FR2467540A1 - PLANTATION DEVICE AND SYSTEM FOR CULTIVATION OF PLANTS TO BE REPLACED - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a planting system intended in particular for transplanting plants. This system comprises a support tray 12, the side walls 22 of which are made in one piece with an upper structure in the form of a grid, comprising walls 28 which delimit openings in which sleeves 18 of plastic material can be fitted. These sleeves 18 are interconnected by webs 16 of plastic material and they are made in one piece. They are intended to receive transplanting frames 20. Each set thus formed is configured so that several of these sets can be nested and stacked one inside the other, without jamming. Field of application: packaging for the sale of transplanting plants.

Description

1. The invention generally relates to devices for

  transplanting and assemblies comprising

such devices.

  The invention relates more particularly to a system intended to be used for the marketing of

  small plants, for example in greenhouses.

  A typical and current mode of distribution of

  small seedlings or seedlings of horticultural or agricultural variety

  school, is to use a shallow tray made of

  plastic, comprising a bottom of which rises side walls

  ral. Several independent or separable containers, each having a bottom and side walls are placed in the tray so that their funds rest on that of the tray. Each container is therefore intended to be filled with a culture medium and to receive one or more seeds. An individual can then buy one or more of these containers and then remove the contents for transplanting. Since the independent containers are complete and include a bottom, their use raises problems such as rooting in J, water flow, etc. In addition to the plant growth problems inherent in such a system, there is the fact that such a system of the prior art does not lend itself to efficient transport or storage. The end user, for example a greenhouse worker or reseller, has to manipulate several different pieces to achieve the desired goal of growing and effectively presenting his plants. The bins of the prior art, although apparently

  to fit into each other, can not be transported

  not stored effectively when they contain the

  containers for plants. Therefore, the person

  in the greenhouse must handle the bins as well as the independent containers, both to fill them and to

  place them in bins or trays.

  U.S. Patent No. 4,031,832

  describes a planting system. Although certain characteristics

  of this system, namely the use of a mount

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2.

  transplanting with ribs and surrounded by

  of a plastic sheath placed on the ribs so that the lower edge of the sheath is at a distance above the bottom of the frame, may be used in the present invention, the patent

  mentioned above does not mention the possibility of stacking

  or subsets, as is the case with the invention.

tion.

  The invention thus relates to a system for

  intended for greenhouses or other

  lage and a complete nesting. The invention also relates to

  a transplanting assembly which comprises a support tray specially adapted to receive a plurality of interconnected sleeves, forming the container walls which may also include dunnage mounts, the assemblies, and the different discrete parts and subassemblies thereof. -all, all of which can be nested and stacked. The

  The system according to the invention facilitates the filling of

  containers for transplanting by the use of easily removable transplanting mounts, placed in sleeves which are previously associated with the bins that can be

nested and stacked.

  The invention thus relates to a system for

  including a low cost support tray, technically designed to carry a plurality of filled containers so that the complete sets can be handled efficiently.

  To meet the criteria and to present the -

  benefits mentioned above, the preferred forms of

  The invention includes a tray-shaped support having sidewalls that diverge upwardly and inwardly from an open base to an upper grid-like structure. This superior structure

  is made up of several orien-

  longitudinally and laterally to form

  several openings. The walls of the grid have a dimension

  predetermined vertical extent, substantially less than the overall vertical dimension between the top of the

grate and the open base of the tray.

  In accordance with the invention, a thin strip of plastics material is shaped to form a plurality of tapered sleeves. The openings receive the sleeves so

  that the upper edges of the latter rest on the surface

  upper face of the grid structure and that the lower parts of the sleeves are carried freely by the grid. biEs complementary conical frames for transplanting

  are also preferably associated with the conical sleeves.

  The overall vertical dimension of a sleeve and a frame is smaller than the overall vertical dimension of the tank, but substantially greater than the vertical dimension of the walls of the grid so that, when the assemblies are nested, the

  in each other, the highest sleeve is telescopic

  pically in the lower assembly to sleeve and mount, while being spaced from this set. The lower edge of the grid of an upper assembly rests on the upper edge of the grid of a lower assembly in order to allow the two assemblies to be inserted tightly, without jamming,

  one in the other. It is obvious that many changes

  cations can be made to this basic embodiment of the invention and one of the features of

  the invention also lies in the fact that any sub-

  together or any independent element of the aforementioned set

  can also be nested without wedging into a sub-surface

  together or in an analogous independent element.

