JPH0984467A - Container for raising plant - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a container for raising a plant, equipped with a connecting means for bringing the top of an upper material into pressure contact with a lower material so as to provide the interior of a protecting case with a hermetically closed state and capable of readily opening and closing the protecting case, excellent in handleability and operating efficiency and useful for an insectivorous plant, etc. SOLUTION: This container for raising a plant is obtained by installing a protecting case A comprising a hollow upper material A1, having the opened top and formed of a material capable of viewing the interior therethrough and a lower material A2 for closing the lower opening in the upper material A1, providing a culture medium container C for setting a plant with a culture medium on the upper side of the lower material A2 and further a pedestal B for supporting the protecting case A. The upper material A1 and the pedestal B are provided with a connecting means D for placing the lower material A2 on the pedestal B, superposing the upper material A1 on the lower material A2 so as to close the interior thereof and connecting the upper material A1 to the pedestal B in the superposed state of the upper material A1 and the lower material A2 for bringing the lower end of the upper material A1 into pressure contact with the lower material A2 so as to provide a hermetically closed state of the interior of the protecting case A. Furthermore, the lower material A2 is preferably provided with air flow holes each having a filter.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plant growing container capable of protecting a plant such as a carnivorous plant in a sealed state and growing the plant while allowing the plant to be observed in the growing state.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As the plant growing container as described above, the inventor has devised the following. That is, the protective case for hermetically protecting the plant is composed of two members, an upper member and a lower member. The upper member is made of a transparent material so that the inside can be seen, while the lower member is provided with a medium container for containing a medium for growing plants. The upper member and the lower member are joined to each other in a state where the plant is planted in the medium container with the medium to seal the inside. The above-mentioned protective case is placed on a stand for supporting it and provided for viewing.

According to the plant growing container as described above, a plant can be grown for a long life by planting it in a nutrient medium. Moreover, in that case, since the inside of the protective case can be sealed to protect the plant, the plant can be grown for a long period of time. Furthermore, the plants inside can be seen through the transparent upper member during the growing.

[0004]

However, in the plant growing container having the above structure, when the upper member and the lower member are firmly joined to each other and the plant inside becomes large and it is desired to replant the upper member, the upper member can be replanted. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to separate the lower member from the lower member. On the other hand, if the upper member and the lower member are joined so that they can be separated from each other easily, there is a problem that the internal sealing is insufficient and the plant is spoiled during growing. Furthermore, since the protective case and the stand are separated from each other in the above-mentioned plant growing container, the protective case and the stand must be handled separately.
There is a problem in that it takes a lot of time and labor to handle a product, for example, when packaging a large number of plant growing containers for shipping.

