GB2333510A

GB2333510A - A plant pot container

Info

Publication number: GB2333510A
Application number: GB9824591A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Deekes
Original assignee: Associated Marketing Direction
Current assignee: Associated Marketing Direction
Priority date: 1998-01-23
Filing date: 1998-11-11
Publication date: 1999-07-28
Also published as: GB9801318D0; GB9824591D0

Abstract

A plant pot container assembly has a tube length 51 adapted to form the body of a container, and a bottom end cap 54 which defines an endless groove 8 corresponding to the cross-section of the tube 51. An engagement means is adapted to retain, in use, the tube 51 in the bottom end cap 54. A drip tray 53 is positioned beneath the bottom end cap 54 such that in use liquid from a plant pot 52 within the container drains into the drip tray 53. The drip tray 53 may be detachably fixed to the bottom end cap and incorporate one or more protruding lugs (58 Figure 7) which are adapted to support the bottom end cap. The lugs may join together to form an annular protrusion which, in use, forms a wall of a tank within which liquid is held. The container may be a flat pack (Figure 1) with top and bottom end caps, and an engagement means. The engagement means which retains each end of the tube in a respective end cap, comprises one or more protrusion(s) (1, Figure 5) in the groove wall of the end caps (6 Figure 5), the protrusions being adapted to form an engaging fit with corresponding cut(s) (5, Figure 4) at the end of the tube length, characterised in that the cut(s) are shaped such that in use when the protrusions are engaged in the cuts the tube can only be removed from the end cap with a twist and pull action. The bottom end cap 54 may be perforated 56 to allow liquid pass through, and be adapted to support a plant pot by the provision of ribs (10, Figure 5). The drip tray 53 may be formed as a integral part of the bottom end cap 54. The tube may be flared or frustroconical. The container may be a tubular display device (Figure 11) with two superimposed cylinders, rotatable with respect to each other and have striped display patterns presented on the surfaces of the cylinders so that when the cylinders are moved relative to each other the perception of motion is produced. The tubes may be made from plastics material such as polypropylene and be either transparent or opaque. The end caps may be made of PVC.

Description

Improved Flat Pack Container Field of Invention This invention relates to flat-pack, tubular containers of the kind comprising a flat rectangular sheet of e.g. cardboard, plastics or metal film, which can be rolled or folded into a length of tube and assembled into a container by fitting end caps, each cap defining a groove of appropriate shape, into which the adjacent edge of the tube is located. In particular the invention relates to these types of tubular containers which have improved connecting means for engagement of the end caps and for maintenance of the integrity of the tubular structure.

The present invention also relates to plant pot containers with drip trays and to types of tubular containers which provide a tubular display device.

Background to the invention Flat-pack containers have been described in UK Patent Applications 2318569 and 9801318.8 and British Patent 2297965, all in the name of the Applicant and it is intended that the whole contents of these documents should be incorporated herein by reference. The information contained in these earlier documents forms an integral part of the present disclosure.

Such containers find a variety of uses such as desk omaments. They can also be used to transport items, as pots for lightweight contents e.g. for containing pens, pencils etc. and also as waste paper baskets, plant or flowerpot containers and combined display tubular containers. The containers are often designed to be inexpensive "throw away" items, which must therefore be simple to manufacture.

However, a particular problem with such containers lies in the manufacturing process for the end caps and the apertures/perforations of the tube length.

The end caps typically contain a groove of appropriate shape for the end of the tube to be fitted into. This groove contains projections formed at spaced intervals around the groove wall. These projections tend to press against the tube edge when it is fitted and lock positively into perforationslapertures in the tube edge.

Typically, the protrusions are wedge shaped and project substantially across the groove. The applicant is aware of several such containers, all of which operate on the same principle. These are described in US 4215779, EP 0059314 and US 3986659. If the end caps are manufactured using a plastics moulding method it has been found that the moulding tool used to form the groove tends to deform or knock off the protrusions as the moulding tool is withdrawn from the groove. Because the end cap material is malleable during the manufacturing process this is especially likely to occur.

Methods of avoiding this problem are known although they tend to be expensive. For example, special tools may be used to hold the walls apart before withdrawing the moulding tool. Alternatively the moulding tool may be rotated by an angle sufficient to clear the protrusion prior to withdrawal. However, using these expensive manufacturing methods mitigates against the container being an inexpensive throw away item".