  The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of non-limiting examples and in which:

  - Figure 1 is a plan view, with tear-off

  partially, of the assembly according to the invention, showing the top of the support tray, a part of which comprises sleeves and frames for transplanting, and another part of which is devoid of;

  - Figure 2 is an end view, with tear-off

  partially, the tray of Figure 1, showing the containers housed in this tray; FIG. 3 is a partial cross-section on an enlarged scale along line 3-3 of FIG. 1; 4. - Figure 4 is a plan view of a variant of the tray according to the invention, partially broken away to show the top of the tray with and without sleeves and frames of

transplanting; -

  FIG. 5 is an end view, partially broken away, showing the receptacles housed in the tray of FIG. 4; and FIG. 6 is a partial cross-section on an enlarged scale, along the line 6-6 of FIG.

figure 4.

  FIGS. 1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the invention in which an assembly 10 comprises three separate and separable elements, namely a tray-like support 12, a thin plastic sheet 14 and a number of transplanting frames 20 housed in sleeves. Several sleeves are made in the sheet 14 so as to project downwards from a portion resting on the top of the tray. As described in more detail below, the assembly comprising these three elements is designed so that several of these sets can be housed tightly in each other and easily removed.

one another.

  As regards first of all the tray 12, it appears that the latter is of rectangular shape and that it comprises four intersecting walls, namely two parallel end walls 24 and two longer side and parallel walls 22, than the extreme walls. These walls are inclined upwardly and inwardly from the open bottom of the support tray. A top surface 26 shaped

  of grid mainly consists of several vertical walls

  shims and longitudinal 28 and several vertical and lateral walls 30 which intersect. These walls intersect next

  junction zones 31 so as to form several openings.

  elongate tines 29 each receiving, preferably, two

  sleeves 18 made in the sheet 14 of plastic.

  In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3, the upper edge or surface of the grid is coplanar with the upper edge of the walls. The

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  5. vertical distance between the upper edge 25 and the lower edge 27 of the vertical wall constitutes a

  first predetermined vertical dimension which is sensi-

  lower than a second vertical dimension prede-

  defined between the upper edge of the extreme side walls and the lower edge of the tray. These dimensions are indicated respectively in A and B in FIG.

  examples of representative dimensions that can be

  read efficiently for containers that can be stacked and nested without being jammed, the angle of inclination of the extreme side walls can be, for example, 15, and the

  pre - ire and second vertical dips, defined above

  demment, can be respectively 2.5 and 7.5 cm, the ii -n rectangle of 23 x 46 -m. Such a structure makes it possible to stack several bins on each

  other so that the lower edge 27 of the vertical wall

  wedge of the grid of an upper tray door against the upper edge 25 of a corresponding wall of the grid of a tray

  inferior. The width of the lower edge 27 may be less than

  than the width of the upper edge 25 so that these edges can be applied against each other without being impeded by

the frames of transplanting.

  A very thin sheet 14 of plastic material is intended to be placed on the support tray so that sails or zones 16 of connection, between the sleeves 18

  made in this sheet rest on the upper surface

  25 of the grid. Each sleeve has an open upper end 32 and an open lower end 36, the total vertical distance between these upper and lower ends constituting a third predetermined vertical dimension, indicated at C in Figure 2. The sleeve, shown without frame in the part FIG. 3 comprises mainly an upper portion 33 of substantially cylindrical wall, of limited axial dimension, extended by an inner shoulder 34 of the lower edge of which part of a side wall 35 tapers gradually to the lower opening 36. Figure 3 shows that a subset consisting of a bin and

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  6. A sheet of plastic material can be stacked and

  nested tightly on another subset without

tray or sleeves.

  In the preferred embodiments, the apertures 29 of the grid structure of the tray are sufficiently elongated to allow two sleeves 18 to be placed in each of these openings, in the direction of

the length of the tank.

  Several mating frames 20 can be placed in the sleeves 18 formed by the plastic sheet in the complete assembly 10. For example, the sleeves of the left row in FIG. 1 and on FIG.

  left part of Figure 3 contain mounts.

