JP2011211949A - Method and apparatus for manufacturing vegetation mat and vegetation mat - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a vegetation mat which are capable of manufacturing the vegetation mat anywhere throughout the country, and flexible, and to provide the vegetation mat.SOLUTION: The method for manufacturing the vegetation mat includes the steps of: housing a base material 4, plant seeds 5, and/or a nourishment/propagation body 5a in a cell 2 of a cell tray 3 having a plurality of the cells 2; laying a net 6 or sheet 22 on the upper surface u of the cell tray 3; and growing a plant and forming the vegetation mat 1 including the grown plant P and the net 6 or sheet 22.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing a vegetation mat and a vegetation mat.

  Conventionally, as a method for producing a vegetation mat using raw turf, as shown in Patent Document 1 below, a loosened turf is spread over a cultivated field, and a net is developed on the turf. There is a vegetation mat that grows turf until it is entangled with the net, and then roots the net on the underside of the net and supports the turf on the net.

Japanese Patent No. 2787756

  However, in the manufacturing method described above, it is necessary to grow turf under natural conditions in a field with a large site area, and a new manufacturing base can be established if it is an area suitable for turf growth and not a large place. There wasn't. In addition, the growth and shipping availability period was affected by the weather, etc., and the transportation distance from the production area to the consumer increased, leading to an increase in transportation costs. Furthermore, there are few types of vegetation mats that can be produced, and lack of flexibility such as small-scale production.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described matters, and an object of the present invention is to provide a novel vegetation mat manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus, and a vegetation mat that can be manufactured anywhere in the country and can be turned around. .

  In order to achieve the above object, a method for producing a vegetation mat according to the present invention includes a step of accommodating a base material and plant seeds and / or a vegetative propagation body in the cell of a cell tray having a plurality of cells, and the cell tray. The method includes a step of laying a net or a sheet on the upper surface, and a step of growing a plant to form a vegetation mat including the grown plant and the net or the sheet (claim 1).

  The vegetative propagation body in the present invention refers to those capable of growing plants by vegetative propagation such as bulbs, roots, stems and leaves. In addition, the plant applicable to the present invention is not particularly limited, but mainly includes ground cover plants such as herbs, turf (wild grass, tifbrea, etc.), turf cherry, sedum, sardine, daikandra and the like. In the case of a plant that vegetatively propagates, such as a dwarf plant, it is preferable that the plant is partially interspersed without seeding in all the cells. In addition, the sheet used in the present invention may have any suitable strength that can maintain its shape, such as a nonwoven fabric or a woven fabric, and may satisfy the growth conditions of the plant to be vegetated such as aeration, water flow, and bud. It is also possible to use a corrosive material, and it is also possible to use a herbicidal sheet that prevents plant budding and the like for the most part of the vegetation target plant conditions. Moreover, as a net | network used by this invention, what has an appropriate scale according to the plant to grow and can maintain the shape should just be used.

  Further, according to another aspect of the present invention, a means for accommodating a base material and plant seeds and / or vegetative propagation bodies in the cell of the cell tray having a plurality of cells, and a net or sheet laid from the upper surface of the cell tray Means for carrying the cell tray after laying into a production site, means for growing a plant on the production site, producing a vegetation mat including the grown plant and the net or the sheet, and the vegetation There is provided a vegetation mat manufacturing apparatus comprising means for carrying out the mat from the production site (claim 2).

  The production site is preferably provided indoors, and means for carrying the cell tray after laying into the production site and means for carrying out the vegetation mat from the production site can include rollers, conveyors, carriages, etc. It is preferable that the cell tray is moved according to the growth stage using a conveyor or a carriage. Note that the cell tray may be moved manually.

  Moreover, in this invention, the vegetation mat manufactured by the manufacturing method of the vegetation mat described in Claim 1 is provided (Claim 3).

  Further, according to another aspect of the present invention, a net or a sheet, a base material having a shape in which a cross-sectional area becomes smaller toward the lower side of the net or the sheet, and the net or A vegetation mat comprising a plant grown over the sheet is provided (claim 4).

