Installation for cultivating plants

Claim 2

An installation for regulating the temperature of soil for cultivating plants, comprising: (a) a plurality of elongated hoses arranged in parallel and placed on the surface of the soil; (b) each hose being formed of a non-self-supporting thin wall material defining an inner passage which can carry liquid therethrough so that when the hose is filled with liquid the hose will expand and lay flat with its width greater than its height and effectively regulate the temperature of the soil by transmitting the liquid temperature through the thin wall to the soil; (c) means for preventing the hose from rolling and creating turbulence when liquid is circulated through the hose including said thin wall material forming upper and lower wall portions which are connected to each other at a plurality of places spaced apart along the length of said hose; (d) circulation means for circulating said liquid from one end to the other through each of said hoses at a preselected regulated temperature in an amount sufficient to occupy substantially the entire inner passage of each hose; and (e) temperature regulation means for regulating the temperature of said liquid.

Claim 3

The installation of claim 1, wherein the plurality of places which connect the upper and lower wall portions are arranged in a herring-bone pattern.

Claim 4

The installation of claim 1, further comprising: (a) an input adapter at the input end of each hose and an output adapter at the output end of said hose to create a loss of head in liquid flowing through the hose; and (b) feed means for feeding the hose at its input end liquid at a preselected regulated temperature in an amount sufficient to occupy substantially the entire inner passage of the hose.

Claim 5

An installation according to claim 1, wherein said hoses are connected at one end to a first manifold connected to said circulation means and at the other end to a second manifold.

Claim 6

An installation according to claim 4, wherein said hoses are arranged in the form of U-shaped hair-pins and both said manifolds are mounted side-by-side.

Claim 7

The installation of claim 1, wherein each said hose includes openings along its length extending through the height of the hose and exposing a surface of the soil for placement of plants therein, said openings being located at the plurality of places where the upper and lower wall portions are connected to each other, said openings being isolated from the inner passage of said hose by means of contact points which provide a water-tight connection between the upper and lower wall portions formed by said thin wall material.

Claim 8

The installation of claim 6, wherein said contact points for said openings are edge-to-edge welds joining the upper and lower wall portions to form a circular welded edge and wherein the opening for placement of said plant is formed within said circular welded edge.

Claim 9

An installation for regulating the termperature of soil for cultivating plants, comprising: (a) a plurality of elongated hoses arranged in parallel and placed on the surface of the soil; (b) each hose formed of a non-self-supporting thin wall material defining an inner passage which can carry liquid therethrough so that when the hose is filled with liquid the hose will expand and lay flat with its width greater than its height and effectively regulate the temperature of the soil by transmitting the liquid temperature through the thin wall to the soil; (c) said thin wall material also forming an upper wall portion comprising a hollow bead which defines a conduit parallel to, and separated from, but communicating with the remainder of the base for removing gas bubbles formed in the base, by means of a plurality of contact points spaced apart along the length of said hose; (d) circulation means for circulating said liquid from one end to the other through each of said hoses at a preselected regulated temperature in an amount sufficient to occupy substantially the entire inner passage of each hose; and (e) temperature regulation means for regulating the temperature of said liquid.

Claim 10

An installation for regulating the termperature of soil for cultivating plants, comprising: (a) a plurality of elongated hoses arranged in parallel and placed on the surface of the soil; (b) each hose formed of a non-self-supporting thin wall material defining an inner passage which can carry liquid therethrough so that when the hose is filled with liquid the hose will expand and lay flat with its width greater than its height and effectively regulate the temperature of the soil by transmitting the liquid temperature through the thin wall to the soil; (c) said thin wall material also forming an upper wall portion comprising a hollow bead which defines a conduit parallel to, and separated from, but communicating with the remainder of the base for removing gas bubbles formed in the base, by means of a plurality of contact points spaced apart along the length of said hose; (d) circulation means for circulating said liquid from one end to the other through each of said hoses at a preselected regulated temperature in an amount sufficient to occupy substantially the entire inner passage of each hose; and (e) temperature regulation means for regulating the temperature of said liquid.

Claim 11

The installation of claim 8, wherein the contact points are evenly distributed along the length of the hose.

Claim 12

The installation of claim 1, wherein said hoses are connected at one end to a first manifold connected to said circulation means and at the other end to a second manifold.

Claim 13

The installation of claim 10, wherein said hoses are arranged in the form of U-shaped hair-pins and both said manifolds are mounted side-by-side.

Claim 14

The installation of claim 8, further comprising: (a) an input adapter at the input end of each hose and an output adapter at the output end of said hose adapted to create a loss of head in liquid flowing through the hose; and (b) feed means for feeding the hose at its input end liquid at a preselected regulated temperature in an amount sufficient to occupy substantially the entire inner passage of the hose.