A further problem with the known flat-pack containers is that the perforations/apertures in the tube edge are difficult to form because after the outline of the perforation is cut the part of the sheet within the perforation or cut out" has to be removed before assembly can take place. This is a very real problem because if the cutouts are removed during the manufacturing process they tend to clog up the cutting tool. This slows the manufacturing process and tends to blunt the tool.

If removal of the cutouts is left until assembly it makes the whole process tedious and time consuming.

Either way, the use of perforations/apertures which consist of substantially rectangular holes is undesirable.

Another problem is that once the wedge shaped projections are engaged into such perforationslapertures it is very difficult to remove the end cap from the tube. This makes it difficult to disassemble the flat-pack container ready for storage or transport.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a container which overcomes or at least mitigates one or more of the problems noted above.

Summary of invention According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a flatpack container comprising: (i) a sheet of material adapted to be rolled into a tube length to form the body of the container; and (ii) top and/or bottom end caps, each end cap defining an endless groove corresponding to the cross-section of the tube length, wherein a wall of the groove is provided at spaced locations with projections extending into the groove; wherein the sheet is provided with appropriately shaped incisions at spaced locations corresponding to the projections.

This arrangement has the advantage that the interlocking strength is enhanced because the tube material which would otherwise have been removed during slot formation or assembly remains in place and acts like a miniature spring holding the tube in place on the protrusions.

In a preferred embodiment the incisions comprise at least one cut of discrete length wherein the cut is formed so as to fully pierce the container sheet and is aligned parallel with the adjacent edge of the container sheet and positioned so as to correspond to the projection of the end cap.

In a further preferred embodiment the projections of the inner groove wall are shaped to provide a chamfered lead-in face and a rear retaining face, whereby, for fitting, the tube end and end cap are aligned with respective projections and incisions in registration and pushed together, thereby causing portions of the tube edge adjacent the projections to be guided by the lead-in and the angled face of the projections to locate the incisions over their respective projections and to be retained by said retaining faces.

In a particular preferred embodiment each incision comprises two cuts being substantially parallel with corresponding end alignment. This arrangement provides the advantage that the region between the incision acts like a miniature spring with the length of material maintained between the cuts being deformed as the angled face of the projections urges the flexible length toward the lugs of the outer groove such that a positive lock is achieved, strong enough to allow the container, when in use, to hold weighty materials.

In a further preferred embodiment the incision comprises a cut which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal edge of the container sheet wherein a transverse cut of considerably lesser length is positioned at each end, having substantially orthogonal alignment and being continuous with the longitudinally aligned cut, said combination being commonly referred to as a flap. It is preferred that the flap is oriented such that the longitudinal edge of the flap is aligned with the ends of the respective lateral, short cuts having closest proximity to the adjacent edge of the container sheet.

The invention has the advantage that it can be applied to a wide variety of containers of the type in question including flat pack plant pot containers with drip trays and also flat pack combined display device containers.

Preferably there is provided a plant pot container assembly comprising: (i) a tube length adapted to form the body of the container; (ii) a bottom end cap, said cap defining an endless groove corresponding to the cross-section of the tube length; (iii) engagement means adapted to retain, in use, the tube in the bottom end cap; and (iv) a drip-tray positioned beneath the bottom end cap and adapted to attach to said bottom end cap such that in use liquid from a plant pot within the container drains into the drip tray.

This provides the advantage that excess water drains into the drip tray and this prevents the plant roots from rotting. Also, the drip-tray is visible to the user who is easily able to see whether there are large amounts of excess water in the drip-tray without needing to remove the plant pot from the container. Also, the plant pot container can be disassembled for storage and transport and is inexpensive to manufacture.

Preferably said driptray is detachably fixed to said bottom end cap. This provides the advantage that different sized drip-trays can be used with the same container. It is also possible for the drip tray to be formed as an integral part of the bottom end cap. This provides the advantage that the container does not accidentally become dislodged from the drip tray.

Advantageously, said drip-tray comprises one or more lugs protruding from the surface of the tray, said lugs being adapted to support the bottom end cap.

Said lugs may be joined together to form an annular protrusion which, in use, forms a wall of a tank within which liquid is held such that in use a humid environment can be provided around a plant in the plant pot container by allowing water held in the tank to evaporate into the container. This provides the advantage that a humid "micro environment" can be created for plants which require humidity.

Advantageously, the bottom end cap is perforated such that in use liquid may pass through the bottom of the end cap and wherein said bottom end cap is adapted to support a plant pot. Also, the plant pot container may comprise a top end cap, said cap defining an endless groove corresponding to the cross-section of the tube length.

