JP2004150992A - Artificial flower - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To notify of watering timing by displaying existence of field moisture by opening or closing of a flower in cultivation of a potted plant, concerning an artificial flower for field moisture display. <P>SOLUTION: This artificial flower for field moisture display comprises a stalk equipped with a first water absorbing material 10 for sucking moisture in soil 4 by capillary phenomenon, a pistil and a stamen equipped with a second water absorbing material 12 installed in contact with the first water absorbing material 10 on one end of the stalk, a plurality of calyxes comprising respectively water-expansive rubber 6 and a member (for example, ordinary rubber) 7 laminated thereon and having substantially no water expansibility, wherein the water-expansive rubber 6 is provided in contact with the second water absorbing material 12, and a plurality of petals 8 installed on the calyxes corresponding to the plurality of calyxes. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an artificial flower for displaying soil moisture, and more particularly to an artificial flower that displays the presence or absence of soil moisture by opening and closing the flower at the time of cultivating a potted plant or the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the recent horticultural boom, lovers who grow potted plants and flowers are increasing, but root rot may occur due to excessive water during cultivation. To avoid this, it is necessary to water properly. At present, there is an indicator for knowing the timing of watering, but the confirmation work is troublesome and the price is not low, so that it is hardly popular.
[0003]
As a method of displaying the timing of watering the potted and cultivated plant, there is a method of inserting a moisture meter into the soil each time, confirming the display, and knowing the timing of watering. There is also a method in which the measuring instrument is left inserted in the soil and displayed in blue when there is water, and in red when there is no water, so that the timing of watering can be known by a change in color. Furthermore, as a technique for imparting a dynamic change due to water to an artificial flower shape display, a technique of using a water-absorbing polymer that absorbs water 100 to 1000 times, and expanding or closing the artificial flower by expansion is known. (For example, see Patent Document 1).
[0004]
In addition, as a technique for dynamically changing flower opening and closing to artificial flowers, there are a technique using a shape memory alloy or the like to apply heat and a technique using a motor power. However, these do not indicate the change in soil moisture for potted plants, and are expensive or complicated in structure.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-10-140412 (pages 2 to 5)
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
According to the method of inserting a moisture meter into the soil described above, it is necessary to insert and check the meter each time, and it is troublesome when the number of pots is large. In addition, according to the method of knowing the timing of watering based on a change in color, there is an annoyance that a displayed portion is difficult to see unless the eyes are brought close.
[0007]
Therefore, the present inventor has studied a technique of using the above-described water-absorbing polymer to open and close a flower by its expansion. That is, although the configuration is slightly different from that of the artificial flower using the above-described water-absorbing polymer, an artificial flower having the configuration shown in FIG. 7 was created and its characteristics were tested.
[0008]
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an experimental configuration using the above-described water-absorbing polymer. FIG. 7 (a) shows a state in which flowers before water absorption are closed, and FIG. 7 (b) shows a state in which flowers after water absorption are open. Show. 7, 100 denotes a water-absorbing polymer, 101 denotes an elastic rubber, 102 denotes a petal, 103 denotes a core, 104 denotes a water-absorbing material such as paper or cloth, and 105 denotes a soft resin.
[0009]
In principle, when water is supplied in the state of FIG. 7A, the water absorbed by the water-absorbing material 104 gradually rises due to the capillary phenomenon, and comes into contact with the water-absorbing polymer 100 sealed in the elastic rubber 101. I do. Thereby, the water-absorbing polymer 100 starts to expand, and the elastic rubber 101 also starts to expand. When the elastic rubber 101 starts to expand, the petals 102 bonded to the lower part of the elastic rubber 101 are pressed by the expanded elastic rubber 101, and as shown in FIG. Gradually opens.
[0010]
However, according to the results of this experiment, since the absolute amount of water supply due to capillary action is smaller than the amount of the enclosed water-absorbing polymer 100, it takes 2 to 3 days to expand and saturate it. Further, since the saturated water-absorbing polymer 100 is sealed in the elastic rubber 101, it takes about three days to evaporate and return to a dry state. As described above, since it takes too much time for expansion and contraction, the water condition in the soil in the pot does not match the water condition of flowering and closing of artificial flowers. In particular, the evaporation time of the water taken in the water-absorbing polymer 100 sealed in the elastic rubber 101 is much slower than the absorption time of the soil moisture in the pot into the flower and the evaporation time into the air. Therefore, in this configuration, it was found that it was difficult to match the water content in soil with the water content of flowering and closing of artificial flowers. In addition, since the elastic rubber 101 has almost no rigidity, the petals 102 could not be fixed well, and the shape of the flower could not be maintained well. Furthermore, it has been found that, when the elastic rubber 101 is repeatedly expanded and contracted, its expansion coefficient is greatly reduced, and deteriorates every time watering is performed.
