Greening tool

Abstract

To provide a greening tool that enables enhanced workability while contributing to post-installation animal damage prevention and improved visual quality.SOLUTION: A greening tool includes a vegetation body 2, and a net 3 for forming a plant growing space S above the vegetation body 2, wherein the net 3 has a plurality of mesh openings differing in size from one another. A portion of the net 3 is covered with plants P having penetrated at least a part having largest of mesh openings, of the net 3. The vegetation body 2 is integrated with the net 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a greening tool laid on a vegetation target surface in order to construct a greening structure capable of achieving greening while preventing damage by animals, for example.

Background Art

[0002] The apparatus for preventing damage by herbivores disclosed in Patent Document 1 covers a protected area with a net-like body and arranges the net-like body in a state of floating from the protected area using a spacer. Although the damage prevention effect of this apparatus is high and it has become widely popular, there are problems such as a large number of required parts, high cost, and laborious construction.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Therefore, in order to solve the problem, the applicant of the present application has devised a new greening structure that does not require a spacer and utilizes the growth force of plants (Patent Document 2). However, in this greening structure, the forage grass that hits the net grows in a bent state within the plant growth space below the net (Patent Document 2

[0029] ), that is, the net is in an exposed state, so it is not possible to improve the appearance of the greening structure by forage grass (plants) (to make it natural and excellent in terms of landscape). And this point is considered to be the same for the vegetation base material for slope protection described in Patent Document 3.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above matters, and an object thereof is to provide a greening tool that can improve workability and contribute to the realization of measures against animal damage and the improvement of appearance after construction.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the greening tool according to the present invention includes a vegetation body and a net for forming a plant growth space above the vegetation body, and the net is characterized by having a plurality of meshes with different sizes (Claim 1).

[0007] Regarding the above greening tool, a part of the net may be covered by a plant that has passed through at least a part of the net having the largest mesh size (Claim 2).

[0008] The above greening tool may integrally include the vegetation body and the net (Claim 3).

[0009] In the above greening tool, the net may be integrated in a state where it can be slack with respect to the deployed vegetation body (Claim 4).

[0010] In the above greening tool, at least one side portion of the vegetation body and the net may be integrated (Claim 5).

[0011] In the above greening tool, the peripheral portions of the vegetation body and the net may be integrated over the entire circumference (Claim 6).

[0012] In the above greening tool, the net may be integrated with the vegetation body so as to be able to form a plurality of plant growth spaces in the short side direction or the long side direction of the rectangular vegetation body (Claim 7).

[0013] In the above-mentioned greening tool, the net, which is separate from the vegetation body, may be integrated with the vegetation body by joining, or a part of the vegetation body may protrude outside the other part, and the protruding part may be configured to be the net (Claim 8).

Advantages of the Invention

[0014] In the present invention, a greening tool can be obtained that can improve workability and contribute to realizing measures against animal damage and improving the appearance after construction.

[0015] That is, when the greening tool according to each claim of the present application is fixed to a slope or the like, the vegetation body can promote the growth of plants on the slope or the like and ensure their growth. The nets above the vegetation body have different mesh sizes from each other, and by making the mesh sizes different so that a region where it is relatively difficult for the plants grown below to pass through and a region where it is relatively easy to pass through are formed, the plants grown in the region where it is relatively difficult to pass through lift the net to form a plant growth space (a space that prevents attacks by herbivorous animals such as deer and has no obstacles to plant growth), and at the same time, the plants grown in the region where it is relatively easy to pass through and pass through the net can actively reduce the exposed area of the net to improve the appearance (make it natural and excellent in terms of landscape). In this case, as the net is lifted from the slope or the like, the plants can grow well with freedom, and since the net floats from the slope or the like, it is difficult for herbivorous animals such as deer to invade the slope or the like. Also, it is possible to eliminate the need for members and man-hours only for forming the plant growth space.

[0016] In the greening tool according to the invention of Claim 2, since the plants growing on the slope or the like where the greening tool is fixed pass through at least the part of the net having the largest mesh size and cover a part of the net, it is possible to ensure an improvement in appearance.

[0017] Since the greening tool according to the invention of claim 3 integrally includes a vegetation body and a net for forming a plant growth space above the vegetation body, if this greening tool is fixed to a slope or the like, the fixation of the vegetation body to the slope or the like and the laying of the net above the vegetation body can be carried out at once, and the workability can be improved. Further, if the net is separate from the vegetation body, the individual sizes of the plant growth spaces formed by the net are likely to vary. However, by integrating the net with the vegetation body in advance, it becomes easy to make such variations less likely to occur, and ultimately, it contributes to the realization of an effective measure against animal damage with uniformity. Furthermore, once the greening tool is laid, thereafter, it only depends on the growth of the plants, so almost no maintenance is required.

