NL2014587B1

NL2014587B1 - Greenhouse with netting system.

Info

Publication number: NL2014587B1
Application number: NL2014587A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Johannes Gerardus Schulte Marcel
Original assignee: Holland Gaas B V
Priority date: 2015-04-07
Filing date: 2015-04-07
Publication date: 2017-01-19
Also published as: NL2014587A

Abstract

Greenhouse comprising a wall and a roof, a ventilation opening in the wall or the roof to form a ventilation passage, and a netting system to prevent passage of insects through the ventilation passage, wherein the netting system comprises a netting that is formed with a gauze, wherein the gauze comprises a woven textile with warp threads and crossing weft threads that al ternatingly go over and under the consecutive warp threads whereby the warp threads and the weft threads both have a triangular undulating shape along their length, wherein the warp threads and the weft threads each comprise at least one strand formed with a plastic resln and a phosphoruscontaining flame retardant and optionally one or more additives, wherein in the strands buckles are formed at their crossings to keep the warp threads and crossing weft threads positioned parallel and spaced apart from each other.

Description

Greenhouse with netting system BACKGROUND

The invention relates to a greenhouse comprising a wall and a roof, a ventilation opening in the wall or the roof to form a ventilation passage, and a netting system to prevent passage of insects through the ventilation passage, wherein the netting system comprises a netting that is formed with a gauze.

When the known netting systems are exposed to fire, they start burning themselves and cause a fire in a greenhouse to escalate.

It is an object of the invention to provide a netting system for a greenhouse with effective flame retarding properties when exposed to fire.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a greenhouse comprising a wall and a roof, a ventilation opening in the wall or the roof to form a ventilation passage, and a netting system to prevent passage of insects through the ventilation passage, wherein the netting system comprises a netting that is formed with a gauze, wherein the gauze comprises a woven textile with warp threads and crossing weft threads that alternatingly go over and under the consecutive warp threads whereby the warp threads and the weft threads both have a triangular undulating shape along their length, wherein the warp threads and the weft threads each comprise at least one strand formed with a plastic resin and a phosphorus-containing flame retardant and optionally one or more additives, wherein in the strands buckles are formed at their crossings to keep the warp threads and crossing weft threads positioned parallel and spaced apart from each other .

It has been found that the combination of this specific flame retardant in the strands in combination with the specific textile structure in which engaging buckles are formed in the crossing strands as fixations, forms a gauze that, when exposed to flames, will not combust but will only melt. In this way it is prevented that an initial fire in the greenhouse escalates. During melting there are no poisonous gasses formed.

Particular examples of phosphorus-containing flame retardants are phosphate esters, phosphonates and phosphinates, red phosphorus and ammonium polyphosphate or mixtures thereof. The phosphorus-containing flame retardant may be in the form of a flame retarding composition encompassing a flame retarding adjuvant in addition to a flame retarding phosphorus-containing compound. A phosphorus-containing flame retardant used to form the strand with the plastic resin may be used in any suitable amount that provides flame retarding characteristics to the gauze, depending on the specific material composition of the strand. Without being limited to a particular amount, for example 5-50% or 10-30% of phosphorus-containing flame retardant may be used based on the weight of the strand material.

The at least one strand may be formed with a plastic resin and a phosphorus-containing flame retardant and one or more additives. Such additives may be colorants, UV-stabilizers, or adjuvants improving the flame retarding characteristics of the gauze. Additives can be used in any suitable amount.

The at least one strand is preferably essentially formed of a plastic resin and a phosphorus-containing flame retardant. In this case small amounts of impurities or additives may be present in the strand material, for example less than 5%, or less than 1%, or less than 0,1 %, or less than 0, 01 % based on the weight of the strand material. The strand may also be formed of a plastic resin and a phosphorus-containing flame retardant, i.e. without impurities or additives.

The phosphorus-containing flame retardant may be integrated into the material of the strand, i.e. into the plastic resin by physical mixing. In this embodiment the plastic resin and the phosphorus-containing flame retardant are separate chemical entities or compounds.

Alternatively, the phosphorus-containing flame retardant can be chemically bound into the plastic material. In this embodiment the plastic resin and the phosphorus-containing flame retardant form one chemical entity or compound. The material of the strand may also consist of a combination of the above two embodiments.

As a further alternative the flame retardant may be applied to a plastic resin strand in the form of a coating.