[0011]
In view of the above, the present invention has studied a technique of using a water-swellable rubber as a material that expands by absorbing water instead of the above-described water-absorbing polymer 100, and opening and closing a flower by the expansion. That is, artificial flowers using the water-swellable rubber having the configuration shown in FIG. 8 were prepared, and the characteristics thereof were tested.
[0012]
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an experimental configuration using a water-swellable rubber. FIG. 8 (a) shows a state in which flowers before water absorption are closed, and FIG. 8 (b) shows a state in which the water-swellable rubber has started absorbing water. FIG. 8C shows a state in which the water-swellable rubber is saturated with water but the flowers are closed. In FIG. 8, reference numeral 106 denotes a water-absorbing material such as a water-absorbing sponge, and 107 denotes a water-swellable rubber.
[0013]
When water is supplied in the state shown in FIG. 8A, the water absorbed from the water-absorbing material 104 gradually rises due to the capillary action, is absorbed by the water-absorbing material 106, and is supplied to the surface of the water-swellable rubber 107 through the water. Is done. When the water touches the surface of the water-swellable rubber 107, the water-swellable rubber starts to expand from the surface, and as shown in FIG. The existing petal 102 is in a flowered state. However, when the water further penetrates into the whole of the water-swellable rubber 107, the whole of the water-swellable rubber 107 expands as shown in FIG. As a result, it was found that the petals 102 were in a closed state even though there was enough water in the soil, that is, displayed a state where there was no water. From the results of the above experiments, it was found that it was necessary to keep the flowers open even if the water in the water-swellable rubber 107 was saturated.
[0014]
An object of the present invention is to provide an artificial flower for soil moisture display capable of displaying the presence or absence of soil moisture at the time of cultivation of a potted plant or the like by displaying the flowering or closing of the flower by flowering and notifying the timing of watering. I do.
[0015]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The artificial flower for soil moisture display of the present invention includes a stem having a first water-absorbing material that sucks moisture in the soil by capillary action, and a second stem attached to one end of the stem so as to be in contact with the first water-absorbing material. A flower sheath having a water-absorbing material, a water-swellable rubber and a member substantially non-water-swellable (for example, normal rubber) bonded thereto, wherein the water-swellable rubber is the second water-absorbing material And a plurality of petals attached to the calyx corresponding to the plurality of calyxes.
[0016]
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the artificial flower for soil moisture display of this invention, the soil moisture in a pot is sucked up by the capillary effect of a 1st water absorbing material, and the water is supplied to a water-expandable rubber through a 2nd water absorbing material. As a result, the plurality of calyxes warp in a predetermined direction like a bimetal, and the artificial flower for displaying soil moisture can be in a blooming (open) state. Then, by evaporating and drying the water of the water-swellable rubber, the plurality of calyxes return to their original shapes, and the artificial flower for displaying soil moisture can be closed.
[0017]
As described above, according to the present invention, there is no need to insert and check the moisture meter into the soil each time unlike the above-described moisture meter. Further, even if the eyes are not approached as in the method based on the color change described above, the displayed state can be determined at a glance. Further, unlike the artificial flower using the water-absorbing polymer shown in FIG. 7, the flowering and closing do not take 2 to 3 days, so that the soil moisture state in the pot and the flowering and closing moisture of the artificial flower are not required. It is possible to match the condition, and since the calyx is composed of water-expandable rubber and a member that has substantially no water-expandability bonded thereto, the petals are fixed to this to keep the shape of the flower well Further, even if the expansion and contraction are repeated after the number of times of watering, it is possible to prevent the expansion rate from greatly decreasing. Further, like the artificial flower using simply water-expandable rubber shown in FIG. 8, when water is saturated, the whole water-expandable rubber does not expand and become similar to the original shape. Even if the moisture of the natural rubber is saturated, the flower can be kept open.