[0018] In the greening tool according to the invention of claim 4, when it is fixed to a slope or the like, the plants growing on this slope or the like lift the net to form a plant growth space. Since the net can be slack with respect to the vegetation body, there is more room for the plant growth space to expand. If the net is lifted greatly from the slope or the like, the plants are more likely to grow well with a higher degree of freedom. Also, if the net floats higher from the slope or the like, it is possible to expect an enhanced effect of preventing the intrusion of damage-causing animals such as deer onto the slope or the like.

[0019] In the greening tool according to the invention of claim 5, for example, both the vegetation body and the net are rectangular in plan view, and only one side portion of them is integrated. Thus, the simplification of the structure for integrating the vegetation body and the net and the reduction of man-hours can be achieved. And in this case, when fixing the greening tool to a slope or the like, if anchor bolts are driven into one side portion and the other side portion opposite thereto of the vegetation body and the net, the vegetation body and the net will be integrated not only at one side portion but also at the other side portion. Therefore, the formation of the plant growth space can be ensured.

[0020] In the greening tool according to the invention of claim 6, since the vegetation body and the entire circumference of the net are integrated, if the greening tool is fixed to a slope or the like, it is possible to independently form a plant growth space as a single greening structure over the entire area. At this time, by driving anchors at appropriate positions, the partition shape of the plant growth space can also be arbitrarily formed.

[0021] In the greening tool according to the invention of claim 7, a plurality of plant growth spaces can be formed with a single greening tool, and it is also easy to provide variations in the arrangement of the plurality of plant growth spaces and the like.

[0022] In the greening tool according to the invention of claim 8, when the vegetation body and the net are separate bodies and the two are integrated by joining, it becomes easy to change the joining position of the net with respect to the vegetation body, etc. When a part of the vegetation body protrudes outside the other part and the protruding part is configured to be the net, it is possible to reduce the members and man-hours for joining the net to the vegetation body.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2(A), the greening tool 1 is laid on a vegetation target surface in order to construct a greening structure capable of achieving greening while preventing damage by animals. Here, the vegetation target surface means, for example, a surface (construction site) to be greened by vegetation, such as a slope of a road or a mountainside, a riverbed, a riverbank, a lakeshore, etc. Below, the case where the greening tool 1 of this example is laid on a slope N (an example of a vegetation target surface) as shown in FIG. 3(A) will be described.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2(A), the greening tool 1 integrally includes a vegetation mat (an example of a vegetation body) 2 and a net (hereinafter sometimes referred to as an upper net in order to distinguish it from a net 5 described later) 3 for forming a plant growth space S (see FIGS. 3(A) and (B)) above the vegetation mat 2.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, the vegetation mat 2 includes a sheet 4 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view and a net (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a lower net in order to distinguish it from the above-mentioned net 3) 5 having substantially the same size as the sheet 4 and holding the sheet 4 on the lower surface side (the surface facing the slope N when the greening tool 1 is laid on the slope N), and as a whole, it presents a substantially rectangular shape in plan view.

[0028] The sheet 4 is made of thin cotton such as flannel, for example, and is joined to the lower surface of the lower net 5 by adhesion or the like. On the lower surface of the sheet 4, seeds a of greening plants P (see Fig. 3(B)), such as herbaceous plants of forage grass such as tall fescue, are held. This holding can be performed, for example, by adhering the seeds a to the sheet 4 using a water-soluble paste. In general, using herbs is suitable in terms of increasing the greening rate in the initial stage of construction, and since herbs can be greened early, it is advantageous in that the restoration of vegetation can be achieved early.

[0029] The lower net 5 is a flexible net having a mesh size that allows the seeds a of the plant P to germinate, and is formed in a lattice shape using, for example, corrosion-resistant synthetic resin fibers such as polyethylene, nylon, polyester, and aramid, biodegradable synthetic resin fibers such as polylactic acid-based fibers, plant fibers such as coconut and hemp, and straw, and paper.

