Abstract:
A landscaping vegetation border unit that is elongated and is formed by a pair of spaced apart sidewalls and a bottom wall which has an open top. The unit defines an internal compartment. Each of the sidewalls are divided by a series of transverse slots that form each of the sidewalls into a plurality of separate panels. The bottom wall includes an adjustment means that will permit the sidewalls to be bent. The soil and growable vegetation is to be placed within the internal compartment with the border units to then be used to separate to divide separate cement sections in a landscape environment.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The subject matter of this invention is directed to the constructing of an elongated border unit that is to include vegetation with this unit being utilized to ornately divide different directly adjacent sections of cement in a landscaping environment. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Cement is commonly used to produce driveways, patios and walkways. To merely make a driveway, walkway or patio as a continuous cement structure, to many people, does not constitute a particularly attractive appearance. Some people would prefer to break up the cement structure into different sections with the peripheral edge of these different sections not necessarily being straight but having some arcuate configuration. This arcuate configuration can produce a more attractive appearance. 
         [0005]    In the past, there have been attempts to break up sections of cement. To make such more attractive, bricks have commonly been used. However, bricks generally require the producing of straight peripheral edges for the cement. There has also been used wood, commonly referred to as benderboard and this benderboard is capable of being bent to assume a curved configuration which will produce curved peripheral edges for the cement. 
         [0006]    In the past, it has also been common to form grass sections between the sections of cement. Generally, these grass sections are one to three feet across and have the function of producing a significantly more attractive appearance for the cement driveway, walkway or patio. Usually, when the cement is poured, there is formed within the driveway, walkway or patio forms that are to be used to define the area that is to be grass which is to be thereupon planted after the cement has been poured. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    It would be desirable to design a structural unit that can be utilized within the defined area of a driveway, walkway or patio that will not only divide the cement structure into a plurality of different cement sections with the unit to function as a form to prevent the fresh cement from penetrating past a certain area but also where the unit can include vegetation which will produce an attractive appearance by dividing the cement section into a plurality of different sections. The structural unit also function as a form to comprise a barrier for the cement as it is poured. 
         [0008]    The generic embodiment of the present invention is directed to constructing a landscaping elongated vegetation border unit formed of a sheet material planar housing having an internal compartment formed by a pair of spaced apart sidewalls and a bottom wall and an open top which has an access opening. Each of the sidewalls are divided into a plurality of panels with there being an air gap formed by a transverse slot between each directly adjacent panels. The housing is capable of being laterally bent to assume a generally curved shape which will cause each of the slots on one sidewall to be widened and on the opposite sidewall to cause the panels to slidingly overlap each other. A bottom wall includes an adjustment means that permits the sidewalls to be laterally bent. Whereby the internal compartment can be filled with a soil and a vegetation that is to grow and completely fill the access opening and then the housing can be used to divide separate cement sections in a landscape environment. 
         [0009]    A further embodiment of the present invention is where the generic embodiment is modified by defining that the sidewalls are evenly spaced apart. 
         [0010]    A further embodiment of the present invention is where the generic embodiment is modified by defining a first embodiment where the bottom wall includes a plurality of overlapping flaps with there being a series of these overlapping flaps mounted at a ninety degree displaced position relative to one sidewall and another series of these flaps is mounted a ninety degree displaced position relative to the other sidewall. 
