AU2013205366B2

AU2013205366B2 - Modularised Transportable Greenhouse

Info

Publication number: AU2013205366B2
Application number: AU2013205366A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Andrew John Sadler
Original assignee: Argosee Greenhouse Tech Pty Ltd
Current assignee: ARGOSEE GREENHOUSE TECHNOLOGY Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2013-04-22
Filing date: 2013-04-22
Publication date: 2018-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 2033-04-22
Also published as: AU2013205366A1

Abstract

- 13 Prefabricated greenhouse modules 12 that can be transported from one site (typically the site of prefabrication) to another site where they can be connected together to form 5 a greenhouse. The individual modules 12 each comprise a base structure 14 and one or more walls 16, 18 upstanding from the base structure. Additionally the modules may be provided with pre-installed utilities structures such as power, communications, and control cabling; and conduits for carrying fluids such as water and air. Utilities structures may also be provided with appropriate connectors so that when adjacent 10 modules are coupled together to form the greenhouse the corresponding utilities structures can be quickly and easily connected together. 4275508_1 (GHMatters) P93522.AU 19/04/13 K K? ' 5 CN(

Description

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a greenhouse.

Background of the Invention

A greenhouse (also known as a “glass house”) is a building used for the cultivation of plants under controlled conditions. The greenhouse is formed with walls and a roof covered with or made of a transparent or translucent material such as glass or plastics to capture and trap energy from solar radiation. This has the effect of providing a net increase in energy and thus temperature inside the greenhouse which may assist in the growth of plants. Greenhouses may range in size from that of a small shed to a very large building. Often a greenhouse is erected on site and may be formed on a concrete plinth or pad.

Summary of the Invention

Embodiments of the present invention provide prefabricated greenhouse modules that can be transported from one site (typically the site of prefabrication) to another site where they can be connected together to form a greenhouse. The individual modules each comprise a base structure and one or more walls upstanding from the base structure. Additionally the modules may be provided with pre-installed utilities structures such as power, communications, and control cabling; and conduits for carrying fluids such as water and air. Utilities structures may also be provided with appropriate connectors so that when adjacent modules are coupled together to form the greenhouse the corresponding utilities structures can be quickly and easily connected together.

In one aspect the invention provides transportable modular greenhouse comprising:

a plurality of individual transportable greenhouse modules, each module having a base structure and at least one wall upstanding from the base structure, each base structure provided with a levelling system enabling adjustment of the disposition of the base relative to a base of another transportable greenhouse module;

wherein respective transportable greenhouse modules are configured to facilitate the construction of a greenhouse at a location to which the greenhouse units

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-22013205366 03 Jul 2018 are transported by coupling of the base structures and the walls of the greenhouse modules;

the modular greenhouse further comprising at least one fastening component configured to fix the base structure of a respective greenhouse module to the base structure of another greenhouse module, in order to facilitate the construction of the greenhouse and maintain the modules in a fixed spatial relationship in the constructed glasshouse.

In one embodiment the levelling system comprises a plurality of jacks attached to a corresponding base structure the jacks being separately operable to extend away from and retract toward the base structure to vary a distance between the base structure and a surface on which the jacks are supported.

In one embodiment the jacks are hand operated screwjacks.

In one embodiment the plurality of jacks comprise a respective jack at or near each corner of the base structure.

In one embodiment each base structure comprises one or more conduits that extend about respective sides of the base structure the conduits being capable of being opened to enable access to an interior thereof from an outside of a constructed greenhouse.

In one embodiment the or each conduit comprises a detachable cover plate which when detached exposes an opening orientated to enable access to the interior of conduit.

In one embodiment the transportable modular greenhouse comprises one or more utilities structures extending along at least one conduit of at least one base structure;

and one or more utilities couplings at one or both ends of the utilities structures arranged to enable the utilities structures in the at least one conduit of one base structure to connect to corresponding utilities structures in an adjacent base structure in the greenhouse.

In one embodiment each base structure is arranged to facilitate lifting from a location beneath an upper surface of the base structure.

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-3ln one embodiment each base is provided with a liquid storage tank capable of receiving and storing liquid runoff of liquid dispensed from inside the greenhouse.

In one embodiment each tank comprises one or more pipes disposes between upper and lower bounding planes of the base structure.

In one embodiment each transportable greenhouse module comprises a brace structure connected between the base structure and the one or more walls and arranged to support the one or more walls during transport of a transportable greenhouse module on a vehicle.

