JP7284964B2 - Plant holding string and plant holding string assembly - Google Patents

Description

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act. It was exhibited and released at the International Gift Show Spring 2019.

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act 2019 Pet Comprehensive Exhibition sponsored by Japel Co., Ltd. held from March 6, 2019 to March 7, 2019 at Saitama Super Arena, Shintoshin 8, Chuo-ku, Saitama City Exhibited and released at

Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applied From February 21, 2019 to April 17, 2019, the product was sold to the trading partner described in the attached sheet.

The present invention relates to a plant holding string and string assembly used to hold terrestrial or aquatic plants in an aquarium.

In an aquarium or terrarium tank containing terrestrial or aquatic plants, there is a method for holding plants in which driftwood placed in the tank holds the stems or roots of the plants, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 below. already known.

JP 2011-87559 A

In the above-mentioned conventional plant holding method, driftwood is used to hold plants, but since natural driftwood varies in shape and size, it is difficult to select the optimum driftwood for the size of the tank and the layout of the plants in the tank. Not easy. In addition, driftwood is not suitable for long-term use because it easily rots or discolors if left in water for a long time. Moreover, since it is difficult to directly hold the stems and roots of the plant on the driftwood, it is necessary to fix the driftwood to a special holder that can easily hold the plant, and to hold the plant on the driftwood through this holder. The operation of holding the plant becomes troublesome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a plant-holding string and a string assembly that can solve the above-described problems of conventional devices with a simple structure.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a plant-holding string used for holding terrestrial or aquatic plants in a water tank, which is capable of being bent and deformed into an arbitrary shape, and and a surface material that is fixed to the core material, covers the outer periphery of the core material, and is deformable together with the core material, wherein the surface material absorbs water. The first feature is that it is composed of an aggregate of fibers that have properties and that the plant can take root , and that the fibers are knitted into a tubular shape so as to surround the core material .

In addition to the first characteristic , the present invention has a second characteristic that the surface material and the core material are bonded together at both ends thereof.

In addition to the first or second feature, the present invention has a third feature that the surface material and the core material are made of a water-resistant synthetic resin material.

Further, according to the present invention, in addition to any one of the first to third features, a fourth feature is that the surface material is colored in a color similar to that of driftwood or twigs.

In addition to any one of the first to fourth features, the present invention has a fifth feature that the plant-holding string has such a density that it is submerged in water.

The present invention also provides a string assembly having said flexibility and said shape-retaining property, which is configured in a rope shape by twisting a plurality of plant-holding strings having the first to fifth characteristics, wherein: A sixth feature is that the stem or root of the plant can be held between the matching plant holding strings.

According to the first feature, a flexible and shape-retaining core material is provided, and a surface material fixed to the core material covers the outer periphery of the core material and is deformable together with the core material, and the surface material is , Since it is composed of an aggregate of fibers that have water absorption and can be rooted by plants, the core material ( Therefore, the plant-holding string can be bent and deformed into an appropriate shape and the shape can be held, thereby making it possible to lay out and hold the plant in a good appearance in the water tank with a high degree of freedom. In addition, the fiber assembly that constitutes the surface material not only allows plants to easily take root in it, but also has water absorption (thus, water retention), so even if part of it is placed above water, it will interfere with terrestrial plants. can be grown without In addition, the plant-holding cords can be bent and deformed appropriately to resemble, for example, driftwood or twigs. becomes. Moreover, since the surface material is constructed by knitting fibers into a tubular shape so as to surround the core material, a fiber assembly surrounding the core material can be easily obtained.

According to the second feature , since the surface material and the core material are bound together at both end portions, the surface material and the core material can be easily integrated, contributing to cost reduction. can be done.

According to the third feature, since the surface material and the core material are made of a water-resistant synthetic resin material, the plant-holding cord may deteriorate even if it is used in a state of being submerged in water for a long time. It does not rot and can exhibit the desired retention performance.

According to the fourth feature, since the surface material is colored in a color close to that of driftwood or twigs, it can effectively resemble driftwood or twigs in a state in which the plant-holding string is properly bent, and has a more natural appearance. can issue

According to the fifth feature, the plant holding string has such a density as to be submerged in water. It can be placed in a stationary state on the bottom of the water tank V with its bent shape.