         [0011]    A further embodiment of the present invention is where the generic embodiment is modified forming a second embodiment defining that the adjustment means comprises a series of narrowed frangible strips that are breakable in order to divide each strip of the strips into two sections that can overlap which will occur when bending of the sidewalls to an arcuate configuration. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is to be made to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shown in the drawings. 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a cement structure, such as would be commonly found within a driveway, walkway or patio showing usage of a plurality of a landscaping elongated vegetation border units of the present invention being used to divide the cement structure into a plurality of different cement sections; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of one of the landscaping elongated vegetation border units of the first embodiment of the present invention that is intended to be constructed of cardboard; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of one of the landscaping elongated vegetation border units of the first embodiment of the present invention showing the unit in a curved (arcuate) configuration; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3  but where the end of the border unit is closed in order to contain the soil that is contained within the internal compartment of the border unit; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 5  but of a second embodiment of a landscaping elongated vegetation border unit of the present invention that is intended to be constructed of a plastic material; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a side elevational view of the second embodiment of the landscaping elongated vegetation border unit of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a top plan view taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 7  of the second embodiment of landscaping elongated vegetation border unit of the present invention; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is a view similar to  FIG. 8  but showing the border unit in a curved (arcuate) configuration. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    Referring particularly to  FIG. 1 , there is a shown a landscaping area  10  which is composed of a plurality of spaced apart cement sections  12 . The cement sections  12  are separated by a border unit  14 . It is seen in  FIG. 1  that the border units can be curved to be almost semicircular. It is considered to be within the scope of this invention that the border units could be straight or could be curved other than semicircular or could be curved like an S-shape with such curving being strictly the decision of the installer. 
         [0023]    When pouring of the cement sections  12 , the border units  14  are placed in the desired position. The cement sections  12  are then poured between the border units with the border units functioning as a form to provide a barrier to prevent flow of the cement past a certain location. The height of the border units  14  are selected to the desired thickness of the cement sections  12 . Typically, the border units  14  will be four to six inches in height. 
         [0024]    Referring particularly to  FIGS. 1-5  of the drawings, there is shown the first embodiment of border unit which is constructed of a housing  16  constructed of cardboard and formed of a pair of evenly spaced apart sidewalls  18  and  20 . A gap area is formed between the sidewalls  18  and  20  which is defined as the internal compartment  22 . Internal compartment  22  is closed by a bottom wall which is formed by a section of flaps  26  which are integrally attached to the sidewall  18  and are located at right angles thereto and a series of flaps  28  which are integrally attached to the sidewall  20  and extending at a right angle therefrom. The flaps  26  and  28  are a placed on top of each other. There is to be located a series of the flaps  26  each generally no more than an inch to one inch and a half in length with there being located a slot  30  between the directly adjacent flaps  26 . The flaps  28  are similarly constructed with also having a slot  31 , located between directly adjacent flaps  28 . It is considered to be within the scope of this invention that the first embodiment could be constructed of sheet material other than cardboard. Typical thickness will be around one-eighth of an inch. 
         [0025]    The sidewall  18  includes a series of longitudinal slots  32  which essentially divide the sidewall  18  into a section of similarly sized panels  34 . In a similar manner, the sidewall  20  includes a series of longitudinal slots  36  with there being a slot  36  to be located each directly adjacent pair of panels  38  which form the sidewall  20 . Typically, the panels  38  will all be the same width and will be probably identical in width to the panels  34 . Because of the utilizing of the slots  30 ,  31 ,  32  and  36 , the housing  16  can be manually deformed into an arcuate configuration. When this deformation takes place, in the outer wall of the curve the slots  32  will actually widen. Where in the inner wall of the curve, the slots  36  will actually narrow and in all probability the panels  38  slightly overlap each other. In most instances, it will be desirable to close off the ends of the internal compartment  22 . This can be accomplished by merely folding inward a pair of the panels  34  and  38 , as shown in  FIG. 4  with these panels  34  and  38  abutting each other. It is to be understood that both ends of the border unit will be closed in the manner as is shown in  FIG. 4 . Typically, a border unit will be two to three feet in length. When curing of the border unit the flaps  26  and  28  will slidingly overlap. 
         [0026]    The internal compartment  22  is intended to be filled with a soil  40 . Within the upper layer of the soil  40  is to be planted vegetation  42 . The upper or top end of the internal compartment  22  has an access opening  44 . This access opening  44  is intended to be completely covered by the vegetation  42 . It is the vegetation  42  that provides the desirable appearance separating each of the concrete sections  12 . Typical vegetation will be grass. 
         [0027]    It is to be understood that the soil  40  could comprise dirt, mulch or any other type of growable medium. Vegetation  42  could be grass, dichondra or any other type of low height growing vegetation. 
