Rain protection device for protecting cultivated plants from rain.

The rain shelter device with an umbrella member and detachable sheet addresses the issue of side rain exposure, providing effective plant protection and easy access for harvesting.

JP7846919B2Active Publication Date: 2026-04-16DAIICHI VINYL
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024168535
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2023-10-09
Filing Date
2024-09-27
Publication Date
2026-04-16
Estimated Expiration
2044-09-27

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing rain shelter devices for cultivated plants, such as those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, fail to protect plants from rain hitting from the sides, leading to potential disease and fruit cracking, especially in tomato cultivation.

Method used

A rain shelter device with an umbrella member connected to support posts, featuring a detachable rain shelter sheet that covers the plants from the sides and directs rainwater to flow down the outer surface, preventing it from entering the inner surface, and allows easy removal and reinstallation for harvesting.

Benefits of technology

Effectively protects plants from rain, prevents fruit cracking, and facilitates easy access for harvesting by allowing partial detachment of the rain shelter sheet.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a rain hood device capable of effectively performing rain shielding in tomato cultivation.SOLUTION: A rain hood device has an umbrella member 7 connected to an upper end part 6 of one or a plurality of support rods 5. The central portion of a lower surface part 11 of the umbrella member 7 is connected to upper end parts 6 of the support rods 5 erected on a planter 2. Fixing shaft parts 36 that detachably attach a portion 19 on an upper edge side of a rain hood sheet 17 having translucent property are provided in a protruded manner slightly inside the outer peripheral edge 16 for a lower peripheral edge portion 15 of the umbrella member 7. The rain hood sheet 17 is attached so as to surround an inside portion inside a lower peripheral edge 21 of the umbrella member 7 in a circumferential direction, and the portion 19 of the upper edge side is detachably fixed to a shaft part 36 by an engaging tool 55. Rainwater flown down on an upper surface part 9 of the umbrella member 7 flows down on an outer surface 26 of the rain hood sheet 17.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rain shelter device for protecting cultivated plants from rain.

Background Art

[0002] For example, one of the points to note in tomato cultivation is appropriate rain shelter. When a lot of rain hits during cultivation, the plants are likely to get sick. For example, it can also cause the fruits of tomatoes to crack.

[0003] As an example of a rain shelter device with a simple structure provided for protecting cultivated plants from rain, those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are provided.

[0004] The rain shelter device described in Patent Document 1 has a structure in which a transparent rain shelter cover is attached to the upper part of the plants in the planter in a flat roof shape with a fixing device. Also, the rain shelter device described in Patent Document 2 has a structure in which a cover part of a small umbrella is provided at the upper end of a support column erected on the ground or in the planter.

[0005] However, if such a rain shelter cover is applied to tomato cultivation in a planter, although it can avoid rain from above, it cannot avoid rain from the side. Therefore, there is a problem that when a lot of rain hits the fruits of the cultivated tomatoes, this is likely to cause diseases.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] The present invention was developed in view of the aforementioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a rain-sheltering device for cultivating plants, such as tomatoes, that can effectively protect plants from rain, allows for easy removal of the rain-sheltering sheet to the necessary extent when necessary, such as when harvesting tomatoes, and allows for easy reinstallation of the rain-sheltering sheet to its original state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention employs the following means. In other words, the first embodiment of the rain shelter device for protecting cultivated plants from rain according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the rain shelter device) comprises one or more support posts for supporting cultivated plants, and an umbrella member connected to the upper end of the support posts and positioned to cover the upper part of the plants. The umbrella member allows rainwater that falls on its upper surface to flow down and be discharged at its lower edge, and a required portion of its lower surface is connected to the upper end of the erected support posts. The lower peripheral edge of the umbrella member is provided on the lower surface of the umbrella member, and a sheet fixing portion is provided on the inside of the outer peripheral edge for detachably attaching the upper edge portion of a light-transmitting rain shelter sheet. The rain shelter sheet is attached so as to surround the inner portion that extends inside the outer peripheral edge of the umbrella member in the circumferential direction, thereby covering the plants in the circumferential direction, and the required portion of the upper edge portion of the rain shelter sheet, as viewed in the circumferential direction, is detachably fixed to the sheet fixing portion, so that the entire upper edge of the rain shelter sheet is located on the inner portion of the umbrella member. Furthermore, the rainwater that flows down the upper surface of the umbrella member and is discharged at the lower edge flows down the outer surface of the rain-shelter sheet, but does not flow down the inner surface of the rain-shelter sheet.