In one embodiment the plurality of transportable greenhouse modules comprise respective left hand and right hand half modules, each half module having three walls upstanding from its respective base structure wherein the base structure has a free side, the left hand and right hand half modules configured to facilitate the construction of a greenhouse by juxtaposition of the half modules in face to face relationship with the free sides of the base structures located adjacent each other.

In one embodiment the plurality of transportable greenhouse modules comprise two left hand quarter modules and two right hand quarter modules, each quarter module comprising two upstanding walls along two adjacent sides of a respective base structure wherein each base structure is provided with two free sides; the left hand and right hand quarter modules configured to facilitate construction of the greenhouse by juxtaposing the left hand quarter modules diagonally opposite each other and the right hand quarter modules diagonally opposite each other with the free sides of each base structure being located adjacent respective free sides of two other base structures.

In one embodiment the plurality of transportable greenhouse modules further comprise an even number of intermediate modules, each intermediate module comprising a base structure and one wall upstanding from one side of its corresponding base structure wherein the base structure is provided with three free sides; the left hand and right hand quarter modules and the intermediate modules being configured to facilitate the construction of a greenhouse by juxtaposing a first pair of left hand and right hand quarter modules in face to face relationship with each other, a second pair of left and right hand quarter modules in face to face relationship with each other, and an even number of intermediate units in face to face relationship with each other and disposed between a first and second pairs of left hand and right hand quarter modules.

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Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a representation of a greenhouse composed of a plurality of pre-fabricated greenhouse modules;

Figure 2 is a schematic representation illustrating the juxtaposition of four prefabricated greenhouse modules in accordance with embodiments of the present invention in order to construct the greenhouse shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a base structure of each of the prefabricated greenhouse modules as shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is an isometric view of a base structure of a prefabricated greenhouse module;

Figure 5 is a representation of a liquid storage tank which may be incorporated in an embodiment of the prefabricated greenhouse module;

Figure 6 is an elevation view from the top of the greenhouse shown in Figure 1;

Figure 7 is an elevation view from the side of the greenhouse shown in Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a view of one end of the greenhouse shown in Figure 1;

Figure 9 is an elevation view of an opposite end of the greenhouse shown in Figure 1; Figure 10 illustrates a base of a greenhouse composed of two prefabricated greenhouse modules;

Figure 11 is a view of a base of a greenhouse composed of six of the prefabricated greenhouse modules.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

Figures 1 -8 illustrate an embodiment of a transportable modular greenhouse 10 and some of its associated component parts. In particular these Figures illustrate a transportable modular greenhouse 10 composed of four individual transportable greenhouse modules 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d (referred to hereinafter in general as “quarter modules 12”). In particular Figure 2 illustrates the quarter modules 12 juxtaposed in a slightly spaced apart relationship for the purposes of illustrating a manner in which they are arranged for subsequent coupling to form the modular greenhouse 10. As will be explained in greater detail below, and would nonetheless be easily understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art, embodiments of the greenhouse 10 are not limited to those being formed by four quarter modules 12. For

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-5example in later described embodiments transportable modular greenhouses are described comprising of two individual transportable greenhouse modules, and six transportable greenhouse modules.

Reverting however to the current embodiment described with reference to Figures 1 8, each of the quarter modules 12 comprises a base 14 (see in particular Figure 4) and two walls 16 and 18 upstanding from respective adjacent sides of the base 14. The two walls 16 and 18 of each quarter module 12 are coupled together and form a corner of the corresponding assembled greenhouse 10. Each base structure 14 is of a substantially rectangular configuration having two opposite longitudinal sides 20 and 22, and two opposite transverse sides 24 and 26.

The walls 16 are formed along longitudinal sides 20 or 22 of each quarter module 12, while the walls 18 are formed along the transverse sides 20 or 26 of each of the quarter modules 12. Thus in each quarter module, two of the sides of the base structure 14 are free in that they do not support corresponding walls. When assembling the greenhouse 10, the quarter modules 12 are orientated so that the respective free sides of each base structure 14 face a like free side of two different quarter modules 12. For example with particular reference to Figure 3, the free sides

22 and 26 of quarter module 12a lie adjacent the free sides 20 and 24 of quarter modules 12b and 12c respectively. To assemble the greenhouse 10 the base structures 14 are connected together using brackets and mechanical fasteners.

