NZ299234A - Fibrous plant container liner blank with radial sides formed into curved liner by depressing base portion - Google Patents

Description

j N.Z. PATET 2 6 NOV 1997 RECEIVED Patents Form No. 5 OurRef: JP801360 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 Complete After Provisional No. 299234 Filed: 26 August 1996 N.Z. P*®® COMPLETE SPECIFICATION .IMPROVED LINER We, DEMETER PACIFIC LIMITED, a New Zealand company of 511 Wairakei Road, Bishopdale, Christchurch, New Zealand hereby declare the invention, for whfch We pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: PT0543562 The present invention relates to an improved liner and more particularly to a liner for a hanging basket or a pot, for plants.

It is known to fill hanging baskets and plant pots with earth or peat or coconut fibre or sphagnum moss or similar materials or mixtures of materials, for the purpose of providing a growing medium and a water retention medium for growing plants. However, manipulating the filling material to fill the basket or pot evenly is not always easy, and this is especially the case with an open work basket or pot where material is prone to fall through the open work sides or base of the basket or pot.

To overcome this problem, it is known to provide flat sheets of compressed material (typically compressed coconut fibre or compressed sphagnum moss). However, manipulating relatively stiff flat sheets of material to fill a curved container is not easy and frequently results in damage or wastage of the filler material. !t is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a liner which goes some way in overcoming at least some of the above described problems or which at least provides the public with a choice.

The present invention provides a plant container liner of compressed fibrous material in the form of a central, base portion having a plurality of side portions extending radially outwardly therefrom, such that when said base portion is depressed, said radially extending portions form into a curved wall surrounding said base portion.

Within this specification, the term "container" is intended to mean any pot, basket or other such container into which a plant can be placed.

Preferably said liner is made of compressed sphagnum moss, but other materials (for /fitef/ectua/ D example compressed coconut fibre) could be used. Office of "2" ,3jAN1998 /? F p p 11, _ Preferably a fold line is formed between each side portion and the corresponding periphery of said base portion, for easy folding of the liner.

Preferably, said liner is formed with four equidistantly spaced side portions, so that the liner before it is folded forms a generally cruciform shape.

Embodiments of the invention are now described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a liner is accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of a liner according to Figure 1 together with a circular liner. Cut lines are shown illustrating where the lines are cut to form a liner which fits into a half basket.

Figure 3 shows a half liner produced by cutting the liner shown in Figure 2 in half.

Figure 4 shows a half basket.

Referring to Figure 1, a liner 2 is made of compressed sphagnum moss and comprises a central square base 3 and four equidistantly spaced side portions 4. An indentation 5 extends along each outer edge of the base 3, to form a fold line between the base 3 and each side portion 4.

Each side portion 4 has a straight inner margin formed by the indentation 5, a curved outer edge 6 and straight side edges 7.

The cutout areas 8 between adjacent side portions 4 mean that the liner can be folded up into a hollow shape suitable for lining a hanging basket or a pot without surplus material distorting the shape. Depending upon the size of the pot, the side edges 7 of adjacent side portions 4 may abut or may overlap somewhat.

A liner may also be used to line a half basket. As shown in Figure 2, a liner of the same shape as in Figure 1 is cut as shown by the severed lines 9. This produces two "halv liners" 10, each having two side portions 4.

A circular piece of compressed material 12 is also cut in half along sever lines 9.

A half circle liner 14 is used to line the back 16 of a half basket 18 shown in Figure 4. The half liner 10 is used to line the front, rounded portion 20 of the half basket 18. Thus, using the two half liners shown in Figure 2, a half basket can be fully lined.

In use, once the liner has been positioned in the pot and folded up into shape, it is soaked in water to allow the sphagnum moss to swell and the remaining volume of the pot filled with earth or peat or other suitable filler material. Flowering plants or seeds are added in known manner. Due to the slits 7 in the sides of the liner, it is possible for plants to be trained through these slits if required, to decorate the sides of a hanging basket or pot.

The above described liner is manufactured by placing loose, dried sphagnum moss into a press die of the same shape as the completed liner and then pressing the moss under a pressure of approximately 50 tonnes to compact the moss into the required shape. The male portion of the die also inserts the fold lines 5, so that the whole forming operation is carried out in a single pass, and there is no wastage of moss.

The size of the liners used to line a "complete" hanging basket and a half basket 18 can vary according to the size of the basket. Basket liners in the sizes of 300 mm, 350 mm, 400 mm and 450 mm are particularly useful. Half baskets in the sizes of 350 mm, 400 mm and 450 mm are also particularly useful. However, it will be appreciated that any size of liner could be made.

It is to be understood that the scope of the invention is not limited to the described embodiments and therefore that numerous variations and modifications may be made to these embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as set out in the claims.

Claims (7)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 25 9 2. u> ^

1. A plant container liner of compressed fibrous material in the form of a central, base portion having a plurality of side portions extending radially outwardly therefrom, such that when said base portion is depressed, said radially extending portions form into a curved wall surrounding s< id base portion.

2. A iiner according to claim 1 wherein a fold line is formed between each side portion and the corresponding periphery of the base portion, for easy folding of the liner.

3. A liner according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the liner comprises four equidistantly spaced side portions such that the liner, before it is folded, forms a generally cruciform shape.

4. A liner of compressed fibrous material adapted to line a half basket comprising a liner according to any one of claims 1 -3 cut in half, to form a half liner, the half liner thus adapted to line the front half of a half basket, together with a semicircular liner, adapted to line the back wall of the half basket such that virtually the whole interior of the half basket is lined.

5. A liner according to any preceding claim which is made of sphagnum moss.

6. A liner according to any one of claims 1 to 4 made of compressed coconut fibre.

7. A liner substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1 or Figures 2 to 4. - 6 - gy, f\ 9 ;v>: A method of lining a basket or half basket using a plant ^onltainer liner as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7. DEMETER PACIFIC LIMITED By Its Attorneys BALDWIN SON and CAREY CSPEC43322 end of claims