JPH0779589B2 - Humidity automatic supply and growth method for plants and planting box - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention is a planting box that is arranged for the purpose of greening and beautifying streets, open spaces of buildings, passageways, etc. It is related to the method of automatically supplying and growing the humidity of plants to be applied, usually about 1 m inside and outside ~ 2 m square, polygonal,
It mainly consists of relatively large planting boxes of various shapes such as rectangles and round shapes.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, planting boxes for plants and flowers, which are arranged for greening and beautification, are simply grown by filling a large container such as concrete or other FRP with soil. Once installed, the plants are very difficult to manage, left unattended for a long time and even lose their water supply. Therefore, plants cannot express the original vitality, and it cannot be said that it is sufficient to achieve the purpose of greening and beautifying.

In general, the method of growing plants in flowerpots is
54-19240 gazette, Jikken Sho 4-4114 gazette, Jikkou 39-3
No. 6942, No. 53-79259, No. 57-11586
There are techniques described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 70 and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 51-75854. These technologies are for smooth supply of water and air required for plants.A water tank is provided in the lower part of the flower pot, and the water in the water tank is removed from the upper plant by using the capillarity. The basic structure is that a water suction mechanism for supplying water to the growing section is provided.

Then, in these techniques, a large number of holes are formed in the partition plate that divides the water tank portion and the plant growing portion, and air holes are formed on the side surface of the water tank portion to improve the circulation of outside air. Then, the air flowing in from the side surface of the water tank portion is configured to be supplied to the soil above the partition plate through a large number of holes in the partition plate.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the configuration of the flowerpot described in the above publication, since the air holes on the side surface of the water tank portion have a large diameter and the partition plate has many holes, Distribution is too good,
When the temperature rises in the summer, the amount of water evaporated in the water tank becomes too large, and there is a drawback that water must be replenished frequently.

It is highly likely that the water will be replenished frequently in the flower pots that are used for personal and home use, but it is installed in highly public places such as streets, open spaces of buildings, and passages. The relatively large planting box used has a drawback that it is difficult to rehydrate frequently.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a plant humidity automatic supply / cultivation method capable of sufficiently cultivating a plant and a planting box installed in a highly public place without hydration for a long time. To provide a planting box.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the inventor has a method for automatically supplying water to a plant growing unit even in a planting box installed in a highly public place, Regarding the method of rapidly and uniformly dispersing the supplied water, the method of supplying an appropriate amount of air to the plant growing section, and the method of minimizing the supply of water,
Through repeated research, the following solutions could be developed.

First, as a method of automatically supplying water to the plant growing section, a linear fiber aggregate in which linear fibers are bundled in a required thickness is used to adjust the required amount of water to the required height in the space of the water tank. Adopted a structure to suck up.

The linear fiber polymer is adopted as the moisture sucking mechanism, depending on the supply amount to the wettable open-cell foam sheet described later, and the difference in dry humidity of the area where the planting box is used, and the growth. This is because it is possible to increase or decrease the diameter of the fiber polymer and increase or decrease the number of siphons in consideration of the type of plant.

The linear fiber aggregate is obtained by bundling a number of linear fibers such as an inorganic fiber such as glass fiber, a bundle of single fibers such as natural fibers, regenerated fibers, synthetic fibers, etc., into a required thickness. As long as it can form a capillary state, the shape and material thereof are not limited, but the shape is preferably a cylindrical shape with good workability. Further, as the material, a material having a small contact angle with water and a large adhesion force for wetting can obtain a higher wicking force, and therefore, a glass fiber type of inorganic fiber is particularly preferable.

Further, as a method for rapidly and uniformly dispersing the water supplied to the plant growing section by the suction mechanism, an open-cell foam sheet of a wettable polyurethane polymer is used, which is used as a water tank section and a plant growing section. In addition to laying on the entire surface of the partitioning intermediate bottom plate, an open-cell foam sheet with the ability to obtain water fluidity even under the pressure of heavy objects such as soil and to spread water over a wide area It is adopted.

