Lattice body for horticulture

Abstract

The objective of the present invention is to provide a lattice body for horticulture enabling assembly of a support structure with sufficient strength. A lattice body 1 for horticulture according to the present invention enables assembly of a support structure by connection in vertical and horizontal directions, and is constituted by integrating a plurality of vertical side members 2 arranged at intervals and a plurality of horizontal side members 3 arranged at intervals so as to intersect the vertical side members 2. In the horizontal side members 3, an outside connection part 5 constituting a hinge is integrally resin-molded at one end, and an inside connection part 6 constituting a hinge is integrally resin-molded at the other end.

Description

Horticultural lattice

[0007] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a horticultural lattice capable of assembling a support structure for supporting horticultural plants.

[0002] In recent years, interest in gardening, such as gardening and home vegetable gardens, has been increasing, and various gardening supplies have been developed accordingly. When gardening as a hobby, ornamental plants are cultivated or vegetables for home consumption are cultivated. However, since it is carried out in a limited space at the entrance of a house, on a veranda, or in a front yard, gardening supplies corresponding to this have been proposed.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, a plant cultivation support column composed of a plurality of vertical axes and a plurality of angular horizontal axes fitted and attached so as to cross perpendicularly to the vertical axis is described. The angular vertex portion of the horizontal axis is divided, holes are drilled in the two divided horizontal axes, and it is described that the two horizontal axes are fixed so as to be rotatable with screws and bolts. Further, in Patent Document 2, a plant support column integrally formed of synthetic resin, with a net-like portion stretched between two column portions and connection means for adding upwardly to the upper and lower ends of the column portions is described.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-35794 (see FIG. 8), Registered Utility Model No. 3044617

[0005] In the above-mentioned patent documents, a plurality of lattices are assembled to form a plant support column. However, when assembling a plurality of lattices, it is necessary to increase the strength of the connection portion and provide sufficient durability.

[0006] In Patent Document 1, the horizontal axis is divided and drilled, and fixed so as to be rotatable with screws and bolts. However, there is a problem that the strength of the connection portion is reduced by dividing and further drilling a thin rod-shaped horizontal axis, making it difficult to provide sufficient durability. Further, in Patent Document 2, a convex portion is provided protruding from the lower end portion of the column portion, and a concave portion capable of fitting into the convex portion is formed at the upper end portion. However, integrally forming such a connection portion with synthetic resin may result in a thin thickness of the concave portion and a thin thickness of the convex portion, leading to insufficient strength of the connection portion.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a horticultural lattice that can be assembled with sufficient strength to support the structure.

[0008] The horticultural lattice according to the present invention is a horticultural lattice for assembling a support structure by connecting vertical and horizontal members, and is constructed by integrally forming a plurality of vertical members arranged at intervals and a plurality of horizontal members arranged at intervals so as to intersect the vertical members, wherein one portion constituting a hinge is integrally molded in resin at one end of the horizontal member and the other portion constituting a hinge is integrally molded in resin at the other end. Furthermore, a pair of outer connecting portions constituting a hinge are integrally molded at one end of the horizontal member and an inner connecting portion constituting a hinge is integrally molded at the other end of the horizontal member, the inner connecting portion is formed to be joinable between the outer connecting portion and the joint surface of the outer connecting portion and the inner connecting portion, a projection is formed on one end and a hole that can be fitted to the projection is formed on the other end. Furthermore, the horizontal member is integrally molded in resin so as to cover the intersection portion with the vertical member. Furthermore, the horizontal member has a reinforcing portion integrally molded at the intersection with the vertical member, which covers the periphery of the vertical member in a cylindrical shape. Furthermore, the vertical member and the horizontal member are integrated at the intersection by a connecting portion integrally molded from resin. Furthermore, the vertical member consists of a metal rod-shaped body covered with a resin layer, with one end exposing the end of the rod-shaped body at a predetermined length, and the other end having a tubular resin layer formed so that the end of the rod-shaped body can be inserted. Furthermore, the vertical member consists of a cylindrical member with openings formed at both ends, and can be assembled by inserting connecting members into the openings.