The plastic resin preferably is a thermoplastic resin. Polyolefines are preferred resins. Polyethylene is particularly preferred. A polyolefine or polyethylene provide sufficient flexibility to the gauze to be used as a netting.

In an embodiment the warp threads comprise one single strand.

In an alternative embodiment the warp threads comprise two or more parallel strands.

In an embodiment the weft threads comprise one single strand.

In an alternative embodiment the weft threads comprise two or more parallel strands.

In an embodiment the roof comprises a slanting upper surface with the opening and a rectangular glass panel that covers the opening, wherein at its upper edge the glass panel is hingeably connected with the roof construction to hinge between a closed position in which the glass panel extends substantially parallel to the upper surface and an open position in which the glass panel is oriented oblique with respect to the upper surface to form the ventilation passage, wherein the netting system comprises a framework along the lower edge and the adjacent parallel side edges of the glass panel, and the insect netting is connected with the framework to cover the ventilation passage.

In an embodiment the framework is clamped along the lower edge and the adjacent parallel side edges of the glass panel, wherein the framework encloses these edges and permanently exerts a clamping force or pinching force on the glass panel along the edges under bias of a bending portion of the framework to keep the framework in its clamped position on the glass panel. The clamping force can be exerted continuously or distributed along the edges of the glass panel.

In an embodiment the insect netting is pleated in a bellow configuration to collapse in a stacked manner under the lower edge and the adjacent parallel side edges of the glass panel, wherein in the closed position of the glass panel the cover extends over the collapsed insect netting. The cover protects the insect netting against sunlight or a glass washing machine when not in use.

In an embodiment the glass panel is a hardened glass panel.

The invention further provides a netting system suitable for the greenhouse according to any one of the preceding claims.

The various aspects and features described and shown in the specification can be applied, individually, wherever possible. These individual aspects, in particular the aspects and features described in the attached dependent claims, can be made subject of divisional patent applications .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be elucidated on the basis of an exemplary embodiment shown in the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a greenhouse with a roof having glass panels with a netting system; figure 2 one of the glass panels with the netting system of figure 1 in more detail; figure 3 the gauze of the netting system of figure 2 in more detail; and figure 4 a further enlargement of the gauze of figure 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figures 1 and 2 show a greenhouse 1 of the Venlo type. The greenhouse 1 comprises a roof construction 10 that is supported by multiple parallel rows of vertical columns 11. The roof construction 10 comprises a framework with multiple parallel roof ridge profiles 15 and lower rain gutter profiles 18 that are interconnected with slanting window profiles 16. The profiles 15, 16, 18 are made of metal, in particular aluminum, and form rectangular rabbets for fixed glass panels 20.

The roof construction 10 furthermore comprises regularly distributed hardened glass panels 30 that at the upper side are hingeably connected with the ridge profiles 15. The hardened glass panels 30 are transparent to allow light to enter the greenhouse 1. As shown in figure 2 the glass panels 30 are in this example shorter than the fixed glass panels 20. Therefore a horizontal window profile 17 is mounted between the two adjacent slanting window profiles 16 to form a rabbet for an additional fixed glass panel 21 below the hardened glass panel 20.

Each hardened glass panel 30 can swing in direction A between the open position as shown in figure 2, and a closed position to regulate the ventilation of the greenhouse 1. In the closed position the hardened glass panel 30 rests on the window profiles 16, 17. The hardened glass panels 30 are swung in direction A by two push rods 40 having distributed connections 41 in the hardened glass panels 30 and a common connection with a slide 42 that can move in direction B along a horizontal rail 43 of the roof construction 10 by means of an electromotor.

The hardened glass panels 30 are provided with a netting system 50 to prevent passage of insects when the hardened glass panels 30 are in the open position. These can be harmful insects that have to be kept outside the greenhouse 1 or specific insects that are held inside the greenhouse 1. The netting system 50 comprises a framework 51 that is mounted along the free side edges of the hardened glass panel 30, and an insect netting 57 of fine mesh plastic gauze 60 of which an enlargement is shown in figure 3. In this example the gauze 60 is pleated in a bellow configuration in order to stack when it collapses. At the upper side the insect netting 57 is connected with the framework 51, for example by stitching, and at the lower side the insect netting 57 is connected to the corresponding window profiles 16, 17 along the ventilation opening.

