GB2342088A - Packaging for plants - Google Patents

Abstract

A package for a plurality of plants has a base member (1) with a bottom wall and side walls (1a,1a',1b,1b') defining first and second compartments (2,3) separated by a divider (4). The divider (4) has a plurality of recesses (10) each shaped to support the stem of a plant. The first compartment (3) forms an open void for receiving the roots and rooting medium of a plurality of plants, the second compartment (2) forming an open void for receiving the stem and foliage of a plurality of plants. The base members (1) can be stacked one on top of the other and a universal lid (12) is provided to close the base member (1) or base members as the case may be.

Description

2342088 PACKAGING FOR PLANTS The invention relates to packaging for young

plants or seedlings and in particular to packaging for transporting multiple live plants.

There is described in US 5613605 a plant package for shipment, storage, display and transportation of live plants which comprises a light transmissive, sealed shell defining a package interior. An internal shelf defines first and second intenor compartments for containing roots and stem respectively. A container in a first compartment contains the roots and the rooting medium and a divider surrounding the stem comprises a cushioning membrane in fitting engagement with the container. A support member engaged with the shelf prevents passage of material and water vapour between the compartments. The container for the roots and rooting medium has an inner container and an outer container which holds the inner container and engages the interior wall of the shell. This prior art relates to packaging of a single fully grown plant and provides a package which is used for both transportation and display. Consequently. the package is quite intricate and expensive.

There is a need, therefore, for a convenient package which is both simple and inexpensive for packaging young plants and seedlings. It is an object of the present invention to provide a package adapted to receive a plurality of plants.

Seedlings and young plants are generally transported in a form having a stem with foliage and roots contained in rooting medium. The rooting medium is in the form of either a round or a square cross-section 'plug'. Present packs, such as the so called "Jiffy" or "Ellepots", are blister packs made to receive individual round or 2 square section plugs. The blister packs are generally in the form of two identical, hinged members each having a void for containing the foliage and separate compartments for the round or square section plugs. There is a need, therefore, for a pack capable of accepting plugs of any shape. It is another object of the invention to provide a universal package for round and square section plugs.

The Jiffy/Ellepot blister packs are generally of polyethylene terephthalate translucent plastic material. The halves are secured by a stud fastening arrangement and must be boxed before they can be sent through the post.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a modular system for packaging plants which does not require boxing.

Accordingly the present invention provides a package for a plurality of plants comprising a base member having a bottom wall and side walls defining first and second compartments separated by a divider, the divider having a plurality of recesses each shaped to receive the stem of a plant, said first compartment forming an open void for receiving the roots and rooting medium of a plurality of plants, the second compartment forming an open void for receiving the stem and foliage of a plurality of plants. It is a particular feature of the invention that each compartment in the base member is, in effect, an open void. Thus any shaped plug of a seedling or young plant can be accommodated in said first compartment.

The package preferably comprises a closure element engageable with said base member. The closure element may have a first surface defining a cover portion and a recessed peripheral flange surrounding the cover portion. When the closure element is 3 mounted on the base member, the cover portion fits within the side walls of the base member below the level of the top surface of the side walls, and a surface of the perimeter flange abuts a top surface of the side- walls.

Various co-operating flanges, indents and projections may be provided on the closure and base members so as to locate the former on the latter.

The divider may be configured to provide support for a closure element engaged with the base member. The closure member may be a universal lid or the base wall of a second base member. Preferably, the or each base member has a base wall with a base wall having a profile identical to the lid to provide a closure member for another identical base member. The invention also provides a package having a plurality of base members stacked one on top of the other.

Preferably the divider is formed integrally with the base member.

The invention will now be described in more detail and by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings (which are not to scale), in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a package base according to the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view on line A - A of figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the base of figure 1; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view on line B - B of figure 1; Figure 5 is package side view of a package lid according to the invention; Figure 6 is a plan view from underneath of the lid shown in figure 5; Figure 7 is a perspective view of a single package according to the invention; and Figure 8 is a perspective view of a package according to the invention and comprising multiple stacked bases and lid.

4 Referring now to figures 1 to 3, the base of the package according to the embodiment comprises a moulded one piece base member 1 having a base wall and pairs of opposed side walls la-la' and lb-lb'. Two compartments are defined within the base member; a stem compartment 2 and a plug compartment 3. The compartments are separated by a divider 4.

The stem compartment 2 in this embodiment is conveniently divided into parallel trays A-E. The trays are defined by ribs 6 in the lower interior wall 5 of the base member 1. The ribs 6 can be seen most clearly in figure 4 which is a crosssectional view across the stem compartment 2 and looking in the direction of the divider 4.

In figure 2, one embodiment of the plug compartment 3 is shown having a generally open void having side wall surfaces 7 defined by the interior surface of the side wall 1 a' and a wall of the divider 4. The compartment 3 has a bottom wall 9 which defines the depth of the plug compartment 3. In this embodiment the plug compartment 3 also has a trough 8 which extends below the level of the bottom wall 9 of plug compartment 3. The trough 8 allows easy access for fingers so that plugs within the base can be easily removed.

It can be seen, particularly &om figure 2, that the plug compartment is not as deep as the stem compartment. The depth of the compartments 2, 3 within the base 1 is defined by their bottom walls 5, 9. In the present embodiment the plug compartment 3 is so formed so as to be more narrow nearer to the bottom of the base member that to the top. As shown in figure 4, this is achieved by a sloping surface 7 of the divider 4. The plant plugs are therefore inserted into the compartment 3 until they are tightly held between the walls 7. A seedling or young plant is shown in position in figure 2 with the plug 30 firmly held in position in the plug compartment 3. The foliage 20 being contained in the stem compartment 2 with the stem lying on the divider 4. The plug 30 extends to proximate the top of the base member 1 and as will be described later, when a closure member is engaged with the base member 1, the plug 30 will be flush with the bottom of the closure member so as to be firmly held within the plug compartment 3.

