JP2002068901A - Freshness retaining material for cut flower, and the like, and method for retaining freshness - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a freshness retaining material little in water loss having a medial position between a wet-type means and a dry-type means for transporting and storing flowering plants such as cut flowers, capable of being exchanged in a relatively easy manner, producible with less expensive materials and further capable of sticking stems of cut flowers, and the like, as they are into it without damaging them. SOLUTION: The freshness retaining material for cut flowers and the like comprises mainly a fiber aggregate composed of cellulose fibers having an average fiber length of <=1.5 mm to which an impregnation liquid mainly composed of water of 3-50 times its own weight is added.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a water supply device for maintaining freshness used for preserving cut flowers and other flowers for a relatively long period of time, and can be transported and stored mainly without impairing the quality of cut flowers. In addition, the present invention relates to a water supply tool that can be used relatively easily.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the flower market has been integrated and enlarged, and distribution has taken a long time. For this reason, transportation methods for cut flowers and the like are also diversifying, but they are roughly divided into dry transport, in which cut flowers are packed in cardboard boxes and transported in large quantities without supplying water, and transport while supplying water using vertical boxes. Wet transport is known. Compared to dry transport, wet transport with less water loss is superior, but it requires the use of a gelling agent or a dedicated water supply made of foamed resin as a water supply material, so distribution costs are high and terminal prices are kept low. I couldn't do it.

[0003] In the wet transportation, paper such as tissue paper or a material having a relatively high water-absorbing property such as non-woven fabric is used without using a water supply agent or a water supply device as described above, and water is contained therein. It is also known to attempt to cover the lower stem portion of the flowers with the material, but when using those materials, it is necessary to wind the stem portion with the above materials one by one, It was not suitable for commercial use, since it required a lot of labor to bind together after winding. In particular, it was troublesome to handle a sales channel where cut flowers had to be supplied at a low cost, lacked in simplicity, and could not be put to practical use. In addition, when the above-mentioned materials such as tissue, cotton or non-woven fabric are used (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 6-315317: In this publication, the root portion of a plant is wrapped with non-woven fabric or hard cotton having water retention properties). There is no disclosure of a method for promoting breeding), since the stem of a plant cannot be pierced into the material, and the material only sinks when the stem is pushed in. In order to cover the stalk portion without covering, it was necessary to use not only a material wide enough to cover the stem but also a trouble such as bending an excess portion protruding from the sheet. In other words, when a simple material as described above was used, there was no other than covering the stem portion with the material, and in terms of workability, the suitability for commercial use as a water supply tool such as cut flowers was also considered. I didn't have it.

By the way, the product called paper clay is
In general, it is a material made mainly of paper used for children's work, and it is a product made by boiling the paper and then removing the moisture to some extent to modify it into a clay-like material. However, the fiber composition is not constant, and a large number of fibers having a fiber length of 3 mm or more are included. As a result, it is difficult to penetrate the stems of flowers and plants into this paper clay, and it is difficult to stick to the stems even if the fibers are penetrated. Therefore, the purpose of the present invention could not be achieved because the supply of water could not be sufficiently performed.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-60402 describes a freshener for cut flowers prepared from a fibrous substance containing a bacteriostatic and fungicide containing a metal salt of an organic compound. The thing is used as a sheet without using plant fiber, animal fiber, regenerated fiber, etc.
In addition, since the fiber contains the above-mentioned antibacterial and antifungal agent in advance, the prior art is inevitably subject to the same disadvantages as described above. Not suitable for

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As explained above,
As one of the problems relating to the flower market or the transportation of flowers, there is a need for water supply materials that are excellent in workability, simple and inexpensive. More specifically, there is a demand for a water supply device for keeping freshness that is simple enough to keep the terminal price low.In particular, it can be provided inexpensively with a wet transport system with little water loss and with inexpensive materials. On top of that, there was a need for the development of transportation and distribution means that do not require the special steps as described above for use, and that enable incineration, which is a present-day problem even when disposing of garbage after use. is there.

[0007]

Here, the present invention relates to an aggregate of fine fibers mainly composed of cellulose fibers having an average fiber length of 1.5 mm or less (hereinafter sometimes referred to as pulp powder). A relatively viscous plastic is prepared by adding an impregnating liquid having water as a main component 3 to 50 times its own weight,
Directly penetrate the stems of cut flowers, etc., through this, so that water can be distributed evenly around the stems, and transported to the hands of consumers, stored, and distributed in stores. It is possible to maintain freshness in stages.

In the present invention, if necessary, pulp fibers having an average fiber length of 1.5 mm or less obtained by pulverization or defibration are mainly used, and an immersion liquid containing water as a main component or Stir while adding an aqueous solution containing the above chemicals to prepare a mud or porridge having a water content of 75% or more. And the like, and a method for preserving freshness of cut flowers or the like in which the stem of a plant is pierced and stored.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION As the cellulose fibers of the present invention, it is preferable to use ordinary wood pulp, in which case the pulp is ground or defibrated to adjust the average fiber length to 1.5 mm or less. And used as a raw material fiber. In addition, in hardwood pulp, the average fiber length is about 0.7 to 1.6.
Since it is within the range of mm, the raw material fiber of the present invention can be used as it is without pulverization or defibration. In the case of softwood pulp having an average fiber length of about 3 to 4 mm, the pulp is passed through a crushing device or a defibrating device.
If necessary, cut to 1.5 mm or less before use. As a pulverizing device, a hammer mill, a dry definer, or a special defibrating machine (trade name: turbo mill, manufacturer: Turbo Kogyo, Neofiner, manufacturer: Oji Kinocross) is suitable.