[0009] A second aspect of the rain-shelter device according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect, the umbrella member has an upwardly protruding disc shape, the sheet fixing portion is configured as a fixing shaft portion, the fixing shaft portion protrudes downward from the lower surface portion of the umbrella member on the inside of the outer peripheral edge of the lower peripheral portion of the umbrella member, and the required portion of the upper edge side portion of the rain-shelter sheet is detachably fixed to the fixing shaft portion by a fastener while enclosing the fixing shaft portion from the outside.

[0010] A third aspect of the rain cover device according to the present invention is as follows: In the first aspect, the umbrella member has a disc shape with an upward projection, and through holes penetrating the lower peripheral edge portion in the vertical direction are provided at required angular pitches in the circumferential direction of the lower peripheral edge portion. The fixing portion is configured as a fixing shaft portion, and a locking head is provided at its upper end. By inserting the fixing shaft portion through the through hole and fitting the head into an enlarged, enlarged receiving recess that forms the upper end portion of the through hole, the upper surface of the locking head is flush with the upper surface of the umbrella member, the fixing shaft portion protrudes downward from the lower surface of the umbrella member, and the locking head fitted into the enlarged receiving recess seals the through hole from water. Furthermore, the required portion of the upper edge portion of the rain cover sheet is detachably fixed to the fixing shaft portion by a fastening device, enclosing the fixing shaft portion that protrudes downward from the lower surface of the umbrella member from the outside.

[0011] A fourth aspect of the rain protection device according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the second or third aspect, the fastening device has a recess into which the fixed shaft portion, which is wrapped from the outside by the rain protection sheet, can be detachably fitted, and a C-shaped clamping portion that can elastically clamp the fixed shaft portion fitted into the recess.

[0012] A fifth aspect of the rain shelter device according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the first, second, or third aspect, the lower surface of the umbrella member is provided with a connecting recess into which the upper end of the support column is pressed, or a connecting projection into which the upper end of the support column is pressed.

[0013] A sixth aspect of the rain shelter device for protecting cultivated plants from rain according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the third aspect, the required angle pitch is set to 60 degrees.

[0014] A seventh aspect of the rain shelter device according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the first, second, or third aspect, the lower edge of the rain shelter sheet, the portion of which is detachably fixed to the umbrella member, is located at least 10 cm above the upper end of the planter when the plant is grown in the planter, and at least 10 cm above the ground when the plant is grown on the ground. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The rain protection device according to the present invention can effectively protect plants such as tomatoes from rain during cultivation. Furthermore, the rain protection sheet can be easily removed to the necessary extent when needed, such as when harvesting tomatoes, and it is also easy to reattach the rain protection sheet to its original position. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view illustrating the rain-shelter device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the attachment of the rain-proof sheet to the umbrella components and the discharge of rainwater flowing down the upper surface of the umbrella components. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the connection of the upper end of the support column to the lower surface of the umbrella member, and the attachment of the sheet fastener to the lower peripheral edge of the umbrella member. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the state in which the sheet fastener is attached to the lower peripheral edge of the umbrella member, and the insertion hole provided in the umbrella member for inserting the shaft portion that constitutes the sheet fastener. [Figure 5] These are cross-sectional and plan views showing the insertion holes provided in the umbrella member for inserting the shaft portion that constitutes the sheet fastening device. [Figure 6] It is a sectional view and a bottom view showing a shaft portion constituting a sheet fixture. [Figure 7] It is a bottom view of an umbrella member. [Figure 8] It is an explanatory view explaining a connecting rod member that connects the upright columns in a standing state and a state where the clamping portion clamps the column. [Figure 9] It is an explanatory view explaining the attachment procedure of a rain shield sheet to an umbrella member. [Figure 10] It is an explanatory view explaining the attachment procedure of a rain shield sheet to a shaft portion projecting downward at the lower peripheral portion of an umbrella member. [Figure 11] It is an explanatory view explaining the problem when the upper edge of the rain shield sheet is detachably attached to the lower edge of the umbrella member. [Figure 12] It is an explanatory view explaining a state where the rain shield sheet is removed at a part of the shaft portion to form an opening portion when harvesting tomato fruits.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

