Fastening System and Screen Installation for a Greenhouse, as well as Method for Attaching the Same

Abstract

A screen installation comprising a screen cloth assembly (22) with a screen cloth (7) and at least one flat strip (21) fastened to the screen cloth, as well as screen sections (8, 18), to opposite edges of the screen cloth, at least one screen section of which has an undercut chamber (20) and a longitudinal opening (23) that opens into this chamber, wherein the strip is accommodated in the chamber of the at least one screen section so that the screen cloth fastened to it can extend outwards from it through the longitudinal opening of the screen section. The strip (21) is fastened at a distance from the adjacent free edge of the screen cloth (7) in the form of a free screen cloth flap (19). The screen cloth flap extends from the strip and via the longitudinal opening (23) of the at least one screen section (8, 18) outwards from it.

Claims

1. A fastening system, comprising a flexible sheet member and at least one flat strip attached to the sheet member with main surfaces that face away and are mutually parallel, as well as at least one fastening section that has an undercut chamber and a longitudinal opening that opens into this chamber, wherein the strip is accommodated in the chamber of the fastening section, in such a way that one of the main surfaces thereof faces towards the longitudinal opening and the other main surface faces away from the longitudinal opening, and so that the sheet member fastened to the strip extends out of the fastening section through the longitudinal opening thereof, wherein the sheet member is fastened to the main surface of the strip facing towards the longitudinal opening at a fastening position that is located at the level of the longitudinal opening, and keeping free at least the other main surface of the strip, and wherein the strip is located at a distance from a free edge of the sheet member forming a free flap which is defined between this strip and this free edge of the sheet member, which flap extends from the fastening position on the strip into the longitudinal opening.

2. The fastening system according to claim 1, wherein the flap extends through the longitudinal opening of the fastening section from it towards the outside.

3. The fastening system according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the strip facing towards the longitudinal opening abuts against, or can be brought to directly abut against, the internal surface of the chamber on opposite sides of the longitudinal opening thereof.

4. The fastening system according to claim 1, wherein the flat strip has a total thickness dimension that is at least one order of magnitude smaller than the width thereof.

5. The fastening system according to claim 1, wherein the flexible member is fastened to the strip by means of a fastening, as obtained by stitching, adhesion, melting, riveting, or the like.

6. The fastening system according to claim 5, wherein the fastening extends essentially in the centre of the strip, viewed from the widthwise direction of the strip.

7. The fastening system according to claim 5, wherein the fastening between the flexible member and the strip is located at the main surfaces of the flexible member and the strip facing each other.

8. The fastening system according to claim 1, wherein the fastening section has an undercut chamber with an essentially rectangular or square internal transverse cross-section.

9. The fastening system according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal opening is located essentially in the middle of one of the walls that delimit the chamber.

10. The fastening system according to claim 1, wherein the widthwise direction of the strip is oriented transversely, preferably at approximately 90, with respect to the flexible member.

11. The fastening system according to claim 1, wherein the transverse cross-sectional dimensions of the strip and the transverse cross-sectional dimensions of the undercut chamber are selected in such a way that the strip is locked into the chamber to prevent the strip from leaving the chamber via the longitudinal opening thereof.

12. The fastening system according to claim 11, wherein the undercut chamber of each fastening section is open on at least one longitudinal end thereof, for sliding a strip into the chamber with the flexible member and flap attached to the strip.

13. A greenhouse or warehouse comprising a roof, a supporting structure on which the roof is supported, as well as a flexible sheet member that is suspended on opposite edges thereof on the supporting structure in each case by means of a fastening system according to claim 1.

14. The greenhouse or warehouse according to claim 13, wherein the screen is essentially horizontally-oriented, wherein the supporting structure is provided with mutually parallel beams, between which an essentially horizontal wire apron with mutually parallel wires is tensioned, and wherein the fastening sections are oriented transverse, preferably perpendicular, with respect to the wires of the wire apron, wherein the screen and at least one of the fastening sections, which at least one fastening section is implemented as a screen section, are supported by the wire apron so that they can be displaced back and forth, as well as a driving means for displacing the at least one screen section and the screen back and forth.