[0018]
Therefore, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to water the cultivated plant when the soil moisture display artificial flower is blooming, and watering is necessary when the soil moisture display artificial flower is closed. It is possible to display the status of watering, and to see the timing of watering by looking at the state of cute artificial flowers blooming (open) or closed in potted plants etc. , Watering fun.
[0019]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of artificial flowers for displaying soil moisture, showing a form of utilization of artificial flowers for displaying soil moisture according to the present invention.
[0020]
Reference numeral 1 denotes an artificial flower for displaying moisture in soil (hereinafter referred to as artificial flower), 2 denotes a cultivated plant, 3 denotes a flowerpot, 4 denotes soil, and 5 and 5 ′ denote approximate positions (upper limit) at which the soil 4 contains moisture. The soil 4 is put in the flower pot 3, and the original cultivated plant 2 is planted in the soil 4. The cultivated plant 2 sucks the water in the soil 4 from its root. The artificial flower 1 is inserted into the soil 4 such that the lower end of the artificial flower 1 is located near the root of the cultivated plant 2 beside the cultivated plant 2.
[0021]
As shown in FIG. 1A, when the soil 4 has little (or no) moisture up to the position 5, the cultivated plant 2 cannot suck up the water at the position 5. Therefore, watering is necessary. At this time, the artificial flower 1 is closing the flower. Thereby, the artificial flower 1 displays at a glance that the watering is necessary. The grower who saw this waters the cultivated plant 2 (flowerpot 3). Thereby, as shown in FIG. 1B, the moisture in the soil 4 rises to the position 5 '. When there is moisture in the soil 4 up to the position 5 ', the cultivated plant 2 can sufficiently suck up the water at the position 5'. Therefore, watering is not necessary. At this time, the artificial flower 1 is open. Thus, the artificial flower 1 displays at a glance that the watering is not necessary.
[0022]
2 to 4 are artificial flower configuration diagrams for displaying moisture in soil, showing the configuration of the artificial flower 1 of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 2 shows a state in which the artificial flower 1 is closed, FIG. 2 (a) is a perspective view, FIG. 2 (b) is a plan view, and FIG. 2 (c) is a cc cutting line in FIG. 2 (b). FIG. 3 shows a state in which the artificial flower 1 is open, FIG. 3 (a) is a perspective view, FIG. 3 (b) is a plan view, and FIG. 3 (c) is along the cc cutting line in FIG. 3 (b). FIG. 4 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the artificial flower 1, FIG. 4 (a) is an enlarged view of FIG. 2 (c), and FIG. 4 (b) is an enlarged view of FIG. 3 (c).
[0023]
2 to 4, the stem of the artificial flower 1 includes a core material 9, a first water absorbing material 10, and a soft resin 11 in order from the center to the outside. The core material 9 is made of a material having a certain degree of rigidity that can be repeatedly bent to make flowers bloom naturally, for example, a wire or the like. The first water-absorbing material 10 is a water-absorbing material that absorbs moisture in the soil 4 by capillary action, and is made of, for example, paper or cloth. The soil 4 is a material that can supply water to the cultivated plant 2 and is made of various other materials as long as the first water-absorbing material 10 can absorb water. including. The paper or the like as the first water-absorbing material 10 is wound, for example, around the core material 9 in a single or double (to n-fold, where n is a positive integer). The soft resin 11 corresponds to the outer skin of the stem, and is made of a molded and colored soft resin, for example, plastic, vinyl, or the like. The lower portion of the soft resin 11 has a slightly pointed shape because it projects against the soil 4 in the flowerpot 3. An opening 13 for taking in moisture is provided below the soft resin 11 (see FIG. 4).
