GB2473645A

GB2473645A - Growing bag tray and cane holder

Info

Publication number: GB2473645A
Application number: GB0916454A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sarah Wakeford
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-09-18
Filing date: 2009-09-18
Publication date: 2011-03-23
Also published as: GB0916454D0

Abstract

The growing bag tray10comprises a base12and a cane support16disposed on the base of the tray. The cane support comprises a cane holding portion (20) for holding a cane19in a given cane direction, and a support portion (22) between the cane holding portion and the base of the tray. The support portion supports the cane holding portion in a direction transverse to the cane direction. There is also described a growing bag accessory system comprising the aforementioned tray, a growing bag cover arranged to receive the tray and a growing bag disposed on the tray; a growing bag accessory system comprising the aforementioned tray, and a cane end support member for receiving and supporting an end of the cane; and a growing bag accessory system comprising the aforementioned tray, wherein the cane holding portion comprises a substantially tubular portion for receiving a cane therein, and a fit ring for disposal circumferentially around the cane such that the cane fits tightly within the tubular portion.

Description

GROWBAG TRAY

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a growbag tray.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Growbags are large plastic bags filled with peat or a similar growth medium. A growbag contains enough nutrient for one year's growing and requires only planting and watering. Growbags come in varieties suited to specific crops. Many people use growbags in their gardens for growing plants such as tomatoes. Often it is useful to use a cane in conjunction with a growbag to assist with the directional grown of the plant. However, a growbag by itself is generally too shallow to support a cane planted therein.

To overcome this problem, some known systems support the growbag cane using a frame structure placed over the growbag, but these systems have the disadvantage that the frame may easily be moved accidentally with respect to the growbag, which may damage the plants.

Alternative known systems support the cane from beneath the growbag.

For example, GB2333221 provides a spike member with a cruciform base, the spike extends through the depth of the growbag in use, and may receive thereupon a hollow plant support shaft (i.e. a cane). GB2410169 provides a base with a plurality of upwardly extending sleeves which extend into the growbag in use; a support frame of canes is then attached to the sleeves to support the plants.

GB2352608 shows another known system comprising a C-shaped arm extending outwardly and upwardly from a base. In use, a growbag is placed on the base and a cane extends upwards from the base to the top of the C-shaped arm where it is retained in an aperture.

The present invention seeks to provide an alternative system for supporting a growbag cane which provides various advantages over those of the

prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tray for a growbag. The tray comprises a base and a cane support disposed on the base of the tray. The cane support comprises a cane holding portion for holding a cane in a given cane direction, and a support portion between the cane holding portion and the base of the tray. The support portion provides support to the cane holding portion in a direction transverse to the cane direction.

Advantageously, the cane direction is substantially perpendicular to the base of the tray.

Advantageously, the cane holding portion comprises a substantially tubular portion for receiving a cane therein.

Advantageously, the support portion comprises a substantially conical or frustroconical portion. More advantageously, the conical or frustroconical portion widens from the cane holding portion to the base. More advantageously, the cane direction is coincident with the axis of the conical or frustroconical portion.

In a preferred embodiment, the cane support is substantially funnel-shaped, the cane holding portion forming a tubular part of the funnel and the support portion forming a conical part of the funnel.

Advantageously, the tray comprises a plurality of cane supports. For example, the tray may comprise between three and six cane supports.

Advantageously, the cane support comprises a pointed member for piercing a growbag placed onto the tray. More advantageously, the pointed member comprises a slanted end of the tubular portion.

Advantageously, the cane holding portion comprises an opening for receiving a cane therein, the opening being arranged such that a cane received therein is able to extend through both the cane support and the base.

Advantageously, the base of the tray comprises raised edges.

Advantageously, the tray is watertight such that it is able to retain a volume of water when the base is placed horizontally on the ground.

Alternatively, the tray comprises a drainage hole in the base of the tray.

