The present invention relates to a device for repairing or treating a mat of an artificial ski slope or an artificial lawn, wherein the mat extends in an inclined or a horizontal plane, wherein the mat comprises a substrate from which synthetic fibres forming the surface to be skied or played on extend. A problem of such ski slopes or artificial lawns is the fact that, with the passage of time, the fibres of the mat are flattened due to the frequent use, as a result of which the ski slope will slide less well or the artificial lawn will be more difficult to play on.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, reliable, effective, efficient and easy-to-use solution to this problem. Another object of the invention is to provide a solution for improving the skiing or playing characteristics of a new mat.

In order to achieve that object, the device comprises a frame which is configured so that it can at least partially extend above the mat in use, with the frame and the mat being movable relative to each other for repairing different parts of the mat; a rotatable cylindrical brush, which is mounted to the frame in such a manner that it can extend above the mat in use for moving (flattened or new) synthetic fibres of the mat to an upright orientation; and a heating element mounted to the frame, which is mounted to the frame in such a manner that, in use, it extends above the mat, behind the brush, seen in the direction of movement, for radiating heat in a substantially downward direction toward the mat for the purpose of fixing the fibres raised by the brush in the raised orientation. By raising the fibres and heating them to a suitable temperature, the fibres are fixed anew in the correct raised position and the mat is restored to a state comparable to a new mat. By treating a new mat for an artificial ski slope in this way, the mat will be more rigid and smoother, so that it will have better skiing characteristics .

According to the first embodiment discussed in the description of the figures, the mat is of the endless type which extends in an inclined or a horizontal plane between, and is passed over, an upper or rear reversing roller and a lower or front reversing roller, whilst a platform is present between the two reversing rollers, over which platform the endless mat can slide in upward or rearward direction. The invention can also be used with artificial ski slopes provided with stationary skiing mats, however, which are fixed to an artificial or a natural slope, as will be described with reference to a second embodiment.

For the type of artificial ski slope discussed with reference to the first embodiment in the description of the figures, the frame preferably comprises support means on one side for being supported on a floor and support means on the other side for being supported on a beam that extends above the mat. Such a beam or rod is usually present near the bottom end or front end of the artificial ski slope, at a height of about 1.20 m above the mat, functioning as a grip for skiers and snowboarders to hold on to. The floor support means are preferably formed by wheels by means of which the device can move sideways across the floor. The wheels are placed on the stationary floor beyond the end of the mat. The distance between the brush and the heating element on the one hand and the beam supporting means on the other hand is preferably adjustable, so that the device can be used with different beam heights and angles of inclination of the ski slope .

The frame preferably comprises a motor, which rotates the brush in use. The motor is preferably an electric motor. In use, the brush preferably rotates in such a manner that the bottom side of the brush moves obliquely upward or rearward at the contact surface with the mat, and that faster than the mat moves obliquely upward or rearward. The brush preferably has brush hairs of a relatively hard plastic material, for example nylon. The brush preferably has a circumferential dimension between 20 and 50 cm, preferably between 30 and 40 cm.

The heating element preferably comprises a gas burner. The heating element furthermore preferably comprises a glow element heated by the gas burner. The heating element can transfer heat to the fibres by means of the open flame. The heating element also preferably comprises a reflector which extends above the glow element, which reflector reflects the emitted heat in downward direction. Preferably, the heating element comprises a fan designed to transport the heat toward the fibres. In a device for repairing or treating a mat of an artificial ski slope, the heating element can heat a mat of an artificial ski slope slowly passing under said heating element, preferably spaced therefrom by a distance of 1 to 5 cm, to a temperature of at least 140 °C, preferably to a temperature of at least 200 °C, more preferably to a temperature of about 250 °C. A temperature of 140 °C of the fibres upon exiting the heating zone suffices for fixing the fibres in the desired upward orientation. In a device for repairing or treating a mat of an artificial lawn, the heating element can heat a mat of an artificial ski slope slowly passing under the heating element, preferably spaced therefrom by a distance of 1 to 5 cm, to a temperature between 80 °C and 120 °C, preferably to a temperature between 90 °C and 110 °C. The optimum temperature depends on the composition of the fibres.

The frame preferably comprises means for holding gas cylinders, which can be connected to the gas burner by means of gas pipes.

The brush and the heating element preferably have a length between 50 cm and 4 m, seen in a direction transversely to the direction of movement.

The invention also relates to a method for repairing or treating a mat of an artificial ski slope, wherein the mat extends in an inclined or a horizontal plane, wherein the mat comprises a substrate from which synthetic fibres forming the surface to be skied on extend, said method comprising: moving a rotating cylindrical brush relative to the mat for moving (flattened or new) synthetic fibres of the mat to a raised orientation; and moving a heating element in the same direction relative to the mat above the mat, behind the brush, seen in the direction of movement, for radiating heat in a substantially downward direction for the purpose of fixing the fibres raised by the brush in the raised orientation.