The open-cell foam of wettable polyurethane polymer is produced with a water absorption capacity several times its own weight, and various kinds of large and small water absorption capacity are produced. Even under the condition, it is possible to exert the performance of obtaining fluidity of water.

Therefore, the open-cell foam of the wettable polyurethane polymer can be appropriately selected for its water absorption capacity according to the demand, and also exhibits high water retention and flow spreadability even under heavy soil pressure. It is possible to select what can be done.

Next, the inventor has adopted, as a method of minimizing the supply of water, a configuration that minimizes the flow of air in the water tank section in order to suppress the evaporation of water from the water tank section. That is, in the intermediate bottom plate portion that separates the water tank portion and the plant growing portion, a structure in which only the holes through which the linear fiber aggregate penetrates to the plant growing portion side is adopted as a moisture suction mechanism. If it is formed in a portion other than this penetrating portion, 2 to 4 small-diameter holes that guide excess water that falls along the soil due to rainfall or the like to the water tank portion, or water injection holes to the water tank portion (in this case, The injection hole is also plugged) to minimize the flow of water from the water tank part to the plant growing part side, and the water tank part and the outside air are formed on the side surface. We adopted a structure with only small diameter overflow holes.

Here, the reason why the water tank portion is formed by providing the space portion below the plant growing portion is that the influence of the temperature of the outside air is small and the water temperature and the soil temperature are maintained at appropriate temperatures. In addition, in the place where there is a risk that the stored water in the water tank will freeze in winter,
It is also considered to use a freezing agent for the stored water and to attach a heat insulating material to the side wall of the tank. Also, in the stored water,
It is also considered to dissolve various growing agents such as fertilizers.

As described above, the present invention constitutes a plant growing part on an open-cell foam sheet that can retain water, but the plant growing part, in response to a request, has a wide one-sided cultivation surface. It is formed or divided into a plurality of cultivation surfaces by a partition plate so that various cultivation methods can be adopted.

In addition, even in the same breeding method, it can be divided into appropriate sizes to facilitate the distribution and supply of air, and to respond to many demands, such as giving more activation to plants. It can be configured to be capable.

That is, when roughly cultivating methods, a soil cultivation method in which a plant growing section is filled with soil such as culture soil to cultivate a plant, and a plant growing section, which is easy to replace, is provided with a growing pot for cultivating a plant as it is. There is a growing pot cultivation method, but in the case of the soil cultivation method, as described above, since only the communication part of the suction mechanism is formed in the intermediate bottom plate portion, it is substantially wet from the intermediate bottom plate portion side. No air is supplied to the soil through an open cell foam sheet of a flexible polyurethane polymer.

Therefore, in the case of the soil cultivation method, the inventor adopts a configuration in which a non-wetting polyurethane polymer open-cell foam is interposed on the side of the soil in order to supply the air from the side of the soil. did. Further, the inventor has provided an eaves portion above the open-cell foam of the non-wetting polyurethane polymer so as to prevent rain-water from wetting the non-wetting open-cell foam with rainwater.

In addition, the thickness of the non-wettable open-cell foam increases / decreases in comparison with the area of the cultivation surface, and depending on the humid and dry areas. In theory, the thickness of the open-cell foam sheet that can retain water on the bottom surface is also increased or decreased.

The non-wettable open-cell foam can be used as long as it has an open-celled structure having good air flowability. However, mainly the excellent, open-cell polyurethane foam is used. Further, the thickness can be increased or decreased by using one or more sheets having a required thickness.

On the other hand, in the case of the growing pot cultivation method, there is no need to consider the circulation of air to the soil because it is not a method of using the soil to cover the entire growing pot, but the water supply should be done through holes in the bottom of the growing pot. Be done from. Therefore, in the present invention, the thickness of the open-cell foam sheet of the wettable polyurethane polymer is increased to increase the water retention capacity so that sufficient water can be supplied from this hole portion, and due to its swelling property, as a growth pot. It was configured to be in intimate contact with a wettable open cell foam sheet.

Further, in the case of a large area where a large number of growing pots are arranged, a coarse flexible grid-like support is placed on a wettable open-cell foam sheet, or a fixed grid is provided. There is also a method in which a projecting support or the like is used together so that the thickness does not become less than (about less than about 1/2 of the original thickness).

