JP2006191823A - Seedling pot - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a seedling pot designed so as to prevent the lower end of a label inserted in a slit of a seedling pot from interfering with other seedling pots or a frame case. <P>SOLUTION: The seedling pot 1 has a bottom part 2 and a sidewall part 3, is formed into a cup shape, and is made of a flexible resin. A flange 4 extending outward from the upper end opening of the pot is provided with a slit 4a into which a rigid thin sheet label 10 is removably inserted along the outer surface of the sidewall part 3. A tongue piece 4b preventing the lower part of the label 10 inserted into the slit 4a from moving away from the outer surface of the sidewall part 3 is formed at the lower surface side of the flange 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a thin flexible resin seedling pot used for growing seedlings of plants such as vegetables and flowers.

  The seedling pot is a thin flexible cup-shaped container that is mass-produced by blow molding from a resin material such as polypropylene or polyethylene. The shape of the seedling pot is generally a cup shape with a bottomed upper end opening in which the bottom is circular and the side wall is cylindrical or substantially rectangular. Since the seedling pot alone is flexible and easily deformed, it is usually stored in a hard frame-shaped case with multiple recesses that accommodate the seedling pots one by one, and the seedlings are grown by putting soil and fertilizer in each seedling pot. Like to do. Further, a plurality of seedling pots stored in a frame-like case are stored and transported together with the frame-like case, and seedlings grown in each seedling pot are sold over the counter.

  Further, a plurality of seedling pots are integrally blow-molded in a vertical and horizontal arrangement, and are individually separated as necessary. Since it is easy to separate the seedling pots, the seedling pots are stored in a frame-like case in the state of a composite seedling pot in which a plurality of seedling pots are integrally molded, and may be used for seedling growth or over-the-counter sales.

  By the way, when using seedling pots for seedling growth or over-the-counter sales, a label on the thin hard resin plate clearly showing information about seedlings such as breed name, pictures and photos at the time of growth, price, etc. Plugged into the soil. However, since the soil of the seedling pot is soft, the labels inserted into the soil are easy to fall down and come off, and it takes time to manage the labels. In addition, since the label can be inserted at an arbitrary position in the soil, depending on the insertion position of the label, the seedling may be damaged by the label.

  Under such circumstances, in the Patent Document 1, the present inventor can insert and remove a hard thin plate label along the outer surface of the side wall from the upper end opening edge of the seedling pot, and the label is inserted by a predetermined length. And a slit formed to be locked and held on the label.

  Moreover, in patent document 1, the shape of the length direction of the said slit made | forms the curved shape convex to the inner side containing a broken line, and comprised the tongue piece which contact | abuts the lower end of a label to the outer surface of a side wall part by the edge of a slit. A nursery pot is also proposed.

JP 2002-045046 A

  The above seedling pot has a side wall with the lower end of the label formed by a tongue piece formed by the edge of the slit so that the upper part of the label protruding upward from the slit stands at a desired inclination angle when the label is inserted into the slit. It is made to contact with the outer surface. However, even if the lower end of the label is in contact with the outer surface of the side wall with the seedling pot being stationary, the lower end of the label is separated from the outer surface of the side wall and the upper portion of the label falls down even if the seedling pot is slightly shaken. There was something to end up with. Such a seedling pot is, for example, slightly shaken when taken out from the frame-like case, and the lower end of the label is separated from the outer surface of the side wall portion. When trying to return the seedling pot to the frame-shaped case in this state, the lower end of the label interferes with the partition of the frame-shaped case and other seedling pots (including seedlings and soil) accommodated in the frame-shaped case. At the time of over-the-counter sales, in order to determine the seedlings contained in the seedling pot, it is assumed that the seedling pot is taken out from the frame-shaped case, and the seedlings are observed at hand and then returned to the frame-shaped case. At this time, if the nursery pot is returned to the frame-shaped case without knowing that the lower end of the label is separated from the outer surface of the side wall of the nursery pot, the lower end of the label interferes with the partition of the frame-shaped case and other nursery pots, There are concerns that the seedling pots are not stored in the frame-shaped case in an orderly manner, and seedlings planted in other seedling pots are damaged.

