NL2021053B1

NL2021053B1 - Device for growing mushrooms

Info

Publication number: NL2021053B1
Application number: NL2021053A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Alexander Jozef Lemmen Jacobus; Gerardus Maria Van Doremaele Marcus
Original assignee: Alexander Jozef Lemmen Jacobus; Gerardus Maria Van Doremaele Marcus
Priority date: 2018-06-04
Filing date: 2018-06-04
Publication date: 2019-12-11

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for growing mushrooms, comprising a shelving, arranged for supporting beds for holding compost, said beds for holding compost wherein the beds are placed at a mutual distance above each other characterized in that the beds are movable between at least a first position, wherein a second bed supported above a first bed at least partially impedes the accessibility of the first bed in a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the first bed extends and a second position in which at least a larger part of the first bed is free approachable from a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the first bed extends than in the first position.

Description

Θ 2021053 ©B1 OCTROOI (2?) Aanvraagnummer: 2021053 (22) Aanvraag ingediend: 4 juni 2018 (51) Int. Cl.:

A01G 18/62 (2018.01) A01G 18/64 (2019.01) A01G

18/70 (2019.01) (30) Voorrang:

Q Aanvraag ingeschreven:

december 2019 (43) Aanvraag gepubliceerd:

(47) Octrooi verleend:

december 2019 (45) Octrooischrift uitgegeven:

december 2019 (73) Octrooihouder(s):

Jacobus Alexander Jozef Lemmen te Venlo Marcus Gerardus Maria van Doremaele te Velddriel (72) Uitvinder(s):

Jacobus Alexander Jozef Lemmen te Venlo Marcus Gerardus Maria van Doremaele te Velddriel (74) Gemachtigde:

ir. H.Th. van den Heuvel c.s. te 's-Hertogenbosch

54) Device for growing mushrooms

57) The present invention relates to a device for growing mushrooms, comprising a shelving, arranged for supporting beds for holding compost, said beds for holding compost wherein the beds are placed at a mutual distance above each other characterized in that the beds are movable between at least a first position, wherein a second bed supported above a first bed at least partially impedes the accessibility of the first bed in a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the first bed extends and a second position in which at least a larger part of the first bed is free approachable from a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the first bed extends than in the first position.

NLB1 2021053

Dit octrooi is verleend ongeacht het bijgevoegde resultaat van het onderzoek naar de stand van de techniek en schriftelijke opinie. Het octrooischrift wijkt af van de oorspronkelijk ingediende stukken. Alle ingediende stukken kunnen bij Octrooicentrum Nederland worden ingezien.

Device for growing mushrooms

The present invention relates to a device for growing mushrooms.

It is known to grow mushrooms on a small scale. Racks are proposed for this purpose, for instance in the Chinese utility models CN207040404, CN207040403 and CN103238477. These publications describe solutions that are limited to growing mushrooms in pots or in containers.

At industrial scales, mushrooms are traditionally grown at indoor locations, often called growing rooms, wherein shelvings are placed that support beds for holding compost and casing soil, on which the mushrooms are grown.

In contrast to the pots and containers used in the small scale solutions described above, at industrial scale the compost and casing soil are placed on pulling nets, that allow to fill and empty the bed with compost and casing soil easily. Usually, this is done after every two or three flushes of mushrooms, since the compost has lost its fertility and nutrition then.

The beds are placed at a mutual distance above each other in the shelving, and harvest of the mushrooms takes place manually by harvesters, standing next to the beds at various height levels and delivering the mushrooms to harvesting conveyors once they are cut. From there on they are further processed, either manually or in an automated way.

The beds have an average length of 10 to 100 meters, a width of 0,5 to 2 meters, and are usually placed 0,4 to 1,4 meters above each other. As a result, the harvesters cannot reach all mushrooms without stooping. Given the required speed of working and the total length of the beds, this makes harvesting a cumbersome job, with even certain health risks. Moreover, harvesters tend to stand straight to avoid a painful back, but in this position they only have sight to a part of the bed, with the result that part of the harvesting takes place on intuition, which may have a negative impact on the quality of the work, since a better selection can be made when an eye is kept on the work.