EXAMPLE

[0017] In FIGS. 1 to 3, a rain shielding device 1 for shielding a cultivated plant according to the present invention from rain (hereinafter referred to as a rain shielding device) is applied as a rain shielding device for shielding a plant (not shown in the figure, for example, tomato) cultivated in a planter (a flowerpot in the figure) 2, and has one or more (three in this embodiment) columns 5, 5, 5 and an umbrella member 7 connected to upper ends 6, 6, 6 of the columns 5, 5, 5 and arranged to cover an upper part of the plant. The umbrella member 7 allows rainwater falling on its upper surface part to flow down as indicated by arrows in FIGS. 1 to 2 and be discharged at a lower edge part 10, and as shown in FIG. 3, required parts of a lower surface part 11 of the umbrella member 7 are connected to upper ends 13, 13, 13 of the columns 5, 5, 5 erected as described above. And, at a lower peripheral portion 15 of the umbrella member 7, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 3, a sheet fixing portion 20 for detachably attaching an upper edge side portion 19 of a rain shielding sheet 17 having translucency is provided at the lower surface part 11 of the umbrella member 7 slightly inside an outer peripheral edge 16 thereof.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rain cover sheet 17 is attached so as to surround the inner portion 25 that extends inward from the lower edge 10 of the umbrella member 7 in the circumferential direction, thereby covering the plant in the circumferential direction. The upper edge portion 19 of the rain cover sheet 17 has a required portion 23, as viewed in the circumferential direction, that is detachably fixed to the sheet fixing portion 20, and the entire upper edge 24 of the rain cover sheet 17 is positioned inward from the lower edge 10 (Figure 3) of the umbrella member 7 in the inner portion 25 (Figures 2 and 7). As a result, rainwater that flows down the upper surface 9 of the umbrella member 7 and is discharged at the lower edge 10 flows down the outer surface 26 of the rain cover sheet 17, but does not flow down the inner surface 27 of the rain cover sheet 17. This will be explained in detail below.

[0019] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 to 6, the umbrella member 7 has a flat disc shape with an upward projection, and its upper surface portion 9 and lower surface portion 11 are formed in an upward projection spherical shape. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the lower peripheral edge portion 15 of the umbrella member 7 is curved downward relatively more strongly than the upper portion 31 above it.

[0020] The diameter of the umbrella member 7 is set to, for example, about 400 mm. As shown in Figure 4, six through holes 32 that penetrate vertically are provided in the lower peripheral edge portion 15 of the umbrella member 7 at a required angular pitch in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral edge 16, with an angular pitch of 60 degrees in this embodiment.

[0021] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the insertion hole 32 is configured as a hole in which an enlarged rhombic-shaped second hole 35 is attached to the upper end of a circular-shaped first hole 33 in plan view.

[0022] In this embodiment, the sheet fixing portion 20 is composed of a fixing shaft portion 36 that is elongated vertically in a cylindrical shape, as shown in Figures 4 and 6. As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the fixing shaft portion 36 has a circular cross-section shaft portion 37 through which the first hole portion 33 (Figures 4-5) can be inserted, and a rectangular plate-shaped locking projection 39 through which the second hole portion 33 can be inserted is provided on the outer surface portion 38 of the lower end of the shaft portion 37. The inner surface portion 40 of the shaft portion 36 has a split groove 41 that is open at the lower end and extends along the entire vertical length.