[0024]
The stamen (portions corresponding to stamens and pistils) of the artificial flower 1 are made of the second water absorbing material 12. The second water absorbing material 12 is made of a water absorbing material such as a water absorbing sponge. The second water absorbing material 12 is attached to one end of the stem so as to be in contact with the first water absorbing material 10. The upper end of the stem to which the second water-absorbing material 12 is attached is placed in a state in which the soft resin 11 at that portion is removed and the first water-absorbing material 10 appears on the surface, and is in direct contact with the second water-absorbing material 12. Is inserted into the water absorbing material 12 and fixed. That is, the second water absorbing material 12 is bonded to the top of the stem (the core material 9 and the first water absorbing material 10) inserted therein. The second water-absorbing material 12 has a function of transmitting water supplied from the first water-absorbing material 10 to the surface of the water-swellable rubber 6 and also has a function of retaining water. That is, the second water-absorbing material 12 supplies water to the water-swellable rubber 6 when the supply of water from the first water-absorbent material 10 is stopped, and sets the time until the water-swellable rubber 6 evaporates and dries. It has a function to delay. The evaporation and drying of the water contained in the second water absorbing material 12 and the evaporation and drying of the water in the soil 4 of the pot 3 at the time when the supply of the water from the first water absorbing material 10 is stopped are based on the ambient humidity. It can be considered that there is no great difference between the two.
[0025]
In this example, the second water absorbing material 12 includes a lower cylindrical portion and an upper hemispherical portion. The lower flat surface of the cylindrical portion is attached so as to contact the upper surface of the water-swellable rubber 6 of the calyx described below. Thus, water can be supplied to only one surface of the water-swellable rubber 6 and the calyx can be efficiently warped in a predetermined direction (toward the normal rubber 7 described below). The hemispherical portion is formed into a shape that looks like a flower stamen (especially a pistil).
[0026]
A plurality of calyxes of the artificial flower 1 are provided, each of which comprises a water-swellable rubber 6 and a substantially non-water-swellable member 7 adhered to the rubber and having the same shape. Each calyx is attached to the soft resin 11 such that the water-swellable rubber 6 contacts the second water-absorbing material 12. That is, the non-water-swellable member 7 constituting the calyx is adhered and fixed to the upper end of the soft resin 11 corresponding to the outer skin so as to be substantially perpendicular to the stem. Thereby, when the artificial flower 1 blooms, the diameter of the artificial flower 1 is prevented from becoming too large, so that the artificial flower 1 does not touch the cultivated plant 4 and is not damaged. Note that the angle of adhesion of the member 7 to the stem may be oblique instead of vertical. The member 7 is made of, for example, normal rubber 7. The normal rubber 7 is made of, for example, a rubber such as a natural rubber or a synthetic rubber (hereinafter, referred to as a normal rubber 7), and has a different expansion coefficient from the water-swellable rubber 6 when in contact with water. That is, it may be considered that the rubber 7 does not substantially expand even when it comes into contact with water.
[0027]
Here, the member 7 may be made of a material whose expansion (rate) can be neglected as compared with the expansion of the water-swellable rubber 6 when it comes in contact with water, and is made of, for example, stainless steel. A thin (for example, about 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm) metal plate, for example, a thin (for example, about 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm) soft resin plate such as vinyl chloride, cloth, or the like may be used. The metal plate and the soft resin plate do not expand even when they come into contact with water, and in addition, as described later, help restore the calyx by their rigidity or elasticity. The fabric does not swell too much in contact with water and does not help restore the calyx, but can have a bimetal-like function, as described below.
[0028]
A plurality (five in this example) of petals 8 of the artificial flower 1 are provided, and are attached corresponding to the plurality of calyxes. In this example, the petal 8 has one end (the central part) fixed to the upper surface of the water-swellable rubber 6 with an adhesive or the like. The petals 8 may be fixed to the lower surface of the rubber 7 by an adhesive or the like. The petals 8 are made of, for example, a soft resin molded and colored into the shape of the petals 8, for example, plastic, vinyl, or the like.
[0029]
Here, first, the water-swellable rubber 6 used in the present invention is prepared by adjusting the proportion of the water-absorbing polymer to a commercially available water-swellable rubber for construction (for example, Aquakel Sealer manufactured by Oji Rubber Chemical Co., Ltd.). (V series)). For example, the proportion of the water-absorbing polymer in the water-swellable rubber 6 of the present invention is about 20% higher than that of the commercial product. Thus, the water-swellable rubber 6 of the present invention can accelerate the penetration of water into the water-swellable rubber 6. Secondly, the water-swellable rubber 6 of the present invention is prepared by blending, for example, a polyalkylene oxide derivative in addition to the rubber and the water-absorbing polymer so that the penetration of water becomes faster. The polyalkylene oxide derivative is a compound obtained by polymerizing ethylene oxide / propylene oxide, and is compounded as a water passage agent for facilitating the penetration of water into the water-swellable rubber 6 (for example, see JP-A-7-138413). Gazette). Thus, the water-swellable rubber 6 of the present invention can further accelerate the penetration of water into the water-swellable rubber 6. Thirdly, in the water-swellable rubber 6 of the present invention, the thickness of the water-swellable rubber 6 in the calyx is set to 1.0 to 1.5 mm. Thereby, the water-swellable rubber 6 of the present invention can further accelerate the penetration of water into the water-swellable rubber 6. The thickness of the normal rubber 7 in the calyx is also equal to the thickness of the corresponding water-swellable rubber 6 as described later. As described above, in the artificial flower 1 of the present invention, the structure constituting the calyx warps due to the expansion of the water-swellable rubber 6 and can bloom in about 2 to 3 hours after watering.
