Plant cassette for facade greening

Abstract

The invention relates to planting cassettes (100) for modular facade greening, comprising a back wall (120) and a front wall (110) that form a receiving space for a planting substrate between them. The planting cassettes (100) are characterized by at least one of the following features: (a) The back wall (120) and / or the front wall (110) is made of a dimensionally stable material. (b) Water is channeled from an upper planting cassette (100) to a planting cassette (100) arranged below it. (c) Adjacent planting cassettes (100) can be positively coupled to one another. (d) Planting openings in the front wall (110) have a diameter of at least 60 mm.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a planting cassette and a system for modular facade greening.

[0002] The greening of residential buildings, commercial buildings, factories, and similar structures is gaining increasing importance due to its positive effects on local and global climate quality. Therefore, various solutions have been developed for greening the vertical facades of such buildings. In particular, systems are available on the market where a facade is modularly covered by numerous rectangular planting cassettes. These cassettes have a fleece covering and are filled with a planting substrate. Slits are located on the front of the fleece, allowing plants to grow outwards from the substrate.

[0003] Against this background, the objective of the present invention was to provide a facade greening system improved in terms of durability, functionality and / or ease of assembly.

[0004] This task is accomplished through planting cassettes that meet the characteristics of the independent requirements, as well as through a facade greening system developed from them. Advantageous designs can be found in the sub-requirements.

[0005] The plant cassettes according to the invention serve for modular facade greening and all have the same basic structure with the following components: - A back wall. - A front wall which, together with the back wall, forms a receiving space for a planting substrate and has several planting openings.

[0006] The space formed between the back and front walls is typically relatively shallow compared to its width and height. The planting substrate serves to hold the plants and their roots and can be made of rock wool or a similar material. When creating a green facade, plants can be inserted into the substrate through the planting openings and, after taking root, grow outwards. The back and front walls can, in principle, be a single unit or joined together in one piece. Preferably, however, they are two separate parts that can be connected. In addition to the front and back walls, the planting cassette can also have side walls. These can be separate parts or, preferably, integrally formed with the front and / or back walls.Furthermore, optional spacers can be placed between the front wall and the back wall, which run through the recording space and ensure a defined distance between the front wall and the back wall.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the invention, a planting cassette with the described basic structure is characterized in that the back wall and / or the front wall consists of a dimensionally stable material.

[0008] Using a dimensionally stable material for the front and / or back wall of the planting cassette has the advantage over using a soft material such as fleece that the planting cassette integrates into the rest of the building structure (building wall or substructure) in a defined manner. For example, the dimensions of connection points are maintained with tight tolerances, and no tension forces need to be applied to align a flexible material (e.g., fleece).

[0009] The aforementioned advantages are particularly evident when both the front and rear walls (and, if applicable, all other existing exterior surfaces) are dimensionally stable. However, within the scope of the invention, it is also possible to combine dimensionally stable wall sections with non-dimensionally stable wall sections (e.g., made of a textile material or a nonwoven fabric).

[0010] The dimensionally stable material can be selected from a wide range of suitable materials, with selection criteria including weight, durability, appearance, and / or cost. Suitable dimensionally stable materials include metals such as aluminum, steel, or stainless steel, as well as plastics, especially those made from polyolefins (e.g., polyethylene or polypropylene).

[0011] According to a second aspect of the invention, a first and a second planting cassette are provided, each having the basic structure described above. Due to their typical or intended arrangement, the first planting cassette is hereinafter referred to as the "upper planting cassette" and the second as the "lower planting cassette." The two planting cassettes are designed so that the upper planting cassette can be positioned above the lower one, and so that, in this arrangement, water exiting the upper planting cassette is directed into the lower planting cassette below it. The water typically exits at the lower edge of the upper planting cassette and enters the lower planting cassette at its upper edge.

[0012] Typically, the water escaping from the upper planting cassette originates from its intake chamber and is water that has not been utilized by the plants in that cassette. This escaping water can be directed, at least partially (preferably completely), into the lower planting cassette. Theoretically, it could be channeled separately from the intake chamber of the lower planting cassette. Preferably, however, it at least partially enters the intake chamber of the lower planting cassette and is thus available to the plants there. Furthermore, the upper and lower planting cassettes can preferably have an identical or at least very similar design, so that each of them could fulfill the role of an upper (or lower) planting cassette.