[0030] In addition, a plurality of cylindrical storage portions 6 extending in the short direction are provided at appropriate intervals in the longitudinal direction of the lower net 5, and long fertilizer bags 7 are inserted and stored in each storage portion 6. The fertilizer bag 7 is made of, for example, non-woven fabric in which a vegetation base material b such as an organic material, a water retention material, and fertilizer is stored.

[0031] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 1, the upper net 3 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view and is partially integrated with the vegetation mat 2 in a state where it can be loosened with respect to the deployed vegetation mat 2. The upper net 3 in this example is longer than the vegetation mat 2 (the dimension in the longitudinal direction is larger), and as shown in Fig. 2(A), it has a size such that a plurality (five in the illustrated example) of plant growth spaces S extending in the short direction are arranged in the longitudinal direction.

[0032] As the fibers constituting the upper net 3, for example, a monofilament made of synthetic resin and a flat yarn made of synthetic resin and thicker than the monofilament are used, and these are connected in the warp or weft direction to form a flexible net having a lattice-like mesh, for example, by knitting into a substantially rectangular shape in plan view.

[0033] For the upper net 3, a synthetic resin net mixed with a repellent, a synthetic resin net or a metal net coated with a repellent may be used. Also, the upper net 3 may be finished in the form of a knitted fabric or a woven fabric.

[0034] As means for integrating the vegetation mat 2 and the upper net 3, sewing, adhesion, heat fusion, stapling, etc. can be considered. And the integration of the vegetation mat 2 and the upper net 3 is carried out so that a plurality of plant growth spaces S extending in the short side direction of the greening tool 1 are formed as shown in Fig. 2(A). Specifically, integration regions R are set at appropriate intervals from one end side to the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the vegetation mat 2 and the upper net 3, and the integration of the two 2, 3 is carried out in each integration region R. In the illustrated example, a total of six integration regions R extending linearly (in stripes) from one end to the other end in the short side direction of the vegetation mat 2 and the upper net 3 are provided. The integration of the two 2, 3 in each integration region R may be carried out, for example, so as to be a continuous linear joint or a discontinuous dot joint.

[0035] The greening tool 1 configured as described above is laid (stretched) on a slope N whose surface is leveled as required (see Fig. 3(A)). At this time, as shown in Fig. 2(B), anchor pins (an example of fixing means) 8 are driven to fix the greening tool 1 on the slope N (the black circles that are not in Fig. 2(A) but are in Fig. 2(B) respectively indicate the anchor pins 8).

[0036] As shown in Fig. 2(B), the anchor pins 8 are preferably driven at least near the left and right ends of each of the shoulder side edge 1a and the butt side edge 1b of the greening tool 1 (that is, at the four corners of the greening tool 1). In the illustrated example, the anchor pins 8 are driven near the left and right ends and near the center of each of the edges 1a and 1b. Further, since the fertilizer bag 7 is relatively heavier than the other components of the greening tool 1 and is likely to be displaced by gravity, the anchor pins 8 are also driven through (anchoring) near both ends and near the center in the longitudinal direction of each fertilizer bag 7. However, it is not limited to this. For example, instead of driving the anchor pins 8 through the fertilizer bag 7, the fertilizer bag 7 located on the immediate shoulder side of any one of the plurality of integrated regions R (at a position closer to the butt side within the plant growth space S) may be driven to a position slightly displaced from the butt side (this position may be on the shoulder side or the butt side of the integrated region R and may overlap the integrated region R). In this case, if the head of the anchor pin 8 is bent to the shoulder side and the fertilizer bag 7 is pressed against the slope surface N with the head, the fertilizer bag 7 can be held stably. And the anchor pins 8 driven through the fertilizer bag 7 and the anchor pins 8 held from the butt side without passing through may be used in combination.

[0037] Here, if the greening tool 1 is pre-rolled, for example, in its longitudinal direction, during the construction of laying it on the slope surface N, it can be easily deployed only by rolling it from the shoulder side to the butt side while holding one end side, which contributes to the improvement of workability. However, since the upper net 3 is partially integrated with the vegetation mat 2 in a state where it can slack with respect to the deployed vegetation mat 2, if it is carelessly rolled into a roll, undesirable wrinkles will enter the upper net 3. As a result, stress may concentrate on a part of the greening tool rolled into a roll, causing deterioration or damage, or the greening tool 1 in the rolled state may become bulky, or the wrinkles generated in the upper net 3 may engage with each other, hindering the above-mentioned deployment work.

