FR3120493A1 - Modular culture support for vegetated wall promoting runoff - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a modular growing medium (1) for a vegetated wall, said growing medium (1) comprising at least one basket (2) having at least one face extending along a substantially vertical plane and at least one preformed panel (3) in rot-proof fibers housed in said basket (2) and forming a substrate capable of receiving plants according to said face.

Description

Modular culture support for vegetated wall promoting runoff

The present invention relates to the field of green walls.

The present invention relates more particularly to a modular growing medium for a vegetated wall facilitating the runoff of irrigation water inside the substrate.

By modular culture support within the meaning of the present invention, is meant throughout the following description a construction element of a green wall, for example a green wall, a green fence or any other wall allowing above-ground culture. The culture support comprises a substrate capable of receiving the root system of plants and of supplying them with water and nutrients resulting from a watering of this same substrate, for example a watering of a watering system internal or external to the support. of culture. The modular culture support forms a block that can be superimposed or juxtaposed with other culture supports. It is thus distinguished from the continuous culture support, which has a one-piece structure with no a priori dimension restriction, in particular no length limit.

The present invention will thus find many advantageous applications in the field of green walls, and in particular in the manufacture and installation of large green walls.

State of the art

The Applicant observes that the development of green walls, also called "vertical green complex walls", allows the integration of gardens and/or vertical ecosystems as elements of interior or exterior decor and/or urban ecology.

As such, a plurality of modular culture supports are envisaged for the realization of green walls as well as other forms of green walls. These growing media mainly comprise two elements, including a substrate capable of receiving the root system of plants and containing the water and nutrients necessary for their growth and survival, as well as a container, also called a "basket", which receives the substrate and defining one or more forms of the culture medium.

Modular culture supports are favored over continuous supports of the culture sheet type, in particular for the production of green walls outdoors, the culture sheets presenting rapid drying out in the sun and wind as well as weak protection of the root system against freeze.

The Applicant observes a plurality of limitations associated with the substrates commonly used in modular culture media:

- an earthy substrate based on the exploitation of volcanic quarries and exploitable white peat in limited quantities, is heavy, requires significant road transport, is strongly draining and slow to moisten when dry and can asphyxiate the roots of plants in the event of saturation in water. This substrate can be supplemented with other mineral, organic, natural or chemical materials to increase its water and/or nutrient reserve capacity;

- a sphagnum substrate is based on a limited resource extracted mainly in Madagascar, China or Chile and therefore requiring considerable transport, has the same humidification and asphyxiation limitations as the earthy substrate, has a limited quantity of nutrients and rests on a culture medium made of plant material that is easily flammable when dehydrated, with an acidic and heavy PH in the event of water saturation; And

- a mineral wool substrate requires industrial production by melting rock, glass or slag at high temperature, naturally contains no nutrients and is heavy in the event of water saturation.

The Applicant also submits that the substrates used have medium and long-term effects of compaction of the substrate in the basket, reducing the usable space for the development of plants, in particular on the upper portion of the basket. In particular, earthy substrates present a phenomenon of mixing of fine particles filling the interstices in the material during its humidification and a transformation of the material into humus and/or nutrient elements. The use of a sphagnum substrate is itself susceptible to loss of material under the action of the wind or birds.

The Applicant further submits that the control of the humidity of these substrates is complex, in particular when watering a dry and draining substrate forming wet "chimneys" quickly evacuating water or, on the contrary, when watering too sustained, especially in winter, leading to rotting of the root system. Water stress and excess water situations are therefore both risky for plant health and difficult to resolve.

To overcome these limitations, it is known to produce low-height modular crop supports coupled with watering systems of the drip pipe, porous pipe or micro-sprinkler type, so as to distribute the watering of a wall. vegetated in a plurality of "micro-irrigations" providing a low volume of water for a small surface area of substrate, so as to avoid the phenomena of water excess.

Dividing the vegetated walls into small-sized growing media and installing a watering system associated with each of the growing media represents a high cost and installation complexity.

The applicant also submits that the use of "micro-sprinkling" leads to the multiplication of sprinkling defects due to the clogging of the pipes by the deposit of limestone or impurities, the operation of the solutions described above requiring the circulation of water in small diameter openings. In addition, above-ground cultivation requires a supply of fertilizers and/or nutrients complementary to those present or absent in the substrate, these being either brought manually, in particular for small-sized plant walls, or directly mixed with the irrigation water, for example using a venturi injector or a metering pump. While the use of soluble fertilizers is relatively safe, the use of chemical or synthetic fertilizers leads to the formation and deposit of fertilizer crystals in the pipes.

To visualize watering defects before the plant dries up and dies, it is also known to use humidity sensors integrated into the growing medium to identify excess or water stress and control watering. Defects in water diffusion and/or the design of vegetated walls under a plurality of non-communicating growing media, however, imply a considerable meshing of the vegetated wall and a multiplication of the number of sensors necessary to obtain reliable information.

The Applicant therefore submits that to date there is no satisfactory alternative solution for producing a green wall that does not require complex watering control.

The present invention aims to improve the current situation described above.

The present invention aims more particularly to remedy the above drawbacks by proposing a modular growing medium for a vegetated wall making it possible to avoid situations of water stress and water excess linked to poor water retention as well as the effects settling of the growing medium.

To this end, the object of the present invention relates in a first aspect to a modular growing medium for a vegetated wall comprising at least one basket having at least one face, called the vegetated face, extending along a substantially vertical plane and filled with a substrate capable of receiving plants along the at least one vegetated face.