Preferably said engagement means comprises one or more protrusion(s) in the groove wall, said protrusions being adapted to form an engaging fit with corresponding incisions(s) at the end of the tube length, this provides the advantage that when the protrusions are engaged in the incisions the end caps are effectively "locked on" to the tube.

In a further embodiment the invention provides a flat pack container comprising: (i) a first tube length adapted to form the body of the container; (ii) top and bottom end caps, each cap defining an endless groove corresponding to the cross-section of the first tube length; (iii) engagement means adapted to retain, in use, each end of the first tube in a respective end cap; characterised in that the container further comprises a second tube length the two tube lengths being adapted to nest one within another and to be rotatable one with respect to the other, images on the two tube lengths combining to create an overall image on the tubular surface of the container. This has the advantage that two or more images can be displayed and the user can adjust the picture from time to time to provide a change.

In a preferred embodiment the outer tube rotates with respect to the inner tube and in a further preferred embodiment the outer tube is formed from substantially transparent material to which opaque stripes have been applied. In this way the outer tube can be moved relative to the inner tube to produce an animated display pattem. It is preferred that the stripes on the outer tube extend either substantially vertically from the top to the bottom of the tube or substantially horizontally around the circumference of the tube.

Advantageously the invention includes a flat-pack container comprising: (i) a first tube length adapted to form the body of the container; (ii) top and bottom end caps, each cap defining an endless groove corresponding to the cross-section of the first tube length; (iii) engagement means adapted to retain, in use, each end of the first tube in a respective end cap; characterised in that the container further comprises a second tube length the two tube lengths being adapted to nest one within another and to be rotatable one with respect to the other, images on the two tube lengths combining to create an overall image on the tubular surface of the container, wherein the engagement means comprises one or more protrusion(s) in one of the groove walls, said protrusions being adapted to form an engaging fit with corresponding incisions(s) at the end of the tube length.

In a preferred embodiment the outer tube rotates with respect to the inner tube and in a further preferred embodiment the outer tube is formed from substantially transparent material to which opaque stripes have been applied.

Advantageously, the stripes on the outer tube extend either substantially vertically from the top to the bottom of the tube or substantially horizontally around the circumference of the tube.

Description of the Drawings The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1-3 and 3A are plan views of a container sheet having different incisions; Figure 4 is an exploded, fragmenting, half-section of the tube formed from the sheet and bottom end cap; Figure 4A is an enlarged detail of part of Figure 4; Figure 5 is a plan view of a bottom end cap; Figure 6 is a cross-section through a plant pot container assembly which contains a plant pot and where water is held in the drip-tray; Figure 7 is a cross-section through a plant pot container assembly which contains a plant pot and where the drip-tray is nearly full of water; Figure 8 is a cross-section through a plant pot container assembly with a shaped bottom end cap; Figure 9 is a plan view of a bottom end cap having perforations; Figure 10 is an exploded, fragmentary, half-section of a bottom end cap adapted for use with a flared tube, and a flared tube formed from a container sheet; and Figure 11 shows a cross-section through a tubular container with one end cap and with a double tube wall.

Description of preferred embodiments Embodiments of the present invention are described below by way of example only. These examples represent the best ways of putting the invention into practice that are currently known to the Applicant although they are not the only ways in which this could be achieved.

As described in British Patent Application number 2297965 the tubular body may be formed from a rectangular sheet of suitable material e.g. polypropylene that is rolled into a tube and retained in this form by the end caps. Altematively, the tubular body may be provided as a tubular unit; this tubular unit may be folded flat for storage or transportation of the container.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, a container sheet 1, which is preferably of plastics such as polypropylene, is rectangular, with a series of three flaps 2 at one end, and a corresponding series of three shaped tabs 3 at the other end, for retaining the sheet in the form of a tube 4 (see Figure 4) after rolling or folding.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, a bottom end cap 6 is circular in this embodiment and has a peripheral wall 7 in which is defined an endless, circular groove 8 corresponding to the circular cross-section of the tube 4.

The cap in this embodiment is also preferably of plastics, such as PVC, and the end wall 9 thereof is suitably strengthened to resist significant loading, in the embodiment by ribs 10.

