CA2092485A1 - Open box with manually removable bottom wall portions - Google Patents
Open box with manually removable bottom wall portionsInfo
- Publication number
- CA2092485A1 CA2092485A1 CA 2092485 CA2092485A CA2092485A1 CA 2092485 A1 CA2092485 A1 CA 2092485A1 CA 2092485 CA2092485 CA 2092485 CA 2092485 A CA2092485 A CA 2092485A CA 2092485 A1 CA2092485 A1 CA 2092485A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- box
- bottom wall
- compartment
- box according
- compartments
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
- A01G9/00—Cultivation in receptacles, forcing-frames or greenhouses; Edging for beds, lawn or the like
- A01G9/02—Receptacles, e.g. flower-pots or boxes; Glasses for cultivating flowers
- A01G9/028—Multi-compartmented pots
Landscapes
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Environmental Sciences (AREA)
- Cultivation Receptacles Or Flower-Pots, Or Pots For Seedlings (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An open box for use to cultivate and transplant plants, flowers, seeds or seedlings, having a bottom wall surrounded by side walls. The bottom wall has weakness lines that make it possible for at least a portion of the bottom wall to be manually torn and pushed up inside the box. The box is preferably divided into compartments by partitions that are perpendicular to the bottom wall of the box. Each compartment has a compartment bottom wall which is a portion of the bottom wall of the box and has weakness lines. These weakness lines are so shaped and positioned as to leave a hole in each compartment bottom wall once this wall has been manually pushed up. The compartments can then be reused in combination with either individual plugs or a bottom base composed of a plurality of plugs. Both are available along with the box in separate kits.
An open box for use to cultivate and transplant plants, flowers, seeds or seedlings, having a bottom wall surrounded by side walls. The bottom wall has weakness lines that make it possible for at least a portion of the bottom wall to be manually torn and pushed up inside the box. The box is preferably divided into compartments by partitions that are perpendicular to the bottom wall of the box. Each compartment has a compartment bottom wall which is a portion of the bottom wall of the box and has weakness lines. These weakness lines are so shaped and positioned as to leave a hole in each compartment bottom wall once this wall has been manually pushed up. The compartments can then be reused in combination with either individual plugs or a bottom base composed of a plurality of plugs. Both are available along with the box in separate kits.
Description
~ 2~24~ -OPEN BOX ~ H M~NUALLY ~E~OVABLE~BOTTO~
W~L pORTIONS
a) Fie~d of the invention:
This invention relates to a box for use, preferably but not exclusively, in cultivating and transplanting ~lowers, plants, seeds or seedlings.
b) pescri~tion of the prior art.
Open boxes mode o~ expanded polystyrene and com-prising a bottom wall surrounded by side walls that tegether de~ine an open container, are well known and commonly used.
The box is usually divided into compartments by partitions, each o~ the compartments then having a compartment bottom wall which is a portion of the bottom wall of the box.
Hitherto, it has been common to have at least one hump on the compartment bottom wall of each compartment, projecti~g inside the compartment and each hump comprising a csntral drainage hole. The central drainage hole is useful ~or eliminating excess water from the inside of the compartment but the hump is positioned on the compartment bottom wall, so as to keep some water inside the compartment for the flowers, plants, seeds or seedlingO
Each of the partitions has a top edge and it has been common to have a small depression in the top edge, ! ' ' between each pair of adjacant compartments, so as to distribute water equally between the compartments.
Hitherto, it has also been common to have these boxes made with thick side walls and thick partitions because of the kind o~ polystyrene used for their 2~9~
manufacture. And so these boxes take up quite a lot o~
space inside the greenhouse when they are lined up one beside the other.
It has also been common in the past, in order to facilitate the transplant of flowers and the lik~, to break open the box by ~reaking its side walls as well as the partitions of the box. This renders the compartments of the box unusable for cultivating and transplanting again. Since the box cannot be reused this adds once again to the problem of recycling.
Hitherto, it has further been common to have the bottom wall of the box equipped with at least two struts spaced apart, projecting downwardly outside of the box. The bottom wall can also be equippsd with at least one support foot between the struts, also projecting downwardly outside of the box. Both are useful in order to elevate the box slightly off the ground so as to leave each drainage hole of each compartment unencumbered on the outside of the box.
In the past, the side walls surrounding a box have been higher than the partitions between each pair of adjacent compartments, so as to give room to the struts and support f~et on the bottom wall of the first box mentioned in the above paragraph. This is useful when the first box is stacked onto the second box during storage or packaging.
