WO1998053669A1

WO1998053669A1 - Substrate

Info

Publication number: WO1998053669A1
Application number: PCT/FI1998/000448
Authority: WO
Inventors: Asko Huusko
Original assignee: Kuitumyynti Vaajakoski Oy
Priority date: 1997-05-28
Filing date: 1998-05-28
Publication date: 1998-12-03
Also published as: FI104781B; FI972255A; FI972255A0

Abstract

The invention relates to a substrate. According to the invention, the substrate (1) comprises a number of porous and flexible layers (2), which are made of some organic wood fibre pulp. The substrate (1) advantageously includes a support frame, such as a box (4). The box (4) is made of paper, cardboard or some corresponding organic material.

Description

Substrate

The invention relates to a substrate according to the preamble of the independent patent claim.

In the prior art, there is known a substrate made of peat. A drawback with this type of a substrate is that it consists of heavy soil material. Its transportation from the factory to the cultivator is relatively expensive. Moreover, the transfer of the substrate to cultivation facilities and its removal after use is troublesome.

In the prior art, there is known a substrate made of mineral wool. A drawback with such a substrate is particularly its disposal after use; a discarded mineral wool substrate is hazardous waste.

The object of the invention is to introduce a novel substrate whereby the above described drawbacks can be avoided. The object of the invention is to achieve a substrate with good usage features and ecological properties.

The substrate according to the invention is characterized by what is stated in the characterizing part of the claim 1. Other preferred embodiments of the invention are represented in the dependent claims.

An advantage of the invention is that the novel substrate is pure wood fibre pulp. The substrate is composed of a light material that is ecological and easy to handle; it is organic substance. When the substrate is used, it can be disposed of by composting together with the remains of the plant that was cultivated, and thus it is decomposed in a natural way to compost and/or soil improvement medium. Thus it can be reused, and it does not cause any danger or damage to the environment.

Another advantage of the invention is that when necessary, nutrient substances can be added therein in a suitable amount in order to improve the growth of plants.

Yet another advantage of the invention is that the substrate is made of several porous wood fibre material layers which are suitably attached to each other. The attaching is realized for instance by means of a supporting frame, such as a box, and/or by means of some suitable adhesive material. In case glue is employed, it is advantageously some regular, organically decomposing adhesive, such as lignin obtained from the wood itself. Yet another advantage of the invention is that the wood fibre material layers together form a uniform substrate, where a plant or a seedling is easily planted, and where it easily takes root.

Yet another advantage of the invention is that the substrate is porous, light, flexible and easy to handle. It can be installed rapidly in place as a cut-to-size element for instance in a greenhouse on top of suitable supports and/or in between said supports.

In the specification below, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the appended drawings, where

figure 1 is an illustration in perspective of a substrate according to the invention; figure 2 is an illustration in perspective of another substrate according to the invention; figure 3 illustrates the section B-B in the substrate of figure 2; figure 4 illustrates a third substrate according to the invention as a possible cross- section B-B of the substrate illustrated in figure 1; figure 5 illustrates a fourth substrate according to the invention as a possible cross- section A-A of the substrate of figure 1; figure 6 illustrates a fifth substrate according to the invention as a possible cross- section A-A of the substrate of figure 1; and figure 7 illustrates a sixth substrate according to the invention as a possible cross- section A-A of the substrate of figure 1.

The substrate 1 includes a number of porous layers 2. In general, the substrate 1 is a plate-like or rectangular piece, comprising a number of porous and flexible sheet-like layers 2, as is illustrated for instance in figure 1. However, it is pointed out that the shape of the substrate 1 is fairly free; according to what is required, it can be formed for instance as a short, clod-like substrate piece, or as a longitudinal, sausage-like substrate piece, the thickness of which can also be chosen to be suitable for the purpose.

