AU2019229339A1 - Planter - Google Patents

Abstract

A planter 1 for carrying plants and growing medium to a site and presenting the plants at the site. The planter includes a frame 3 and a tub 5, within and supported by the frame, for holding the plants and the growing medium en route to and at the 5 site. 3c 3dl 15b 15a

Description

PLANTER

FIELD

The invention relates to presenting plants at a presentation site.

BACKGROUND

Conventional raised garden beds and the like are typically constructed by first forming a tub (e.g. with brickwork or heavy timbers), supplying growing medium (e.g. soil) to the tub, and then planting the plants. This method is not well adapted for malls, foyers and other public spaces where time and disruption associated with the construction phase of the garden bed, and then the time for the plants to become established, is considered undesirable. Accordingly, pot plants are frequently used in such settings.

A typical pot plant includes a bucket having drainage holes in its bottom and sitting in a suitable saucer. 'Self-watering' pots incorporate an internal floor separating a water sump from growing medium. The floor is contoured to have 'wicking tubes' (i.e. water15 permeable tubes by which a minor proportion of the growing medium is exposed to the water) to wick water to the bulk of the growing medium.

The present inventor has recognised that existing flower pots can be rather unattractive and/or thick and heavy, and that transporting potted plants is expensive. Accordingly, the invention aims to provide improvements in and for the presentation of plants, or at least to provide an alternative for those concerned with the presentation of plants.

It is not admitted that any of the information in this patent specification is common general knowledge, or that the person skilled in the art could be reasonably expected to ascertain or understand it, regard it as relevant or combine it in any way before the priority date.

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SUMMARY

One aspect of the invention provides a planter for carrying plants and growing medium to a site and presenting the plants at the site;

the planter including a frame; and a tub, within and supported by the frame, for holding the plants and the growing medium en route to and at the site.

The frame may be co-operable with tines of a forklift to enable the forklift to lift the planter and plants and growing medium carried thereby.

The planter may include two or more upright guide arrangements each of which is configured to be skewered by a respective upright to align the planter with like planters in a stack of planters. The at least two of the upright guide arrangements may be corner posts of the frame. Preferably the frame includes edge-holding arrangements into which fascia panels are droppable. Other fascia-attachment arrangements are possible.

Preferably the tub defines a sump for holding water; and a floor above the water to support the growing medium.

The planter may have a vent for venting, to atmosphere, an air gap under the floor.

Preferably there are one or more wick arrangements for wicking water upwards to supply the plants. The one or more wick arrangements may include a waterpermeable tube for holding growing medium. The sump may have an overflow.

Another aspect of the invention provides a planter for carrying plants and growing medium to a site and presenting the plants at the site;

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2019229339 11 Sep 2019 the planter including a tub for holding the plants and the growing medium en route to and at the site; and a fagade applicable on site.

The fagade may comprise a set of fascia panels.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method, of presenting plants at a presentation site, including transporting a tub, of growing medium and plants in the growing medium, to the presentation site.

The method may include stacking tubs for the transporting and/or, at the presentation 10 site, applying a fagade to the tub.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is an exploded view of a planter;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a mounting bracket;

Figure 3a is a perspective view of a corner of a frame;

Figure 3b is a perspective view of a leg extension; and

Figure 4 is a cross-section view of a planter.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The planter 1 incorporates a support frame 3. The frame 3 is formed of steel square hollow section (SHS). In this example, the frame 3 is a weldment, although other modes of construction are possible. Other materials are also possible, although metals are preferred. Preferably the metal has a suitable anti-corrosion treatment, e.g. a zinc-based treatment such as galvanisation.

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The planter 1 further includes a tub 5 which is preferably formed of plastic. Preferably the tub is at least partly, e.g. about 50%, recycled plastic. The frame 3 includes a grid of bars defining a base 3a for supporting the base of the tub 5. Above the base 3a, the frame 3 further includes a rectangular perimeter frame 3b for supporting the upper periphery of the tub 5. The tub 5 nests within the frame 3.

