JP2009165363A - Watering-free planting facility - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide watering-free planting facilities which supply a moderate amount of water necessary for growth of plants to a vegetation base to make growth environment favorable to the plants. <P>SOLUTION: The watering-free planting facilities are provided with a base unit where the vegetation base is housed, a water tank separated and independent from the base unit, and a watering pipe connecting the base unit and the water tank to water via capillary force. The watering pipe is loaded with capillary material and water-holding material on the inside of a hollow outer pipe throughout its length so as to have capillary function and watering adjustment function. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a non-irrigation planting facility suitable for rooftop gardening and gardening planting, for example.

Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 disclose non-irrigated planting facilities that include a planter unit section that accommodates a vegetation base and a water storage tank that is disposed below the planter unit section.
The planting facility described in Patent Document 1 contains a gravel material group in a water storage tank, raises water using the capillary force between the gravel materials, and supplies water to the vegetation base. In the planting facility, water can be supplied to the vegetation base through a water absorbent cloth hanging from the vegetation base into the water storage tank.

Moreover, as a planting facility that does not have a water storage tank, a planting facility that embeds a water supply tube or sheet in a vegetation base and forcibly supplies water from the water supply facility side to automatically supply water is disclosed in Patent Document 3. .
JP-A-6-319378 JP-A-6-333349 JP 2003-33112 A

The conventional planting facilities described above have the following problems.
(1) In the non-irrigated planting facilities described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, since the water storage tank is arranged directly under the vegetation base, the storage weight of the vegetation base on the supporting surface of the planting base The added weight acts.
For example, when installing a plurality of planting facilities on the roof of a building, the water storage height is 10 cm and the single weight of water reaches 100 kgf / m ² . Since the soil weight, which is the vegetation base material, is added to this, the water storage volume of the water storage tank and the layer thickness of the vegetation base cannot be increased as in the case of installation on the ground, considering the roof floor strength. .
For this reason, it is not only technically difficult to ensure a desirable vegetation base layer thickness for plants, but there is a problem to be improved such as low reliability against non-irrigation.
(2) The planting facility of Patent Document 3 that does not have a water storage tank requires a lot of electrical equipment such as a water supply pump, a water level sensor, a control valve, and a controller as the water supply side equipment. There is a problem.
(3) A planting facility that does not have a water storage tank pumps water through a pipe such as a tube or a hose connecting the water supply side equipment and the vegetation base.
The amount of water supplied to the vegetation base is determined by the pump performance and the pipe diameter. However, since the amount of water supplied per unit time is large, excessive water supply tends to occur and it is difficult to constantly adjust the water supply in the vegetation base to an appropriate amount. .
Furthermore, due to long-term use, pipes are often clogged and water quality deteriorates due to the generation of algae in the pipes, and regular maintenance is required.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide the following non-irrigated planting facility.
(1) An appropriate amount of water necessary for plant growth can be supplied to the vegetation base to maintain a favorable growth environment for the plant.
(2) To reduce the weight of the greening position and to distribute the facility weight.
(3) Reduce equipment costs and maintenance costs without requiring electrical equipment.
(4) A water storage tank can be added.

A first invention of the present application includes a base unit that houses a vegetation base, a water storage tank that is separated and independent from the base unit, and a water supply pipe that connects the base unit and the water storage tank and supplies water by capillary force. A non-irrigation planting facility comprising: the water supply pipe is provided with a capillary function and a water supply adjustment function by loading a capillary material and a water retaining material over the entire length of the outer pipe having a light shielding property. Provide non-irrigation planting facilities.
The second invention of the present application provides the non-irrigated planting facility according to the first invention, wherein one end of the water supply pipe is connected to a water supply sheet or a vegetation base through a water retaining material so as to allow water to pass therethrough.
A third invention of the present application provides the non-irrigated planting facility according to the first invention or the second invention, wherein the water retention material is a polymer having both a water absorption and drainage function.
A fourth invention of the present application provides the non-irrigated planting facility according to any one of the first to third inventions, wherein the capillary material is a superfine fiber.

The following advantages of the present invention can be obtained.
(1) Since the capillarity function and the water supply adjustment function are added to the water supply pipe, the water supply pipe functions as a storage tank and an adjustment tank. In response to this, fine water supply can be performed, and a preferable growth environment of the plant can be maintained.
(2) Since the base unit and the water storage tank are separated and independent, and the water supply line can be laid arbitrarily just by drawing the water supply pipe, not only can the load on the base unit installation location be reduced, but the base unit can also be installed. The degree of freedom in layout increases, and an unprecedented layout becomes possible.
In particular, it is possible to provide a planting facility suitable for rooftop greening of a building that is subject to burdensome weight restrictions.
(3) Capillary action by the capillary material and the water retaining material housed in the outer pipe constituting the water supply pipe is synergistically exhibited, so even if there is a large difference in height between the installation location of the base unit and the water storage tank Stable water supply performance can be maintained.
(4) Since no electrical equipment or the like is required, the equipment cost can be reduced, and the maintenance cost can be reduced by preventing the generation of algae by the light shielding property of the outer pipe constituting the water supply pipe.
(5) A water storage tank can be arbitrarily added by using a water supply pipe having a large capillary force.