[0013] The described design, consisting of an upper and a lower planting cassette, offers the advantage that excess water, which may originate from rain or artificial irrigation, can drain from the upper cassette, preventing it from accumulating and causing damage. Simultaneously, this water is not lost but instead flows into the lower cassette, where it can be utilized. A cascade of planting cassettes can thus be constructed along an entire facade, channeling water down to the lowest cassette, from where it can be released in a controlled manner into the surrounding area.

[0014] The specific design of an upper and lower planting cassette, which enables the desired transfer of water, can be achieved in various ways. According to a preferred embodiment, the lower edge of the front wall of the upper planting cassette (alternatively: the lower edge of the rear wall of the upper planting cassette) a) further in a horizontal direction inside the recording space and / or b) in a vertical direction further down (lower) than the upper edge of the front wall of the lower planting cassette (alternatively: the upper edge of the back wall of the lower planting cassette), when the upper and lower planting cassettes are positioned one above the other. In this embodiment, the front walls (or the back walls) of the upper and lower planting cassettes overlap like shingles, similar to roof tiles. This has the advantage that rainwater striking the planting cassettes from the outside cannot penetrate to the facade behind the cassettes.

[0015] According to a third aspect of the invention, a first and a second planting cassette are provided, each having the basic structure described above. Furthermore, these planting cassettes are characterized in that they can be positively coupled to one another when arranged adjacent to each other (one above the other or side by side). Preferably, the two planting cassettes are identical or substantially the same, so that they can also exchange their positions (top / bottom or right / left).

[0016] The positive-locking connection of the two planting cassettes has the advantage that they are additionally supported and stabilized by anchoring them to each other (and not just to the facade behind them). Furthermore, the positive-locking connection can also be used as a temporary support during the construction phase to facilitate installation.

[0017] There are numerous possibilities for the specific design of the positive-locking coupling. If the coupling is to be achieved between plant cassettes arranged one above the other, it can, for example, be designed so that the upper edge of the lower plant cassette rests against the lower edge of the upper plant cassette, and the lower plant cassette is then pivoted into its vertical position. Before the pivoting movement, the lower plant cassette is not vertically oriented (but preferably essentially horizontal). Such an engagement of the lower plant cassette with the upper plant cassette by a pivoting movement of, for example, approximately 90° has the advantage that a plant cassette filled with plants can be transported to its installation location in a stable (i.e., horizontal) position and only needs to be moved into a vertical position immediately upon being mounted on the wall.Furthermore, the form-fitting coupling with the upper plant cassette facilitates assembly, as the lower plant cassette is already held in place while the remaining steps of the complete assembly (e.g. the connection with the substructure) are carried out.

[0018] The coupling described above, achieved by pivoting, can be created in various ways. For example, the back wall of the lower planting cassette can have an overhang at its upper edge with a rim strip pointing towards the front wall, and the upper planting cassette can have a receptacle for this rim strip. The rim strip can then be hooked into the receptacle by a pivoting motion.

[0019] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a planting cassette with the basic structure described above is further developed by providing each planting opening with an open area of ​​at least approximately 60 mm in diameter. The exact shape of the planting openings can be arbitrary (for example, square and / or elliptical). Planting openings with such a large open area have the advantage of allowing the use of relatively large plants. The plants can thus be cultivated efficiently and only need to be placed in the planting cassettes shortly before their planned installation. Unlike the prior art, planting through narrow slots is not necessary, which requires a longer period of subsequent growth before the cassettes can be installed.

[0020] The features of the plant cassettes according to the aspects of the invention explained above can, of course, be combined in any way desired. This means that a plant cassette can also have two or more (preferably all) of the following features: - Dimensionally stable wall sections according to the first aspect. - Water transfer from an upper to a lower planting cassette according to the second aspect. - Form-fitting coupling of adjacent plant cassettes according to the third aspect. - Planting openings with a diameter of at least 60 mm according to the fourth aspect.

[0021] Furthermore, it is preferred that, in a planting cassette designed according to one of the aspects explained above, a space for accommodating an irrigation supply is provided above the receiving area (between the back and front walls). For example, a horizontally running pipe with downward-facing outlets can be arranged in this space. Water can then be supplied to this pipe via vertical supply lines running between the planting cassettes.