[0010] It is also possible to disperse in water by wet pulverization. In this case, an aqueous dispersion can be produced from sheet pulp by a device having various disintegration functions such as a pulper disk refiner. In addition, in the forming process of the raw material mat used when manufacturing a disposable diaper, a sanitary napkin or an airlaid pulp nonwoven fabric, the pulp that collected what passed through the mesh wire mesh was also used.
If the screen of the wire mesh is 1.5 mm or less, it can be used as it is as a fiber suitable for the present invention.

By the way, in the present invention, the length 1.5
mm or less, preferably 1.0 mm or less, a pulp powder aggregate containing at least 90% or more of fibers is impregnated with water of 3 to 50 times the weight of the pulp. can get. This product can control viscosity appropriately according to the amount of water contained (the proportion of water added). For example,
If the water content of the pulp powder is set low and the weight of the pulp powder is about three times the weight of the pulp powder, that is, if the water content is about 75%, the muddy substance obtained in that case has a slight independence of itself. Although it is inferior, it maintains a molded state with some degree of autonomy, and becomes a muddy material from which water does not seep unless it is compressed. If the amount of water is increased more than the above, a porridge shape cannot be maintained unless stored in a container such as a bag or a paper cup. In addition, the fiber whose fiber length is 1 mm or less is 90
% Or more, the moisture contained therein is retained inside the mud, so, for example, when this is stored in a polyethylene bag, the bag must be tied together. Water does not drip outside even when laid down. Therefore, as shown in an example described later, after inserting cut flowers from the mouth of the polyethylene bag, they can be transported and transported in a horizontal state.

By the way, the water addition ratio is increased to about 90%.
%, The material becomes a porridge-like holding material. In this case, it is preferable to use the material by storing it in a suitable container having an open top. The fiber aggregate to be used may be dry or wet crushed or defibrated, but dry crushed or defibrated has a lower density, for example, 0.3 g / cc or less. When the material is used as a raw material fiber, the degree of water absorption is higher than that of wet pulverization, and therefore, when a cut flower is pierced, the cut flower is firmly adhered to the stem and a sufficient water supply action can be performed. As described above, the freshness-retaining material for water supply of the present invention is a low-viscosity porridge or mud mainly composed of pulp powder. Plant stems can be easily inserted into the holding material without resistance. Even if a relatively long fiber having a fiber length of 1.5 mm or more is contained, the object of the present invention is not impaired as long as the proportion of the whole pulp fiber is about 5 to 10%. A very small part of the fiber may be long fiber.

When the content of the long fibers is large, the entanglement between the fibers is so strong that the pulp fibers are only compressed and the pulp layer cannot be covered around the stem even when the stem is inserted. If the length of the fine fibers to be made is mainly composed of pulp fibers of 1.5 mm or less, even when piercing a plant stem, the periphery of the stem is covered with the pulp fiber, and as a result Therefore, it is possible to supply sufficient water to the plant through the pulp fiber existing around the stem without forming a space or a cavity around the stem.

By the way, when pulverizing raw pulp,
When the dry method is adopted, it is easy to disperse with water because it is finished at a low density as a whole, and even when the above-mentioned paper powder pulp fiber aggregate is stored in a water-resistant or synthetic resin bag or container. It is easy to adjust to the shape of the container and the like, and the handling becomes simple.

The impregnating liquid containing water as a main component used in the present invention can contain nutrients for plants, an antibacterial fungicide, a freshness preserving agent and the like. It is common to use sugars such as sucrose as nutrients. As the antibacterial and antifungal agent, commonly used antibacterial and antifungal agents such as imidazole derivatives, benzothiazole derivatives and pyridine derivatives can be used, but inorganic metal salts such as silver, copper and zinc are useful. Alternatively, metal salts of these organic compounds can be used. or,
Hinokitiol or Moso bamboo extract, which is a natural extract, can also be used for cut flowers.

[0016]

Example 1 10 g of crushed hardwood pulp was put into a polyethylene bag 1 (opening length 200 mm, depth 200 mm) as shown in FIG. 2, and 100 ml of water was further added thereto. Is obtained.
As shown in FIG. 3, one rose indicated by reference numeral 3 was inserted into the viscous material as a cut flower, and the opening of the polyethylene bag 1 was bound with a rubber band 4. This was placed horizontally in a box such as a cardboard case and stored at normal temperature (around 23 ° C.).

When the above-mentioned mud-free material was not used at all and stored in the same case and compared after 24 hours, no decrease in freshness was found in the material pierced by the viscous material according to the present invention. However, even when stored without sticking into the viscous material, atrophy of the leaves was observed, and the freshness of the flowers was clearly reduced.

