based adhesive is composed of at least 70% natural latex, preferably natural rubber latex. Advantageously, the natural latex-based adhesive is composed of at least 90% natural latex, preferably natural rubber latex. For example, the natural latex used to hold the plant-derived natural fibers 15 together can be extracted from the Hevea Brasiliensis tree, or from the Hevea Guianensis tree, or from the Hevea Guianensis tree, or a combination thereof.

[0043] The predetermined thickness (s) of the base member 10 can be specifically greater than 5 mm, advantageously greater than 8 mm. More specifically, the thickness can be comprised between 5 mm and 80 mm, advantageously between 6 mm and 70 mm, and preferably between 8 mm and 60 mm. According to a possible embodiment, the thickness s of the base member 10 can be comprised between 5 mm and 60 mm, preferably between 8 mm and 50 mm, and advantageously between 6 mm and 50 mm.

[0044] Specifically, the natural fiber of plant origin may be selected from the group consisting of coconut fiber, flax fiber, canvas fiber, jute fiber, ramie fiber, sisal fiber, cotton fiber, broom fiber, Manila hemp fiber, bamboo fiber, kapok fiber, straw fiber, hibiscus fiber, banana plant fiber, agave fiber, aloe fiber, or any combination thereof. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the natural fiber of plant origin is a natural fiber of plant origin obtained from a woody plant, such as eucalyptus. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the natural fiber of plant origin is coconut fiber.

[0045] Specifically, the natural fibers 15 of plant origin can have a length greater than 5 mm. More specifically, the natural fibers 15 of plant origin can have a length (l) comprised between 5 mm and 150 mm, advantageously between 10 mm and 150 mm, and preferably between 30 mm and 100 mm. Furthermore, the natural fibers 15 of plant origin of the base member 10 can be a single overlapping fiber (schematically shown in FIG. 2), or more fibers woven together, or can even include a combination of woven fibers and single fibers.

[0046] The sod 20 can simply be placed on the base member 10 to form the sod system 1 shown in Figure 3. In any case, the possibility is also provided that said sod 20 can be engaged or fixed to the base member 10, for example by gluing, preferably by means of a natural adhesive, in particular an adhesive based on natural latex, or by knitting the tips, for example by sewing, preferably by using natural fibres such as cotton, or by other fastening systems.

[0047] In an alternative embodiment shown diagrammatically in Figure 5, the base member 10 is made up of a plurality of adjacent planar members 13 of a predetermined size. Although in Figures 5 and 6 the planar members 13 are shown diagrammatically as slabs or "blocks" as rectangular or square substantially parallelepiped shaped bases according to the invention, they may also have different shapes, for example triangular or hexagonal shapes.

[0048] According to one embodiment, two adjacent planar members 13 can be firmly fixed to one another by one or more adhesive points of a natural adhesive, advantageously an adhesive based on natural latex, preferably natural rubber latex. For example, as shown diagrammatically in Figure 6, two adjacent planar members 13a and 13b of base member 10 can be firmly fixed to one another by connecting lines 16, in particular by using a natural adhesive, advantageously an adhesive based on natural latex as mentioned above, in such a way as to provide system 1 with high stability during use of turf 20, in particular during sports competitions.

[0049] The base member 10 according to the invention ensures a significantly longer lifespan with respect to commercially available products, and indeed allows the elastic properties, and in particular the effectiveness of the drainage action, to remain substantially unchanged due to the fact that the natural fibres 15 of plant origin cannot be easily corroded by microorganisms and bacteria.

[0050] Instead, currently available products tend to lose their properties, particularly their elasticity, and harden over time, especially in the presence of temperature fluctuations throughout the year and with use of the turf, and especially due to components in the synthetic materials, particularly synthetic rubber. Another drawback of prior art products, for the reasons mentioned above and due to the risk of blocking the base member with materials such as sand, rubber granules, and other materials transported from the turf infill by irrigation or rainwater flow, is that over time, the drainage function of the base member also fails, thus increasing the risk of flooding and requiring the turf to be removed and the base member replaced.