Examples of beds that are suitable for growing mushrooms at an industrial scale are known from various patent publications. Examples are CN203985152, CN 107691121, EP1568265, JP 2012-055234, CN207040403, CN207040404, JP 2012-110285, CN102238477 and NL1027511. Also the 2007 publication by the Wageningen University & Research division Praktijkonderzoek Plant & Omgeving, Paddestoelen, titled “Nieuwe methoden voor de handmatige oogst van champignons” discloses several solutions that are more or less suitable for growing mushrooms at an industrial scale, however, all without providing a solution that takes away the disadvantages of bad sight at the working area and the health consequences thereof.

The international patent application W02005077152 and the US application US2016135384 disclose shelvings that have little to do with growing mushrooms, and are completely unsuitable for doing so. They also neither relate to the problems of bad visibility of contents of shelves, nor to the reachability of these contents by workers, let alone harvesters.

It is a goal of the present invention to provide a device for growing mushrooms that takes away the disadvantages of the prior art. The invention thereto proposes a device for growing mushrooms, according to claim 1, comprising a shelving supporting beds for holding compost, wherein the beds are placed at a mutual distance above each other, wherein the beds are movable between at least a first position, wherein a second bed supported above a first bed at least partially impedes the accessibility of the first bed in a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the first bed extends and a second position in which at least a larger part of the first bed is free approachable from a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the first bed extends than in the first position. Preferably this goes for the entire first bed at once, over its full length.

With impeding the accessibility of the first bed is meant that the bed cannot be reached because there is another bed in the way for the harvester. A direction perpendicular to the plane in which the first bed extends is - in case of a bed that extends in a horizontal plane which is the common orientation for a bed for growing mushrooms - the direction from straight above. If the bed is under an angle with the horizontal plane, this perpendicular direction changes of course.

Free approachable means that a harvester does not need to bend or that his or her sight is not impeded because of an overlaying bed. That means that there is at least a free zone of 40, preferably at least 50 centimeters and more preferably more than 60 centimeters in the perpendicular direction.

In the devices according to the state of the art, beds are arranged on top of each other. In such case, the harvester has to work in between beds that are on top of each other. The device according to the present invention takes away this disadvantage and makes the mushrooms available for harvesting and visible for inspection during harvest.

Configurations within the scope of the present invention are thinkable wherein movement of the beds requires both beds to change place or orientation, but preferably the displacement between the first and the second position requires a displacement of the first bed only. This keeps both the technical configuration and the use of the device as simple as possible.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the beds are equal and are positioned exactly above one another in vertical direction. This leads to an efficient use of space in the growing room or other location where the shelving is placed, and also makes the work for the harvesters easier, since they do not need to adapt their position or the tooling they work with when changing from bed to bed. Additionally, this standardization has benefits in production, and in the use of tooling like pulling nets, picking lorries and/or picking platforms.

In a preferred embodiment, the first bed is in the second position is completely freely accessible from a direction perpendicular to the plane in which it extends.

The displacement between the first and the second position may for instance comprise a translation of a bed. In such case, the bed is arranged in a drawer-like configuration to the shelving. That means that the translation takes place in the width direction of the bed. One benefit of such system is that the orientation of the bed remains the same, that is in most cases: essentially horizontal.

However, such drawer-like configuration has the disadvantage that it requires more space around the shelving. In a preferred embodiment therefore, the displacement between the first and the second position may comprise a rotation of a bed. This embodiment has the advantage that a relatively simple construction can be applied, but additionally, that there is no more space required than the devices according to the prior art require.

Preferably, the rotation of a bed takes place around an axis in the longitudinal direction of the bed which axis is situated at the underside of the bed, and is positioned in the middle in the width direction. This way, the bed is balanced and its rotation requires the least force that is in a practical embodiment obtainable. Moreover, the rotation around an axis at the bottom of the bed contributes to the accessibility of the bed in the second position, since the outmost point of the bed moves toward the harvester this way.

The bed may be rotatable to a maximum between 0 and 90 degrees, more preferably between 30 and 60 degrees and most preferably to a maximum angle of 45 degrees with respect to a horizontal position, in order to avoid the compost, soil ground and mushrooms to fall out of the bed when the bed is in its maximum rotated orientation. Furthermore it has appeared that an angle around 45 degrees is a convenient harvesting angle. An operating device, such as a spindle may be provided for easy and controlled movement of the bed from the first position to the second position.