[0038] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2(C), each plant growth space S is formed by being surrounded by a floor portion 2a, which is a portion sandwiched between two integrated regions R in the vegetation mat 2, and a roof portion 3a, which is a portion sandwiched between two integrated regions R in the upper net 3. The roof portion 3a is longer than the floor portion 2a in the longitudinal direction of the greening tool 1. Therefore, even if one tries to align the entire roof portion 3a along the floor portion 2a, a part of the roof portion 3a will not be along the floor portion 2a and will float above the floor portion 2a. Thus, if the greening tool 1 is carelessly rolled up, wrinkles that are not preferable are likely to occur in the upper net 3.

[0039] Therefore, as shown in Figs. 2(C) to (E), in each roof portion 3a, the portion that floats above the floor portion 2a is folded, and the folded portion is made to fall toward the slope shoulder side (the side facing the slope shoulder when the greening tool 1 is laid on the slope surface N). As shown in Fig. 2(E), it is conceivable to roll up the greening tool 1 in a roll shape from the slope bottom side. By rolling up in this way, it becomes difficult for non-preferable wrinkles to enter the upper net 3, and the occurrence of the above problems can be prevented.

[0040] In the examples of Figs. 2(D) and (E), the folding portions in each roof portion 3a are positioned around the center, but this position can be changed as appropriate. Also, the folding order among the multiple roof portions 3a is not limited. For example, if the flexibility of the upper net 3 is relatively low and the roof portion 3a returns to its original state when released even when it is in a folded state, only the roof portion 3a that is closest to the slope bottom side is first folded, only the portion of the greening tool 1 including this roof portion 3a is rolled up in a roll shape, then only the adjacent roof portion 3a is folded, and only the portion of the greening tool 1 including this roof portion 3a is rolled up in a roll shape, and this can be repeated.

[0041] When transporting and laying the greening tool 1 on the slope surface N, if the fertilizer bags 7 are inserted and held in the respective storage portions 6 in advance, the labor for the laying work can be reduced. However, the greening tool 1 with the fertilizer bags 7 removed can also be transported onto the slope surface N, and then the fertilizer bags 7 can be inserted and held in the storage portions 6. In this case, the labor for the transportation work can be reduced by lightening the weight of the greening tool 1.

[0042] In the greening tool 1 of this example, the upper net 3 has a plurality of meshes with different sizes. That is, when the greening tool 1 is fixed to the slope N as shown in Fig. 3(A), as shown in Fig. 3(B), the growth promotion and reliable growth of the plant P on the slope N and the like can be achieved by the vegetation mat 2. And the upper net 3 above the vegetation mat 2 has meshes with different sizes. By making the sizes of the meshes different so that a region where it is relatively difficult for the plant P grown below to pass through and a region where it is relatively easy to pass through are formed, the plant P grown in the region where it is relatively difficult to pass through lifts the upper net 3 to form a plant growth space S (a space that prevents attacks by pest animals such as deer and has nothing to prevent the growth of plants), and at the same time, the exposed area of the upper net 3 can be actively reduced by the plant P that has grown in the region where it is relatively easy to pass through and passed through the upper net 3 to improve the appearance (to make it excellent and natural in terms of landscape). In this case, as the upper net 3 is lifted from the slope N, the plant P has a degree of freedom and is easy to grow well. Also, since the upper net 3 floats from the slope N, it is possible to make it difficult for pest animals such as deer to invade the slope N. In addition, it is also possible to eliminate the members and man-hours only for forming the plant growth space S.

[0043] Specifically, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6(A), the upper net 3 has a sparse portion 11 where large meshes are arranged and a dense portion 12 where small meshes are arranged (in Fig. 6(A), the light gray portion indicates the sparse portion 11 and the dark gray portion indicates the dense portion 12). For example, if the plant P growing on the slope N where the greening tool 1 is fixed does not pass through the dense portion 12 and passes through the sparse portion 11 to a certain extent, the plant P passing through the sparse portion 11 makes it natural in terms of landscape and the appearance of the greening tool 1 can be improved. At the same time, the dense portion 12 can be lifted by the plant P to expand the plant growth space S. As shown in Fig. 6(A), by arranging the dense portion 12 to have a certain range (for example, an area of not less than one-third of the entire roof portion 3a) around the top of the roof portion 3a, it is possible to ensure the expansion of the plant growth space S due to the lifting of the upper net 3 by the plant P. Note that Fig. 8 shows the state three months after the test construction of a prototype corresponding to the greening tool 1 of this example.