[0023] A rhomboid-shaped locking head 45 is provided at the upper end 42 of the shaft portion 37, protruding outward from the periphery of the upper end of the shaft portion 37 in a plan view. By inserting the shaft portion 37 through the first hole portion 33 and fitting the locking head 45 into the second hole portion 35, the upper surface portion 47 of the locking head 45 becomes flush with the upper surface portion 9 of the umbrella member 7, as shown in Figure 4. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the fixed shaft portion 36 protrudes downward from the lower surface portion 11 of the umbrella member 7, and the locking head 39 fitted into the second hole portion 35 is designed to block water from the insertion hole 32. The diameter of the shaft portion 37 is set to, for example, about 7 mm, and the amount of downward protrusion of the shaft portion 37 from the lower surface portion 11 of the umbrella member 7 is about 43 mm.

[0024] When inserting the shaft portion 37 into the insertion hole 32, the split groove 41 elastically deforms, reducing its width, which allows the shaft portion 37 to be inserted into the insertion hole 32. Therefore, the shaft portion 37 inserted into the insertion hole 32 is not in danger of falling out of the insertion hole 32.

[0025] Furthermore, the lower surface portion 11 of the umbrella member 7 is provided with a connecting recess 50 into which the upper end portion 13 of the support column 5 is pressed in. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7 for example, the connecting recesses 50 are arranged in a radial pattern of three at a 120-degree angle pitch on concentric circles with diameters of 104 mm, 127 mm, and 150 mm centered on the center of the umbrella member 7.

[0026] In this embodiment, three support posts 5 are used, and the upper ends 13 of the support posts 5 are pressed into three connecting recesses 50 selected according to the size of the planter 2 (Figure 3), so that the umbrella member 7 is erected on the planter 2 via the three support posts 5, 5, 5, as shown in Figure 1. The height of the upper end of the umbrella member 7 is set, for example, to about 130 cm from the top of the planter 2.

[0027] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, adjacent support posts 5, 5 are connected to each other at the required height, for example, at three points (upper and lower), by connecting rod members 51, forming a triangular connecting frame 51a. The support post frame 52 formed in this way stably supports the umbrella member 7, and the umbrella member 7 is stably installed above the planter 2 via the support posts 5, 5, 5. In addition to having the function of attracting plants, the connecting members 51 also have the function of supporting tomato fruits, so the connecting members 51 are appropriately positioned at the required height of the support posts 5 according to the growth of the plants in the planter 2.

[0028] As shown in Figure 8, the connecting rod member 51 is connected to the support column 5 by elastically fitting the C-shaped clamping portions 53 provided at both ends of the rod to the support column 5. In Figure 1, the connecting rod member 51 is shown with a thick straight line and a thick dashed line, and the C-shaped clamping portions 53 are not shown.

[0029] The press-fitting of the upper end portion 13 of the support column 5 into the connecting recess 50 provided on the lower surface portion 11 of the umbrella member 7 may be performed for each support column 5 individually, but it can also be done as follows. That is, by connecting the support columns 5, 5 with the connecting rod member 51, the arrangement of the three support columns 5, 5, 5 is set as required, so that the upper end portions 13, 13, 13 of the three support columns 5, 5, 5 can be simultaneously aligned with the three connecting recesses 50, 50, 50 arranged in the circumferential direction. Therefore, the press-fitting can be easily performed by simultaneously aligning the upper end portions 13, 13, 13 of the three support columns 5, 5, 5 with the three connecting recesses 50, 50, 50.

