GB2217565A - Plant protection - Google Patents

Abstract

A plant protection structure (10) is composed of one or more basic component plant protective structures (11) and, optionally, one or more secondary plant protective structures (12), each of the structures (11), (12) being in the form of a frame supporting one or more transparent panels. The frame comprises members 18 with slots 19 to receive the panels and may include a tube 32 providing for irrigation of contained plants. Adjacent tubes 32 may be joined by flexible T-pieces with valved outlets. <IMAGE>

Description

PLANT PROTECTION This invention relates to a plant protection structure.

The structure can constitute a cold frame, a simple cloche arrangement, a small lean-to greenhouse, or a larger greenhouse as desired.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved plant protection structure which, whether embodied in one or more of the above described possible structures, or whether embodied in a whole system convertible between two or more of the above described structures providing a convenient and improved plant protection structure.

The invention there is provides a plant protection structure in the form of a parallelepiped formed by uniting at least three rectangular sheets of material, of which at least two are transparent, the sheets being united by lengths of a connector member, which connector member is adapted to engage and locate at least two and preferably three or four sheet members.

Preferably there are twelve such lengths of connector member and each is disposed along one edge of a cubic module, the faces of the cube being made of sheets of transparent material or of non-transparent material or being left open as desired. Of the twelve lengths, two or more can be removed if an access is required on one or more side of the module.

The invention also provides a plant protection module including a plurality of sheets united by one or more lengths of material providing sheet receiving slots, each length of sheet receiving and locating material having a longitudinally extending water supply conduit therein, connectable to corresponding lengths of conduit in adjacent lengths of locating material. Preferably, the connecting material is extruded and the conduit is co-extruded with the material.

The invention also provides composite a plant protection structure which includes two component, plant protective structures, a first generally parallelopepidic e.g. cubic component structure. A second truncated wedge shaped component structure, the two components being of modular construction. Each can be equal in length to a multiple of the length of the other so that selected numbers thereof can be connected together, The components can be made as aforesaid, their members also being comparably constructed so that they can be connected together. The second component can be of such form that alone and remote from the first component it can serve as a ground- resting plant protection structure such as a cold frame.

In one embodiment four component structures of the second type are disposed above twelve component structures of the first type and constitute composite structure in the form of a lean-to greenhouse having a sloping roof constituted by sloping top surfaces of the components of the first type and vertical walls constituted by vertical walls of the components of the first and second type, all the various components being united by means of their complimentary framework parts.

A whole greenhouse can be made by uniting two of the "lean-to" composites described above.

The invention will be described further, by way, of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred plant protective structure being a lean-to greenhouse composed of numbers of two basic components; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a free-standing greenhouse composed of two of the structures shown in Fig.l; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional sketch, on an enlarged scale, showing a frame member incorporable in the components; Fig. 5 is a perspective sketch illustrating one of the components usable in the protective structure of the invention; Fig. 6 is a sketch illustrating how a top and one side wall of the structure of Fig. 5 can be constructed; Fig. 7 is a similar view illustrating a further possible variation;; Fig. 8 is a detailed view illustrating how a roof of the structure of Fig. 1 or 3 can be completed; and Fig. 9 is a further detail illustrating how frame members can be jointed in a planar wall of a compositestructure.

The first aspect of the invention The first aspect of the present invention is the construction of a composite plant protective structure from selected numbers of two sorts of component plant protective structures, the two structures being modular, that is to say the two components being unitable in register to form a composite structure and the various dimensions of the two components being selected to allow them to be united in register with each other. Normally this will mean that the length of one of the components is equal to or is an exact multiple of the length of the other component and the width of each component is the same as or an exact length of the multiple of the length of the other component.

Referring firstly to Fig.l, it will be seen that a first preferred composite plant protective structure 10 is in the form of a lean-to greenhouse. The structure 10 is composed of a number of first component plant protective structures 11 and a number-of second component plant protective structures 12. Each first component structure 11 is cubic and has one or more sides of glass (as used herein the term glass includes all natural and/or artificial transparent and/or translucent materials). Each first component can be half a metre cubed and it will be appreciated that by adding extra components 11 together, a larger structure can be built up. In the composite building 10 it will be seen that there are twelve of the first components 11 arranged in three rows of four one above -the other.The central components 13, 14 can have a single outer glass wall forming part of the main exterior wall of the structure 10. If desired the central components 13,14 can have vertical dividing internal glass walls,but as such walls are not necessary, it would only add needlessly to the expense. Corner units 15,16 will have two vertical glass walls. Individual first components 11 can be sold in a knockdown form and initially sold with perhaps five glass walls to constitute a cloche unit. Then the purchaser can add further frame components and/or wall components to produce a larger cloche or by stacking, produce a small propagating unit, or, by stacking three high a very small greenhouse. The structure allows the purchaser to build up a number of components over the years to produce a composite greenhouse structure.