  Each dummy frame is designed to be complementary to the sleeve. For this purpose, the frame 20 comprises an upper cylindrical annular portion 42 which extends downwardly from a lip or radial flange 43, over a limited axial distance. The axial dimension of the annular portion 42 corresponds to the axial dimension of the cylindrical wall 33 of a sleeve 18. A shoulder 41 of abutment is

  formed in the mount so as to protrude into the

  the lower end of the annular part.

  A plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs 38 extend downwardly and inwardly from the lower zone of the shoulder 41. These ribs terminate and are connected to a bottom 40 of the transplanting frame, with which they are made of a only part, this bottom being preferably curved upwards. As described in Patent No. 4,031,832

  mentioned above, the lower end of the sleeve 36 must be slightly

  spaced above the outer edge of the bottom 40 of the frame. According to the invention, this spacing is ensured and maintained by the corresponding abutment surfaces 41 and 34 presented respectively by the liner and the sleeve. In addition, the conical complementary parts of the frame and the sleeve do not become stuck when assembled, because of the relative positions of the cylindrical surfaces 33 and 42 and the shoulders 34 and 41 of abutment. Although this

  is not represented, it is obvious that independent frames

  24675sO 7. pendant 20 can be nested into each other without getting jammed, thanks to the presence of the cylindrical annular portion 42 and the abutment shoulder 41. In such an interlocking of several frames, the upper edge 43 of a lower mount rests on the abutment shoulder 41 of a

upper mount.

  With regard to the complete assembly shown more clearly in Figure 3 and as shown in Figure 2, the relationship between the dimensions A, B and C provides an assembly comprising a tray 12 and a sheet which includes sleeves 18 in which mounts 20 are arranged, so that several of these sets can be nested on each other. Since the dimension C of the sleeve is smaller than the height B of the tray, the latter can be placed on a support surface without the bottom of the subchanging containers being in contact with this surface. It is also important to note that the

  contact, when stacking the lower edge 27 of the structure

  The grid-like structure of an upper assembly and an upper edge 25 of the grid-like structure of a lower assembly allows the sleeves to be spaced from one another so that the outer surface of the sleeves is not in contact with each other. with the inner surface of the mounts in interlocking position. Since the vertical dimension A of the walls 28 and 30 of the grid is sufficiently limited to prevent the side walls of the tray, as well as the sleeves, from jamming, the overall height of a stack of such assemblies is reduced. In addition, it should be noted that each assembly can maintain its integrity during transport and storage, and that it can be easily separated from other assemblies to allow the filling, display and ultimately sale of frames or of independent sleeves, or of several of these frames

or sleeves.

  Although the embodiment described above

  above is shown as having thick walls molded of plastic for reasons of robustness, this material being preferably a cellular material of 8.

  low density, it should be noted that it is not neces-

  that the tray is so structured, but that this tray may have very thin walls of molded plastic material

  by blow molding or hot forming. -

  Also, a system comprising such a thin-walled support tray will be described with reference to FIGS.

  6. In this embodiment, the assembly 110 is

  generally, to the embodiment

  previously described, as indicated by the use of

  same reference numerals, preceded by the numeral "1" in FIGS. 4 to 6, to designate similar or identical parts. The set 110 r'ie will not be

  also describes in detail that the previous set, in particular

  in the case of the plastic sheet 114 and the transposing frames 120 which remain identical to the

  those represented for the first embodiment.

  However, some differences between the tray 112 and the first tray described 12 will be indicated. For example, although the side and end walls 124 and 122 tapering upward from the bottom of the tray, each of these walls consists of two tapered and different portions. Upper portions 146 and lower portions 148 are interconnected by horizontal shoulders 150. Such a shoulder is not necessarily intended to provide a stop or support zone for stacking, but serves to increase capacity. charging and handling the tray

  thin walls. It should also be noted that the size

  vertical wall of the side walls 124 does not reach the

  upper surface of the structure 126 in the form of a grid.

  Therefore, this grid-like structure consists of a plurality of finger-like, secant-oriented, longitudinally and laterally oriented walls forming substantially vertical walls 128 and 130, respectively. These walls are arranged in several cruciform-type elements whose longitudinal and lateral wall segments intersect in an area 131 located midway between their respective ends. The cruciform parts of the grid are spaced apart from each other

  others by short flanges 158 of limited flat surface.

