Playing Surface Assembly With Tunable Infill for Warning Track Safety

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional artificial turf fields fail to adequately simulate the significant differences in playability and safety between grassed and non-grassed areas, particularly on warning tracks, due to uniform properties defined by synthetic turf fibers, leading to reduced safety and altered ball and athlete interaction.

Innovation Solution

A playing surface assembly with a backing and reinforcement elements, where the infill material is the primary source of performance characteristics, and the reinforcement elements restrict lateral and vertical migration, mimicking natural surfaces by altering infill characteristics such as materials, compaction, and water content.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional artificial turf with uniform synthetic fibers is used, then manufacturing simplicity and cost are improved, but playability variation and safety across different field areas deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidplayability variation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by using different infill materials in different field areas (e.g., clay infill for skinned areas, rubber infill for grassed areas) to create distinct playability characteristics for each zone, allowing the same turf structure to support varied performance requirements across the field

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Stability of the object's composition

If rubber crumb infill is used throughout the field, then manufacturing consistency is improved, but safety on warning tracks and player awareness deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinfill consistencyVSAvoidsafety hazards

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by using different infill materials in different field areas (e.g., clay infill for skinned areas, rubber infill for grassed areas) to create distinct playability characteristics for each zone, allowing the same turf structure to support varied performance requirements across the field

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If uniform artificial turf properties are maintained, then production efficiency is improved, but ball and athlete interaction accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidperformance characteristic accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by using different infill materials in different field areas (e.g., clay infill for skinned areas, rubber infill for grassed areas) to create distinct playability characteristics for each zone, allowing the same turf structure to support varied performance requirements across the field

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS20260092416A1Playing Surface Assemblies And Systems, And Methods Of Making And Using Same

Publication Date: 2026.04.02 COLUMBIA INSURANCE CO

AI summary

A playing surface assembly that defines at least a portion of a playing surface. The playing surface assembly has a backing, a plurality of reinforcement elements secured to and extending upwardly from the backing, and an infill material defining a top surface of the playing surface assembly. Each reinforcement element has a top end and a reveal distance corresponding to a vertical spacing between the top surface of the playing surface assembly and the top end of the reinforcement element. The reveal distance of each reinforcement element is less than 0.5 inches. In use, the reinforcement elements restrict lateral and vertical migration of the infill material, and the infill material is the primary source of performance characteristics of the playing surface assembly.