MXPA06010359A - Floor for a cultivation area - Google Patents

Abstract

Floor for a cultivation area (1) such as a greenhouse. An accommo dating hole (2) excavated in the ground and a flexible holder (5, 6) for liquid such as water is placed therein. The top of said h older (5, 6) is provided with a supporting plate (9). By varying the level of the supporting plate (9), the level of the reenhouse floor is varied. The water can contain heat. Optionally there ca n be a further holder which, for example, contains liquid with di fferent properties, such as a different temperature. A number of such holders can be incorporated in a greenhouse floor. Floor for a cultivation area such as a greenhouse. An accommodating hole is excavated in the ground and a flexible holder for liquid such as water is placed therein. The top of said holder is provided with a supporting plate. By varying the level of the supporting plate, the level of the greenhouse floor is varied. The water can contain heat. Optionally there can be a further holder which, for example, contains liquid with different properties, such as a different temperature. A number of such holders can be incorporated in a greenhouse floor.

Description

SOIL FOR A GROWING AREA Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a soil for a growing area, such as a greenhouse soil, which has a support located below it with a part facing the ground, which support can be filled with a fluid .

Background of the Invention Such a floor is generally known in the state of the art. Water sto for both heat sto and irrigation can be implemented both inside and outside a growing area, such as a greenhouse. For sto outside of a growing area large tanks will be used if heat is the concern, while ponds are used to store water for irrigation purposes. It is known to store water for irrigation purposes under the ground in a greenhouse. As is generally known in the case of clogging and the like, troughs are produced, preferably made of concrete, and a soil, generally consisting of concrete, is poured over them, in which the crop can be carried out in some way. way or another known in the art. As a result, the separate ponds located outside described above are unnecessary, which leaves more space for the additional nature or cultivation area. In addition, there is no risk of contamination of stored water from external sources, which is the case of open ponds, you can also avoid problems with regard to freezing. The aim of the present invention is to increase the possibilities for the application of underground sto in an additional manner. This objective is carried out with a floor as described in the above and more particularly the support, as the support is filled with the fluid, the part that directly abuts the part of the support that is facing the ground comprises a part that rests on the fluid, and wherein the part of the support that abuts the ground comprises a protective support. This part can be rigid or flexible. The fluid described in the above is preferably a fluid containing water. The fluid may also comprise a fluid with a high heat sto capacity, such as by the use of materials where a transition phase takes place in the relative temperature range. According to the invention, the soil of the cultivation area, which can be either inside or outside, such as a greenhouse, is formed by the upper part of the support. Because the part directly abutting the upper part of the support is made flexible, and preferably the complete support has a flexible wall, if there are no lateral limits near the soil of the growing area it will behave like a "water droplet" . That is, within the volume of the support it will choose a form that is as flat as possible. The height of the ground level can be controlled by introducing more or less liquid, such as water, into the support. Such a floor can support installations and the like. The upper part of the support can be made flexible or rigid. For protection and distribution of the load, according to the invention, a protective support, band or the like optionally in the form of a plate can be adapted. Of course, this support in the form of a plate or the like may be the only seal for the fluid in the location, that is, the terminal part of the support is formed exclusively by the support or floor at the location of the floor. As a result, there may be direct contact between the soil and the water. As a result of this concept, numerous additional possibilities arise for the underground sto of water. There are examples when varying the ground level by introducing more or less water into the support. For this purpose, the support will preferably be provided with feed / discharge openings for the stored liquid. Another example is the operation as a floor that heats / cools. After all, if the water contains heat / cold, a very efficient heating / cooling system of the soil can be provided by direct contact with the ground. It is also possible to affect the climate within the growing area or on the growing area in another way. It is possible to provide the support with openings, through which a cooling gas is fed. Such channels cause it not to close completely in the downward direction because in a preferred embodiment of the invention the liquid providing the closure is already present. It is also possible to choose a gas or a mixture of gas and a liquid as a fluid. As a result, it becomes possible not only to provide an underground liquid storage so that it can be implemented in an economical way, but in the same way an underground storage of gases, such as C02. The introduction of the gas can be achieved when the liquid is removed and the removal of the gas can be achieved by introducing more liquid. The protective support can also support parts of a building under development. It has been found that with such a floating construction a particularly robust assembly is produced when a suitable support plate is used. Although in theory it is sufficient to form the upper part of the support using a flexible material, by using a suitable support it is possible to drive on a floor produced in this way with heavy loads, such as forklifts, without variations and the like occurring. It should be understood that the construction described in the above can be implemented by making a hole in the ground and placing the support in that place. Apart from the advantages described in the previous one, what is achieved in this way is that the base and the side walls of the hole are established by the presence of a flexible support. It is also possible to separate the support from the ground by means of a floating body. That is, an upward pressure is exerted on the support by the groundwater. However, it is also possible to not make any or only a shallow hole, the support projecting upwards from that level. As a result, the level of soil in the greenhouse will be higher, but this is not a problem for most types of crops because the height of the greenhouse is such that production is not hindered. It may be important that near the upper limit of the support, ie at the location of the flexible part, the support be able to move freely without hitting against the limit (walls). This is subject to the use of a stop as a security feature. In particular, if the support plate described in the above is used, it may be advantageous to provide a minimum level. At such a minimum level, the forces are transmitted from the support plate by a separate supporting construction and no longer by the flexible support or the fluid contained therein. According to a variant of the present invention, in addition to the support, an additional support is disposed above or below this one (or even next to it). Such a construction is used mainly if the level of liquid in the first described support has to vary regularly due to the feed / removal of water, for example for watering or heating purposes by conventional heating in the growing area or elsewhere. In such a case, the ground level would be able to rise or fall in an undesirable way. By providing additional support and filling it with water originating from another source, it is possible to compensate for the change in volume of the aforementioned support.