  9. It should be noted that the vertical walls 128 and 130 may be considered to be approximately V-shaped in cross-section and also differ in that they consist of upper and lower parts. For example, as clearly shown in FIG. 6, the upper portion 152 of each of the vertical walls 128 and 130 consists essentially of two thin and parallel walls connected at their upper edges by a crown area 125. A lower portion 154, which tapers downwards, is connected to the upper part by a shoulder 156. It should be noted that the flange 158 is located approximately at the horizontal level of the shoulder 156 on the walls of the wire rack. The rim 158 strengthens the tank

  dividing the grid into several independent longitudinal bridges

  dinals and side dishes. It should also be noted that when an empty bin 112 is nested in another bin, the opening 153 of the upper parallel walls 152

  adjusts without getting caught on the top 125 of the upper walls

flames of the grid.

  The web 116 of the plastic sheet rests on top of the vertices 125 of the grid-like structure, substantially as for the assembly 10 described above. However, unlike the assembly 10, the horizontal plane comprising the upper end of the side walls. 124 and 122 also includes an approximately horizontal flange 160 which intersects the lower portion of the vertical walls 128 and 130. This flange 160 defines an opening 129 which receives the sleeves 118, in a manner similar to the embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the inner configuration of the opening 129 may be elliptical in order to provide lateral support for the portions of the sleeves located between their ends. In one

  stacking, the lower portions 127 of the flanges 160 repo

  on the top of the flange 143 of the transplanting frames.

  If the frames are absent, the lower surfaces 127

  rest on the sails 116 of plastic material.

  The various groups of sections of the grid-like structure ensure the strength of a container which is at 2 <s675 O 10. otherwise thin and flexible. Apart from the characteristics of

  reinforcements, which are important in this form of

  tion, the structure and function of the tray are identical to those of the tray 12 of the first embodiment. For example, the vertical dimensions A, B and C shown in FIG. 5 have the same functions and the same relations as the dimensions indicated for the embodiment of FIG.

figure 2.

  Although the invention has been described under

  form of a set of elements intended for a system of plan-

  tation, it is obvious that the concept of the invention allows the nesting and stacking of complete assemblies as well as

  independent parts forming part of these sets.

  It goes without saying that many modifications can be made to the assembly described and represented without

depart from the scope of the invention.

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11.

Claims (11)