The present invention has the following effects.
(1) A vegetation mat can be manufactured with a relatively small area and low cost regardless of the region.
(2) By sowing different seeds for each cell, a vegetation mat combining a plurality of plants can be produced. At that time, the contents of the base material can be set for each cell according to the plant.
(3) By using the cell tray, roots are not inadvertently entangled.
(4) A vegetation mat of a certain quality can be manufactured and shipped regardless of the season or weather.
(5) In the case of a pattern in which plants are scattered, if the base material is not filled in the cells where there are no plants, the back surface of the portion where the plants are not grown is not soiled with the growth base.
(6) The mat can be formed by simply removing the cell tray, and the cutting work is unnecessary as in the prior art.
(7) Since it is matted just by removing the cell tray without cutting the root as in the conventional product, the root can be longer than the conventional product and the root will not be damaged. Do not stress.
(8) Since the minimum necessary vegetation base exists only around the root, the weight of the entire mat can be reduced.
(9) It is possible to ship with the cell tray attached, and it is also possible to remove the cell tray at the construction site.
(10) The cutting process is easier than the conventional vegetation mat with a full-surface base, and the mat can be cut according to the field shape.
(11) Even plants that are difficult to grow from seeds in the natural world (such as wild grasses) can be produced in an appropriate growth environment and can be easily commercialized.

It is composition explanatory drawing which shows one Embodiment of the manufacturing apparatus of the vegetation mat which concerns on this invention. It is composition explanatory drawing which shows the manufacture procedure in 1st Embodiment of the manufacturing method of the vegetation mat which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the vegetation mat manufactured by the said 1st Embodiment. It is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a net used in the first embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the net with a entanglement facilitating member used in 2nd Embodiment of the manufacturing method of the vegetation mat which concerns on this invention. It is a partially notched perspective view which shows the weedproof sheet used in 3rd Embodiment of the manufacturing method of the vegetation mat which concerns on this invention. It is composition explanatory drawing which shows the manufacture procedure in 4th Embodiment of the manufacturing method of the vegetation mat which concerns on this invention. It is composition explanatory drawing which shows a different manufacturing procedure in 5th Embodiment of the manufacturing method of the vegetation mat which concerns on this invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. The present invention is not limited thereby. 1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 to 4, a manufacturing apparatus D for a vegetation mat 1 has a rectangular cell tray 3 having a plurality of (preferably many) cells (small chambers) 2 arranged in a grid pattern. , Soil, peat moss, bark compost, water-absorbing material, water retaining material, etc., a vegetation base material 4 and plant seeds 5 and / or vegetative propagation bodies 5a, and a net 6 from the upper surface u of the cell tray 3 Means for carrying the laid cell tray 3 into a production field (growth zone) 7, and growing a plant in the production field 7 to produce a vegetation mat 1 including the grown plant P and the net 6. And means for carrying out the vegetation mat 1 from the production site 7 and means for separating the vegetation mat 1 from the cell tray 3. The cell tray 3 is lightweight and is made of, for example, a synthetic resin. The cell 2 has a substantially funnel shape with a bottom, and has a rectangular cross section (may be circular, elliptical, or the like), and has a U-shaped cut portion 2a communicating with the inside of the cell at the bottom. The two rectangular openings m forming the upper opening a are arranged in a grid pattern.