The plant growing container of the present invention is provided to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. A first object is to provide a plant growing container capable of planting a plant in a nutrient medium and growing it for a long life. A second object is to provide a plant growing container capable of protecting plants in a sealed protective case and growing them for a long period of time. A third object is to provide a plant growing container that allows the user to enjoy the plant while growing the plant. The fourth purpose is to make it possible to easily open the protective case when it is desired to replant a plant. A fifth object is to make it possible to maintain a good hermetically sealed state when the protective case is closed, even if the protective case is easily opened as described above. A sixth object is to provide a plant growing container in which the protective case and the base are integrated so that the container can be easily handled. A seventh object is to allow the protection case and the base to be integrated at the same time with good workability by the work for sealing the protection case.
Another object of the present invention is to prevent dew condensation on the inner surface of the protective case so that the plants inside can be clearly observed. Other objects and advantages will be readily apparent from the drawings and the following description related thereto.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the plant-growing container according to the present invention comprises a protective case,
It consists of an upper member which is hollow at the bottom and is made of a transparent material inside, and a lower member for closing the lower opening of the upper member, and the plant above the lower member. In a plant growing container provided with a medium container for planting with a medium, and further provided with a stand for supporting the protective case, the upper member and the table, the above on the table When the lower member is placed and the upper member is superposed on the lower member so that the inside thereof is closed, the upper member and the base are connected to each other so that the inside of the protective case is sealed. A connecting means is provided for pressing the lower end of the member to the lower member.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The drawings showing the embodiments of the present invention will be described below. The plant growing container comprises a protective case A for protecting the plant and a base B for supporting the protective case A. The protective case A is designed to protect plants by sealing the inside 1. By sealing, it is possible to prevent invasion of germs from the outside into the interior 1 and keep the interior 1 in a sterile state, and to maintain the humidity of the interior 1. Protective case A consists of upper member A1 and lower member A2
It is composed of The upper member A1 is formed in a hollow shape whose lower part is open in order to maintain an internal space. For example, upper half 2
Is formed in a hemispherical shape, the lower half portion 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape continuous with the upper half portion 2, and the lower portion is opened. Upper member
The A1 is formed so that the inside of the plant can be seen through in order to see the plants in the interior 1, and the light for growing the plants enters the interior 1. For example, it is formed to be colorless and transparent. It may be colored and transparent. The material of the upper member A1 is a synthetic resin material such as polycarbonate, but it may be formed of other materials. The upper member A1 has a diameter of 144 mm and a height of 143 m, for example.
m, thickness is 2 mm. The lower end face 4 of the upper member A1 is provided with a narrow pressing piece 5 over the entire circumference in order to obtain sufficient sealing property by pressing the packing with a small pressing force. ing. Next, D is the upper member
Connecting means for pressing the lower end of the upper member A1 to the lower member A2 so that the inside of the protective case A is sealed by connecting A1 and the base B is shown. 6 and a connecting piece 28, which will be described later, provided on the base B will be exemplified. Of these, the connecting piece 6 is provided with a plurality, for example, four, on the outer peripheral surface of the lower end portion of the upper member A1, as shown in FIG. The length of each connecting piece 6 in the circumferential direction is about 30 ° with respect to the central angle of the upper member A1. In each connecting piece 6, 6a shown in FIG. 8 shows a slope provided on the upper surface at one end of the connecting piece 6 in order to facilitate the operation of engaging with the connecting piece 28 described later.

The lower member A2 is for closing the lower opening of the upper member A1 so that the inside is hermetically sealed, and has a disk shape having a size corresponding to the size of the opening of the upper member A1. There is.
The lower member A2 has a peripheral portion 9 slightly higher than the central portion 8 in order to reduce friction and elastically deform the peripheral portion 9 as described later. In the present example, the lower member A2 is made of, for example, transparent polycarbonate in order to integrally form a medium container C described below, but it may be opaque, and if it can seal the upper member A1 You may form with the material of. Reference numeral 10 denotes a fitting piece for guiding the rotation of the lower member A2 with respect to the base B, which is provided on the lower surface of the center of the lower member A2. Reference numeral 11 denotes a ventilation hole, which is used for ventilation to prevent the inner surface of the upper member A1 from being fogged due to dew condensation.
Reference numeral 12 is a filter for allowing the flow of air through the vent hole 11 and preventing invasion of various bacteria from there. Reference numeral 13 is a pressing piece provided over the entire circumference on the upper surface 9a of the peripheral portion of the peripheral portion 9 for the same purpose as the pressing piece 5.

Next, C is a medium container for containing a medium for growing plants, which is composed of a cylindrical peripheral wall 15 and a bottom wall 16 for closing the bottom. The peripheral wall 15 is transparent so that the tension of the roots of the plant can be observed, but it may be opaque. Further, the bottom wall 16 also serves as the lower member A2, but may be formed separately from it. In that case, although it may be fixed to the lower member A2, it may be placed on a predetermined place of the lower member A2. 17 is an extension cylinder, which is used when growing a plant that has a large rooting and requires a large amount of medium, and the lower end of the extension cylinder 17 is connected (for example, bonded) to the upper end of the peripheral wall 15. To use.