Furthermore, a growing pallet is placed on a wettable open-cell foam sheet, a large number of growing pots are accommodated in this growing pallet, and the growing pallet is held in an appropriate compressed state depending on the weight of the growing pot. There is also a way to configure. This growing pallet has many grid-shaped windows and other windows formed on the bottom surface, and the above-mentioned open-cell foam sheet absorbs water and expands on its lower surface,
The expansion surface is formed on the bottom surface of the growing pallet.

In the case of the soil cultivation method as well, similarly to the above, the grid-like support is placed on the wet open-cell foam sheet,
Alternatively, a method of using a protrusion-shaped support together can be adopted.

[Operation] As described above, the combination of the moisture wicking mechanism and the open-cell foam sheet of the wettable polyurethane polymer rapidly sucks the water from the water tank portion and maintains the evenly dispersed state to form the open-cell foam. Depending on the amount of water contained in the body, depending on the amount of water consumed, by automatically producing a large amount of wicking action, it is possible to prevent excessive water content and to supply an appropriate amount without causing root rot. Since it gives plants vitality, it can achieve vibrant greening and beautification.

That is, the behavior of the open-cell foam sheet of this wettable polyurethane polymer is such that it has a property of creating a large water-holding phenomenon as if it were a wetland, and therefore the weight of soil (about 500 to 1000 k
The water easily causes a flow spreading action even under the weight of about (g) and under the pressure that soil particles enter the stabbed state.

In addition, because of its wettability, the moisture wicking mechanism, which has won in response to the required humidity consumption of the soil, responds, and even under heavy soil pressure, the water wicked by the moisture wicking mechanism retains a high degree of retention. Immediately retains water in the water-based open-cell foam sheet, exerts flow spreadability, and evenly spreads water evenly throughout the large-capacity planting box. Therefore, it is possible to deal with the environment of the four seasons without causing local overhumidity, and the necessary humidity is supplied to the growing unit throughout the year,
Good plant growth is continued without long-term water replenishment every year.

Further, in the intermediate bottom plate portion that divides the water tank portion and the plant growing portion, only the communication portion of the suction mechanism is formed, and since the flow of the water tank portion with the outside air is only the small diameter overflow hole, The tank will not come into contact with the outside air more than necessary. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the water stored in the water tank portion from evaporating due to a temperature rise in the summer or the like, and it is possible to provide a planting box that does not need to be replenished with water for a long period of time.

In this case, the plant growing unit can apply the present invention in both cases of the soil cultivation method and the cultivation pot cultivation method, but in the case of the soil cultivation method, a non-wettable open-cell foam is formed from the side surface of the soil. Since air is circulated through the plants, it is possible to grow lively plants without hindering the growth of plants.

Further, in the case of the growing pot cultivation method, since the wettable open-cell foam sheet is formed thicker, the growing pot comes into close contact with the open-cell foam sheet, and from the hole on the bottom surface of the growing pot. Water (humidity) can be smoothly supplied, and plants can be constantly grown.

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the method for automatically supplying and growing a plant humidity and the planting box thereof according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a planting box according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a short side of the planting box of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an injection in FIG. FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view showing the outline of the hole or water level inspection unit, and FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of FIG.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a rectangular planting box GB, in which the plant growing part on the upper part of the box body is divided into three parts, a central part and both sides in the short side direction, and a plurality of cultivation surfaces are It is configured. The shape of the box body can be freely set such as a circular shape, a triangular shape, a polygonal shape, a square, and various other deformed shapes in addition to the upper rectangular shape.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a lower water tank portion, 2 is an upper plant growing portion, and these water tank portion 1 and plant growing portion 2 are
Is vertically divided into two by the intermediate bottom plate portion 7 shown in FIG. Furthermore, the plant growing section 2 is divided into three,
Central cultivation surface 3 and side cultivation surfaces 4 and 5 are formed.