Therefore, the support feet are positioned so as to lean onto the partitions of the second box, when the boxes are stacked one above the other.
When'the boxss are packaged they travel along a conveyor belt without necessarily travelling in a straight line because the struts and the support feet on the bottom wall of the box are not necessarily positioned to guide the box along the conveyor belt.
... . - : . .
2 ~ s SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has now been discovered and this is the object of the present invention, that the problem of reusing the compartments of the box when the box is broken, can be remedied by using a box compri6ing a bottom wall that has weakness lines therefore making it possible for at least a portion of the bottom wall to be manually torn and pushed up within the box rather than breaking the entire box.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention a box is divided into open compartments by at least one partition perpendicular to the bottom wall and each of the compartments having a compartment bottom wall which is part of the bottom wall of the box. Each of these compartment bottom walls having some of the weakness lines.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, these weakness lines are comprised of a first set of lines crossing over each other, creating an X-shaped design on each compartment bottom wall and a second set of lines creaking a loop surrounding the X-shaped design.
This loop is smaller than the compartment bottom wall~ The weakness lines are preferably shaped and positioned according to the invention, so as to break and leave a hole in each compartment bottom wall of the box after the compartment bottom wall has been manually pushed up.
Ac~ording to still another preferred embodiment of the invention, the box can be made of high density polystyrene so that the side walls and the partitions of the box are more dense and therefore not as thick. The boxes do not take up as much room so we can fit more boxes (8% more boxes~ into the same greenhouse.
According to a further preferred embodiment of the - : ~ . , :
2~4~
invention, the struts and at least one support foot, on the bottom wall of the box, are positioned so as to define therebetween at least two parallel passages so as to allow rollers of the conveyor belt to pass therethrough in order to guide the bottom wall of the box in a straight line along the conveyor belt.
According to another preferred embodiment o~ the invention, the box described hereinabove that is divided into compartments by at least one partition and that has a hole left in each compartment bottom wall after the compartment bottom wall has been manually pushed up, can be part of a kit also comprising a plug that is sized to fit inside each hole left in each compartment bottom wall so as ko reuse the corresponding compartment. The plug is preferably sized to fit loosely inside the hole left in the compartment bottom wall so as to allow excess water to drain out of the compartment through the hole. Th~ plug also preferably has a recessed top surface that allows some water to accumulate inside the compartment for the flowers, plants, seeds and saedlings.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention thef box described hereinfabove can alternately be combined in a kit, with a bottom base having a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of plugs on it's top surface. The bottom base is sized to fit under the box, when thfe compartment bottfm wall of each compartment has been broken o~f, and each plug is sized and positioned to fit into the holes left in the compartment bottom walls so as to reuse the compartments.
~0 When the box is made of high density polystyrene then the plug or the bottom base should also preferably be made of high density polystyrene, according to the . 20~2~5 invention.
BRIEF D~SCRIP'~ION OF '~ _INGS
The Figures illustrate non-limitative embodiments of the invention.
- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an open box, according to the invention;
- Figure 2 is a top plan view of the box shown in Figure 1;
- Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the box shown in Figure 1;
- Figure 4 is a bottom perspective view of ~he box shown in Figures 1 to 3, also showing how a compartment bottom wall of the box can be pushed up within the box;
- Figure 5 is a top perspective view of a plug for use to close a hole left in the compartment bottom wall of the box, after the compartment bottom wall has been manually pushed up within the box and to make it pos~ible for the corresponding compartment to be reused;
- Figure 6 is a top perspective view of a bottom base comprising a plurality of plugs for use to close the holes left in the compartment bottom walls, after the compartment bottom walls have been manually pushed up within the box and to make it possible for the compartments to be reused; and - Figure 7 appearing on the same sheet of drawings a~ Figure l, is a 5ross section along a line VII-VII of Figure 1, showing on the left side/ the bottom base fitting under the box and it's plug fitting into the hole left in the compartment bottom wall and on the right side, the plug fitting into the hole left in the compartment bottom wall.
In what follows, the ~ame reference numerals apply ,. ~
:' ' 2 ~
.
to all Figures.