[0030] As shown in Figures 1-2 and 7, the rain cover sheet 17 is attached so as to surround the inner portion of the umbrella member 7 that extends inward from the lower edge portion 10 (Figure 2) in the circumferential direction, thereby covering the plant in the circumferential direction. With the rain cover sheet 17 attached in this manner, the upper edge portion 19 of the rain cover sheet 17 wraps around the shaft portion 37 from the outside, as shown in Figures 2 and 10(B), and is detachably fixed to the shaft portion 37 by a fastener 55. In this embodiment, the fastener 55 is configured as a packer consisting of an elastically expandable C-shaped clamping portion 56, as shown in Figures 4 and 10(B), and when attached to the shaft portion 37, its lower end 57 abuts against the locking projection 39 as shown in Figures 2-3, preventing it from falling off the lower end of the shaft portion 37.

[0031] As described above, with the rain cover sheet 17 surrounding the inner portion 25 (Figure 7), the entire upper edge 24 of the rain cover sheet 17 is positioned slightly inward from the lower edge 10 of the umbrella member 7 (for example, about 8 mm inward from the inner portion 25), as shown in Figure 2. As a result, the rain cover sheet 17 is attached to the umbrella member 7 in a cylindrical shape to cover the plant in the circumferential direction, and its lower edge 59 (Figure 1) is positioned about 100 cm below its upper edge 24 (Figure 2). Therefore, the lower edge 59 of the rain cover sheet 17 is positioned at a height of about 30 cm from the upper portion 62 of the planter 2.

[0032] In this state, the lower end 64 of the cylindrical rainproof sheet 17 is open, so the internal space 65 formed by being surrounded by the rainproof sheet 17 is ventilated through the open lower end 64.

[0033] Therefore, during rainfall, rainwater that flows down the upper surface 9 of the umbrella member 7 flows down the outer surface 26 of the rain-proof sheet 17 of the umbrella member 7, but does not flow down the inner surface 27 of the rain-proof sheet 17. This prevents the flowing rainwater from entering the inside of the rain-proof sheet 17 and coming into contact with the tomatoes.

[0034] This is possible because, as described above, the shaft portion 37 is located inside the lower edge portion 10 of the umbrella member 7, and the shaft portion 37 protrudes downward for detachably attaching the upper edge portion 19 (Figure 2) of the rain-proof sheet 17, and the upper edge portion 19 of the rain-proof sheet 17 is fixed to the shaft portion 37.

[0035] If, as shown in Figure 11, the upper edge 24 of the rain cover sheet 17 is detachably attached to the lower edge 10 of the umbrella member 7, then rainwater flowing down the upper surface 9 of the umbrella member 7 may enter the space 28 between the upper edge 24 and the lower edge 10 (Figure 11(B)) as indicated by the arrow in the figure, and flow down the inner surface 27 of the rain cover sheet 17. In this case, it would not be possible to prevent rain from touching the tomatoes.

[0036] Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to grow tomatoes that are less prone to cracking due to rain.

[0037] The joint portion 69 (Figure 9(A)) between the two edges 66, 66 of the rain cover sheet 17, as viewed in the circumferential direction, is fastened in this embodiment by the shaft portion 37 and the fastener 36, as explained with reference to Figure 10. However, when necessary, such as during fruit harvesting, the fastener 55 that is fastened to the shaft portion 37 at the joint 69 is removed. By removing it, the rain cover sheet 17 is rolled up in the circumferential direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) to the required extent, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 9(A) and as shown in Figure 12, to form an opening 70. In this embodiment, as described above, six shaft portions 37 are attached at 60-degree angle pitches, so by removing the fastener 55 for one shaft portion 37, it is possible to open up the space between the shaft portion 37 on the next side of the hexagon. Therefore, by removing the fasteners 55, 55, 55 from the three shaft portions 37, 37, 37, for example, in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, a large opening 70 can be formed as shown in Figure 12, allowing for fruit harvesting. One of the advantages of the invention according to this embodiment is that fruit harvesting can be handled by partially removing the fasteners without having to remove all of them.

