Hanging reflective material that promotes coloring of fruits, etc.

Abstract

To provide a hanging type reflector for coloring fruits, etc., which effectively utilizes sunlight from the morning sun gradually rising to just above, and from the afternoon sun as it sets to the evening sun, and sunlight from just above in midsummer to sunlight shining obliquely in autumn, in promoting coloring of fruits in an orchard, etc., and can effectively irradiate light around the fruits including the sides of the fruits. [Solution] The hanging reflective material comprises a reflective material 1 capable of diffusely reflecting ultraviolet rays and the like, a rod-shaped holding member 2 attached to the upper edge of the reflective material, a ring-shaped member 3 attached to the holding member, and a hanging string-like body 4 inserted into the ring-shaped member. By hanging the reflective material near the fruit and swinging it with wind or the like, ultraviolet rays and the like are diffusely reflected around the fruit, including to the sides, promoting uniform coloring of the entire fruit.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a reflective material used to promote the coloring of fruits and other objects, and is a hanging type reflective material that effectively utilizes the transition in the direction of sunlight throughout the day and the direction of sunlight from season to season, and is particularly capable of irradiating ultraviolet rays and other rays around fruits, including the sides of the fruits. [Background technology]

[0002] In this specification, the term "fruits" is used as a general term to include fruits in orchards and other agricultural products that can be colored.

[0003] Traditionally, orchards have used a method of laying reflective sheets on the ground to illuminate the underside of the fruit with light reflected from the ground surface in order to promote fruit coloring.

[0004] One example of this type of reflective sheet is an agricultural soil covering mulch sheet consisting of a metal foil layer and a fiber aggregate layer, as disclosed in Utility Model Registration No. 3078702. This technology achieves effects such as promoting photosynthesis by reflecting sunlight upward from the ground.

[0005] However, since the mulch sheet described in the publication is laid on the ground, the reflected light is mainly limited to one direction, from below to above, making it difficult to illuminate the sides or top of the fruit.

[0006] Furthermore, because there are branches and leaves around the fruit, it is difficult for reflected light from the ground to reach the sides, which can result in insufficient coloring on the sides of the fruit.

[0007] As such, the ground reflection method fundamentally lacks light irradiation to the sides of the fruit, and there are limitations to achieving uniform coloring of the entire fruit.

[0008] For this reason, there has been a demand for a configuration that can irradiate ultraviolet rays and the like in multiple directions, particularly in the lateral direction, by swinging a reflector near the fruit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3078702 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The objective of this invention is to solve this problem by using conventional technology, which only uses light reflected upward from the ground, resulting in insufficient light reaching the periphery of the fruit, including the sides, making it difficult to color the entire fruit uniformly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] This invention provides a hanging reflective material that sways in the wind or other factors and is hung near the fruit, allowing ultraviolet rays and other light to be irradiated in multiple directions, including the sides of the fruit, thereby promoting the coloring of the fruit.

[0012] The hanging reflector of this invention comprises a reflective material capable of scattering ultraviolet rays and the like, a rod-shaped holding member attached to the upper edge of the reflective material, a ring-shaped member attached to the holding member, and a hanging string-shaped body inserted into the ring-shaped member.

[0013] The hanging string may be provided with an opening and closing mechanism to make it easy to attach and detach it from fruit trees, etc., and may also be provided with a string length adjustment mechanism to adjust the height of the reflective material.

[0014] The annular member may be a single member, or may be a structure in which multiple members are connected to increase the degree of freedom of swing. The shape of the holding member may be either linear and / or streamlined. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to this invention, the reflective material oscillates near the fruit, scattering ultraviolet rays and other light in multiple directions, allowing light to reach the sides and top of the fruit, uniformly coloring the entire fruit.

[0016] Furthermore, since the reflector is held in an expanded state by the holding member, it is possible to prevent the reflective area from decreasing due to bending, and it is always possible to provide efficient diffused reflection.

[0017] By hanging multiple reflective materials from the branches of fruit trees, the fruit can be irradiated with ultraviolet light from all directions, achieving an unprecedented level of color-promoting effect. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a hanging reflector according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of the hanging reflector of the present invention hanging on a fruit tree. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The hanging reflector according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, the hanging reflector of the present invention is composed of a reflective material 1 capable of scattering ultraviolet rays and the like, a rod-shaped holding member 2 attached along the upper edge of the reflective material 1, a ring-shaped member 3 attached to the holding member 2, a hanging string-like body 4 inserted into the ring-shaped member 3, and an opening / closing mechanism 5 and a string length adjustment mechanism 6 provided on the hanging string-like body 4.

[0021] The reflective material 1 is a sheet- or film-like member that can diffusely reflect light such as ultraviolet rays, and can be, for example, a reflective film having an aluminum vapor deposition layer or a white pigment layer formed on one or both sides of a resin substrate such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film or polypropylene film, or a highly reflective reflective sheet.

[0022] The shape of the reflective material 1 is preferably a long, narrow rectangle, and its dimensions are set appropriately depending on the size of the fruit 10 and the height of the fruit tree 7, but can be, for example, about 300 mm to 1500 mm in length and 100 mm to 1000 mm in width. The reflective material 1 is desirably thin and lightweight, with a thickness that allows it to easily sway in the wind.

[0023] The rod-shaped holding member 2 is a member that supports the upper side of the reflector 1 and prevents the reflector 1 from bending and becoming tangled, while allowing it to sway well in the wind. The holding member 2 can be a rod-shaped body made of, for example, synthetic resin, metal, wood, etc. Its cross-sectional shape may be circular, rectangular, etc., but it can be linear or streamlined overall.