  1. - Set intended for the cultivation of several plants to be transplanted, characterized in that it comprises a tray (12) support, several sleeves (18) connected to each other and made in one piece, the tray compor-   both of the sidewalls (22, 24) and a superior structure   grid-like side, the side walls being inclined upwards and inwards from the open bottom of the support pan to the upper grid-like structure, this upper structure comprising a plurality of vertical walls (28, 30) which are spaced from one another longitudinally and laterally to the trough, the vertical walls having a predetermined first vertical dimension A) between the upper surface of the grid-like structure and the lower surface of the vertical walls, the side walls having a second predetermined vertical dimension (B) between the upper surface (26) of the grid-like structure and the edge, inside the tray, the second dimernsion   svertical value being higher than the first dimein-   predetermined vertical direction, the sleeves comprising a sheet (14) of plastic material which forms webs (16) interconnecting the upper ends (32) of the sleeves, the latter projecting downwards from the sails and having a disposition such that they allow the webs to be disposed on the upper surface (26) of the grid-like structure, the sleeves descending between the vertical walls, each sleeve having walls inclined downwardly and inwardly from the upper end towards the lower end of each sleeve, the vertical dimension (C) of each sleeve being substantially   greater than said first predetermined vertical dimension   minus (A) and lower than said second predetermined vertical dimension (B), so that a plurality of assemblies (10) can be stacked and nested within each other, each sleeve being housed in a sleeve located below it, the upper sleeve being spaced from the lower sleeve so that the assemblies can be disengaged freely each other. 12.   2. An assembly according to claim 1, characterized   characterized in that the support pan is integrally molded from plastic, which plastics material may be, for example, a low-density cellular plastic material.   3. An assembly according to claim 1, characterized   characterized in that the support tray (12) has four substantially plane intersecting side walls (22, 24), the upper edges of which are in the same plane as the upper surface (26>) of the grid-like structure, side walls that can be angled at an angle   about 150 on the vertical, for example.   4. An assembly according to claim 1, characterized   characterized in that it comprises a plurality of transiting mounts (20) each disposed in an associated sleeve, the latter being open at their lower end (36) and   at their upper end (32), each mounting frame   comprising a one-piece molded element having an upper annular portion (42), a plurality of ribs (38) which extend downwardly from the annular portion and are inclined downwardly and inwardly at the same angle tilt that the walls of the sleeve, and a   bottom (40) curved upwards and connected to the lower end   of the ribs, the upper sleeve, when several sets are nested within each other, being spaced apart   of the transplanting frame located in the immediate sleeve.   lower part of said sets so that the frames   do not raise the associated sleeves when unplugging assemblies.   5. An assembly according to claim 1, characterized   characterized in that the grid-like upper structure has a plurality of openings (29) into which the sleeves can be inserted, each opening being   located between two adjacent vertical walls   nal and lateral (28, 30) and being sufficiently   born to receive several sleeves. -   6. An assembly according to claim 5, characterized   characterized in that each opening (29) is elongated and Z467540   13. intended to receive several sleeves forming a single row.   7. An assembly according to claim 1, characterized   in that the side walls and the upper structure   the top of the support tray are made in one piece. 8. - Planting system for the culture of several plants to be transplanted, characterized in that it comprises a mounting frame (20) comprising a non-perforated bottom (40), an upper annular portion (42) of cylindrical shape downwardly and downwardly an axial distance) LXmitted, an inner shoulder (41) being formed at the lower end of the annular portion   cylindrical, several ribs (38) spaced circumferentially   actually, going down and inward from the edge   inside of the shoulder to the outer circumferential edge   bottom of the bottom so that many of these identical frames can be nested and stacked into each other, the shoulder of a mount bearing against the upper edge of the cylindrical annular portion of another mount to allow nesting without jamming said frames.   9. System according to claim 8, characterized   in that a plurality of said frames are fitted into a plurality of sleeves (18), each frame being arranged in a sleeve associated so as not to get caught in the latter, the system being also designed to allow interlocking of several subassemblies without mounts and sleeves, a sheet (14) of plastic material forming webs (16) which connect together several sleeves by their upper ends, these sails being made in one piece with the sleeves, the latter being open at their lower end and at their upper end, each sleeve comprising an upper portion (33) of cylindrical wall which extends downwardly over a limited axial distance, a stop shoulder (34) oriented radially inwards and formed at the end lower part of said cylindrical wall portion, a portion   Side wall (35) facing downward and inwardly   The angle of inclination of the side walls of the sleeves is the same as the angle of inclination of the ribs. (38) mounts (20), the axial dimension of the side wall, between the abutment shoulder and the lower end of the sleeve being slightly less than the axial dimension of the mount, between the inner edge of the shoulder of the mount and the bottom, so that the shoulder of each mount bears against the shoulder of the sleeve, without jamming, and that the shoulder of the sleeves of a subset of frames and   of sleeves abuts against the upper edge of one another   assembly of frames and sleeves so that said sub-assemblies   sets can be nested within each other without jamming.   10. - Set intended for the culture of several plants to be transplanted, comprising a tray (112) support configured to cooperate with several sleeves (118) for holding plants and connected to each other, by their upper parts , by means of webs (116) with which they are made in one piece, the support tray having thin walls, made of plastic material, and in particular sidewalls (122, 124), an open bottom and a upper structure in the form of a grid, the assembly being made in one piece, the   side walls being inclined upwards and   from their lower edges which define the periphery of the open bottom, the assembly being characterized in that it comprises a grid-like structure comprising a plurality of approximately vertical, longitudinal (128) and lateral (130) walls. which rise from a first horizontal plane containing the upper ends of the side walls, said vertical walls defining at least partly a plurality of openings (129) in which the sleeves (118) may be introduced, the vertical walls having a cross section to approximately V and having a first vertical dimension (A) between the upper apex (125) of the   section and the lower part of said vertical walls   15. wedges located in said first horizontal plane, the vertical distance between the lower edges of the walls   side and the top of the V-section of the vertical walls   shims defining a second predetermined vertical dimension   (B), each vertical wall comprising two parts of   interconnected by their top and laterally spaced apart   at their intersection with the said horizontal plane, the   sleeves running down the sails and having a   sition which allows the sails to be placed on the vertices 1O of the V sections so that the sleeves go down   between said vertical walls, each sleeve comprising.   walls inclined downwardly and inwardly from the upper end to the lower end of each sleeve, the vertical dimension (C) of each sleeve being   substantially greater than said first vertical dimension   predetermined wedge (A) and less than said second dimension   predetermined vertical extent (B).