According to a preferred construction, the frame functions as a rigid outside support whilst the tub functions as a substantially impermeable semi-rigid liner, thus making best use of the materials. Other forms of outer support are possible. Likewise, other forms of impermeable liner are possible, e.g. a suitable outer support might be lined 10 with freely pliable plastic.

The frame 3 is approximately cuboid and is about three times as wide as it is high and about twice as long as it is wide, e.g. the frame may be about 2.4 m x 1.2 m x 0.4 m. The tub 5 has complementary proportions. Heights up to 1.2 m would also be convenient.

The tub 5 is preferably fitted with a floor 7 above a sump portion 9 of the tub 5. The floor 7 holds the growing medium GM above the sump 9 to define an air gap AG between the growing medium GM and the water W. The floor is preferably porous plastic. The sump is preferably dimensioned to hold at least about 200 mm of water below the floor. A wall of the tub 5 has a penetration 11 defining an overflow to prevent the water rising to the level of the floor 7. The penetration 11 vents the air gap to atmosphere. One or more vent pipes running upwardly through the growing medium GM are another possibility.

The growing medium is preferably a soil mix, e.g. with about 30% sand. Preferably the growing medium is mulched.

The floor 7 includes wicking tubes 13 in the form of permeable tubes extending downwardly into the water of the sump 9 such that a minor portion of the growing medium GM is exposed directly to the water W. Each of the wicking tubes preferably has a cross-section in the vicinity of 20 cm². This corresponds to a diameter of about 5 cm, although profiles other than circular are possible.

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Preferably the wicking tubes 13 are configured such that substantially all of the wicking is via the growing medium, i.e. configured so that the wicking tubes per se make negligible contribution to the wicking. A preferred construction entails a semirigid grid of plastic lined with shade cloth. Studies have shown that, in contrast to 5 various geotextile mats, shade cloth with its hydrophobic properties and large aperture size does not wick water to any appreciable extent.

Preferably the sub-assembly 3, 5 is supplied with growing medium and plants (e.g. by planting seedlings or by planting seeds and enabling them to grow). The subassembly 3, 5 can then be cared for at a suitable growing site, preferably an outdoor 10 growing site, to enable the plants to establish. The sub-assembly 3, 5 can then be transported to the presentation site, e.g. to the foyer of a commercial building. For this purpose, the sub-assembly 3, 5 is preferably transportable by a forklift and stackable.

In this example, each corner of the rigid outer 3 has a respective upright through15 passage 3c. Each passage 3c carries a respective screw-adjustable foot 3d to hold the base 3a off the ground to receive the tines of a forklift or a pallet jack. Other variants may be fitted with casters, e.g. lock-down casters. The planter 1 has six screw-adjustable feet. Other levelling systems are possible.

In this example, the passages 3c are defined by respective lengths of square hollow 20 section. In other forms of the rigid outer, the passages may be formed in other ways.

As well as, or instead of, configuration to co-operate with a forklift, the outer 3 may be equipped with suitable loops, or other lifting points, by which the sub-assembly 3, 5 can be craned into place. Preferably the sump 9 is fitted with a fluid release mechanism (such as a tap or a sump plug) by which the water can be released for transport.

Figure 3a illustrates an alternative corner arrangement. Relative to the version of Figure 1, the screw-adjustable foot is replaced by a bottom end portion 3d'. The bottom end portion 3d' sits at the bottom of the corner post 3c and is configured to

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2019229339 11 Sep 2019 mate with the top end of the corner post whereby like frames, potentially carrying tubs 5, can be stacked in interlocking fashion.

In this example, the bottom portion 3d' takes the form of a smaller section of SHS fixed within the bottom of the post 3c. The bottom portion 3d' is thus dimensioned for 5 receipt within the upwardly open end of an underlying corner post 3c. Other modes of interlocked-aligned stacking are possible.

In this particular example, the bottom 3d' further carries a rubber sole to protect underlying tile surfaces etc.

The features for interlocking of Figure 3a are well adapted for efficiently stacking bare 10 frames 3, or sub-assemblies 3, 5 without mature plants, e.g. for sub-assemblies 3, 5 carrying small seedlings.

Spacer 30 is configured to vertically space the sub-assemblies 3, 5 from each other.