In other words, the basket defines the main structure of the growing medium in which the substrate is housed, the plants extending along one or more vegetated faces. The plants extend for example on one side and/or the other of the vegetated wall, the other faces of the basket, called lateral faces, being designed for the assembly of the culture support to a supporting structure or to other growing media.

Depending on the design and the selected substrate, the basket has, for example, a wire mesh or gabion-type lattice structure facilitating the aeration of the substrate or a solid or partially solid structure allowing the substrate to be held in position. The culture support and/or the basket comprise, for example, additional elements allowing the association of the modular culture support according to the invention to other modular culture supports, means for assembling the culture support to a supporting structure or alternatively integrated watering means as described below.

It is additionally understood that the basket extends substantially vertically in accordance with the underlying concept of vegetated walls, also called “vertical vegetated complex walls”. The exact shape of the basket is thus complementary to that of the green wall. According to a particular design, the basket is curved with respect to the vertical plane without departing from the scope of the invention.

Advantageously, the growing medium comprises at least one preformed panel housed in the basket and forming the substrate, the at least one panel being made of rot-proof fibers.

It is understood here that the conditioning of the fibers in the form of a preformed panel makes it possible to increase its density and consequently to increase and/or control its water storage capacity in quantity and duration as well as the mechanical resistance. of the substrate so as to avoid the effects of disintegration and compaction, in particular under the weight of the water. The preformed panel also makes it possible to obtain a homogeneous substrate making reliable the supply of water inside the substrate, the evacuation of excess water as well as the thermal and acoustic performance of the panel, a substrate having heterogeneous properties controlled, for example a substrate having a higher density at the top of the basket increasing the quantity of water stored and a lower density at the bottom of the basket facilitating the evacuation of excess water or even a substrate having local properties specific to cultivation of selected plants.

In a particular design, the panel is preformed according to a specific shape, for example a shape complementary to the basket or even a shape having a plurality of housings configured to receive the plants.

Thanks to the present invention, the watering needs of the modular growing medium are simplified and the harmful effects resulting in particular from excess water are avoided. The behavior of the substrate over the long term is also improved by reducing and/or eliminating the effects of settling and/or loss of material.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the at least one panel is made of textile fibers.

The person skilled in the art understands here that the textile fibers have a higher porosity than the substrates commonly used and therefore make it possible to naturally evacuate the excess water by runoff inside the vertical basket while aerating the root system of the plants, which avoids the problems of rotting and asphyxiation resulting from other substrates.

The textile fiber substrate is also considerably lighter when dry than soil substrates, making it easier to transport, assemble and lay the growing medium, and its water-wicking ability also limits its weight when saturated. in water.

Preferably, the preformed panel is made of biosourced textile fibers with a predominance of recycled cotton.

This design makes it possible to produce green walls requiring more accessible raw materials preferably from the circular economy and/or requiring a simpler and less energy-consuming manufacturing process. The use of recycled textile also results in a reuse of textile fibers having captured CO ₂ and therefore makes it possible to avoid their destruction, in particular by incineration, or their degradation in landfill, resulting in a release of CO ₂ .

A person skilled in the art additionally understands that a variety of rot-proof fibres, for example plant or animal wool or a mineral fibre, can be used for the same purposes and selected according to the constraints associated with their packaging in panels, their availability, particular their availability within a circular economy, their weight or their water storage capacity.

In one embodiment, the growing medium comprises at least one humidity sensor placed in the substrate and coupled to a plant watering control system.

It is understood here that the humidity sensor makes it possible to identify the conditions of water stress, so as to trigger the watering of the plants via the watering control system.

It is additionally understood that the necessary mesh of humidity sensors of a vegetated wall comprising the culture medium according to the present invention is greatly reduced with respect to the state of the art, the situations of excess water being avoided and the size of the culture medium can be increased.

Of course, irrigation can be controlled without the use of sensors, for example using a programmer controlling the opening and closing of a solenoid valve associated with irrigation according to a predetermined program.

In a particular embodiment, the panel has a density greater than 35 kg/m ³ , preferably between 45 kg/m ³ and 65 kg/m ³ .

It is understood here that the density of the panel is selected according to the desired water storage and evacuation capacity, for example according to the plants to be cultivated. Selecting a high panel density also increases the amount of CO ₂ captured and not released over the life of the panel.

In a specific embodiment, the culture support comprises a water collector arranged under the basket, the culture support having at least a first opening in the lower portion to allow runoff from the panel to the collector.

It is understood here that the culture support is arranged so that the water streaming from the substrate passes through the first opening in the water collector in order to avoid overconsumption of water from the culture support. The water collector is for example connected to the watering means of the growing medium or to another water storage system, for example a water storage system connected to the watering means and/or to means rainwater harvesting.

It is additionally understood that the first opening is made according to the structure of the basket and/or of the culture support, depending on whether the basket is made in a solid or trellis structure and that the culture support comprises additional means hindering the water runoff to the water collector.

According to a particular design, the first opening is formed in the interior of the lower portion of the culture support, the culture support having a solid structure in front of the lower portion. This design makes it possible to separate the runoff water inside the basket potentially loaded with fertilizers or other substances from the rainwater on the front of the growing medium. The water collector is for example set back with respect to the front of the culture medium, that is to say set back with respect to each of the faces of the basket or specifically with respect to -screw the vegetated side(s) of the basket. Obviously, in the context of a growing medium used indoors, the water collector and the first opening are arranged in such a way as to recover all the water and avoid any degradation of the soil.

In an additional embodiment, the panel has a height greater than 0.40m, preferably between 1.20m and 2.40m.