The second component structure is shown at 17 and it will be seen that a roof of the structure 10. is formed by uniting four of the second components 12. This second component 12 is a "cold frame" component and has a flat base which is one metre long and half a metre wide and a sloping roof whose height at its longer end is half a metre and whose height at its lower end is 250mm. When in use as a coldframe the unit 12 can have four vertical glass sides and a removable glass top. When used in the composite building 10, the four components are used side-by-side and the intervening vertical dividing walls are omitted as they are not necessary.

As will be seen from Fig.3, two of the composite structures 10 can be united to form a walk-in greenhouse 17.

A side elevation of the structure 10 or 17 is shown in Fig.2.

Each of the two components 11 and 12 is made from a plurality of frame members arranged around a modular shape which is rectangular in plan at least. The frame members uniting the or each glass panel or other panel can be of any convenient shape or form provided that they can suitable located the glass panels and support the weight of the other parts of the component and other components thereabove.

Preferably the frame members are as described hereinafter.

The second aspect of the invention The second aspect of the invention relates to the formation of a plant protection structure including a plurality of panels at least one of glass, united by frame members which have panel engaging formations capable of uniting the panels and maintaining the integrity and rigidity of the structure.

Referring now to Fig. 4, a preferred frame member 18 has three, but preferably four panel receiving formations arranged at right angles around its axis. This allows the member 18 to form, if desired, a connection between four adjacent component structures such as 11 or 12. The formations 19 are in the form of an outwardly open slot 20 (only one of which is shown in detail). As a possibility where the panels 20 are of plastics material they can be provided with grooves 21 adjacent their edges and such grooves can be engaged by inwardly directed lips 22.

However, if actual glass or comparable hard material is used such sheets can simply be a push-fit within the slots 19.

(Note: go back and say formations are said to be in the form of slots reference numeral 20 was used twice).

In the construction of the first component 11 twelve lengths of frame member 18 will be used. Along. each edge of a single cube only two of the slots 19 will be used along each side. However, it will be appreciated that normally six panels will not be used in the cube components 11 and that therefore in some of the frame members 18 only a single one of the slots will be used.

It will be possible to provide separate frame members for such positions, but it is felt that it will probably be cheaper overall to produce a single extrusion to serve all purposes.

Each frame member 18 will terminate short of the corner of its respective panels and can leave a gap which can be suitable for ventilation.

Alternatively, however, the ends of the frame members can be mitred so that, at least on an external wall of a composite structure, they meet to form a relatively water and draught proof joint. This can be important for the heating of a greenhouse.

Figs. 5,6 and 7 illustrate how the second component plant protective structure (the coldframe) structure can be constructed using flat panels and lengths of frame member 18.

Of course the horizontal and vertical edges present no problem as they are directly comparable to the corresponding parts of the first components 11. However, at the junctions between the end edges of the top panel and its end vertical panels there has to be some deviation from the system shown in relation to the component-ll. Fig. 6 illustrates one possibility wherein a panel of plastics material 23 is bent to provide a roof sheet-24 and a vertical lower wall 25.

Adjacent an upper edge of the component 12 upper edges 26 a frame member receive an edge portion of the panel 23 which is bent over to form a horizontal flange 28.

Fig. 8 illustrates how a joint at the eaves of a structure such as the composite structure 10 or 17 can receive a member which can collect water draining from the roof and direct it outwardly with a greenhouse to prevent it entering via the gap which the frame members leave. The spout member 29 can direct the water outwardly on to the ground or can lead to a conventional gutter. At the ridge of the greenhouse 17 a conventional ridge member, such as an inverted piece of plastics channel section material (not shown) can be used to cover the joint between two adjacent structures 10.

Fig. 9 illustrates how in a vertical wall as in the composite structure 10, the frame members 18 can be mitred to form a relatively sealed joint. Internally the horizontal frame members will be spaced from that joint, although internal transmission of air and/or moisture is not any problem.

As has been mentioned, those panels of the components which are within the overall plant protective structure, whether it be a greenhouse such as 10 or 17 or a smaller stucture made by interconnecting two or more components, which can be the same or different, such internal walls can be removed, or can be replaced by solid walls, or can be replaced with shelving upon which plants etc., can be stored.