Advantageously, the tray comprises an overflow drainage hole in the cane support.

Advantageously, the tray is integrally formed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a growbag accessory system comprising the tray of the first aspect together with one or more additional accessories.

One additional accessory is a growbag cover arranged to receive the tray and a growbag disposed on the tray. Advantageously, the growbag cover comprises a cover aperture positioned such that a cane placed within the cane support of the tray would extend through the cover aperture in use.

Another additional accessory is a cane end support member for receiving and supporting an end of the cane.

A further additional accessory is a fit ring for disposal circumferentially around the cane such that the cane fits tightly within the tubular portion.

A growbag may additionally be provided with the tray within the scope of the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a growbag tray in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross-section through the tray of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a growbag tray in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a growbag tray in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is a cross-section through the tray of Figure 3 or 4; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a cane support with optional fit rings; Figure 7 is a cross-section through the cane support of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a perspective view of a cane support with optional cane end support member; Figure 9 is a cross-section through the cane support of Figure 8; and Figure 10 is a perspective view of the tray of Figure 1 in conjunction with a growbag cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A first embodiment of the present growbag tray or receptacle 10 is shown in Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a perspective view, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along line XX' of Figure 1.

The tray 10 comprises a base 12 and three mutually spaced cane supports 16. In the description below, it is assumed that the tray 10 is placed with the base 12 flat on a horizontal surface such that the cane supports 16 extend vertically upwards from the base 12. Thus, any references to top/bottom or vertical/horizontal or upwardldownward directions should be interpreted with this orientation of the tray lOin mind.

The tray 10 is sized to receive a growbag 18 (shown by the dashed line in Figure 2). Thus, the base 12 is substantially rectangular with a length L and a width W. In a preferred embodiment, the length L is 900mm and the width W is 320mm. The base 12 has a peripheral lip formed by raised edges 14 having a height H. In a preferred embodiment, the height H is 40mm. However, it will be understood that these measurements are not intended to be limiting, and the tray 10 could be resized for use with other sizes of growbag 18. The base 12 further comprises four feet 17, one foot 17 being located near each corner of the base 12. Each foot 17 is formed as an integrally moulded bulge on the bottom of the base 12 of the tray 10.

In a preferred embodiment, the tray 10 is made of plastic and is manufactured by injection moulding for ease of manufacture. Thus, the tray preferably has a single unitary construction in which the cane supports 16 merge into the base 12 of the tray 10. In this embodiment, the tray 10 has integrated cane supports 16.

Each cane support 16 is intended to support a cane 19 in use. Only one cane 19 is shown in Figure 1, but it will be appreciated that a respective cane 19 could be used in conjunction with each of the three cane supports 16. Each cane support 16 has a respective cane holding portion 20 and support portion 22. The cane holding portion 20 is for holding a cane 19 in a particular cane direction or cane orientation. In Figure 1, the cane direction is substantially normal to the base 12 of the tray 10. Thus, when the tray 10 is placed on a flat horizontal surface, the cane direction is substantially vertical such that the cane support 16 and cane 19 both extend upwards from the base 12 of the tray 10 in use.

In the preferred embodiment, each cane support 16 is substantially formed as an inverted funnel, with the conical part of the funnel being formed by the support portion 22, and the tubular part of the funnel being formed by the cane holding portion 20.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cane holding portion 20 of the cane support 16 is substantially tubular, with the axis of the tube extending vertically upwards coincident with the cane direction. As shown more clearly in Figures 6- 9, the cane holding portion need not be exactly tubular, but may taper slightly from one end to the other. The internal diameter of the tubular cane holding portion 20 is sized to receive a cane 19 in use. Preferably, the internal diameter of the tubular cane holding portion 20 is sized to tightly receive the cane 19 in use. Thus, the cane 19 is able to be firmly held in place by the cane holding portion 20 such that the cane 19 is made to extend in the cane direction in use.