[0030]
As is well known, the water-swellable rubber 6 is formed by mixing a rubber particle with a powdery water-absorbing resin and passing through a vulcanization step. As the water-absorbing resin, a polymer made of polyacrylic acid or an acrylic acid copolymer salt is used, for example, a polyvinyl alcohol-acrylic acid copolymer, an isobutylene-maleic anhydride copolymer, or the like. The resin is not particularly limited as long as it is a resin that is taken into the gel and swells.
[0031]
In addition, the structure constituting the calyx of the artificial flower 1 of the present invention is a structure in which the water-swellable rubber 6 and the normal rubber 7 are attached to each other so as to have a function like a bimetal. Thereby, the calyx of the artificial flower 1 of the present invention can keep the flowering state of the artificial flower 1 even if the water of the water-swellable rubber 6 is saturated. That is, the water-swellable rubber 6 starts expanding when it absorbs water, but the rubber 7 does not usually expand. Therefore, the structure constituting the calyx warps like a bimetal because one of the structures expands and the other does not expand. Further, in the structure constituting the calyx, the thickness of the rubber 7 is usually 1.0 to 1 .1 which is the same as the thickness of the water-swellable rubber 6 as described above so as not to disturb the operation like a bimetal. The thickness was 5 mm. Thus, by using a structure in which the water-swellable rubber 6 and the normal rubber 7 are adhered to each other as a calyx, the artificial flower 1 of the present invention maintains a state in which flowers bloom even when the water-swellable rubber 6 is saturated. be able to.
[0032]
On the other hand, the normal rubber 7 bonded to the water-swellable rubber 6 helps the structure forming the calyx to return to its original plate shape after warping. That is, when the water in the water-swellable rubber 6 gradually shrinks to its original shape as the water evaporates, the structure constituting the calyx tends to quickly return to the original shape due to the reaction force of the rubber 7. As a result, the artificial flower 1 can be clearly closed even by a slight contraction of the water-expandable rubber 6, and the characteristic such as the reaction speed is deteriorated even if the operation such as bimetal is repeated many times. Can be prevented.
[0033]
Further, the artificial flower 1 of the present invention supplies the water swelled from the soil 4 to the water-swellable rubber 6 (or the structure constituting the calyx) via the second water-absorbing material 12. That is, without directly bringing the first water-absorbing material 10 into contact with the water-swellable rubber 6, the water that has been sucked is once retained in the second water-absorbing material 12. The drying of the second water-absorbing material 12 and the water-swellable rubber 6 starts when the water in the soil 4 in the flowerpot 3 decreases and the first water-absorbing material 10 cannot absorb water. At this time, a small amount of water still remains in the flower pot 3, and also water remains in the second water-absorbing material 12 and the water-expandable rubber 6, and the artificial flower 1 is in a flowering state. Thereafter, the moisture of the soil 4 in the flowerpot 3 evaporates, and the moisture of the second water absorbing material 12 and the water-swellable rubber 6 also evaporates. At this time, the evaporation rate of the water in the soil 4 and the evaporation rate of the water in the second water-absorbing material 12 and the water-expandable rubber 6 both depend on the surrounding environment (for example, humidity) and become almost the same. This makes it possible to make the water conditions of the two almost coincide with each other, so that the presence or absence of water in the soil 4 in the flowerpot 3 can be displayed almost accurately by the flowering and closing states of the artificial flower 1.