[0022] The invention further includes a system for facade greening, which contains several plant cassettes arranged next to and / or above one another according to one of the embodiments described above.

[0023] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments and the figures. These show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a plant cassette according to a first embodiment; Fig. 2 a front view of the plant cassette of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a cut along line III-III of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 a cut along line IV-IV of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 a detailed view of the top edge of the planting cassette of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 a detailed view of the a2 lower edge of the planting cassette of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 a separate perspective view of the front wall of the plant cassette of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 a cut along line VIII-VIII of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 a section along line IX-IX of Fig. 7; Fig. 10 a separate perspective view of the back wall of the plant cassette of Fig. 1; Fig. 11 a section along line XI-XI of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 a cut along line XII-XII of Fig. 10; Fig. 13 an exploded view of the plant cassette of Fig. 1 together with the associated substructure; Fig. 14 a side view (left), a top view (right) and a bottom view (below) of the planting substrate; Fig. 15 a front view of four plant cassettes mounted side by side and one above the other according to Fig. 1; Fig. 16 a section along the line XVI-XVI of Fig. 15; Fig. 17 a perspective view of the front Fig. 15; Fig. 18 a perspective view of the back Fig. 15; Fig. 19 a section along the line XIX-XIX of Fig. 15; Fig. 20 an enlargement of detail XX of Fig. 19; Fig. 21 a second embodiment of a plant cassette in a front view analogous to Fig. 2; Fig. 22 a cut along line XXII-XXII of Fig. 21; Fig. 23 a cut along line XXIII-XXIII of Fig. 21.

[0024] In the Fig. Figures 1 to 20 show a first embodiment of a plant cassette 100, which is described in more detail below.

[0025] As from the Fig. 1 and Fig. As can be seen in Figure 2, the planting cassette 100 essentially has the shape of a (flat) cuboid with a typical horizontal width (when assembled) of approximately 160 cm, a vertical height of approximately 75 cm, and a thickness of approximately 7 cm. These dimensions are, of course, only examples and can be adjusted and changed as needed.

[0026] The plant cassette 100 is essentially made up of three components, namely: - A front wall 110 consisting of an essentially rectangular main wall 111, in which planting openings 112 are provided in a regular grid. - A rear wall 120, which is arranged essentially parallel to and opposed by the front wall 110 and is connected to the front wall via spacers 113. - A PS planting substrate that fills the reception space formed between the front wall 110 and the back wall 120, in which plants can grow.

[0027] The front wall 110 and the rear wall 120 of the planting cassette 100 are preferably made of a dimensionally stable material such as aluminum or stainless steel sheet, ensuring that the cassette has easily reproducible dimensions. Furthermore, the planting openings 112 are preferably circular with a diameter of approximately 70 mm. Plants can be planted through these openings into the PS planting substrate and then grow outwards from the substrate.

[0028] In Fig. Figure 5 shows a more detailed perspective view of the upper edge of the planting cassette 100. It can be seen that an irrigation system 140 is arranged between the front wall 110 and the rear wall 120. This system includes, in particular, a horizontal irrigation line 141, which is attached to the rear wall 120 by brackets 142 and runs above the PS planting substrate. Water (optionally with fertilizer) can be supplied to the plants through openings on the underside of the irrigation line 141. The rear wall 120 extends into Fig. 5 whose wall surface 122 and an edge strip 121 angled towards the inner recording space are recognizable.

[0029] Fig. Figure 6 shows a perspective detail view of the lower edge of the planting cassette 100. It can be seen that the vertical wall surface 122 of the rear wall is angled towards the receiving space or the front wall 110 and transitions into a slope 123, which extends to the front wall. After contacting the front wall 110, the slope 123 bends to form a U-shaped channel with vertical legs 124 and 126 and a horizontal base 125. Retaining clips 131 are attached to the inner vertical leg 126 of the channel.

[0030] The Fig. Figures 7 to 9 show, in separate views, a more detailed representation of the front wall 110 of the planting cassette 100, which is provided with the planting openings. It can be seen that the main wall 111 has an inwardly angled edge strip 114 at its upper edge, and a similarly angled edge strip 115 at its lower edge. Inwardly angled edge strips are also provided at the left and right edges.

