GB2548583A

GB2548583A - Illumination arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2548583A
Application number: GB1604783.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Cormack James
Original assignee: Haygrove Ltd
Current assignee: Haygrove Ltd
Priority date: 2016-03-22
Filing date: 2016-03-22
Publication date: 2017-09-27
Anticipated expiration: 2036-03-22
Also published as: GB2548583B; GB201604783D0; WO2017163020A1

Abstract

An illumination arrangement comprises a support leg 14, a first gutter member 22 carried by the support leg 14 at a first height, and a second gutter member 24 carried by the support leg 14 at a second, lower height, wherein the first gutter member 22 carries, on the underside thereof, a lamp arrangement 28 aiding illumination of the upper surface of the second gutter member 24 or items such as plants supported thereon. The lamps may be LEDs, which may be of different colours or sodium lamps. The arrangement may further comprise a third gutter member 26 and the lamp arrangement aids illumination of the surface of the third gutter member. The third gutter may be at the same height at the second gutter member. The first gutter may comprise a rainwater collection gutter.

Description

ILLUMINATION ARRANGEMENT

This invention relates to an illumination arrangement for use in buildings, greenhouses, polytunnels or other structures to provide illumination to areas within the building or other structure. By way of example, the invention may be employed within a polytunnel to provide illumination to areas in which crops are to be grown. It will be appreciated, however, that this represents merely one example of an application in which the invention may be used, and the invention may also be employed in a number of other applications.

It is becoming increasingly common for crops such as soft fruit to be grown within temporary structures such as polytunnels. By way of example, rows of supporting tables, gutters or the like are typically provided within the polytunnel, each gutter carrying a substrate of a suitable growing medium in which plants are grown. Commonly, a pair of elongate supporting gutters are supported in a side-by-side fashion, carried upon or supported by a single row of legs.

It is desirable, in such arrangements, to maximise the number of rows of gutters or the like that are present within the polytunnel in order to maximise yield. The spacing between the rows of legs carrying each pair of supporting gutters is thus kept as small as is practical. In order to further enhance the yield possible from a polytunnel, it is known to provide an additional gutter at an elevated position between the gutters forming each pair. Whilst this enables additional rows of plants to be accommodated within the polytunnel, and so the overall yield may be enhanced, one disadvantage of providing such an additional gutter is that the gutter, and the plants growing thereon, tend to cast a shadow over the lower gutters. The reduced light levels experienced by plants growing on the lower gutters can negatively impact upon crop yield which, clearly, is not desired. As a result, despite the potential advantages associated therewith, the additional gutters only tend to be used in locations with especially high light levels, such as in certain areas within South Africa.

It is known to locate strips of LED lamps or sodium lamps at an elevated position within a polytunnel or other building or structure to enhance the illumination thereof. However, the high level location of these lights is relatively inefficient, and there is still the issue that the additional rows of gutters or the like, and crops carried thereby, tend to cast shadows over the crops carried by the lower gutters.

Where two or more polytunnels are provided alongside one another, it is known to provide a rainwater collection gutter between the polytunnels to carry rainwater to an end of the polytunnels. Where plant supporting gutters are located close to or beneath such a rainwater collection gutter, the rainwater collection gutter can cast a shadow over the plants supported by the plant supporting gutters leading to similar issues to those set out above.

Whilst the description above relates to the illumination of the interior of a polytunnel, it will be appreciated that similar issues may be faced where crops are grown within greenhouses or the like. Furthermore, similar issues may be faced in other applications such as in industrial farming warehouses or the like.

According to the invention there is provided an illumination arrangement comprising a support leg, a first gutter member carried by the support leg at a first height, and a second gutter member carried by the support leg at a second, lower height, wherein the first gutter member carries, on the underside thereof, a lamp arrangement aiding illumination of the upper surface of the second gutter member or items supported thereon.

The lamp arrangement conveniently takes the form of at least one row of LEDs. Preferably, a plurality of LEDs of different colours are provided. The selection of colours, ratios of colours, spacings thereof, etc, are preferably chosen in such a fashion that the light incident upon the upper surface of the second gutter member is of a desired frequency or frequency profile, and is of a desired intensity.

Alternatively, the lamp may take the form of a sodium lamp or the like.

Each leg may further carry a third gutter member, conveniently at substantially the same height as the second gutter member, and the lamp arrangement is preferably additionally arranged to aid illumination of the upper surface of the third gutter member. By way of example, this may be achieved through the provision of at least one further row of LEDs or the like.