The upper end 24 of the cane holding portion 20 (i.e. the end of the cane holding portion 20 that is furthest away from the base 12) is slanted such that it forms a non-zero angle with respect to the base 12 and such that it forms an angle other than 90°with respect to the axis of the tubular ca ne holding portion 20. In use, the slanted end 24 of the cane holding portion 20 is used to pierce the growbag 18 as it is placed onto the tray 10.

The support portion 22 provides structural rigidity to the cane support 16 to ensure that the cane holding portion 20 is able to permanently hold a cane 19 remains substantially in the cane direction in use. For example, when the cane direction is vertical, the support portion 22 ensures that the cane holding portion remains in the correct orientation relative to the base 12 so as to keep the cane 19 vertical in use. The support portion 22 is disposed between the cane holding portion 22 and the base 12 of the tray 10. The support portion 22 provides support to the cane holding portion 20 in a direction transverse to the cane direction. In other words, when the cane direction is vertical, the support portion 22 provides at least a component of lateral or horizontal support to the cane holding portion 20.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the Figures, the support portion 22 is formed as a conical skirt around the substantially vertical cane holding portion 2,0. The wider end of the conical support portion 22 merges into the base 12 of tray 10, and the narrower end of the conical support portion 22 merges into the tubular cane holding portion 20. The support portion 22 extends outwardly from the tubular cane holding portion 22 to the base 12. Thus, the support portion 22 provides inward radial support to maintain the vertical orientation of the cane holding portion 20 in the cane direction. In alternative embodiments, the support portion 22 may comprise a buttress, a prop, a fin-shaped support, or any other structure which reinforces the structural stability of the cane support 16 such that the cane holding portion 20 is supported so as to hold the cane 19 in the cane direction.

As most clearly seen in the cross-sectional view of Figure 2, an opening 26 enables a cane 19 to extend through the entire tray 10. In particular, the opening extends completely through the base 12 and the cane support 16. The opening 26 forms part of the cane support 16.

In use, when a growbag 18 is placed onto the tray 10, the bottom side of the growbag 18 is initially pierced by the slanted end 24 of the cane support 16.

The slanted end 24 continues to pierce through the growbag 18 until the slanted end 24 protrudes from the top of the growbag 18 when the growbag 18 is settled on the base 12 of the tray 10. During this process, a small amount of the peat within the growbag 18 may fall through the opening 26 onto the ground beneath the tray 10. This may easily be swept up afterwards. A cane 19 may then be placed into the opening 26 so as to be supported from underneath by the ground and so as to be supported laterally by the cane support 16.

If the opening 26 did not extend through the entire tray (e.g. if the base 12 of the tray 10 extended across the bottom of the cane support 16 so as to form an conical flask shaped chamber within the cane support 16), then repeated use of the tray 10 would cause a build-up of peat within the chamber which would make it progressively harder and harder to insert a cane 19 as the chamber filled up with peat. Thus, the opening 26 ensures that there is not a build-up of peat during repeated use of the tray 10.

It is envisaged that drainage holes 38 could also be provided in the tray 10. For example, one or more drainage holes 38 may be provided in the base 12 of the tray 10 as shown in Figure 1. Alternatively, the base 12 of the tray 10 may be watertight so as to retain a small volume of water when the base 12 is placed horizontally on the ground. This enables irrigation of the growbag 18. In this case, the semi-permeable growbag 18 would soak up water retained in the base 12 of the tray 10 as required. In one embodiment, the base 12 of the tray lOis initially watertight, but includes one or more imprints to enable a user to puncture through the base 12 to provide optional drainage holes 38. Thus, the decision as to whether or not drainage holes 38 are required is left to the user's discretion.