According to the sixth feature, a plurality of plant-holding strings having the first to fifth features are twisted together to obtain a rope-shaped plant-holding string assembly, and the string assembly is flexible. And since it has a shape-retaining property, not only the individual cords themselves but also the spaces between the cords that are twisted together can be used to hold the plant. Moreover, the gap between the adjacent strings can be appropriately changed according to the size of the plant by pinching and expanding the strings or pulling the string assembly, so that the plant can be attached and detached (thus replacing). The work is easy, and convenience is improved. In addition, by using a rope-like string assembly, a thick plant holder that is closer to driftwood or twigs can be obtained.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing an example of a terrarium aquarium in which terrestrial plants are held by the plant-holding string and string assembly of the present invention. A partial side view (enlarged side view viewed from arrow 2 in FIG. 1) showing a single unit of the string for holding a plant, and a partial cross section thereof Partial side view showing a single plant holding string assembly (enlarged side view viewed from arrow 3 in FIG. 1) (a) is a cross-sectional view along line 4a-4a in FIG. 3, (b) is a cross-sectional view along line 4b-4b in FIG. 3, and (c) is a cross-sectional view along line 4c-4c in FIG. (a) to (c) are perspective views showing other examples of use of the string for holding plants. (a) is a perspective view showing an example of a procedure for widening the gap between the twisted strings and inserting a plant, and (b) is a drawing showing an example of a procedure for inserting a plant into the gap and then pulling both ends of the string assembly. A perspective view showing a state in which the gap is narrowed. 1 is an overall perspective view showing an example of an aquarium tank in which an aquatic plant is held by the plant-holding string and the string assembly of the present invention (a view corresponding to FIG. 1).

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below based on the accompanying drawings.

1-4 illustrate one embodiment of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 1 shows an example of use in which a terrestrial plant P is held in a terrarium water tank V using a plant holding string C and a string assembly R according to the present invention.

The plant-holding string C is a string-like body having flexibility that allows it to be bent into any shape and shape retention that allows it to retain its shape after bending deformation. It is used by being bent and deformed into an appropriate shape according to the layout and holding manner of the plants in the water tank, and the arrangement manner of the layout goods for the aquarium. By using this string C, it is possible to lay out and hold the plant P in the water tank V with a high degree of freedom and in a good appearance.

Next, a specific configuration of the string C described above will be described mainly with reference to FIG. The string C includes a core material 10 and a surface material 20 fixed to the core material 10 to cover the outer periphery of the core material 10 and deformable together with the core material 10 .

The core material 10 is for imparting the aforementioned flexibility and shape retention to the string C, and the core material 10 itself has flexibility and shape retention. Also, the core material 10 is formed into a solid rod-like body having a diameter of, for example, about 1 to 3 mm. Furthermore, the core material 10 is molded from a synthetic resin material (eg, polyethylene) that is harmless to living organisms (that is, animals and plants) and has water resistance.

In this specification, the term "water resistance" refers to the property of not rotting or deteriorating even after being submerged in water for a long period of time.

On the other hand, the surface material 20 is composed of an aggregate of fibers that have water absorption properties and that allow plants P to take root. As used herein, the term "take root" means that a plant takes root and continues to grow.

As the fibers, synthetic resin fibers (for example, polyester filamentous fibers) that are harmless to living organisms and have water resistance are used.

A plurality of bundles 21 of the fibers are woven into a tubular shape so as to surround the core material 10, thereby forming the surface material 20 of the present embodiment. In this case, in this embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 2, a plurality of fiber bundles 21 . 21 . . . cross each other obliquely and are woven into a tubular body so that they are alternately folded at the intersections.

FIG. 2 schematically shows the state in which the fiber bundles 21 are woven, and in particular, the cross-sectional view accurately depicts the mutual folding state of the fiber bundles 21 in each cord C. not a thing This point also applies to FIG. 4, which schematically shows the cross section of the string assembly R.

The surface material 20 and the core material 10 extending through the hollow portion of the surface material 20 are bonded together at both ends thereof. Adhesive means is used as this binding means in the present embodiment, that is, the trimmed one end portions and the other end portions of the surface material 20 and the core material 10 are adhered with an adhesive 30, respectively. In addition to bonding the end portions as described above, the intermediate portions may be bonded together.

Further, the binding means is not limited to the embodiment, and various binding means can be used. For example, both ends of the surface material 20 and the core material 10 may be heat-sealed, or the outer periphery of a metal cylinder covering both ends or an intermediate portion may be crimped.

