AU2008201741B1

AU2008201741B1 - Container for growing vegetation

Info

Publication number: AU2008201741B1
Application number: AU2008201741A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Stephen William Bigg
Original assignee: PERMAGROW Pty Ltd
Current assignee: PERMAGROW Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2007-07-23
Filing date: 2008-04-18
Publication date: 2008-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 2027-07-23
Also published as: WO2009012515A1; AU2007203404A1

Description

00 0 00

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventors: Address for Service: Invention Title: Stephen William Bigg Stephen William Bigg DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, Patent Attorneys, 1 Nicholson Street, Melbourne, 3000 Container for growing vegetation The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us.

Q \OPERMRF200830S14584 1O9divdoc. 18/4/08 P:\OPERWRF 5pminc.i,. %Ual\ \DIVISOQNAU 514584 divisiO.I 116 doc.2 I/IM/2(X1 00 -1- 0 Container for growing vegetation The present invention relates to a container for cultivating vegetation such as fruit, vegetables, flowers and other plants. Preferred embodiments of the invention provide a container for forming a garden bed.

00 According to the present invention, there is provided container for growing vegetation, the Scontainer comprising: a compartment for receiving a growing medium, the compartment having an open top and a floor to support the medium from below; and liquid storage means, the container being configured to allow water to drain from the compartment into the liquid storage means and further comprising an overflow outlet which is in fluid communication with the liquid storage means and positioned at a higher level than the floor, whereby the growing medium which is between the floor and the level of the overflow outlet can be maintained in a water-saturated condition when the liquid storage means is full.

In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, water added to the growing medium which percolates through that medium and is collected in the liquid storage means can, together with any dissolved or suspended nutrients in it, be recycled.

The overflow outlet may be positioned such that the height of the water-saturated growing medium is optimised at the bottom of the compartment, whereby the growing medium can remain moist without root systems of the grown vegetation being adversely affected.

Advantageously, as long as sufficient water continues to be added to the container, a layer of water-saturated growing medium may be maintained in the container. Most, if not all, of that water may be provided by rainfall.

Preferably, the compartment is of a size which is such that a raised garden bed may be formed therein. The garden bed provides a significant area for growing fruit, vegetables or P OPERiR.Spmiciion'2OCl) IVISIONAL30514584 dlvision, 106 doc.201 1 2) S 00 -2-

C)

o other plants, eliminating the need otherwise to dig and turn over earth in the ground to Sform a garden bed therein, and also eliminating any need there may be to intermix that ground with better quality soil, compost, fertiliser and the like. Furthermore, because the garden bed is raised, a person may create and maintain it without having to bend, stoop, or squat, at least to the same degree and/or for as long as might be required if the garden bed 0 were in the ground.

00 SPreferably, the container further comprises means permitting drainage of water from the liquid storage means. Preferably, the means permitting drainage comprises at least one outlet provided through a wall of the liquid storage means at a lower position thereof.

Preferably, the container further comprises a liquid level-indicating tube which is connected through a wall of the liquid storage means at a lower position thereof.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the liquid level-indicating tube is connected to the liquid storage means through a said drainage outlet.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the overflow outlet is defined at an open upper end of the liquid-level indicating tube.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the overflow outlet is connected through a wall of the compartment.

Preferably, the container is configured with an upper portion which defines the open top and opens downwardly into the liquid storage means, and further comprises a removable partition receivable in the upper portion to define a floor of the compartment in the upper portion.

Preferably, the container further comprises a selectively operable liquid supply outlet provided through a wall of the liquid storage means, the liquid supply outlet being positioned to permit a vessel to be arranged thereunder to receive liquid therefrom. In a P .OPER\MR Speclfcif onsOOS\DIV1SIONAL.35145&4 dmivowl 106doc-20/0II12 00 -3-

C.)

O preferred embodiment of the present invention, the liquid supply outlet comprises a tap, Smounted in an upper position on one of the troughs, whereby water may be removed from the trough when the level of water in the trough is at or above the position of the tap.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the liquid storage means comprises a O plurality of parallel troughs arranged beneath the compartment. Preferably, the plurality of 00 parallel troughs is a pair of parallel troughs.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a portion of the container which divides the troughs is arranged to be received against an underside of a central portion of the partition. Accordingly, said portion of the container may provide support to the partition from below.