[0044] As a method of providing the sparse portion 11 and the dense portion 12 on the upper net 3, for example, a net with a finer mesh may be partially joined to a net with a constant mesh (in this case, the joined portion is the dense portion 12 and the unjoined portion is the sparse portion 11), or the mesh size may be changed by partially varying the knitting or weaving method (a single net has the sparse portion 11 and the dense portion 12).

[0045] For example, in an area with a high growth density of deer, the plant P passing through the sparse portion 11 is likely to be eaten by deer. In the first year of construction, the area where the upper part of the dense portion 12 is not covered by the plant P (young grass) passing through the sparse portion 11 tends to be relatively large. However, after 2 years and 3 years of construction, deer have the habit of not eating the plant P as much as the young grass in the first year. That is, the area covered by the upper part of the dense portion 12 by the plant P passing through the sparse portion 11 becomes wider over time. Therefore, even from a long-term perspective of plant migration, the landscape effect of the greening tool 1 in this example can be expected.

[0046] The greening tool 1 of this example configured as described above integrally includes the vegetation mat 2 and the upper net 3 for forming the plant growth space S above the vegetation mat 2. Therefore, if this greening tool 1 is fixed to the slope N, the fixing of the vegetation mat 2 to the slope N and the laying of the upper net 3 above the vegetation mat 2 can be carried out at once, and the workability can be improved. Also, if the upper net 3 is separate from the vegetation mat 2, variations are likely to occur in the individual sizes of the plant growth space S formed by the upper net 3. However, by integrating the upper net 3 with the vegetation mat 2 in advance, it becomes easy to make such variations less likely to occur, and ultimately it contributes to the realization of an effective measure against animal damage with uniformity. Furthermore, once the greening tool 1 is laid, it only depends on the growth of the plant P thereafter, so its maintenance and the like are almost unnecessary.

[0047] In addition, in the greening tool 1, since the upper net 3 is integrated with the vegetation mat 2 in a state where it can loosen with respect to the deployed vegetation mat 2, if the greening tool 1 is fixed to the slope N, the plants P growing on this slope N will lift the upper net 3 to form a plant growth space S. However, since the upper net 3 can loosen with respect to the vegetation mat 2, there is more room for the plant growth space S to expand. If the upper net 3 is lifted significantly from the slope N, the plants P can grow better with a higher degree of freedom. Moreover, if the upper net 3 floats higher from the slope N, it is also possible to expect an enhanced effect of preventing the intrusion of damage-causing animals such as deer onto the slope N.

[0048] As described above, by laying the greening tool 1 on the slope N, the seeds a are prevented from scattering and drifting by the sheet 4, and the seeds a are placed under a temperature and environment suitable for germination and growth by the sheet 4 made of thin cotton with a heat preservation effect. In addition, the upper net 3 and the lower net 5 reliably prevent erosion (erosion) of the slope N due to rainfall, wind erosion, etc.

[0049] After that, as time passes, the seeds a of the vegetation mat 2 germinate, and the plants P hitting the upper net 3 in the plant growth space S will grow in a bent state. Then, as the plants P grow, the upper net 3 begins to lift at an early stage, and further lifts as the plants P grow (see Fig. 3(B)), and finally the plants P reproduce in the plant growth space S.

[0050] In the greening structure constructed by laying the greening tool 1 on the slope N as described above, by supporting the upper net 3 with flexible plants P and floating it from the slope N, when damage-causing animals such as deer walk on it, it becomes unstable, making it difficult for damage-causing animals such as deer to invade the slope N. And even if they invade the slope N, most of the plants P grow in the plant growth space S protected by the upper net 3, so there is no fear of being completely eaten by damage-causing animals. This is a method of preventing damage to plants.

[0051] In the greening structure constructed by the greening tool 1 in this way, in order to lift the upper net 3 from the slope surface N, the growth force of the plant P growing in the plant growth space S directly below the upper net 3 is utilized without using a separate spacer such as a coil spring. Therefore, the upper net 3 is arranged in a hanging state above the slope surface N, and a plant growth space S is formed below the upper net 3 where the plant P can grow in a bent state. However, as a compromise point between enabling the upper net 3 to be lifted (raised) from the slope surface N using the growth force of the plant P and not damaging the growth environment of the plant growth space S for the healthy growth of the plant P, it is preferable to appropriately set the lower limit value of the area of the mesh of the upper net 3. This is because if the mesh of the upper net 3 is too small, the ventilation, water permeability, and light transmittance will be insufficient, and the growth environment of the plant growth space S will be damaged, resulting in a situation where the plant P cannot grow healthily.

