Greenhouse

Abstract

A greenhouse is handy and convenient to use. The greenhouse includes a frame assembly that stands on the ground and a dual protection assembly attached to the frame assembly to enclose the frame assembly. The dual protection member includes an airtight member and a mesh member. The mesh member is attached to the frame assembly to protect plants in the greenhouse from pests. The airtight member is attached to the mesh member to enclose the mesh member. Therefore, the airtight member provides protection for the plants in the greenhouse from the weather. When the airtight member is opened, the mesh member allows fresh air to flow into the greenhouse. Therefore, the plants in the greenhouse will be fully protected from not only the weather but also pests.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a greenhouse, and more particularly to a greenhouse with a simple structure, which can be used in a field.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] A greenhouse is used to grow plants that need protection from weather or environmental contaminants. A conventional greenhouse is a permanent or semi-permanent structure, is expensive, requires a large area and is not appropriate to protect individual plants, such as flowers or shrubs that need protection from the weather in a person's backyard.

[0005] With reference to FIG. 6, another kind of greenhouse is smaller and comprises a frame (60) and an airtight member (61). The airtight member (61) is made of pliable translucent plastic film and covers the whole frame (60). The plants, such as potted flowers (70) in this kind of greenhouse are protected from the weather because the plastic airtight member (61) isolates the plants from the outside environment. However, the airtight member (61) also keeps the wind from blowing into the greenhouse. Plants, like animals, also need to breathe to live. The airtight member (61) of this kind of conventional greenhouse must be opened to let in fresh air. Opening the translucent plastic film allows the plants in the greenhouse to breath but provides a means of entry for pests and contaminants to enter the greenhouse. The pests and contaminants may eat or disease the plants and cause them to die.

[0006] To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a convenient and useful dual protection greenhouse to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The main objective of the invention is to provide a simple greenhouse with a capability to protect plants outside from environmental conditions and pests and allow the plants to breathe. The greenhouse has a frame assembly and a dual protection assembly. The frame assembly is foldable and is easy to spread and cover a plant on the ground. The dual protection assembly is attached to and covers the frame assembly and comprises an airtight member and a mesh member. The mesh member is attached to the frame assembly to keep pests from entering the greenhouse. The airtight member is made of translucent plastic film and attached to the mesh member to cover the mesh member. The airtight member protects the plants in the greenhouse from severe weather. When the airtight member is opened, the mesh member allows fresh air to flow into the greenhouse and keeps pests from entering. Consequently, plants in the greenhouse will be fully protected from both severe weather and pests.

[0008] Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the greenhouse will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a greenhouse in accordance with the present invention;

[0010] FIG. 2 is an operational side plan view of a frame assembly of the greenhouse in FIG. 1, when the frame assembly is spread and stands on the ground;

[0011] FIG. 3 is a side plan view of the frame assembly in FIG. 2 when the frame assembly is folded;

[0012] FIG. 4 is an enlarged operational side plan view of an anchor stake on a rib of the frame assembly in FIG. 2 showing the anchor stake unfolded to be pushed into the ground;

[0013] FIG. 5 is an operational perspective view of the greenhouse in FIG. 1 when the airtight member is open; and

[0014] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a greenhouse in accordance with the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0015] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, a greenhouse (10) in accordance with the present invention is used to protect growing plants from severe weather and pests. The greenhouse (10) comprises a frame assembly (11) and a dual protection assembly (not numbered). The dual protection assembly is attached to and covers the frame assembly (11).

[0016] The frame assembly (11) is similar to a frame of an umbrella and comprises an adapter (111), multiple ribs (112), multiple spreaders (113), a spreader sleeve (114) and a shaft (115). The adapter (111) has a top (not numbered) and a bottom (not numbered). A through hole (not numbered) is defined through the adapter (111) from the top to the bottom. The ribs (112) are radially and pivotally attached to the adapter (111) at the bottom around the through hole. Each rib (112) has a bottom tip (not numbered) opposite the adapter (111), and a tag (not numbered) is attached to the bottom tip. A foldable anchor stake (1121) has a free end (not numbered) and is pivotally mounted on each rib (112) near the bottom tip. With further reference to FIG. 4, the free end is extended out relative to the bottom tip of the rib (112) when the anchor stake (1121) is unfolded.

[0017] The spreaders (113) are used to pivotally connect the ribs (112) to the spreader sleeve (114). The shaft (115) has a top end (not numbered) facing the bottom of the adapter (111) and corresponding to the through hole in the adapter (111) and a tapered bottom end (not numbered). A stub (1151) is formed radially on the shaft (115) near the top end of shaft (115). A ground stake (116) is attached to the bottom end of the shaft ( 15). The spreader sleeve (114) is securely attached to the shaft (115) near the stub (1151), and the spreaders (113) are radially and pivotally connected to the spreader sleeve (114). Each spreader (113) connects the spreader sleeve (114) to one of the ribs (112). A draw string (117) has a first end (not numbered) and a second end (not numbered), and the first end is attached to the top end of the shaft (115). The second end of the draw string (117) passes through and extends out of the through hole in the adapter (111) and is connected to a pull ring (118). The ground stake (116) has a top opening (not numbered) and a bottom tapered end (not numbered) and is mounted on the tapered bottom end of the shaft (115). The ground stake (116) securely holds the tapered bottom end of the shaft (115), and the tapered bottom end of the ground stake (116) is adapted to be inserted into the ground (50).

