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 an apparatus for raising plants in propagating containers (pots and the like), comprising a propagating space which can be exposed to light, in which propagating space one or more propagating containers containing plants can be placed.
• Such an apparatus is frequently used in the horticulture industry, and in particular in propagating houses.
• propagating containers plant pots, propagating cases and the like
• Assimilation lighting makes it possible to set a day/night cycle, in which the plants disposed in the propagating space go through a flowering phase, during which the assimilation lighting is on, and a rest phase, during which the assimilation lighting is off.
• a flowering phase during which the assimilation lighting is on
• a rest phase during which the assimilation lighting is off.
• the flowering phase and the rest phase each last 12 hours.
• the apparatus may be considered to be "out of operation”.
• the object of the invention is to provide an apparatus as mentioned in the introduction, by means of which a significant efficiency improvement can be realised, which also leads to an increased yield of the plants to be raised.
• the apparatus according to the invention can be operated continuously because one group of plants is present in the propagating space during the flowering phase, whilst another group of plants is present in the space that is sealed off from light. Said latter group of plants are in their rest phase at that point.
• moving means transport said plants to the storage space, which is sealed off from light, whilst simultaneously the plants present in the storage space are transported to the propagating space.
• the storage space is disposed below the propagating space in the apparatus.
• a device requiring limited space can be realised, especially in light of the fact that the functional surface area of a propagating house must be utilised as efficiently as possible.
• the invention makes it possible to realise a considerable increase of the utilised surface area, whilst the constructional dimensions will only increase to a small extent, if at all.
• the device according to the invention is characterised in that the moving means comprise two spaced-apart endless carriers passed over drivable pulleys, by means of which said one or more propagating containers can be transported.
• One or more support elements may be arranged between the two endless carriers, on which support elements said one or more propagating containers to be transported can be placed. With this construction the available surface area of the propagating space is maximised, thereby increasing the yield and the efficiency of the apparatus.
• each support element is arranged between the endless carriers in such a manner that it will continuously orient itself in a horizontal plane.
• each support element is pivotally connected to the endless carriers, wherein, in order to obtain a more functional utilisation of the available surface area in the propagating space and in order to prevent the apparatus from jamming up, each support element is pivotally connected to the endless carriers by means of a support pin.
• each support element is provided with one or more recesses, in which one or more propagating containers can be received.
• Said recesses may be configured as openings.
• the tension in the endless carriers is adjustable so as to realise a reliable transport of the propagating containers between the propagating space and the storage space.
• Said endless carriers may be in the form of a chain or in the form of a drive belt.
• the storage space can be opened at least partially to enable transportation of the propagating containers between the propagating space and the storage place by the moving means.
• the entry of light into the storage space is minimised, viz. only during transportation of the propagating containers present in the propagating space to the storage space and of the propagating containers present in the storage space to the cultivating space, respectively.
• the apparatus furthermore comprises a system of pipes for circulating air through the storage spaces.
• Figure 1 is an overall front view of an embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is a cutaway front view of the embodiment of the apparatus shown in figure 1 ;
• Figure 3 is a side view of he embodiment of figure 1 ;
• Figure 4 is a plan view of the embodiment of figure 1 ;
• Figure 5 is another detail view of the embodiment of figure 1 ;
• Figure 6 is yet another detail view of the embodiment of figure 1.
• FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention.
• the apparatus 10 comprises a spatial structure built up of standards 11 and girders 12 arranged therebetween. Between the girders 12 a propagating space 15 is formed, in which one or more propagating containers 2 (containing plants to be raised) can be placed.
• the propagating space 15 is configured as a box having upright edges 16 in which irrigation water, which is supplied to the plants to be raised via an irrigation system 18, can be collected.
• the apparatus 10 comprises a storage space 17 in this embodiment, which extends below the propagating space 15 as regards the orientation thereof. While the storage space 17 is completely sealed off from light by means of partitions 13 and doors 14a, 14b (whose function will be explained yet hereinafter), so-called assimilation lamps 19 are disposed above the propagating space 15 for lighting the plants in the propagating containers 2 present in the propagating space 15.
• the plants in the propagating containers disposed therein go through a so-called flowering phase for a certain period of time, usually 12 hours. After said flowering phase, the plants need to go through a rest phase, usually also for period of 12 hours.
• the assimilation lighting 19 is to that end turned off.
• the apparatus 10 can be operated with an increased degree of efficiency and a higher yield.
• the apparatus 10 is to that end provided with moving means 20, which are arranged for transporting the propagating containers 2 (and the plants to be raised that are contained therein) from the propagating space 15 to the storage space 17, and from the storage space 17 to the propagating space 15 again.
• moving means 20 which are arranged for transporting the propagating containers 2 (and the plants to be raised that are contained therein) from the propagating space 15 to the storage space 17, and from the storage space 17 to the propagating space 15 again.