[0034]
The artificial flower 1 of the present invention is used, for example, as follows. First, the artificial flower 1 is inserted into the soil 4 of the flowerpot 3 as shown in FIG. At this time, since the position 5 of the water in the soil 4 is low, the petals 8 of the artificial flower 1 remain closed even after a few hours from the insertion (that is, the time required for flowering). That is, the state shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. Then, the grower who saw this knows that it is time to water the flower 2 of the flowerpot 3 and waters it. As a result, the moisture in the soil 4 of the flower pot 3 rises to a position 5 ′ (see FIG. 1B) where moisture spreads to the roots of the flower 2.
[0035]
As a result, as can be seen from FIG. 1B, the water in the soil 4 reaches the opening 13 provided in the soft resin 11 which is the outer skin of the stem, and the first water absorption in the stem from the opening 13. The water is sucked up by the capillary action of the material 10 and supplied to the second water absorbing material 12. The water supplied to the second water-absorbing material 12 is supplied to the surface of the water-swellable rubber 6 that is in contact with the bottom surface of the second water-absorbing material 12, whereby the water-swellable rubber 6 starts to expand. When the expansion of the water-swellable rubber 6 starts, the entire calyx gradually warps in a predetermined direction like a bimetal. At this time, the circular portion at the center of the normal rubber 7 is soft at the outer peripheral portion of the hole provided at the center of the circular portion to penetrate the stem (core material 9 and first water absorbing material 10). The stem (the core material 9 and the first water-absorbing material 10) is fixed to the resin 11 by adhesive bonding to the second water-absorbing material 12, and the water-swellable rubber 6 is expanded almost entirely. For this reason, since the expanded water-swellable rubber 6 is prevented from expanding downward by the soft resin 11 and the normal rubber 7, the expanded center of the bottom surface of the second water-absorbing material 12 is mainly pushed upward. On the other hand, the expanded water-swellable rubber 6 is entirely warped due to a function like a bimetal, so that the second water-absorbing material 12 cannot be pushed up as it approaches the bottom edge. As a result, the petals 8 adhered to the ends of the calyx (the water-swellable rubber 6) have, as shown in FIG. 1 (b), FIG. 3 and FIG. It is in a flowering state.
[0036]
Even when the water-swellable rubber 6 sufficiently absorbs moisture and becomes saturated, the structure constituting the calyx usually keeps the warped state because the rubber 7 is bonded thereto. That is, even during the saturated state, the artificial flower 1 maintains the flowering state.
[0037]
The grower who saw this knows that it is not time to water the flower 2 of the flowerpot 3 and does not water it. As a result, the position 5 'of the water in the soil 4 gradually decreases. On the other hand, the water contained therein evaporates from the water-swellable rubber 6 and the second water-absorbing material 12. However, there is a supply of moisture from the first water absorbing material 10 until the moisture in the soil 4 drops to the position 5. Therefore, during this time, the water-swellable rubber 6 absorbs moisture and is in a saturated state, and the artificial flower 1 maintains the flowering state.
[0038]
When the moisture drops in the soil 4 to the position 5, the supply of the moisture from the first water absorbing material 10 stops. In this state, when the evaporation of the water from the water-swellable rubber 6 and the second water-absorbing material 12 continues, the water sucked up by the first water-absorbing material 10 and held by the second water-absorbing material is removed. The water-swellable rubber 6 loses water from the saturated state, and gradually returns to its original shape. As a result, the structure forming the calyx gradually returns to the original plate shape, and the artificial flower 1 is in a closed state.
[0039]
FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 (a) shows a state in which the flower is closed, and FIG. 5 (b) shows a state in which the flower is open.
[0040]
In FIG. 2, the entire second water-absorbing material 12 is constituted by a water-absorbing sponge. However, in FIG. 5, a lower cylindrical portion of the second water-absorbing material 12 in FIG. It is composed of a highly absorbent water absorbing material 14 using an absorbent polymer. The upper hemispherical portion of the second water absorbing material 12 is made of a water absorbing sponge as in FIG. The superabsorbent material 14 is widely used in disposable diapers, sanitary products and the like, and, as is well known, generally crosslinks a water-soluble polymer made of acrylamide or acrylic acid to make it insoluble in water. And a structure which swells greatly. By making the portion of the second water-absorbing material 12 in FIG. 2 in contact with the water-swellable rubber 6 a high-absorbency water-absorbent material 14, the water supply to the water-swellable rubber 6 can be accelerated.