DESCRIPTION OF P~EF RRED F.MBODIMENTS OF THE INV~NTION
The open box 1 according to the invention as shown in tha accompanying drawings comprises a bottom wall 3 surrounded by side walls 5. The bottom wall 3 has weakness lines 7 making it possible for at least a portion of the bottom wall 3 to be manually torn and pushed up inside the box 1.
The box is divided into compartments 9 by partitions 11 that are perpendicular to the bottom wall 3. Each partition 11 has a top edge and a small depression 12 in the top edge, between each pair of adjacent compartments 9, so as to distribute water equally between these compartments 9.
Each compartment 9 also has a compartment bottom wall 13 which is part of the bottom wall 3 of the box 1. Each compartment bottom wall 13 has some o~ the weakness lines 7.
As is better shown in Figure 2, the weakness lines 7 in each of the compartment bottom w~lls 13 preferably comprise a ~irst set of lines 14 crossing over each other creating an X-shaped design on the compartment bottom wall 13 and a second set of li.nes 15 creating a rectangular loop surrounding the X-shaped design. As is shown, the loop is smaller than the compartment bottom wall 13. The weakness lines 7 are preferably shaped and positioned so as to break and leave a hole 16 as shown in Figure 7 in each compartment bottom wall 13 of the box 1 after the compartment bottom wall 13 has been m~nually pushed up as shown in Figure 4.
The box 1 is preferab:Ly made of high density polystyrene so that the side walls 5 and the partitions 11 are not very thick~ in order to economize space in the ~9~3~ii greenhouses.
It is worth mentioning that the weakness lines 7 in each compartment bottom wall 13 could be made differently.
The weakness lines 7 could have their first set of lines 14 creating a Y-shaped or star design, rather than an X-shaped design. Therefore, the second set of lines 15 would form a different loop surrounding the first set of lines 14. Once the shape of the compartments 9 differs, the shape of the weakness lines 7 changes as well. The waakness lines 7 can be positioned so as to push up the compartment bottom wall 13 without breaking it or leaving a hole 16, if the compartment bottom wall 13 is made of a flexible materia]
like plastic and the portions of the compartment bottom wall 13 can be pushed up within the box 1 and then fall back into place to reuse the compartment 9.
As is shown in Figure 2, each compartment bottom wall 13 also comprises at least one hump 17 projecting inside the corresponding compartment 9. Each hump 17 has a central drainage hole 19, useful for eliminating excess water from the inside of the compartment 9. However, the hollow hump 17 on the compartment bottom wall 13 advantageously keeps some water insi~e the compartment 9 for flowers, plants, se~ds or seedlings.
As is better shown in Fiqure 3, the bottom wall 3 of the box 1 comprises two spaced apart struts 21 and a plurality of support feet 23 between the struts 21, both projecting downwardly outside of the bo~ l o The struts 21 and support feet 23 are useful to elevate the box 1 off the ground so as to leave each drainage hole 19 of each compartment 9 unencumbered on the outside of the box 1.
It is worth mentioning that the specific number of struts 21 and of suppoxt ~eet 23 on the bottom wall 3 of the g2~
box l is not all that important, as long as the box 1 is elevated slightly off the ground to leave the drainage holes l9 unencumbered and as long as the box l is stable.
As is better shown in Figures 1 and 7, the side walls 5 surrounding the box 1 are hi~her than the partitions 11 forming the adjacent compartments 9 so as to give room to the struts 21 and support feet Z3, on the bottom wall 3 of another similar box. This is useEul to stack boxes one above the other for storage or packaging and therefore the support feet 23 are positioned so as to ]ean onto the partitions 11 of the box 1.
As is better shown in Figure 3, each of the struts 21 and each of the support feet ~3 are positioned so as to define therebetween at least two parallel passages 25 so as to allow rollers of a conveyor belt to pass therethrough in order to guide the box 1 in a straight line along the conveyor belt.
~he box l described hereinabove can be part of a kit which also comprises a plurality of plugs 27 as shown in Figure 5, that are ~ized to fit inside each hole 16 left in each compartment bottom wall 13, after the compartment bottom wall 13 has been manually pushed up, so as to close the same and make it possible to reuse the corresponding compartment 9. As shown in the right hand side of Figure 7, 2~ the plug 27 is sized to fit loosely inside the hole 16 so as to allow excess water to drain out of the compartment 9 t~rough the hole 16. The plug 27 also has a recessed top surfac~ 29 that allows some water to accumulate inside the compartment 9 for the flowers, plants, seeds or seedlings.