[0051] Another advantage of the present invention is that the base member 10 can regulate the temperature of the lawn 20 positioned thereon within certain limits, thus avoiding excessive temperature changes of the lawn 20, in particular due to changes in weather conditions. Indeed, the natural fibers 15 of plant origin, and in particular coconut fibers, are able to absorb a determined amount of moisture coming from the lawn 20, i.e., rain or irrigation. Thus, during the hottest seasons, said amount of water retained by the base member 10 tends to evaporate and thus make the lawn 20 cooler. In this way, on the one hand, the same lawn 20 is protected, since excessive temperature changes are avoided, and, on the other hand, there is a cooling effect on athletes, or in any case people, who use the lawn 20 during sports or recreational activities.

[0052] Instead, which does not occur in prior art turf systems, the base member is quickly traversed by rain or irrigation water coming from the turf above and is almost immediately drained out of the system through the drainage network, and because of this, prior art turf has a very short life expectancy and cannot be used in high temperatures without causing inconvenience to those using the turf.

[0053] However, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the base member 10 may also comprise a predetermined amount of natural antimicrobial material selected from the group consisting of grain cobs and cork, or combinations thereof, that are not coated with a film or layer of coating material, in such a way as to impart an antimicrobial effect to the plant-derived natural fibers 15 of the base member 10 and thus further reduce any possible degradation.

[0054] In general, as contemplated by the present invention, the turf 20 positioned on the base member 10 can be of virtually any type. In particular, the turf 20 can be of the type that is not provided with infill, as shown diagrammatically in Figures 1, 3, and 5.

[0055] Alternatively, as shown schematically in FIGS. 7-11, the turf 20 further comprises infill material 30 distributed on the aforementioned second surface 23 of the mat 21 disposed between the synthetic blades 25.

[0056] As shown schematically in FIGS. 7 and 8, the filler material 30 can comprise only a layer 31 made of a single synthetic or natural material, or a mixture of different synthetic and natural materials. For example, the filler material can be composed of synthetic materials such as rubber granules, specifically styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), or thermoplastic materials, ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), synthetic organic materials, or combinations thereof. According to a possible embodiment, the aforementioned synthetic materials can be mixed with a determined amount of mineral material, such as sand, e.g., silica sand. In addition to or as an alternative to the aforementioned materials, the filler material 30 can include at least a free material of plant origin. For example, the free material of plant origin can be selected from the group consisting of grain cobs, particularly corn cobs, grain husks, particularly rice husks, free products obtained from cork-based raw materials, free products obtained from ground coconut-based raw materials, or combinations thereof.

[0057] According to a preferred embodiment, the infill material 30 is composed of one or more of the aforementioned plant-derived loose materials in such a way that the entire turf system 1 has a very low environmental impact and in such a way that the synthetic blades 25 are substantially the only part of the product that must be sent to a sanitary landfill.

[0058] In an alternative embodiment, as shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 9-11, the filler material or infill 30 comprises multiple layers, such as layers 31 and 32, superimposed on top of one another. Also in this case, each layer can be made of a single synthetic or natural material, for example, the synthetic and natural materials described above with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, or a mixture thereof. According to a possible embodiment, the lower or stabilizing layer 32 can be a layer of sand, or a layer of corncob, or a mixture thereof. The upper layer 31, also referred to as the performance layer, can be composed of the aforementioned synthetic or natural materials, or a mixture thereof, or a portion thereof. Specifically, the performance layer 32 can be a mixture of grain cobs, specifically corncobs, with grain husks and / or free products obtained from raw materials based on cork, for example in the form of granules, and / or free products obtained from raw materials based on coconut and / or other plant materials.