Fig. 1 in particuiar shows how horizontally extending frame members 30, identical in all respect to frame members 18, can be bridged by individual struts 31, which are capable of supporting either large plant containers or individual shelves where desired. Rails 31 allow various items to be supported in various positions. If, however, a large plant, for example a tomato plant is to be grown from the ground, then the rails 31 can be omitted in one or more of the various components extending through the length of the structure 10. The rails 31 are not shown in detail, but they can either be simple straig panels, or specially made items.

Fig. 4 illustrates a particularly important feature of the invention, in that frame member 18 is provided with an internal integral conduit such as circular tube 32, which is connected to the rest of the structure by one or more webs such as web 33. It will be appreciated that the individual lengths of conduit 32 will be aligned along the vertical and horizontal lines 34,35 indicated in Fig.l. To provide a very convenient, compact and inconspicuous irrigation system for a greenhouse, it is only necessary to ensure that, for example, the lengths of conduit extending along each horizontal line 35 are joined together as by short lengths of flexible plastics material at each vertical joint 34.As the end of item 18 will, at least on the inside of the greenhouse, normally be cut away to reveal the interior, it is a simple matter to insert such connecting pieces of tubing as the greenhouse is being assembled. Such interconnecting pieces of tubing can conveniently be in the form ofT-section members, thus forming a continuing connection and an outwardly extending irrigation outlet.

Such outlets can be closed by conventional valves or the like so that selected ones can be used as and when required.

If a series of connected conduits are provided along lines 35, then they can be connected by T pieces to corresponding conduit extending along vertical line 36, and one end of the vertical conduit can be connected to a water supply, either at mains pressure or from a low pressure supply depending on the type of connectors used. It is expected that a low pressure supply would be more suitable.

The invention is not limited to the precise details of the foregoing and variations can be made thereto.

For example, the sizes, shapes and dimensions of the various components can be varied at will. The "cold frame" components may, if desired, be in the form of a one metre square base, thus requiring two/one to be placed above two or four of the cubes. Additional fitments such as foundation frames, doors, opening vents, opening side vents andridge members, guttering and the like can be added to improve the operability of the greenhouse described.

The system is extremely flexible and further specialised units, all within the same modular system, can be incorporated if desired.

Many other variations are possible.

Claims (16)

1. A plant protection structure in the form of a parallelepiped formed by uniting at least three rectangular sheets of material, of which at least two are transparent, the sheets being united by lengths of a connector member, which connector member is adapted to engage and locate at least two and preferably three or four sheet members.

2. A structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein there are twelve such lengths of connector member and each is disposed along one edge of a cubic module.

3. A structure as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein faces of the parallelepiped are made of sheets of transparent material or of non-transparent material or are left open as desired.

4. A structure as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein, of the twelve lengths, two or more are removable to facilitate access to one or more sides of the module.

5. A plant protection module including a plurality of sheets united by one or more lengths of material providing sheet receiving slots, each length of sheet receiving and locating material having a longitudinally extending water supply conduit therein, connectable to corresponding lengths of conduit in adjacent lengths of locating material.

6. A structure as claimed in claim 5 wherein the connecting material is extruded and the conduit is co-extruded with the material.

7. A plant protection structure which includes two component plant protective structures, a first generally parallelopepidic component structure and a second truncated wedge shaped component structure, the two components being of modular construction.

8. A plant protection structure as claimed in claim 7 wherein each is equal in length to a multiple of the length of the other so that selected numbers thereof can be connected together.

9. A plant protection structure as claimed in claim 7 or 8 wherein the component structures are as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, their members also being comparably constructed so that they can be connected together.

10. A plant protection structure as claimed in claims 7, 8 or 9 wherein the or each second component is of such form that alone and remote from the first component it can serve as a ground-resting plant protection structure.

11. A plant protection structure as claimed in any of claims 7 to 10 wherein four component structures of the second type are disposed above twelve component structures of the first type and constitute composite structure in the form of a lean-to greenhouse having a sloping roof constituted by sloping top surfaces of the components of the first type and vertical walls constituted by vertical walls of the components of the first and second type, all the various components being united by means of their complementary framework parts.

12. A greenhouse made by uniting two composites each as claimed in claim 11.

13. A structure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein panels of the or each structure or component structures are united by having edges engaged in slots in frame members.

14. A structure as claimed in claim 13 wherein each frame member has two or more slots.

15. A structure as claimed in claim 14 wherein each frame member has four slots spaced at 900 to each other.

16. A plant protection structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.