[0009] Because the present invention has the above-described configuration, one part of the hinge is integrally molded in resin at one end of the lateral member, and the other part of the hinge is integrally molded in resin at the other end of the lateral member. As a result, multiple grids can be easily connected by linking the ends of the lateral members together so that they form hinges, and can be assembled into support structures of various shapes. Furthermore, since the hinges that form the connection parts are integrally formed by resin molding, it is possible to form them to have sufficient strength, and a support structure with high strength and durability can be obtained.

[0010] This is a perspective view relating to a first embodiment of the horticultural lattice body according to the present invention. This is a plan view and a front view of the upper part of the first embodiment shown in Figure 11. This is a partially enlarged front view and P-P and Q-Q cross-sectional views relating to the intersection portion. This is a partially enlarged front view and a partially enlarged plan view relating to the inner connecting portion and a partially enlarged front view, a partially enlarged plan view and R-R cross-sectional view relating to the outer connecting portion. This is a perspective view relating to a support structure assembled from the horticultural lattice body second embodiment of the horticultural lattice body according to the present invention. This is a plan view and a front view of the upper part of the second embodiment shown in Figure 11. This is an explanatory diagram for when the horticultural lattices are connected in the vertical direction.

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. While the embodiments described below are preferred examples for carrying out the present invention and therefore have various technical limitations, the present invention is not limited to these forms unless specifically stated in the following description to limit the invention.

[0012] Figure 1 is a perspective view relating to a first embodiment of a horticultural lattice body according to the present invention, and Figure 2 is a plan view (Figure 2(a)) and a front view (Figure 2(b)) showing a partially enlarged view of the upper part of the first embodiment shown in Figure 1.

[0013] As described later, the horticultural lattice structure 1 can be assembled into a support structure by connecting it vertically and horizontally. It is constructed by integrating multiple vertical members 2, which are spaced apart, and multiple horizontal members 3, which are spaced apart and intersect with the vertical members 2, in a lattice-like manner. The number of vertical members 2 and horizontal members 3 can be set as needed, but it is sufficient to have two or more of each.

[0014] In this example, the lateral member 3 is integrally molded in resin to cover the intersection 4 with the vertical member 2, and is integrated by resin molding so that it covers the intersection 4. A pair of outer connecting parts 5 that constitute a hinge are integrally molded in resin at the right end of the lateral member 3, and an inner connecting part 6 that constitutes a hinge is integrally molded in resin at the left end.

[0015] The lateral member 3 can be formed by a known resin molding method. For example, it can be formed by insert molding, in which the vertical member 2 is set in a mold with a void corresponding to the shape of the lateral member 3, and resin material is injected into the mold. The resin material preferably has the strength to maintain the lattice-like shape, as well as the characteristics of a gardening product such as durability and weather resistance. Examples include polypropylene and polyethylene. Furthermore, since the outer surface of the vertical member 2 is covered with a resin layer, resin molding can be performed with sufficient adhesion to the resin material of the lateral member 3 at the intersection 4, thereby improving the durability and weather resistance of the intersection 4.

[0016] The vertical member 2 has an insertion hole 7 of a predetermined depth at its upper end and an insertion portion 8 of a predetermined length at its lower end, and the shape of the insertion portion 8 is set to a size that can be inserted into the insertion hole 7. In this example, a metal rod-shaped body covered with a resin layer is used as the vertical member 2, the insertion hole 7 is formed by positioning the upper end of the rod-shaped body downward by a predetermined length and forming the resin layer into a cylindrical shape, and the insertion portion 8 is formed in a shape that allows the lower end of the rod-shaped body to be exposed by a predetermined length and inserted into the insertion hole 7. For the resin layer, a resin material such as polypropylene or polyethylene may be used, and for the rod-shaped body, a metal material such as an iron-based material or an aluminum-based material may be used.