15. (canceled)

16. The greenhouse or warehouse according to claim 14, wherein the roof comprises gutters and a ridge supported at a higher level than the gutters by means of rods between the gutters, wherein panels are accommodated between the ridge, the respective gutter, and the rods that extend from the gutter to the ridge, to form a roof part, and wherein the flexible sheet member extends at a distance from and essentially parallel to the roof part, thereby forming a cavity between the roof part and the flexible sheet member, which flexible sheet member is fastened in each case onto or close to the gutter and the ridge by means of a respective fastening system.

17. An assembly for use in a greenhouse or warehouse, comprising a flexible sheet member and at least one flat strip, which is fastened to the flexible sheet member, and which defines first and second main surfaces that face away and are mutually parallel, wherein the strip extends along a longitudinal direction of the flexible sheet member, wherein the flexible sheet member is fastened to the first main surface of the strip by means of a linear fastening, such as obtained by stitching, adhesion, melting, riveting, or the like, which extends essentially in the centre of the strip, viewed in the widthwise direction of the strip, and wherein the second main surface of the strip is kept free, and that the strip is located at a distance from a free edge of the sheet member forming a free flap which is defined between the strip and the free edge of the sheet member.

18. The assembly according to claim 17 which is rolled up around a centreline that extends transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the screen, to form a roll.

19. A method for assembling a fastening system according to claim 1, comprising: creating an assembly comprising a flexible sheet member and at least one flat strip fastened to the flexible sheet member which strip is fastened at a distance from the adjacent free edge of the flexible sheet member forming a free flap, providing a fastening section that has an undercut chamber and a longitudinal opening that opens out into this chamber, inserting the assembly into the free longitudinal end of the fastening section so that one end of the strip and the flexible sheet member fastened thereto and the flap fastened thereto reach into a longitudinal end of the fastening section, and the screen protrudes outwards from the longitudinal opening, moving the assembly thus inserted into the fastening section along the fastening section.

20. The method according to claim 19, comprising the steps of: providing an assembly in the form of a roll, the roll centreline of which is oriented transversely to the longitudinal direction of the strip, placing the roll close to a free longitudinal end of the fastening section, unrolling the assembly of the roll and transferring the unrolled end of the assembly to the free or open longitudinal end of the fastening section.

21. The method according to claim 20, comprising: after unrolling the assembly, orienting the widthwise direction of the strip transversely with respect to the screen, folding or turning over the flap with respect to the flexible sheet member, subsequently introducing the strip into the fastening section.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0036] In the following, illustrative examples will be described exclusively by means of example using the accompanying schematic drawings, wherein corresponding components are indicated by corresponding reference symbols.

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a greenhouse with a screen installation according to an embodiment;

[0038] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a method of installing a screen cloth assembly into a greenhouse.

[0039] FIG. 3 shows the cross-section through the screen cloth assembly according to of FIG. 2.

[0040] FIG. 4 shows the cross-section through the screen installation according to IV-IV of FIG. 2.

[0041] FIG. 5 shows a greenhouse with an insulation layer according to an embodiment.

[0042] The drawings are only intended for illustrative purposes, and do not serve to restrict the scope of protection that is defined by the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0043] The greenhouse shown in FIG. 1 comprises a number of columns 1 on which rafters 2 are supported. The roof structure is supported on these rafters 2. This roof structure comprises gutter 3 in relation to which rods 4 are oriented slantingly upwards. The ridges 5 are supported on the rods 4. Between these rods 4, the gutters 3 and the ridges 5, glass plates 6 are accommodated.

[0044] In this greenhouse structure, at the level of the beams 2, the screen installation 13 according to the invention is attached. This screen installation 13 comprises a number of screen cloths 7 in a known way, one end of which is also connected to the fixed screen section 18 that is suspended on the under-girder 14 that forms a part of the rafters 2. The other end of the screen cloths 7 is connected to the screen sections 8, which are displaceable in a known way each between two beams 2. In connection with that, the screen sections 8 are connected by means of a known coupling 15 to the wire-shaped driving means 16. These driving means 16 ensure that the screen cloths 7 may be transferred between a closed and an opened position: in FIG. 1 an intermediate position is illustrated. The screen cloths 7 are supported against sagging by the wires 17. Also above the screen cloths 7, wires 17 are provided for preventing the former from being blown upwards.