[0038] The rolled-up portion of the rainproof sheet 17 is then fixed to the fixed shaft portion 36 by fastening with the fastening device 55 in the same manner as described above. The reattachment of the removed fastening device 55 is performed with the three remaining fastening devices positioned side by side, making the fastening process easy. [Examples]

[0039] The present invention is by no means limited to those shown in the above embodiments, and it goes without saying that various design modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. One example is as follows.

[0040] (1) When the umbrella member 7 is disc-shaped, its diameter is set as required according to the extent to which it spreads outwards from the plants grown in the planter 2, and can usually be set to 300 to 800 mm.

[0041] (2) The number of support posts 5 is set so that the rain shelter device 1 constructed using the support posts 5 can exert the required strength. The number of support posts 5 is not limited to the three mentioned above, but may be more than that, for example, four. Conversely, there may be only one support post, as long as it is sufficient to stably support the umbrella member 7. Furthermore, the connection portion of the support column 5 to the lower surface portion 11 of the umbrella member 7 is set so that the rain shelter device 1 can exert the required strength. For example, if there is only one support column 5, it is detachably fixed to the central portion of the lower surface portion 11 of the umbrella member 7, for example, via the connecting recess 50.

[0042] (3) The fixed shaft portion 36 may also be provided integrally with the umbrella member 7. In this case, for example, it is provided integrally with the umbrella member 7, projecting downward slightly inward from the outer peripheral edge 16 of the lower surface portion 11.

[0043] (4) The shape of the umbrella member 7 in plan view is not limited to the circular shape described above, but may also be triangular, square, hexagonal, octagonal, etc., as long as the upper surface 9 of the umbrella member 7 has a water slope, allowing rainwater that falls on the upper surface 9 to flow down and be discharged at the lower edge 10, thereby enabling rain protection.

[0044] (5) The means for detachably fixing the required portion of the upper edge portion 19 of the rainproof sheet 17 to the sheet fastener 20 is configured as required depending on the form of the sheet fastener 20, which may be configured as a shaft, plate, ring, hook, etc. For example, if the sheet fastener 20 is configured as a fixing shaft portion 36, the means for fixing may be configured as a packer consisting of the C-shaped clamping portion 56 described above, or it may be a clothespin-like clip or something similar, configured to be clamped between the tip portions of two openable and closable plate-like bodies by spring action.

[0045] (6) The required portion of the lower surface portion 11 of the umbrella member 7, which is connected to the upper end portion 13 of the support column 5, can be set to any portion that does not hinder the protection of plants from rain during cultivation, in addition to being the central portion or the portion on the side of the lower surface portion 11.

[0046] (7) The lower surface portion 11 of the umbrella member 7 is provided with a connecting projection that is press-fitted into a connecting recess of the upper end opening provided at the upper end of the support column 5, and the umbrella member 7 is connected to the upper end of the support column 5 by the connection of the connecting projection to the connecting recess. In addition, the means for attaching the upper end portion 13 of the support column 5 to the umbrella member 7 may be by screwing.

[0047] (8) In the present invention, the umbrella member 7 is connected, for example, to the upper end 13 of a support column 12 erected in a planter. The support column 12 may be an upright support column in which its lower end portion is thrust into the growing soil in the planter as described above, or it may be an upright support column in which its lower end portion is held by a support column lower end holding piece provided on the side wall of the planter. The support column 5 may also be a support column erected on the planter mounting stand 75 for placing the planter. Furthermore, the support post 5 may be a support post that is erected by thrusting its lower end portion into the ground. When the support post 5 is erected by thrusting its lower end portion into the ground, the rain shelter device 1 according to the present invention can protect plants grown on the ground from rain.