The divider 4 which separates the two compartments is of combed configuration and functions to provide support for a stem just above the plug. In use, therefore, a seedling (not shown) is placed with its plug fitting snugly between sidewall surfaces 7 in the plug compartment 3 and resting on bottom wall 9. The stem rests in a recess 10 of the divider 4; the divider being provided with one recess for each of the trays A to E. Any foliage is adequately housed in the foliage or stem compartment 2.

As shown in figure 4, for example, the combed divider at its highest points extends up to a point near the top of the base which defines the position of a lower wall of a closure element when in position on the base. As explained below the lid can comprise a universal lid or a bottom wall of a further base member according to the invention.

The divider 4 has three functions, namely, as a division between the two 6 compartments preventing rooting medium, for example, moving from one compartment to another; to cradle the plant stems so as to hold each plant in position. and as support for a closure element engaged with the base member.

In the embodiment shown the top edge of the side walls 1 a, 1 a' of the base 1 are formed so as to have recesses 11 which are shaped so as to receive corresponding protrusions in the side walls of a lid. This feature is described in more detail with reference to figure 7 and 8.

Referring to figures 5 and 6, a universal lid 12 is shown having a planar cover portion 13 and a recessed perimeter flange 14 surrounding the cover portion and dimensioned so as to correspond to the side walls of a corresponding base member 1.

On two opposing sides of the cover portion 13, protrusions 15 are formed in the flange 14. The protrusions 15 are so shaped and spaced so as to fit into corresponding recesses 11 in the base member 1. As best shown in figure 5, the protrusions 15 extend so as to be substantially level with the lower surface 16 of the cover portion 13. In use the lower surface 14a of the perimeter flange 14 abuts the upper surface 1 c of the side walls 1 a, 1 a', 1 b, 1 W and the protrusions 15 fit in the recesses 11 of the side-wal Is 1 a, 1 a'. Thus the lower surface 16 extends into the base member 1 by the amount of recess between the flange 14 and the lower surface 16 of the lid 12. In use, a plug in the second compartment 3 is held between the side walls 7 and the lower surface 16 of the cover portion 13.

The protrusions 15 and recesses 11 are optional and allow the lid 12 to be 7 easily located on the base member 1.

It can be seen, for example from figure 7, that the base member 1 is formed so that the bottom wall has a profile on its external surface I d identical to that of the universal lid 12. Thus a plurality of base members 1 can form a stack of members 100, as shown in figure 8. The uppermost base member being closed by a universal lid 12.

Side walls 1 b, 1 W have extended recesses 17 which form handles when a lid is fitted and secured thereto. The lid 12 has extended protrusions 18 in two opposing side walls 14 which are substantially the same length so as to fit snugly into the recesses 17. However, the recesses 17 are deeper than the protrusions 18 so that there is sufficient room when the lid is in place to receive the fingers of someone attempting to lift the package (see figures 7 and 8).

The base and lid members are each conveniently one piece moulded from, for example, expanded polystyrene, which is suitably cheap and light yet having sufficient strength that there is no need to box the packs as is the case in the prior art. The insulation properties of polystyrene protect the contents against adverse temperature fluctuations in transit.

Each base member 1 is, therefore a postal unit in its own right completed by way of a universal lid 12. The modular design is such that the base members can be stacked on top of each other, in each case the bottom of the upper member acting as a lid to cover the lower one. The stack is then completed by a universal lid 12. No additional packaging is required. Plants are inserted directly into the base member, the unique pitched compartment 3 which holds the plant plugs, positions the foliage safely 8 within the open void of compartment 2. The plug itself rests on the bottom of the plug compartment and is held in place between the walls 7 and the underside of the cover member. There is no need to box or sleeve the stack which is typically sealed merely using self adhesive vinyl tape to secure the lid 12 to the base member 1 or members 100.

The package of the invention provides a high density package providing strength and durability whilst maintaining a low weight to strength ratio, offering excellent resistance against in transit handling.

Whilst an embodiment of the invention has been described, variations and modification are available to those skilled in the art which may be made without departing from the scope of the claims as defined in the appended claims. For example, at least a portion of the package may be light transmissive. Furthermore the number of trays in each base member is not limited and may be any convenient number.

9

Claims (9)

1. A package for a plurality of plants comprising a base member having a bottom wall and side walls defining first and second compartments separated by a divider, the divider having a plurality of recesses each shaped to receive the stem of a plant, said first compartment forming an open void for receiving the roots and rooting medium of a plurality of plants, the second compartment forming an open void for receiving the stem and foliage of a plurality of plants.

2. A package for a plurality of plants as claimed in claim 1, and comprising a closure element engageable with the base member.

A package for a plurality of plants as claimed in claim 2, wherein said closure element has a first surface defining a cover portion and a recessed peripheral flange surrounding the cover portion.

4. A package as claimed in claim 3, wherein when the closure element is mounted on the base member, the cover portion fits within the base member below the level of the top surface of the side walls, and a surface of the perimeter flange abuts said top surface of the side-walls.

5. A package as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, comprising a second base member engageable with a second base member wherein the base wall of said second base member forms said closure element.

6. A package as claimed in claim 5, comprising a closure element for said second base member, said closure element having a profile identical to a base wall of said base member.

7. A package as claimed in claim 2 to 6, wherein the divider is configured to provide support for a closure element engaged with said base member.

8. A package as claimed in any one preceding claim, wherein the divider is formed integrally with the base member.

9. A package as hereiribefore described or as shown in the accompanying drawings.