The box 1 described hereinabove can also be part of a kit which comprises a bottom base 31 as shown in Figure 6, having a top surface 33, a bottom surface 35 and plugs 37 on 2 ~ 3 ~3 ~ ~ $3 it's top surface 33. Each plug 37 has a recessed top surface 39 and a flat bottom surface 41 that is fixed onto the top surface 33 of the bottom base 31. The bottom base 31 is sized to fit under the box 1 after the compartment bottom wall 13 of each compartment ~ has been broken off~
As shown in the left hand side of Figure 7, each plug 37 is sized and positioned to fit into the holes 16 left in the compartment bottom walls 13 so as to reuse the compartments 9.
When the box 1 is made of high density polystyrene, then the plugs 27 and the bottom base 31 should also preferably be made of high density polystyrene.
Although the present invention has been described hereinabove by means of preferred embodiments thereof, it should be pointed out that any modification to these preferred embodiments, wi~hin the scope of the appended c~aims, is not deemed to change or alter the nature of the inYention .
W~L pORTIONS
a) Fie~d of the invention:
This invention relates to a box for use, preferably but not exclusively, in cultivating and transplanting ~lowers, plants, seeds or seedlings.
b) pescri~tion of the prior art.
Open boxes mode o~ expanded polystyrene and com-prising a bottom wall surrounded by side walls that tegether de~ine an open container, are well known and commonly used.
The box is usually divided into compartments by partitions, each o~ the compartments then having a compartment bottom wall which is a portion of the bottom wall of the box.
Hitherto, it has been common to have at least one hump on the compartment bottom wall of each compartment, projecti~g inside the compartment and each hump comprising a csntral drainage hole. The central drainage hole is useful ~or eliminating excess water from the inside of the compartment but the hump is positioned on the compartment bottom wall, so as to keep some water inside the compartment for the flowers, plants, seeds or seedlingO
Each of the partitions has a top edge and it has been common to have a small depression in the top edge, ! ' ' between each pair of adjacant compartments, so as to distribute water equally between the compartments.
Hitherto, it has also been common to have these boxes made with thick side walls and thick partitions because of the kind o~ polystyrene used for their 2~9~
manufacture. And so these boxes take up quite a lot o~
space inside the greenhouse when they are lined up one beside the other.
It has also been common in the past, in order to facilitate the transplant of flowers and the lik~, to break open the box by ~reaking its side walls as well as the partitions of the box. This renders the compartments of the box unusable for cultivating and transplanting again. Since the box cannot be reused this adds once again to the problem of recycling.
Hitherto, it has further been common to have the bottom wall of the box equipped with at least two struts spaced apart, projecting downwardly outside of the box. The bottom wall can also be equippsd with at least one support foot between the struts, also projecting downwardly outside of the box. Both are useful in order to elevate the box slightly off the ground so as to leave each drainage hole of each compartment unencumbered on the outside of the box.
In the past, the side walls surrounding a box have been higher than the partitions between each pair of adjacent compartments, so as to give room to the struts and support f~et on the bottom wall of the first box mentioned in the above paragraph. This is useful when the first box is stacked onto the second box during storage or packaging.
Therefore, the support feet are positioned so as to lean onto the partitions of the second box, when the boxes are stacked one above the other.
When'the boxss are packaged they travel along a conveyor belt without necessarily travelling in a straight line because the struts and the support feet on the bottom wall of the box are not necessarily positioned to guide the box along the conveyor belt.
... . - : . .
2 ~ s SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has now been discovered and this is the object of the present invention, that the problem of reusing the compartments of the box when the box is broken, can be remedied by using a box compri6ing a bottom wall that has weakness lines therefore making it possible for at least a portion of the bottom wall to be manually torn and pushed up within the box rather than breaking the entire box.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention a box is divided into open compartments by at least one partition perpendicular to the bottom wall and each of the compartments having a compartment bottom wall which is part of the bottom wall of the box. Each of these compartment bottom walls having some of the weakness lines.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, these weakness lines are comprised of a first set of lines crossing over each other, creating an X-shaped design on each compartment bottom wall and a second set of lines creaking a loop surrounding the X-shaped design.
This loop is smaller than the compartment bottom wall~ The weakness lines are preferably shaped and positioned according to the invention, so as to break and leave a hole in each compartment bottom wall of the box after the compartment bottom wall has been manually pushed up.