It is also envisaged that one or more overflow drainage holes 39 could be provided in the cane support 16 as shown in Figure 1. In Figure 1, one overflow drainage hole 39 is disposed on the support portion 22 of the central cane support 16. Thus, if the growbag 18 were overwatered, excess water would drain out of the growbag 18 through the overflow drainage hole 39 and down to the ground by means of the opening 26. In alternative embodiments, more than one overflow drainage hole 39 may be provided in a single cane support 16 and/or overflow drainage holes 39 may be provided in more than one of the cane supports 16. For example, one overflow drainage hole 39 may be provided in each cane support 16.

In the embodiment of Figure 1, the three cane supports 16 are aligned in a row lengthwise along the base 12 of the tray 10. Alternative embodiments envisage different numbers of cane supports being provided in a single row, or in other configurations on the base 12 of the tray 10. For example, Figure 3 shows an embodiment of a tray 10 having six cane supports 16 aligned in two rows of three lengthwise along the base 12 of the tray 10. Each row is near a respective lengthwise side of the base 12 such that the rows are spaced from each other in a widthwise direction. In a further alternative embodiment shown in Figure 4, a tray 10 is provided with four cane supports 16, one near each corner of the base 12 of the tray 10. Also, in the embodiments of Figures 3-5, the feet 17 protruding downwards from the base 12 of the tray 10 extend longitudinally along the lengthwise sides of the tray 10 between the canes supports 16. These longitudinally extending feet 17 provide wells in the base 12 of the tray 10 for retaining a small amount of water which may be used to irrigate the growbag 18 in use.

It is preferred that the tray 10 is used in conjunction with canes 19 having a diameter which is appropriate for the cane holding portion 20. Thus, the outer diameter of the cane 19 should approximately match the internal diameter of the tubular can holding portion 20. However, if smaller diameter canes 19 are used, then one or more fit rings 30 may be provided as shown in Figures 6 and 7. The fit rings 30 are placed around the small diameter cane 19 so as to increase the diameter of the cane 19 locally in the region of the cane holding portion 20. The fit rings may be rubber rings, or elastic bands or rubber sheaths or the like. The outer diameter of the fit nng 30 approximately matches the internal diameter of the tubular cane holding portion 20.

Figures 6 and 7 also show a stop ring 32 disposed around the cane 19.

The stop ring 32 increases the outer diameter of the cane 19 locally such that that portion of the cane 19 does not fit into the cane holding portion 20. In other words, the outer diameter of the stop ring 32 is greater than the inner diameter of the tubular cane holding portion 20 at the end 24 of the cane holding portion 20.

In use, the stop ring 32 is positioned a distance 0 from the end 1 9a of the cane 19 which is going to be inserted into the cane support 16. The distance D corresponds to the height of the cane support 16 above the base 12 of the tray 10. Thus, if the tray lOis placed on soft ground (e.g. turf or soil), the stop ring 32 ensures that the end 19a of the cane 19 only rests gently on the ground, rather than being pushed into the ground. This ensures that the tray 10 is easily moved along the ground in use, for example. Alternatively, it may be desirable for a user to push the cane end 19a into soft ground beneath the tray 10 so as to provide additional stability to the cane 19 if there is no need for moving the tray 10 once in use. Either option is envisaged depending on user requirements. -9-.

A cane end support 34 may additionally be provided to support the lower end 19a of the cane 19 in use, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. The cane end support 34 is formed from rubber in one embodiment. The cane end support 34 comprises a substantially disc-shaped base 35 having a coaxial central tubular portion 37 protruding from the upper side of the base 35 so as to receive the end 19a of the cane 19 in the tubular recess 36 of the tubular portion 37. In use, the cane end support 34 may be received (e.g. by push-fit) in the underside of the tray 10 beneath the cane support 16. In particular, the opening 26 through the tray 10 forms a recess in the underside of the base 12 of the tray 10. The recess corresponds to the underside of part of the support portion 22 which projects upwards from the base 12 of the tray 10. The cane end support 34 may be used as a bung in this recess. In use, the cane end support 34 provides the assembled cane/tray/growbag system with additional support to prevent the end 19a of the cane 19 from slipping a small distance sideways along the ground, is which might lead to a leaning cane 19 rather than a vertical cane 19.