The surface material 20 is colored in a color close to driftwood or twigs (for example, dark brown in the embodiment). As a result, when the string C is appropriately bent, it can resemble driftwood or a twig, so that a natural feeling can be produced more effectively.

The plant-holding string C having the above-described structure has a density such that it is submerged in water (that is, a density greater than that of water). Therefore, when a string C bent into a predetermined shape is placed in a water tank V filled with water, the string C is placed in a stationary state on the bottom of the water tank V in its bent shape. The cord assembly R, which is an assembly of a plurality of cords C, is similar to the above. .

Next, an example of the plant holding string assembly R will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. This string assembly R is formed in a rope shape by twisting a plurality of plant holding strings C, and the flexibility and shape retention of the core material 10 and the flexibility of the surface material 20 As a result, the cord assembly R as a whole also has flexibility and shape retention.

At both ends of the string assembly R, the plurality of twisted strings C are tied together. Adhesive means is used as the binding means in the present embodiment, that is, the cut ends and the other ends of the plurality of twisted cords C are adhered to each other with an adhesive 31 . Incidentally, the binding means is not limited to the embodiment, and various binding means can be used. For example, one end and the other end of a plurality of twisted cords C may be thermally welded together, or the outer circumference of a metal cylinder covering each end or intermediate portion may be crimped.

In addition, in the plant holding string assembly R, the gap 45 between the adjacent plant holding strings C that are twisted together can be appropriately adjusted by pinching the strings C to widen them or by pulling both ends of the string assembly R. The gap 45 can hold the stem or root of the plant P.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 as well.

In order to construct a terrarium in the water tank V, first, as illustrated in FIG. plant the part

Further, the plant holding string C and the string assembly R are bent into appropriate shapes according to the layout of other plants P, and the stem or root portion of the plant P is held by the string C and the string assembly R. Then, the string C and the string assembly R are placed on the soil 50 at the bottom of the water tank V, or layout goods for the water tank (for example, figurines imitating animals, buildings, etc., decorations) appropriately placed on the soil 50 rock 51, etc.), hooked on it, or placed on it. Alternatively, the string C and the string assembly R may be bent appropriately to be entangled or hooked with each other.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 5A, for example, the string C is deformed and erected so that it twists upward from the upper surface of the soil 50, and the upper end portion Cu is wound around the string C so that the plant P is placed at its center. or by making a knot Cm in the middle of the string C and inserting the stem or root of the plant P into the knot Cm as shown in FIG. is held in a desired posture, and in that state, the plant P is allowed to take root on the surface material 20 of the string C, that is, to wait for it to take root.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5(c), the string C is wound in a large coil shape, and the soil-filled pot 40 to which the roots of the plant P are rooted is fitted and supported in the wound portion Ct. Use cases are also possible. In this case, the pot 40 may be made of a fine mesh net material or cloth material as shown in the figure, or may have a cylindrical structure with a bottom similar to that of an ordinary flower pot.

The string assembly R is also deformed and erected so as to extend upward from the upper surface of the soil 50 as shown in FIG. Put it in and let it live. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 6(a), the gaps 45 are widened by pinching the strings C, and the stems or roots of the plant P are inserted into the gaps 45, and then both ends of the string assembly R are inserted. is pulled to close the gap 45, thereby ensuring the holding of the plant P. The stems or roots of the plant P held in the gap 45 also come to take root on the surface material 20 of the string C over time.

According to the present embodiment described above, the plant holding string C used for holding the plant P in the water tank V includes the core material 10 having flexibility and shape retention, and the core material fixed to the core material 10. A surface material 20 that covers the outer periphery of the core material 10 and is deformable together with the core material 10 is provided. As a result, the core material 10 (therefore, the string C) is bent and deformed into an appropriate shape according to the size of the aquarium V, the layout and holding manner of the plant P in the aquarium V, and the arrangement manner of the layout goods 51 for the aquarium. It can hold its shape.

Therefore, the string C can be used to lay out and hold the plant P in the water tank V with a high degree of freedom. In addition, the fiber assembly that constitutes the surface material 20 of the string C not only allows the plant P to easily take root in it, but also has water absorption (and thus water retention), so that when part of it is placed on the water, However, the terrestrial plant P can grow without hindrance.

In addition, the string C can be appropriately bent and deformed to resemble, for example, driftwood or twigs, so that the surface material 20 is colored dark brown, which effectively produces a natural feeling. can. Therefore, it is not necessary to prepare driftwood or twigs specially for producing a natural feeling, and the handling becomes easy.