The spacer 30 incorporates a top portion 33c formed of SHS matching the main body of the comer post 3c, and a bottom portion 33d' matching the bottom portion 3d'. By 15 placing a respective spacer 30 into the top end of each of the comer posts 3c of a sub-assembly 3, 5 planted with mature plants, a further sub-assembly 3, 5 can be placed on top without squashing the plants.

Spacers of varying heights to suit plants of varying heights are contemplated.

Accordingly delivering the plants may entail selecting a set of spacers based on a 20 height of the plants.

Once positioned at the presentation site, the sub-assembly 3, 5 can be dressed with a suitable fagade. The fagade may take a variety of forms, and preferably entails a set of fascia panels, such as the fascia panels 14 of the planter 1.

Each comer of the rigid outer 3 is equipped with a respective fascia-mounting arrangement. In this example, each fascia-mounting arrangement takes the form of a mounting bracket 15 defining a pair of fascia-receiving spaces 15a, 15b into which the simple planar fascia panels can be dropped to substantially conceal the sides of

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2019229339 11 Sep 2019 the frame 3. Capping strips, or a rectangular capping frame, may then be added to conceal the frame 3 from above. The brackets 15 may be left exposed or concealed with covers such as the covers 17.

The fascia panels may take a variety of forms. A panel made up of horizontal runs of 5 decking timbers connected by vertical ties concealed on the inside of those timbers is one advantageous option. Plastic, eWood™, CORTEN™, timber planking, tiles and printed signage are other options. The fagade is a convenient place for advertising and other commercial messages. The fagade panels may be formed of recycled material.

Preferred variants are configured to hold at least 400, and more preferably about 500, litres of growing medium.

Through this method, with minimal disruption a commercial foyer can be supplied with attractive established plants surrounded by a fresh and clean fagade unsullied by the weathering associated with growing plants.

The planters may be associated with add-ons such as green walls, trellises, grow lights, benching and/or fountains.

Variants of the planter 1 may advantageously be employed indoors or outdoors. The robust rigid outer (such as the frame 3) helps make the planter durable, giving it an extended service life, whilst the fagade is replaceable so that the aesthetic of the 20 planter can be refreshed from time to time.

The term 'comprises' and its grammatical variants has a meaning that is determined by the context in which it appears. Accordingly, the term should not be interpreted exhaustively unless the context dictates so.

Claims (15)

1. A planter for carrying plants and growing medium to a site and presenting the plants at the site;

the planter including

5 a frame; and a tub, within and supported by the frame, for holding the plants and the growing medium en route to and at the site.

2. The planter of claim 1 wherein the frame is co-operable with tines of a forklift to enable the forklift to lift the planter and plants and growing medium carried thereby.

10

3. The planter of claim 1 or 2 including two or more upright guide arrangements each of which is configured to be skewered by a respective upright to align the planter with like planters in a stack of planters.

4. The planter of claim 3 wherein at least two of the upright guide arrangements are corner posts of the frame.

15

5. The planter of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the frame includes edge-holding arrangements into which fascia panels are droppable.

6. The planter of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the tub defines a sump for holding water; and a floor above the water to support the growing medium.

20

7. The planter of claim 6 including a vent for venting, to atmosphere, an air gap under the floor.

8. The planter of claim 6 or 7 including one or more wick arrangements for wicking water upwards to supply the plants.

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9. The planter of claim 8 wherein the one or more wick arrangements include a water-permeable tube for holding growing medium.

10. The planter of any one claims 7 to 9 wherein the sump has an overflow.

11. A planter for carrying plants and growing medium to a site and presenting the 5 plants at the site;

the planter including a tub for holding the plants and the growing medium en route to and at the site; and a fagade applicable on site.

10

12. The planter of claim 11 wherein the fagade comprises a set of fascia panels.

13. A method, of presenting plants at a presentation site, including transporting a tub, of growing medium and plants in the growing medium, to the presentation site.

14. The method of claim 13 including stacking tubs for the transporting.

15. The method of claim 13 or 14 including, at the presentation site, applying a

15 fagade to the tub.