It is envisaged that the present tray 10 could be used in conjunction with a growbag cover 40 as shown in Figure 10. The growbag cover 40 is intended to give the growbag system more eye-appeal in use. Thus, the growbag cover 40 may be provided with various external decoration or patterns (not shown). The growbag cover 40 comprises a textile bag construction. It is substantially sized to fit over the tray 10 and the growbag 18 (not shown in Figure 10). The growbag cover may have fabric handles 42. The growbag cover may have Velcro fastenings 44. The growbag cover 40 comprises three cover apertures 46 at locations corresponding to the cane supports 16 locations when the tray 10 is disposed inside the growbag cover 40. Thus, a cane 19 placed within the cane support 16 of the tray 10 would extend out through the respective cover aperture 46 in use. In Figure 10, the cover apertures 46 are formed as crosses in the fabric cover 40 so that each cover aperture 46 may be easily enlarged to form a diamond shaped hole (see dashed line 48 in Figure 10). A plant may then be planted in the growbag 18 adjacent the cane 19 in the diamond shaped hole 48.

Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that these are by way of example only and that various modifications may be contemplated.. -Il -

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A tray for a growbag, the tray comprising: a base; and a cane support disposed on the base of the tray; wherein the cane support comprises a cane holding portion for holding a cane in a given cane direction, and a support portion between the cane holding portion and the base of the tray, the support portion providing support to the cane holding portion in a direction transverse to the cane direction.
2. The tray of claim 1 wherein the cane direction is substantially perpendicular to the base of the tray.
3. The tray of claim I or claim 2 wherein the cane holding portion comprises a substantially tubular portion for receiving a cane therein.
4. The tray of any preceding claim wherein the support portion comprises a substantially conical or frustroconical portion.
5. The tray of claim 4 wherein the conical or frustroconical portion widens from the cane holding portion to the base.
6. The tray of claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the cane direction is coincident with the axis of the conical or frustroconical portion.
7. The tray of any preceding claim wherein the cane support is substantially funnel-shaped, the cane holding portion forming a tubular part of the funnel and the support portion forming a conical part of the funnel.
8. The tray of any preceding claim comprising a plurality of cane supports.

-12 -
9. The tray of any preceding claim wherein the cane support comprises a pointed member for piercing a growbag placed onto the tray.
10. The tray of claim 9 when dependent on claim 3 wherein the pointed member comprises a slanted end of the tubular portion.
11 The tray of any preceding claim wherein the cane holding portion comprises an opening for receiving a cane therein, the opening being arranged such that a cane received therein is able to extend through both the cane support and the base.
12. The tray of any preceding claim wherein the base of the tray comprises raised edges.
13. The tray of any preceding claim wherein the tray is watertight such that it is able to retain a volume of water when the base is placed horizontally on the ground.
14. The tray of any of claims 1 to 12 comprising a drainage hole in the base of the tray.
15. The tray of any preceding claim comprising an overflow drainage hole in the cane support.
16. The tray of any preceding claim wherein the tray is integrally formed.
17. A growbag accessory system comprising: the tray of any preceding claim; and a growbag cover arranged to receive the tray and a growbag disposed on the tray. -13-
18. The growbag accessory system of claim 19 wherein the growbag cover comprises a cover aperture positioned such that a cane placed within the cane support of the tray would extend through the cover aperture in use.
19. A growbag accessory system comprising: the tray of any of claims 1 to 16; and a cane end support member for receiving and supporting an end of the cane.
20. A growbag accessory system comprising: the tray of claim 3; and a fit ring for disposal circumferentially around the cane such that the cane fits tightly within the tubular portion.
21. A tray for a growbag, the tray being substantially as herein described with reference to any of Figures 1-10 of the accompanying drawings.