[0048] (9) In the above embodiment, the lower edge 59 of the rain cover sheet 17 is positioned at a height of about 30 cm from the upper end 62 of the planter 2 in order to ventilate the internal space formed by arranging the rain cover sheet 17 to surround the plant in the circumferential direction. However, in order to ensure effective ventilation, it is preferable to position the lower edge 59 of the rain cover sheet 17 at least about 10 cm above the upper end 62 of the planter 2. Furthermore, when the support column 5 is erected by thrusting its lower end into the ground, it is preferable to position the lower edge of the rain-proof sheet at least 10 cm above the ground in order to ventilate the internal space.

[0049] (10) The upper edge portion 19 of the rain cover sheet 17 is attached to the lower peripheral edge portion 15 (Figure 3) of the umbrella member 7 and is provided in a state where it is rolled up in the circumferential direction to form a cylindrical shape, and the lower end portion of the rain cover sheet 17 may cover the outer surface of the upper part of the planter. This allows for complete protection from rain if necessary for the plants. In addition, in areas where nights are cold, frost protection and a greenhouse effect can be obtained. In this case, when ventilating the space covered by the rain cover sheet, the lower part of the rain cover sheet is tucked up and the tucked-up state is held in place with a clip or the like.

[0050] (11) The rain shelter device 1 for planters according to the present invention can be applied to the cultivation of plants other than tomatoes, such as eggplants and bell peppers, which are susceptible to damage from heavy rain. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] 1. Rain protection device 2 planters 5 pillars 7 Umbrella parts 9 Top part 10 Lower edge 11 Bottom part 13 Upper end 15 Lower peripheral portion 17 Rainproof sheet 20. Seat fixing section 36 Fixed shaft part 45 Locking head 50 Connecting recesses 55. Attachment

Claims

1. A rain shelter device for protecting cultivated plants from rain, It comprises one or more support posts for supporting cultivated plants, and an umbrella member connected to the upper end of the support posts and positioned to cover the upper part of the plant. The umbrella member is designed to allow rainwater that falls on its upper surface to flow down and be discharged at its lower edge, and a required portion of its lower surface is connected to the upper end of a standing support column. The lower peripheral edge of the umbrella member is provided on the lower surface of the umbrella member, and a sheet fixing portion is provided on the inner side of the peripheral edge for detachably attaching the upper edge portion of a light-transmitting rain cover sheet. The rain cover sheet is attached so as to surround the inner portion of the umbrella member that extends inside the outer edge of the umbrella member in the circumferential direction, thereby covering the plant in the circumferential direction. The upper edge portion of the rain cover sheet is detachably fixed to the sheet fixing part in the circumferential direction, and the entire upper edge of the rain cover sheet is positioned on the inner portion of the umbrella member. Rainwater that flows down the upper surface of the umbrella member and is discharged at the lower edge flows down the outer surface of the rain cover sheet but does not flow down the inner surface of the rain cover sheet. A rain cover device for protecting cultivated plants from rain, characterized in that the sheet fixing portion is configured as a fixing shaft portion, the fixing shaft portion protrudes downward from the lower surface portion of the umbrella member on the inside of the outer peripheral edge of the lower peripheral portion of the umbrella member, and the required portion of the upper edge side portion of the rain cover sheet is detachably fixed to the fixing shaft portion by a fastener while enclosing the fixing shaft portion from the outside.

2. A rain shelter device for protecting cultivated plants from rain, It comprises one or more support posts for supporting cultivated plants, and an umbrella member connected to the upper end of the support posts and positioned to cover the upper part of the plant. The umbrella member is designed to allow rainwater that falls on its upper surface to flow down and be discharged at its lower edge, and a required portion of its lower surface is connected to the upper end of a standing support column. The lower peripheral edge of the umbrella member is provided on the lower surface of the umbrella member, and a sheet fixing portion is provided on the inner side of the peripheral edge for detachably attaching the upper edge portion of a light-transmitting rain cover sheet. The rain cover sheet is attached so as to surround the inner portion of the umbrella member that extends inside the outer edge of the umbrella member in the circumferential direction, thereby covering the plant in the circumferential direction. The upper edge portion of the rain cover sheet is detachably fixed to the sheet fixing part in the circumferential direction, and the entire upper edge of the rain cover sheet is positioned on the inner portion of the umbrella member. Rainwater that flows down the upper surface of the umbrella member and is discharged at the lower edge flows down the outer surface of the rain cover sheet but does not flow down the inner surface of the rain cover sheet. A rain cover device for protecting cultivated plants from rain, characterized in that the umbrella member has an upwardly protruding disc shape, the sheet fixing portion is configured as a fixing shaft portion, the fixing shaft portion protrudes downward from the lower surface portion of the umbrella member on the inside of the outer peripheral edge of the lower peripheral portion of the umbrella member, and the required portion of the upper edge side portion of the rain cover sheet is detachably fixed to the fixing shaft portion by a fastener while enclosing the fixing shaft portion from the outside.