At spaced locations around the groove 8, corresponding to the spacing of the incisions 5, one groove wall 8A (see Figure 4A) is provided with projections each being shaped to provide a chamfered lead-in 12 and a rear retaining face 13, and the other groove wall 8B is angled towards the projection, as shown. Thus, for fitting, the tube 4 is aligned with the bottom end cap 6 with its incisions 5 in registration with the projections, which operation can be facilitated by a registration mark or projection 14 on the wall 7 of the bottom cap 6 (see Figure 5). For assembly, the two components are pushed together, whereby the lead-in chamfers 12 of projections 11 cause adjacent portions of the tube end to be pushed inwardly, and thereafter outwardly by the angle of the groove wall 8B, and hence cause respective incisions 5 to ride over and be positively retained by the retaining faces 13.

It will be appreciated that the top end cap (not shown), in the form of an annular ring, could be similarly provided with spaced projections for the incisions 5 at the top end of the tube 4.

It will be appreciated that in this invention engagement means to retain the tubular body of the container within the groove 8 of the end cap are provided by a positive interlocking between the incisions 5 in the container sheet 1 and the projections of the groove of the end cap. In this context, incision means any cut or series of cuts or penetration(s) which serve to provide a seat for projection(s) located on the groove wall, wherein the cut or cuts are shaped, positioned and aligned in any arrangement which creates a surface or surfaces capable of engaging with projection(s) to anchor the tubular container body to the end cap, and wherein the incision does not remove any material from the container sheet.

The positive interlocking between the incisions and the projections of the end cap may be achieved by using single spaced cuts to maintain the position of the container body within the end cap, as in figure 2, or by providing two parallel cuts, as in figure 1. It will be appreciated that the number of cuts per incision and number of spaced incisions along the longitudinal edge of the container sheet is determined by the arrangement of the projections of the groove.

The incisions are formed in the manufacturing process as at least one cut in substantially parallel alignment with the longitudinal edge of the container sheet.

Figure 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention in which each incision comprises two cuts of discreet length wherein the cuts fully pierce the container sheet and are substantially parallel having corresponding end alignment. The incisions are at spaced locations along the length of the longitudinal edge of the container sheet, corresponding to the spacing of the projections of the inner groove of the end cap. This arrangement provides the advantage that the region between the incision acts like a miniature spring with the length of material maintained between the cuts being defonned as the angled face of the projections urges the flexible length toward the lugs of the outer groove such that a positive lock is achieved, strong enough to allow the container, when in use, to hold weighty materials. By using incisions instead of perforations/apertures the container sheet 1 is easier to manufacture as it is not necessary to remove the cut out" portions.

Figures 3 and 3A illustrate a further preferred embodiment of the invention, each incision comprising a cut 5 which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal edge of the container sheet wherein a transverse cut of considerably lesser length is positioned at each end, having substantially orthogonal alignment and being continuous with the longitudinally aligned cut, said combination being commonly referred to as a flap. It is preferred that the flap is oriented such that the longitudinal edge of the flap is aligned with the ends of the respective lateral, short cuts having closest proximity to the adjacent edge of the container sheet Fitting of the container body into the groove of the end cap causes the flap to deflect. The resistance of the flap to this altered alignment causes it to behave like a spring, attempting to recoil back into alignment with the tubular body of the container, and as a consequence of this action the flap resides at the seat of the projection of the inner groove thereby providing a strong positive lock.

It will be appreciated that, due to the provision of the positive fixing, the flatpack container, when assembled, has a far wider range of uses than heretofore.

Also, by suitable choices of materials, it can be used to contain significant weights and be weatherproof, e.g. for use as plant pots and shrub containers.

Figure 6 shows a plant pot 52 positioned within a plant pot container assembly. The container assembly comprises a tube 51 which has a top end cap (not shown) and a bottom end cap 54. The bottom end cap is perforated 56 so that liquid can drain through it. The container assembly also comprises a drip tray 53 which can be integral with the bottom end cap 54 or altematively can be separate from the bottom end cap (as shown in figure 6). The drip tray is positioned beneath the bottom end cap and arranged to support the bottom end cap, tube and plant pot. When a plant in the plant pot is watered, any excess water drains out of the bottom of the plant pot through drainage holes 55, through the bottom end cap perforations and into the drip tray. This prevents water from the plant from damaging the surface on which the plant pot is placed and also prevents the plant roots from rotting because water cannot drain away from the pot.

As shown in figure 7 the drip tray has one or more lugs 58 which protrude from the drip tray and extend towards the bottom end cap 54. The bottom end cap is supported on these lugs. Excess liquid from the plant drains into the driptray and is easily visible to the user. This means that the user does not have to remove the plant pot from the plant pot container in order to check whether the plant needs watering.