With particular reference to Figures 3 and 4 each base structure 14 comprises a structural frame 28 comprising four C-channels 30a - 30d (hereinafter referred to in general as “C-channels 30”); two beams 32, and a plurality of batons 34. The Cchannels 30 are arranged to form a peripheral structure of the frame 14. The Cchannels 30 are also arranged so that respective openings of the C-channels face laterally and outwardly of the base 14. The two beams 32 extend parallel to each other and the C-channels 30a and 30b. The beams 32 connect at their opposite ends to the C-channels 30c and 30d. The batons 34 extend transversely across the beams 34 and between the C-channels 30a and 30b parallel to the C-channels 30c and 30d. Connected to and extending beneath the C-channels 30 and beams 32 is a plurality of cross beams 36a and 36b (referred to in general as cross beams 36). Two of the cross beams 36a are located near and slightly in board of the C-channels 30c and 30d. The remaining two cross beams 36b are located relatively close to each other but spaced apart across a transverse centre line (not shown) of the base 14. Each of the

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-6cross beams 36 defines a respective channel 38 that is configured to receive the tine of a forklift truck. However in use, the tines of the forklift truck would ordinarily only be received in the channels 38 of the inner cross beams 36b to facilitate lifting of the base 14 and corresponding quarter module 12.

The base 14 comprises a levelling system 40 enabling the adjustment of the disposition of the base of one greenhouse module relative to another. This enables the greenhouse 10 to be assembled in a manner where there is substantially no or at least minimal mechanical stress along the sides of coupled adjacent bases 14. The levelling system 40 comprises a plurality of jacks 42 that are supported by the base 14 and in particular the cross beams 36. In Figure 4, it is seen that the base 14 comprises eight jacks 42. Two jacks 42 are provided near opposite ends of each of the cross beams 36b. However, when the respective modules 12 are being lifted or otherwise supported by a forklift truck, the jacks 42 in the inner cross beams 36b are removed.

These may be screwed back in once the module 12 has been placed on a surface and supported by the jacks on the outermost cross beams 36a.

A floor 44 is supported on the C-channels 30, beams 32 and batons 34. The floor 44 may be made of any suitable material or combination of materials. For example the floor 44 may be constructed of one or more wooden sheets or panels and perhaps overlaid with a waterproof material such as vinyl. The floor 44 is also configured to slope from the outer periphery of the base 14 to a central drain 46. In embodiments where it is required or preferable to quarantine plants grown within the greenhouse 10, liquid storage tank 48 (shown in Figure 5) is provided for storing run off liquids such as water, nutrients or other chemicals used in the cultivation of plants within the greenhouse 10. This ensures that the liquid cannot leach in an uncontrolled manner to the ground beneath or surrounding the greenhouse 10. Rather, the liquid is contained within the tank 48 and may be disposed of in accordance with quarantine protocol where necessary.

As shown in Figure 5, the tank 48 is formed from a plurality of pipes 50 that are connected together and supported in a corresponding base structure 14. More particularly, the pipes 50 are supported beneath the batons 34 and pass through holes formed in the beams 32. The drain 46 communicates with the tank 48 via a boss gully

49. The tank 48 is provided with a drainage point or valve 52 to facilitate emptying of the contents of the tank from time to time. In one embodiment the pipes 50 may be in the form of a 100mm diameter PVC pipe and have a capacity in the order of 1000L.

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- 7Referring to Figure 1, the C-channels 30 formed about the periphery of the base structure 14 are closed by respective cover plates 54. The combination of a C-channel 30 with its attached cover plate 54 forms a conduit. Thus, each base structure 14 may be considered as comprising four conduits extending about its periphery. Where a plate 54 is removed, it is in effect opened enabling access to its interior. The conduits that house utilities structures used in the operation and function of the greenhouse 10. The utilities structures comprise for example power cables, communication cables, signalling cables, and fluid ducts for example for carrying water or air. Utilities structures are disposed only in the conduits (and corresponding C-channels 30) that in the constructed greenhouse 10, lie on an outside, or are otherwise accessible from the outside, of the greenhouse 10. Again this is shown most clearly in Figure 1 which shows the greenhouse 10 with a cover plate 54 from the C-channel 30c of module 12a removed. When the modules 12 are being fabricated, utilities structures are disposed in the C-channels 30. Opposite ends of the respective utilities structures are provided with couplings to enable coupling with like utilities structures in adjacent modules 12. For example in the event of cables, the couplings may be in the form of terminal blocks or plugs and sockets. In the event of ducts the couplings may be in the form of click or screw connectors.