Further, since the surface material 20 of the present embodiment is constructed by knitting fibers into a tubular shape so as to surround the core material 10, a fiber assembly surrounding the core material 10 can be easily obtained. In addition, since the surface material 20 and the core material 10 are bound (for example, glued) together at their respective ends, the surface material 20 and the core material 10 can be easily integrated, resulting in cost reduction. be done.

Further, the surface material 20 and the core material 10, which are the constituent materials of the string C, are made of a water-resistant synthetic resin material. As a result, even if the cord C is used in a state of being soaked in water for a long period of time, the cord C does not deteriorate or rot, and can exhibit the desired holding performance.

Further, in the present embodiment, a rope-like plant-holding string assembly R is manufactured by twisting a plurality of the strings C described above. Like the core material 10 of the cord C, this cord assembly R also has flexibility and shape retention, and the same usability as the cord C is possible. In addition, the space between the strings C that are twisted together can also be used to hold the plant P.

Accordingly, the string assembly R can be bent and deformed into an appropriate shape according to the size of the water tank V, the layout and holding mode of the plant P in the water tank V, and the layout goods 51 for the water tank, and the shape can be maintained. can be done. As a result, similar to the holding function of the individual strings C, the string assembly R also allows the plant P to be laid out and held in the water tank V with a high degree of freedom and in a good appearance.

Moreover, the gap 45 between the strings C can be appropriately changed according to the size of the plant P by pinching and expanding the strings C or pulling the string assembly R. The plant P can be easily and accurately held, and the detachment/removal (thus replacement) work of the plant P is easy, thereby enhancing convenience. In addition, by forming the rope-like string assembly R, a thick plant holder that is closer to driftwood and twigs can be obtained.

In FIG. 7, an aquatic plant (that is, aquatic plant) P′ is held in a tank V for an aquarium (for example, for breeding ornamental fish) using a plant holding string C and a string assembly R according to the present invention. An example is given.

In this case as well, the plant holding string C and the string assembly can be used in the same manner as in the case of holding the terrestrial plant P (that is, FIG. 1), except that the object to be held is the aquatic plant P'. R can hold aquatic plants P'. Since the string C and the string assembly R have a density higher than that of water as described above, the aquatic plant P' can be accurately held without floating on the water surface even when immersed in water. can.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and various design changes are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the surface material 20 is formed by weaving fibers (a plurality of fiber bundles 21 in the illustrated example) into a tubular shape so as to surround the core material 10, but the surface material of the present invention is shown. The fibers that constitute the 20 are not limited to those of the embodiment, and may be those that have at least water absorbency and that allow the plant P to take root. For example, the surface material 20 may be composed of a tubular non-woven fabric in which fibers are not woven or knitted regularly.

In the above embodiment, the color of the surface material 20 is dark brown, but the color is not limited to the embodiment. ).

C Plant-holding string P Terrestrial plant P' Aquatic plant R Plant-holding string assembly 10 Core material 20 ... Surface material 21 ... Fiber bundles 30, 31 ... Adhesive as binding means

Claims (6)

A plant holding string used to hold a terrestrial or aquatic plant (P, P') in an aquarium (V), comprising:
A core material (10) having flexibility capable of bending deformation into an arbitrary shape and shape retention capable of retaining the shape after bending deformation, and a core material (10) fixed to the core material (10) A surface material (20) that covers the outer periphery and is deformable together with the core material (10),
The surface material (20) is composed of an aggregate of fibers that have water absorption properties and that allow the plants (P, P') to take root. A string for holding a plant, characterized by being constructed by knitting . 2. The plant-holding string according to claim 1, wherein said surface material (20) and said core material (10) are bound together at both ends thereof. 3. The plant-holding string according to claim 1, wherein said surface material (20) and said core material (10) are made of a water-resistant synthetic resin material. A string for holding a plant according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said surface material (20) is colored in a color close to that of driftwood or twigs. The plant-holding string (C) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the plant-holding string (C) has such a density that it is submerged in water. A string assembly having said flexibility and said shape-retaining property, which is configured in a rope shape by twisting a plurality of the plant-holding strings (C) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , ,
A plant-holding string assembly characterized in that the stems or roots of plants (P, P') can be held between adjacent plant-holding strings (C).

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