[0059] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned plant-derived free material can be obtained by mixing a predetermined amount of the aforementioned plant-derived free material with a predetermined amount of a predetermined compound based on at least a drying or semi-drying oil in such a way as to improve the properties of the plant-derived free material based on at least a drying or semi-drying oil.

[0060] For example, the drying or semi-drying oil may be a stand oil obtained by subjecting the drying or semi-drying oil, or each of them, to a heat treatment in which heat is applied to the drying or semi-drying oil until a predetermined temperature T* is reached. Specifically, the heat treatment may be carried out in the absence of air in a manner that causes polymerization in the drying or semi-drying oil, or each of them, to increase its stability. For example, the temperature T* may be higher than 200°C, preferably higher than 250°C.

[0061] Advantageously, the drying oil may be selected from the group consisting of linseed oil, walnut oil, poppy oil or sunflower oil, or combinations thereof.

[0062] 11, according to another alternative embodiment of the system 1 of the present invention, the aforementioned lawn 20 may further comprise blades 26 of natural grass obtained from at least the seeds of plants that form natural grass lawns. Thus, in this case, the lawn 20 is a mixed natural and synthetic lawn.

[0063] It is to be understood that the foregoing description of specific embodiments has more fully clarified the present invention according to a conceptual point of view, and that, by applying current knowledge, others will be able to modify and / or adapt such an embodiment for various uses without further elaboration and without departing from the present invention, and that such adaptations and modifications will therefore need to be considered equivalents to the specific embodiments. The means and materials for achieving different functions described herein may, for this reason, be of different nature without departing from the field of the present invention. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Claims

1. A turf system (1), comprising: a base member (10) made of natural fibres (15) of plant origin, having a predetermined thickness (s) and a determined length (l); - a lawn (20) adapted to be positioned on said base member (10), said lawn (20) comprising: a mat (21) provided with a first surface (22) and a second surface opposite said first surface (23), the mat (21) being configured to be water permeable in such a way as to allow rain or irrigation water to flow from said second surface (23) to said first surface (22) and reach said base member (10); a lawn (20) comprising a plurality of blades (25) made of synthetic material fixed to said mat (21), said blades (25) made of synthetic material being configured to protrude from said second surface (23) in such a way as to form an artificial lawn; The turf system (1) is characterized in that the base member (10) is further composed of a natural latex-based adhesive arranged to hold the plant-derived natural fibers (15) together, and the predetermined thickness (s) is greater than 5 mm.

2. The turf system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined thickness (s) of the base member (10) is comprised between 5 mm and 80 mm.

3. The turf system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined thickness (s) of the base member (10) is comprised between 8 mm and 50 mm.

4. 10. The turf system of claim 1, wherein the length (l) of the natural fibers of plant origin is greater than 5 mm.

5. The turf system of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the natural fiber of plant origin is coconut fiber.

6. The turf system of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plant-derived fibers are natural flax fibers.

7. The turf system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the natural fiber derived from a plant is canvas fiber.

8. The turf system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the natural fiber of plant origin is jute fiber.

9. The turf system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the natural fiber of plant origin is ramie fiber.

10. The turf system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the natural fiber derived from a plant is sisal fiber.

11. The turf system of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the natural fiber of plant origin is cotton fiber.

12. The turf system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the natural fiber of plant origin is broom fiber.

13. The turf system of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the natural fiber of plant origin is Manila hemp fiber.

14. The turf system of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the natural fiber of plant origin is bamboo fiber.

15. The turf system of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the natural fiber of plant origin is kapok fiber.

16. The turf system of any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the natural fiber of plant origin is straw fiber.

17. The turf system of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the natural fiber of plant origin is hibiscus fiber.

18. The turf system of any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the natural fiber of plant origin is banana plant fiber.

19. The turf system of any of claims 1 to 18, wherein the natural fiber of plant origin is agave fiber.

20. The turf system of any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the natural fiber of plant origin is aloe fiber.

21. The turf system of any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the natural fiber of plant origin is fiber obtained from a woody plant.