It is understood here that a culture support of such dimensions can be assembled from a single panel in height and one or more panels in thickness and width, for example several panels of the same density or of different densities. A culture support of greater height is also designed comprising a plurality of panels in height, in a reduced number compared to the formats known to those skilled in the art. By extension, the design of culture supports having a sufficient height allows the realization of plant walls without stacking culture supports in height or at least requiring the stacking in height of a smaller number of culture supports, which facilitates the installation of green walls and reduces the installation time required. Of course, the culture support according to the invention can also be produced in formats having a lower height.

In another embodiment that can be combined with the previous mode, the basket comprises at least one internal reinforcing piece extending along at least one first substantially horizontal axis and extending in the plane.

It is understood here that the internal reinforcing piece is arranged between two panels arranged one above the other or even at mid-height of a panel, for example a preformed panel having a shape complementary to the reinforcing piece. internal, the internal reinforcement piece being designed in such a way as to allow the vertical runoff of the water in the basket. This design makes it possible to limit the effects of compaction of the substrate and/or to separate two panels of different densities.

Of course, it is possible to design a basket comprising a plurality of additional reinforcing pieces making it possible to assist the positioning of the panel(s) and/or to reinforce the structure of the growing medium, for example a vertical reinforcing piece separating two panels arranged one behind the other according to the thickness of the basket or even two panels in opposition to each other so as to receive the plants on two opposite sides of the growing medium.

In one mode of implementation, the culture support comprises assembly means with a supporting structure.

It is understood here that the assembly means are for example integrated into the basket in a complementary design of the supporting structure considered. In another example, the assembly means are adapted to be assembled with the basket, for example with a standardized basket, which can be adapted to a plurality of load-bearing structures according to the assembly means selected.

According to another design, the growing medium has or is integrated into a self-supporting structure so as to form a one-piece element, in particular for the production of plant fences or noise barriers near traffic lanes.

In a specific mode of implementation, the support structure comprises a beam extending along a second substantially horizontal axis, the assembly means comprising at least one carriage assembled with the culture support and a sliding connection arranged along the second axis between the at least one carriage and the beam.

In other words, the carriage serves as an intermediary between the culture medium and the beam and can move vis-à-vis the beam along the second axis, dragging the culture medium with it.

Of course, the assembly means may include a higher number of carriages to facilitate translation and/or distribute the weight of the growing medium. The assembly means comprise for example two pairs of carriages including a first upper pair associated with a rail fixed to the beam forming the sliding connection and a second lower pair associated with the ground, for example with a water collector separate from the support of culture and having the shape of a gutter or gutter, the first pair and the second pair of carriages moving in tandem along the second axis.

This design makes it possible to produce vegetated walls serving as removable partitions, that is to say vegetal partitions, for example indoors, comprising at least one growing medium whose basket has one vegetated side or two opposite vegetated sides.

In another mode of implementation, the assembly means are arranged along an assembly face of the basket opposite the vegetated face and offset vis-à-vis the basket so as to form an air gap between the basket and the supporting structure.

It is understood here that the assembly means are integral with the culture support and allow the culture support to be fixed on the support structure according to the assembly face of the basket, the basket and the support structure being spaced apart so as to leave a space filled with air. This design makes it possible to facilitate the aeration of the substrate, and to limit the rooting of plants on the supporting structure and the sound transmission between the vegetated face and the opposite face of the supporting structure, in particular for the sound insulation of buildings or the creation of vegetated noise barriers.

Preferably, the culture support comprises a ventilation casing extending along the assembly face in contact with the basket and having a second opening capable of being connected to a ventilation system.

It is understood here that the watering of the culture medium brings about a cooling of the latter by adiabatic heat exchange with the water, this heat exchange being extended to the ventilation system, for example to a building associated with the supporting structure and including the ventilation system, so as to allow at least partially natural cooling of the building. The ventilation system is for example a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, called HVAC, comprising an air handling unit, called CTA, and/or a controlled mechanical ventilation system, called VMC.

In an additional mode of implementation, the culture medium comprises watering means comprising at least one watering pipe arranged in the basket above the substrate, the at least one watering pipe having a first end able to be connected to a water supply and at least one third opening able to water the substrate.

It is understood here that the watering means are directly integrated into the growing medium so as to limit the laying time of the growing medium, in particular on site. The integration of the watering pipe in the basket also secures the watering pipe by avoiding voluntary or involuntary damage to a watering pipe on the surface of the growing medium, in particular during maintenance or when pruning the green wall.

The use of one or more watering ducts positioned above the substrate also simplifies the assembly of the growing medium in a vegetated wall, the total number of watering ducts being greatly limited compared to the state of the art.

It is further understood that the sprinkler duct and the third opening are arranged so as to overhang the substrate, so that the water flows directly by gravity from the sprinkler duct over the entire height of the panel, the properties of the substrate ensuring good water runoff without excess water.

Preferably, the sprinkler duct extends horizontally along the width of the basket, and the at least one third opening is arranged in the upper portion of the sprinkler duct.

It is understood here that the arrangement of the third opening in the upper portion makes it possible to limit and/or avoid watering defects by deposit of limestone, impurities or fertilizer crystals, thus making it possible to increase the reliability of watering.

It is additionally understood that the horizontal sprinkler duct makes it possible to distribute the sprinkler along the duct, the latter filling according to its length before overflowing through the opening in the upper portion. A person skilled in the art understands that the horizontality of the sprinkler pipe can be adjusted so as to ensure the correct distribution of the sprinkler.

The arrangement of the watering duct according to the width of the basket makes it possible to distribute the watering over this same width, the distribution of the watering in height being carried out naturally by runoff. According to a particular example, a plurality of watering ducts are arranged according to the thickness of the panière, each pipe extending along the width of the panière, in order to better distribute the watering according to the thickness of the substrate, each pipe being for example associated with the watering of one or more panels stacked according to the thickness of the basket.