  In order to solve the above problems, the seedling pot according to the present invention is a cup-shaped flexible resin seedling pot having a bottom portion and a side wall portion, and is formed of a hard thin plate on a flange extending outward from the upper end opening edge. In what provided the slit which inserts a label along the outer surface of a side wall part so that attachment or detachment was possible, the tongue piece which controls that the lower part of the label inserted in the slit separated from the outer surface of a side wall part was provided in the lower surface side of a flange It is characterized by that.

  The point of this invention is a point provided with the tongue piece which provides sufficient pressing force with respect to a label to control that the lower part of the label inserted in the slit leaves | separates from the outer surface of a side wall part. The tongue piece is disposed on the lower surface side of the flange and outside the label inserted into the slit, and presses the label from the outside to the inside. Even if an external force is applied to the lower part of the label so as to be separated from the outer surface of the side wall portion of the nursery pot, when the external force is released, the lower portion of the label automatically comes into contact with the outer surface of the side wall portion by the biasing force of the tongue piece.

  In the present invention, as described above, even if the lower portion of the label inserted into the slit is separated from the outer surface of the side wall portion, the lower portion of the label is separated from the outer surface of the side wall portion because it automatically contacts the side wall portion by the biasing force of the tongue piece. Interference with other objects such as seedlings planted in a frame-like case or other seedling pots can be prevented.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a seedling pot according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings.

  FIG. 1A is a plan view showing an embodiment of a seedling pot according to the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. The figure is an enlarged view of part B of FIG. The seedling pot 1 is a flexible resin container having a bottomed top opening and having a substantially circular bottom 2 and a side wall 3 having an upper end opened in a substantially square shape. A slit 4a is provided in the flange 4 extended to the end 4 so that the label 10 clearly indicating the name of the seedling can be inserted and removed. The seedling pot 1 is obtained by blow-molding a thin resin material having a thickness of about 0.2 mm in which polypropylene (PP) is a main component and a predetermined amount of, for example, polyethylene (PE) is mixed.

  The bottom 2 has a shape in which a part of an arc is cut out in a straight line. The side wall 3 has a shape that gradually increases in diameter from the peripheral edge of the bottom 2. More specifically, the gradient from the straight line portion 2b is made larger than the arc portion 2a in the peripheral edge portion of the bottom portion 2. Thereby, the side wall part 3 is formed with a concave wall part 3a that is recessed inward at the center of one surface extending from the straight part 2b of the bottom part 2, and the upper end opens in a concave shape. Moreover, the side wall part 3 is provided with a plurality of ribs 3b extending in the vertical direction with a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction on the entire surface including the concave wall part 3a. The rib 3b is for suppressing the side wall 3 from being bent in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the rib 3b has a shape in which the outer surface side of the side wall 3 is recessed and protruded toward the inner surface.

  The flange 4 is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape so as to close the upper end portion of the concave wall portion 3a. The outer edge of the flange 4 forms a trapezoidal bottom and is formed in a substantially straight line connecting both sides of the upper end portion of the concave wall portion 3a so as to be continuous with the upper end contour of the side wall portion 3 excluding the concave wall portion 3a. The Thereby, the upper end outline of the seedling pot 1 becomes a substantially square shape. The flange 4 is inclined with respect to the side wall portion 3 (concave wall portion 3a) by supporting the inner edge constituting the upper base of the trapezoid and the three sides of the oblique sides on the upper end portion of the concave wall portion 3a. The angle is regulated to a desired angle and is maintained in a substantially horizontal direction. That is, in this embodiment, the concave wall portion 3 a becomes a reinforcing structure that regulates the inclination angle of the flange 4 with respect to the side wall portion 3.

  The flange 4 includes a slit 4a cut in a fold line shape, a tongue piece 4b formed by being surrounded on three sides by the slit 4a, a pair of recesses 4c provided near both ends of the slit 4a, and a tongue piece 4b. And a slope 4d inclined downward from the vicinity of the outer edge of the flange 4 toward the inside.

  The slit 4 a is formed in a straight line with a central portion along the inner edge of the flange 4, and both ends are straight with a desired angle θ with respect to the inner edge of the flange 4 toward the outer edge of the flange 4. Formed. The angle θ of the slit 4a is most preferably set within a range of 50 ° to 60 °.

  The tongue piece 4b is formed into a convex shape on the radially inner side of the seedling pot 1 by forming the slit 4a as described above. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, when the label 10 is inserted into the slit 4 a, the tongue piece 4 b is pushed into the lower surface side of the flange 4. The tongue piece 4b pushed into the lower surface side of the flange 4 restricts the label 10 from being pressed against the outer surface of the concave wall portion 3a and separated from the concave wall portion 3a by the elastic force to return to the original position.