Reference numeral 20 denotes an annular packing used to easily seal the inside 1 of the protective case A, which is made of, for example, heat resistant and light resistant rubber. The color is white, for example. Reference numeral 21 denotes a main body portion of the packing, which has elasticity enough to seal between the lower end surface 4 of the upper member A1 and the peripheral upper surface 9a of the lower member A2. Reference numeral 22 is a positioning piece of the packing 20 with respect to the lower member A2, which is suspended around the lower member A2 to perform a positioning action.

Next, the base B is formed so as to have a good external appearance balance with the protective case A. For example, the outer diameter is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the protective case A (for example, 167 mm)
It is formed to have a low height (for example, 25 mm) so as to provide a sense of stability, and is formed to be opaque with a color (for example, light brown) to further increase the sense of stability. The base B is made of polycarbonate, for example, and is composed of an annular peripheral wall B1 and a bottom B2, and the inside is a recess 23 for allowing the lower part of the protective case A to enter. Reference numeral 24 denotes a receiving surface for receiving the lower member A2 of the protective case A, which is constituted by the upper surface of the bottom portion B2. The peripheral wall portion B1 is formed hollow in order to reduce the weight of the base B. Reference numeral 25 denotes an inner wall, 26 denotes an upper wall, and 27 denotes an outer wall. The lower end of the outer wall 27 serves as a grounding portion 27a in order to secure a large installation area for stable installation. The connecting pieces 28 in the connecting means D are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the inner wall 25 with a corresponding number, for example, four, as shown in FIG. Each connecting piece
The length of 28 in the circumferential direction is the same as that of the connecting piece 6, and a stopper 29 for receiving the connecting piece 6 is provided at the end thereof as shown in FIG. The lower surface 28a of the connecting piece 28 has an upper member A1.
By connecting the base B with the base B, the lower end of the upper member A1 is pressed against the lower member A2 so that the inside of the protective case A is hermetically sealed, so that the stopper 29 is formed on a slightly low slope.
When the upper member A1 is mounted, it can be slightly depressed below the base B. Reference numeral 30 is a through hole formed by penetrating a molding die for molding the connecting piece 28. Reference numeral 31 denotes a through hole for fitting the fitting piece 10, which is formed at the center of the bottom portion B2. 32 is stand B
It is a through hole for fitting a jig for stopping the rotation of the base B during the work of connecting the upper member A1 to.

In the plant growing container, the container manufacturer manufactures the upper member A1, the lower member A2, and the base B individually by, for example, injection molding means. The packing 20 is also manufactured individually.

Assembling of the above-mentioned container for planting a plant is performed as follows by a plant producer, for example. First, a nutrient medium for growing plants such as an agar medium is prepared, and the medium 34 is filled with the medium 34 in a predetermined amount. Next, the lower member A2 is inserted into the base B from above, the central portion 8 is mounted on the receiving surface 24 of the bottom B2, and the fitting piece 10 is fitted into the through hole 31. Next, as shown in the figure, the packing 20 is mounted so that the main body portion 21 rides on the upper surface 9a and the positioning piece 22 hangs down on the outer peripheral side of the peripheral portion 9. Next, the upper member A1 is attached. The mounting of the upper member A1 is as follows. Insert the lower end of the upper member A1 into the inside of the peripheral wall B1 of the base B, and seal the lower end of the upper member A1 with the packing.
It is mounted on the main body 21 of 20. Next, the upper member A1 is rotated with respect to the base B in the direction of arrow 36 in FIG. Then the connecting piece 6
Moves in the direction of arrow 37 in FIG.
Go under 28. The rotation in the direction of the arrow 36 is performed until the connecting piece 6 contacts the stopper 29. The operation of inserting the connecting piece 6 under the connecting piece 28 can be easily performed by using the slope 6a as a guide. Since the lower surface 28a of the connecting piece 28 is formed as an inclined surface as described above, the upper member A1 is sunk below the base B by inserting the connecting piece 6 under the connecting piece 28 as described above. , The pressing piece 5 is pressed against the packing 20. Further, at this time, since the packing 20 is pushed downward by the upper member A1, the pressing piece 13 is relatively moved to the packing 20.
Be pressed against. As a result, the inside 1 of the protective case A is in a sealed state. In addition, the above-described operation of mounting the upper member A1 is performed when the rotation stopper of the base B is fitted into the fitting hole 32 of the base B and the rotation stop of the base B is performed. It is preferable because it can be easily performed.