[0052] Moreover, it is needless to say that the mouth of a pest animal such as a deer should not be able to enter the plant growth space S formed between the slope surface N and the upper net 3, and it is necessary to prevent the claws of a pest animal such as a deer from entering the plant growth space S (even if they enter, the claws should only enter partway). Therefore, it is also preferable to appropriately set the upper limit value of the area of the mesh of the upper net 3. This is because if the mesh of the upper net 3 is too large, the claws of a pest animal such as a deer can be freely inserted through it, resulting in a situation where the plant P growing in the plant growth space S is pulled by the claws.

[0053] The suitable upper and lower limit values of the area of the mesh of the upper net 3 described above vary depending on the type of the plant P to be grown in the plant growth space S. For example, when the plant P to be grown in the plant growth space S is a herbaceous plant, and a fine-mesh net that inhibits the growth of woody plants is used for the upper net 3, and the plant P does not include woody plants such as trees that are taller than the herbaceous plants, the area of the mesh of the upper net 3 is 0.25 mm 2 (lower limit value) ~ 100 mm 2It is preferably set as the (upper limit value). In this case, for example, if the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the mesh are to be the same length, a range of 0.5 mm to 10 mm can be selected as that length. That is, when this length is 0.5 mm, the area of the mesh is 0.25 mm 2 (0.5 mm × 0.5 mm), and when it is 10 mm, the area of the mesh is 100 mm 2 (10 mm × 10 mm). However, the upper net 3 can also be used for a net with different vertical and horizontal lengths of the mesh, for example, a general vegetation mat. A bamboo blind-shaped net having a mesh composed of a long side and a short side may also be used. In this case, even when the long side of the mesh far exceeds 10 mm, for example, it is 50 mm and the short side is 2 mm, the area of the mesh is 100 mm 2 (50 mm × 2 mm). Incidentally, the area of the mesh of the upper net 3 is more preferably 1.0 to 30 mm 2 .

[0054] Here, from the viewpoint of protecting the plant P by the upper net 3, it is preferable to make the mesh of the upper net 3 small so that the plant P does not pass through. However, when the mesh of the upper net 3 is sized to allow a part of the plant P to pass through and come out to the outside (when the area of the mesh is made larger than, for example, 30 mm 2 ), as long as the growth point of the plant P is located within the plant growth space S, a coexistence and symbiosis pest control method between the pest animal and the plant P can also be realized. This is because, in the case of a plant P composed of herbs, for example, pasture grass such as tall fescue, the part above the growth point at 2 cm above the ground (at a height position 2 cm from the surface of the slope N) can be regenerated even if it is eaten.

[0055] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the following modification examples can be cited.

[0056] In the above-described embodiment, the vegetation mat 2 is used as the vegetation body, but it is not limited thereto. For example, the following (1) and (2) may be used as the vegetation body. (1) A vegetation sheet formed by sandwiching a greening material (including a vegetation base material such as a soil improvement material, a water retention material, a fertilizer, and an organic material, and plant seeds) between two sheets, or fixing (holding) it to the lower or upper surface of the sheet. Here, the sheet is made of, for example, thin cotton wrap, non-woven fabric, paper, etc., and may be, for example, a hydrolyzable sheet that can be easily dissolved (dispersed) in water, or a sheet made of biodegradable fibers. (2) A vegetation mat formed by holding the vegetation sheet of (1) above by bonding it to a net or the like. This can be provided with, for example, at least one of a vegetation base material b such as a soil improvement material, a water retention material, a fertilizer, and an organic material, and a plant seed a, a sheet (thin cotton) 4 that holds them at the lower part, and a lower net 5 that holds this sheet 4 on the lower surface. Instead of the vegetation sheet of (1) above, it is also possible to hold a so-called stretched paper body in which at least one of the vegetation base material b and the like is sandwiched together with the plant seed a and the like between thin materials on the lower surface of the lower net 5.

[0057] In addition, in the above embodiments and (1) and (2) above, as the constituent materials of the sheet 4, the fertilizer bag 7, and the stretched paper body, for example, natural fibers such as cotton, silk, and hemp that are decomposed and corroded by microorganisms such as bacteria and disappear over time, regenerated fibers such as viscose rayon made of regenerated cellulose, and furthermore, it is also possible to use corrosive fibers alone, or blended fibers composed of corrosive fibers and synthetic fibers.

