Method of controlling environmental conditions in the proximity of vegetation or crops with the aid of protective sheeting, protective sheeting for use in this method, and a protective device comprising sheeting
AssigneeStork Perforated Products B.V.
InventorsGerhardus H. Morssinkhof, Lubbertus Vogel, Adrianus Leenheer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for controlling the environmental conditions in the proximity of vegetation or crops in the cultivation of plants is described in which use is made of protective sheets comprising a large number of microperforations having each a protruded rim, said microperforations having a diameter between 50 and 2000 .mu.m and being present in a density of between 25 and 40000 microperforations per cm.sup.2. The invention also relates to plastics sheeting for use in said method and to a protective device for use in a greenhouse provided with such sheeting.
Claims18
As an article of manufacture, a protective sheet for use in the cultivation of plants for controlling environmental conditions in the proximity of said vegetation or crops, said protective sheet being fabricated of flexible translucent plastic material, said protective sheet having opposite sides and being provided with a plurality of microperforations, each of said microperforations having flaired end portions connected by a constricted middle portion and defined by a protruded rim which is curved on its interior and exterior sides for dispersing light and guiding water on said sheet, and wherein the diameter of the smallest section of each microperforation at the constricted middle portion has a value of between 50 and 2000 .mu.m and the number of microperforations per unit area is between 25 and 40000 per cm.sup.2.
Protective device for use in greenhouses, which comprises protective sheets, holders for said sheets, and means for extending the sheets, under tension or otherwise, characterized in that at least one of the protective sheets is provided with microperforations, each of the latter having a projecting rim, said protective sheet being fabricated of flexible translucent plastic material and having opposite sides, each of said microperforations having flaired end portions connected by a constricted middle portion and defined by said projecting rim which is curved on its interior and exterior sides for dispersing light and guiding water on said one protective sheet, and wherein the diameter of the smallest section of each microperforation at the constricted middle portion has a value of between 50 and 2000 .mu.m and the number of microperforations per unit area is between 25 and 40000 per cm.sup.2.
A method for use in the cultivation of plants for controlling environmental conditions in the proximity of vegetation or crops comprising the steps of:
- providing a protective translucent flexible plastic sheet having opposite sides and having a plurality of microperforations therein, each of said microperforations having flaired end portions connected by a constricted middle portion and defined by a protruded rim which is curved on its interior and exterior sides therearound which extends outwardly from a side of said sheet to disperse light and guide water, the diameter of the smallest section of each microperforation at the constricted middle portion having a value of between 50 and 2000 .mu.m and the number of microperforations per unit are being between 25 and 40000 per cm.sup.2 ;
- and disposing said sheet over said vegetation or crops as at least part of a protective covering completely shielding said vegetation or crops from the outside world's direct influence.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.