Preferably, the troughs are in fluid communication whereby liquid levels therein are maintained equal. The drainage outlet then may, though need not, be provided to only one of the troughs. Moreover, the container then could be configured such that water from the compartment drains into only one of the troughs directly, the effect of the fluid communication, whereby water from that one trough to the other(s), being that water drains indirectly from the compartment into the other trough(s).

Preferably, the container is configured such that a respective external passage is defined between adjacent ones of the troughs, the or each passage being open at each end. The passage(s) may be conveniently utilised for storage or may be provided with a respective closure at each end and utilised as an enclosure for small animals such as guinea pigs or mice. Alternatively, the passage(s) may be kept substantially clear and used as a "wind tunnel" for regulating the temperature in the container. In particular, in hot environments, a flow of relatively cool air through the wind tunnel, such as during the night or after a cool change, may assist in cooling the water in the troughs and/or the growing medium in the compartment.

Preferably, the container is configured for connection to piping which provides fluid PkOPERVARFSpei06rion0UMUDUIV1SIONAIL IJ5145 diisonmI 06d do-20fI/10fO 00 -4- 0 communication between the liquid storage means of the container and the liquid storage means of another said container to equalise liquid levels in the liquid storage means of the containers.

The container may include at least one ground-engaging wheel to facilitate transport of the container.

00 SIn a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the container further comprises wicking means arranged to supply water from the liquid storage means to the growing medium in the compartment.

The present invention will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container according to a preferred embodiment, as seen from a first end; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the container as viewed from a second end; Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a receptacle forming part of the container; Figure 4 is a plan view of the receptacle; Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a partition which is received in the receptacle to form the container; and Figure 6 shows two interconnected containers according to the preferred embodiment.

Shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a container 1 in which is to be formed a raised garden bed.

The container 1 comprises a receptacle 3, shown in Figures 3 and 4, which is rota-moulded P, OPER\MAUISpmsr, tlo nINa8\DI ISI NALO 14394 II- 6 do106=-201UlO(JS 00 O as a single piece from plastic. The receptacle 3 is configured with an open-topped upper Sportion 4 which will, with a partition (described later), form a compartment for containing a growing medium, and is further configured with a pair of parallel water-collecting troughs 7 disposed beneath, and opening upwardly into, the upper portion 4, the troughs 7 extending between opposite ends of the receptacle 3 and having bases 9 which define the O base of the container 1. The upper portion 4 and troughs 7 afford the receptacle 3, as 00 viewed from either end, an inverted generally U-shaped configuration, with an open-ended passage 11 being defined beneath the upper portion 4 and between the spaced-apart troughs 7. The passage 11, which is accessible from either end of the container 1, can conveniently be utilised, e.g. for storing items such as gardening implements and media, or housing small pets such as hamsters or guinea pigs and, to this end, may receive a closure across each of its open ends. Alternatively, the passage 11 may be kept substantially clear and used as a "wind tunnel" for regulating the temperature in the container 1. In particular, in hot environments, a flow of relatively cool air through the wind tunnel, such as during the night or after a cool change, may assist in cooling the water in the troughs 7 and/or the growing medium in the compartment.

The troughs 7 and upper portion 4 taper outwardly in an upward direction, i.e. are upwardly divergent, whereby the receptacle 3 can, advantageously, be stacked with other such receptacles, the lower ends of the troughs 7 of one receptacle 3 being receivable into the upper ends of the troughs 7 of another receptacle beneath, and a lower section of the upper portion 4 of the one container being snugly receivable in the upper portion 4 of the other.

The laterally outer sidewalls 14 of the troughs 7 are arranged laterally inward of the lateral sidewalls 16 of the upper portion 4, whereby laterally outer shoulders 13A are defined at the bottom of the upper portion 4 (see in particular Figure Also, the end walls 18 of the troughs 7 are disposed longitudinally inwardly of the end walls 20 of the compartment defining shoulders 13B at each end of the upper portion 4, adjacent each end of the troughs 7. Moreover, a lower floor section 21 of the upper portion 4, which bridges upper ends of the two troughs 7, is configured to define laterally inner shoulders 13C and an upwardly P:\OPERMRtSPWcf'iOM2al\ IVISIO1 145R4 di-onm 06d-O10fl006 00 -6c,1 O projecting stiffening rib 17 disposed between the shoulders 13C and extending throughout the length of the compartment 5. To each side of the central axis A of the receptacle 3, the shoulders 13A, 13B, 13C define flat, continuous lands 19 which surround the top ends of the troughs 7.