[0017] Figure 3 shows a partially enlarged front view (Figure 3(a)), a P-P section view (Figure 3(b)), and a Q-Q section view (Figure 3(c)) of the intersection 4. The vertical member 2 is reinforced by incorporating a rod-shaped body 2a, and therefore has sufficient strength against various deformations such as tension, torsion, and bending applied to the vertical member 2.

[0018] The lateral member 3 has a horizontally elongated elliptical cross-section, with its minor axis in the vertical direction being approximately the same as the diameter of the vertical member 2, and its major axis in the horizontal direction being larger than the diameter of the vertical member 2. Therefore, the lateral member 3 has sufficient strength against deformation such as twisting and bending, and possesses high durability.

[0019] Furthermore, the portion covering the periphery of the vertical member 2 at the intersection 4 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a predetermined thickness, forming a reinforcing portion 4a. Since the reinforcing portion 4a is in close contact with the periphery of the vertical member 2, it has sufficient strength even when stress is applied to the intersection 4 by a force that attempts to deform the horizontal member 3.

[0020] Figure 4 shows a partially enlarged front view (Figure 4(a)) and a partially enlarged plan view (Figure 4(b)) of the inner connecting portion 6, as well as a partially enlarged front view (Figure 4(c)), a partially enlarged plan view (Figure 4(d)), and an R-R cross-sectional view (Figure 4(e)) of the outer connecting portion 5.

[0021] The inner connecting portion 6 is formed at the end of the lateral member 3 so as to become thinner from both sides in the vertical direction, resulting in a flat plate shape of a predetermined thickness. The tip of the inner connecting portion 6 is formed in an arc shape in plan view, with cylindrical projections 6a formed on both sides of the center of the arc. Both sides of the inner connecting portion 6 are formed in a flat shape to form contact portions 6b.

[0022] The pair of outer connecting portions 5 are formed with a base portion 5a that is thicker in both the vertical and horizontal directions than the lateral member 3, and are projected vertically on both sides of the tip of the base portion 5a at a distance approximately the same as or wider than the thickness of the inner connecting portion 6. The outer surface of the outer connecting portion 5 is formed into a curved shape similar to that of the lateral member 3, and the inner surface is formed into a flat shape, with the tip formed into an arc shape, and a circular hole 5b that penetrates vertically through the center of the arc is drilled therein. The diameter of the hole 5b is set to be approximately the same as or slightly larger than the diameter of the projection 6a. As shown in Figure 4(e), a pair of contact surfaces 5c are formed on the inner side between the outer connecting portions 5, and the pair of contact surfaces 5c are set so that their inner edges contact each other toward the hole 5b and spread toward the opposite side.

[0023] When connecting adjacent gardening lattice bodies 1, the outer connecting portion 5 at the end of one side member 3 and the inner connecting portion 6 at the end of the other side member 3 are brought into opposition, and the tip of the inner connecting portion 6 is inserted between the outer connecting portions 5 and pushed in, causing the projection 6a to be inserted between the outer connecting portions 5 and fitted into the hole 5b, resulting in the side members 3 being connected by a hinge.

[0024] When the lateral members 3 are connected by a hinge, as shown in Figure 4(e), one lateral member 3' can rotate laterally around the hole 5b relative to the other lateral member 3, and the range of rotation is set to a position where the contact portion 6b of the inner connecting portion 6 contacts the contact surface 5c of the outer connecting portion 5.

[0025] In this example, an outer connecting portion and an inner connecting portion are used to form the hinge, but any hinge configuration that connects the lateral members so that they can rotate laterally is acceptable and is not limited to these configurations. For example, a projection could be formed on the outer connecting portion and a hole on the inner connecting portion.

