Agricultural greenhouses and the Tetra Modules used therein

Abstract

To provide an agricultural greenhouse in which members can be procured on factory production by using tetra modules, members other than modules are not used as connecting members and can be constructed only by combination of modules, prefabrication is improved, construction can be performed simply and quickly, the entire greenhouse has enough strength because walls and a roof are in a thick three-dimensional truss structure, and a stable building can be formed.SOLUTION: Walls 10 and a roof 11 are formed by combining tetra modules 1' in which ridge parts of a tetrahedron are formed by frames having a slender bonding face to form a three-dimensional truss structure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to agricultural houses such as greenhouses and the tetramodules used therein.

Background Art

[0002] There are two types of agricultural houses: glass houses and plastic houses. Glass houses use glass plates as covering materials.

[0003] On the other hand, a plastic house refers to a house that uses a polyolefin film (agricultural PO, agricultural poly) as a covering material. Previously, agricultural vinyl (agricultural vinyl chloride film) was the mainstream of the covering material, so it was called a vinyl house. Even now that agricultural poly has become the mainstream, houses other than glass houses are collectively called vinyl houses. In addition to the above, there are various other covering materials, such as hard films such as fluorine-based films, and FRP plates and FRA plates.

[0004] Many plastic houses use U-shaped pipes as supports and are called pipe houses. On the other hand, in the case of houses built on a large scale, a strong structure such as an iron column on a concrete foundation is required, and such houses are sometimes called steel-frame houses. The covering material of a steel-frame house may be glass or a fluorine-based film.

[0005] A house in which houses are continuously connected is called a multi-span house, and a single one is called a single-span house.

[0006] In addition, in large-scale houses, there are also increasing numbers of agricultural houses in forms that did not exist in Japan before, such as "double roofs", "single roofs", "three-quarter roofs" (houses with a large south roof area and excellent winter lighting), and "fenlo" (a Dutch type with a multi-span and thin aggregates and good lighting).

[0007] The following patent document proposes a double-roof type vinyl house that aims to reduce construction costs and can obtain sufficient strength and greenhouse effect. [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3211045 Gazette

[0008] Patent Document 1 describes a double-roofed vinyl greenhouse body 101, as shown in Figure 19, which is a double-roofed truss structure assembled mainly from timber beams used in construction, comprising predetermined leg members 102, roof members, connecting members, reinforcing members 104, vinyl sheet material, and heat insulating sheet material. The leg members, roof members, connecting members, and reinforcing members are joined together to form the framework of the double-roofed vinyl greenhouse body. The entire roof surface is covered and sealed with a hollow polycarbonate sheet, the entire sides are covered with vinyl sheet material, and an entrance / exit 108 and ventilation openings 109 are provided. Furthermore, heat insulating sheet material is stretched over the ceiling and walls of the interior, and these are formed as a single unit. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] The aforementioned Patent Document 1 describes a truss structure of the double-roof type assembled mainly from through members. Generally, a truss structure is a structural form in which members are connected in a triangular shape, and because both ends of the members are pin-jointed and triangular, only axial force is generated when an external force is applied.

[0010] For example, when a force is applied to a quadrilateral, the quadrilateral will bend under the force, while a triangle will not "bend" but rather "compress" or "stretch" in response to the force. A bending moment is acting on the member that undergoes bending deformation, but only axial force is acting on the member that undergoes compression or stretching deformation.

[0011] Even for members of the same size, a member subjected to bending moment is overwhelmingly more advantageous than a member subjected only to axial force. In other words, a member subjected only to axial force can be designed with a more efficient cross-section.

[0012] In this way, the advantage of a truss structure is that only axial forces act between the members. Therefore, it is possible to construct structures with thin members, create buildings with light and slender members, and have an aesthetic appeal.

[0013] On the other hand, a disadvantage of truss structures is that they are difficult to construct. Truss structures require members such as upper chords, lower chords, braces, and diagonal members, and the points where these members intersect tend to have complex joints.

[0014] The object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the conventional example, to enable the procurement of components through factory production by using tetra modules, to enable construction using only combinations of modules without using components other than modules as connecting members, thereby improving prefabrication and providing an agricultural greenhouse and tetra modules to be used therein that can be constructed simply and quickly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an agricultural greenhouse in which, firstly, the walls and roof are formed by connecting tetramodules, each tetrahedron with elongated connecting surfaces at the edges; secondly, the roof is a sloping double or single roof, and the three-dimensional truss structure of the roof and the three-dimensional truss structure of the walls are integrally connected by connecting tetramodules; and thirdly, the floor is also a three-dimensional truss structure formed by connecting tetramodules, each tetrahedron with elongated connecting surfaces at the edges, and the three-dimensional truss structure of the floor and the three-dimensional truss structure of the walls are integrally connected by connecting tetramodules.