As a result, the level of added liquid can remain the same or in any case be varied as desired. To vary the height it is necessary that the side walls of the bags become flexible. Instead of the two containers described in the above it is also possible to develop the support from a number of hoses that are placed in layers on top of each other. Such hoses can be obtained at low cost and are easy to install. The level can be controlled by varying the amount of water in the hoses. It is preferable that the part of the support that is filled with the liquid, which is flexible and located immediately adjacent to the lower part of the greenhouse floor, is above a possible liquid level in the housing orifice in which a support is placed. When two or more containers or, alternatively, hoses are piled on top of each other, the containers in one of the lower layers can optionally be filled with a gas or provided with floating bodies. Such a construction where at least the containers located on top of each other are used is particularly suitable for the water / gas combination. A changing amount of water is put into, preferably, the lower support, while a changing amount of gas, such as C02, is present in a higher support. With this arrangement, a division between liquid and gas is not always necessary. However, it is also possible to put a changing amount of gas into the lower support. Apart from the heat storage, the support can also be used for cooling purposes. Especially in the summer months the temperature in, for example, a greenhouse frequently rises to an unacceptable extent and, in particular, if the goal is for a closed greenhouse, cooling may be important. This can be achieved through land and other constructions, the use of cooling water being important. Preferably, the containers are made entirely of flexible material in the form of sacks. The containers are finally available, for example as film coatings or bags for storing fertilizer. According to a further variant of the invention, such containers are supported by dividing walls that delimit the entire area in which the support is located, apart from the upper surface, which, as described above, serves as a floor . It is possible to have a number of such containers located one after the other. If the containers are identical and are housed at the same level, it is possible to vary the degree of "bulging" of the support, and thus provide different levels of liquid, by the difference in pressure between the various containers, ie the amount of liquid introduced. That is, starting from a purely level position, a gradient can be produced and in this way a system of ebb and flow. A possible subsequent subsidence in the construction has no effect at all because the liquid introduced into the support will always be at the level of the floor surface. If a number of such containers is used side by side, there will preferably be a common underground "pipe passage", ie, a trench-like space in which the various pipes for supplying / removing liquid can be placed. Such a space can also be used to install ventilation ducts therein, which may or may not be supplemented by air conditioning equipment, such as cooling and humidification / dehumidification equipment for cooling and humidifying / deshuffing air / gas entering pipes. to the greenhouse. The containers described above can have large dimensions. A value of 10 x 60 meters and a depth for the 3 m hole are mentioned as an example. The invention also relates to a method for growing a crop in a soil of a growing area, such as a greenhouse floor, comprising a support installed below the floor surface of the greenhouse, where the liquid is fed to the support or removed from it in order to vary the level of the floor. As indicated in the above, it is particularly easy to implement a reflow and flow system by the present invention, it being possible to work with a very small difference in height. This is advantageous in the case of relatively large greenhouses, which may be tens or hundreds of meters long. The invention will be described in greater detail in the following with reference to an illustrative embodiment shown in the drawing. In the drawing: Figure 1 shows, diagrammatically, a first embodiment of the present invention in side view and partially in cross section; Figure 2 shows a plan view of part of the construction shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a variant of what is shown in Figures 1 and 2, and Figure 4 shows the containers developed from hoses.

