WO2019109161A1

WO2019109161A1 - Template kit for landscaped planting bed

Info

Publication number: WO2019109161A1
Application number: PCT/CA2017/051470
Authority: WO
Inventors: Guy Girard; Marina CLOUTIER
Original assignee: Paysagiste Virtuel (9154-7935 Québec Inc )
Priority date: 2017-12-05
Filing date: 2017-12-05
Publication date: 2019-06-13

Abstract

The planting template kit will be used by home landscape gardeners in order to achieve a design and look. Each kit is a different planting bed project provided in three different parts that, when combined, become the kit. First, the virtual template illustrates the creative vision and design of a project. The 5 pages are in the following order: front cover, simulated photo of the design, numbered drawing illustrating the suggested vegetation, numbered list identifying said vegetation and a page of planting tips. Secondly, the paper template is actually the printed version of the virtual template. Finally, the material template is a surface which may be an anti-vegetative membrane, pre-cut to actual size and numbered to identify the exact location of each project plant in the design. Said surface deposited on the ground makes it possible to cut out the outline thereof on the ground and an X previously identified on each number allows for an incision for digging and planting.

Description

Title: BEDSPREADING KIT FOR PLANTATION BED IN LANDSCAPED PLANNING Technical Area: Gardening

File reference: MCGG5657

The description...

Our invention the "landscaping bed template kit in landscaping" is innovative and easy to use. Landscaping has never been so easy and inexpensive for the amateur gardener who wants to carry out his plantation project himself and get a professional look and feel because each kit is a different and customizable planting bed.

Most if not all people with an interest in outdoor plants have probably seen, in specialized journals or in garden centers, small drawings on paper illustrating the position of some plants and shrubs and their identifications, the goal being , for the horticulturist or the clerk on the floor, to sell plants. On the other hand, for many of us, we also had the opportunity to admire a comprehensive plan of scale with a site survey produced by a landscape architect or a company specialized in the field to try to sell the realization of the project. I have nothing to complain about these sales techniques, I just quote them as an example in order to understand the difference between these products and ours.

I have been a landscaper since 1987 and I can assure you that I also presented a large number of projects to my clients as much with simple sketches that I scribbled on a notebook directly in the garden center with plans complete landscaping. In one case as in the other one element emerged in almost all my clients that is to say the difficulty of viewing the project, simple or complex, as a whole. Few people are able to read and understand a plan, most only see some beautiful lines drawn on a sheet.

It makes sense that the customer does not usually have knowledge of plants at the level of identification, size and growth characteristics. Each time, during the presentation of a project, I was gesticulating on the ground showing that the plant in question would be here and it would grow to this size and the other smaller shrubs would be here and there and arranged in massive like that. At the end of my presentations the client had only a vague idea of what I was proposing.

With this in mind, I began to question myself to find a way to present projects where everyone could easily see and understand before investing. I then started to get interested in computer science (CAD) for the plans but more specifically to computer-aided visual simulation for simulated photos. We have acquired specialized software that allows us to work with a database of over 3000 plant photos, pavers, low walls, ponds and other accessories for landscaping. I still mention that to make a simulated picture of landscaping we do not work with drawings of plants but many pictures cut off, the result is much more realistic.

The principle is simple, using a digital photo of the customer's home placed in the bottom of the screen we imported cut-away plants and shrubs that we had, resize and modify one by one to finally be able to present a personalized photo project that the customer could, at a glance, visualize as a whole. The problem at this stage of development was the uniqueness that is to say that all the work of creating the concept of planning, the choice of plants and the editing of the visual simulation of this development was only intended 'to a single customer.

In 2010 we created Paysagiste Virtuel.com because we were convinced that we could extend our expertise on the web. From that moment our challenge has been to create a useful and accessible product for all in the field of gardening and our slogan "Landscaping has never been so easy ... for you" reflects the criteria that we we were fixed. We especially wanted that the most neophyte amateur gardeners, in the region or city, can easily achieve a stylishly landscaped space on his property. We believe we have achieved some of this goal by creating virtual templates in PDF format (Figure 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5-7) that can be easily used in virtual commerce. Our logic was simple, we had to design several different development projects and present them as "ready-to-wear". While being aware that this new way of proceeding was promising for the web and the virtual market, we were realistic because it was obvious that once again we were going towards virtual sales to individuals ie a customer = a project sold.