[0016] The Tetra Module used in agricultural greenhouses has the following characteristics: Firstly, the edges of the tetrahedron are formed by frames having elongated joint surfaces, and the ends of these frames with elongated joint surfaces are connected to the ends of other frames with elongated joint surfaces, allowing for the virtual formation of hexahedral blocks by the inscribed surfaces of the frames; secondly, one pair of opposing faces of the hexahedral blocks are parallelograms, and the remaining two pairs are rectangles; four of the six frames constituting the Tetra Module are the same length as the frames used to form a regular tetrahedron, one frame is shorter, and the remaining frame is longer, resulting in a deformed tetrahedron that is not a regular tetrahedron, or the hexahedral blocks are cubic blocks; and thirdly, covering materials such as fluorine-based films are attached to cover the openings.

[0017] According to the present invention, the walls and roof are formed by connecting tetramodules to create a three-dimensional truss structure, resulting in thick walls and a roof that is strong enough to stand on its own without the need for columns or crossbeams, making it an agricultural greenhouse.

[0018] Furthermore, the walls and roof can be constructed using a three-dimensional truss structure, and covering materials such as fluorine-based films can be applied to their outer or inner surfaces to cover the openings.

[0019] In particular, when covering materials are applied to both the interior and exterior surfaces, an air insulation layer can be secured by the truss structure between them.

[0020] Furthermore, the three-dimensional truss structure of the walls and roof allows the space to be used for installing pipes, wiring, and other equipment, and lighting, sponges, blowers, and other devices can be easily installed.

[0021] According to the present invention as described in claim 2, since the roof is a double-sided or single-sided roof with a slope, the roof surface becomes a sloped surface, making it suitable for installing solar panels, which are power devices that handle rainwater and snow and convert light energy into electricity, by connecting a large number of solar cells to form a large panel.

[0022] In addition, the roof and the walls are integrally connected by a single type of tetra-module even without beams or the like, and a structurally strong and stable house can be constructed.

[0023] According to the present invention described in claim 3, by providing a floor and pasting a floor board thereon, etc., it can be used as a living space. Also, the floor serves as a grounding foundation, and it becomes possible to install the house even on soft ground without driving piles. Further, the floor and the walls are integrally connected, and a structurally strong and stable agricultural house that can be lived in can be constructed.

[0024] According to the present invention, since the tetra-module forms a truss structure and the ridge line portion of the tetrahedron is formed by a frame having an elongated joint surface, the frames can be joined at the elongated joint surfaces to combine the tetra-modules with each other.

[0025] Furthermore, in order to combine the tetra-modules, the frames that form the ridge line portion of the tetrahedron overlap each other and become double, so the strength is increased, and this serves as the diagonal member portion of the truss structure, making the truss structure itself robust.

[0026] Also, it becomes possible to construct a truss structure only by combining the modules without using connecting members other than the modules, and the assembly can be carried out simply and quickly with a small number of man-hours, improving the prefabrication.

[0027] In the case of the floor, in order to combine the modules, the frames that form the ridge line portion of the regular tetrahedron overlap each other and become double, so the strength is increased, and this serves as the diagonal member portion of the disk-shaped three-dimensional truss structure composed of the upper chord member, the lower chord member by the horizontal member, and the diagonal members connecting these, making the truss structure itself robust.