[0045] In connection with installing the screen installation in the greenhouse, work proceeds as follows. First of all, the screen sections 8 and 18 are applied to the intended location. The fixed screen section 18 is fastened to the under-girder 14 of the rafter 2. The moveable screen section is placed near the opposite girder 14, so that the lip 26 thereof abuts against this under-girder: see FIGS. 2 and 4.

[0046] With this, an installation is employed including a vehicle 10 onto which a roll 11 is placed, which includes the assembly 22 of the screen cloth 7 and the strips 21 fastened thereto. FIG. 3 shows this assembly 22 in transverse cross-section. By means of the fastening 24, one side of the screen cloth 7 is fastened to the main surface 30 of each strip 21, while keeping free the other main surface 31 of the strip 21. The vehicle 10 has wheels 12, so that it is drivable along e.g. the heating pipes 9 or other rails which are located on the floor in a greenhouse. Therefore, the vehicle 10 may be placed next to each pair of rafters 14, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0047] In connection with the attachment of the assembly 22, the relevant screen section 8 as mentioned is moved up to the rafter 14 that is located opposite to the rafter 14 to which the fixed section 18 is fastened. The assembly 22 is then unrolled, wherein the strips 21 thereof are gradually rotated until they come to an upright state. For example, this may be achieved by applying transfer sections 27, 28 which have a twisted track. The screen cloth flaps 19 on opposite sides of the screen cloth are then also rotated, preferably towards a region above or onto the portion of the screen cloth 7 that is located in-between the strips 21. The strips 21 thus set-up may then be inserted into the undercut chambers 20, and indeed at the free open longitudinal ends 25 of the screen sections 8, 18. The screen cloth 7 and the screen cloth flaps 19 thereby end up in the longitudinal opening 23 of these screen sections 8, 18 as shown in FIG. 4.

[0048] By means of the tensioning device 29 (see FIG. 2), the assembly can then be further pulled into the undercut chambers 20 of the screen sections 8, 18, whereby the roll 11 is gradually unrolled.

[0049] Although in the shown embodiments, the undercut chamber 20 is integrally formed with the screen section 8, 18 implemented as a whole, it is also possible to accommodate this chamber in a screen section that is in turn connected with a main section, for example by means of a clip connection.

[0050] In FIG. 5, a detail is shown of a greenhouse in which under the glass panels 6 a film layer 32 is tensioned. Between this film layer 32 and the glass panels, a cavity 33 is thus formed that creates an insulating effect. In the detail of FIG. 5, the fastening of the film to the gutter 3 is shown; the opposite side of the film 32 is fastened in the same way (not shown) to the ridge of the greenhouse. Also here, the film flap 34 protrudes outwards, so that only parts of the strip 21 are in contact with the internal walls of the undercut chamber 20 which, in this example, forms an integral part of the gutter 3. Also, a separate section (not shown) can be fastened with such an undercut chamber to the gutter.

[0051] It will be clear that the embodiments described above are only described by way of example and do not limit interpretation, and that various changes and adaptations are possible without coming outside the scope of the invention and that the scope is only determined by the attached claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0052] 1. Column [0053] 2. Rafter [0054] 3. Gutter [0055] 4. Rod [0056] 5. Ridge [0057] 6. Glass plate [0058] 7. Screen cloth [0059] 8. Moveable screen section [0060] 9. Heating pipes or rails [0061] 10. Vehicle [0062] 11. Roll with assembly 22 [0063] 12. Wheels [0064] 13. Screen installation [0065] 14. Supporting beam or under-girder [0066] 15. Coupling [0067] 16. Wire-shaped driving means [0068] 17. Supporting wire [0069] 18. Fixed screen section [0070] 19. Screen cloth flap [0071] 20. Undercut chamber [0072] 21. Strip [0073] 22. Assembly [0074] 23. Longitudinal opening of chamber [0075] 24. Fastening of strip in the screen cloth [0076] 25. Open longitudinal end of the screen section [0077] 26. Lip of moveable screen section [0078] 27. Right transitional section [0079] 28. Curved transitional section [0080] 29. Tensioning device [0081] 30. Main surface of strip (for attaching screen) [0082] 31. Main surface of strip (free) [0083] 32. Film [0084] 33. Cavity [0085] 34. Film flap