CULTIVATING TROUGH MADE FROM METAL

Abstract: The invention relates to a cultivating trough made from metal for cultivating plants and adapted to be suspended, or to be supported, in a greenhouse, said trough being pro­ vided with a trough bottom and with two upstanding side walls. According to the invention at least one tube has been fitted to the trough, which tube is adapted to be received in a circuit for a heating medium.

Description: Cultivating trough made from metal. The invention relates to a cultivating trough made from metal for cultivating plants and adapted to be sus- pended, or to be supported, in a greenhouse, said trough being provided with a trough bottom and with two upstanding side walls. Cultivating troughs of this kind are used for cultivating plants, which are e.g. placed in pots on the trough bottom, and are generally manufactured in very large lengths. These cultivating troughs are suspended in a greenhouse or are supported at spaced locations A special hea- ting system in the greenhouse takes care of the heating of the air in the greenhouse in order to maintain the plants, which are placed in the cultivating trough, at the required temperature. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved construction of the cultivating trough described hereinabove. To this end the cultivating trough according to the invention is characterized in that at least one tube has been fitted to the trough, which tube is adapted to be received in a circuit for a heating medium. According to the invention the cultivating trough is provided with its own heating element, which directly heats the cultivating trough. This direct heating of the trough is particularly efficient. Therefore it is possible to work with a lower space temperature in the greenhouse. According to the invention the cultivating trough functions as it where itself as a heating element for the space heating in the greenhouse. In this manner a considerable saving in energy is achieved, as the special heating system for the space heating in the greenhouse can be dispensed with in many cases. Due to the large heating surface of the cultivating trough a low temperature, e,g. a temperature of 300 C for the heating -medium, generally warm water, may be applied. Further, because of the application of the tube (tubes) to the trough. a considerable increase in rigidity of the culti-vating trough is obtained, so that less supports for the cultivating trough are necessary, or the cultivating trough may be made from thinner material. In this manner a considerable saving in costs can be obtained. According to a favourable embodiment of the cultivating trough according to the invention the tube (tubes) is (arse) mounted underneath the trough bottom. With great advantage the tube (tubes) can be integrally formed with the trough. In case that the cultivating trough is made from aluminium or the like material, the tube (tubes) can be integrally extruded with the trough. The invention will hereafter be elucidated with reference to the drawing, which shows a number of embodiments by way of example of a cultivating trough according to the invention. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a part of a first embodiment of the cultivating trough according to the invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of parts of modified embodiments of the cultivating trough according to fig 1. The cultivating troughs for cultivating plants shown in the drawing, which are made from aluminium, are adapted to be suspended in a greenhouse or to be supported at spaced locations. These cultivating troughs are provided with a trough bottom 1, two tubes 2, 4 and two upstanding side walls 3. As an alternative it is also possible to only use one tube 2 or 4. The tubes -2, 4 are integrally extruded with each cultivating trough. In the embodiments shown by way of exam- ple these tubes 2, 4 are positioned underneath the trough bottom, but these tubes can also be formed at other locations of the trough. Of these tubes 2, 4 which may possess any desired cross-section and which -may e.g. be round, at least one tube 4 is received in a circuit for a heating medium, in general warm water. In the embodiment according to fig. 1 the flat trough bottom l, which extends between the upstanding side walls 3, is of fully closed construction and both tubes 2, 4 are received in the supply stretch and in the return stretch respectively of the circuit for the heating medium Of course it is also possible to only receive one of the tubes 2, 4 in the circuit for the heating medium and to keep the other tube out of operation. In this manner a cultivating trough is provided, which is constructed as it where with its own heating means. The tube or the tubes 2, 4, which is (are) used for this heating, still has (have) a second function, as they increase the rigidity of the cultivating trough at the same time. Due to the large heating surface of the cultivating trough it is possible to work with a low temperature of the heating medium. This makes it possible to consider the -application of sun collectors or earth heat. If desired a heat accumulation system can be combined herewith. In the embodiment of the cultivating trough according to fig. 2 only the tube 4 is received in the circuit for the heating medium while the tube 2 is connected at its top with the cultivating trough through a slot-shaped passage 5 formed in the trough bottom 1, which passage has a width of e.g. 1 -mm. Through this slot-shaped passage 5 the water-fertilizer mixture can be supplied. With the trough according to the invention a closable discharge opening can be formed in an end partition (not shown) above the trough bottom. Further, because of the applied heating of the trough, evaporatidn of any fluid left behind in the trough will occur. The slot-shaped passage 5 may continue through. approximately the entire length of the cultivating trough, or may contain interruptions. As appears from the drawing the tubes 2 and 4 may at least approximately be each others mirror image. Fig. 3 shows still another embodiment of the cultivating trough according to the invention, wherein the slotshaped passage 6 is defined by at least approximately horizontal strips 7, 8, which connect to the opposite sides of the tube 2 and which are integrally formed with the trough. The strip 7 forms a part of the trough bottom 1, while the strip 8 lies a slight distance above the surface of the trough bottom I and overlaps the strip 7 over a small distance. The slot--shaped passage 6 obtained in this way has a height of e.g. I -mm. Instead of the application of the slot-shaped passage 5, as shown in fig. 2, it is also possible to connect the tube 2 at its top with the trough through perforations in the trough bottom only. In this case the trough bottom 1 extends again from the one upstanding side wall 3 to the opposite upstanding side wall 3 and a particularly rigid construction is obtained. According to a further alternative it is possible to cover the tube 2 at its top with a gauze. Therefore, the invention is not restricted to the embodiments shown in the drawing by way of example, which may be varied in several manners within the scope of the invention.