In an alternative embodiment, which is not shown, the netting system 50 comprises an insect netting that is connected with the framework 51 and with the corresponding window profiles 16, 17 as described here before, wherein the insect netting itself is stretched in the outermost opened position of the hardened glass panel 30. Around the stretched netting extends an elastic cable having its ends at the hinging edge of the hardened glass panels 30 to urge the netting to collapse into the ventilation opening when the hardened glass panel 30 swings to its closing position.

The gauze 60 of the netting is shown enlarged and in cross section in figures 4A and 4B. The gauze 60 comprises a woven textile with warp threads 61 and crossing weft threads 62 that alternatingly go over and under the consecutive warp threads 61, whereby the warp threads 61 and the weft threads 62 both have a triangular undulating shape along their length. In this embodiment the warp threads 61 are each a single strand 63 and the weft threads 62 are two strands 63 parallel to each other. The strands 63 are made of a plastic resin. The strands 63 have a thickness of less than 1 millimeter, preferably less than 0,5 millimeter.

After weaving the woven textile has been placed between two heated parallel pressing plates or pressing rolls having a temperature just below the melting point of the plastic. The strands 63 of the warp threads 61 and the weft threads 62 have been exposed to spot pressure at the crossings 65 of the strands 63 as they form local stacks in the woven textiles. The strands 63 have been urged and fixated into the triangular undulating shape in which the strands 63 are permanently straight between the crossings 65 and are permanently buckled at the crossings 65. The facing buckles 65 that engage each other ensure that the strands 63 remain fixated parallel and spaced apart from each other, leaving air gaps in between having a length and a width that is 2-10 times the thickness of the strands 63. In the strands 63 a small welding area may formed at the crossings 65 in which only a little part of the material of the strands 63 at the crossing 65 is sacrificed into the melt to provide additional fixation.

The strands 63 are made of a plastic resin, preferably a thermoplastic resin, in particular polyolefin, in this example polyethylene. A phosphorus-containing flame retardant has been added to the resin as active ingredient against fire. It has been found that the combination of this specific flame retardant in the strands 63 in combination with the specific textile structure in which the strands 63 have a triangular undulating shape for mutual fixation of the strands 63, forms a gauze 60 that, when exposed to flames, will not combust but will only melt. In this way it is prevented that an initial fire in the greenhouse 1 escalates.

It is to be understood that the above description is included to illustrate the operation of the preferred embodiments and is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. From the above discussion, many variations will be apparent to one skilled in the art that would yet be encompassed by the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

A greenhouse comprising a wall and a roof, a ventilation opening in the wall or the roof to form a ventilation passage, and a net system to prevent passage of insects through the ventilation passage, the net system comprising a net formed with a mesh wherein the mesh comprises a woven textile with warp threads and intersecting weft threads that alternately pass over and under successive warp threads, whereby the warp threads and the weft threads both have a triangular wavy shape, the warp threads and the weft threads each having at least one strand include those formed with a plastic resin and a phosphorus-containing flame retardant and optionally one or more additives, kinks being formed at the intersections to keep the warp threads and the intersecting weft threads parallel and spaced apart.

The greenhouse of claim 1, wherein the plastic resin is a polyolefin.

The greenhouse of claim 2, wherein the polyolefin is polyethylene.

A greenhouse according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the warp threads comprise a single strand.

5. Greenhouse as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the warp threads comprise two or more parallel strands.

Greenhouse according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the weft threads comprise a single strand.

7. Greenhouse as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the weft threads comprise two or more parallel strands.

A greenhouse according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the roof comprises an inclined top surface with the opening and a rectangular glass panel covering the opening, wherein the glass panel is pivotally connected at its upper edge to the roof construction to pivot between a closed position in which the glass panel extending substantially parallel to the upper surface and an open position in which the glass panel is oriented obliquely with respect to the upper surface to form the ventilation passage, the net system comprising a frame along the lower edge and the adjacent parallel side edges of the glass panel, and the net is connected to the frame to cover the ventilation passage.

Greenhouse according to claim 8, wherein the frame is clamped along the lower edge and the adjacent side edges of the glass panel, the frame enclosing these edges and permanently exerting a clamping force or squeezing force along the edges on the glass panel while biasing a bending portion of the frame to hold the frame in its clamped position on the glass panel.

Greenhouse according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the net is folded into a bellows shape to fold in a stacked manner below the lower edge and the adjacent side edges, the glass panel extending over the folded insect net in the closed position.

A greenhouse according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the glass panel is a glass panel of tempered glass.

12. Network system suitable for the greenhouse according to one of the preceding claims. -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-