MXPA00011107A - Plant container assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an internal construction device for assembling a plant from a plurality of smaller plants, said device comprising a support pole (22) which extends in height direction of the construction, and a plurality of superimposed retainers (1, 11) applied around the support pole (22) and nested within each other, said retainers (1, 11) being provided for receivin g dirt and plants, whereby a retainer (1) underneath comprises a side wall (2) and a top face (3) and a subsequent retainer (11) comprises a side wall (12) and a bottom face (14) with a surface area, said top face (3) of the retainer (1) underneath having a larger surface area than the bottom face (14) of the subsequent retainer (11), so as to create between the side walls (2, 12) of both retainers a space for receiving plants, whereby the retainer is a casing (1, 11) comprising a side wall (2, 12), a top face and bottom (3, 4, 13, 14), said top and bottom face being substantially open, and means (27) for connecting said casing (1, 11) to the support pole (22).

Description

CONTAINER ASSEMBLY FOR PLANT DESCRIPTIVE MEMORY The present invention relates to an internal construction device for assembling a large plant from smaller plants as described in the preamble of the first claim. From US-A-3,293,798 a planter is known in sections of vertical levels, comprising a base in the form of a circular flat tray placed in a corresponding recess in the ground. A circular bottom section in the form of a tray is nested within the base and rests within its lower wall on a horizontal grid secured to the side wall of the base section. An upright pole, elongated vertically, is fixed inside the base. Inside the base, a bottom section in the form of a tray is nested. The bottom section contains a bottom wall with an opening that accommodates the post and secured to the side wall of the post. A plurality of tray-shaped sections, similar to the bottom section are similarly secured around the post. The lower part of the side wall of each of the sections is perforated to allow moisture to escape in a controlled manner through the perforations of the side wall and to fall on the peripheral portions of the bed there below. The lower part of each section is filled with a porous material on which soil is applied. The dimensions of the sections are chosen so that the side walls of the subsequent sections are spaced radially, so that between the upper edge of the lower section and the side wall of the subsequent section a bed is created to receive stems . The vertical level section planter disclosed in US-A-3,293,798 is designed as described above to provide maximum access to the beds, while at the same time allowing maximum exposure of the stems to sunlight and rain and occupies a minimum of land area. The object of the present invention is to provide a new, completely different device, with which a fully grown plant or tree or shrub or the like can be assembled from small plants in a simple manner, and in particular within a period of relatively short time. This is achieved according to the invention with the measures described in the part of the characteristics of the first claim. The plant construction device of this invention is a device comprising a plurality of boxes that are applied one on top of another, and nested one inside the other in the height direction of the device. Each box comprises a side wall for enclosing a central storage space for receiving earth, and an upper face and a bottom which are substantially open. The bottom of a subsequent box has a smaller surface area than the upper face of the underlying box, so as to create space on the upper face of the latter, between the side walls of both boxes, to receive plants. It has now been discovered that the device of this invention is particularly suitable for constructing a fully grown plant or shrub or tree-like plant of any desired shape, from a plurality of smaller stems or tree plants, whereby after a relatively short period of time the device as such is no longer visible from the outside. The device of this invention can be described as a construction device in which a plurality of smaller plants can be assembled or housed to form a tree or a plant-type shrub or a large plant or the like. Therefore the device of this invention is in fact a structure for contacting the earth, from whose structure the plants can be extended in all directions as to form a bush or tree, whereby the structure is no longer visible from the outside . Therefore the land of a specific level is not accessible only to the roots of the plants housed in the same, but also to the roots of plants located at higher levels. The structure of the supposedly fully grown plant obtainable with the device of this invention can be compared to the interior of a fully grown tree, which is composed of a plurality of branched internal branches, which often do not carry any leaves and which form a structure for the outer branches, which carry leaves. The structure of the present invention is provided to be hidden by the plants housed therein. Neither the structure as such, nor the result obtainable with said structure can be derived from the state of the art, either directly or indirectly. It has been surprisingly discovered that with the device of this invention, the plants that are planted therein can grow to a larger size and obtain a longer life time compared to conventional planters, where the maximum size and Plant life time is limited. This is surprising because shrub and tree plants often only show good growth and a long lifespan when they are planted in full soil. An analysis of the problem has revealed that this is almost certainly due to the fact that in the device of this invention, the roots of the plants can have a much larger volume of growth medium, which seems to approach the conditions provided by the land of a garden or similar. This