Vegetation substrate sheet

Abstract

To provide a vegetation substrate sheet that contributes to facilitating greening by preventing leakage of the vegetation substrate and suppressing moisture evaporation. [Solution] A resin film 2 having an opening-forming portion 7 is provided above the vegetation substrate 4. The total area of ​​the openings 9 formed by the opening-forming portion 7 is less than 50% of the area of ​​the film 2. The opening-forming portion 7 is composed of a series of continuous slits 8 extending in multiple directions formed in the film 2. Paper 3 or nonwoven fabric is placed between the film 2 and the vegetation substrate 4.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vegetation base material sheet laid on the ground such as a slope for greening, for example.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional vegetation base material sheet, one in which a vegetation base material layer (vegetation part layer) is laminated on a base part and a coconut fiber layer is laminated thereon and integrated is known (Patent Document 1).

[0003] In such a vegetation base material sheet, since the upper and lower sides of the vegetation base material layer are blocked by the base part and the coconut fiber layer, the vegetation base material does not spill out, and the seeds contained in the vegetation base material layer germinate, break through the coconut fiber layer, and appear on the surface, thereby realizing greening.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the above conventional vegetation base material sheet, there are innumerable gaps communicating with each other in the coconut fiber layer, and it is inevitable that the vegetation base material layer leaks out or moisture evaporates from the innumerable gaps, which may make greening difficult.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above matters, and an object thereof is to provide a vegetation base material sheet that contributes to facilitating greening by preventing leakage of the vegetation base material and suppressing moisture evaporation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the vegetation substrate sheet according to the present invention comprises a resin film having an opening-forming portion above the vegetation substrate (Claim 1).

[0008] In the above-mentioned vegetation substrate sheet, the total area of ​​the openings formed by the opening-forming portion may be less than 50% of the film area (Claim 2).

[0009] In the above-described vegetation substrate sheet, the opening-forming portion may be composed of a plurality of continuous slits extending in multiple directions formed in the film (Claim 3).

[0010] In the above-described vegetation substrate sheet, paper or nonwoven fabric may be present between the film and the vegetation substrate (Claim 4).

[0011] In the above-described vegetation substrate sheet, paper or nonwoven fabric may be present below the vegetation substrate (Claim 5).

[0012] In the above-described vegetation substrate sheet, a net-like member having the effect of reflecting sunlight may be provided above the film (Claim 6). [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The present invention provides a vegetation substrate sheet that contributes to facilitating greening by preventing leakage of the vegetation substrate and suppressing moisture evaporation.

[0014] In other words, the vegetation substrate sheet according to each claim of the present application allows plants that sprout from the vegetation substrate or ground beneath the resin film to pass through the openings in the film and grow, thereby promoting greening. At the same time, the parts of the film other than the openings prevent leakage of the vegetation substrate and suppress moisture evaporation, thereby securing the vegetation substrate and moisture necessary for plant growth and contributing to easier greening. Furthermore, the parts of the film other than the openings can improve the erosion resistance of the ground, and it is possible to reduce the amount of water-retaining material in the vegetation substrate to improve economic efficiency. In addition, generally, film has a much smaller unit weight (lighter) than water-retaining material, so adopting film and reducing water-retaining material leads to a lighter overall vegetation substrate sheet and, consequently, improved workability at the site.

[0015] The vegetation substrate sheet according to claim 2 can more reliably prevent leakage of the vegetation substrate and improve water retention by suppressing water evaporation.

[0016] In the vegetation substrate sheet according to claim 3, the opening-forming portion, which is composed of continuous slits extending in multiple directions, has an opening and a lid that can be opened and closed to close this opening. When plants are not yet growing, the lid is closed, which efficiently suppresses water evaporation. Moreover, as plants grow, they eventually open the lid and pass through the opening, meaning that the opening-forming portion greatly contributes to facilitating greening.

[0017] In the vegetation substrate sheet according to claim 4, the paper or nonwoven fabric present between the film and the vegetation substrate can prevent the vegetation substrate from dissipating from the opening-forming portion of the film.

[0018] In the vegetation substrate sheet according to claim 5, the paper or nonwoven fabric located below the vegetation substrate can prevent the vegetation substrate from falling.

[0019] In the vegetation substrate sheet according to claim 6, the net-like member provides an effect of suppressing excessive ground temperature rise.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] It is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a vegetation base material sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] (A) and (B) are a cross-sectional view and a plan view showing the laying state of the vegetation base material sheet. [Figure 3] (A) and (B) are plan views of an example and another example of a film, (C) to (E) are explanatory views showing the structure of an example of an opening forming portion, and (F) to (H) are explanatory views showing the structure of another example of the opening forming portion. [Figure 4] (A) to (H) are explanatory views showing modified examples of the opening forming portion.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

[0022] The vegetation base material sheet S shown in FIG. 1 is laid on the ground G (in the illustrated example, a slope, but it may also be flat ground or the like) as shown in FIG. 2(A) for greening.