  Both the recess 4c and the slope 4d function as ribs that increase the pressing force of the tongue 4b against the label 10.

  The concave portion 4c has a shape in which the upper surface side of the flange 4 is depressed in a concave shape and protrudes to the lower surface side, and is provided so as to face both end portions of the slit 4a. More specifically, the flange 4 is provided from the vicinity of the outer edge of the flange 4 to the vicinity of the oblique side so as to cross the extended line at both ends of the slit 4a. When the recess 4c is provided in this way, when the tongue piece 4b is pushed into the lower surface side of the flange 4 as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, both end portions of the flange 4 (sites located on both sides of the tongue piece 4b). Is suppressed. The concave portion 4 c efficiently generates elastic force at the base end portion of the tongue piece 4 b by suppressing the bending of both end portions of the flange 4, and increases the pressing force of the tongue piece 4 b against the label 10.

  The slope 4d is formed from the outside of the straight line L passing through both ends of the slit 4a to the inner edge of the flange 4. When the slope 4d is provided over both the inside and outside of the straight line L, the bending of the tongue piece 4b along the straight line L is restricted. For this reason, when the tongue piece 4 b is pushed into the lower surface side of the flange 4, bending occurs over a wide range from both ends of the slit 4 a to the outer edge of the flange 4. The slope 4d efficiently generates elastic force at the base end of the tongue piece 4b by flexing the flange 4 in a wide range following the pushing of the tongue piece 4b to the lower surface side of the flange 4, and the tongue 4b The pressing force of the piece 4b is increased.

  In this embodiment, by arranging the outer edge of the slope 4d between the inner ends of the pair of recesses 4c so as to be continuous with the inner ends of the pair of recesses 4c, the recess 4c and the slope 4d The cooperative action is drawn out so that the pressing force of the tongue 4b against the label 10 is further increased.

  The slope 4d also functions as a rib that increases the rigidity of the tongue piece 4b. Specifically, an elastic force for pressing the label 10 is generated at the base end portion of the tongue piece 4b, while the reaction force of the label 10 acts on the tip end portion of the tongue piece 4b in a direction almost opposite to the elastic force. By providing a step over the entire length direction of the tongue piece 4b by the slope 4d, the rigidity of the tongue piece 4b against the elastic force and the reaction force of the label is enhanced. Thereby, the elastic force generated at the base end portion of the tongue piece 4b and the vicinity thereof is transmitted to the tip end of the tongue piece 4b with almost no attenuation.

  Furthermore, the slope 4d, like the tongue piece 4b, is gradually narrowed toward the radially inner side of the seedling pot 1, and the width of the leading edge of the slope 4d is made narrower than the central portion of the slit 4a, thereby providing a label. It also functions as a guide for guiding the lower end of 10 to the center of the slit 4a.

  FIG. 5 is a front view showing an example of the label 10 to be inserted into the slit 4a. The label 10 is a hard thin plate made of plastic or the like, and the information about the seedlings contained in the seedling pot 1 is clearly shown on the label upper portion 12 that protrudes upward from the slit 4a by inserting the V-shaped label lower portion 11 into the slit 4a. The An intermediate portion 13 between the label lower portion 11 and the label upper portion 12 is a portion held by the slit 4a and is formed in a tapered shape. The lower end of the label middle part 13 is narrower than the upper end of the label lower part 11. As a result, a wedge portion 14 is formed at the upper end of the label lower portion 11 to be engaged with the edge of the slit 4 a from the lower surface side of the flange 4.

In relation to the label 10, the dimension of the slit 4a will be described. Assuming that the outer width of the wedge portion 14 is W ₁ , the overall length (L ₁ + 2L ₂ ) of the slit 4a is formed slightly shorter than W ₁ as shown in FIG. When the inner width of the wedge portion 14 is W ₂ , the length L ₁ of the central portion of the slit 4a (the width of the tip portion of the tongue piece 4b) is formed slightly shorter than W ₂ , and the gap between both ends of the slit 4a is formed. The length L ₃ (the width of the base end portion of the tongue piece 4b) is longer than W ₂ . Note that the length L ₃ between both ends of the slit 4 a is shorter than the upper end width W ₃ of the label intermediate portion 13.