Even if we thought we had put our finger on an interesting market, it was from this observation that our objectives and our target clientele changed a little and we had in mind to polish our product to open the door to a bigger market. It is with this in mind that we opted for the option that would allow us to sell volume to specialized organizations such as garden centers and big box stores that offer horticultural products.

If we summarize at this stage we had in hand twenty virtual landscaping projects to offer to individuals but we lacked the element that would allow us to make a breakthrough in the commercial. That's when the idea came up of the material or "physical" surface of our plantation templates. Like a numbered painting or sewing pattern, we thought we would cut a real size surface of our plantation projects according to the design, contour curves and dimensions specific to each project.

With this added value we are now convinced that we can manufacture, distribute and physically export our landscaping projects. In summary it is by pushing further the invention of the virtual template that the printed template was born and it is by creating the material surface in real size to these two inventions that we produced the "template kit for bed of plantation in landscaping "that we present to you today.

As you can see, our invention actually consists of three well-defined elements according to the "unity of invention" method set forth in Rule 13 and it is as we will discuss it to help you better understand the importance of each individually as well as overall. There exists between the inventions a "technical relation" relating to a particular identical and corresponding technical element. This technical element, numbers or letters, is used to identify the plants and characterizes our inventions for related them so that they form only one general inventive concept identified as the "Template Kit for planting bed

Invention 1- The virtual template: It is the stage of creation of the design and the choice of the plants composing the project of landscaping. This is what we consider to be the virtual part of a project consisting of planting suggestions illustrating the new concept and presented in 5 specific pages for each project (Figure 1-2-3-4-5). It is important to mention "for each project" because we currently have concepts created for several projects that will all be part of a "package". Page 1 (fig.1) is a cover page and presentation of the project and the company. Page 2 (fig.2) is the creation of the simulated photo of the arrangement and spatial organization of plants. Page 3 (fig.3) is a sketch presenting the plants with a number (1) for each variety suggested. Page 4 (Fig. 4) is a numbered list of all the plants used to identify the plants proposed in the visual simulation (fig.2) and the sketch (fig.3). All accompanied by a page 5 (fig.5) of planting advice. You have probably noticed that I often mention "numbers" over the pages and these numbers (1) are very important because they link the pages together by identifying the plants.

In order to be as universal as possible we have imagined our development projects according to certain specific elements called inert materials that we find on most of our properties, that is to say the facade architecture a house, sidewalks, low walls, court yard and parking lots. We believe that if the customer finds that the layout of certain elements in our sketches has similarities with certain elements on his property, it will be easy for him to imagine our suggestions for development on his land. Specifically with pages 2, 3 and 4 virtual template (fig.2-3-4) we propose to see as never before the spatial organization of its future development.

For the purposes of this patent application filing, we will use as an example the project with product code CAVG-12-10. We designed it to be used on the front of a house with a parking lot on the right and a small sidewalk perpendicular to the parking lot leading to the front door. It is a small space of 12 'X 10' extremely simple to realize with our kit (fig.2-3-4-5-6)

Another important element for the virtual template in addition to allowing the user to see the spatial organization and volume of the project, it also allows him to prepare his budget with the list of plants provided (fig.4) because this table includes columns for the plant numbers linked to the sketch (1), the Latin names of the plants (2), the size of the adult plants (3), the quantity of plants needed for the project (4) and we also integrated a column to enter the size of the chosen pots at the garden center (5) as well as columns for the prices (6) in addition to a column to identify the type of plant (7).

Invention 2- The paper template: In fact the paper template is exactly the virtual template of phase 1 (Figure 1-2-3-4-5) but printed on 11 x 17 paper and included in the kit. Some users will not want the hardware template to save money and do it themselves. In this case they will receive the virtual template by email in PDF and the paper template by mail and they will have in hand the base to carry out the project. Small interesting detail, we include in each paper template a grid of numbers (fig.7) with exactly the number of numbers used in the project. For example, the CAVD-12-10 project has 3 plants identified as the number 6 so the grid also has 3 numbers 6. This grid of cut numbers will be useful for people who may not recognize the plants once they have returned to the plant. House. They will only have to insert in the pot, directly in the garden center, the number (fig.7) cut associated with the plant in the list (fig.4) to avoid any confusion at home. Invention 3- The material template: It is a material surface (fig.6), such as anti-vegetative membrane or other large surface material pre-cut according to the size and curves of the actual design of the chosen project in addition to being numbered ( 1). In addition, an identifier in X for cutting on these numbers (1) makes it possible to make a partial opening in the membrane at the specific locations of digging and planting (Fig.6 num8) of the plants in the arrangement according to the project chosen by the Buyer.