In Figure 1, a growing area such as a greenhouse is indicated in its entirety by 1. However, it will be understood that the growing area can be constructed in a completely different way. An excavation 2 has been made in it. This excavation two is delimited by, preferably concrete, walls 3 and 4 (see also Figure 2). The walls 3 can optionally be omitted. As a result, trough-shaped cameras are produced. As can be seen from Figure 1, two containers 5, 6 located one above the other have been installed in the cameras. The lower support 6 is provided with an inlet 7 and an outlet 8 and the same applies for the upper support 5. Of course, a single connection to the support can work both input and output. There is a supporting plate 9 on top of the highest support 5. It is possible to integrate the support 5 and the support plate 9, that is to say that the support 5 is partially delimited by the support plate 9. In addition, it is possible to arrange channels in the support plate 9 that extend parallel to the floor surface, to pass a fluid for heating and / or cooling therethrough. For example, gas channels can be made, through which, for example, the outside air is fed for a quick and simple cooling of the cultivation area or the fluid located below it, without this air coming into contact with the interior of the greenhouse. Particularly efficient cooling (heating) can be achieved with a large heating surface. If the support 5 is filled with water it is not necessary to seal the channels in the lower part. That is, the supporting plate 9 can be provided with a groove design in the lower part. As a result of the flotation of the supporting plate 9, channel system for a gas in this way is produced. Facilities that promote heat exchange, such as liquid atomizers, can be arranged in such gas channels. It can be seen from Figure 2 that there are several series of such containers. Between two series there is a channel 10 that has similarly been extracted below the ground level of the greenhouse and in which several pipes are installed. Apart from the pipes mentioned here, pipes for, for example, air conditioning or other purposes may also be installed in the channel 10. In the case of air conditioning, filters and the like may also exist. In accordance with the present invention, the support 5 is preferably connected to a hot water system.