[0058] It is also possible to introduce plants from the vegetation seeds (seed bank) to the slope N by holding the vegetation seeds (seed bank) collected together with the soil, such as the forest floor of a forest near the slope N, as the seed a on the sheet 4, or accommodating them in the fertilizer bag 7. In this case, if the vegetation seeds (seed bank) and the seeds a of herbaceous plants (vegetation seeds) are used in combination, it is possible to achieve natural restoration suitable for the local landscape while greening the slope N at an early stage.

[0059] In the greening tool 1 of the above-described embodiment shown in Fig. 2(A) and the like, the upper net 3 is integrated with the vegetation mat 2 so as to be able to form a plurality of plant growth spaces S in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular vegetation mat 2. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in Fig. 4(A), the upper net 3 may be integrated with the vegetation mat 2 so as to be able to form a plurality (two in the illustrated example) of plant growth spaces S in the short side direction of the rectangular vegetation mat 2. In this case, the driving position of the anchor pin 8 with respect to the greening tool 1 can be set as shown in Fig. 4(B). In the examples of Figs. 4(C) and (D), when the greening tool 1 is wound into a roll shape, the portions floating from the floor portion 2a in the two roof portions 3a extending in the longitudinal direction of the greening tool 1 are respectively folded down in directions approaching each other. However, the folding direction may be reversed.

[0060] In the greening tool 1 shown in Fig. 2(A) and Fig. 4(A), a plurality of plant growth spaces S can be formed with one greening tool 1, and it is also easy to provide variations in the arrangement and the like of the plurality of plant growth spaces S.

[0061] In the greening tool 1 shown in Fig. 2(A), the vegetation mat 2 and the upper net 3 are integrated at both longitudinal ends (two side portions). In the greening tool 1 shown in Fig. 4(A), the vegetation mat 2 and the upper net 3 are integrated at both short side ends (two side portions). However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, only one side portion of the vegetation mat 2 and the upper net 3 may be integrated. In this case, simplification of the structure and reduction of man-hours for the integration of the vegetation mat 2 and the upper net 3 can be achieved. And in this case, when fixing the greening tool 1 to the slope N or the like, if the anchor is driven into one side portion and the other side portion opposite thereto of the vegetation mat 2 and the upper net 3, the vegetation mat 2 and the upper net 3 will be integrated not only at one side portion but also at the other side portion. Therefore, it is possible to ensure the formation of the plant growth space S.

[0062] Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 5(A) to 5(C), the vegetation mat 2 and the upper net 3 may be integrated at their peripheral portions over the entire circumference. That is, as shown in FIG. 5(A), the upper net 3 may be placed on top of the vegetation mat 2 to obtain the state shown in FIG. 5(B), and they may be integrated by appropriate means over the entire circumference (see FIG. 5(C)). In this case, since the entire circumferences of the vegetation mat 2 and the upper net 3 are integrated, if the greening tool 1 is fixed to the slope N or the like, it is possible to independently form the plant growth space S as a single greening structure over the entire area. At this time, by driving anchors at appropriate locations, the partition shape of the plant growth space S can be arbitrarily formed.

[0063] In the example of FIG. 5(C), the vegetation mat 2 and the upper net 3 are made to have substantially the same size, but it is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIGS. 5(D) and 5(E), the upper net 3 is made larger (longer in the illustrated example) than the vegetation mat 2, and if the two 2 and 3 are integrated with, for example, a plurality of pleats 10 provided in the upper net 3, it becomes easy to expand the plant growth space S.

[0064] As shown in FIGS. 6(B) to 6(F), the upper net 3 may be provided with a sparse portion 11 where large meshes are arranged and a dense portion 12 where small meshes are arranged (in the illustrated example, the light gray portion indicates the sparse portion 11 and the dark gray portion indicates the dense portion 12). Also in the example of FIG. 6(B), by arranging the dense portion 12 to have a certain range (for example, an area of not less than one-third of the entire roof portion 3a) around the top of the roof portion 3a, it is possible to ensure the expansion of the plant growth space S due to the lifting of the upper net 3 by the plants P. In the example of FIG. 6(C), the sparse portion 11 and the dense portion 12 extending in the longitudinal direction of the roof portion 3a are arranged alternately in the short direction, and in the example of FIG. 6(D), the sparse portion 11 and the dense portion 12 extending in the short direction of the roof portion 3a are arranged alternately in the longitudinal direction. Further, in the example of FIG. 6(E), the sparse portion 11 is scattered in a matrix shape while the dense portion 12 is arranged in a lattice frame shape, but they may be provided so as to be interchanged. In the example of FIG. 6(F), the sparse portion 11 and the dense portion 12 are arranged in a checkered pattern.

