IE43890B1 - Greenouses - Google Patents

Abstract

1514586 Greenhouse folding door or ventilator BABY RELAX Ltd 1 Dec 1976 [2 Dec 1975] 49492/75 Headings E1A and E1J A green house has an opening for access and/or ventilation defined by two horizontally spaced vertical members 11, 12 and a cover 14 of flexible sheet material having a plurality of horizontal slats 16 secured thereto at vertically spaced positions. A pair of vertical guides 17 frictionally engage the slats allowing vertical movement of the cover and holding it in a range of partly closed positions. The slats 16 may be channels with lips 18 through which the cover passes and in which it is held by a keeper 19 of plastics tube. The guides 17 may be flexible lines clamped between the keeper and slat through which latter they pass. Similar alternative clamping means are illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 (not shown). Alternatively an irregular section guide may be releasably clamped in edge channels (not illustrated).

Description

The present invention relates to greenhouses and in particular to the provision of variable ventilation openings for greenhouses.

According to the present invention there is provided a greenhouse having an opening defined by two spaced apart vertical members and a cover for the opening comprising a sheet of flexible material, a plurality of horizontally extending slats secured to the cover at vertically spaced positions and a pair of vertical guides which are frictionally engaged with the slats and which serve as guides for vertical movement of the cover across the opening, the frictional engagement being such that the cover can be held thereby in a range of partly closed positions across the opening.

The ventilation opening will usually also be a door for the greenhouse.

The guides may be in the form of lines that pass through the interior of the slats in frictional engagement with upper and lower openings into the slats.

In one form of the invention, the slats are hollow and a member is housed within the interior of the slat obstructing a straight path between the upper and lower openings, the line being constrained to follow a path within the interior of the slat in frictional contact with the member. The member may also serve as a keeper for securing the slat to the cover. 3 8 0 0 In an alternative form of the invention the slat is hollow and has upper and lower holes through whioh the lines pass which are out of vertical alignment.

In another form of the invention, the guides may be provided by channels extending longitudinally with respect to the opening, the slats having portions or members that engage in the channels.

In one embodiment of this form of the invention the opening is defined in part by a pair of spaced apart vertical frame members which in facing surfaces are provided with grooves that constitute the said channels. Advantageously, the ends of the slats engage in the channels and are of non-regular cross-section, such as heart shaped, whereby the slats, in one rotational position, can slide freely along the grooves and in another rotational position are retained in position by engagement with the grooves.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a front elevation of a ventilation opening for a greenhouse embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of part of the opening shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of part of a first alternative form of ventilation opening embodying the invention and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of part of a second alternative form of ventilation opening embodying the invention. 4S890 Fig. 1 shows a ventilation opening for a greenhouse, in this case also serving as a door for the greenhouse. The opening is defined by two vertical members 11 and 12 spaced apart horizontally and interconnected at their upper ends by a top cross member 13. A cover for the opening is provided by a rectangular sheet 14 of flexible polythene, which is fixed at its upper edge 15 to the top cross-member 13. On the Outer eurfac? of tho sheet .14 aro mounted a plurality of vertically spaced slats 16 that extend across the sheet 14. The sheet 14 is movable across the opening defined by the members 11, 12 and 13 and is guided in such movement by a pair of lines 17 each comprising a cord under tension running between the top and bottom of the associated vertical member and engaging with each of the slats 16.

Fig. 2 illustrates'how the slats are mounted On the cover and the way in which the lines 17 are engaged with the slats 16. ' The slats 16 each comprise a hollow plastics extrusion having a lipped opening 18 to its interior. Within the interior is a keeper 19 of plastics tube. A loop of the cover enters the slats 16 through the opening 18 and is held captive by the keeper 19.

The keeper 19 also provides frictional engagement between the slat and the line. Each slat has near its ends a pair of upper and lower diametrically opposed holes 21, 22 respectively through which the associated line 17 passes. The keeper 19 obstructs the path between the holes 21 and 22 and the line is forced to follow a path in contact with a substantial arc of the keeper's periphery. Friction thus occurs at the holes 21 and 22 3 3 and around the periphery of the keeper. This friction is sufficient to maintain the cover at any desired position of partial closure of the opening.

Upper and lower pairs of lugs 20 are mounted on the vertical members 11 and 12 and provide a means for further tensioning the lines 17 to prevent the cover 14 bellowing in the wind. The lugs also provide fixed positions to which the uppermost and lowermost slat 16 can be moved for top and bottom ventilation.

Referring now to Fig. 3 a similar ventilation opening is shown. In this case, however, the shapes ox the slats 16 and of the keepers 19 are such that the lines 17 do not make contact with the keepers 19 when passing through the interiors of the slat 16. Friction is ensured by arranging the respective upper and lower holes 21 and 22 out of vertical alignment. The stagger of the holes 21 and 22 is reversed in alternative slats 16 so that the run of the lines 17 between slats 16 Is always vertical.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4 the slats 16 are accommodated in sleeves formed in the sheet 14 and are in the form of a hollow resilient rectangular PVC extrusion.

The extrusion comprises in cross-section,a bottom, two essentially vertical side walls and two top walls which, when the side walls are pressed towards each other, can be overlapped. The lines 17 pass through holes in the top walls and bottom wall and the slat is held in position by the tendency of the side walls to open out causing the top walls to engage the lines.

Claims (7)

1. A greenhouse having an opening defined by two spaced apart vertical members and a cover for the opening comprising a sheet of flexible material, a 5 plurality of horizontally extending slats secured to the cover at vertically spaced positions and a pair of vertical guides which are frictionally engaged with the slats and which serve as guides for vertical movement of the cover across the opening, the frictional 10 engagement being such that the cover can be held thereby in a range of partly closed positions across the opening.

2. A greenhouse according to Claim 1 wherein the guides are in the form of lines that pass through the L5 interior of the slats in frictional engagement with upper and lower openings into the slats.

3. A greenhouse according to Claim 2 wherein the slats are hollow and a member is housed within the interior of the slat obstructing a straight path between the 20 upper and lower openings, the line being constrained to follow a path within the interior of the slat in frictional contact with the member.

4. A greenhouse according to Claim 2 wherein the slat is hollow and has upper and lower holes through which the !5 lines pass which are out of vertical alignment.

5. A greenhouse according to Claim 1 wherein the guides are provided by channels extending longitudinally with respect to the opening, the slats having portions or members that engage in the channels.

6. A greenhouse according to Claim 5 wherein the opening is defined in part by a pair of spaced apart vertical frame members which in facing surfaces are provided with grooves that constitute the said channels. 5 7. A greenhouse according to Claim 5 or 6 wherein the ends of the slats engage in the channels and are of nonregular cross-section, whereby the slats in one rotational position, can slide freely along the grooves and in another rotational position, are retained in position by

7. 10 engagement with the grooves.