[0028] On the other hand, the component called the tetra-module has created a block of the truss structure by docking the technical idea of building blocks such as Lego (registered trademark) blocks and the structural technology of the truss structure. The tetra-modules can be combined in the sense of stacking building blocks to develop a three-dimensional truss structure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0029] As described above, the agricultural greenhouse of the present invention, by using Tetra Modules, allows for the construction of a large, strong agricultural greenhouse, and also allows for the utilization of the internal space of the roof and walls. Furthermore, in construction, components can be procured through factory production, and it is possible to construct the greenhouse using only modules without using any other components as connecting members, thus improving prefabrication and enabling simple and rapid construction. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0030] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the agricultural greenhouse of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a front view showing a first embodiment of the agricultural greenhouse of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a plan view showing a first embodiment of the agricultural greenhouse of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a side view showing a first embodiment of the agricultural greenhouse of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the agricultural greenhouse of the present invention when walls are provided on the front and back. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the agricultural greenhouse of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram showing the joining of the main parts of the agricultural greenhouse of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view showing the connection of the roof, walls, and floor of the agricultural greenhouse of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram of the tetra module used in the agricultural greenhouse of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view showing two combinations of tetra modules used in the agricultural greenhouse of the present invention. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view showing a first example of a tetra module used in an agricultural greenhouse according to the present invention. [Figure 12] This is a side view showing a first example of a tetra module used in an agricultural greenhouse according to the present invention. [Figure 13] This is a perspective view from another angle showing a first example of a tetra module used in an agricultural greenhouse according to the present invention. [Figure 14] This is a perspective view showing a second example of a tetra module used in an agricultural greenhouse according to the present invention. [Figure 15] This is a front view of the wall or roof of an agricultural greenhouse according to the present invention. [Figure 16] This is a perspective view of the floor portion of the agricultural greenhouse of the present invention. [Figure 17] This is a perspective view of a tetra module with covering material for use in an agricultural greenhouse according to the present invention. [Figure 18] This is a perspective view showing an agricultural greenhouse covered with the present invention's covering material. [Figure 19] This is a front view showing a conventional example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0031] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the building structure of the present invention, Figure 2 is a front view of the same, and Figure 3 is a side view of the same. The agricultural greenhouse 13 consists of walls 10 and a roof 11, and these walls 10 and roof 11 are formed by joining tetramodules 1' (see Figures 9, 10, and 11), in which the edges of the tetrahedrons are formed by frames 3 having elongated joint surfaces 2.

[0032] The roof 11 is a double-sided or single-sided roof with a slope (see Figure 8), and the three-dimensional truss structure of the roof 11 and the three-dimensional truss structure of the wall 10 are integrally connected only by the coupling of tetramodules 1' with each other.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, it is also possible to provide a floor 12 in addition to the walls 10 and roof 11. When a floor 12 is provided, this floor 12 is also a plate-shaped three-dimensional truss structure formed by connecting tetramodules 1, in which the edges of the tetrahedrons are formed by frames 3 having elongated joint surfaces 2.

[0034] The three-dimensional truss structure of the floor 12 and the three-dimensional truss structure of the wall 10 are also integrally connected by the coupling of tetramodules 1 and 1'.

[0035] First, let's explain Tetra Module 1 and 1'. Tetra Module 1 is a regular tetrahedron module, and Tetra Module 1' is a deformed tetrahedron module.

[0036] The tetramodule 1 forming the floor 12 is precisely assumed to be a regular tetrahedron, as shown in Figure 14. The frames that form the edges of the regular tetrahedron are formed by frames 3 having elongated joint surfaces 2, and the ends of these frames 3 with elongated joint surfaces 2 are connected by joint members 4 to assemble a tetrahedron-shaped frame. The equilateral triangles of the regular tetrahedron become openings. All frames 3 are of the same length.

[0037] The frame 3 having the elongated joint surface 2 serves as the axial member of the tetrahedron-shaped frame, and a total of six of them are assembled together with joint members 4. The term "tetrahedron-shaped frame" refers to the fact that in the tetramodule 1, there are a total of six elongated joint surfaces 2, and there are equilateral triangular planes 7 at the four vertices, which are the ceiling parts of the joint members 4, making a total of 14 faces, but it is roughly tetrahedron-shaped.

[0038] The frame 3 having the elongated joint surface 2 is shown in the figure as a rectangular elongated plate which is a strip-shaped timber, but as long as the surface facing outward when assembled as a regular tetrahedron frame is the elongated joint surface 2, the shape of the axial member is not particularly limited, such as having a semi-circular cross-section, a triangle or other angular shape, or a hollow pipe shape. Frame 3 can be made of various cross-sectional shapes as long as it has an elongated joint surface 2, and it is possible to select from flat plates, hollow pipes, H-shaped or other structural steel, angle members, or channel members. The same selection of frame 3 applies to Tetra Module 1', which will be discussed later.

[0039] Furthermore, the material of the frame 3 having the elongated joint surface 2 can be selected from various options depending on the intended use of the completed three-dimensional truss structure, including metals such as steel and aluminum, wood, and synthetic resin. In the case of wood, using thinned timber can be expected to reduce construction costs.

[0040] The material of the joint member 4 is also similar and can be selected from various options depending on the application, such as metals like steel and aluminum, wood, or synthetic resin.

[0041] The joint member 4 for assembling the frame 3 having the elongated joint surface 2 does not have a particular shape as long as it can be assembled into a regular tetrahedron frame using the frame 3 having the elongated joint surface 2. However, it is preferable that it has connecting pieces 5 to the frame 3 having the elongated joint surface 2, and that these connecting pieces 5 are connected to each other by a top plate 7 or side plate 6. In the illustrated example, they are connected to each other by side plates 6. Side plates 6 are not required.