Ac~ording to still another preferred embodiment of the invention, the box can be made of high density polystyrene so that the side walls and the partitions of the box are more dense and therefore not as thick. The boxes do not take up as much room so we can fit more boxes (8% more boxes~ into the same greenhouse.
According to a further preferred embodiment of the - : ~ . , :
2~4~
invention, the struts and at least one support foot, on the bottom wall of the box, are positioned so as to define therebetween at least two parallel passages so as to allow rollers of the conveyor belt to pass therethrough in order to guide the bottom wall of the box in a straight line along the conveyor belt.
According to another preferred embodiment o~ the invention, the box described hereinabove that is divided into compartments by at least one partition and that has a hole left in each compartment bottom wall after the compartment bottom wall has been manually pushed up, can be part of a kit also comprising a plug that is sized to fit inside each hole left in each compartment bottom wall so as ko reuse the corresponding compartment. The plug is preferably sized to fit loosely inside the hole left in the compartment bottom wall so as to allow excess water to drain out of the compartment through the hole. Th~ plug also preferably has a recessed top surface that allows some water to accumulate inside the compartment for the flowers, plants, seeds and saedlings.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention thef box described hereinfabove can alternately be combined in a kit, with a bottom base having a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of plugs on it's top surface. The bottom base is sized to fit under the box, when thfe compartment bottfm wall of each compartment has been broken o~f, and each plug is sized and positioned to fit into the holes left in the compartment bottom walls so as to reuse the compartments.
~0 When the box is made of high density polystyrene then the plug or the bottom base should also preferably be made of high density polystyrene, according to the . 20~2~5 invention.
BRIEF D~SCRIP'~ION OF '~ _INGS
The Figures illustrate non-limitative embodiments of the invention.
- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an open box, according to the invention;
- Figure 2 is a top plan view of the box shown in Figure 1;
- Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the box shown in Figure 1;
- Figure 4 is a bottom perspective view of ~he box shown in Figures 1 to 3, also showing how a compartment bottom wall of the box can be pushed up within the box;
- Figure 5 is a top perspective view of a plug for use to close a hole left in the compartment bottom wall of the box, after the compartment bottom wall has been manually pushed up within the box and to make it pos~ible for the corresponding compartment to be reused;
- Figure 6 is a top perspective view of a bottom base comprising a plurality of plugs for use to close the holes left in the compartment bottom walls, after the compartment bottom walls have been manually pushed up within the box and to make it possible for the compartments to be reused; and - Figure 7 appearing on the same sheet of drawings a~ Figure l, is a 5ross section along a line VII-VII of Figure 1, showing on the left side/ the bottom base fitting under the box and it's plug fitting into the hole left in the compartment bottom wall and on the right side, the plug fitting into the hole left in the compartment bottom wall.
In what follows, the ~ame reference numerals apply ,. ~
:' ' 2 ~
.
to all Figures.
DESCRIPTION OF P~EF RRED F.MBODIMENTS OF THE INV~NTION
The open box 1 according to the invention as shown in tha accompanying drawings comprises a bottom wall 3 surrounded by side walls 5. The bottom wall 3 has weakness lines 7 making it possible for at least a portion of the bottom wall 3 to be manually torn and pushed up inside the box 1.
The box is divided into compartments 9 by partitions 11 that are perpendicular to the bottom wall 3. Each partition 11 has a top edge and a small depression 12 in the top edge, between each pair of adjacent compartments 9, so as to distribute water equally between these compartments 9.
Each compartment 9 also has a compartment bottom wall 13 which is part of the bottom wall 3 of the box 1. Each compartment bottom wall 13 has some o~ the weakness lines 7.
As is better shown in Figure 2, the weakness lines 7 in each of the compartment bottom w~lls 13 preferably comprise a ~irst set of lines 14 crossing over each other creating an X-shaped design on the compartment bottom wall 13 and a second set of li.nes 15 creating a rectangular loop surrounding the X-shaped design. As is shown, the loop is smaller than the compartment bottom wall 13. The weakness lines 7 are preferably shaped and positioned so as to break and leave a hole 16 as shown in Figure 7 in each compartment bottom wall 13 of the box 1 after the compartment bottom wall 13 has been m~nually pushed up as shown in Figure 4.
The box 1 is preferab:Ly made of high density polystyrene so that the side walls 5 and the partitions 11 are not very thick~ in order to economize space in the ~9~3~ii greenhouses.