Claims: Claims; s 1. Cultivating trough made from metal for cultivating plants and adapted to be suspended, or to be supported, in a greenhouse, said trough being provided with a trough bottom and with two upstanding side walls, c h ar a c t e r i z e d in that at least one tube has been fitted to the trough, which tube is adapted to be received in a circuit for a heating medium. 2. Cultivating trough according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i -z e d in that the tube (tubes) is (are) mounted underneath the trough bottom. 3 Cultivating trough according to claim 1 or 2, char act e r i z e d in that the tube (tubes) is (are) integrally formed with the trough. 4. Cultivating trough according to claim 3, made from aluminium or the like material, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the tube (tubes) is (are) integrally extruded with the trough. 5. Cultivating trough according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that two tubes are applied, one tube being received in the supply stretch and the other tube being received in the return stretch of the circuit for the heating medium. 6. Cultivating trough according to any one of the preceding claims, made with at least two tubes, c h a r a ct e r i z e d in that one of the tubes is connected at its top with the trough. 7. Cultivating trough according to claim 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the relative tube is connected at its top with the trough through a slot-shaped passage only. 8. Cultivating trough according to claim 7, c h ar a c t e r i z e d in that the trough bottom extends between the upstanding side walls and that the slot-shaped passage is formed in the trough bottom. 9. Cultivating trough according to claim 7, c h ar a c t e r i z e d in that the slot-shaped passage is defined by at least approximately horizontal strips, which are connected to the opposite walls of the relative tube and which are integrally formed with the trough. 10. Cultivating trough according to claim 9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the one strip forms a part of the trough bottom, while the other strip lies a slight distance above the surface of the trough bottom. 11. Cultivating trough according to claim 10, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that both strips overlap each other. 12. Cultivating trough according to claim 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the trough bottom runs from the one upstanding side wall through to the other upstanding side wall and that the relative tube is connected at its top with the trough through perforations in this trough bottom only. 13. Cultivating trough according to claim 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the relative tube is covered at its top by a gauze.

Inventors: VAN ZAAL, FRANCISCUS JOHANNES MARIA
Applicants: WARMTETECHNIEK FRANS VAN ZAAL B.V.
Application year: 1983
Main classification: A01G9
IPC codes: A01G9