The invention will now be explained by means of an example shown in the figures, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an artificial ski slope of the rotating endless belt type, with a first embodiment of the device according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view according to the arrow II of the artificial ski slope and the device shown in figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the device according to the invention; Figures 4 and 5 are schematic sectional views of an artificial ski slope and an artificial lawn, respectively, and the device shown in figure 3.

According to the figures, a ski slope comprises an endless mat 1 consisting of a substrate 2 and fibres 3 of polypropylene, for example, extending therefrom, which mat 1 extends in an inclined plane between and is passed over an upper reversing roller 4 and a lower reversing roller 5. Present between the two reversing rollers 4, 5 is a platform (not shown) , which supports the upper half of the mat 1, so that a floor to be skied on is formed. The upper reversing roller 4 is motor-driven, so that the upper half of the mat 1 can move upwards at a desired skiing speed, whilst a skier will remain at approximately the same level while skiing. Near the lower end of the artificial ski slope a training beam or rod 6 is provided at a height of about 1.20 m above the mat 1, giving the skier a grip to hold on to, so that he or she cannot accidentally ski off the mat 1. A first embodiment of the device according to the invention comprises a frame 11, which substantially consists of a rectangular, telescopic first subframe 111, which may extend between the rod 6 and the floor 7 beyond the lower edge of the artificial ski slope, and a rectangular second subframe 112, which may extend parallel to the mat 1, being spaced therefrom by a relatively small distance, from the lower end of the first subframe 111. The two subframes 111, 112 are pivotally interconnected. The other ends of the subframes 111, 112 are interconnected by means of a screw spindle, by means of which the distance between the ends can be adjusted in dependence on the height of the rod 6 and the angle of inclination of the ski slope .

Hooks 12 are attached to the upper end of the first subframe 111, by means of which hooks the frame can be hung on the beam 6. Mounted to the lower end of the subframe 111 are two wheels 13, by means of which the frame can be moved sideways across the floor for the purpose of treating different strips of the mat.

The second subframe 112 is provided with a plate 14 on which gas cylinders 15 can be placed and on which an electric motor 16 is mounted. Via a drive belt, the electric motor drives a rotatable cylindrical brush 17 comprising nylon brush hairs having a length of 20 mm, for example, which are relatively hard in comparison with the fibres 3, which brush is rotatably mounted in front of the upper end of the plate 14 and which extends transversely to the direction of movement of the mat. The brush 17 extends at least partially under the plane of the second subframe 112, so that it can push against the mat 1. By having the mat 1 move slowly, the fibres 3 of the mat 1 are raised by the rotation of the brush 17, as shown in figure 2. The circumferential speed of the brush 17 is 1.5 m/s, for example, whilst the speed of the mat 1 is 0.25 m/s, for example.

A heating element 18 is mounted to the second subframe 112, in front of the brush 17, by means of a rod 20, in such a manner that the moving mat is first treated by the brush and then passes under the heating element 18. The heating element 18 is of a known type as used for patio heating, for example. It comprises a gas burner, which heats a glow element. A reflector reflects the infrared radiation thus being emitted toward the mat 1. The reflector has a length of 60 cm, for example, seen in the direction of movement, the radiated surface having a length of 42 - 45 cm, for example, with the bottom side of the reflector being spaced from the mat 1 by a distance of 1 cm, for example. The gas cylinder (s) 15 is/are connected to the heating element by means of a hose 19. The heating element is held spaced above the mat by a distance such that and heated to a temperature such that the fibres 3 will have a temperature of at least 140 °C at the upper side thereof upon exiting the heating element 18. The temperature centrally under the heating element 18 may run up to 250 °C, for example.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 show an alternative embodiment of the invention. It can be used for ski slopes in which the mat is installed on a fixed sloping surface (as shown in figure 4), or for artificial lawns which are installed on a fixed horizontal surface (as shown in figure 5) .

The device comprises a self-propelled steerable vehicle, such as a tractor 21, to which the frame 11 is mounted. In this embodiment, the tractor is provided with a winch 22 on the other end, by means of which the device can be moved up and down a ski slope, if necessary, so that no large forces will be exerted on the mat 1 by the wheels of the vehicle. The same parts 14, 15, 16, 17a/b, 18, 19, 20 are mounted to the frame as in the first embodiment, with several brushes 17a/17b and heating element 18 being arranged side by side, so that a wide strip of the mat 1 can be treated in one go. In this case the motor 16 is a hydro unit, comprising a pump, a tank and a cooling unit. The motor 16 may drive the winch 22 in addition to the brushes. In practice, the tractor 21 may also be oriented in the reverse driving direction . The device comprises front brushes 17a, and rear brushes 17b, which can be set to rotate in one direction, as shown in figure 4, or in two opposite directions, as shown in figure 5. In the case of artificial lawns, the fibres 3 may be flattened in various directions, and as a result of the opposite directions of rotation of the brushes 17a, 17b a large number of the fibres are moved to the raised position before they are heated by the heating element 18. In the case of artificial lawns, the heating element is held spaced above the mat by a distance such that and heated to a temperature of such that the fibres 3 will have a temperature of at most about 115 °C at the upper side upon exiting the heating element 18, depending on the composition of the synthetic fibres.