• the capacity of the apparatus is doubled, because one group of plants is present in the propagating space 15, going through the flowering phase, whilst simultaneously another group of plants is going through the rest phase in the storage space 17, which is sealed off from light.
• the moving means 20 are arranged for transporting the group of plants from the propagating space 15 to the storage space 17 and simultaneously transporting the group of plants disposed in the storage space 17 to the propagating space 15.
• the moving means 20 are made up of two parallel, spaced-apart endless carriers 21a-21 b.
• the propagating space 15 extends between said endless carriers 21a-21 b.
• the endless carrier 21a-21 b is passed over at least two spaced-apart pulleys 22a-23a and 22b-23b, respectively, at least one pulley of which (in this case the pulleys 22a-22b) can be driven by means of a drive unit 25, for example an electric motor or a stepper motor.
• the pulleys 22a-22b and 23a-23b are to that end mounted on common shafts 24a and 24b, respectively.
• each support element 26 is arranged between the two endless carriers 21a-21 b, which elements are connected to the endless carriers 21a, 21 b with their respective ends 26a, 26b. More specifically, each support element is arranged between the endless carriers 21a-21 b in such a manner that it will retain its orientation in the horizontal plane at all times during movement of the endless carriers 21a-21b. Each support element 26 is to that end pivotally connected to strips 28a-28b about pivot points 30a-30b, which strips are fixedly connected to the endless carrier 21a-21 b. More in particular, each support element is connected to the endless carrier 21 a-21 b by means of the strips 28a-28b.
• the support elements 26 can be moved from the propagating space 15 to the storage space 17 by the endless carriers 21 a-21 b by suitably driving the pulleys 22a-22b by means of the drive unit 25. Likewise, the support elements 26 present in the storage space 17 will be moved upwards to the propagating space 15.
• the drive unit 25 may to that end be controlled by a timer, which drives the drive unit 25 temporarily after each flowering phase for transporting the propagating containers that are present on the support elements 26.
• each support element may be provided with one or more recesses 27, in which the propagating containers 2 can be received.
• Said recesses 27 may for example be configured as openings into which the propagating container 2 (a plant pot or the like) falls.
• FIG. 3 shows a detail view of the moving means 20.
• the endless carrier 21a is a chain that engages teeth 31 provided on each pulley 22a-22b.
• the tension of the endless carrier 21a can be adjusted by means of a tensioning mechanism 32, which is made up of a plate mounted in the apparatus and a spindle 34, which engages the shaft 24b on which the pulley 23a-23b is mounted.
• the spindle 34 can be extended or retracted by turning a screw, thereby imparting a movement to the pulley 23a-23b and adjusting the tension in the endless carrier 21a.
• Figure 4 shows a plan view of the propagating space 15.
• the figure clearly shows the various support elements 26 provided with the recesses or openings 27, which are arranged behind each other between the two endless carriers 21 a-21 b (not shown).
• an irrigation system 18 consisting of two parallel pipes, 18b-18c, which are interconnected by means of a supply pipe 18a that is connected to a feed supply, is arranged above the propagating space 15.
• Each pipe 18b-18c is provided with a plurality of outlet openings 18d, which have been formed in the pipes 18b-18c in such a manner that they terminate above a recess 27 in the support elements 26.
• each propagating container placed in a recess 27 has an individual irrigation opening 18d, so that irrigation water can be supplied to the propagating container (a pot or the like) and the plant present therein in an efficient manner without any wastage.
• FIG 5 shows yet another detail view of the apparatus according to the invention.
• the storage space 17 must be sealed off from light so as to realise a rest phase for the plants present in the storage space 17.
• doors 14a-14b 14a'-14b'
• doors 14a-14b 14a'-14b'
• suitable means 36 when the plants are being transported between the propagating space 15 and the storage space 17.
• Said means 36 consist of a drive motor 38, which drives the spindle 39, which spindle 39 is pivotally connected to the door 14a-14b (14a'-14b') by means of a screwed connection 41 and a pivot 40.
• Each door 14a-14b (14a'-14b') is hinged to the frame of standards 11 and girders 12 by means of hinges 37, which frame is closed by partitions 13. Opening and closing the doors 14a-14b (14a'-14b') takes place in a manner similar to the manner in which the drive motor 25 of the moving means 20 is driven, viz. by the timer of the apparatus.
• Figure 6 shows yet another embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention.
• the figure discloses the aerating system 40, which is made up of a suitable system of pipes 42 in which one or more compressors or fans are incorporated for effecting a forced passage of air through the storage spaces 17- 17'-17" of successive apparatuses 10-10'-10".
• the propagating space may be adjustable for height, for example by configuring the standards 11 (see figure 1 ) as telescopic members.
• the propagating space 15 By adjusting the height of the propagating space 15 relative to the ground surface 1 in this manner, it is also possible to adapt the height of the storage space 17 to the height of the plants to be placed therein. This provides a possibility of adapting the apparatus to the height of the plants, which grow larger in time.
• each standard may be provided with spaced-apart connecting means, making it possible to position a working floor or a working platform at a desired height between two adjacent apparatuses 10 in dependence on the height of the propagating space 15.

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• 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=38230293

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Citations (2)

• 2006
  • 2006-03-07 NL NL1031316A patent/NL1031316C2/nl not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2007
  • 2007-03-07 WO PCT/NL2007/000062 patent/WO2007102728A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (2)

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