  The production site 7 is indoors, and is configured to move the cell tray 3 according to the growth stage using the rollers, conveyors, carts, or the like. In the production field 7, a germination room 8 and a production room 9 for the vegetation mat 1 described later are arranged. In this embodiment, a movable holding base 10 is used as the loading / unloading means, and a base material hopper 11 for accommodating the base material 4 in the cell 2 of the cell tray 3 placed on the holding base 10; Similarly, a seeding device 12 for accommodating the plant seed 5 and / or the vegetative propagation body 5a is provided in the cell 2, and the base material in the cell 2 of the cell tray 3 by the base material hopper 11 and the seeding device 12 is provided. 4 and a plant seed 5 and / or a vegetative propagation body 5a are configured, and on the downstream side, a base material 4 and a cell 2 in which the plant seed 5 and / or the vegetative propagation body 5a are accommodated are provided. Means for laying the net 6 from the upper surface u of the cell tray 3 is provided. FIG. 2C shows a state where the net 6 is laid. The net 6 may be laid by human power. The germination chamber 8 is a room that accommodates the cell tray 3 on which the net 6 is laid, and may have any structure that manages conditions necessary for germination such as temperature / humidity, water flow (watering), and ventilation. Instead of an expensive large-sized one used for hydroponics, for example, it may be constituted by a very simple small box covered with vinyl. A production chamber 9 for the vegetation mat 1 is disposed downstream of the germination chamber 8. The production room 9 has a pool 9b with an illumination 9a for immersing and watering the cells 2 of many cell trays 3 at once. The production room 9 is provided in a plastic house, for example, and the pool 9b has a floor on which the cell tray 3 with the net 6 moved from the germination room 8 is placed, and is formed in the lower part of the cell 2. Further, it is configured such that water can be passed through the inside of the cell 2 through the cut portion 2a. In addition, you may equip the apparatus which supports the cell tray 3 at the time of watering, and may add watering tools, such as mist, to the illumination side for watering to the cell 2 further. The germination chamber 8 and the production chamber 9 constitute means for growing a plant in the production field 7 and producing the vegetation mat 1 including the grown plant P and the net 6. FIG. 2D shows the vegetation mat 1 with the cell tray 3 produced in the production chamber 9. Then, after the growth of the plant P, the vegetation mat 1 with the cell tray 3 is moved from the production chamber 9 to a place where the vegetation mat 1 is placed on the holding table 10, and the vegetation mat 1 is separated from the cell tray 3. . This separation operation may be performed by a machine or by human power. FIG. 2E shows the vegetation mat 1 separated from the cell tray 3. In addition, 3 'in FIG. 1 is an empty cell tray, and 1' is a vegetation mat that is rolled and shipped. Moreover, in this embodiment, the place which accommodates the base material 4, the plant seed 5, and / or the vegetative propagation body 5a in the cell 2 and the place which separates the vegetation mat 1 from the cell tray 3 are fixed. The production site (growth zone) 7 is provided in the middle of both places. The cell tray 3 and the vegetation mat 1 may be shipped in the form of a tray or a roll without being separated, and in this case, the cell tray 3 and the vegetation mat 1 are appropriately separated at a construction site or the like.

  Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the vegetation mat 1 is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 2A, a single cell tray 3 having a plurality of cells 2 and a single net 6 shown in FIG. 4 are prepared. The size of the net 6 is substantially the same as the size of the upper surface u of the cell tray 3 to cover the upper surface u of the cell tray 3. Moreover, the net | network 6 which has a suitable scale n each time according to the plant to grow is used. And the manufacturing method of the vegetation mat 1 is, as shown in FIG. 2 (C), in the cell 2 of the cell tray 3 having a plurality (preferably many) cells 2 as shown in FIG. 2 (B). While accommodating the base material 4 and the plant seed 5 or the vegetative propagation body 5a, as shown in FIG. 2 (C), a net 6 is laid on the upper surface u of the cell tray 3, and the production field (growth zone) 7 A plant is grown to form a vegetation mat 1 that includes the grown plant P and the net 6, and the net 6 and the root (rhizome) of the plant P are sufficiently entangled as shown in FIG. 2E mainly includes separating the vegetation mat 1 from the cell tray 3. P ′ is the root of the plant P.