[0042] Regarding the connection between the frame 3 having the elongated joint surface 2 and the joint member 4, although not shown in the illustration, at the connection point between the joint piece 5 of the joint member 4 and the rectangular elongated flat plate 2, both are overlapped and then fixed, or a slit is formed in the frame 3 having the elongated joint surface 2, and the joint piece 5 is inserted into this slit and sandwiched. Both the joint piece 5 and the frame 3 are fixed by fastening with bolts and nuts or by welding.

[0043] The Tetra Module 1 and 1' of this invention combine the technical concept of building blocks similar to LEGO® blocks with the structural technology of truss structures to create truss-structure blocks, and the surfaces inscribed within the frame 3 allow for the virtualization of a hexahedron block.

[0044] As shown in Figure 8, when the tetrahedron tetramodule 1 is considered as a hexahedron block by the faces inscribed within the frame 3, it becomes a cubic hexahedron block (H) where all faces are square faces R.

[0045] On the other hand, the tetramodule 1' that forms the wall 10 and roof 11 deforms the cubic hexahedron block (H) into a flattened shape, so that one pair (X,X) of the opposing faces of the hexahedron block (I) is a parallelogram (rhombus), and the remaining pair (Y,Y, Z,Z) is a rectangle (square). The parallelogram (rhombus) has angles of 120° and 60° as an example.

[0046] In Tetra Module 1', of the three pairs of opposing frames (six frames in total), two pairs of four frames 3(a) are the same length as the frames 3 in the case of forming a regular tetrahedron (Figure 14). Of the remaining pair of opposing frames, one frame 3(c) is shorter, and the other frame 3(b) is longer, resulting in a deformed tetrahedron that is not a regular tetrahedron.

[0047] For example, when comparing Tetra Module 1' with a regular tetrahedron Tetra Module 1, frame 3(a) is 1.0 (the same length as frame 3 of Tetra Module 1), frame 3(b) is 1.23, and frame 3(c) is 0.71, but it is not limited to this.

[0048] The deformed tetrahedron Tetra Module 1' has a long frame 3(b) inscribed within a parallelogram (rhombuse) X so as to span between corners at a 60° angle, and a short frame 3(c) inscribed within an opposing parallelogram (rhombuse) X so as to span between corners at a 120° angle. As a result, frame 3(a) forms an inclined surface, and by continuing these, an inclined roof 11 can be formed with an inclined upper and lower floor surface.

[0049] Furthermore, by combining Tetra Module 1' and stacking them horizontally and vertically, a wall 10 can be formed.

[0050] Furthermore, in order to join and fix these tetra modules 1 together, there are three methods: fixing the frames 3 having elongated joint surfaces 2 together at the frame 3 portion; joining the joint members 4 together without fixing the frames 3 having elongated joint surfaces 2 together; or employing both methods.

[0051] Furthermore, to fasten two frames 3, each having an elongated joint surface 2, together at this portion of the frame 3, they can be joined by means of fastening with bolts and nuts, welding, interlocking joints, or crimping with bands, etc.

[0052] The walls 10, roof 11, and floor 12 of the aforementioned agricultural greenhouse 13 are assembled as a plate-shaped three-dimensional truss structure using the tetra modules 1 and 1'.

[0053] Figure 15 shows an example of a wall 10 or roof 11 as a three-dimensional truss structure assembled with tetramodules 1', and Figure 16 shows an example of a floor 12. As a result of joining the slender joint surfaces 2 of the frames 3, which have elongated joint surfaces 2 between tetramodules 1' and tetramodules 1, a complementary (interpolative) square pyramidal truss frame region B is formed inside the three-dimensional truss structure.

[0054] The term "complementary" in this complementary (interpolative) square pyramidal truss frame region, the square pyramidal truss B, means that it is not directly formed with members, but rather automatically generated between the tetramodules 1 as a result of assembling the tetramodules 1. When two tetramodules 1, which are unit modules of a tetrahedral frame, are joined at the edges of the frame 3, the frame 3 where these elongated joint surfaces 2 overlap becomes a diagonal member, while the other frame 3 is arranged horizontally or vertically and orthogonally with its elongated joint surface 2 facing outwards. When these are combined, a square frame is formed on the base surface of the complementary square pyramidal truss frame region B.

[0055] Incidentally, the volume of the complementary square pyramidal truss frame region B is the same as the combined volume of two Tetra Modules 1.