  An example of a non-irrigation planting facility according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[Constitution]
(1) Overview of non-irrigated planting facility FIG. 1 shows a model diagram of a non-irrigated planting facility according to the present invention. The non-irrigated planting facility is a vegetation base 11 which is a medium for planting various plants A. One or a plurality of base units 10 that contain water, a water storage tank 20 that stores water for water supply, and a water supply pipe 30 that connects the base unit 10 and the water storage tank 20 to supply water by capillary force. Consists of.

  Since the water storage tank 20 and the base unit 10 are separated and independent from each other, not only can the water storage tank 20 be installed in an inconspicuous place, but also each weight can be dispersed and supported on the floor surface.

Further, as will be described later, the water supply pipe 30 is provided with a capillary function, and even if the water storage tank 20 is installed at a lower level (lower floor) than the installation position of the base unit 10, water can be supplied to the base unit 10. ing.
For example, when the base unit 10 is installed on the roof of a building, the water storage tank 20 can be installed on the lower floor of the roof.

(2) Base unit The planter 12 constituting the base unit 10 has a structure in which the bottom plate 13 is capable of passing water and venting, and a water supply sheet 14 such as a nonwoven fabric is laid on the entire upper surface of the bottom plate 13, and further water supply The vegetation base 11 is accommodated in such a form that it directly touches the water supply sheet 14 above the sheet 14.
Water supply to the vegetation base 11 through the water supply pipe 30 is performed through the water supply sheet 14, and surplus water that has permeated the vegetation base 11 is drained to the outside of the planter 12 through the water supply sheet 14 and the bottom plate 13 having a perforated structure. It has become so.

As the planar shape of the planter 12, a polygon, a circle, an ellipse, or the like can be adopted, and there is no particular restriction on the shape of the planter 12.
Further, the bottom plate 13 of the planter 12 may be formed integrally with the planter 12 or may be provided with a separate bottom plate 13.

  As the vegetation base 11, various known materials suitable for the variety of the plant A are selected as appropriate, and a light base material may be used when the floor support is small.

(3) Water storage tank The water storage tank 20 separated and independent from the base unit 10 is a water tank with a bottomed structure, and there is no special restriction on the size or installation location.
In this example, the water storage tank 20 is described as a rigid container such as a resin or stainless steel, but may be a soft container such as a sheet.
It is desirable that the water storage tank 20 is installed outdoors in principle, and that it can capture rainfall and water spray.
In this example, the filtration sheet 22 is laid on the upper surface of the perforated structure lid 21 constituting the water storage tank 20 and the granules 23 are laminated on the filtration sheet 22, but other known filtration structures are exemplified. You may apply.
Further, a known overflow structure may be incorporated so that excess water can be naturally drained to the outside, or charcoal may be introduced into the water storage tank 20 to prevent deterioration of water quality.

  The number of water storage tanks 10 need not be the same as the number of base units 10, and is appropriately selected in consideration of the amount of water stored in the water storage tank 10, the number of base units 10, and the like.

(4) Water supply pipe While the conventional water supply pipe is only a single hollow pipe, the water supply pipe 30 used in the present invention has a capillary material 32 and a water retention material in the hollow outer pipe 31 over its entire length. 33 and is provided with a capillary function over its entire length.
One end of the water supply pipe 30 is disposed in the water storage tank 10, and the other end is disposed so as to be connected to the water supply sheet 14 of the base unit 10.

The outer tube 31 is a hollow tube such as a hose or tube and functions to protect the capillary material 32 and the water retention material 33 described above. Flexibility is not essential and may have rigidity.
By covering the capillary material 32 and the water retaining material 33 with the outer tube 31, it is possible to prevent water supply loss due to evaporation and to efficiently supply water to the base unit 10.
Furthermore, if light-shielding material is used for the tube material, or light-shielding property is imparted to the outer tube 31 by covering the tube peripheral surface with a light-shielding coating, etc., light transmission into the outer tube 31 is prevented and algae is generated. Can be avoided.

The capillary material 32 is, for example, a super fine fiber, and is a member that exhibits a capillary force through a space formed between the fibers, and is inserted over the entire length of the outer tube 31.
As the capillary material 32, a known microfiber in micron units can be used, and a trade name Toraysee (manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) is preferable.

The capillary material 32 alone has water retention, but in the present invention, the capillary material 32 is combined with a water retention material 33 having a water absorption and drainage function.
The water retaining material 33 is not only a function of absorbing water but also a polymer having a function of draining when a predetermined set temperature is reached, and is uniformly distributed and accommodated over the entire length of the outer tube 31.
As the water retaining material 33, for example, a product name thermogel (manufactured by Kojin Co., Ltd.) having a wide temperature range of 15 to 60 degrees Celsius can be used.