When the upper member A1 is attached by turning as described above, the upper surface 9a of the lower member A2 and the lower end surface 4 of the upper member A1 and the packing
If the friction between the main body 21 of 20 and the body 21 is large, slippage is unlikely to occur between them. However, the lower member A2 is rotatable around the through hole 31 with respect to the base B, and the lower member A2 is located between the lower surface 9b of the peripheral portion 9 having a large radius and the upper surface 24 of the bottom B2 of the base B. There is a gap G, and the friction against the rotation of the lower member A2 is small. Therefore, when the upper member A1 is rotated, the lower member A2
Upper surface 9a of the upper part, the lower end surface 4 of the upper member A1 and the main body 21 of the packing 20
If there is friction with the packing 20, the packing 20 and the lower member A2 rotate together with the upper member A1, and as a result, the turning operation of the upper member A1 can be easily performed with a relatively small force.

In the case of sealing the inside 1 of the protective case A,
Since there is a gap G between the lower surface 9b of the peripheral portion 9 of the lower member A2 and the upper surface 24 of the bottom portion B2 of the base B, the peripheral portion of the peripheral portion 9 of the lower member A2 due to the depression of the upper member A1. Packing
It is displaced downward via 20. As a result, the peripheral part 9
An elastic restoring force is generated due to the deformation, and the pushing piece 13 is pressed against the packing 20 by the elastic restoring force. This action has the effect that, for example, the main body portion 21 of the packing 20 has unevenness in thickness at various places in the circumferential direction, and the lower end surface 4 of the upper member A1 has unevenness in the downward movement of the pressing piece 5, Accordingly, the peripheral portion 9 is different in the amount of deformation as described above depending on the position within the entire circumference, and the pressing piece 13 and the pressing piece 5 are pressed against the packing 20 at any part of the entire circumference. Enable achievement. As a result, the inside 1 of the protective case A is reliably sealed.

After the inside 1 of the protective case A is sealed as described above, the inside 1 is sterilized. The means may be carried out, for example, by accommodating the entire plant growing container in a high temperature steam chamber. When the sterilization is completed, the medium 34 is planted with a plant 35 such as a carnivorous plant. The work is performed by removing the upper member A1 in the procedure opposite to the above, planting the plant 35 in the medium 34, reattaching the upper member A1 and sealing the inside of the protective case A. It is advisable to carry out, for example, in a sterile room so as to prevent miscellaneous bacteria from entering 1. When the planting is completed, the plant 35 is managed under an appropriate environment for a while until it becomes rooted, and when it is confirmed that it is rooted, it is shipped for sale. Handling of the plant growing container at that time is easy because the protective case A and the base B are integrated and can be handled as one whole.

The consumers who purchased the above-mentioned sold products are
The above-mentioned container is placed in a place with appropriate light and temperature, for example, on a table or a shelf near a window to grow the plant 35 inside. In this case, the plant 35 consumes oxygen and emits carbon dioxide by breathing. The plant 35 consumes carbon dioxide and emits oxygen by photosynthesis. Therefore, the protective case A can sufficiently grow the plant 35 even if the inside is sealed. Further, the plant 35 is planted in a nutrient medium 34, and the inside 1 of the protective case A is hermetically sealed so as not to dry, so that the plant 35 can be kept as it is without the need for watering. I can raise it. According to the experiment,
When Drosophila moss was grown in a hermetically sealed state in a plant growing container of the above size, it was able to grow smoothly for about 6 months. During the above-mentioned growing, the plant 35 inside thereof is viewed through the transparent upper member A1. In this case, the vent
The presence of 11 prevents dew condensation on the inner surface of the upper member A1 and keeps it in a clear state at all times, so that the plant 35 inside can always be observed in a clear state. Also the above vent
Even if 11 is provided, there is a filter 12 so that various bacteria do not enter, and the vent 11 is provided in the lower member A2 so that the filter 12 is out of reach. Therefore, it is possible to prevent an accident such as accidentally damaging the filter 12, prevent the invasion of various bacteria, and safely grow the plant 35.