The above label 10, since the outer width W ₁ of the wedge portion 14 is longer than the total length of the slit 4a, before being inserted into the slit 4a to the wedge portion 14, the side edges of the label bottom 11 to edge of the slit 4a Abut. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 3, the label 10 is deformed into a curved shape in which both sides in the width direction are along the both ends of the slit 4 a and the vicinity of the center line is slightly protruded radially inward of the seedling pot 1. Then, the concave wall portion 3a is inserted inward and / or the base end portion of the tongue piece 4b is bent outward and inserted into the wedge portion. When the wedge portion 14 gets over the slit 4a, the bending of the label 10 is slightly eliminated, and the wedge portion 14 can be locked to the edge of the slit 4a from the lower surface side of the flange 4. Since the width of the label the intermediate portion 13 is wider than the length L ₁ of the central portion of the slit 4a, the label 10 may be eliminated deflection slightly held in the slit 4a in a state of being slightly curved.

  In the seedling pot 1, the label 10 inserted into the slit 4 a is pressed against the outer surface of the concave wall portion 3 a by the tongue piece 4 b. Since the center portion of the slit 4a is formed along the inner edge of the flange 4, the lower label portion 11 can be pressed along the outer surface of the concave wall portion 3a, and the flange 4 can be reduced in size and desired. Can be formed. When the tongue piece 4b is pushed into the lower surface side of the flange 4, both side edges of the tongue piece 4b come into strong contact with both side portions of the label 10 slightly bent to the outside of the flange 4. Since the label 10 is bent slightly toward the outside of the flange 4 on both sides, the label 10 is pressed against the outer surface of the concave wall portion 3a without being bent at the pressing portion even when pressed by the tongue piece 4b. Moreover, since the tongue piece 4b reinforces the both side edge parts which become the pressing part of the label 10 with the slope 4d, the elastic force raised by the cooperation action of the recessed part 4c and the slope 4d is efficiently loaded on the label 10. be able to.

  On the other hand, the angle θ of the slit 4a can be set as appropriate within a range of 0 ° <θ ≦ 90 °, but the curvature of the label 10 when inserted into the slit 4a increases as the angle θ approaches 90 °. It becomes difficult to insert the label 10 into the slit 4a. Moreover, after inserting in the slit 4a, the appearance of the label 10 falls and it becomes difficult to see the information regarding the seedlings specified on the label 10. Conversely, the closer the angle θ is to 0 °, the smaller the curvature of the label 10 inserted into the slit 4 a and the shorter the length of the tongue 4 b, so that the pressing force of the tongue 4 b acts on the label 10. It becomes difficult. From such a viewpoint, the angle θ of the slit 4a is most preferably set within a range of 50 ° to 60 °.

  Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. In the above embodiment, the inclination angle of the flange 4 with respect to the side wall portion 3 is regulated. Although the concave wall portion 3a is provided as a reinforcing structure, for example, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the rib 3b ′ protrudes from the outer surface of the side wall portion 3, and the upper end of the rib 3b ′ is connected to the lower surface of the flange 4. Also, the inclination angle of the flange 4 can be regulated by forming it integrally. The rib 3 b ′ in FIG. 6 has a function as a rib for increasing the pressing force of the tongue piece 4 b against the label 10 in addition to the function of reinforcing the side wall portion 3 as in the above embodiment. In addition, the seedling cup 1 shown in FIG. 6 raises a side wall portion 3 whose upper end is opened in a substantially square shape from the peripheral edge of the circular bottom portion 2, and radially extends from at least one side of the upper end of the side wall portion 3 in a substantially square shape. The flange 4 is extended.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the recessed part 4c and the slope 4d are provided as a rib which raises the pressing force of the tongue piece 4b with respect to the label 10, the angle (theta) of the slit 4a is 50 degrees-60 degrees, without providing either or both of these. You may just set within the range. Thus, when not providing the recessed part 4c and / or the slope 4d, compared with the seedling cup of the said embodiment, although the lower end of the label 10 becomes easy to leave | separate from the outer surface of the recessed wall part 3a, the angle (theta) of the slit 4a is set to 50. If it is set within the range of 60 ° to 60 °, the pressing force of the tongue piece 4b enough to quickly return the lower end of the label 10 to the original position and bring it into contact with the concave wall portion 3a is obtained.