[0026] The horticultural lattice body 1 can be attached by arranging them horizontally and connecting the outer connecting parts 5 and inner connecting parts 6 that form adjacent hinges of the horizontal members 3, and by arranging them vertically and inserting the adjacent insertion holes 7 and insertion parts 8 of the vertical members 2. Therefore, by connecting and attaching multiple horticultural lattice bodies 1 vertically and horizontally according to the application, it is possible to assemble support structures of various shapes.

[0027] Figures 5 to 10 are perspective views relating to a support structure assembled from horticultural lattice bodies. Figure 5 is a perspective view relating to a vertically elongated support structure. In this example, two horticultural lattice bodies 101 and 102 are assembled vertically. At the connecting section 200, the insertion part at the lower end of the vertical side member of horticultural lattice body 101 is inserted into the insertion hole at the upper end of the vertical side member of horticultural lattice body 102, allowing the support structure to be easily assembled. Since the rod-shaped bodies of horticultural lattice bodies 101 and 102 are continuously connected vertically, each vertical side member has sufficient strength and can stably support horticultural plants.

[0028] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a horizontally elongated support structure. In this example, it is constructed by assembling two horticultural lattice bodies 101 and 102 horizontally. At the connecting section 300, the inner connecting section at the end of the horizontal member of the horticultural lattice body 102 is fitted into the outer connecting section at the end of the horizontal member of the horticultural lattice body 101, allowing the support structure to be easily assembled. Since each horizontal member is connected horizontally in a continuous manner by the connecting section 300 which constitutes a hinge, it has sufficient strength and can stably support horticultural plants. In addition, the horticultural lattice body can be rotated and installed by folding it horizontally using the hinge depending on the installation location, making it possible to accommodate a wide range of applications.

[0029] Figure 7 is a perspective view relating to a fence-like support structure. In this example, four gardening grids 101 to 104 are connected laterally to form a fence. Gardening grids 101 and 102 are connected by a connecting part 300 by fitting together adjacent outer and inner connecting parts of each lateral member, gardening grids 102 and 103 are connected by a connecting part 301 by fitting together adjacent outer and inner connecting parts of each lateral member, and gardening grids 103 and 104 are connected by a connecting part 302 by fitting together adjacent outer and inner connecting parts of each lateral member.

[0030] By rotating the hinges of each connecting section to bend them appropriately according to the installation location, the horticultural lattice structure can be erected to enclose the installation area with a support structure. Furthermore, the number of connecting horticultural lattice sections can be increased to match the length of the installation area, allowing for easy assembly.

[0031] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a support structure when installed along the exterior wall of a building. This example shows the case where it is installed on an exterior wall with rain gutters etc. attached vertically. The support structure is constructed by connecting five gardening grids 101-105 and five gardening grids 106-110 horizontally, and assembling the connected gardening grids in two vertical rows.

[0032] The horticultural lattice bodies 101 to 105 are connected by connecting parts 300 to 303, by fitting the adjacent outer and inner connecting parts of each horizontal member together. The horticultural lattice bodies 106 to 110 are connected by connecting parts 304 to 307, by fitting the adjacent outer and inner connecting parts of each horizontal member together. The connected horticultural lattice bodies 101 to 105 are then connected vertically by connecting parts 200 to 203, by inserting the insertion parts at the lower ends of each vertical member into the corresponding insertion holes at the upper ends of the connected vertical members of the horticultural lattice bodies 106 to 110.

[0033] By rotating and installing the connecting parts 300-303 and 304-307 that constitute the hinge so as to bend to match the position of the rain gutter, etc., a continuous support structure can be installed to match the shape of the exterior wall.