result can not be obtained with a conventional planter. That is, due to the presence of a closed bottom in the conventional planter, the space that can be occupied by the roots is limited, limiting therefore the growth of the plant. In the device of this invention, on the other hand, the central storage volumes of subsequent boxes, and therefore of soil contained therein, are connected to each other and transferred from one to the other in a non-bound manner. The central storage spaces of subsequent boxes appear to form a large volume of growth for the roots. As a consequence, the roots and therefore the plants, are allowed to grow to a much greater extent, from the box in which the plant is lodged, to the interior of the lower boxes. It has been surprisingly discovered that the increased root space has a positive effect on the life time of the plant. The observation that in the device of this invention the plants can obtain longer life times in comparison to plants housed in conventional planters, it must be attributed to the fact that the roots can have a larger volume of soil, improving by therefore the food from which the plant can dispose. In addition, because each plant has access to a larger volume of soil, a more even distribution of moisture, nutrients and fertilizers can be achieved, supplied from the outside to the device, thus promoting plant nutrition. The soil contained in subsequent boxes in fact forms a single medium of growth, large, in which the roots of the plants have a great degree of freedom to grow and develop by themselves, which has a positive influence on the growth and time of life of the plants. In the device of this invention, each box is connected to a support post, so as to provide a sturdy construction, the size of which can be varied within wide scales, varying the size or shape of one or more of the boxes or the number of boxes in the device, without therefore involving the risk of the construction falling easily with an accidental thrust. That is, as the size of the individual boxes and the number of overlapping boxes increases, the weight of the device increases, and the center of gravity "deviates to the top of the device. Because the individual boxes are connected to the support post through its side wall, the bottom wall of the box can be left out without adversely affecting therefore the stability of the device. According to a first preferred embodiment of this invention, the device comprises a lower box, which is provided to be placed on a bottom plate. Therefore, the bottom plate comprises means for allowing the device to move. In this way it is possible to provide a device that can be moved from one location to another as a unit, without having therefore to disassemble the individual boxes, and without thereby adversely affecting the life time and growth of the boxes. plants. According to a third preferred embodiment of this invention, means are preferably provided to removably connect the box to the support post. This allows the boxes to be marketed as such and to adhere the boxes to the support post when the device is assembled. The removable assembly also makes it possible to disassemble the boxes of the support post, in case, for example, that it is desired to disassemble the device and move the boxes in an individual way. The means for removably connecting the box to the support post preferably comprises at least one support bar, the ends of which are provided to cooperate with holes on opposite sides of the side wall of the box, whereby the post of support comprises at least one hole for receiving said support bar. It is also possible to connect the ends of the support bar to the upper edge of the carrier, such as to hang the box to the support post. In document FR-A-2,733,117 there is described a culture tower comprising a plurality of boxes that follow one another in the height direction of the tower and are mounted on a rigid support. The rigid support consists of three rectilinear posts that extend vertically, distributed in a regular manner along the wall of the structure. Each post consists of the same number of profiles that couple with each other in the height direction of the structure, whereby each profile comprises a lateral retainer, to receive a culture structure and maintain subsequent culture structures at a desired distance a of other. The culture tower described in FR-A-2,733,117 is designed to allow a large number of small legumes, small plants, and aromatics to grow on a small area of land. In US-A-5,438,797 a vertical planter is described, with a plurality of planters spaced, in rows, centered around a segment pole. Each pot has a bottom wall in which a large central hole is provided in order to allow water to drain from a pot to the pot below. The pots are supported in two ways. A first support medium is formed by the soil in the pot. As a second support means, each pot rests with its bottom on a bar that extends through the segment pole. The pots have a large central hole in order to allow water to drain from a pot to the pot below. The planter with vertical rows described in US-A-5,438,797 attempts to increase the planting area, without thereby increasing the floor space occupied by it. It allows multiple crops, legumes, flowers, strawberries and even potatoes to be grown. US-A-5,438,797 does not describe or teach the technical characteristics with which plants can achieve longer life times and grow to larger sizes. Rather, the life time of the plants, as well as the dimensions of the vertical planter of US-A-5,438,797 are limited. FR-A-2, 545,313 relates to a device for the intensive cultivation of plant plants. In it, a device with the shape of a pyramid is used. The walls of the vertical floors of the pyramid are formed by laterally inclined plates. The inclination is provided to form a physical obstacle with a tendency to a guiding effect to the development of the roots towards the central zone of the pyramid.