In a specific mode of implementation, the sprinkler pipe has a cross section with a diameter greater than 20mm, preferably between 40mm and 63mm.

It is understood here that the exact diameter of the watering duct is selected according to the width of the growing medium or the plant wall of which the growing medium is an element, the diameter of the watering duct increasing according to the target width.

A person skilled in the art additionally understands that the diameter of the irrigation duct is significantly greater than the diameter of the irrigation systems known from the state of the art, so as to allow the irrigation of a greater height of substrate.

In a particular mode of implementation, the sprinkler duct has a plurality of perforations forming at least partially the third opening.

According to a first design, the perforations are arranged in a linear manner along the irrigation pipe, in a centered or eccentric manner vis-à-vis the irrigation pipe according to the desired direction of the irrigation water and the positioning of the sprinkler pipe and panels in the growing medium.

According to a second design, the perforations are staggered along the sprinkler pipe so as to distribute the sprinkler water on either side of it.

It is understood here that the layout pattern of the perforations, for example linear or staggered, depends on the ease of manufacture of the sprinkler duct, the distribution of the resulting sprinkler or even the presence and/or the effect an element redirecting the water, for example a protective casing as described below.

Preferably, the perforations have a diameter greater than 1 mm, preferably between 2 and 3.5 mm.

The person skilled in the art understands here that the diameter of the perforations is much greater than that of conventional systems and greatly limits the risks of clogging of the perforations. In particular, the use of a filtration system, for example a 130μm filtration system, makes it possible to avoid the circulation in the duct of impurities likely to clog perforations of such a diameter.

In yet another mode of implementation that can be combined with the previous mode of implementation, the perforations are spaced apart from each other by a distance of less than 15cm, preferably between 5cm and 10cm.

The person skilled in the art understands here that bringing the perforations closer to the solutions of the state of the art makes it possible to limit the effects of damp stacks by reducing the disparities in humidification between two perforations. Depending on the design and the desired effects, the perforations are spaced variably or evenly. Provision is made, for example, for perforations spaced at an increasing distance along the sprinkler duct so as to compensate for any pressure drop effects inside the sprinkler duct.

In another mode of implementation, the sprinkler duct has a plurality of micro-jets forming at least partially the third opening.

The person skilled in the art understands here that the micro-jets make it possible to project a high flow of water, for example a flow greater than 20L/h delivered by micro-jets with automatic regulation, through an orifice wider than that of a micro-sprinkler and therefore less susceptible to clogging. In particular, the micro-jets have a projection cone of between 90° and 360°, thus allowing a uniform fallout of the water on the culture medium, in particular when the micro-jets are positioned in the upper portion of the conduit. watering. This design thus also makes it possible to avoid the damp stack effects described above. Compared to perforations, this solution also requires less power upstream for conveying the irrigation water and thus facilitates the sizing of the water supply, reducing for example the power required of the pump used or allowing to increase the linear meters of irrigation from the same pump. The flow rate and the spray cone can be selected together, taking into account that a 90° spray cone is associated with a flow rate substantially equal to 20L/h, a 180° spray cone with a flow rate of 40L/h. h and a 360° projection cone at a flow rate of 80L/h.

A design of the sprinkler duct is also provided comprising perforations coupled with micro-jets together forming the third opening to combine their respective advantages.

In an additional mode of implementation, the basket comprises at least one protective casing containing the sprinkler duct and having a fourth opening in the lower portion.

It is understood here that the protective casing makes it possible to burst the jet of water coming out of the third opening, which makes it possible to avoid splashing water in particular when the third opening is arranged in the upper portion of the sprinkler pipe , as well as distributing the water over a larger area to water the entire substrate and reduce damp chimney effects. The protective casing also further reduces the risk of damage to the sprinkler duct.

Preferably, the culture support comprises two removable walls of complementary shape to a cross section of the protective casing and of the sprinkler duct and arranged between the sprinkler duct and the protective casing on either side of the third opening.

It is understood here that the removable walls make it possible to contain all of the water coming out of the third opening according to a desired length of the irrigation pipe and of the protective casing, for example according to the width of the basket, so that the bursting of the water jet on the protective casing allows a homogeneous distribution of the water jet on this same width without loss on the ends of the basket. The removable walls are for example made of a flexible material of the felt type.

In another mode of implementation that can be combined with the previous modes, the sprinkler pipe has a second end capable of receiving a removable plug.

It is understood here that the removable cap can be removed, for example unscrewed, to carry out an emptying or maintenance of the sprinkler duct in order to limit fouling and internal deposits of the sprinkler duct, for example using a ferret or any other maintenance tool. According to a particular design, the sprinkler pipe is also able to be connected to a pipe returning to the tank, for example via its second end, so as to drain the sprinkler pipe and avoid damage linked to freezing without loss of water. irrigation water.

A second aspect of the present invention relates to a green wall, which comprises a culture support according to the first aspect of the invention.

It is understood here that the green wall, as stated above, is a green wall, a green fence, a green partition, or any other form of complex vertical green wall. The vegetated wall is composed of one or more modular culture supports, for example several culture supports according to the first aspect of the invention assembled or juxtaposed so as to form the vegetated wall. The vegetated wall is for example associated with a supporting structure or forms a self-supporting structure, the shape of the vegetated wall, the presence and the type of supporting structure and the shape of the growing medium(s) included in the vegetated wall being linked.

Thus, by the various functional and structural characteristics above, the Applicant proposes a modular culture support for a green wall allowing a simplified design of large green walls by facilitating the watering of the plants without risk of excess water and/or root rot.