[0023] The vegetation base material sheet S has a long, substantially rectangular shape. Specifically, it has dimensions of 1 m in width and 10 m in length, and by being in a state of being wound in a roll shape in the longitudinal direction, it is advantageous in terms of transportability and space saving during storage. Also, for example, as shown in FIG. 2(A), when laying the roll-shaped vegetation base material sheet S on a slope, by fixing one end side to the slope shoulder with a fixing member such as an anchor pin A or a bamboo stake and rolling it toward the slope bottom side, it can be easily deployed, and in this deployed state, its longitudinal direction will be from the slope shoulder side to the slope bottom side. Note that FIG. 2(B) shows a state (a part) where a plurality of vegetation base material sheets S are laid side by side.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the vegetation substrate sheet S has, from top to bottom, a net-like member 1, a resin film 2, an upper retaining sheet 3, a vegetation substrate 4, a lower retaining sheet 5, and a backing sheet 6 in that order, and is obtained by sewing these together using, for example, a quilting machine (sewing machine). This vertical positional relationship is as it is when the vegetation substrate sheet S is laid on the ground G, and is not applicable during the manufacturing, transportation, or storage of the vegetation substrate sheet S. In this example, the planar dimensions of the net-like member 1, film 2, upper retaining sheet 3, lower retaining sheet 5, and backing sheet 6 when laid are made approximately the same (width 1m, length 10m). In addition, the vegetation substrate 4 is configured to form a single layer by being scattered over the entire surface of the lower retaining sheet 5.

[0025] As shown in Figures 2(A) and (B), when the vegetation substrate sheet S is laid on the ground G, the plants contained in the vegetation substrate 4 and the plants that are originally present in the ground G in the form of buried seeds, etc. (these are the target plants for growth) will grow through the vegetation substrate sheet S, thereby promoting greening. When laying the sheet, it is preferable that the members for fixing the vegetation substrate sheet S to the ground G (anchor pins A and fastening members) penetrate the vegetation substrate sheet S at a position that avoids the opening forming portion 7, which will be described later.

[0026] The detailed composition of the vegetation substrate sheet S is described below.

[0027] The net-like member 1 is flexible and has a mesh size that does not hinder the germination of the target plant. If the net-like member 1 is configured to minimize the transfer of heat received by the net-like member 1 from sunlight, etc., into the vegetation substrate sheet S, it is conceivable to use a reflective net (for example, one in which part or all of the net substrate is made light-reflective) on the net-like member 1.

[0028] Film 2 has excellent moisture resistance and waterproofing properties, and may be made of polyethylene, for example, which is commonly used for agricultural mulch sheets, but from the viewpoint of reducing environmental impact, it is preferable that it be molded from biodegradable resin. Furthermore, if the entire surface (front and back) of film 2 is black or transparent, the vegetation substrate sheet S or the ground G may heat up, causing poor germination, in which case it is preferable to make the front (top) side of film 2 white or silver to increase light reflectivity.

[0029] The upper holding sheet 3 and the lower holding sheet 5 can hold the vegetation substrate 4 from both the top and bottom, and after the vegetation substrate sheet S is laid on the ground G, they are sheet-like members that do not hinder the germination or rooting of the target plants. For example, paper such as crepe paper or water-soluble paper, or rayon or water-soluble nonwoven fabric can be used.

[0030] The vegetation substrate 4 is selected from at least one of the following: fertilizer, soil conditioner, water retention material, and vegetation base. Among the fertilizer, soil conditioner, and water retention material, those that perform one or more roles include, for example, organic compost, chemical fertilizer, vermiculite (fine-grained vermiculite), bentonite, peat moss, bark compost, perlite, coco peat, and superabsorbent polymer. The vegetation base is, for example, a material that constitutes plants such as seeds, bulbs, or runners of the target species to be grown, and has functions suitable for promoting vegetation. The vegetation substrate 4 may also be a compressed substrate, which is made by compressing the entire material. Compressed substrates are generally also called compressed culture soil, and are made by drying and compressing them while applying heat, reducing their volume to about one-half to one-tenth of its original size. They expand with rainwater or watering, returning to approximately the same volume as before compression. By using a compressed base material for the vegetation base material 4, the thickness of the vegetation base material sheet S can be reduced, which in turn reduces the volume of one roll (vegetation base material sheet S wound into a roll). This is expected to reduce transportation costs and improve on-site workability and handling.