The layers 2 of the substrate 1 are made of organic wood fibre pulp. Organic wood fibre pulp is advantageously heat-defibrated pulp from pine, i.e. so-called high-bulk fibre pulp, where the fibre length is for instance within the range of 1.0-5.0 mm. The thickness e of each layer 2 of the substrate 1 is for example 2-15 mm. In a layer 2, the fibers are evenly distributed and point to different directions at random. The substrate 1 consists of for instance 50-100 layers 2, in which case the thickness k of the substrate is for example 100-300 mm or more. The width 1 and length p of the substrate 1 are for instance 1 = 300-600 mm and respectively p = 1000-1500 mm, but other dimensions are possible, too. The bulk density of the substrate 1 is most advantageously within the range of 20-25 kg/m^. Thus the layers 2 of the substrate 1 are made of porous material. The thicknesses of the separate layers 2 can vary, but from the point of view of production technique, it is advantageous that the layers are equally thick.

A plant or a seedling is planted in ordinary fashion in the substrate 1 according to the invention. It can be planted in the upwards pointed side la (or lb) of the substrate 1, against which side the layers 2 are positioned in an essentially perpendicular fashion. Now the planting takes place for instance in between the layers 2. As an alternative, the plant or seedling can be planted in the upwards pointed side lc (or Id), which is parallel to the layers 2. In preparation for the planting, there is then arranged a groove or cut in the substrate, and the plant or seedling is planted in said groove or cut. During the growing process, the roots penetrate through the layers 2 and spread in the substrate 1. When the substrate 1 is watered, it softens and looses solidity, so that the layers 2 in a way melt together to form a uniform porous wood fibre pulp, where the plant roots can easily grow into.

In the material of the layers 2 of the substrate 1, i.e. in the organic wood fibre pulp, there are possibly added nutrients that are generally used in substrates in order to improve the development and growth of the plant to be planted therein. On the other hand, the layers 2 of the substrate 1 can be pure wood fibre pulp without nutrients. In that case, nutrients are added for instance after planting, in connection with watering.

The substrate 1 advantageously also comprises a support frame. The purpose of said frame is to support the layers 2 and to keep them together, at least when transporting the substrate and when installing it in the cultivation facilities. The support frame is either a structure that is mainly provided outside the layers 2, or it can also be a mainly internal structure that binds the layers 2 together.

In figures 2, 3 and 4, the substrate 1 includes a support frame that is most advantageously a box 3. The box 3 comprises sides 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d and a bottom 3e, but it is open at the top. This type of a substrate 1 is easily transferred to the growth facilities, and the planting of a plant or plants in the substrate 1 that is open at the top is rapidly carried out. The box 3 that serves as the support frame is most advantageously made of paper, cardboard or some other similar organic material that decomposes in the nature.

The sheet layers 2 of the substrate 1 are arranged in the support frame, such as a box 3, so that the sheet layers 2 are essentially parallel to the opposite sides 3a, 3b of the box, i.e. in general in a vertical position, as is seen in figures 2 and 3. Now the plant k is planted, through the top surface lc, most advantageously in between the sheet layers 2 (cf. figure 3).

As an alternative, the layers 2 of the substrate 1 are arranged in a support frame, such as a box 3, so that the layers 2 are essentially at right angles to the sides 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d of the support frame 3, i.e. the layers are in general in a horizontal position, as is illustrated in figure 4. Now the plant k can be planted in the substrate 1 in a groove, cut or the like v that is made in the top surface 1 c of said substrate 1.

The support frame of the substrate illustrated in figures 5, 6 and 7 is realized in a fashion different from the one described above. The border areas 4; 4a, 4b of the substrate 1 are formed of a uniform layer 5; 6; 7, which is at right angles to the sheetlike layers 2, and said uniform layer is likewise made of the same organic wood fibre pulp as the substrate layers 2 proper. Now the layers 5; 6; 7 of the border area 4; 4a, 4b constitute the support frame.

In the embodiment of the substrate 1 according to figure 5, the border areas 4; 4a, 4b of the layers 2 that are arranged on top of each other are treated for example with a water jet or a water adhesive jet (which is water-adhesive mixture containing water and some suitable water-based, non-poisonous glue, such as wood cement). By means of this treatment, the wood fibre pulp is somewhat decomposed, so that the lingnin contained therein is at least partly released and serves as an adhesive that glues together the borders of the layers 2. Thus the border areas 4; 4a, 4b are in a way melted together owing to the influence of water. When the wetted wood fibre pulp dries, it forms a uniform fibre pulp layer 5 in the border area 4; 4a, 4b, and said layer 5 binds the sheet-like layers 2 together. In the border areas 4; 4a, 4b, around the substrate 1, there is now formed a uniform border layer 5 that is positioned transversally with respect to the top level (and bottom level) of the substrate 1 as well as to the layers 2, and said border layer 5 now constitutes the support frame.