It is worth mentioning that the weakness lines 7 in each compartment bottom wall 13 could be made differently.
The weakness lines 7 could have their first set of lines 14 creating a Y-shaped or star design, rather than an X-shaped design. Therefore, the second set of lines 15 would form a different loop surrounding the first set of lines 14. Once the shape of the compartments 9 differs, the shape of the weakness lines 7 changes as well. The waakness lines 7 can be positioned so as to push up the compartment bottom wall 13 without breaking it or leaving a hole 16, if the compartment bottom wall 13 is made of a flexible materia]
like plastic and the portions of the compartment bottom wall 13 can be pushed up within the box 1 and then fall back into place to reuse the compartment 9.
As is shown in Figure 2, each compartment bottom wall 13 also comprises at least one hump 17 projecting inside the corresponding compartment 9. Each hump 17 has a central drainage hole 19, useful for eliminating excess water from the inside of the compartment 9. However, the hollow hump 17 on the compartment bottom wall 13 advantageously keeps some water insi~e the compartment 9 for flowers, plants, se~ds or seedlings.
As is better shown in Fiqure 3, the bottom wall 3 of the box 1 comprises two spaced apart struts 21 and a plurality of support feet 23 between the struts 21, both projecting downwardly outside of the bo~ l o The struts 21 and support feet 23 are useful to elevate the box 1 off the ground so as to leave each drainage hole 19 of each compartment 9 unencumbered on the outside of the box 1.
It is worth mentioning that the specific number of struts 21 and of suppoxt ~eet 23 on the bottom wall 3 of the g2~
box l is not all that important, as long as the box 1 is elevated slightly off the ground to leave the drainage holes l9 unencumbered and as long as the box l is stable.
As is better shown in Figures 1 and 7, the side walls 5 surrounding the box 1 are hi~her than the partitions 11 forming the adjacent compartments 9 so as to give room to the struts 21 and support feet Z3, on the bottom wall 3 of another similar box. This is useEul to stack boxes one above the other for storage or packaging and therefore the support feet 23 are positioned so as to ]ean onto the partitions 11 of the box 1.
As is better shown in Figure 3, each of the struts 21 and each of the support feet ~3 are positioned so as to define therebetween at least two parallel passages 25 so as to allow rollers of a conveyor belt to pass therethrough in order to guide the box 1 in a straight line along the conveyor belt.
~he box l described hereinabove can be part of a kit which also comprises a plurality of plugs 27 as shown in Figure 5, that are ~ized to fit inside each hole 16 left in each compartment bottom wall 13, after the compartment bottom wall 13 has been manually pushed up, so as to close the same and make it possible to reuse the corresponding compartment 9. As shown in the right hand side of Figure 7, 2~ the plug 27 is sized to fit loosely inside the hole 16 so as to allow excess water to drain out of the compartment 9 t~rough the hole 16. The plug 27 also has a recessed top surfac~ 29 that allows some water to accumulate inside the compartment 9 for the flowers, plants, seeds or seedlings.
The box 1 described hereinabove can also be part of a kit which comprises a bottom base 31 as shown in Figure 6, having a top surface 33, a bottom surface 35 and plugs 37 on 2 ~ 3 ~3 ~ ~ $3 it's top surface 33. Each plug 37 has a recessed top surface 39 and a flat bottom surface 41 that is fixed onto the top surface 33 of the bottom base 31. The bottom base 31 is sized to fit under the box 1 after the compartment bottom wall 13 of each compartment ~ has been broken off~
As shown in the left hand side of Figure 7, each plug 37 is sized and positioned to fit into the holes 16 left in the compartment bottom walls 13 so as to reuse the compartments 9.
When the box 1 is made of high density polystyrene, then the plugs 27 and the bottom base 31 should also preferably be made of high density polystyrene.
Although the present invention has been described hereinabove by means of preferred embodiments thereof, it should be pointed out that any modification to these preferred embodiments, wi~hin the scope of the appended c~aims, is not deemed to change or alter the nature of the inYention .
Claims (17)
1. A box comprising a bottom wall surrounded by side walls together defining an open container wherein said bottom wall has weakness lines, therefore making it possible for at least a portion of said bottom wall to be manually torn and pushed up within said container, whenever desired.
2. A box according to claim 1, wherein said open container is divided into a plurality of open compartments by at least one partition, perpendicular to said bottom wall, each of said compartments having a compartment bottom wall which is a portion of said bottom wall of said box, each of said compartment bottom walls having some of said weakness lines.