[0018] With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the frame assembly (11) is spread by pulling the pull ring (118) and the draw string (117) to move the top of the shaft (115) upward through the hole in the adapter (111) upward until that the stub (1151) abuts the bottom of the adapter (111). As the top end of the shaft (115) passes through and extends out of the through hole in the adapter (111), the spreader sleeve (114) will move the spreaders (113) upward and cause the ribs (112) to extend out from the shaft (115).

[0019] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 5, the dual protection assembly comprises a mesh member (21) and an airtight member (22). Both are like a canopy of an umbrella. The mesh member (21) has a bottom annular edge (not numbered), an outer periphery (not numbered) and a top (not numbered). The top of the mesh member (21) is attached to the adapter (111) and the bottom annular edge is attached to the tips of the ribs (112). The airtight member (22) also has a bottom annular edge (not numbered) and a top (not numbered). The top of the airtight member (22) is attached to the adapter (111) but the bottom annular edge is not attached. The airtight member (22) entirely encloses the mesh member (21) to protect plants in the greenhouse (10). To keep the airtight member (22) from being blown up by the wind, multiple fasteners (not shown) are respectively attached to the mesh and the airtight members (21, 22) near the bottom annular edges of both to stick the mesh end the airtight members (21, 22) together. The fasteners could be Velcro or the like that allow the airtight member (22) to be conveniently opened relative to the mesh member (21).

[0020] To install the greenhouse over a plant, the ground stake (116) is pushed into the ground near the plant, and the tapered bottom end of the shaft (115) is inserted in the top opening in the ground stake (116). The bottom tips of the ribs (112) contact the ground (50) so the frame assembly (11) can firmly stand on the ground (50). To more securely mount the greenhouse (10) on the ground (50), the anchor stakes (1121) can be unfolded so the free ends of the anchor stakes (1121) can also be pushed into the ground (50). Therefore, the greenhouse (10) is securely mounted on the ground (50) over the desired plant.

[0021] To conveniently store the greenhouse (10), the ground stake (116) and the anchor stakes (1121) are pulled out of the ground and the greenhouse (10) is removed from the plant. The top end of the shaft (115) is pushed back through and out of the through hole in the adapter (111), and the shaft (115) is pulled downward to collapse the ribs (112).

[0022] Consequently, when the airtight member (22) is opened relative to the mesh member (21), fresh air can flow into the greenhouse (10). Simultaneously, the mesh member (21) keeps pests from entering the greenhouse (10). The greenhouse (10) provides a dual protection from the weather and pests so growing plants can flourish. Consequently, the greenhouse (10) in accordance the present invention is not only convenient for a person to use but also provides good protection to plants so they can grow well and be healthy. Furthermore, the structure of the greenhouse (10) is simple, which makes fabricating the greenhouse (10) easy for the manufactures.

[0023] Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A greenhouse comprising: a frame assembly comprising an adapter having a top, a bottom and a through hole defined from the top to the bottom of the adapter; multiple ribs radially and pivotally attached to the bottom of the adapter around the through hole and each rib having a bottom tip opposite to the adapter; a shaft with a top end and a tapered bottom end mounted under the adapter, the top end of the shaft facing the through hole in the adapter and a stub formed radially on the shaft near the top end of the shaft; a draw string having two ends, one end attached to the top end of the shaft and the other end passing through and extending out of the through hole in the adapter; a spreader sleeve securely attached to the shaft near the stub; and multiple spreaders pivotally connecting the spreader sleeve to the ribs, where each spreader connects the spreader sleeve to one of the ribs; and a dual protection assembly mounted on the frame assembly and the dual protection assembly comprising a mesh member attached to the frame assembly and having a top, an outer periphery and an annular bottom edge, the top of the mesh member attached to the adapter and the annular bottom edge respectively attached to the ribs near the bottom tips; and an airtight member attached to the outer periphery of the mesh member and having a top and an annular bottom edge, and the top of the airtight member attached to the adapter, whereby the shaft is moved upward to move the spreader sleeve upward by pulling the draw string out of the top of the adapter, until the top end of the shaft extends out of the through hole to spread the greenhouse when the stub abuts the bottom of the adapter.

2. The greenhouse as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a ground stake mounted on the tapered bottom end of the shaft and having a top opening and a tapered bottom end, and the tapered bottom end of the ground stake adapted to be pushed into the ground; and multiple fasteners respectively mounted between the mesh member and the airtight member near the annular bottom edges of both the mesh and the airtight members and adapted to conveniently stick the mesh and the airtight members the together; wherein the tapered bottom end of the shaft is inserted into the top opening in the ground stake such that the shaft is held vertically in the ground stake and the spread greenhouse stands on the ground.

3. The greenhouse as claimed in claim 2, wherein a foldable anchor stake with a free end is pivotally mounted on each rib near the bottom tip, the free end protrudes relative to the bottom tip of the rib when the anchor stake is unfolded and is adapted to be pushed into the ground, and a tag is attached to the bottom tip of each rib.