O The container 1 further comprises a partition 30 which is received through the opening 2 in oO the top of the upper portion 4, to be supported around its periphery by the land 19. A Sgrowing compartment 5 is thus formed in the upper portion 4, the partition 30 defining a floor of the compartment 5 and covering the open tops of the troughs 7, thereby separating the interior of the compartment 5 from the interiors of the troughs 7. The periphery of the partition 30 is configured so that it lies closely adjacent to, but slightly spaced from, the side walls and end walls of the compartment 5, i.e. the external configuration of the partition 30 is complementary to the internal configuration of the bottom of the upper portion 4. The partition 30 is further configured with a central rib 32, defining, in the underside of the partition 30, a channel 34 which is of a configuration complementary to that of the rib 17 such that it snugly receives the rib 17 therein and also stiffens and strengthens the partition.

The corners 36 of the partition 30 may be configured with chamfers to facilitate passage of water from the compartment 5 into the troughs 7.

The container 1 has a height of approximately 63 cm, and a length and width which are both approximately 120 cm. The compartment 5 has a length and width which are both approximately 108 cm and a height of approximately 27 cm. The troughs 7 each have a height of approximately 32 cm, a width of approximately 25 cm and a length of approximately 88 cm, the capacity of each trough 7 being approximately 55 litres. It will be appreciated that these measurements can vary considerably.

Elongate wicking elements 38 extend through the partition 30, lower ends of the wicking elements 38, when the partition 30 is in the receptacle 3, being positioned in the troughs 7, adjacent the bases 9, and upper ends of the wicking elements 38 being received in the P kOPER1R Spmjfo ooinsI06 IS ONAWO 145 I4 divisional 106 dow-0/10flfl 00 -7- O compartment 5 in an upper region thereof. The wicking elements 38 draw liquid which has collected in the troughs 7 upward from the troughs 7 and feed it into the compartment where the growing medium and vegetation is contained. In this embodiment, the wicking elements 38 are in the form of capillary tubes but it will be appreciated that, in other embodiments, those tubes may be replaced with suitably rigid lengths of absorbent O material suitable for wicking.

00 The upper end of the compartment 5 is configured with a step 40, disposed slightly below the opening 2, which extends around the periphery of the upper end and which may receive therein a lid or cover to cover the opening (and any vegetation which may be growing in the compartment The container 1 may also be configured to receive a canopy extending above and over the opening 2 to shroud the growing vegetation.

At a first end 6 of the container 1, a hole 42 is provided through the end wall 18 of each trough 7 adjacent the base 9 to provide fluid communication between the interior and exterior of the respective trough 7, the holes thereby defining outlets.

An L-shaped T-piece fitting 44 is fitted through the hole 42 on one of the troughs 7 (shown as the right-hand side trough in Figure 1) and an elbow fitting 46 is fitted through the other hole 42. A connector pipe 48 extends between a connector arm 43 of the T-piece fitting 44 and a connector arm 47 of the elbow 46 to establish fluid communication between the interiors of the troughs 7, whereby water levels in the troughs 7 will be maintained equal.

Plumbed through the end wall 20 at the first end 6 of the compartment 5 is a further Lshaped T-piece 50, which is positioned approximately 3 to 4 cm above the floor of the compartment 5. An upright clear plastic tube 52 extends upwardly from the other connector arm 45 of T-piece 44 and the connector arm 51 of T-piece 50. The other arm of the T-piece 50 is directed sideways and defines an overflow outlet 53, through which water will be expelled when there is an excess of water in the container 5, such as during rainfall, thereby preventing flooding of the compartment 5. The operation of the overflow outlet 53 will be described in further detail later.

P \OPERSMRS4apirimwns%0\D VISIONAL\30514584 daslionmI I(6 dc2OI]OSV200 00 -8- O In the end wall 18 of the other trough 7 the left-hand trough in Figure a tap 60 is Sprovided, which tap can be opened to collect water from that trough and, owing to the interconnection of the troughs 7 by the connector pipe 48, the other trough also, assuming, of course, that the level of water in the trough 7 is at or above the position where the tap is plumbed into the wall 18.