3. A rain shelter device for protecting cultivated plants from rain, It comprises one or more support posts for supporting cultivated plants, and an umbrella member connected to the upper end of the support posts and positioned to cover the upper part of the plant. The umbrella member is designed to allow rainwater that falls on its upper surface to flow down and be discharged at its lower edge, and a required portion of its lower surface is connected to the upper end of a standing support column. The lower peripheral edge of the umbrella member is provided on the lower surface of the umbrella member, and a sheet fixing portion is provided on the inner side of the peripheral edge for detachably attaching the upper edge portion of a light-transmitting rain cover sheet. The rain cover sheet is attached so as to surround the inner portion of the umbrella member that extends inside the outer edge of the umbrella member in the circumferential direction, thereby covering the plant in the circumferential direction. The upper edge portion of the rain cover sheet is detachably fixed to the sheet fixing part in the circumferential direction, and the entire upper edge of the rain cover sheet is positioned on the inner portion of the umbrella member. Rainwater that flows down the upper surface of the umbrella member and is discharged at the lower edge flows down the outer surface of the rain cover sheet but does not flow down the inner surface of the rain cover sheet. The umbrella member has a disc shape with a projection at the top, and through holes penetrating the lower peripheral portion in the vertical direction are provided at required angular pitches in the circumferential direction of the lower peripheral portion. The aforementioned seat fixing portion is configured as a fixing shaft portion, and a locking head is provided at its upper end. By inserting the fixed shaft portion into the through-hole and fitting the head portion into the enlarged, enlarged receiving recess that forms the upper end of the through-hole, the upper surface of the locking head portion is flush with the upper surface of the umbrella member, the fixed shaft portion protrudes downward from the lower surface of the umbrella member, and the locking head portion fitted into the enlarged, enlarged receiving recess portion is designed to block water from entering the through-hole. Furthermore, the rain cover device for protecting cultivated plants from rain is characterized in that the required portion of the upper edge of the rain cover sheet encloses the fixing shaft portion that protrudes downward from the lower surface of the umbrella member from the outside and is detachably fixed to the fixing shaft portion by a fastening device.

4. The rain cover device for protecting cultivated plants from rain, as described in claim 2 or 3, is characterized in that the fastening device has a recess into which the fixed shaft portion, which is wrapped from the outside by the rain cover sheet, can be detachably fitted, and a C-shaped clamping portion that can elastically clamp the fixed shaft portion fitted into the recess.

5. The rain shelter device for protecting cultivated plants from rain, as described in claim 2 or 3, is characterized in that the lower surface of the umbrella member is provided with a connecting recess into which the upper end of the support column is pressed in, or a connecting projection into which the upper end opening of the support column is pressed in.

6. The rain shelter device for protecting cultivated plants from rain, characterized in that the required angle pitch is set to 60 degrees, as described in claim 3.

7. The lower edge of the rain cover sheet, to which the upper edge portion is detachably fixed to the umbrella member, is located at least 10 cm above the upper end of the planter when the plant is grown in a planter, and at least 10 cm above the ground when the plant is grown in the ground, as described in claim 2 or 3, for protecting cultivated plants from rain.

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