3. A box according to claim 2, wherein said weakness lines in each of said compartment bottom walls comprise a first set of lines crossing over each other and creating an X-shaped design on said compartment bottom wall, and a second set of lines creating a loop surrounding said X-shaped design, said loop being smaller than said compartment bottom wall.
4. A box according to claim 2 or 3, for use to cultivate and transplant plants, flowers, seeds or seedlings wherein each of said compartment bottom walls comprises at least one hump projecting inside said container, each of said humps comprising a central drainage hole.
5. A box according to claim 4, wherein each partition has a top edge and a small depression in said top edge between each pair of adjacent compartments.
6. A box according to claim 2, 3 or 5, wherein said weakness lines are so shaped and positioned as to break and leave a hole in each compartment bottom wall after said compartment bottom wall has been manually pushed up.
7. A box according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 5, wherein said bottom wall of said box comprises at least two struts spaced apart, projecting downwardly outside said container.
8. A box according to claim 7, wherein said side walls of a second box are higher than said partitions so as to give room to said struts on said bottom wall of said box, where said box is stacked onto the second box during storage or packaging on a conveyor belt.
9. A box according to claim 7, wherein said bottom wall of said box also comprises at least one support foot projecting downwardly outside said container, between said struts.
10. A box according to claim 8 or 9, wherein at least one said support foot is positioned, so as to lean onto at least one of said partitions of the second box when said box is stacked on the second box.
11. A box according to claim 10, wherein each of said struts and at least one said support foot are positioned so as to define therebetween at least two parallel passages, so as to allow rollers of a conveyor belt to pass therethrough.
12. A box according to claim 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9 or 11, wherein said box is made of high density polystyrene.
13. A kit comprising in combination:
- a box according to claim 6; and - at least one plug sized to fit inside each of said holes left in said compartment bottom wall so as to reuse the corresponding compartment.
- a box according to claim 6; and - at least one plug sized to fit inside each of said holes left in said compartment bottom wall so as to reuse the corresponding compartment.
14. A kit according to claim 13, wherein said plug is sized to fit loosely inside said hole.
15. A kit according to claim 13, wherein each said plug has a recessed top surface.
16. A kit comprising in combination:
- a box according to claim 6; and - a bottom base having a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of plugs on said top surface, said base being sized to fit under said box when said compartment bottom wall of each said compartment has been broken off, said plug being sized and positioned to fit into the holes left in said compartment bottom walls so as to reuse said compartments.
- a box according to claim 6; and - a bottom base having a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of plugs on said top surface, said base being sized to fit under said box when said compartment bottom wall of each said compartment has been broken off, said plug being sized and positioned to fit into the holes left in said compartment bottom walls so as to reuse said compartments.
17. A kit according to claim 13, 14, 15 or 16, wherein said plug and said bottom base are made of high density polystyrene.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2092485 CA2092485A1 (en) | 1993-03-25 | 1993-03-25 | Open box with manually removable bottom wall portions |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2092485 CA2092485A1 (en) | 1993-03-25 | 1993-03-25 | Open box with manually removable bottom wall portions |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2092485A1 true CA2092485A1 (en) | 1994-09-26 |
Family
ID=4151349
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2092485 Abandoned CA2092485A1 (en) | 1993-03-25 | 1993-03-25 | Open box with manually removable bottom wall portions |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2092485A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP1430769A1 (en) * | 2001-09-28 | 2004-06-23 | Suntory Limited | PLANT CULTIVATION METHOD, PLANT CULTIVATION TOOL, AND PLANT CULTIVATION VESSEL |
| GB2472567A (en) * | 2009-07-14 | 2011-02-16 | Adrian King | Container for growing plants formed from a blank |
-
1993
- 1993-03-25 CA CA 2092485 patent/CA2092485A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP1430769A1 (en) * | 2001-09-28 | 2004-06-23 | Suntory Limited | PLANT CULTIVATION METHOD, PLANT CULTIVATION TOOL, AND PLANT CULTIVATION VESSEL |
| EP1430769A4 (en) * | 2001-09-28 | 2010-11-10 | Suntory Holdings Ltd | Plant cultivation method, plant cultivation tool, and plant cultivation vessel |
| GB2472567A (en) * | 2009-07-14 | 2011-02-16 | Adrian King | Container for growing plants formed from a blank |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |