Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
  • A01G9/00—Cultivation in receptacles, forcing-frames or greenhouses; Edging for beds, lawn or the like
  • A01G9/14—Greenhouses
  • A01G9/1423—Greenhouse bench structures
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
  • A01G31/00—Soilless cultivation, e.g. hydroponics
  • A01G31/02—Special apparatus therefor
  • A01G31/04—Hydroponic culture on conveyors
  • A01G31/042—Hydroponic culture on conveyors with containers travelling on a belt or the like, or conveyed by chains
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A40/00—Adaptation technologies in agriculture, forestry, livestock or agroalimentary production
  • Y02A40/10—Adaptation technologies in agriculture, forestry, livestock or agroalimentary production in agriculture
  • Y02A40/25—Greenhouse technology, e.g. cooling systems therefor
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
  • Y02P60/00—Technologies relating to agriculture, livestock or agroalimentary industries
  • Y02P60/20—Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions in agriculture, e.g. CO2
  • Y02P60/21—Dinitrogen oxide [N2O], e.g. using aquaponics, hydroponics or efficiency measures

Definitions

• the invention relates to a growing and distribution system for pot plants and is of the kind described in the introduction to claim 1.
• the object of the invention is to provide a growing and distribution system for pot plants with no or minimal transfers of the pots once they have been placed on the trays.
• SUBSTITUTE ⁇ t-.. rows of trays may be pushed together whereby air circulation in the room is reduced around the tender plants so that they are less exposed to draught.
• the possibility of transverse sliding of whole rows of trays at one time also means that a given greenhouse may be utilized fairly optimally with a view to space since the trays during the growth period may stand close to each other whereas by inspection, sorting etc. there may be provided passages and working space between the rows at any desired place.
• the system according to the invention is preferably designed as disclosed in the characterising part of claim 2 whereby it is possible at one and the same time to obtain suitable strength as well as the required space for rollers and wheels in the trays.
• the trays are preferably of rectangular shape with long sides of 110 - 150 cm and short sides of 40 - 70 cm. Having this size there may be a suitable number of pot plants on a tray without becoming too heavy to carry. If it is for example 130 x 55 cm, the tray will fit in the ordinary transport containers used today to a large extent for transportation of plants from producer to point of sale.
• the siphon is preferably provided with a filter as disclosed in the characterising part of claim 4 so that it is not clogged up by growth medium and the ? like released from the pots.
• transverse rollers operate as a kind of "switch" extending between the paths preferably at the end of the paths.
• the trays according to the invention as disclosed in the characterising part of claim 9 there is obtained sufficient rigidity and sufficiently strong trays which can be reused countless times. Furthermore, the trays can be stacked when being shipped back and when being stored before use.
• Fig. 1 is a principle drawing of a growing system in a greenhouse
• Fig. 2 is a vertical plane section across a roller path
• Fig. 3 is a section of Fig. 2,
• Fig. 4 is a side view of a roller path
• Fig. 5 is a top view of roller paths and cross paths
• Fig. 6 is a bottom view of a tray
• Fig. 7 is a vertical plane section of the tray in Fig. 6 seen in the direction VII-VII.
• Fig. 1 of the drawing there is schematically shown a top view of a greenhouse 1 and divided up in various zones or areas.
• Area 2 is a storage area where new trays and returned trays are received and stored and perhaps washed, e.g. in a washing machine.
• Area 3 is a working room incorporating systems for controlling light, temperature and watering.
• the room moreover contains for example potting machines 4 wherein plastic pots are mechanically filled with growth medium before they are automatically placed on trays 6 immediately in front of the potting machines.
• the transport paths 5 are merely shown schematically and will be explained below in connection with Figs. 2-4 of the drawing.
• the transport paths 5 are roller paths on which the trays 6 may be rolled.
• the trays 6 are carried from the potting machines into the area 7 by the roller paths 5.
• the growth medium is soaked and the pots are sown or transplanting made.
• cross paths 10 which are also roller paths which permit the trays to be moved from one row to other rows. As the plants show sufficient viability and the dead plants are sorted out, the trays are carried downstream in area 7 in the direction of the arrows.
• the trays with plants are then transferred to the greenhouse 8 proper in that the trays 6' via the cross path 10 are moved into the greenhouse 8 proper.
• There the trays are transferred to the roller paths 5 in that for example the tray marked 6" has just been transferred from the cross path 10 to one of the roller paths 5.
• the trays are moved forwards in parallel along the roller paths 5 in the direction of the arrows in the number of days or weeks required for the plants to grow to marketable size. If the plants are plants which get comparatively big, it is possible to insert empty trays between every second tray when these are transferred from the cross path 10 to the roller paths 5. Afterwards the pot plants may be distributed to the empty trays as the trays are carried forward through the greenhouse 8.
• the trays When the trays have passed through the greenhouse 8 and reach the area 9, they are marketable and in this area the plants are packed for shipment, for example by merely transferring the trays to transport containers. Prior to that a sorting of plants in different qualities and/or size may have been made.
• Fig. 1 of the drawing is merely a systematical presentation of an example of a greenhouse 1 and therefore trays do not appear all over the greenhouse. Generally, at least almost the entire greenhouse 8 will be filled by trays.
• the drawing moreover shows that the roller paths 5 are slideable sidewise so that the rows of trays will touch in pairs. This will reduce air circulation around the tender plants and it is possible to make passageways between the rows any place desired for example for inspection or sorting of the plants.
• Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing show a vertical plane section through a roller path which in Fig. 4 is seen straight from the side.
• the roller path comprises a table frame 11 connected by cross bars 13 in such a manner that the cross bar 13 may be levelled by a screw/nut height adjustment 12 at each support 11.
• Longitudinal rollers or tubes 14 permit the support bars 15 for the table to be sidewise slideable in the directions of the arrow 19.
• the rollers 14 thus support all the plant trays 18 and the longitudinal support rails 16 with the support rollers 17.
• the rollers 14 may be tubes through which water or steam flow for heating the air in the greenhouse.
• the table frame 11,13 may have side stops so that the rollers or the tubes 14 cannot pass same, see roller 14', when the table is slid to one of its extreme positions.
• Three longitudinal U-shaped support rails or profiles 16 are mounted with support wheels or rollers 17 at regular intervals, for example with an axle base of 15 cm. These rollers or wheels 17 provide the tray support proper of the plant trays 18 so that the trays can be carried forward in longitudinal direction, see arrow 20.
• the wheels or the rollers 17, see Fig. 3 are secured in the U-shaped support rails 16 by means of an axle journal 22 in that the axle journal is arranged in grooves in the support rail.
• the groove by the head of the axle journal is made quadrangular or square in such a manner that a corresponding quadrangular or square design on the axle journal will prevent same from turning thus ensuring that the wheel 17 is rotatable relative to the axle 22.
• the wheels 17 have a plane wheel circumference 21 supporting the tray .18 on plane areas 30 which areas are designed as through paths, see Fig. 6 of the drawing.
• a support means 24 supporting a longitudinal water drain 23 extending in the entire length of the support rail 16.
• a water supply pipe in the form of a water hose 25 which has been made suitably rigid by means of a spring means or the like.
• the water hose 25 is designed in such a manner that the water is supplied over one of the edges of the tray, and where there is no tray under the water hose 25, the water will simply run down into the water drain 23.
• a trough-shaped part 29 for collecting water which can be drained off to the water drain 23 through a discharge spout 26 the upper edge of which is above the bottom of the tray 18.
• the discharge spout 26 is covered by a cowl-shaped siphon 28 supporting a filter 27 for impurities particularly growth medium. Only when the water level gets higher than the upper edge of the discharge spout 28 will the siphoning effect start and the tray be emptied of water.
• Fig. 5 of the drawing shows a top and schemati ⁇ al view of the ordinary roller paths 5 and cross paths 10 adapted to transfer trays 18 from one roller path to another.
• the rollers or the wheels in the cross path 10 are raised within the area 31 and the tray may now be moved crosswise and along the cross path 10 in that the cross paths 10 are designed with rollers 17' identical to the rollers 17 of the roller paths 5.
• the cross paths 10 themselves are thus raised somewhat above the roller paths 5.
• the area consisting of "switches" 31 and cross paths 10 may of course also be used for parking trays if all the roller paths 5 are occupied.
• Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawing show partly a bottom view and partly a cross section of a tray 18.
• Under each tray there are arranged four strengthening sections 32 with rib means or the like so that the tray and the plane bottom thereof get sufficient strength.
• On the straight sides of the tray there are provided strengthening support edges 33 which however do not extend over the corner sections so that the trays are immediately stackable.
• the draining hole 29 with filter 27 and discharge hole 28 is arranged in one of the corners of the tray but in such a manner that there remains a plane area 30 for the roller path.
• the strengthening areas 32 are also arranged and designed in such a manner that there are plane areas 30 for wheels or rollers between them so that the tray is slideable without problems on the roller paths 5 proper as well as on the cross paths 10.
• the pots When selling to wholesalers or retailers, the pots remain on the trays which can be directly used for sales exhibition and when the pot plants have been sold, the trays are returned for reuse.
• the trays are therefore designed in such a manner that they can be stacked directly on top of each other with a minimum of space consumption.

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Cultivation Receptacles Or Flower-Pots, Or Pots For Seedlings (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8117199

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (13)

Citations (4)

• 1986
  • 1986-06-20 DK DK292586A patent/DK292586A/da not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1987
  • 1987-06-16 WO PCT/DK1987/000078 patent/WO1987007816A1/en unknown
  • 1987-06-16 AU AU75888/87A patent/AU7588887A/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (4)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events