Brief description of figures

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the description below with reference to the appended Figures 1 to 11 illustrating a plurality of embodiments which are devoid of any limiting character and in which:

There shows a schematic side view of a modular culture support according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

There shows a schematic side view of a modular culture support according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

There shows a schematic front view of a modular culture support according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

There represents a schematic profile view of a modular culture support in accordance with the .

There shows a schematic side view of a modular culture support according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

There shows a vertical section of a basket portion of a modular culture medium in accordance with the .

There represents a first irrigation conduit integrated into a modular culture support in accordance with the .

There represents a second irrigation pipe integrated into a modular culture support in accordance with the .

There represents a third irrigation pipe integrated into a modular culture support in accordance with the .

There shows a schematic side view of a first protective casing containing a watering pipe and integrated into a modular culture support in accordance with the .

There shows a cross section of a second protective casing containing a watering conduit and integrated into a modular culture support in accordance with the .

detailed description

The present invention will now be described in the following with reference in conjunction to Figures 1 to 11 appended to the description. The same elements are identified with the same reference signs throughout the description which will follow.

As indicated in the preamble of the description, the current solutions for green walls are limited to producing small-sized culture supports coupled with highly controlled micro-watering solutions.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to allow the production of culture media with simplified sizing and watering without risk of excess water.

This is made possible in the example described below, which considers a single growing medium associated with a supporting structure for the creation of a green wall or a green partition.

It will be understood here that this example is not limiting and that the invention will find other applications for the production of vegetated walls, for example the production of walls by assembling a plurality of culture supports or even the production of walls self-supporting vegetation.

According to the example of Figures 1 to 4, a culture support 1 developed in the context of this is assembled with a supporting structure 6a, 6b. The culture support 1 can be designed specifically to be assembled with the support structure 6a, 6b or even be a basic model compatible with a plurality of assembly means specific to the assembly of the culture support 1 with a particular support structure .

According to the example of Figures 1 and 2, the culture support 1 comprises a basket 2 having a face, called the vegetated face, extending along a substantially vertical plane, the structure of the basket 2 being hollow and capable of receiving a substrate , that is to say an element in which are rooted a plurality of plants protruding along the vegetated face. Depending on the design of the culture support 1, the basket 2 is made from a variety of materials and/or has a structure ensuring the mechanical strength of the culture support 1, the accessibility of the vegetated side, the resistance of the basket 2 to humidity, wind and root infiltration, maintaining position and/or aeration of the substrate. The basket 2 defines, for example, a shape complementary to the support structure 6a, 6b, for example a flat, angular or curved shape depending on that of the support structure 6a, 6b. According to the example of , the basket 2 has two vegetated faces in opposition, the plants protruding on either side of the culture support 1.

In accordance with the underlying principle of the invention, the culture support 1 comprises at least one preformed panel 3 made of rot-proof fibers and housed inside the basket 2 so as to form the substrate. Preferably, the panel 3 is made of textile fibers, for example vegetable fibers of cotton or animal fiber of sheep's wool, preferably from the circular economy. The panel 3 is for example the result of a standardized industrial process making it possible to control its shape, homogeneity and density, for example an industrial process comprising stages of working, topping, thermo fusion (also called thermo connection) within a production line of the panel 3. The method can also be extended to the sourcing of fibers, for example a sourcing of textile fibers comprising a textile recovery chain coupled with sorting and unraveling making it possible to obtain a controlled material in the form of fibers.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the culture support 1 comprises for example two panels 3 housed one behind the other according to the thickness of the basket 2. Obviously, it is possible to design a plurality of arrangements panels 3 in the basket 2 according to their respective shapes, for example a single panel 3 ( ), four panels 3 housed one behind the other according to the thickness of the basket 2 ( ) or any other arrangement.

Optionally and according to the example of the , the basket 2 comprises an internal reinforcing part 19 extending along at least a substantially horizontal first axis extending in the plane, for example an internal reinforcing part 19 located at mid-height of the basket 2 or a plurality of internal reinforcement pieces 19 located at different heights of the basket 2. The panels 3 are for example supported directly by the internal reinforcement pieces 19, so that a first panel 3a arranged above a second panel 3b is supported by an internal reinforcing piece 19 separating the two panels 3a, 3b. In another design, the panels 3 have a complementary shape to the internal reinforcement pieces 19 so that a panel 3 can be housed in a basket 2 comprising an internal reinforcement piece 19 without being blocked by the internal reinforcement piece 19, for example by coming to match the shape of the internal reinforcing piece 19 to hold it in position inside the basket 2. Such internal reinforcing pieces 19 make it possible to support the panels 3 over the long term, for example in s opposing the compaction or disintegration of the fiber of the panels 3. The internal reinforcement pieces 19 preferably have a permeable structure, for example a mesh structure or having perforations, so as to allow the runoff of water from the first panel 3a to the second panel 3b or inside a complementary panel 3.

Of course, and as stated above, the basket 2 can be made in a variety of shapes and include a plurality of reinforcing pieces, for example reinforcing pieces similar to the internal reinforcing piece 19 as described above. and making it possible to ensure the stability of the basket 2 and/or of the panels 3 and/or the correct positioning of the panels 3 in the basket 2. The internal reinforcing piece 19 is for example integrated into the structure of the basket 2 or even supported by a crosspiece 20 disposed on the surface of the basket 2, for example a crosspiece 20 forming an integral part of a basket 2 mesh or trellis.