For the purposes of filing the patent application we will use only one of our products as an example for the drawings and the method of use. The project chosen for this patent application bears the PRODUCT CODE: CAVG-12-10 so it is a small development project of 12 'x 10' including a material surface (fig.6) delivered dimension 12 'x 10 'and this surface has the characteristics necessary for the implementation of the project in the field. The membrane of our photo example (fig.6) is pre-cut according to the same design of the curves as the sketch CAVG-12-10 (fig.3) to allow the user to deposit it on the ground and to move it to its to find the perfect place on his land. When the position is determined the user can draw on the ground the contour of the membrane by cutting the ground all around it with a cutter or shovel. After this step the user can remove the membrane, remove the lawn or soil from the cut surface and add topsoil in this new plantation bed design. By repositioning the membrane in this new floor design, the user is ready to start planting.

As mentioned earlier the membrane has numbers or letters pasted (Fig.6 num.1) corresponding to the numbers of the list of plants (fig.4 num.1). These numbers are placed on the membrane in the specific places indicated on the sketch (fig.3 num.1) for each plant thus creating a template of plantation. The location of each number takes into account the adult size of the plants (fig.4 num.3) to be inserted so the user does not have to worry about the distance between each plant during planting. The hobbyist often makes the mistake of planting the plants too close to each other and 2-3 years later they overlap giving the impression of poorly designed and poorly maintained. In the case of the use of a membrane it has several advantages since in addition to being a cutting pattern in the field for the design and a planting template for the plants at specific locations it is also anti vegetative and provides a planting bed free of weeds over time. After implantation, the user can, according to his tastes and according to his tastes and his budget, extend a mulch or a decorative stone between the plants on the surface for the final aesthetic.

Our kit, as I mentioned earlier, is composed of three phases: the virtual template (fig.1-2-3-4-5-7) for the concept, the design, the choice of plants and the presentation of the layout proposed, the Paper Template (fig.1-2-3-4-5-7) being the virtual template printed on paper and the Material Template (fig.6) for the full-size surface including the numbers designating the exact planting location for each concept. Our claims will focus on the invention of the kit as well as the process, style and presentation of each of the elements provided with the "Landscaping Bedding Template Kits".

As previously mentioned, we have about 20 different design projects designed for the front of the house, backyard and backyard. It goes without saying that the number of projects (kit) will continually increase over time to reach a larger number of users across the country and elsewhere ... everything is in the choice of plants for hardiness and style. planning for the target country.

In conclusion we are very proud of our invention. We started from the desire to offer a new way of approaching the realization of landscaping for Mr. and Mrs. everyone by creating a simple and complete virtual process (fig.1-2- 3-4-5-6 -7). In doing so we realized that we could adapt our product for a commercial volume market and we designed the real size planting template (fig.6) which turns out to be the material element that will allow us to produce for the garden centers and supermarkets in addition to individuals. Our invention is so creative and manageable that we could on request create "Planting Template Kits" promotional campaigns to allow garden centers to sell the plants at the end of the season or offer it as a gift for the holidays.

The advantages of the invention:

- Concept easily adaptable according to region, province or country

- Possibility of specific and punctual creations for commercial customers

- Simple production in manufacture

- Possibility of unit shipping to individuals via web

- Possibility of mass shipping to businesses in this sector of activity

- Undeniable Plant Sales Arguments for Garden Center Employees

- Simplicity and speed in project realization for the amateur user

- Professional design for everyone

- Landscaping has never been easier ... for you.

In appendix:

Figure - 1: The Presentation (page 1 of the virtual template)

Figure - 2: The look in simulated photo

Figure - 3. Sketch of identification and arrangement of plants numbered Figure - A. The list of plants numbered

Figure - 5: Planting Tips

Figure - 6: The numbered life size planting template (actual photo).