  As shown in FIG. 2 (E), the produced vegetation mat 1 has a net 6 and a shape having a smaller cross-sectional area at the lower side of the net 6 (for example, a truncated pyramid shape, A base material 4 having a truncated cone shape and the like, and a plant P grown from the inside of the base material 4 to above the net 6. And since it is matted just by removing the cell tray without cutting the root like the conventional product, the root can be longer than the conventional product and the root will not be damaged, so the plant growth and survival rate are good for the plant Do not give stress. FIG. 2 (E) shows that the vegetation mat 1 is in a state in which the root P ′ is firmly attached to the base material 4 having the above-described shape. And at the construction site, it is constructed on a slope, for example, by breaking the part of the base material 4 in the shape of these mortars. In this case, the size of the vegetation mat 1 shown in FIG. 2 (E) can be set as one unit, and a necessary number of the vegetation mats 1 can be laid according to the construction area. The portion M [see FIG. 2 (E)] corresponding to the portion m can be cut along with the on-site shape, and the cutting process is easy.

  In addition, the process of accommodating the base material 4 and the plant seed 5 or the base material 4 and the vegetative propagation body 5a in the cell 2 and the process of laying the net 6 on the upper surface u of the cell tray 3 are not limited. The position of the plant seed 5 or the vegetative propagation body 5a inside the base material 4 is such that the root of the plant P and the net 6 are sufficiently entangled, or the net 6 and the stem of the plant P are sufficiently entangled. The base 6 is preferably as close as possible to the net 6. For example, after the base material 4 is accommodated in the cell 2, the upper surface of the base material 4 is scraped to accommodate the plant seed 5 or the vegetative propagation body 5 a in the base material 4. 5 or vegetative propagation body 5a may be subjected to a process of covering with soil. Further, the watering work is performed in the germination chamber 8 and the production chamber 9, but the base material 4, the plant seed 5 or the vegetative propagation body 5 a inside the cell 2 floats during the watering, and the degree of the worst net 6 is determined. In order to avoid the situation where the base material 4, the plant seeds 5, or the vegetative propagation body 5 a floating from n flow out, it is preferable to use the net 6 that prevents them from flowing out and has a meshing size n.

  FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the present invention that is suitable when there is little entanglement between the plant P and the net 6. In FIG. 5, the same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 are the same or equivalent. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 20 denotes an entanglement facilitating member disposed at the lower part of the net 6 in order to increase the entanglement between the plant P and the net 6 when the entanglement between the plant P and the net 6 is small. The facilitating member 20 is made of, for example, a nonwoven fabric or cotton, and is a mat that satisfies the growth conditions such as aeration, water passage, and budding. The facilitating member 20 is the same size as the net 6 and is disposed under the net 6 using an appropriate connecting means. Therefore, the facilitating member 20 replaces the soil and promotes the growth of the plant. For example, the root (rhizome) can be sufficiently entangled. In addition to the root entanglement, the promoting member 20 has a function of preventing the base material 4, the plant seed 5, or the vegetative propagation body 5 a inside the cell 2 from floating and flowing out of the net 6 during the above-described watering. In addition to the mat, the facilitating member 20 may be a net that can prevent the lifting during watering and has a meshing degree. Further, the provision of the facilitating member 20 has the following advantages. That is, in performing the mechanical sowing using the sowing device 12, in the case shown in FIG. 1, after the base material 4 is accommodated in the cell 2, for example, the plant seed 5 is sown on the base material 4, so that the plant seed 5 When soil or base material 4 is not applied on top, the plant seeds 5 are exposed, so that when the vegetation mat 1 is produced, even if it is watered, it will germinate insufficiently, or light hits it more than necessary. However, by providing the facilitating member 20, it is possible to keep moisture necessary for germination and to block light, and as a result, plants with good germination and good growth. Can be obtained.

  FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of the present invention in which a grass prevention sheet 22 having a hole 21 is partially laid on the upper surface 5 of the cell tray 3 instead of the net 6 shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, the same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 are the same or equivalent. In FIG. 6, in order to prevent the growth of plants other than the plant P when the vegetation mat 1 including the plant P grown in the production field (growth zone) 7 and the herbicidal sheet 22 is vegetated on the construction site, Instead of the net 6, a weedproof sheet 22 having a hole 21 is provided on the upper surface 5 of the cell tray 3. The weedproof sheet 22 is made of a woven fabric, for example, and is configured to prevent the growth of local weeds and the invasion of flying seeds when vegetated on the construction site. The hole 21 has a size that allows sprouting, and a plurality of, for example, wefts 23 are juxtaposed in the hole 21 so that the root (rhizome) of the plant P can be sufficiently entangled.