The central cultivation surface 3 is an example of a cultivation pot cultivation system RPS that grows by setting a cultivation pot, and the side cultivation surfaces 4 and 5 are
An example of a soil cultivation system SGS in which soil is filled and soil cultivation is shown, but various combinations can be appropriately carried out depending on the theory and application. For example, the plant growing unit 2
If the whole is configured on one side of the soil cultivation method SGS only, or if it is entirely configured on one side of the cultivation pot cultivation method RPS, then other soil cultivation methods SGS and cultivation pot cultivation method RPS are alternately carried out. For example, it is composed of a plurality of surfaces, and is appropriately constructed according to the demand.

Next, the internal structure of the planting box will be described with reference to FIG. 2. As the material of the planting box GB, various materials can be used, but the planting box of this example is formed of FRP. The outer bottom portion 6 of the box body is formed in a rectangular shape, and an intermediate bottom plate portion 7 is formed between the water tank portion 1 and the plant growing portion 2. Is laid with a wettable polyurethane polymer open cell foam sheet WCP that can easily and rapidly penetrate and retain its moisture.

In addition, a water suction mechanism SM by capillarity is provided on the lower surface of the intermediate bottom plate portion 7, and the stored water RW in the water tank portion 1 is stored.
Is automatically and continuously supplied to the upper wettable open-cell foam sheet WCP to automatically supply the required humidity to the plant and to grow the plant without long-term water supply. It is configured to measure.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the moisture suction mechanism SM, one or a plurality of hollow holders 8 are fixed in a suspended state on the lower surface of the intermediate bottom plate portion 7, and the hollow holder 8 is made of monofilaments. A linear fiber aggregate 9 in which a large number of linear fibers such as a bundle are bundled in a required thickness is inserted and fixed, and the upper portion thereof is connected to the wettable open-cell foam sheet WCP on the intermediate bottom plate portion 7. , The bottom
It is held in the stored water RW of the water tank portion 1 and is configured to automatically supply the required humidity of the plant by the capillary action of the fiber assembly 9.

In FIG. 2, 10 is an overflow hole on both sides of the water tank portion 1, which is also an air flow hole. As is clear from this figure, the water tank portion 1 has a structure that does not come into contact with outside air except for the small-diameter overflow hole 10. Further, the intermediate bottom plate portion 7 is configured so that the water tank portion 1 and the plant growing portion do not communicate with each other except for the hollow penetrating portion of the hollow holder 8.

However, depending on the conditions of the planting box, there are about 2 to 4 holes of about 6 mm to about 8 mm for returning excess water to the water tank 1 near the periphery of the intermediate bottom plate 7, depending on the conditions of the planting box. Although it is opened, this hole is also configured to substantially block the communication between the water tank portion 1 and the plant growing portion 2 by the wettable open-cell foam sheet.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the intermediate bottom plate portion 2 is provided with an injection pipe 16 for injecting water into the water tank portion 1.
This upper end is also closed by the plug 17 to prevent direct contact with the outside air.

Therefore, the water tank portion 1 does not contact the outside air more than necessary, and therefore has a function of preventing the stored water in the water tank portion from evaporating due to a temperature rise in the summer or the like.

Reference numeral 11 is a wet open-cell foam WCP in the case of the soil cultivation method SGS of the side cultivation surfaces 4 and 5, and a relatively thin one is used.

12 is an open-cell foam of a non-wetting polyurethane polymer that is entirely or partially interposed between the peripheral part of the cultivation surface and the soil, and is required for the soil because it has good air circulation. It is configured to provide fresh air. Since the non-wetting polyurethane polymer open-cell foam has a small area where the soil cultivation surface is narrow in this example,
It is provided only for people.

Reference numeral 13 is a wet open-cell foam sheet WCP in the case where the central cultivation surface 3 is a growing pot cultivation method RPS, which is used because water is supplied from the holes on the bottom surface of the plastic growing pot. An open-cell foam sheet having a high thickness is used.

Reference numeral 14 is a dividing wall in the case of an example in which a plurality of central cultivation surfaces 3 and side cultivation surfaces 4 and 5 are formed. Reference numeral 15 denotes an eaves portion, which protects the non-wetting open-cell foam from being wet by rain or the like so as not to deteriorate the breathability function.