  Since the concave portion 4c suppresses bending of both end portions of the flange 4 on the side of the tongue piece 4b, a convex portion that is depressed on the lower surface side of the flange 4 and protrudes toward the upper surface side may be provided instead of the concave portion 4c. By forming both end portions of the flange 4 including the portion where the recess 4c is formed thicker than the center portion of the flange 4, substantially the same operation as that of the recess 4c of the above embodiment can be obtained.

  On the other hand, since the slope 4d functions as a rib for increasing the pressing force of the tongue piece 4b against the label 10, since it is a portion formed at the base end portion of the tongue piece 4b, as shown in FIG. The concave portion 4d ′ provided on both the inner and outer sides of the straight line L connecting both ends of the slit 4a, or although not shown, the pressing force of the tongue piece 4b can be formed as a convex portion or a thick portion instead of the concave portion 4d ′. Acts as a rib to raise. However, as shown in FIG. 7 (A), when the concave portion 4d ′ is provided only at the base end portion of the tongue piece 4b, or the convex portion or thick portion (not shown) is provided instead of the concave portion 4d ′, the tongue piece 4b The reinforcement function cannot be obtained. As shown in FIG. 7B, at least on both side edges of the tongue piece 4b, a recess 4d ′ extends from the tip of the tongue piece 4b to the vicinity of the outer edge of the flange 4 over a straight line L connecting both ends of the slit 4a. When the is provided, the reinforcing function of both side edge portions of the tongue piece 4b serving as the pressing portion of the label 10 is obtained. In addition, since the seedling pot 1 shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B is provided with the recess 4d 'instead of the slope 4d, the flange 4 is formed flat except for the recesses 4c and 4d'. For this reason, none of the seedling pots 1 shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B can obtain a guide function for guiding the lower end portion of the label 10 to the center portion of the slit 4a.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the seedling pot 1 having the bottom 2 having a substantially circular shape and the upper end contour having a substantially square shape has been described. However, the present invention provides a seedling pot having a bottom having a circular shape or a substantially square shape, or The present invention can be applied to seedling pots having various shapes such as a seedling pot having a circular upper end profile.

(A) The figure is a top view which shows one Embodiment of the seedling pot based on this invention, (B) A figure is the sectional view on the AA line of (A) figure, (C) A figure is the principal of (B) figure FIG. It is a principal part expanded longitudinal sectional view which shows the state which inserted the label in the slit. It is a principal part enlarged plan view which shows the state which inserted the label in the slit. It is a front view which shows the state which inserted the label in the slit. It is a front view which shows an example of the label applied to the seedling pot which concerns on this invention. (A) is a top view which shows the modification of the seedling pot based on this invention, (B) figure is the sectional view on the AA line of (A) figure. (A) A figure and (B) figure are principal part enlarged plan views which show the other modification of the seedling pot which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Raising cup 2 Bottom part 2a Arc part 2b Straight line part 3 Side wall part 3a Concave wall part 3b Rib 4 Flange 4a Slit 4b Tongue piece 4c Concave part 4d Slope 4d 'Concave part 10 Label 11 Label lower part 12 Label upper part 13 Label intermediate part 13 Intermediate part 14 Wedge part

Claims (6)

A flexible plastic seedling pot with a bottomed upper end opening that has a bottom and a side wall, and a hard thin plate label can be inserted and removed along the outer surface of the side wall on a flange extending outward from the edge of the upper end opening In what provided the slit to insert,
A seedling pot characterized in that a tongue piece is provided on the lower surface side of the flange to restrict the lower part of the label inserted into the slit from separating from the outer surface of the side wall.   The nursery pot according to claim 1, further comprising a reinforcing structure that regulates an inclination angle of the flange with respect to the side wall.   The slit has a folded line shape with both ends extending toward the outer edge of the flange at a desired angle with respect to the inner edge of the flange, and the tongue is formed by pushing the part surrounded by the slit downward. The nursery pot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.   The seedling pot according to claim 3, wherein a central portion of the slit is formed along an inner edge of the flange.   The seedling pot according to claim 3, wherein both ends of the slit are inclined at an angle of 50 to 60 degrees with respect to the inner edge of the flange.   The seedling pot according to claim 3, wherein a rib for increasing a pressing force of the tongue piece against the label is provided at a base end portion of the tongue piece and / or in the vicinity thereof.

Images