The second and third gutter members are conveniently adapted to carry the substrate or growing medium in which plants are grown. The first gutter member may similarly be arranged to carry a substrate or growing medium in which plants are grown. Alternatively, the first gutter member may take the form of a rainwater collection gutter.

The first gutter member is preferably of a metallic material. Consequently, it may be of good thermal conductivity, and so may serve as an effective heat sink, conducting heat generated by the lamp arrangement away therefrom, and the relatively large surface area of the first gutter member may aid disbursal of the heat. It will be appreciated that heat conducted away from the lamp arrangement may aid warming of plants carried by, for example, the first gutter member, and so may promote growth thereof.

Alternatively, the first gutter member may be of a suitable plastics material.

The first gutter member may be adapted to conduct water along the length thereof. By way of example, where used to support a substrate or plant growing medium, the first gutter member may conduct water draining from the substrate or plant growing medium to a remote location. Where serving as a rainwater collection gutter, the first gutter member may serve to collect and carry rainwater to remote location. The water conducted along the gutter member may serve to disburse heat generated by the lamp arrangement to remote locations, avoiding overheating of the lamp arrangement or parts of the gutter member adjacent thereto.

The invention will further be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are diagrammatic representations illustrating an illumination arrangement in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate an alternative embodiment.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2, an illumination arrangement 10 is illustrated for use in aiding the illumination of plants growing within a polytunnel structure 12.

As illustrated, within the polytunnel structure 12 is located a series of rows of support legs 14 each of which is driven into the ground so as to be supported in an upright configuration and carries, at its upper end, a first gutter support bracket 16, and at a lower level, second and third gutter support brackets 18, 20. The first gutter support brackets 16 associated with each leg 14 of one of the rows together support a first gutter member 22. Similarly, the second gutter support brackets 18 together support a second gutter member 24, and the third gutter support brackets 20 together support a third gutter member 26. Each gutter member 22, 24, 26 is of elongate form, extending in the longitudinal direction of the polytunnel structure 12, each gutter member 22, 24, 26 supporting a substrate or growing medium (not shown) in which plants are grown. The gutter members 22, 24, 26, in the arrangement illustrated, are of a metallic material, for example of steel sheet, rolled or otherwise formed to take on a desired profile. Alternatively, they may be of a suitable plastics material, for example extruded to take on a desired profile. The gutter members 22, 24, 26 not only serve to provide a supporting function, supporting the substrate or growing medium, and plants growing therein, but may also serve to collect water draining therefrom, conducting the water away to a remote location.

The first gutter member 22, and plants carried thereby, will tend to cast shadows over the plants carried by the second and/or third gutter members 24, 26 due to the first gutter member 22 being at an elevated position compared to the second and third gutter members 24, 26, and due to the relatively small lateral spacings therebetween. As mentioned hereinbefore, such shading of the plants carried by the second and third gutter members 24, 26 is disadvantageous and, potentially, much of the benefit associated with the provision of the first gutter member 22 in increasing yield could be outweighed by the loss in productivity resulting from the shading of the plants carried by the second and third gutter members 24, 26.

In accordance with the invention, the first gutter member 22 is provided with a lamp arrangement in the form of rows or series of LEDs 28 carried by the first gutter member 22. By way of example, the two or three, or more, rows of LEDs 28 may extend adjacent one another. The LEDs 28 are secured to the first gutter member 22 in such a manner that the first gutter member 22 acts as a heat sink, conducting heat away from the LEDs 28. By way of example, heat generating parts of the LEDs 28 may be positioned in contact with or substantially in contact with the material of the first gutter member 22 to as to permit the first gutter member 22 to act in this manner. The positioning of the LEDs 28 is such that at least one of the rows or series thereof emit light towards the upper surface of the second gutter member 24, illuminating the plants carried thereby, and at least another of the rows or series of LEDs 28 emits light towards the upper surface of the third gutter member 26, illuminating the plants carried thereby. By way of example, the LEDs 28 may be arranged in two groups, one group including, say, two or three rows of LEDs 28 being positioned on one side of the first gutter member 22 to illuminate the second gutter member 24, and the other group, which also may include, say, two or three rows of LEDs 28, being positioned on the opposing side of the first gutter member 22 to illuminate the third gutter member 26.

It will be appreciated that the use of the lamp arrangement serves to reduce the shading of the plants carried by the second and third gutter members 24, 26 arising from the presence of the first gutter member 22. As a result, the reduction in crop yield that may arise due to such shading can be reduced or avoided. Indeed, illumination of the plants carried by the second and third gutter members 24, 26 may be enhanced compared even to the case where no first gutter member is present.