  In order to manufacture the vegetation mat 1, first, without seeding all of the plurality of cells 2, the base material 4 and the plant seeds 5 or the vegetative propagation bodies 5 a are partially formed only in the cells 2 immediately below the holes 21. And a grass prevention sheet 22 is laid on the upper surface 5 of the cell tray 3, and plants are grown at the production site (growth zone) 7. Therefore, while being able to be scattered with the plant P which grew partially, including the plant P and the said herbicidal sheet 22, the weft 23 of the hole 21 of the herbicidal sheet 22, the root (rhizome) of the plant P, and Can be formed, and the vegetation mat 1 is separated from the cell tray 3. Thus, in this embodiment, the plant P selected already grows and is constructed by growing the plant in the cell 2 corresponding to the hole 21 by using the herbicidal sheet 22 with the hole 21 partially formed. In the field, the manufacturing method of the vegetation mat which can prevent the growth of other plants can be provided.

  FIG. 7 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention in which, for example, the cell tray 3 shown in FIG. 2 is divided into two vertically and the net 6 is sandwiched between them. In FIG. 7, the same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 are the same or equivalent. In FIG. 7, the lower portion 31 of the cell tray 30 is a rectangular shape in a plan view having a plurality of cells 2 ′ arranged in a grid pattern and a flange 32 for grips, and the cell 2 ′ has a substantially funnel shape with a bottom, A U-shaped cut portion 2a that communicates with the inside of the cell is provided at the bottom. On the other hand, the upper portion 33 of the cell tray 30 is a rectangular shape in plan view having a main body 34 having openings b arranged in a grid pattern and a handle flange 35, and each opening b corresponds to the cell 2 '. positioned. In this embodiment, it is comprised so that a plant may be partly scattered without seeding | inoculating in all the cells.

  Thus, as shown in FIG. 7A, a single cell tray 30 having a plurality of cells 2 'that can be divided into two vertically and a single net 6 shown in FIG. 4 are prepared. The size of the net 6 is substantially the same as the size of the upper surface 31 a of the lower portion 31 and the lower surface 33 a of the upper portion 33. Moreover, the net | network 6 which has an appropriate | suitable degree every time according to the plant to grow is used. The vegetation mat 1 is produced by sandwiching the net 6 between the lower part 31 and the upper part 33 as shown in FIG. 7 (B), and in the selected cell 2 ', the base material 4 and the plant seed 5 or The vegetative propagation body 5a is accommodated. At this time, the plant seed 5 or the vegetative propagation body 5 a is sown in the base material 4 accommodated in the upper portion 33 located on the net 6. Then, the plant is grown in the production field (growth zone) 7 and, as shown in FIG. 7 (C), the upper portion 33 is removed upward to include the grown plant P and the net 6. A vegetation mat 1 in which 6 and the root P ′ of the plant P are entangled is formed. At this time, since the plant seed 5 or the vegetative propagation body 5a is positioned above the net 6, the net 6 and the plant root P 'are sufficiently entangled. Further, when the plant P is small, that is, when the upper portion of the plant P is smaller than the opening b, it is preferable to remove the upper portion 33 from the lower portion 31 via the net 6. It can be easier to remove. Thereafter, by separating the vegetation mat 1 from the cell tray 3, as shown in FIG. 7 (D), a shape in which the cross-sectional area becomes smaller as the net 6 and the lower part positioned vertically with the net 6 in between is shown. A vegetation mat 1 composed of a base material 4 (for example, a truncated pyramid shape, a truncated cone shape, etc.) and a plant P grown from the inside of the base material 4 to above the net 6 can be obtained. From FIG. 7D, the vegetation mat 1 in a state in which the root P ′ is firmly attached to the base material 4 having a shape in which the cross sectional area becomes smaller toward the lower side (for example, a truncated pyramid shape, a truncated cone shape, etc.). I understand that there is.