The possibilities of application offered by the devices known in the art are limited and limited to provide a planter with which (1) the planting area can be increased, without thereby increasing the area of land occupied by the planter, ( 2) horticulture can be facilitated because the planters are located at a distance from the floor, and (3) different types of plants can be grown in a small area. There is no teaching in the state of the art to conceive or design a planter as a structure for land that surrounds to house plants, in which the structure is provided to be hidden by the plants and to be almost invisible from the outside. Nor is there any teaching in the state of the art to use this structure to build shrubs or trees, the growth of which would otherwise take years. Nor is there any teaching to use this structure to build shrubs or trees from small plants which would not otherwise grow into a tree, such as vines, roses, etc. As explained above, the inventor attributes this discovery to the fact that conventional planters comprise a bottom wall. The person skilled in the art is supposedly of the opinion that the presence of a bottom wall is necessary to prevent the earth contained in the planter from collapsing too much. The inventor has discovered that any collapse that may occur does not adversely influence the construction for the plant and can be filled by supplying additional land or any other means for cultivation. Also in the vertical level planters known from the technique is necessary the presence of a bottom wall to provide sufficient stability to the planter. Because in the device of this invention the boxes hang from a support post, which in turn can be secured in the ground or in a support bottom plate, sufficient stability can be provided without needing the presence of a bottom wall in each box. The construction device of this invention for assembling fully grown plants solves the problem of many gardeners, who wish to have in their garden one or more large trees, shrubs or impressive plants, as an element of ornament or separation for their garden. Principally, young, comparatively small plants are brought and planted, which can subsequently be grown in fully grown plants, because fully grown plants are rather expensive to buy. In addition to this, when transplanting a fully grown plant, there is a risk that the plant can not adapt to the new conditions and die. In the case where a bottom plate is provided, the device of the present invention can be moved without touching the roots of the plants, so that the risk that the plants would die when the device is moved, because the roots can not be adapted to the new land or farming environment, can be minimized. Furthermore, the device of this invention allows plants, which otherwise require a particular type of soil or growing medium, to grow on a soil that would otherwise be incompatible with the plant. In addition to this, the culture medium with which the boxes are provided, and the moisture and nutrient conditions in a particular box can be adapted to the nature of the plants contained therein. Depending on the type of plant, it can nevertheless take from a few to many years before the small plant develops into a large, fully grown plant. With the construction device of this invention, a fully grown plant can be assembled from a plurality of smaller plants. This may be of particular importance, for example to create a large buxácea plant of the desired shape. The invention is further illustrated in the attached drawings and in the description of the drawings. Figure 1a and 1b show a view of a box of the plant construction device of this invention, hung to the support post. Figure 2 shows the construction device for plant of this invention in cross section. Figure 3 is a view to a plant construction device of this invention in which all the boxes have substantially similar dimensions. Figure 4 shows a construction device for plant in which the dimensions of the boxes decrease in the height direction of the device.