It is not essential to use lugs 58 to position the drip tray beneath the bottom end cap. Any other conventional attachment means could be used, for example, a screw attachment or snap-fit fixings.

In one embodiment, the lugs are joined together and formed into an annular protrusion which acts as the wall of a tank within which liquid can be held. For example, figures 6 and 7 show lug 58 which forms the wall of a tank that holds liquid 57. The tank acts as a "humidity tank". Water held in the tank can evaporate through the bottom end cap and around the plant pot. This enables a humid micro environment" to be created around the plant whilst preventing the plant roots from becoming water-logged. There is a small gap 60 between the drip tray and the bottom end cap. if the "humidity tank" becomes full, excess water flows into the rest of the drip tray by passing through the gap 60 as shown in figure 6.

Figure 8 shows another embodiment where the bottom end cap 59 is shaped to facilitate drainage. In this example, the bottom end cap is concave, protruding into the plant pot container tube 51. This helps liquid to drain away from the centre of the container and into the sides of the drip tray. It is also possible to use a shaped drip tray to aid drainage. For example, the drip tray itself may be shaped in the form of a shallow cone so that liquid drains to the edges of the drip tray where it is more easily visible.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the bottom end cap which shows the perforations 21. In this example, 8 perforations are shown, although other numbers, arrangements and sizes of perforations or apertures can be used.

Figure 10 shows an example where the tube 4 is flared instead of being substantially cylindrical as in figures 6 to 8. By using a flared tube, the plant pot container is arranged to fit around a typical plant pot. Other shapes of plant pot container can be used, for example, rectangular or box shaped" containers. Also, pattems and designs can be applied to the outer surface of the container tube to give the container a pleasing appearance.

The present invention may also be applied to tubular display devices wherein the container consists of two superimposed cylinders, rotatable with respect to each other as shown in figure 11.

Striped display patterns may be presented on the surfaces of the cylinders so that when the cylinders are moved relative to one another the perception of motion is produced.

By presenting two or more images of varying animated positions in quick succession the perception of motion can be produced. This principle is used in televisions, or by presenting the images on the comers of the pages of a book and then flicking through the pages rapidly.

It is also possible to present two images simultaneously on a 2D sheet and alternately cover one of the images. For example, the display surface can be divided into striped regions of the same size, with one image being presented only on the even striped regions and the other image on the odd striped regions. Using an overlay sheet which is also divided into corresponding striped regions, with the odd stripes being transparent and the even stripes opaque (or vice versa) then relative motion between the overlay sheet and the display surface will cause the images to be covered altemately.

One problem with this method is that the overlay and display sheets need to be held in alignment whilst at the same time relative motion must be produced between them. To achieve good perceptual effects the relative motion should be smooth and fairly fast. This is often difficult to ensure especially if the method is being used by young children who find it difficult to move the overlay sheet in the correct manner and often obstruct much of the display with their hands. Another problem is that because the overlay sheet and display cannot be of infinite length as they move over each other they eventually become separated and the overlapping effect is removed. Therefore the overlay sheet (or display sheet) has to be moved back and forth which tends to make the relative motion jerky and disjunctive.

The overlay and display sheets can be presented as two superimposed cylinders, rotatable with respect to each other. This has the advantage that the overlay sheet can be moved continually in the same direction in a smooth manner so that good perceptual effects can be achieved. Also, the overlay sheet, in the form of a cylinder can be easily rotated even by a child.

Preferably, the display pattern is presented on the inner cylinder. A striped pattem may either be printed directly onto tube itself or onto the rectangular sheet used to form the inner tube. It is also possible to provide the pattern on a sheet of paper for example, and place this around the tube. This has the advantage that the display can easily be replaced if it is desired to show a different image.

The striped pattern can either be arranged so that the stripes run vertically from top to bottom of the tube as assembled or so that the stripes extend horizontally, around the circumference of the tube.

The overlay and display sheets can be presented as two superimposed cylinders, rotatable with respect to each other. This has the advantage that the overlay sheet is provided in the form of a transparent rectangular sheet which has opaque stripes corresponding to those on the inner cylinder. As shown in Figure 11, the second rectangular sheet is formed into a tube 30 and placed around the outside of the first tube 31 so that the two tubes are concentric with each other.