According to the example of Figures 1 to 5, the growing medium 1 also comprises at least one watering pipe 10 housed in the basket 2, for example a single watering pipe 10 (Figures 1 to 4) or a plurality of sprinkler pipes 10 ( ) configured to be connected to a water supply and to water the substrate of the growing medium 1. The watering pipes 10 are advantageously arranged directly above the panels 3 so as to allow watering of the upper part of the panels 3.

The rot-proof fiber structure of the panels 3 as described above then makes it possible to store the irrigation water for the feeding of the plants and to let the excess water trickle down the panels 3, thus allowing to water the panels 3 according to a runoff column without requiring the multiplication of the watering pipes 10 at one or more intermediate heights of the growing medium 1. The exact water storage properties obviously result from the structure of the panels 3, which, for example, have a density of between 45 kg/m ³ and 65 kg/m ³ allowing good storage of water in quantity and duration without causing situations of water excess. Of course, the density of the panels 3 is adjusted according to the needs and characteristics of the plants grown so as to adjust the quantity of water storage, as well as according to the other desired properties of the panels 3, for example the desired acoustic performance. In addition, the porosity of the fibers, in particular of the textile fibers, makes it possible to maintain constant ventilation in the panels 3, which makes it possible to prevent the rotting of the roots of the plants.

The watering pipes 10 being configured to water the panels 3 according to their height, these also have a cross section with a diameter greater than that of the commonly used watering pipes. The sprinkler ducts 10 extend for example along the width of the basket 2, the number of sprinkler ducts 10 depending on the thickness of the basket 2, and have for example a cross section of equal diameter between 40mm and 63mm for watering a basket 2 with a width of 60cm and a height between 1.20m and 2.40m, or with a diameter greater than 63mm for watering several connected baskets or a basket 2 having a width greater than 60cm and/or a height greater than 2.40m.

As illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5, the sprinkler ducts 10 have at least one third opening 11 arranged along their upper portion. The watering ducts 10 extend for example horizontally in the basket 2 according to the example of the so as to evenly distribute the watering over the width of the basket 2. This design makes it possible to minimize the fouling of the third opening 11 resulting from the deposit (mainly in the lower portion) of impurities and/or limestone and/or fertilizer crystals contained in the irrigation water, so that the watering of plants is made more reliable in the medium and long term.

According to a particular design, the third opening 11 is implemented at least partially by a plurality of perforations arranged in the upper portion of the irrigation conduits 10, for example perforations with a diameter of between 2mm and 3.5mm and spaced 'a distance of between 5cm and 10cm, the sprinkler pipes 10 or any other element upstream of the sprinkler pipes 10 for their water supply being coupled to a filter of the 130μm filter type. The spacing of the perforations is for example selected so as to avoid or limit the formation of wet chimneys during the runoff of water over the height of the panels 3, without requiring a strong diffusion of water along the width of the basket 2 .

The positioning of the perforations is also determined according to the desired streaming effects. Provision is thus made for first perforations 11a arranged in a linear manner along the sprinkler duct 10 and centered on this same sprinkler duct 10 ( ), second perforations 11b arranged along the irrigation conduit 10 eccentrically relative to the irrigation conduit 10 ( ) or even third perforations 11c staggered along the irrigation conduit 10 ( ).

According to the example of , the third opening 11 is implemented at least partially by one or more high-flow micro-jets 11d, for example micro-jets whose spacing and projection cone are selected so as to bring water to watering evenly on the top of the basket and avoiding or limiting the effects of damp stacks. In another example, the third opening 11 is implemented by a combination of perforations and micro-jets.

In combination with the positioning in the upper portion of the third opening 11, a protective casing 12 is provided arranged around the irrigation ducts 10, for example a single protective casing 12 or a plurality of protective casings 12, each protective casing 12 containing a sprinkler pipe 10 ( ). The sprinkling water leaving the third opening 11, for example in the form of a jet of water, therefore bursts onto the protective casing 12 before falling, for example through a fourth opening made in the casing protection 12 and allowing a homogeneous distribution of the watering of the panels 3, for example a homogeneous distribution according to the width of the basket 2.

As illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, two removable walls 21 are provided, for example flexible felt plugs, arranged on either side of the third opening 11. According to the example of , the removable walls 21 have a shape complementary to the cross section of the protective casing 12 and of the sprinkler duct 10, so as to form a sealed enclosure around the sprinkler duct 10 allowing water to exit only at -through the fourth opening. The removable walls 21 are advantageously arranged along the longitudinal ends of the protective casing 12 so as to allow the distribution of the water jet over the entire width of the basket 2 without spraying water beyond this width.

In addition, it is noted that the design of the basket 2 containing the watering pipes 10 surrounded by a protective casing 12 makes it possible to secure the watering pipes 10 against any degradation, in particular in comparison with the commonly used solutions positioning a plurality of sprinkler pipes on the surface of the substrate and therefore susceptible to external damage, for example during maintenance or pruning of the plants. The robustness of the design can be increased by a rigid sprinkler duct structure, for example in the form of a steel pipe, in polyethylene (in particular for its resistance to cold) or even in polyvinyl chloride.

As illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, there is provided a water collector 4 arranged under the basket 2 so as to recover the water dripping from the panels 3. This design thus makes it possible to compensate for any overconsumption of water by recovering the excess evacuated by the panels 3, which makes it possible to simplify the watering of the growing medium and to limit the energy loss resulting from excessive watering. The water collector 4 comprises for example an evacuation 4a ( ) connected to a tank supplying the watering means of the culture medium 1 for operation in a closed circuit.