Further, the water injection and the water level to the water tank portion 1 are as shown in the partial sectional view of FIG. In FIG. 3, 16 is an injection pipe made of FRP formed on a part of the cultivation surface, and the upper end of the injection pipe is 1
Blocked at 7.

This injection pipe 16 can be inserted into a rod-shaped body to detect the water level, but a transparent gauge pipe 18 may be provided outside the water tank section so that the water amount can be always checked. However, in the case of this example, since it is not necessary to replenish water for a considerably long time, it is considered that the simple detection method using the rod-shaped body is sufficient.

Further, in the moisture suction mechanism, as shown in the plan view of FIG. 4, the set number is set according to the cultivation conditions. In the figure, 19 is a lifting / moving hook, which is provided at four corners.

The cultivation box of the present invention is used for various purposes, but FIGS. 5 and 6 are examples of a support pole and a cultivation box GB installed on a street, and FIG. )
Is a front view of the support pole, FIG. 5B is a plan view of the planting box installation portion on the support pole, and FIG.
FIG. 6- (A) is a cross-sectional view of the planting box placed on this support pole, and FIG. 6- (B) is a plan view thereof.

In the figure, 20 is a support pole, 21 is a planting box GB installation portion, 22 is a lower fixing portion of the support pole, and 23 is an anchor bolt hole. In this embodiment, the support pole 20
Although the example in which the support pole is fixed by the anchor bolt is shown, the support pole 20 may be attached to a movable fixing base so that the support pole can be freely moved depending on the application.

24 is a planting box holding part provided in the installation part 21 of the planting box GB, and four holding parts 24 are provided. One to a plurality of the holding portions 24 can be freely set according to the application, and as another example, a configuration in which the holding portions 24 are set stepwise vertically is also conceivable.

The planting box G placed on this planting box holding section 24
Is an example in the case of the soil cultivation method SGS as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 6- (A). In the figure, planting box G
B is formed in a hemispherical shape, and has the same mechanism as that of the above-described planting box except that the whole is formed in a hemispherical shape.

In the figure, 2 is a circular plant growing part, 6 is an outer shell part, 10 is an overflow hole, 11 is a wettable open-cell foam sheet, 12 is a non-wettable open-cell foam, 7 is an intermediate bottom plate part,
The SM is a moisture suction mechanism composed of a hollow holder 8 and a linear fiber aggregate 9, and in this example, one is provided in the center and three are provided in the periphery, for a total of four.

16 is an injection pipe, 17 is a stopper, 25 is a soil cultivation surface of the soil cultivation method SGS, 26 is an upper edge portion provided around the upper part of the soil cultivation surface, 27 is a mounting portion, Okube is a planting box
It is placed on the holding unit 24 of the GB.

As mentioned above, even when using a small-capacity planting box with a capacity of 20 liters for the water tank that was installed independently, the outside air temperature was 34 ° C (radiant heat on concrete pavement) under direct sunlight in summer. The water temperature is 28 degrees at 13:00, the soil temperature is 25 to 26 degrees on average, and the soil moisture is 5 to 7 on the Sumitomo Chemical Soil Moisture Analyzer. Temperature and humidity were obtained.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, in a planting box that is likely to be left for a long time in a street or the like, a suction mechanism of a linear fiber assembly and an open cell foam of a wettable polyurethane polymer. By combining with the body sheet, suitable humidity is given to the soil and the like, and an appropriate amount of water is supplied to the plants, so that it is possible to grow vibrant plants.

Further, according to the present invention, since the water tank portion is independently provided in the lower portion of the plant growing portion in a state in which contact with the outside air is blocked as much as possible, excessive evaporation of water is suppressed, and troublesome water supply is performed. It saves time and facilitates water management. Therefore, it is possible to supply water to plants in a volume of about 90 l for about 80 to 100 days outdoors without water supply.

At this time, the flow of air in the intermediate bottom plate part that separates the plant growing part and the water tank part is blocked, but in the case of the soil cultivation method, the continuous bubbles of the non-wetting polyurethane polymer are present on the side part of the soil. Since the foam is provided, it is possible to supply air from the side of the soil, and it is possible to grow suitable vital plants.