[0034] Figure 9 is a perspective view of a tower-shaped support structure. In this example, three gardening grids 101 to 103 are connected in a horizontal direction to form a tower. Gardening grids 101 and 102 are connected by a connecting part 300, where adjacent outer and inner connecting parts of each horizontal member are fitted together. Gardening grids 102 and 103 are connected by a connecting part 301, where adjacent outer and inner connecting parts of each horizontal member are fitted together. Gardening grids 103 and 101 are connected by a connecting part 302, where adjacent outer and inner connecting parts of each horizontal member are fitted together. As a result, a stable three-dimensional support structure can be easily constructed by assembling three gardening grids into a triangular prism shape.

[0035] Figure 10 is a perspective view of an arch-shaped support structure. In this example, six horticultural lattice units 101-106 can be easily assembled into an arch shape by connecting them vertically and horizontally.

[0036] The horticultural lattice body 101 is connected vertically by the connecting portion 200 by inserting the insertion portion at the lower end of each vertical member of the horticultural lattice body 102 into the insertion hole at the upper end of each vertical member, and the horticultural lattice body 103 is connected vertically by the connecting portion 201 by inserting the insertion portion at the lower end of each vertical member of the horticultural lattice body 104 into the insertion hole at the upper end of each vertical member.

[0037] Then, by fitting the adjacent outer and inner connecting portions of each lateral member of the horticultural lattice 101 and 105 together and connecting them with the connecting portion 300, fitting the adjacent outer and inner connecting portions of each lateral member of the horticultural lattice 105 and 106 together and connecting them with the connecting portion 301, and fitting the adjacent outer and inner connecting portions of each lateral member of the horticultural lattice 106 and 103 together and connecting them with the connecting portion 302, the horticultural lattice 105 and 106 can be configured in an arch shape with an opening at the bottom.

[0038] Figure 11 is a perspective view relating to a second embodiment of the horticultural lattice body according to the present invention, and Figure 12 is a plan view (Figure 12(a)) and a front view (Figure 12(b)) showing a partially enlarged view of the upper part of the second embodiment shown in Figure 11.

[0039] The horticultural lattice 10 is constructed by integrating multiple vertical members 11, which are spaced apart, and multiple horizontal members 12, which are spaced apart and intersect with the vertical members 11, in a lattice-like structure. The number of vertical members 11 and horizontal members 12 can be set as needed, and two or more are sufficient.

[0040] In this example, the vertical member 11 and the horizontal member 12 are integrated by a connecting portion 13 that is integrally molded in resin to cover the intersection. A pair of outer connecting portions 14 that constitute a hinge are integrally molded in resin at the right end of the horizontal member 12, and an inner connecting portion 15 that constitutes a hinge is integrally molded in resin at the left end.

[0041] The vertical members 11 are cylindrical members with openings 16 formed at their upper and lower ends. In this example, a metal pipe material coated with a resin layer is used as the vertical member 11. Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram of how to connect gardening lattice bodies 10 in the vertical direction. Multiple vertical members 11 adjacent to each other in the vertical direction are arranged with their respective circular openings 16 at the upper and lower ends facing each other, and can be easily connected by attaching a connecting member 20 between the openings 16.

[0042] In this example, the connecting member 20 is molded from a cylindrical resin material, and an annular projection 20a is formed in the central part of its outer surface. The connecting member 20 can be strengthened by incorporating a metal core rod as a reinforcing material along its central axis. The connecting member 20 can be securely connected by press-fitting both ends of the connecting member 20 into the openings 16 at the upper and lower ends of the vertical members 11, respectively. After connecting the vertical members 11 with the connecting member 20, the connecting portion can be fixed with screws or the like to integrate the vertical members so that they are continuous in the vertical direction.

[0043] The lateral member 12 can be made by cutting a metal wire coated with a resin layer to a predetermined length; for example, an iron wire with a circular or square cross-section may be used. The outer connecting portion 14 and inner connecting portion 15, which are resin-molded at both ends of the lateral member 12, can be formed by known resin molding methods.