When the cuts of the cut flowers were pierced into the mud of the paper powder of the present invention and left for 5 days and visually judged, the freshness did not change much compared with the initial one, and the commercial value was sufficiently high. It was in the state which has. In addition, the cut flowers in this state were laid on a cardboard box and inclined at an inclination of 30 degrees. However, it was confirmed that water could not be leaked from the opening of the bag due to the binding of rubber bands, and that the cut flowers could be transported in the same manner as in dry transport.

[0019]

Embodiment 2 In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, 10 g of pulp powder composed of fine fibers according to the present invention is added to an impregnating liquid three times the weight of the pulp powder, that is, 30 ml of water is added to form a relatively hard viscous substance. This is a form in which the container 2a is packed in a plastic container 5. The viscous material obtained by impregnating 10 g of hardwood pulp, which has been dry-ground (crushed using a special crusher Neofiner manufactured by Oji Kinocross) with 30 g of water, becomes a form familiar to the container when packed in a container.
If the viscous substance 2a in the container is strongly squeezed, water is oozing out. Moreover, when the viscous material was pierced with an appropriate cut flower stem 3a such as a tulip and stored in the same manner as in Example 1, leaf atrophy was observed on the third day, and the freshness retaining ability was inferior.

[0020]

Example 3 Dry crushed hardwood pulp (10 g) was mixed with water (50).
The material impregnated with 0 g becomes a muddy or gruely viscous material having a considerable fluidity. This was stored in a polyethylene bag in the same manner as in Example 1, one wheel of the rose was inserted, and then the opening of the bag was bound. There was a concern about water leakage when the roses were placed horizontally, so we observed the freshness of the roses placed in a vertical position.
Flower quality was well maintained.

[0021]

The freshness retaining material of the present invention is mainly made of natural cellulose fiber such as pulp fiber having an average fiber length of 1.5 mm or less, and contains an impregnating liquid containing water as a main component. It is an inexpensive freshness preserving material, on which the plant stem can be easily and easily pierced into the obtained viscous material. In addition, since water is distributed throughout the plant, it is effective for keeping plants fresh. In addition, since the freshness holding material after use is mainly composed of pulp fibers, it also has an advantage that it can be incinerated even if it is subjected to refuse treatment.

As shown in the first embodiment, when a mud made of pulp powder, which is a main component of maintaining freshness, is hardened to some extent, the mud is stored in a bag or the like.
Even if the cut flowers are laid in a box such as a cardboard case, water does not leak, so that the same transporting method as in the dry transport can be adopted. As described above, according to the present invention, an excellent effect is exhibited in that it is possible to provide a transportation method that combines the advantages of wet transportation with good freshness maintenance and dry transportation with low transportation and storage costs.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a muddy material obtained by kneading a fine fiber aggregate according to the present invention with water is solidified, stored in a round plastic container, and pierced with cut flowers. , Partly cut away.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing a state where a mixture obtained by adding water to the fine fiber aggregate is stored in a polyethylene bag.

3 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which cut flowers are pierced into the bag containing the muddy material of FIG. 2 and the openings of the bag are bound.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Polyethylene bag 2 Viscous substance which consists mainly of pulp powder by this invention, and is added to water 2a Same as above Mud-like substance 3, 3a Cut flower 4 Binding strap 5 Plastic container

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A fiber aggregate mainly composed of cellulose fibers having an average fiber length of 1.5 mm or less is provided with a weight of 3 to 3 of its own weight.
A freshness preserving material such as cut flowers to which an impregnating liquid containing 50 times as much water as a main component is added. 2. A pulp fiber having an average fiber length of 1 mm or less,
A freshness preserving material such as cut flowers, which is prepared by adding an impregnating solution containing water whose main component is 5 to 12 times the weight of the fiber assembly to a fiber assembly containing at least 90% or more. 3. The freshness retaining material for cut flowers according to claim 1, wherein the fiber aggregate is hardwood pulp (LKP). 4. The freshness retaining material for cut flowers according to claim 1, wherein a life-prolonging agent containing plant nutrients, an antibacterial or antifungal agent and the like is added to the impregnating liquid. 5. The fiber aggregate obtained by pulverizing or defibrating the wood pulp into a paper powder having a fiber length of 1.5 mm or less by a dry method. Item 5. The freshness retaining material for cut flowers according to Item 4. 6. A density of 0.3 g / c crushed by a dry method.
The freshness retaining material for cut flowers according to claim 5, wherein a fiber aggregate of c or less is used. 7. The fiber constituting the fiber aggregate is one in which paper powder or fine fibers, pulp sludge, and the like generated in a pulp product production process using pulp as a raw material are collected.
A freshness retaining material for cut flowers according to any one of claims 3 to 3. 8. An average fiber length obtained by pulverization or defibration.
A pulp fiber of 5 mm or less is mainly used, and the impregnating solution containing water as a main component is added to the pulp fiber, and the mixture is stirred. A method for preserving freshness of cut flowers and the like, characterized by being preserved.