Figures 5 and 6 show a view of the internal construction device for plant, hidden by plants. The construction device for plants shown in Figure 2 comprises at least one box 1, 10 with a side wall 2, 12 enclosing a central storage space 8 for receiving soil or any other solid culture medium. The box 1 shown in figure 1a and 1b, comprises an upper face 3 and a bottom 4, said upper face 3 and bottom 4 are substantially open. Therefore, the top face 3 has a surface area that is approximately equal to or larger than the surface area of the bottom 4. In case the surface area of the top face 3 is larger than the surface area of the top surface 3. 4, the side wall 2 is inclined from the top face 3 to the bottom 4. The box 1 can have any desired shape. In a plant construction device, a plurality of boxes can be combined with sizes and shapes that vary widely, such as to obtain a structure of a desired shape. The upper side 3 and the bottom 4 can have the same or different shape. The upper side 3 and the bottom 4 may for example be oval, or have the shape of a circle, a square, or a rectangle, or any other desirable shape. The box 1 shown in figure 1 for example has the shape of an inverted truncated cone. The box 1 of this invention can be manufactured from various materials, generally known, for example metal, for example aluminum, zinc, plastic material, concrete, wood. The dimensions of the box 1, in particular the height of the wall 2 and the dimensions of the upper face 3 and the bottom 4 can be varied within broad scales, depending for example on the desired size of the final plant to be assembled and the nature and size of the plants that are used in it. The construction device for plant shown in Figure 2 comprises a first lower box 1, and a second upper box 10. The second box 10 can be partially nested in the central storage space 8 of the first box 1. However it is also possible, as shown in FIG. 2, for the bottom 14 of the upper case 10 and the upper face 3 of the lower case 1 to coincide. If so desired, the bottom 14 of the upper case 10 can be changed towards the central storage space of the lower case 1. Because the upper face 3 of the lower case and the bottom 14 of the upper case are substantially open , the central storage space 8 of the second upper case 10 can pass in the central storage space 8 of the first lower case 1 in a continuous manner. This allows the roots of plants present in the second box 10 to grow towards and within the first box 1, thereby allowing the roots to show extensive growth and provide the possibility of obtaining strong, healthy and larger plants with a increased life time Simultaneously, the nutrients that are supplied through the second box 10, can flow through the bottom 14 of the second upper box 10 towards the first box 1 that is down, so that in principle it is sufficient to supply the nutrients to through a box. As shown in Figure 3 and 4, a plurality of boxes 1, 10 can be combined as to obtain a construction device of the desired sizes. In the embodiments shown in Figures 3 and 4, respectively six and four boxes, therefore three and two assemblies are adjusted one above the other. Therefore, in the embodiments shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the walls 2, 12 of the boxes 1, 10 placed one on top of the other, run substantially parallel to one another. It is also possible that the walls of an upper box are more or less inclined than the walls of an underlying box, for example in the case that it is desired to create an assembly with a particular shape, or to have plants of different sizes in the successive boxes, and more or less space is required for them. The box 1 also preferably comprises means 27 for removably attaching the box to a support post 22. Those means 27 may comprise for example a bar 28 which is removably attachable to the side wall 2 of the box 1. In it can be used means generally known to the person skilled in the art. The support post 22 preferably comprises in the height direction thereof, a plurality of holes 29 for receiving the support rods 28 therethrough. The side wall 2, 12 preferably comprises on opposite sides, holes for receiving the support bar 28 therethrough. Each box 1 may comprise 1 or more partition walls 17, 18, which may or may not be connected to the support post 22. This allows to additionally increase the strength of the construction. The support post 22 can be placed centrally in the box 1, or in any other desired position. The position of the support post 22 will depend mainly on the size and shape of the final construction. The support post 22 can be fixed, for example axially or eccentrically. The partition walls 17, 18 can be permanently connected to the support post 22, or removibie, as to facilitate the transport and storage of boxes and construction. In it, the support post 22 and the partition wall 17, 18 are provided with means generally known to those skilled in the art, for example recesses and protuberances which cooperate and engage. The support post 22 is preferably hollow. The wall 26 of the support post 22 is preferably provided with perforations 11 in order to allow the boxes 1, 10 to be irrigated from the inside. The construction device of the invention may further comprise a bottom plate 23, with a hole for receiving the support post 22, so as to allow the device, including the plants, to move as a unit. The bottom plate 23 can be placed on the ground or on top of it. Preferably at the edges of the bottom plate 23, hooks 24 or equivalent means are provided to allow the device to rise. In addition, by the presence of the bottom plate 23, the device becomes suitable for placement over a wide variety of locations, such as for example concrete floors or streets or roof gardens. The construction device of this invention can be assembled by placing the bottom plate 23. A first box 1 is applied to the bottom plate 23 and hangs from the support post 22. The box is filled with earth, a second box 10 is placed on the first box 1, and hangs on the support post 22. The plants are then planted, along the upper edge 5 of the first box 1 and between the side wall of the upper box 10 and the underlying box 1 (cf. Figures 5 and 6). If desired in this way, additional boxes can be added. The plants are preferably applied in such a way as to fill the remaining space between the upper edge 5 of the first box and the wall 12 of the second box 10, and so as to substantially completely surround the side wall of the second box 10, so that after some time this wall 12 after some time will be hardly visible from the outside. In the same way, additional boxes can be added to build a structure of the desired shape and size. In this way, a structure can be constructed to obtain a tree or shrub of any desired shape and size. It is also possible, for example, to provide a structure to build a wall covered with plants, or a fence. In the plant construction device of this invention, material of selected young plants is progressively planted in a stepwise manner., and cut to obtain an imitation of a grown plant or to create a fully grown plant in a desired way. The device of this invention is particularly suitable for plants which are suitable to be cut and do not exhibit too large a shrub or tree growth, for example vines, small roses, buxaceae, taxaceae, juniper, cotton, lavender, viburnum etc. Therefore, low growth plants can grow to large, tall plant forms. It is also possible to first hang the desired number of boxes 1, 10 to the support post 22, one on top of the other, and then fill the boxes with growing medium, and then put the plants. The person skilled in the art will generally choose the procedure that offers the best prospects of success to obtain the desired result, among others depending on the nature of the plants that are to be put into the assembly. In the assembly of two boxes shown in Figure 2, the first and second boxes have substantially the same shape, and the size of the boxes adjusted one above the other decreases transversely with the height being increased. This makes it possible to imitate a plant from which the size decreases as a function of height, hence to mimic a conical plant.