In the case of the growing pot cultivation method, the thickness of the wettable open-cell foam sheet is increased to allow automatic supply of water from the hole on the bottom surface of the growing pot. It is possible to grow lively plants.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a planting box showing an embodiment of the growing method of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the short side of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of FIG. Schematic cross-sectional view of the water injection pipe and the water level inspection part in the figure, FIG. 4 is a plan view of FIG. 1, FIG. 5- (A) is a front view of a support pole of a planting box, and FIG. ) Is a plan view of the planting box installation portion on the support pole, FIG. 6- (A) is a cross-sectional view of the planting box placed on the support pole of FIG. 5, and FIG. 6- (B). FIG. GB: Planting box RPS: Growing pot cultivation method SGS: Soil cultivation method SM: Moisture absorption mechanism, RW: Stored water WCP: Wet open-cell foam sheet 1 ... Water tank part, 2 …… Plant growing part 7 …… Intermediate bottom plate part 8 …… Hollow holder 9 …… Linear fiber aggregate 11 …… Sweet open cell foam sheet 12 …… Non-wettable Open cell foam 13 ... Wet open cell foam sheet for growing pot cultivation system

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. In a planting box to be planted for greening and beautifying streets, open spaces of buildings, passages, etc., an intermediate bottom plate is formed inside the box body so that a water tank section is formed under the box bottom. , The plant growing part is formed in the upper part, respectively, and the continuous cell foam sheet is laid on the whole surface of the intermediate bottom plate part.
This open-celled foam sheet is composed of a wettable polyurethane polymer that can obtain water fluidity even under the heavy load of soil and the like and can spread water to every corner of a wide area. , A water suction mechanism for automatically and continuously supplying the water stored in the water tank portion to the open-cell foam sheet of the wettable polyurethane polymer by the capillary phenomenon of the linear fiber assembly, and the water tank in the intermediate bottom plate portion The communication part between the plant part and the plant-growing part is set only in the penetrating part of the linear fiber assembly, and the part of the water tank part communicating with the outside air is a small diameter overflow hole formed in the side part of the water tank part. A planting box characterized by being set only for. 2. A soil cultivation surface for filling soil such as culture soil is formed on a part or all of the plant growing portion, and a non-wettable open-cell foam is formed on a side portion of the soil cultivation surface. Is arranged so that a part thereof is exposed from the soil filled in the soil cultivation surface, and the eaves portion which covers above the exposed portion of this non-wettable open-cell foam is formed in the box body, The planting box according to claim 1. 3. The wettable polyurethane laid on the bottom of the cultivation pot cultivation surface for forming and growing a cultivation pot on a part or all of the plant cultivation part. The planting box according to claim 1, wherein the polymer open-cell foam sheet has a relatively large thickness. 4. A method for automatically supplying and growing humidity for a plant, wherein the water supplied to the plant is automatically adjusted using the planting box according to claim 1, wherein water stored in the water tank section is stored. In the case of a soil cultivation method of supplying and supplying soil to the plant growing part, a non-wettable open-cell foam between the outer shell surrounding the plant growing part and the filled soil, part of which is from the soil. A growth pot cultivation method in which air is supplied to the soil from its side by interposing it so that it is exposed, and a growth pot is set and grown on the open-cell foam sheet of the wettable polyurethane polymer in the plant growth part. In the case of, the thickness of the wettable open-cell foam sheet is made relatively large to increase the water retention amount, and due to its swelling property, the bottom surface of the growing pot and the wettable open-cell foam sheet are brought into close contact with each other. , Of the water tank Water is absorbed automatically and continuously by the capillarity of the linear fiber assembly of the water absorption mechanism, and the open cell foam sheet of the wettable polyurethane polymer laid on the entire surface of the intermediate bottom plate section, A method for automatically supplying and growing a humidity of a plant, characterized in that the water is allowed to flow and spread over a wide range even under a heavy load such as soil to automatically provide a required humidity to the plant to grow the plant.