00 At the second end 8 of the container, each trough 7 is formed with a partition 70 (see Figures 3 and 4) adjacent the corner 76 defined by its base 9 and end wall 18, the partition having an inverted L-shaped longitudinal cross-sectional configuration and extending throughout the width of the trough 7, thus isolating, from liquid in the trough 7, a respective corner section defined at the intersection of the end wall and base 9. Formed into each comer section is a wheel recess having a top wall and end wall defined by the horizontal and vertical walls, respectively, of the partition 70. Each recess is bounded on either side by sidewalls which extend between the vertical wall 72 of the partition and end wall 18, and also between the horizontal wall 74 of the partition 70 and the base 9. Bores are provided through the comer sections, each bore extending through the sidewalls bounding the recesses of the respective trough and fixedly receiving therethrough an axle which mounts a respective wheel 80 in the recess. The wheels 80 are coaxial and positioned such that, when the first end of the container 1 is lifted, the wheels 80 will engage the ground and the end corners 76 will be lifted clear of the ground to enable the container 1 to be wheeled on the ground to move it to a desired position.

The operation of the container 1 for growing vegetation will now be described.

With the partition 30 inserted, the compartment 5 is filled with growing medium into which seeds or shoots or the like are planted. Water is then added to the growing medium, through the open top 2, to water the seeds/vegetation. The interface between the partition and lands 19 is not waterproof, and water which percolates through the growing medium and reaches the partition 30 will thus trickle around the edges of the partition, and in particular over the chamfered comers of the partition (if provided), down into either of the troughs 7, where it will be collected. After repeated watering, either manual or due to P.OPERWMRJSp.ri or)62(M)SfllV1SIONAL\It)5145?A d-Oi 11)6 do.-20)/II/2( 00 -9- O rainfall, the level of collected water will accumulate in each trough 7, the level in both F, troughs 7 being maintained equal by the connector pipe 48 and being able to be determined at any time via the level gauge 52.

5 When the level gauge 52 indicates the level to be sufficiently high, water may be extracted O from the troughs 7 by opening the tap 60. A vessel, such as a watering can, may be 00 positioned under the tap 60 to collect the water (including nutrients dissolved and Ssuspended therein) discharged from the tap 60, which may then be re-applied to the growing medium.

Because the overflow outlet is some 3 to 4 cm above the partition 30, the water may accumulate in the container 1 to that level, in which case it not only completely fills the troughs 7 but also forms a 3 to 4 cm layer above the partition in the compartment 5 in which it saturates the growing medium, thereby forming an interface of water and growing medium, whereby constant contact is maintained between the water and the area of growing medium in which the ends of the roots of the vegetation are located, hastening growth. Advantageously, the interface will be maintained as long as sufficient water continues to be added to the container over time to keep the troughs full. If the container is outdoors and uncovered, it may be that most, if not all, of that water can be provided by rainfall.

Upon further water entering the container 1, water will trickle from the compartment 5 into the fitting 50 and be discharged through the discharge outlet 53. Filter material, such as mesh, may be placed across the outlet from the compartment 5 into the fitting 50 to prevent growing medium from escaping with the water from the compartment 5. In an overflow condition, the water may also rise sufficiently high in the level gauge 52 to be discharged through the discharge outlet.

A collection receptacle can be positioned under, or connected to, the discharge outlet 53 to collect overflow water from the container 1.

P \OPERWRF\Spaincutions\2(X)&kD[VISII45N4 dirsrlomf 106 00 O When there is a need to empty the container 1 of the embodiment completely, the connector pipe 48 can simply be removed from one (or both) of the fittings 44, 46, whereupon the water will drain through the troughs and out of holes 42.

In a particularly advantageous application, overflow outlets of a plurality of containers 1 O according to the embodiment arranged side-by-side can be interconnected by a piping, as 0 shown in Figure 6 which depicts two interconnected containers 1. To enable the Sconnection, one of the fittings 50 is provided with an additional connector arm 55 which is directed towards the other container 1 to be aligned with the discharge outlet 53 of the fitting 50 on that container so that a straight length of pipe 90 may be coupled to outlet 53 and connector arm 55. With the containers 1 thus connected, overflow water from one container will flow through pipe 90 into the other container, assuming of course that the other container is not also in an overflow condition.