The walls 16 and 18 are formed for a plurality of glazing or construction bars 60a and 60b (hereinafter referred to in general as construction bars 60”) and sheets of light transmissive materials such as glass, polycarbonate, green house film and foils, or acrylic sheets. The construction bars 60 may be in the form described in Applicant’s co-pending Australian patent application no. 2012216276 the contents of which are incorporated herein in full by way of reference. The sheets 62 are clamped or otherwise supported in the bars 60. The bars 60 in turn are fixed to their respective bases 14. Each wall 16, 18 may comprise a plurality of vertically extending bars 60a, and a single horizontally extending bar 60b that connects to each of the vertical bars 60a and sheets 62 in that wall. To minimise the possibility of structural damage to the modules 12 when being transported by road, temporary brace structures 64 may be coupled between the base 14 and walls 16, 18 of a module 12a. The brace structures may be in the form of one or more struts 66 (one of each is shown in phantom line in Figure 2) extending between free side of the base 14 and an upper end of walls 16 of quarter module 12a. However the brace structure may take alternate forms. The form of the brace structure is inconsequential provided it serves the purpose of providing temporary structural strength and rigidity during transport of the individual modules 12a.

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-8The greenhouse 10 also comprises a root 70. In various embodiments, the root 70 may be either constructed in the form ol separate planar panels 72a - 72d (see in particular Figure 6) which are transported together in a “Hat pack” arrangement with one ol the modules 12a; or alternately each ol the panels 72 may be connected to its corresponding module 12a and transported with that module 12a. In this instance, an alternate form ol brace structure 64 may be utilised to provide support for the root panels 72 during transport. The root panels 72 are formed in substantially the same way as the wall structures 12 and 16 mainly trom a plurality ol glazing or structural bars 60 and light transmissive sheets 62.

To support the root in the assembled greenhouse 10, a plurality ol root trusses 76 are provided. The trusses 76 can also be preassembled and transported in a Hat pack arrangement, or transported as individual members and assembled at the time ol assembling the greenhouse 10.

The above described transportable modular greenhouse 10 comprises four quarter modules 12. However depending on the size of the greenhouse 10 required, alternate numbers of modules may be used. Depending on the number of modules used, different configurations of modules are required in terms of the number of walls supported on the respective base structures 14. For example, Figure 10 is a plan view of a modular greenhouse 10' (without a roof) made from two half greenhouse modules 12e and 12f. Each greenhouse module 12e and 12f is formed with a base structure 14 identical to the base described herein before. Additionally each of the half base modules 12e and 12f is provided with three walls (two walls 18 and one wall 16) upstanding from mutually adjacent sides of its respective base structure 14. Thus each of the base structures has one free side. The free sides of the base structures are located adjacent each other and connected together when forming the green house 10'.

Figure 11 depicts embodiment of the modular greenhouse 10 which comprises six individual transportable greenhouse modules 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12g and 12h. The modules 12a - 12d are identical to the corresponding modules 12a - 12d of the first described embodiment of the modular greenhouse 10. These modules are located at opposite ends of the constructed greenhouse 10. In particular, quarter modules 12a and 12b are arranged in face to face relationship at one end of the greenhouse 10, while the quarter modules 12c and 12d are in face to face relationship at an opposite end of the greenhouse 10. In between these two pairs of quarter modules, are

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-9located intermediate modules 12h and 12g. Each ofthe intermediate modules 12h and 12g comprises a base structure 14 identical to the base structures described herein before. Additionally each ofthe intermediate modules 12g, 12h comprises a single upstanding wall 16 so that the corresponding base structure 14 has three free sides.

The three free sides of the intermediate modules connect with free sides of three adjacent modules. For example the three free sides of module 12h connect to a free side of each of modules 12b, 12g, and 12d.