Obviously, the culture support 1 comprises a first opening 5 arranged in the lower portion of the basket 2 so that the water can run off the panels 3 towards the water collector 4. The first opening 5 and the water collector 4 are for example arranged as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the water collector 4 being set back slightly with respect to the vegetated face of the basket 2, so that the runoff water from the watering conduit 10 and mainly positioned towards the inside of the basket 2 are separated from the rainwater flowing over the surface of the basket 2. This design makes it possible in particular to isolate the water used for watering the culture medium 1, which is likely to contain fertilizer or a plurality of natural or chemical agents used for the treatment and/or maintenance of plants, in order to limit the risks of contamination or pollution of the soil around the growing medium 1. The Care of the first opening 5 corresponds for example to an opening in the basket 2 and / or in one or more other elements of the culture support 1, according to the design of the culture support 1 and in particular its assembly on the supporting structure 6a, 6b. According to another conception illustrated in and adapted to the use of the growing medium 1 indoors, the water collector 4 extends along the entire thickness of the basket 2 so as to recover all of the water dripping from the panels 3.

According to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the culture support 1 is assembled on a beam 6a extending along a second horizontal axis, so that the culture support 1 is positioned under the beam 6a. The culture support 1 comprises for example a first pair of carriages 7a assembled on a rail 17 secured to the beam 6a and able to move in translation along the rail 17 taking with them the culture support 1. For example, provision is made for a rail 17 complementary to the carriages 7a and adaptable to a beam 6a using a plurality of fixing bolts 17a or other removable fixing means. According to this example, the growing medium 1 constitutes or forms part of a green wall of the removable green partition type, for example placed inside a building to separate or delimit a space.

Optionally, a second pair of carriages 7b capable of moving in translation in a synchronized manner with the first pair of carriages 7a and supporting the culture support 1 are provided in parallel. The second pair of carriages 7b is advantageously arranged in a collector of water 4 forming a gutter or a gutter extending parallel to the rail 17 and to the beam 6a and arranged under the floor threshold 4b, so as not to clutter up the space and so that the vegetated face or faces, for example the front and rear faces of the plant partition, extend to the ground.

In this design, the watering pipes 10 are for example fed by a supply pipe 18 connected to a first end 10a of the watering pipes 10 and coupled to a reel 18a making it possible to wind up and/or unwind the pipe. supply 18 according to the movement of the culture support 1 along the rail 17. Of course, the watering pipes 10 have a first end 10a adapted to be connected to a water supply, for example a supply pipe 18 , regardless of the specific design of the culture support 1 and the supporting structure 6a, 6b. Similarly, independently of the specific design of the culture medium 1, a second end of the irrigation ducts 10 is optionally provided, capable of receiving a removable plug, for example by screwing, the removable plug being able to be removed for emptying and/or the cleaning of the sprinkler ducts 10. According to another optional design, the sprinkler ducts 10 can receive a return pipe to the tank, for example according to a second end.

According to another exemplary embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the culture support 1 is assembled with a vertical load-bearing wall 6b, for example an external wall of a building of the residential or office type, or any other type of construction . The culture support 1 comprises one or more fixing brackets 7c configured to make the culture support 1 integral with the load-bearing wall 6b, for example two fixing brackets 7c assembled with a vertical profile 13 of the culture support 1. The vertical profile 13 is sized to receive the fixing brackets 7c and a plurality of fixing profiles 14a, 14b, 14c allowing the assembly of the basket 2 with the vertical profile 13 and such that:

- the lower fixing profile 14a supports the lower part of the basket 2 and includes the first opening 5 as described above;

- the intermediate fixing profile 14b advantageously has a chicane shape which engages in a complementary overhanging portion of the basket 2 so as to avoid its tearing off; And

- the upper fixing profile 14c makes it possible to prevent the lifting and tearing of the panière 2 and functions as a stall safety device in the event of tremors due, for example, to an earthquake, a storm or vandalism of the culture medium 1 .

According to this embodiment, the vertical profile 13 and the fixing brackets 7c are arranged along a face opposite the vegetated face of the basket 2, called the assembly face. According to a variant, the culture support 1 is assembled to the bearing wall 6b according to another face of the panière 2, for example a lateral face of the panière 2. The fixing brackets 7c advantageously make it possible to form, by offsetting the vertical profile 13 vis-à-vis the load-bearing wall 6b, an air space between the culture support 1, in particular the basket 2, and the load-bearing wall 6b, which makes it possible in particular to improve the sound insulation of the building associated with the wall carrier 6b. Preferably, the wall 6b comprises an insulator on the front, for example an insulating coating on the surface of the wall 6b, the vertical profile 13 being offset by 20mm from the outer layer of the insulator for the creation of the air gap.

Optionally, the culture support comprises a ventilation casing 8 extending in contact with the assembly face of the basket 2 and therefore allowing the formation of an air pocket in contact with the basket 2. This ventilation casing 8 has a second opening 9 on which a ventilation system can be connected, for example the air conditioning system of the building associated with the load-bearing wall 6b. The watering of the panels 3 thus causes a runoff of cold water inside the panels 3, which exchange heat with the air contained in the ventilation casing 8 and therefore participate in the cooling of the building via its ventilation system. . Depending on the configuration of this same ventilation system, the ventilation of the panels 3 can also be favored by encouraging the circulation of air inside the ventilation casing 8 or even through the porous structure of the panels 3.