In yet a further embodiment, there is a pair of beds at the same height supported by the shelving, which beds extend parallel to each other. The pair of beds may be rotatable on the same layer in the opposite direction. Such pair has the advantage that it may be dimensioned half as big as a bed according to the state of the art, in order to make the picking easier, or, dimensioned the same size, but then requiring less shelving equipment to support the same amount of bed surface. The beds may each have a width between 0,5 and 2 meters, and / or have a length between 10 and 100 meters.

In yet a further embodiment, the device may be provided with a height-adjustable conveyor belt, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the beds, and is movable in height to positions which correspond to a lower end of a bed situated in a second position.

The invention will now be elucidated into more detail with reference to the following figures, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic side-view of a device according to the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a device according to the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a device 1 for growing mushrooms 2, comprising a shelving 3, supporting beds 4 for holding compost 5. The beds 4 are placed at a mutual distance A above each other, and movable between a first position B, wherein a second bed C supported above a first bed D at least partially impedes the accessibility of the first bed D in a direction E perpendicular to the plane H in which the first bed D extends; and a second position I in which at least a larger part of a first bed F is free approachable from a direction J perpendicular to the plane K in which the first bed F extends than in the first position.

The displacement between the first and the second position requires a displacement of the first bed F only. The first bed F is in the second position (shown) completely freely accessible from a direction perpendicular to the plane K in which it extends. The displacement between the first and the second position comprises a rotation of the bed F, around an axis 6 in the longitudinal direction of the bed which axis 6 is situated at the underside of the bed F, and is positioned in the middle in the width direction L.

The bed F is shown at its maximum angle of 45 degrees with respect to a horizontal position. The angular rotation is limited by a stop 7. As visible, there is a pair of beds 4 at the same height supported by the shelving 3, which beds extend parallel to each other. The device is further provided with a height-adjustable conveyor belt 8, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the beds, and is movable in height to positions which correspond to a lower end of a bed situated in a second position.

Visible is that the distance from the shoulder 10 of a harvester 9 to the compost and casing soil with the mushrooms is essentially the same for both sides of the bed in the second position. This is obtainable for all embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 2 shows the device from figure 1 in a perspective view.

The figures are for illustrative purposes only and do in no sense limit the scope of protection as defined by the following claims.

Claims

Conclusions

A device for growing mushrooms, comprising:

- a thesis,

- adapted to carry beds for holding cover soil and compost on a draw net,

- beds for carrying cover soil and compost on a draw net; at which

- the beds are placed one above the other at a mutual distance;

with the characteristic

- that the beds can only be moved between at least:

a first position, wherein a second bed carried above a first bed at least partially hinders the accessibility of the first bed in a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the first bed extends; and a second position in which at least a larger part of the first bed is freely approachable from a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the first bed extends than in the first position, wherein two beds are at the same height, which beds are parallel extend to each other and are rotatable in opposite directions, and wherein the beds each have a width between 0.5 and 2 meters.

Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the beds have a length between 10 and 100 meters

Device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the beds are of the same shape and are placed exactly above each other in the vertical direction.

Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the first bed in the second position is completely freely approachable from a direction perpendicular to the plane in which it extends.

Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the displacement between the first and the second position comprises a translation of a bed, in particular in the width direction of the bed.

Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the displacement between the first and the second position comprises a rotation of a bed.

7. Device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the rotation of a bed takes place around an axis in the longitudinal direction of the bed which is situated on the underside of the bed, and is positioned centrally in the width direction.

Device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the bed is rotatable to a maximum angle between 0 and 90 degrees, in particular between 30 and 60 degrees, and more particularly 45 degrees with respect to a horizontal position.

Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, comprising and operating member for moving a bed from the first position to the second position.

Device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the operating member comprises a spindle.

Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, provided with a height-adjustable conveyor belt, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the beds, and is height-adjustable to positions corresponding to a lowest end of a bed in a second position .

12. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein a side of a bed which is directed to a bed lying on the same level is moved upwards when the bed is rotated and a side of the bed which is directed to the outside of the bed. position goes down when the bed is rotated.

Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the rack has at least one upright and at least one girder supported by the upright, wherein a bed is connected to the girder at a point of rotation and wherein the bed extends from the point of rotation in width direction to the outside of the device

5 extends further than the girder.

14. Method for harvesting mushrooms from a rack, comprising the step of moving at least a part of the rack between a first position, wherein a second bed carried above a first bed has accessibility

10 of the first bed in a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the first bed extends obstructs at least partially and a second position in which at least a larger part of the first bed is freely approachable from a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the first bed extends then in the first position.

// 2