The diameter of the second tube is slightly greater than that of the first tube so that the tubes can be moved relative to one another. As the tubes are rotated relative to one another the odd and even stripes on the first tube are alternately visible and thus the two different images are altemately visible. In this way the perception of movement can be achieved.

It has been found that the opaque stripes need not be completely opaque it is enough to reduce the visibility of the underlying pattern by an amount sufficient to produce the desired effect. Similarly, the transparent stripes need not be completely clear.

The outer end edges of the end cap 32 provide end-stops as shown in Figure 11 which prevent the second tube 30 from sliding off the first tube 31. Both end caps can provide end-stops in this way although only one end cap is shown in Figure 11.

In one embodiment the second tube 30 is of substantially the same height as the first tube 31 as shown in Figure 11. In this case the two tubes 30 and 31 are preferably rotated relative to each other and about their common axis. The striped pattems are arranged such that the stripes run vertically along the length of the tubes. Altematively, the second tube 30 may be of a height less than that of the first tube 31 so that the second tube 30 can either be moved up and down along a vertical axis or it can be rotated relative to the first tube 31. In the case that the second tube is moved up and down along a vertical axis the striped patterns are arranged so that the stripes run horizontally around the circumference of the tubes.

To assemble the container the first inner tube is taken and one of the end caps is attached to the bottom of the tube. (If a rectangular sheet is provided this is first formed into a tube as described in British Patent Application number 2297965.) A sheet of paper or other material displaying the striped pattem may be fixed around the first tube at this stage using glue, tape or any other conventional fixing means. The second tube is placed around the first tube as shown in Figure 11 and the other end cap is attached to top of the tube. Whilst holding either/both end caps the second tube can then be moved easily relative to the first tube and the perception of motion produced. In this way two or more images can be produced and the user can adjust the picture from time to time to provide a change.

The second tube may be formed from flexible material, preferably plastics material that is transparent. Opaque stripes are printed or applied using any other conventional means to the second tube.

Claims

Claims 1. A plant pot container assembly comprising: (i) a tube length adapted to form the body of the container; (ii) a bottom end cap, said cap defining an endless groove corresponding to the cross-section of the tube length; (iii) engagement means adapted to retain, in use, the tube in the bottom end cap; and (iv) a drip-tray positioned beneath the bottom end cap and adapted to attach to said bottom end cap such that in use liquid from a plant pot within the container drains into the drip tray.
2. A plant pot container assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said drip-tray is detachably fixed to said bottom end cap.
3. A plant pot container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said driptray incorporates one or more lugs protruding from the surface of the tray, said lugs being adapted to support the bottom end cap.
4. A plant pot container as claimed in claim 4 wherein said lugs are joined together to form an annular protrusion which, in use, forms a wall of a tank within which liquid is held such that a humid environment can be provided around a plant in the plant pot container by allowing water held in the tank to evaporate into the container.
5. A plant pot container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said bottom end cap is perforated such that in use liquid may pass through the bottom of the end cap and wherein said bottom end cap is adapted to support a plant pot
6. A plant pot container as claimed in any preceding claim which further comprises a top end cap, said cap defining an endless groove corresponding to the cross-section of the tube length.
7. A plant pot container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein, said engagement means comprises one or more protrusion(s) in the groove wall, said protrusions being adapted to form an engaging fit with corresponding cut(s) at the end of the tube length, characterised in that said cut(s) are shaped such that in use when the protrusions are engaged in the cuts the tube can only be removed from the end cap with a twist-and-pull action.
8. A plant pot container assembly as claimed in any preceding claim modified in that said drip-tray is formed as an integral part of said bottom end cap.
9. A plant pot container as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 inclusive wherein the tube is flared or frustoconical in shape to correspond to a typical plant pot.
10. A plant pot container substantially as herein described and with reference to and as illustrated in any combination of the accompanying drawings.
11. A flat-pack container comprising: (iv) a tube length adapted to form the body of the container; (v) top and bottom end caps, each cap defining an endless groove corresponding to the cross-section of the first tube length; (vi) engagement means adapted to retain, in use, each end of the tube in a respective end cap, said engagement means comprising one or more protrusion(s) in one of the groove walls, said protrusions being adapted to form an engaging fit with corresponding cut(s) at the end of the-tube length, characterised in that said cut(s) are shaped such that in use when the protrusions are engaged in the cuts the tube can only be removed from the end cap with a twist-and-pull action.
12. A flat-pack container substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any combination of the accompanying drawings.