As shown in Figure 4, it is possible to adjust boxes that are substantially the same size on top of one another, if the upper side of the boxes is larger than the bottom. This allows, among others, to imitate a plant of which the size in the transverse direction remains constant, as a function of height. It is also possible to have the diameter or width of the plant that increases with the increase in height. This can be carried out by adjusting the boxes one on top of another, of which the diameter or width increases with the increasing height of the construction. Therefore, it should always be taken into account that the upper face of the lower case has a larger surface area than the bottom of the upper case, so that between the side walls of the upper case and the underlying case there remains an open space available to receive plants.

Claims (6)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - An internal construction device for assembling a plant from a plurality of smaller plants, the device comprises a support post (22) extending in the height direction of the device, a plurality of overlapping retainers (1, 11). ) applied around the support post (22) and nested one inside the other, the retainers (1, 11) have a central storage volume for receiving land and plants, and have an upper face (3, 13) substantially open, means of support (27) for each retainer (1, 11), in which device an underlying retainer (1) comprises a side wall (2) and an upper face (3) with a surface area, and a subsequent retainer (11) comprising a side wall (12) and a bottom face (14) with a surface area, the surface area of the top face (3) of the underlying retainer (1) is larger than the surface area of the face of background (14) of the subsequent retainer (11) com or to create between the side walls (2, 12) of both retainers a space for receiving plants, characterized in that the retainer is a box (1, 11) with a side wall (2, 12) and an open bottom face (4). , 14), in which the means for supporting each retainer comprise connecting means (17, 18, 25, 27, 28, 29) for connecting the side wall (2, 12) of the box (1, 11) to the post of support (22) and in which the central storage volumes of subsequent boxes are connected to each other.

2. An internal construction device according to claim 1, further characterized in that the device comprises a bottom box (1) provided to be placed on a bottom plate (23).

3. An internal construction device according to claim 2, further characterized in that the bottom plate (23) comprises means (24) to allow the device to move.

4. An internal construction device according to any of claims 1-3, further characterized in that the connection means (17, 18, 25, 27, 28, 29) are removably connectable to the support post (22).

5. An internal construction device according to any of claims 1-4, further characterized in that the connection means comprise at least one support bar (28) extending through at least one hole (29) provided on the support post (22), the ends of the support bar (28) are connected to opposite sides of the side wall (2, 12) of the box.

6. An internal construction device according to any of claims 1-5, further characterized in that the retainer (1, 11) is suspended from the support post (22).