[0056] When these interconnected tetra modules 1 are assembled front-to-back and left-to-right, complementary square pyramidal truss frame regions B can be formed between the sides of the unit modules, allowing a stable truss structure to be assembled using only tetra modules.

[0057] Furthermore, when combining the Tetra Module 1, the frames 3, which form the edges of the tetrahedrons, overlap each other, becoming double-layered, thus increasing their strength. If this is the case for the diagonal members, the diagonal members of the three-dimensional truss structure become more robust.

[0058] The formation of the square pyramidal truss frame region B is the same in the case of roof 11.

[0059] In Figure 6, if the horizontal disc-shaped three-dimensional truss structure constitutes the floor 12 and the vertical disc-shaped three-dimensional truss structure constitutes the wall 10, the end face of the horizontal disc-shaped three-dimensional truss structure is a vertical flat surface where the frames 3 of the tetramodule 1 are arranged in a V-shape, and the face of the vertical disc-shaped three-dimensional truss structure is also a vertical flat surface. The connection between these flat surfaces allows the joint between the horizontal disc-shaped three-dimensional truss structure and the vertical disc-shaped three-dimensional truss structure to be right-angled.

[0060] Furthermore, the vertical, disc-shaped three-dimensional truss structures forming the wall 10 can also be connected at right angles to each other. (See Figure 5)

[0061] Although the roof 11 has a slope, the tetra module 1' is a deformed tetrahedron as described above. When viewed as a hexahedron block, the tetra module 1' has a rhombic side X, a square inclined top and bottom surface Y, and a square vertical front and rear surface Z, with frames 3(a), 3(b), and 3(c) inscribed diagonally on each of its hexahedron faces. The upper end surface of the plate-shaped three-dimensional truss structure of the wall 10, which is made up of stacked tetra modules 1', is also an inclined surface, making it possible to join the inclined roof 11.

[0062] If Tetra Modules 1 and 1' are prepared as prefabricated parts, the walls 10, roof 11, and, if necessary, the floor 12 can be assembled simply by combining them, allowing for the construction of an agricultural greenhouse 13 without the need to erect large-scale scaffolding, etc. However, the agricultural greenhouse 13 requires covering material 14 to be attached to the surfaces of the walls 10 and roof 11.

[0063] As shown in Figure 17, if a tetra module 1' is covered with a covering material 14 such as a fluorine-based film to cover the opening, then the wall 10 and roof 11 constructed by assembling these tetra modules 1' with the covering material 14 attached will be covered with the covering material 14 as shown in Figure 18. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0064] 1, 1'... Tetramodule 2... Elongated joint surface 3...Frame 4...Joint component 5...Joining piece part 6...Side plate 7…Tabletop 10...Wall 11...Roof 12... Floor 13... Agricultural greenhouse 14…Covering materials

Claims

1. An agricultural greenhouse characterized by a three-dimensional truss structure in which the walls and roof are formed by joining tetramodules, each tetrahedron with elongated connecting surfaces at its ridges.

2. The roof is a double-sided or single-sided roof with a slope, and the three-dimensional truss structure of the roof and the three-dimensional truss structure of the wall are integrally connected by the coupling of tetramodules, as described in claim 1. Agricultural greenhouse.

3. The agricultural greenhouse according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the floor is also a three-dimensional truss structure formed by connecting tetramodules, which are frames having elongated joint surfaces along the edges of tetrahedrons, and the three-dimensional truss structure of the floor and the three-dimensional truss structure of the walls are integrally connected by connecting tetramodules.

4. A tetrahedron-shaped frame structure for use in agricultural greenhouses, characterized by the fact that the edges of a tetrahedron are formed by frames having elongated connecting surfaces, and the ends of these frames with elongated connecting surfaces are connected, allowing for the virtual formation of hexahedron blocks through the inscribed surfaces of the frames.

5. A tetramodule for use in an agricultural greenhouse according to claim 4, wherein one pair of opposing faces of a hexahedron block is a parallelogram and the remaining two pairs are rectangles, and of the six frames constituting the tetramodule, four frames are the same length as the frames that form a regular tetrahedron, one other frame is shorter than that, and the remaining frame is longer than that, forming a deformed tetrahedron that is not a regular tetrahedron.

6. Tetramodule for use in an agricultural greenhouse according to claim 4, wherein the hexahedron blocks are cubic blocks.

7. A tetra module for use in an agricultural greenhouse according to claim 4, wherein a covering material such as a fluorine-based film is attached to cover the opening.

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