It will be appreciated that larger greenhouses can be made by simply providing additional pairs of intermediate modules 12h and 12g between respective pairs of end quarter modules 12a, 12b; 12c, 12d as depicted in Figure 11.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description ofthe invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

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Claims

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. A transportable modular greenhouse comprising:

a plurality of individual transportable greenhouse modules, each module having

5 a base structure and at least one wall upstanding from the base structure, each base structure provided with a levelling system enabling adjustment of the disposition of the base relative to a base of another transportable greenhouse module;

wherein respective transportable greenhouse modules are configured to facilitate the construction of a greenhouse at a location to which the greenhouse units

10 are transported by coupling of the base structures and the walls of the greenhouse modules;

the modular greenhouse further comprising at least one fastening component configured to fix the base structure of a respective greenhouse module to the base structure of another greenhouse module, in order to facilitate the construction of the

15 greenhouse and maintain the modules in a fixed spatial relationship in the constructed glasshouse.
2. The transportable modular greenhouse according to claim 1 wherein the levelling system comprises a plurality of jacks attached to a corresponding base

20 structure the jacks being separately operable to extend away from and retract toward the base structure to vary a distance between the base structure and a surface on which the jacks are supported.
3. The transportable modular greenhouse according claim 2 wherein the jacks are

25 hand operated screw jacks.
4. The transportable modular greenhouse according to claim 2 or 3 wherein the plurality of jacks comprise a respective jack at or near each corner of the base structure.
5. The transportable modular greenhouse according to any one of claims 1 - 4 wherein each base structure comprises one or more conduits that extend about respective sides of the base structure the conduits capable of being opened to enable access to an interior thereof from an outside of a constructed greenhouse.
6. The transportable modular greenhouse according to claim 5 wherein the or each conduit comprises a detachable cover plate which when detached exposes an

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- 11 2013205366 03 Jul 2018 opening orientated to enable access to the interior of conduit.
7. The transportable modular greenhouse according to claim 6 comprising and one or more utilities structures extending along at least one conduit of at least one

5 base structure; and one or more utilities couplings at one or both ends of the utilities structures arranged to enable the utilities structures in the at least one conduit of one base structure to connect to corresponding utilities structures in an adjacent base structure in the greenhouse.

10
8. The transportable modular greenhouse according to any one of claims 1 - 7 wherein each base structure is arranged to facilitate lifting from a location beneath an upper surface of the base structure.
9. The transportable modular greenhouse according to any one of claims 1 - 8

15 wherein each base is provided with a liquid storage tank capable of receiving and storing liquid runoff of liquid dispensed from inside the greenhouse.
10. The transportable modular greenhouse according to claim 9 wherein each tank comprises one or more pipes disposed between upper and lower bounding planes of

20 the base structure.
11. The transportable modular greenhouse according to any one of claims 1-10 wherein each transportable greenhouse module comprises a brace structure connected between the base structure and the one or more walls and arranged to

25 support the one or more walls during transport of a transportable greenhouse module on a vehicle.
12. The transportable modular greenhouse according to any one of claims 1-11 wherein the plurality of transportable greenhouse modules comprises respective left

30 hand and right hand half modules, each half module having three walls upstanding from its respective base structure, wherein the base structure has a free side, the left hand and right hand half modules configured to facilitate the construction of a greenhouse by juxtaposition of the half modules in face to face relationship with the free sides of the base structures located adjacent each other.
13. The transportable modular greenhouse according to any one of claims 1-11 wherein the plurality of transportable greenhouse modules comprises two left hand

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- 12quarter modules and two right hand quarter modules, each quarter module comprising two upstanding walls along two adjacent sides of a respective base structure wherein each base structure is provided with two free sides; the left hand and right hand quarter modules configured to facilitate construction of the greenhouse by juxtaposing

5 the left hand quarter modules diagonally opposite each other and the right hand quarter modules diagonally opposite each other with the free sides of each base structure being located adjacent respective free sides of two other base structures.
14. The transportable modular greenhouse according to claim 13 wherein a

10 plurality of transportable greenhouse modules further comprises an even number of intermediate modules, each intermediate module comprising a base structure and one wall upstanding from one side of its corresponding base structure wherein the base structure is provided with three free sides; the left hand and right hand quarter modules and the intermediate modules being configured to facilitate the construction of a
15 greenhouse by juxtaposing a first pair of left hand and righthand quarter modules in face to face relationship with each other, a second pair of left and right hand quarter modules in face to face relationship with each other, and an even number of intermediate units in face to face relationship with each other and disposed between a first and second pairs of left hand and right hand quarter modules.

15. The transportable modular greenhouse according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one fastening component comprises a mechanical fastener configured to fix the base structure of a respective greenhouse module to the base structure of another greenhouse module to facilitate construction of the greenhouse.

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