The container 1 offers numerous advantages. Firstly, it provides a raised garden bed, and thus a growing area which is significantly greater than that of a plant pot or the like.

Because the garden bed is raised, it can be formed and tended to far more ergonomically than can garden beds formed in the ground.

Moreover, the container 1 is adapted to collect and discharge excess water (and other liquid media), together with any dissolved or suspended nutrients, for recycling, and is thus particularly useful where water restrictions apply. A further associated advantage is that the excess water, which may contain fertiliser and the like, can thus be prevented from being released into public drains, so that it cannot contaminate oceans and/or natural waterways.

Because the water is collected in troughs 7, which have a small base area as compared with the area of the growing compartment 5, the collected excess water assumes, in the troughs 7, a relatively high level, which may be sufficient to enable it to be discharged from a position high up on the container 1, i.e. through tap 60, straight into a collection vessel which may simply rest on the ground (below the tap 60) without accumulating in such a P OP .R KARPppm~rications\2(DIVISIONAL145X4 d-onol 1l6 doM.20I1W02MXR 00 -11- 0 quantity that it overloads the container 1 and/or a floor surface on which the container 1 may be supported.

Also, since the garden bed is isolated from the ground, the growing medium is not vulnerable to contamination by, for example, poor quality ground soil or the like, or O damage by the ground-based animals such as worms and snails.

00 Furthermore, the passage 11, defined between the troughs 7 below the compartment instead of being used as a pet enclosure or storage area as described above, be kept substantially clear, in which case it can act as a wind tunnel which operates to regulate the temperature inside the container 1.

In addition, configuring the water-collecting portion of the container as troughs confers strength and rigidity to that portion.

Another significant advantage of the trough arrangement in the container 1 is that it facilitates location of the container 1 on an uneven ground surface because the base area of the container 1 is distributed and relatively small. In particular, areas of uneven ground, if located between the troughs 7, will not affect locating of the container 1.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention should not be limited by any of the above described exemplary embodiments.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

Claims

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the compartment is of a size which is such that a raised garden bed may be formed therein.
3. A container according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising means permitting drainage of water from the liquid storage means.
4. A container according to claim 3, wherein the means permitting drainage comprises at least one outlet provided through a wall of the liquid storage means at a lower position thereof. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a liquid level-indicating tube which is connected through a wall of the liquid storage means at a lower position thereof.
6. A container according to claim 5 as appended to claim 4, wherein the liquid level- indicating tube is connected to the liquid storage means through a said drainage outlet.
7. A container according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the overflow outlet is defined at an P:\OPER\MRFSpiriionrUOOR)«DIVISIONALU 35 14584 divisional 106 d<o.20/IVU 2() 00 -13- O open upper end of the liquid-level indicating tube.
8. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the overflow outlet is connected through a wall of the compartment. O 9. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, being configured with an 0 0 upper portion which defines the open top and opens downwardly into the liquid storage Smeans, the container further comprising a removable partition receivable in the upper portion to define a floor of the compartment in the upper portion. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a selectively operable liquid supply outlet provided through a wall of the liquid storage means, the liquid supply outlet being positioned to permit a vessel to be arranged thereunder to receive liquid therefrom.
11. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the liquid storage means comprises a plurality of parallel troughs arranged beneath the compartment.
12. A container according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of parallel troughs is a pair of parallel troughs.
13. A container according to claim 12 as appended to claim 9, wherein a portion of the container which divides the troughs is arranged to be received against an underside of a central portion of the partition.
14. A container according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the troughs are in fluid communication whereby liquid levels therein are maintained equal. A container according to any one of claims 11 to 14, the container being configured such that a respective external passage is defined between adjacent ones of the troughs, the or each passage being open at each end. P OPERkMRFt~pmlfiuliomil(X)RU)IVISIONAL\3014584J dis-omil 106d -2/I(f2{X 00 O O -14- O 16. A container according to claim 15, the container being configured such that the or each passage allows sufficient airflow therethrough to cool the interior of the container.
17. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, the container being configured for connection to piping which provides fluid communication between the O liquid storage means of the container and the liquid storage means of another said 0 0 container to equalise liquid levels in the liquid storage means of the containers.
18. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one ground-engaging wheel to facilitate transport of the container.
19. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising wicking means arranged to supply water from the liquid storage means to the growing medium in the compartment. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings and/or Examples.