In the embodiments of the substrate 1 illustrated in figures 6 and 7, to the borders of the sheet-like layers 2 that are placed on top of each other, there is glued, most advantageously by using some suitable water-based non-poisonous adhesive, a separate border layer 6, 7, which is essentially perpendicular to the layers 2. The border layer 6, 7 is a sheet-like strip. By means of the border layer 6, the layers 2 are primarily joined together to form a uniform substrate 1. In width, the border layer 6 corresponds to the thickness of the substrate 1 (figure 6), or the border layer 7 is wider than the thickness k of the substrate 1 (figure 7). In the latter case, the borders 7a, 7b of the border layer 7 are folded and attached, for instance glued, to the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate 1, as is illustrated in figure 7.

In between the layers 2 of the substrate 1, there can be arranged an adhesive layer, most advantageously adhesive spots, for instance point-like spots that are spaced apart. Thus the adhesive layer forms a kind of a support frame, either alone or combined with one of the support frame solutions suggested above. The adhesion spots are provided with adhesive, advantageously some adhesive that decomposes in the nature, such as wood cement, in order to ensure that the layers 2 stay well matched in place. However, it is not absolutely necessary to provide adhesive layers or adhesive spots. In particular, adhesion is not necessary when the support frame is realized as a box (figures 2-4).

The substrate 1 is advantageously manufactured as follows. In the wood fibre pulp, such as the above mentioned high bulk, there are mixed possible nutrient substances while the pulp is being prepared. The sheet-like layers 2 are compressed from wood fibre pulp into porous lamellas with a thickness of for instance 1-10 mm, as was already pointed out. Thereafter the substrate 1 is compiled by fitting a number of sheet-like layers 2 on top of each other, by compressing the lamellas together and by cutting them simultaneously to a predetermined length and width. Thereafter, the layers 2 are advantageously provided with a support frame, such as a box 3 (figures 2-4) or with suitable border layers 5, 6, 7 (figures 5-7).

The support frame of the substrate 1 can also be realized for instance by means of elements, such as thread or string, that bind the layers 2 together. Likewise, the support frame can be realized by means of spot-like fasteners that are spaced apart in the substrate.

The invention is not restricted to the above described preferred embodiments only, but many modifications are possible within the scope of the inventive idea defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A substrate (1), characterized in that the substrate (1) comprises a number of porous and flexible layers (2) that are made of an organic wood fibre pulp.

2. A substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that the substrate (1) comprises a support frame (4; 5; 6; 7) which is arranged to support the layers (2).

3. A substrate according to claim 2, characterized in that the support frame (4; 5; 6; 7) is made of paper, cardboard or some corresponding organic material.

4. A substrate according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the support frame is a box (4).

5. A substrate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support frame comprises a border layer (5; 6; 7), which is formed as a uniform layer in a direction perpendicular to the layers (2) of the substrate (1), to bind said layers (2) together.

6. A substrate according to claim 5, characterized in that the border layer (5) is formed of the border areas of the layers (2) of the substrate (1) by melting them to form a uniform, homogeneous wood fibre pulp.

7. A substrate according to claim 5, characterized in that the border layer (5; 6) is composed of the same layer material as the layers (2) of the substrate (1).

8. A substrate according to any of the claims 2-7, characterized in that the layers (2) of the substrate (1) are arranged in the support frame (3) so that the layers (2) are essentially parallel to the sides (3a, 3b) of the support frame (3).

9. A substrate according to any of the claims 2-7, characterized in that the layers (2) of the substrate (1) are arranged in the support frame (3) so that the layers (2) are essentially perpendicular to the sides (3a, 3b) of the support frame (3).

14) . A substrate according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the layers (2) of the substrate (1) are attached to each other, at least in some places, by means of adhesive.

11 . A substrate according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the wood fibre pulp of the layers (2) of the substrate (1), there are mixed nutrient substances.