[0031] The backing sheet 6 is stronger and more durable than the two retaining sheets 3 and 5, and is also flexible, so as not to hinder the germination or rooting of the target plant, and to prevent damage to the upper retaining sheet 3 and lower retaining sheet 5 and to ensure close contact with the ground G. It is preferably a nonwoven fabric made of rayon or a water-soluble material, and is biodegradable or water-degradable (water-soluble).

[0032] In this example, the lower support sheet 5 and the backing sheet 6 are separate components, but this is not the only option. For example, a single sheet made of paper or nonwoven fabric that serves both the roles of the lower support sheet 5 and the backing sheet 6 may be used.

[0033] In this example, as shown in Figure 3(A), multiple opening-forming sections 7 are provided in a matrix (grid) pattern on the film 2. The opening-forming sections 7 are composed of multiple slits 8 that extend in multiple directions and are formed in the film 2. In this example, as also shown in Figure 3(C), the slits 8 are in the shape of an X (cross).

[0034] The opening-forming section 7 formed by this slit 8 has a roughly rectangular opening 9 and four roughly isosceles triangular lids 10 that can be opened and closed, as shown in Figures 3(D) and (E). Each lid 10 can be considered to open and close using a virtual line L, which is the outermost straight line when it is assumed that each end of the slit 8 and all parts of the slit 8 are connected by countless straight lines on the film 2, as the axis of the hinge. Furthermore, the opening 9 can be considered to be defined only by the virtual line L if all the slits 8 are contained within the region enclosed by the virtual line L (see Figures 3(D) and (E)), and otherwise defined by the virtual line L and the slits 8 (see, for example, Figures 4(A) and (B)).

[0035] In the film 2 of this example, the total area of ​​the openings 9 formed by all the opening-forming sections 7 is set to be 20% or more but less than 50% of the area of ​​the film 2, preferably around 35%. Furthermore, it is preferable that the openings 9 are large enough for the target plants to pass through, and specifically, the vertical and horizontal widths of the openings 9 (where vertical refers to the longitudinal direction of the film 2 and horizontal refers to the short direction of the film 2) should be 10 mm to 50 mm, respectively. In addition, it is preferable that the multiple openings 9 provided in the film 2 be as dispersed as possible, or that the distance between adjacent openings 9 be made uniform, because if the openings 9 are unevenly distributed or too far apart from each other, and there is a concentration of areas where no openings 9 are formed, there is a risk that greening will not be possible in those areas. Therefore, it is possible to arrange the openings 9 such that circles of a certain size or larger (for example, a diameter of 100 mm) cannot be contained in the areas of the film 2 where no openings 9 are formed. For example, the vertical width of the opening 9 can be set to 2 cm and the horizontal width to 2.5 cm, so that adjacent openings 9 are spaced 1 cm apart vertically and 2 cm apart horizontally. In this case, the openings 9 will have a horizontally elongated rectangular shape, and adjacent openings 9 will be spaced significantly (twice as much) apart horizontally than vertically.

[0036] In the vegetation substrate sheet S constructed as described above, plants sprouting from the vegetation substrate 4 or ground G below the film 2 can pass through the opening-forming portion 7 of the film 2 and grow, thereby promoting greening. At the same time, the parts of the film 2 other than the opening-forming portion 7 prevent leakage of the vegetation substrate 4 and suppress moisture evaporation, thereby securing the vegetation substrate 4 and moisture necessary for plant growth and contributing to easier greening. Furthermore, the parts of the film 2 other than the opening-forming portion 7 can improve the erosion resistance of the ground G, and it is possible to reduce the amount of water-retaining material in the vegetation substrate 4, thereby improving cost-effectiveness. In addition, generally, the unit weight of the film 2 is extremely small (light) compared to water-retaining material, so adopting the film 2 and reducing the amount of water-retaining material leads to a lighter overall weight of the vegetation substrate sheet S, and consequently, improved workability at the site.

[0037] Furthermore, in the vegetation substrate sheet S, the total area of ​​the openings 9 formed by the opening forming section 7 is less than 50% of the area of ​​the film 2, thus more reliably preventing leakage of the vegetation substrate 4 and improving water retention by suppressing water evaporation.

[0038] Furthermore, in the vegetation substrate sheet S, the opening-forming section 7, which is composed of continuous slits 8 extending in multiple directions, has an opening 9 and a lid 10 that can be opened and closed to close the opening 9. When plants are not yet growing, the lid 10 is closed, which efficiently suppresses water evaporation. Moreover, as plants grow, they eventually open the lid 10 and pass through the opening 9. In other words, the opening-forming section 7 greatly contributes to facilitating greening.