  The combination of the water retention material 33 having a water absorption and drainage function with the capillary material 32 is to increase the capillary force of the capillary material 32 by utilizing the gaps in the granular water retention material 33, and to supplement the water retention of the capillary material 32 with the water retention material 33. This is because the water retention amount of the entire water supply pipe 30 is increased, and water is also released from the water retention material 33 when the vegetation base 11 is dried, thereby finely supplying water to the vegetation base 11.

The connection structure between the water supply pipe 30 and the water supply sheet 14 of the base unit 10 will be described with reference to FIG.
Although it is possible to connect the capillary material 32 of the water supply pipe 30 to the water supply sheet 14 or the vegetation base 11, it is difficult to ensure a large contact area.
In view of this, a bag-like protective net 34 containing the water retaining material 33 is provided at one end of the outer pipe 31 and connected to the water supply sheet 14 via a large amount of the water retaining material 33.
In this example, the case where the water supply sheet 14 is placed on the upper surface of the protective net 34 to contact the water supply sheet 14 is shown, but an opening may be provided in the water supply sheet 14 at the connection location, and the protective net 34 may be brought into contact with the opening.
As described above, since one end of the water supply pipe 30 is connected to the water supply sheet 14 or the vegetation base 11 through the water retaining material 33 so as to allow water to pass therethrough, a large contact area can be secured at the connection portion, and water supply efficiency can be improved. Can do.

[Water supply method]
Next, a water supply method using a non-irrigation planting facility will be described with reference to FIG.
A large amount of water is stored in the water storage tank 20 due to rain, and the water in the water storage tank 20 is supplied to the vegetation base 11 of the base unit 10 through the water supply pipe 30.

This water supply mechanism will be described in detail.
By the synergistic action of the capillary force provided by the capillary material 32 and the granular water retaining material 33 provided over the entire length of the water supply pipe 30, water can be sent naturally without using electrical equipment such as a pump. Even if there is a large height difference between the vegetation bases 11, it is possible to reliably supply water through the water supply pipe 30.
When water penetrates over the entire length of the water supply pipe 30, the water is stored in the outer pipe 31.
The outer tube 31 prevents evaporation of water absorbed by the capillary material 32 and the water retaining material 33 and eliminates water loss.
Further, due to the light-shielding property of the outer pipe 31, no algae are formed in the water supply pipe 30 even if the water is exposed to a hot environment in summer for a long time.

  In order to clarify the characteristics of the planting facility of the present invention, a description will be given in comparison with a conventional water supply method using only a hose.

  The conventional water supply method using a hose has a relationship in which the amount of water and the time on the water supply side and the water reception side coincide with each other. In other words, as soon as water is supplied from the water supply side, the amount of water is released to the vegetation base.

  On the other hand, in the present invention, the amount of water on the water supply side and the water receiving side and the timing are inconsistent. Specifically, when the vegetation base 11 starts to dry, water retained between the granules of the capillary material 32 itself and the water retention material 33 accommodated in the water supply pipe 30 on the vegetation base 11 side is supplied to the vegetation base 11. However, the amount of water supplied is not immediately replenished from the water storage tank 20 for replenishment.

When the amount of water held in the water supply pipe 30 on the vegetation base 11 side reaches a predetermined amount, the water is gradually sucked up from the water storage tank 20 to be replenished.
That is, in the present invention, the water supply pipe 30 serves as both a water storage tank and an adjustment tank, so that fine water supply can be performed according to the drying condition of the vegetation base 11.

  In particular, in the summer season when the vegetation base 11 is easily dried, the water retained in the water retaining material 33 is discharged into the outer pipe 31, so that water can be supplied immediately in accordance with the moisturizing condition of the vegetation base 11.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, by connecting one end of the water supply pipe 30 to the water supply sheet 14 or the vegetation base 11 through the water retaining material 33 so as to allow water to pass, a large contact area can be secured at the connection portion. Fine water supply can be realized over a wide area of the vegetation base 11.

Model diagram of non-irrigation planting facility according to the present invention Illustration of connection structure between water supply pipe and base unit

Explanation of symbols

A ... Plant 10 ... Base unit 11 ... Vegetation base 12 ... Planter 13 ... Bottom plate 20 ... Water storage tank 30 ... .... Water pipe 31 ... Outer pipe 32 ... Capillary material 33 ... Water retaining material

Claims (4)

Non-irrigated planting facility comprising a base unit containing a vegetation base, a water storage tank separated and independent from the base unit, and a water supply pipe connected between the base unit and the water storage tank to supply water by capillary force Because
The water supply pipe is provided with a capillary function and a water supply adjustment function by loading a capillary material and a water retaining material over the entire length of the outer pipe having a light shielding property,
Non-irrigation planting facility.   The non-irrigated planting facility according to claim 1, wherein one end of the water supply pipe is connected to a water supply sheet or a vegetation base through a water retaining material so as to allow water to pass therethrough.   The non-irrigation planting facility according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the water retention material is a polymer having both a water absorption and drainage function.   The non-irrigated planting facility according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the capillary material is an ultrafine fiber.

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