That is, the hot water is stored in it, which, for example, is absorbed from the environment during the day. During the night hot water can be removed again for heating purposes. As a result, the liquid level in the support 5 will fall during the day. In order to preserve the level of the constant support plate 9, additional liquid is fed to the support 6. When the volume of the liquid in the support 5 increases again, the volume of the liquid in the support 6 will be reduced. The plate 9 is not capable of descending beyond the wall of the channel 10. This wall acts as a stop. There may also be upward scrutiny. The heat transferred can take place directly by the support plate 9 in the greenhouse, for example, by a system of hoses or the gas channels described above. This applies in particular for cultivation directly in the soil 9, such as in the case of growing potted plants. It is also possible to connect the various installations with the heating system or the cooling system for a greenhouse. Instead of heat, a liquid at a low temperature can, of course, also be accommodated in the support 5. Optionally there is an insulating layer between the containers 5 and 6. Such an insulating layer can also be present between the support 5 and the plate 9 supporting and / or covering the ground. In place of the liquid, the containers can also be filled with a gas, that is, one or both containers can serve as a gas storage. A variant of containers 5 and 6 combined as shown in Figure 1 is shown in Figure 3. This is indicated in its entirety by 14 and consists of an upper compartment 15 and a lower compartment 16. Each compartment is always provided with an inlet 7 and an outlet 8. There is a flexible membrane 17 between the compartments. This membrane 17 preferably has insulating properties. In this way substantially the same effect is achieved as with the structure described in the foregoing with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Thus, the present invention is not only feasible for storing water temporarily for heating purposes, but also for storing water for irrigation purposes. Water that originates from the greenhouse can also be temporarily stored in one of the containers. Furthermore, it is possible to control the level of the supporting plate 9 by controlling the amount of liquid in the containers, as a result of which a reflux and flow system can be achieved. It should be understood that in the above the liquid will preferably be understood as water containing known additives. In principle, it is possible to use other liquids and this applies in particular to support 6, 16, which has been installed for compensation purposes. A further variant of the present invention is shown in Figure 4. In Figure 4 the support plate is indicated by 19 and the channel by 20. The support plate 19 is supported by containers according to the invention. According to the present invention, these containers consist of flexible tubes 16, which are arranged in a first layer, flexible tubes 17 extending perpendicularly thereto and flexible tubes 18 which extend again in parallel to the first tubes. 16 flexible. These can be made from a relatively inexpensive material, such as a PE material. Such hoses can be easily taken from a reel and introduced into a greenhouse. These can be coupled in line with each other so that only a single feed / unload is necessary. Again here, the level of the supporting plate 19 can be varied by increases in pressure or change in volume. It is possible to fill the flexible tubes 17 or 18 with air. In this way the level can be further controlled if the containers are at a level with the groundwater. Although the invention has been described in the foregoing with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that numerous variants are possible. For example, it is possible to install the construction described above above ground level. Making the floor partially separate or completely separated from the support is mentioned as an additional possibility. As a result, the soil is able to float as a more or less separate float over the fluid, such as water.

Claims (14)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and therefore the property described in the following claims is claimed as property.
2. CLAIMS 1. A floor for a growing area, such as a greenhouse floor, which has a support located below it with a part facing the floor, the support can be filled with a fluid, characterized in that the support is filled with the fluid, the part that directly abuts the part of the support that is facing the ground comprises a part that rests on the fluid, and wherein the part of the support that is facing the ground comprises a protective support. The floor according to claim 1, characterized in that the part of the support facing the ground is rigid.
3. 3. The floor according to claim 1, characterized in that the part of the support facing the ground is flexible. .
4. The floor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support is provided with a feed / discharge opening for receiving / discharging liquid and wherein the support is provided with a flexible side wall to be able to vary the level of the support.
5. The floor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises an additional support with a flexible side wall, which is installed on the top of or below the support, filled with a liquid and provided with an opening of power / discharge.
6. The floor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support is provided with compartments separated by a flexible division, each with an individual feed / discharge opening.
7. The floor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one of the containers is arranged in a hole in the ground.
8. The floor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a number of containers according to one of the preceding claims arranged side by side.
9. The floor according to claim 8, characterized in that there is a free space on the side near the support, whereby a channel is delimited to accumulate a supply / discharge for fluid inside / outside the support, where the channel contains parts of an air conditioning installation.
10. The floor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the protective support comprises a support in the form of a plate.
11. The floor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the channels have been made in the support / floor.
12. The floor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a floating body is arranged below the support.
13. 13. A method for growing a crop in a soil of a growing area, such as a greenhouse soil, comprising a support installed below the soil surface of the greenhouse, characterized in that the liquid is fed to the support or it is removed from it in order to vary the ground level. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that it comprises a reflux and flow system developed by varying the height of the floor.