Figure - 7: Number grid specific for each project

Claims

Title: GARDEN KIT FOR PLANTATION BED IN LAYOUT LANDSCAPE Technical Area: Gardening

File reference: MCGG5657

The revendications...

The embodiments of the invention, in respect of which an exclusive right of ownership or privilege is claimed according to the "unity of invention" method set out in Rule 13, is interpreted as allowing, in particular, to include in the same international application claims of different categories.

These claims are defined as follows:

1- A template kit for planting bed in landscaping comprising:

• A landscaping suggestion sketch whose creation, composition and design are different for each kit and sketch suggestion is preconceived taking into account the different inert and architectural materials, usually in place on residential and / or commercial properties, such as houses, sidewalks, low walls and parking. The position of these different elements on the properties being the basis of creation of the suggestion sketches, several template kits composed of different designs, plants and dimensions are presented to the user who can make his choice according to the disposition of these elements on his property.

• The suggestion sketch presented and available on virtual media in PDF format and defined and identified as the "virtual plantation template" of the kit.

• The suggestion sketch presented and offered in paper format in addition to the virtual PDF support and defined and identified as the "paper planting template" of the kit. • Suggestion sketch presented and offered on a large surface area in addition to the virtual PDF support and paper support plan and defined and identified as the "life size planting template"

2- In addition to information in claim 1 the virtual planting template is composed of:

• 5 pages in PDF format designed to be presented and offered via different media such as social networks and web (Fig 1 to 5 in PDF).

• Page 1 presenting the company and its logo as well as the product code of the landscaping suggestion sketch (Fig. 1).

• Page 2 presenting a visual simulation of the landscaping suggestion sketch demonstrating the volume, layout and spatial organization of the layout and formatted as a flat map with legend (Fig. 2).

• Page 3 with the landscaping suggestion sketch layout in the form of a map cartouche with legend and indicating the size of the planting bed and the arrangement of the suggested plants (Fig. 3). Each plant on this page is associated with a number or letter or any other type of identification that allows reference to the numbers in the plant list (Fig. 4) as well as numbers on the real size material template surface (Fig. 6)

• Page 4 presenting a detailed table of the list of plants necessary for the realization of the landscaping suggestion sketch and including for each plant listed a number or a letter or any other type of identification allowing a reference to the sketch (Fig. 3) as well as the material template surface (Fig. 6). The table layout in the form of a cartouche plan with legend also includes the Latin name, the size of the plant adult, the amount of plant needed for this management and the type of plant suggested (Fig. 4).

• Page 5 showing several simple planting tips (Fig.

5).

3- In addition to the information in claim 1, the paper planting jig is composed of:

• Claim 2 in addition to the landscaping suggestion sketch presented and offered on paper (Fig 1 to 5 on paper).

4- In addition to the information in claim 1, the full-size planting template is composed of all claims 2 and 3 presented and also offered with the following elements, that is to say:

• A surface of material or paper or fabric or synthetic product or other physical surface pre-cut to the size and actual curves of the landscaping suggestion sketch and indicating precisely the location of each project plant using numbers or letters or any other type of identification pasted on its surface (Fig. 6) allowing reference to the sketch numbers (Fig. 3) and the numbers in the plant list (Fig. 4).

• Said material surface also provided with X-cut identifications at each number or letter stuck to allow the digging and planting of each plant at a specific location eliminating the calculation of the distances between each plant during implantation and, by therefore, the overlapping of plants when grown.

• Said material surface being pre-cut to the actual size and according to the curves and the design of the chosen development project is also used as a template for drawing curves and design directly on the ground using tools such as cutting edge during the realization thus avoiding much hassle of preparation, measurement and implantation to the amateur gardener. For example project CAVG-12-10 measures 12 'wide and 10' deep so the material surface of the redhead will be presented and offered according to the same dimensions and design curves as sketch CAVG-12-10.

5- We claim the invention of the concept of virtual presentation for landscaping suggestions as described in claim 2 (Figs 1 to 5).

We are claiming the invention of the life size planting jig as described in claim 4 (Figure 6).

7- We claim the unity of the invention is the landscaping landscaping bed template resulting from the merger of claims 5 and 6. There is between the claimed inventions a "technical relationship" on a particular technical element identical and corresponding. This technical element, numbers or letters, is used to identify the plants and characterizes our inventions for the related them so that they form only one general inventive concept identified as the "template kit for planting bed"