         [0028]    Referring particularly to  FIGS. 6-9  of the drawings, there is shown a second embodiment of border unit  46  of this invention. The second embodiment  46  will have a housing  48  that is constructed of a plastic material. The housing  48  is formed of evenly spaced apart sidewalls  50  and  52  which will normally be spaced apart two to four inches. Both the sidewalls  50  and  52  include a series of evenly spaced apart longitudinal slots  54  with the slots  54  functioning to divide the sidewalls  50  and  52  into a series of panels  56 . Panels  56  are typically the same width within each of the sidewalls  50  and  52 . Each of the panels  56  include a series of holes  58 . The holes  58  are to function to permit a small portion of the cement, when pouring of the cement sections  12 , to enter within each of the holes  58  to provide a securement that will permanently secure in position the second embodiment of border unit  46  between the cement sections  12 . Typically, the panels  56  will be about one to one and one-half inches wide. 
         [0029]    The lower end of each of the panels  56  is integrally connected to a base  60  which extends laterally outwardly relative to the panels  56 . This base  60  also functions to lock the second embodiment of border unit  46  in position in conjunction with the cement sections  12 . In between the bases  60  of the different sidewalls  50  and  52  in the area of the bottom are formed a series of hourglass shaped members  62 . These members  62  have a narrowed center  64 . The second embodiment  46  of border unit is to be purchased by the consumer containing the soil  66  within the confines of the internal compartment  68  formed between the sidewalls  50  and  52 . Vegetation  70  will be permitted to grown within the soil  66  and protrude from the access opening  72  above the upper level of the cement sections  12 . In order for the user to bend the second embodiment  46  of border unit of this invention, the user must initially sever each of the members  62  at the narrowed center  64 . This severing will produce a break  74 . This severing can be accomplished by use of scissors, knife or other type of cutting tool. This will permit the second embodiment  46  to be laterally flexed into an arcuate configuration, as is represented when looking at  FIG. 9  relative to the straight configuration shown in  FIG. 8 . Integrally connected to the sidewall  50  and located within the confines of the internal compartment  68  is a locking member  76 . A similar locking member  78  is integrally connected to the sidewall  52  and is also located within the confines of the internal compartment  68 . The locking members  76  and  78  are to interlock with each other. It is the function of the locking members  76  and  78  to prevent the sidewalls  50  and  52  from spreading apart from their established position and keep the width of the internal compartment  68  at a preselected value. It is to be understood that similar locking members could be incorporated in conjunction with the first embodiment of border unit  14  of this invention. 
         [0030]    When the break  74  has been produced within each of the members  62  and the second embodiment  46  of border unit of this invention is flexed to the current position shown in  FIG. 9 , the two parts of the members  62  will have a tendency to slightly overlap each other. 
         [0031]    The discussion included in this patent is intended to serve as a basic description. The reader should be aware that the specific discussion may not explicitly describe all embodiments possible and alternatives are implicit. Also, this discussion may not fully explain the generic nature of the invention and may not explicitly show how each feature or element can actually be representative of a broader function or of a great variety of alternative or equivalent elements. Again, these are implicitly included in this disclosure. Where the invention is described in device-oriented terminology, each element of the device implicitly performs a function. It should also be understood that a variety of changes may be made without departing from the essence of the invention. Such changes are also implicitly included in the description. These changes still fall within the scope of this invention. 
         [0032]    Further, each of the various elements of the invention and claims may also be achieved in a variety of manners. This disclosure should be understood to encompass each such variation, be it a variation of any apparatus embodiment, a method embodiment, or even merely a variation of any element of these. Particularly, it should be understood that as the disclosure relates to elements of the invention, the words for each element may be expressed by equivalent apparatus terms even if only the function or result is the same. Such equivalent, broader, or even more generic terms should be considered to be encompassed in the description of each element or action. Such terms can be substituted where desired to make explicit the implicitly broad coverage to which this invention is entitled. It should be understood that all actions may be expressed as a means for taking that action or as an element which causes that action. Similarly, each physical element disclosed should be understood to encompass a disclosure of the action which that physical element facilitates. Such changes and alternative terms are to be understood to be explicitly included in the description.