When the plant 35 becomes large or the root 38 is filled in the medium container C and becomes rooted, it is necessary to open the upper member A1 and open the medium container C. Remove plants and old medium from
After that, plants are planted in a new medium by the same operation as described above. These operations may be carried out, for example, by bringing the above container to the plant producer and performing it there.

Next, a different example of the embodiment will be described. Protective case A by connecting the upper member A1 and the base B
The connecting means for press-contacting the lower end of the upper member A1 with the lower member A2 so that the inside is in a hermetically sealed state is formed by a pair of inner peripheral surface of the inner wall 25 of the base B and outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the upper member A1. The upper member is formed by forming a thread groove and screwing them together.
A1 may be connected to the base B and the lower end surface 4 of the upper member A1 may be crimped to the packing 20.
The means for pressing the lower end of the upper member A1 to the lower member A2 so that the inside of the protective case A is hermetically sealed is formed to have a slightly lower hardness so that the lower end of the upper member A1 fits on the upper surface of the lower member A2. However, the lower end of the upper member A1 may be directly brought into pressure contact with the lower member A2 without using the packing 20 to seal the inside of the protective case A.

[0020]

As described above, according to the invention of the present application, the plant is planted in the medium container C with the nutrient medium and the upper member A1 is covered and connected to the base B to protect the protective case A. The inside of the plant can be sealed to protect the plant, and the plant can be grown for a long period in the protected state. Moreover, the plants inside can be seen through the transparent upper member A1 during the growing. Moreover, when the above-mentioned plant becomes large and it is desired to replant it, the upper member A1 and the lower member A2 can be separated by releasing the connection between the upper member A1 and the base B,
The protective case A can be easily opened. Further, even if the protective case A is easily opened as described above, when it is closed, the lower member A2 is received by the base B, and the upper member A1 is superposed on the lower member A2, Since the upper member A1 and the base B are connected by the connecting means D, the joined state of the upper member A1 and the lower member A2 can be firmly maintained, and the sealed state inside the protective case can be well maintained. It is possible to ensure the growth of the above plants in a protected state. In addition, when the inside of the protective case A is closed as described above, the upper member A1 and the base B are connected and the protective case A and the base B are integrated, so that they are easily handled as one unit. Therefore, there is an effect that the work can be simplified when, for example, a large number of plant growing containers are packed for shipping. Moreover, even if the protective case A and the base B are integrated in such a manner, the work of integrating them is performed at the same time as the work for sealing the inside of the protective case A as described above. It has the effect of requiring less labor.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view.

FIG. 2 is a plan view.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view.

4A to 4D are enlarged views of portions 4A to 4D in FIG. 3, respectively.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which an upper member is removed.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of an upper member.

FIG. 7 is a front view of an upper member.

FIG. 8 is a view for explaining the connecting operation of the connecting means.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A Protective case A1 Upper member A2 Lower member B unit C Medium container D Connection means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A protective case, an upper member which is hollow at the lower side and which is made of a transparent material inside,
It is composed of a lower member for closing the lower open part of the upper member, and a medium container for planting a plant with a medium is provided on the upper side of the lower member, and further for supporting the protective case. In a plant growing container having a stand, the lower member is placed on the stand on the upper member and the stand, and the upper member is polymerized with respect to the lower member so that the inside thereof is closed. In this state, by connecting the upper member and the base, a plant growing is provided with a connecting means for pressing the lower end of the upper member to the lower member so that the protective case is sealed. container. 2. The plant growing container according to claim 1, wherein the lower member is provided with a vent hole and a filter is provided in the vent hole to prevent invasion of various bacteria.