[0044] For example, both ends of the strip member of the lateral member 12 can be set in a mold in which voids corresponding to the shapes of the outer connection portion 14 and the inner connection portion 15 are formed, and can be formed by insert molding in which a resin material is injected into the mold. The resin material preferably has strength to maintain the shape of the connection portion and has characteristics as a gardening product such as durability and weather resistance. Examples thereof include polypropylene and polyethylene.

[0045] The connecting portion 13 is resin-molded so as to cover the intersection where the vertical member 11 and the lateral member 12 abut. A vertical connecting portion 13a molded so as to surround the periphery of the intersection of the vertical member 11 with a predetermined width and a lateral connecting portion 13b molded so as to surround the periphery of the intersection of the lateral member 12 with a predetermined width are integrally molded.

[0046] The connecting portion 13 can be formed by a known resin molding method. For example, the intersection where the vertical member 11 and the lateral member 12 abut is set in a mold in which voids corresponding to the shape of the connecting portion 13 are formed, and can be formed by insert molding in which a resin material is injected into the mold. The resin material preferably has strength to maintain the lattice shape of the intersection and has characteristics as a gardening product such as durability and weather resistance, and it is preferable to use the same resin material as that of the connecting portion. Further, since the outer peripheral surfaces of the vertical member 11 and the lateral member 12 are covered with a resin layer, the connecting portion 13 can be resin-molded with sufficient adhesive force, and the durability and weather resistance of the intersection can be improved.

[0047] The gardening lattice body 10 can be connected and attached by arranging in the horizontal direction and connecting the outer connection portion 14 and the inner connection portion 15 that constitute adjacent hinges of the lateral member 12, and can be attached via a connecting member 20 by arranging in the vertical direction and connecting the adjacent openings 16 of the vertical member 11. Therefore, by arranging and attaching a plurality of gardening lattice bodies 10 vertically and horizontally according to the application, it is possible to assemble column structures of various shapes as shown in FIGS. 5 to 10.

[0048] 1, 10... Horticultural lattice body, 2, 11... Vertical side member, 3, 12... Horizontal side member, 4... Intersection, 5, 14... Outer connecting part, 6, 15... Inner connecting part, 7... Insertion hole, 8... Insertion part, 13... Connection part, 20... Connecting member

Claims

1. A horticultural lattice for assembling a support structure by connecting vertically and horizontally, comprising a plurality of vertical members arranged at intervals and a plurality of horizontal members arranged at intervals intersecting the vertical members, wherein one end of each horizontal member is integrally molded in resin to form a hinge, and the other end is integrally molded in resin to form a hinge.

2. The horticultural lattice body according to claim 1, wherein a pair of outer connecting portions constituting a hinge are integrally molded at one end of the lateral member, an inner connecting portion constituting a hinge is integrally molded at the other end of the lateral member, the inner connecting portion is formed to be joinable between the outer connecting portions, and a projection is formed on one of the joining surfaces of the outer connecting portion and the inner connecting portion, and a hole that can be fitted into the projection is formed on the other.

3. The horticultural lattice body according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the horizontal member is integrally molded in resin to cover the portion that intersects with the vertical member.

4. The horticultural lattice body according to claim 3, wherein the horizontal member has a reinforcing portion integrally molded at the intersection with the vertical member, which covers the periphery of the vertical member in a cylindrical shape.

5. The horticultural lattice body according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vertical member and the horizontal member are integrated by a connecting portion that is integrally molded in resin at the intersection.

6. The horticultural grid according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vertical side member is made of a metal rod-shaped body covered with a resin layer, one end of which is exposed for a predetermined length, and the other end of which is formed by tubular resin layer into which the end of the rod-shaped body can be inserted.

7. The horticultural lattice body according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vertical side member is made of a cylindrical member having openings formed at both ends, and can be assembled by inserting connecting members into the openings.

8. A support structure assembled by connecting a plurality of horticultural lattice bodies according to claim 1 or 2, wherein adjacent horticultural lattice bodies are rotatably attached by connecting one part and the other part that constitute a hinge with the lateral members of the support structure.

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