The LEDs 28 may all be of the same type, emitting light of a certain wavelength. However, preferably, the LEDs 28 take a range of forms, emitting different wavelengths of light. The number, type and spacing of the LEDs 28 is conveniently chosen so as to result in the plants carried by the second and third gutter members 24, 26 being illuminated by light of a preferred wavelength profile and intensity, selected to suit the characteristics of the plants being grown, to enhance or optimise plant growth and development, and yield. Indeed, there may be circumstances in which it is desired to vary the wavelength profile with which the plants are illuminated as the growing season advances, for example using wavelengths that aid growth early in the season, and using wavelengths that aid fruit production or ripening at other points in the growing season. By way of example, certain of the LEDs 28 may be arranged to emit red light, others to emit blue light, whilst others emit light in the ultraviolet and/or far red parts of the spectrum. As illustrated, the LEDs 28 need not be uniformly spaced, although this may be preferred for ease of manufacture.

It will be appreciated that, in use, the illumination system of the invention is advantageous in that plants may be grown in a space efficient manner, maximising crop yield from a polytunnel structure, by avoiding or reducing the negative effects of plants being shaded by the first gutter members 22. Heat generated by the lamp arrangements can be conducted away therefrom thereby reducing the risk of failure thereof or of damage to the first gutter member 22. The heat conducted from the lamp arrangements in this manner may warm the plants being grown, aiding growth and development thereof, for example, serving to heat the substrate or growing medium, or irrigation water, or serving to aid heating of the air within the polytunnel structure.

Whilst the use of LEDs 28 is convenient, it will be appreciated that other forms of lamp arrangement may be used. By way of example, sodium lamps or the like supported by the first gutter member 22 could be employed to illuminate the plants carried by the second and third gutter members 24, 26 and would result in many of the benefits set out hereinbefore being attained.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the application of the invention to arrangements in which the first gutter member 22 takes the form of a rainwater collection gutter located between adjacent polytunnel structures 12. In this case, in the absence of the invention, crops grown at this location would be shaded by the rainwater collection gutter. By using the rainwater collection gutter to support the lamp arrangement, the benefits of the invention set out hereinbefore may be attained whilst enabling optimisation of the use of the space within the series of adjacent polytunnel structures.

Whilst the description hereinbefore relates to the use of the invention in enhancing the illumination of crops being grown within a polytunnel structure, it will be appreciated that the invention may be employed in other applications, for example in greenhouses, industrial farming warehouses or the like, and in the illumination of items other than plants.

It will be appreciated that whilst specific embodiments of the invention are described herein, a number of modifications and alterations may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An illumination arrangement comprising a support leg, a first gutter member carried by the support leg at a first height, and a second gutter member carried by the support leg at a second, lower height, wherein the first gutter member carries, on the underside thereof, a lamp arrangement aiding illumination of the upper surface of the second gutter member or items supported thereon.

2. An arrangement according to Claim 1, wherein the lamp arrangement takes the form of at least one row of LEDs.

3. An arrangement according to Claim 2, wherein a plurality of LEDs of different colours is provided.

4. An arrangement according to Claim 3, wherein the selection of colours, ratios of colours, spacings thereof, of the LEDs are chosen in so that the light incident upon the upper surface of the second gutter member is of a desired frequency or frequency profile, and/or is of a desired intensity.

5. An arrangement according to any of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the LEDs are arranged in two groups.

6. An arrangement according to Claim 5 wherein one of the groups comprises a plurality of rows of LEDs arranged adjacent one another and arranged to aid illumination of the upper surface of the second gutter member or items supported thereon.

7. An arrangement according to Claim 5 or Claim 6, further comprising a third gutter member, and wherein another of the groups comprises a plurality of rows of LEDs arranged adjacent one another and arranged to aid illumination of the upper surface of the third gutter member or items supported thereon

8. An arrangement according to Claim 1, wherein the lamp arrangement comprises at least one sodium lamp or the like.

9. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each leg further carries a third gutter member and the lamp arrangement is additionally arranged to aid illumination of the upper surface of the third gutter member.

10. An arrangement according to Claim 9, wherein the third gutter member is at substantially the same height as the second gutter member.

11. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the second gutter member is adapted to carry the substrate or growing medium in which plants are grown.

12. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first gutter member is arranged to carry a substrate or growing medium in which plants are grown.

13. An arrangement according to any of Claims 1 to 11, wherein the first gutter member comprises a rainwater collection gutter.

14. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first gutter member is of a metallic material.

15. An arrangement according to any of Claims 1 to 13, wherein the first gutter member is of a plastics material.