[0065] In FIGS. 6(A) to 6(F), the mesh size of the upper net 3 is provided in two levels of large and small, and accordingly, two regions of a sparse portion 11 and a dense portion 12 are provided. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the mesh size of the upper net 3 may be changed to three or more levels, and at least one of the sparse portion 11 or the dense portion 12 may be provided in a plurality of types according to the size of such a mesh. However, it is preferable in terms of ensuring the improvement of the appearance that a part of the upper net 3 is covered by the plant P that has passed through at least the portion having the largest mesh size in the upper net 3. Further, it is preferable in terms of facilitating the formation and expansion of the plant growth space S by lifting the upper net 3 by the plant P that at least the portion having the smallest mesh size in the upper net 3 is not passed by the plant P or, even if it is passed, the passing amount is less than that of the portion having the largest mesh size.

[0066] In the greening tool 1 shown in FIG. 2(A), since the upper net 3, which is separate from the vegetation mat 2, is integrated with the vegetation mat 2 by joining, it is easy to change the joining position of the upper net 3 with respect to the vegetation mat 2. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B), a part of the vegetation mat 2 may protrude outside the other part (in FIG. 7(A), it protrudes in the short side direction of the vegetation mat 2, and in FIG. 7(B), it protrudes in the long side direction), and the protruding portion may be configured to be the upper net 3. In this case, it is possible to reduce the members and man-hours for joining the upper net 3 to the vegetation mat 2.

[0067] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7(A) and (B), it is conceivable to configure the lower net 5 of the vegetation mat 2 to protrude outside other parts, and the protruding part to be the upper net 3. However, since the lower net 5 needs to allow the plant P to pass through and the upper net 3 needs to restrict the passage of the plant P, for example, the knitting or weaving method of the lower net 5 may be partially changed so that the mesh of the part that protrudes from other parts to become the upper net 3 is smaller than the mesh of the part that does not protrude from other parts in the lower net 5, or the mesh of the lower net 5 may be made uniform while joining a net with a finer mesh to the part that becomes the upper net 5. In addition, in FIGS. 7(A) and (B), the illustration of the sparse part 11 and the dense part 12 is omitted.

[0068] In the greening tool 1 of the above-described embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2(A), one upper net 3 is integrated with one vegetation mat 2, but it is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of upper nets 3 may be integrated with one vegetation mat 2. Further, the vegetation mat 2 and the upper net 3 may not be integrated in advance but may be kept separate, and for example, the two 2, 3 may be integrated by driving the anchor pins 8 during construction (at the site).

[0069] It is also possible to apply this greening tool 1 within a grid-shaped slope frame constructed as a protection work for the slope surface layer.

[0070] Needless to say, the modification examples given in this specification may be appropriately combined with each other.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0071] 1 Greening tool 2 Vegetation mat 2a Floor part 3 Net (upper net) 3a Roof part 4 Sheet 5 Net (lower net) 6 Storage part 7 Fertilizer bag 8 Anchor pin 10 Pleats 11 Sparse part 12 Dense part a Seed b Vegetation base material N Slope P Plant R Integrated area S Plant growth space

Claims

1. A greening tool comprising a vegetation body and a net for forming a plant growth space above the vegetation body, wherein the net has a plurality of meshes with different sizes.

2. The greening tool according to Claim 1, wherein a part of the net is covered by a plant that has passed through at least a portion of the net having the largest mesh size.

3. The greening tool according to Claim 1 or 2, comprising the vegetation body and the net integrally.

4. The greening tool according to Claim 3, wherein the net is integrated with the deployed vegetation body in a state where it can slack.

5. The greening tool according to Claim 4, wherein at least one side portion of the vegetation body and the net are integrated.

6. The greening tool according to Claim 4, wherein the peripheral portions of the vegetation body and the net are integrated over the entire circumference.

7. The greening tool according to Claim 5, wherein the net is integrated with the vegetation body so as to be able to form a plurality of plant growth spaces in the short side direction or the long side direction of the rectangular vegetation body.

8. The greening tool according to Claim 7, wherein the net, which is separate from the vegetation body, is integrated with the vegetation body by joining, or a part of the vegetation body protrudes outside the other part, and the protruding part is configured to be the net.

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