Additionally, this design provides for a plurality of finishing elements making it possible to complete the structure of the growing medium 1 according to technical and/or aesthetic considerations. A rain shield 15 is for example arranged between the vertical profile 13 and the fixing profiles 14a, 14b, 14c and extends above these and the basket 2 so as to prevent the infiltration of water rainwater at the fixing profiles 14a, 14b, 14c, for example to limit their exposure to water and that of the fixing means used and/or to prevent rainwater from falling into a water collector 4 secured to the vertical profile 13 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and/or to redirect these same rainwater towards the panels 3 and increase the quantity of water available for watering them, the upper fixing profile 14c being advantageously perforated to allow the runoff of water through it towards the inside of the basket 2. According to Figures 1 and 2, an upper finishing profile 16a and a lower finishing profile 16b provide additional security against the detachment of the culture support 1 and / or of these elements, in particular the dropout of the prof it of fixing higher 14c, and make it possible to supplement the assembly of the support of culture 1 to the supporting wall 6b by covering any protruding element other than the plants to be cultivated. According to Figures 3 and 4, for the same purposes, a finishing casing 17b is arranged around the rail 17 extending between the beam 6a and the basket 2, so as to secure the rail 17 and the garden hose 18 against any damage. .

Thus, it will be understood that the present invention provides a modular growing medium for the design of a green wall, for example a green wall, a green partition or any other form of complex vertical green wall, the substrate of which is homogeneous and porous from way to promote water runoff and avoid situations of excess water or root rot, as well as preformed in a material limiting the effects of compaction. This modular culture support can be supplemented by integrated watering means simplified compared to the state of the art, means for controlling watering and recovering water to ensure sufficient watering and avoid water losses, as well as by a variety of fixing means allowing its assembly and/or its integration to a variety of green walls.

It should be noted that this detailed description relates to a particular embodiment of the present invention, but that in no case this description is in any way limiting to the subject of the invention; on the contrary, it aims to remove any possible imprecision or any misinterpretation of the following claims.

It should also be noted that the reference signs placed between parentheses in the following claims are in no way limiting; these signs have the sole purpose of improving the intelligibility and understanding of the following claims as well as the scope of the protection sought.

Claims (22)

Modular culture support (1) for a vegetated wall comprising at least one basket (2) having at least one face, called the vegetated face, extending along a substantially vertical plane and filled with a substrate capable of receiving plants according to said at least minus one vegetated side,
characterized in that said culture support (1) comprises at least one preformed panel (3) housed in said basket (2) and forming said substrate, said at least one panel (3) being made of rot-proof fibers. Culture support (1) according to claim 1, in which said at least one panel (3) is made of textile fibres. Culture support (1) according to Claims 1 or 2, which comprises at least one humidity sensor placed in the said substrate and coupled to a system for controlling the watering of the said plants. Culture support (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the said panel (3) has a density greater than 35 kg/m ³ , preferably between 45 kg/m ³ and 65 kg/m ³ . Culture support (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, which comprises a water collector (4) arranged under said pan (2), said culture support (1) having at least a first opening (5) in the lower portion to allow runoff from said panel (3) to said collector (4). Culture support (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, in which said panel (3) has a height greater than 0.40m, preferably between 1.20m and 2.40m. Culture support (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 6, in which the said basket (2) comprises at least one internal reinforcing piece (19) extending along at least a first substantially horizontal axis and extending in said plan. Culture support (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 7, which comprises assembly means (7a, 7b, 7c) with a supporting structure (6a, 6b). Cultivation support (1) according to claim 8, in which said support structure (6a, 6b) comprises a beam (6a) extending along a second substantially horizontal axis, said assembly means comprising at least one carriage (7a, 7b) assembled with said culture support (1) and a sliding connection arranged along the second axis between said at least one carriage (7a, 7b) and said beam (6a). Culture support (1) according to claim 8, in which said assembly means (7a, 7b, 7c) are arranged along an assembly face of said basket (2) opposite to said vegetated face and offset vis-à-vis screws of said basket (2) so as to form an air gap between said basket (2) and said support structure (6a, 6b). Culture support (1) according to claim 10, which comprises a ventilation casing (8) extending along said assembly face in contact with said basket (2) and having a second opening (9) capable of being connected to a ventilation system. Culture support (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 11, which comprises watering means comprising at least one watering conduit (10) arranged in the said basket (2) above the said substrate, the said at least a watering conduit (10) having a first end (10a) able to be connected to a water supply and at least a third opening (11) able to water said substrate. Growing medium (1) according to claim 12, wherein said watering conduit (10) extends horizontally along the width of said basket (2), and wherein said at least one third opening (11) is arranged in upper portion of said irrigation pipe (10). Growing medium (1) according to claim 12 or 13, wherein said watering conduit (10) has a cross section with a diameter greater than 20mm, preferably between 40mm and 63mm. Cultivation support (1) according to one of Claims 12 to 14, in which the said watering conduit (10) has a plurality of perforations at least partially forming the said third opening (11). Culture support (1) according to Claim 15, in which the said perforations have a diameter greater than 1 mm, preferably between 2 mm and 3.5 mm. Culture support (1) according to Claim 15 or 16, in which the said perforations are spaced from each other by a distance of less than 15cm, preferably between 5cm and 10cm. Culture support (1) according to one of Claims 12 to 17, in which the said watering conduit (10) has a plurality of micro-jets (11d) forming at least partially the said third opening (11) Culture support (1) according to one of Claims 12 to 18, in which the said basket (2) comprises at least one protective casing (12) containing the said watering conduit (10) and having a fourth opening in the lower portion . Cultivation support (1) according to claim 19, which comprises two removable walls (21) of a shape complementary to a cross section of said protective casing (12) and of said watering pipe (10) and arranged between said watering pipe (10) and said protective casing (12) on either side of said third opening (11). Culture support (1) according to one of Claims 12 to 20, in which the said watering conduit (10) has a second end capable of receiving a removable plug. Vegetated wall comprising said culture support (1) according to one of claims 1 to 21.