  In addition, in this embodiment, when forming the vegetation mat 1 containing the plant P and the net | network 6 which vegetatively propagates, such as a fertile plant, it has the following advantages. In other words, in the case of plants P that vegetatively propagate such as fertile plants, even if the plants are partially scattered without seeding all the cells, they will naturally spread after construction of the vegetation mat, and finally the entire surface. It becomes covered, and reduction of manufacturing cost can be realized.

  FIG. 8 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention in which a cell tray 30 divided into upper and lower parts is used and a net 6 is laid on an upper portion 33 thereof. In FIG. 8, the same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 are the same or equivalent. As shown in FIG. 8A, a cell tray 30 having a plurality of cells 2 'and capable of being divided into two vertically is prepared and one net 6 shown in FIG. The size of the net 6 is substantially the same as the size of the upper surface 33 b of the upper portion 33. Moreover, the net | network 6 which has an appropriate | suitable degree every time according to the plant to grow is used. And the manufacturing method of the vegetation mat 1 is as shown in FIG.8 (B), in the said cell 2 'of the lower part 31 which has several cell 2', and the main body 34 of the upper part 33, the base material 4 and a plant As shown in FIG. 8 (C), the seed 5 or the vegetative propagation body 5a is accommodated, the net 6 is laid on the upper surface 33b of the upper portion 33, and the plant is grown in the production field (growth zone) 7. In addition to forming the vegetation mat 1 that includes the grown plant P and the net 6, and the net 6 and the root (rhizome) of the plant P are sufficiently entangled, as shown in FIG. The base material 4 including the root P ′ located at the boundary between the lower portion 31 and the upper portion 33 is cut using the cutter 40. Thereafter, the vegetation mat 1 is separated from the upper portion 33 to obtain the vegetation mat 1 as shown in FIG. And as shown in FIG.8 (D), the produced vegetation mat 1 is the shape (for example, truncated pyramid shape in which the cross-sectional area becomes small in the downward direction located in the net 6 and the said net 6 below. A base material 4 having a truncated cone shape and the like, and a plant P grown from the inside of the base material 4 to above the net 6. On the other hand, since the base material 4 and the root P ′ remain in the lower portion 31 shown in FIGS. 8C and 8E, as shown in FIG. 8F, the upper surface 31 a of the lower portion 31. The upper portion 33 is placed on the upper portion 33, the base material 4 is accommodated up to the upper surface 33 b in the upper portion 33, a new net 6 is laid on the upper portion 33, and in this state, the plant is grown in the production field (growth zone) 7. A new vegetation mat 1 can be produced.

  For example, herbs and flower buds are plants that have been used in daily life in various ways, and in order to expand the enjoyment of the herbs and flower buds, the present invention uses herbs and flower buds with different colors and shapes. Can be grown for each cell 2 to provide a vegetation mat having a desired plant layout by a consumer, and thus a desired flower field or the like can be easily formed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vegetation mat 2 cell 3,30 cell tray 4 base material 5 plant seed 5a vegetative propagation body 6 net u upper surface P grown plant

Claims (4)

Containing a base material and plant seeds and / or vegetative propagation within the cells of a cell tray having a plurality of cells;
Laying a net or sheet on the top surface of the cell tray;
A method for producing a vegetation mat comprising growing a plant and forming a vegetation mat including the grown plant and the net or the sheet. Means for containing a base material and plant seeds and / or vegetative propagation material in the cells of a cell tray having a plurality of cells;
Means for laying a net or sheet from the upper surface of the cell tray;
Means for carrying the cell tray after laying into a production site;
Means for growing a plant in the production area and producing a vegetation mat comprising the grown plant and the net or the sheet;
An apparatus for manufacturing a vegetation mat, comprising: means for carrying out the vegetation mat from the production site.   A vegetation mat produced by the method for producing a vegetation mat according to claim 1. Net or sheet,
A base material having a shape in which the cross-sectional area is lower toward the lower side of the net or the sheet; and
A vegetation mat comprising a plant grown from the inside of the base material to above the net or the sheet.

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