22. 22. The turf system of any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the natural fibers of plant origin comprise at least two different types of natural fibers of plant origin selected from the group consisting of coconut fiber, flax fiber, canvas fiber, jute fiber, ramie fiber, sisal fiber, cotton fiber, broom fiber, Manila hemp fiber, bamboo fiber, kapok fiber, straw fiber, hibiscus fiber, banana plant fiber, agave fiber, aloe fiber, and fibers obtained from woody plants.

23. The base member (10) further comprises: - cereal cobs not coated with a film or layer of coating material; -cork, or a combination thereof.

24. 24. The turf system of any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein the base member (10) comprises at least a substantially planar member (13) constituted by layers of natural fibres of plant origin that have been compressed together and held together by the natural latex-based adhesive.

25. 25. The turf system of any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein the base member (10) comprises a plurality of adjacent planar members (13), the adjacent planar members (13) being engaged with one another by the natural latex-based adhesive.

26. The turf system of any preceding claim, wherein the artificial turf further comprises infill material (30) arranged to be distributed on the second surface (23) of the mat (21).

27. The filling material (30) - Cobs of grain ears, - grain husks, - free products obtained from cork-based raw materials, - free products obtained from raw materials based on ground coconut, 27. The turf system of claim 26, wherein the turf system is comprised of plant-derived free material selected from the group consisting of:

28. 28. The turf system of claim 27, wherein the plant-derived free material is obtained by mixing a predetermined amount of the plant-derived free material with a predetermined amount of a predetermined compound based on at least a drying or semi-drying oil in such a way as to improve the properties of the plant-derived free material.

29. 29. The turf system according to any one of claims 1 to 28, wherein the lawn (20) further comprises blades of natural grass (26) obtained by at least plant seeds to form a natural grass lawn in such a way as to obtain a mixed synthetic and natural lawn (20).

30. 30. The turf system of any of claims 26-29, wherein the infill material comprises a synthetic material selected from the group consisting of rubber granules, styrene butadiene rubber granules, thermoplastic material granules, ethylene-propylene-diene monomer granules, polyvinyl chloride granules, synthetic organic material granules, or combinations thereof.

31. 31. The turf system of any of claims 26 to 30, wherein the infill material comprises a predetermined amount of sand.

32. The turf system of any of claims 26 to 31, wherein the infill material comprises a lower layer (32) and at least an upper layer (31) positioned on the lower layer (32).

33. 33. The turf system of claim 32, wherein the underlayer (32) is a layer of sand, or a layer of corncob, or a mixture of sand and corncob.

34. The upper layer (31) - Cobs of grain ears, - grain husks, - free products obtained from cork-based raw materials, - free products obtained from raw materials based on ground coconut, - synthetic materials selected from the group consisting of rubber granules, styrene butadiene rubber granules, thermoplastic material granules, ethylene-propylene-diene monomer granules, polyvinyl chloride granules, synthetic organic material granules, 34. The turf system of claim 32 or 33, wherein the turf system is constructed from materials selected from the group consisting of:

35. 1. A method for positioning a turf system, comprising: - positioning a base member (10) having a predetermined thickness (s) on a support surface (100), said base member (10) being composed of natural fibres (15) of plant origin having a determined length (1); - positioning a lawn (20) on said base member (10), said lawn (20) being: a mat (21) provided with a first surface (22) and a second surface opposite said first surface (23), the mat (21) being adapted to allow rain or irrigation water to flow from said second surface (23) to said first surface (22) in such a way as to reach said base member (10); a positioning step comprising a plurality of blades (25) of synthetic material fixed to said mat (21), said plurality of blades (25) of synthetic material being configured to protrude from said second surface (23) in such a way as to form said lawn, The method is characterized in that the natural fibres (15) of plant origin have a length (l) greater than 5 mm, and the base member (10) further comprises a natural latex based adhesive arranged to hold the natural fibres (15) of plant origin together.

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