[0031] The Fig. Figures 10 to 12 show the back panel 120 of the planting cassette 100 in more detail in separate views. Fig. Figure 11 shows a vertical section of the essentially Z-shaped rear wall 120, with the aforementioned horizontal upper edge strip 121, the large vertical wall surface 122, the angled slope 123, and the U-shaped channel 124, 125, 126 on the underside. As can be seen from Fig. As can be seen in Figure 12, the back wall is essentially C-shaped in horizontal section. This means that the lateral outer surfaces of the planting cassette 100 are integrally formed as parts of the back wall 120.

[0032] In Fig. Figure 13 shows an exploded view of the planting cassette 100. Visible are the previously described rear wall 120, the front wall 110 connected to it via spacers, the irrigation system 140, retaining clips 131, and three PS planting substrates inserted in the space between the rear and front walls. The right side of the figure also shows the components of a typical substructure 150, which includes vertically extending rails 151 that can be connected to the facade via spacers 152 and 153. The figure also shows a vertically extending pipe 142 of the irrigation system 140.

[0033] Fig. Figure 14 shows a planting substrate PS, which is shaped according to the shape of the receiving space between the front wall and the back wall.

[0034] In the Fig. Figures 15 to 20 show in more detail how several plant cassettes (100) can be mounted next to and on top of each other. Fig. Figure 15 shows four plant cassettes meeting at one point and attached to a substructure, viewed from the front.

[0035] In Fig. 16 is in a horizontal section along the line XVI-XVI of Fig. 15 shows how the plant cassettes 100 are attached to the solid wall W behind a facade via the spacers 152 passing through insulation.

[0036] Fig. Figure 19 shows a vertical section along the XIX-XIX line of Fig. 15. Of particular interest here is the transition between an upper planting cassette 100 and a lower planting cassette located below it, which in Fig. Figure 20 is shown enlarged. The planting cassettes 100 are designed so that water flowing downwards from the reservoir or planting substrate PS of the upper planting cassette is completely directed into the planting cassette below. This is achieved, firstly, by allowing the water to collect in the U-shaped channel, which, as previously described, is formed on the underside of the back wall 110. The upper edge of the back wall of the lower planting cassette extends above this channel, preventing water from overflowing the channel from reaching the facade and instead directing it into the lower planting cassette. This enables a cascade-like irrigation of the planting cassettes from top to bottom.

[0037] Furthermore, it is from Fig. Figure 20 shows a positive-locking connection between the lower and upper planting cassettes. This is achieved in particular by the fact that the upper edge of the lower planting cassette has an inwardly angled edge strip 121, which can engage in a corresponding receiving pocket of the retaining clip 131. When installing the lower planting cassette, it is particularly possible to position it horizontally against the facade and then pivot it downwards by 90° so that the edge strip 121 engages with the retaining clip 131. This provides a positive-locking (provisional) connection for the lower planting cassette, which significantly simplifies further installation and, in particular, the final connection of this planting cassette to the substructure.

[0038] In the Fig. Figures 21 to 23 show a second embodiment of a planting cassette 200. This differs from the first planting cassette 100 essentially in its dimensions, in particular in its narrower width, typically around 80 cm. Since the planting cassette 200 is otherwise essentially identical to the first embodiment, a more detailed description is omitted, and identical or similar components are given reference numerals increased by 100.

[0039] A distinguishing design feature of the planting cassette 200 is the spacers 213 extending over the entire vertical height, which engage in spaced slots in the front wall 210. Furthermore, it is made of Fig. 22 it can be seen that the lower edge of the plant cassette 200 is designed differently in its detailed structure, but the same effects (water transfer, positive locking coupling) are achieved.

[0040] In summary, a modular facade greening planting cassette 100 is disclosed, comprising a back wall 120 and a front wall 110, which together form a receiving space for a planting substrate. The planting cassette 100 is characterized by at least one of the following features: (a) The rear wall 120 and / or the front wall 110 is made of a dimensionally stable material. (b) Water is directed from an upper planting cassette 100 into a planting cassette 100 arranged below it. (c) Adjacent plant cassettes 100 can be coupled together in a form-fitting manner. (d) Planting openings in the front wall 110 have a diameter of at least 60 mm.

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