[0041]
6A and 6B show still another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6A shows a state in which the flower is closed, and FIG. 6B shows a state in which the flower is open.
[0042]
In FIG. 2, the structure comprising the water-swellable rubber 6 and the normal rubber 7 constituting the calyx is provided in a direction perpendicular to the stem, but in FIG. 6, the structure constituting the calyx is parallel to the stem. It is provided in the direction as follows. The structure constituting the calyx is composed of the water-swellable rubber 6 and the normal rubber 7 as in FIG. The upper hemispherical portion of the second water-absorbing material 12 is the same as that shown in FIG. 2, but the lower cylindrical portion has a thick cylindrical portion into which stems are inserted and an artificial flower 1 as shown in FIG. Has a narrow cylindrical portion so as not to restrict the movement of the petals 12 when the petals are closed. Further, the soft resin 11 corresponding to the outer skin of the stem covers a lower part of the structure forming the calyx. By providing the structure constituting the calyx in a direction parallel to the stem, the diameter of the artificial flower 1 is larger than that of FIG. 2 (FIG. 2), and the diameter of the artificial flower 1 is smaller than that of FIG. ) Can be made smaller, not only indicating the timing of watering but also giving a feeling similar to cultivating actual flowers.
[0043]
The present invention may be implemented by appropriately combining the embodiment of FIG. 2, the embodiment of FIG. 5, and the embodiment of FIG.
[0044]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, in the artificial flower for soil moisture display, the soil moisture in the pot is sucked up by the capillary action of the first water absorbing material, and the water is supplied to the water-swellable rubber through the second water absorbing material. Thereby, the plurality of calyxes are warped in a predetermined direction like a bimetal, and the artificial flower for soil moisture display is opened, and the water of the water-swellable rubber is evaporated and dried, so that the plurality of calyxes are returned to the original state. The shape can be returned to the closed state, and the artificial flower for displaying soil moisture can be closed. Further, according to the present invention, the state displayed at a glance can be distinguished without having to insert a moisture meter into the soil every time measurement is performed, and the soil moisture state in the pot and flowering and closing of the artificial flower can be determined. The water state of the flower can be matched, the petals can be fixed to the calyx, the shape of the flower can be kept well, and the expansion rate can be prevented from greatly decreasing even after the number of times of watering, Even when the water of the water-swellable rubber is saturated, the flower can be kept open. From the above, according to the present invention, when the soil moisture display artificial flower is blooming, it is not necessary to water the cultivated plants, and when the soil moisture display artificial flower is closed, watering is performed. It is possible to display that the state is necessary, and it is possible to know the timing of watering accurately.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the artificial flower of the present invention is closed.
FIG. 3 is a view showing a state in which the artificial flower of the present invention is open.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the artificial flower of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a view showing still another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an experiment using a water-absorbing polymer.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an experiment using a water-swellable rubber.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Artificial flowers for soil moisture display (artificial flowers)
2 cultivated plants
3 flowerpots
4 Sat
Position line containing 5, 5 'moisture
6 Water-swellable rubber
7 Rubber (normal rubber)
8 petals
9 core material
10 First water absorbing material
11 Soft resin
12 Second water absorbing material

Claims (2)

A stem including a first water-absorbing material that sucks up moisture in soil by capillary action;
A flower lobe comprising a second water-absorbing material attached to one end of the stem so as to be in contact with the first water-absorbing material;
A plurality of calyxes comprising a water-swellable rubber and a member having substantially no water-swelling property bonded thereto, wherein the water-swellable rubber is in contact with the second water-absorbing material;
An artificial flower for displaying soil moisture, comprising: a plurality of petals attached to the calyse corresponding to the plurality of calyxes. When the water sucked up by the first water-absorbing material is supplied to the surface where the second water-absorbing material and the water-swellable rubber are in contact, the water-swellable rubber expands and the plurality of calyxes are fixed. The artificial flower opens by warping in the direction of
When the water sucked up by the first water-absorbing material is no longer supplied to the surface in contact with the second water-absorbing material and the water-swellable rubber, the water-swellable rubber returns to its original shape and the plurality of water-swellable rubbers return to the original shape. The artificial flower for soil moisture display according to claim 1, wherein the artificial flower closes when the calyx returns to its original shape.

Images