[0024] The length of the holding member 2 is approximately equal to or greater than the width dimension of the reflector 1, and the reflector 1 is held together by bonding, clamping, or other methods along the top edge of the reflector 1.

[0025] The ring-shaped member 3 is a member interposed between the holding member 2 and the hanging string 4, and serves to allow the reflective material 1 and holding member 2 to swing freely and in a more complex manner. For example, a metal ring, a resin ring, etc. can be used for the ring-shaped member 3. The ring-shaped member 3 is attached to a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the holding member 2, and there may be only one ring-shaped member 3, or multiple ring-shaped members may be connected together. When multiple rings are connected together, the relative rotation between the rings adds to the complexity of the swing trajectory of the reflective material 1, resulting in an effect where the direction of the diffusely reflected light changes significantly over time.

[0026] The hanging string 4 is inserted through the annular member 3 and is a member for suspending the reflective material 1 from a branch 8 of a fruit tree 7 shown in Figure 2, which will be described later. Weather-resistant string material such as nylon rope, polyester rope, or polyethylene rope can be used for the string 4, and its thickness is set appropriately taking into consideration ease of handling and strength. The string 4 is inserted through the annular member 3 so that it can move freely, which allows the reflective material 1 to swing smoothly without getting caught, even when it is swung by the wind.

[0027] The opening and closing mechanism 5 is provided on one end of the hanging string 4 to facilitate attachment and detachment to the branch 8 of the fruit tree 7. As the opening and closing mechanism 5, for example, a snap buckle, a snap hook, a carabiner, etc. can be used. By providing the opening and closing mechanism 5, the worker does not need to wrap the string 4 around the branch 8, and can fasten and release with a single touch, improving the efficiency of installation and removal work.

[0028] The string length adjustment mechanism 6 is a mechanism for adjusting the length of the hanging string 4 to arbitrarily set the height position of the reflective material 1. For example, a buckle-type length adjuster, a tightenable cord lock, or a friction-fixing adjuster can be used as the string length adjustment mechanism 6. By operating the string length adjustment mechanism 6, the vertical position of the reflective material 1 can be easily adjusted according to the position of the fruit 10 and the tree height shown in Figure 2 described below, and the reflective material 1 can be positioned at an optimal height near the fruit 10.

[0029] Next, the state in which the hanging reflector of the present invention is attached to a fruit tree 7 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, the reflective material 1 is suspended near the fruit 10 by fastening the hanging string 4 to the branch 8. By adjusting the effective length of the string 4 with the string length adjustment mechanism 6, the height position of the reflective material 1 can be set to be slightly above or to the side of the target fruit 10. This allows the reflected light from the reflective material 1 to be efficiently irradiated in the lateral direction of the fruit 10.

[0031] When an external force such as wind acts in this state, the reflector 1 and rod-shaped holding member 2 swing freely via the annular member 3, and the surface of the reflector 1 constantly changes in accordance with this swing. As a result, sunlight, ultraviolet light, etc. that strikes the reflector 1 is diffusely reflected around while changing direction over time, so that light is irradiated onto the fruit 10 not only from the side but also from multiple directions, such as diagonally upward. This significantly improves the coloring of the fruit's sides, which was previously insufficient with the conventional ground reflection method.

[0032] In this way, by attaching multiple hanging reflectors of the present invention to the branches 8 of multiple fruit trees in an orchard, each reflector will swing independently, generating diffused light from multiple directions within the orchard. As a result, each fruit 10 will be illuminated with light from multiple directions that fluctuates over time, promoting more uniform coloring of the entire fruit.

[0033] Because this device is configured as described above, it effectively utilizes the daily cycle of direct sunlight, i.e., the sun gradually rising from the morning sun until it reaches directly overhead, and then setting in the afternoon until it reaches sunset, and from sunlight directly above in midsummer to sunlight shining at an angle in autumn, and can effectively irradiate light around the fruit, including the sides of the fruit.

[0034] The configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the specific shapes, materials, quantities, arrangements, etc. of the reflector 1, holding member 2, annular member 3, string-like body 4, opening / closing mechanism 5, and string length adjustment mechanism 6 can be changed as appropriate depending on the cultivation environment and purpose.

[0035] Of course, the present invention is not limited to orchard fruits, but can also be applied to other agricultural products that can be colored before or after harvest. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1 Reflective material 2. Retaining member 3 Annular members 4. Hanging string 5 Opening and closing mechanism 6 Strap length adjustment mechanism 7 Fruit trees 8 branches 10 Fruit

Claims

1. A reflective material that can diffusely reflect ultraviolet rays, etc. a rod-shaped holding member attached to an upper edge of the reflector; an annular member attached to the holding member; a hanging string-like body that is inserted through the annular member; A hanging reflector consisting of: A hanging reflective material characterized by scattering ultraviolet rays and the like around the fruit, including the sides, when swayed by wind or the like.

2. 2. The hanging reflector according to claim 1, wherein the hanging string-like body is provided with a detachable opening and closing mechanism.

3. 2. The hanging reflector according to claim 1, wherein the hanging string has a string length adjustment mechanism.

4. 2. The hanging reflector according to claim 1, wherein the annular member has a multi-connected structure.

5. 2. The hanging reflector according to claim 1, wherein the rod-shaped holding member is linear and / or streamlined.

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