[0039] Furthermore, in the vegetation substrate sheet S, the upper retaining sheet 3 located between the film 2 and the vegetation substrate 4 prevents the vegetation substrate 4 from dissipating from the opening-forming portion 7 of the film 2.

[0040] Furthermore, in the vegetation substrate sheet S, the lower retaining sheet 5 and the backing sheet 6 located below the vegetation substrate 4 can prevent the vegetation substrate 4 from falling.

[0041] Furthermore, the vegetation substrate sheet S has a net-like member 1 that reflects sunlight, which helps to suppress excessive rise in soil temperature.

[0042] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited in any way to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the following modifications can be given.

[0043] The number and arrangement of the opening-forming sections 7 (the distance between adjacent opening-forming sections 7) can be determined appropriately according to the shape and size of the opening-forming sections 7. For example, in the example shown in Figure 3(A), five opening-forming sections 7 of the same size and shape are provided at equal intervals in each row of the row-shaped opening-forming sections 7. However, the number and arrangement can be changed as appropriate according to the size of the film 2 and the opening-forming sections 7. As shown in Figure 3(B), there may be three opening-forming sections 7 in odd-numbered rows and two in even-numbered rows, with a difference of one opening-forming section 7 between odd and even rows, and the opening-forming sections 7 may be offset by half a pitch. Alternatively, the number of opening-forming sections 7 may be the same in odd and even rows, and the opening-forming sections 7 may be offset by half a pitch. Incidentally, the opening-forming sections 7 arranged as shown in Figure 3(B) are also arranged in a matrix pattern. In Figure 3(A), the opening-forming sections 7 are arranged in a matrix pattern along the longitudinal direction of the film 2, while in Figure 3(B), they are arranged in a matrix pattern diagonally to the longitudinal direction of the film 2.

[0044] The X-shaped slit 8 shown in Figure 3(C) may be rotated approximately 45 degrees clockwise (or counterclockwise) so that it forms a cross shape when viewed from one side in the longitudinal direction of the film 2, as shown in Figure 3(F). However, in this case, an opening 9 is formed as shown in Figure 3(G), and a tensile force F (see Figure 3(H)) is often applied to the film 2 in its longitudinal direction. This tension causes stress to concentrate at both ends of the opening 9, potentially leading to cracks 11 as shown in Figure 3(H) and unintentionally widening of the opening 9. This phenomenon is thought to be more likely to occur because the opening 9 shown in Figure 3(G) is pointed outward in the short direction (direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction) of the film 2. In contrast, the opening 9 shown in Figure 3(E) is not pointed outward in the short direction of the film 2, so the above phenomenon is less likely to occur. In other words, it is effective to prevent the above phenomenon by ensuring that the opening 9 is not pointed outward in the short direction of the film 2 (making stress concentration less likely).

[0045] The shape of the slit 8 can be changed in various ways. For example, it can be U-shaped (see Figure 4(A)), H-shaped (see Figure 4(B)), N-shaped (see Figure 4(C)), M-shaped (see Figure 4(D)), etc. These are all shapes made up of straight lines, but it is not limited to these. It can also be made up of curves only, or a combination of curves and straight lines (see Figures 4(E) to (H)).

[0046] The size and shape of the opening-forming portion 7 provided in a single film 2 may be standardized, or they may be made into multiple different types.

[0047] The opening-forming section 7 may be constructed not by a slit 8 provided in the film 2, but by providing an opening 9 in the film 2 from the beginning. In this case, the opening-forming section 7 is constructed by the opening 9, and the lid 10 does not exist. Various shapes can be used for the opening 9, such as elliptical or circular. Alternatively, the opening-forming section 7 may be constructed by a slit extending in a single direction (straight line), for example.

[0048] Needless to say, the above variations can be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1 Net-like member 2 films 3. Upper retaining sheet 4. Vegetation base material 5. Lower retaining sheet 6. Lining sheet 7 Aperture forming part 8 slits 9 aperture 10 Lid 11 Cracks F: A tensile force in the longitudinal direction. G ground L virtual line S Vegetation base sheet

Claims

1. A vegetation substrate sheet comprising a resin film having an opening-forming portion above the vegetation substrate.

2. The vegetation substrate sheet according to claim 1, wherein the total area of ​​openings formed by the opening-forming portion is less than 50% of the film area.

3. The vegetation substrate sheet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the opening-forming portion is formed by a plurality of continuous slits extending in multiple directions formed in the film.

4. The vegetation substrate sheet according to claim 3, wherein paper or nonwoven fabric is present between the film and the vegetation substrate.

5. The vegetation substrate sheet according to claim 4, wherein paper or nonwoven fabric is present beneath the vegetation substrate.

6. The vegetation substrate sheet according to claim 5, further comprising a net-like member having the effect of reflecting sunlight above the film.

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