WO1993019583A1 - Propagation cell with means for mechanized handling - Google Patents
Propagation cell with means for mechanized handling Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO1993019583A1 WO1993019583A1 PCT/SE1993/000264 SE9300264W WO9319583A1 WO 1993019583 A1 WO1993019583 A1 WO 1993019583A1 SE 9300264 W SE9300264 W SE 9300264W WO 9319583 A1 WO9319583 A1 WO 9319583A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- vessel
- cultivation
- chain
- cultivation vessel
- ring
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
- A01G9/00—Cultivation in receptacles, forcing-frames or greenhouses; Edging for beds, lawn or the like
- A01G9/02—Receptacles, e.g. flower-pots or boxes; Glasses for cultivating flowers
- A01G9/029—Receptacles for seedlings
- A01G9/0295—Units comprising two or more connected receptacles
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a cultivation vessel for seed sowing and nursing of plants of the rooted-planting material type, which, due to its design permits an extensive automation at the manipulation thereof.
- the cultivation vessels are usually placed packed tightly together in boxes or cassettes, implying different growing conditions for the plants in the sense that a more humid environment is found in the center of the cassette than at its sides, whereby an uneven cultivation result will be obtained.
- Wishes for cultivation in movable systems have been difficult to meet with respect both to the presently known devices and to the costs.
- US-A-4763443 describes, for instance, a device for cultivation of seed-sown plants, in which a number of cultivation vessels are placed in a row in a holder.
- the holder is pivotably linked at its respective ends to its adjacent holder, and in this way a number of holders may be linked to form a pliable chain of the desired length.
- the object of the device of US-A-4763443 is to present a chain of cultivation vessels suitable to mechanical manipulation, which, in its double-folded situation, does not present any space between the cultivation vessels.
- the latter part of the object set forth is well attained by the device, while the useability of the chain in automation is limited by the rigid holders, which do not permit continuous bending of the chain to any desired radius or arcuate shape.
- the object of the present invention is to provide a cultivation vessel, the design of which will facilitate the introduction of automatics in all existing operations when cultivating plants of the rooted-material type, such as seed production, nursing, transplanting, transportation and planting.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a culti ⁇ vation vessel, the design of which facilitates the development of dynamic cultivating methods and which provide similar biological conditions to all plants.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a culti ⁇ vation vessel, the design of which prevents the generation of undesired root development phenomena, such as root twisting, and which permits open-air pruning of rootlets.
- each individual cultivation vessel is provided with integrated means of articulation for a pivotable joumalling and for reception of the adjacent cultiva ⁇ tion vessel.
- the respective cultivation vessel possesses a pivotability of 180° in the horizontal plane with respect to the receiving cultivation vessel, and is provided with wing-like means for cooperation with drive units and guide rails as well as for supporting engagement with the corresponding means of the adjacent cultivation vessel, when a chain of interconnected vessels is folded to form adjacent, parallel rows.
- the means of articulation of the cultivation vessel are provided with a resilient junction portion, whereby the vessel is given a certain flexibility also in the vertical plane.
- the resiliency is obtained through a suitable dimensioning of the means of articulation, which is manufactured in a synthetic material, such as nylon or polyethylene.
- the cultivation vessel is further designed with openings in the form of slits in its surface for open-air pruning of rootlets and with ribs on the inside of the cultivation vessel to prevent the generation of root twisting, as well as with a conical opening portion permitting mechanical expulsion of the root lump while preventing rootlets from growing cross-wise.
- Fig 1 shows a perspective view of the cultivation vessel
- Fig 2 shows a plan view from above of the cultivation vessel of fig. 1,
- Fig 3 shows a side-elevation view of the cultivation vessel of fig. 1,
- Fig 4 shows a perspective view of a plurality of cultivation vessels interconnected to a chain
- Fig 5 diagrammatic plan view from above of the chain of fig. 4 in a double-folded situation
- Fig 6 is a partly sectional side-elevation view of the cultivation vessel.
- Fig 6a is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of fig. 6.
- the cultivation vessel 1 shown in fig. 1 essentially comprises a vessel 2, an articulated portion 3 and a link portion 4.
- the design of the vessel 2 may be varied according to existing requirements, and is, in the design shown, provided with means such as slits 5 and ribs 6 to enhance the root development possibilities of the plant.
- the vessel 2, which is entirely or partly moulded from a resilient material, prefera ⁇ bly nylon or polyethylene, is provided with a plurality of stop lugs 7, preferably two diametrically opposed stop lugs 7, only one of which is seen in fig. 1, as well as an open bottom 15 having a uniting, conical opening portion 15' .
- the vessel 2 is prepared through its open bottom for automatic manipulation at the expulsion of the root lump in connection with planting.
- the articulated portion 3 comprises a vertical, cylindrical portion 8, the top end of which is designed as a flange 9, see also fig. 2 and 3.
- the flange 9 projects past the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 8 and is provided with two symmetri ⁇ cally attached, wing-like means 10, the function of which will be described below.
- the flange 9 is further provided with a connecting portion 11 attached between the wing-like means 10, which portion is connected at the underside of its external end 12 to the top side of an edge portion of the link portion 4.
- the external end 12 is arcuate having a radius, which corresponds with the external radius of the flange 9 and which is positioned at a distance from the center of the link portion 4, which distance corresponds to said radius.
- the link portion 4 consists of a vertical cylindrical portion or a ring 13, the height of which corresponds to the height of the cylindrical portion 8, and which is positioned at the same level as this.
- the ring 13 has an internal diameter which corresponds to the external diameter of the cylindrical portion 8.
- the ring 13 is provided with two symmetri ⁇ cally attached, wing-like means 14, the top sides of which are arranged in the vertical plane at the same level as the underside of the means 10.
- the means 10 and 14 thus extend pair-wise horizontally in diametrically opposed directions, perpendicularly to an imaginary line of symmetry through the centers of the cylindrical portion 8 and of the ring 13.
- the cultivation vessel 1 will be permitted a pivoting movement of 90° in the horizontal plane towards each side of the longitudinal axis of the chain, or 180° from the position, in which the one means 10 of the articulated portion is in close contact with the connecting portion 11 of the adjacent articulated portion, to the position, in which the other means 10 of the articulated portion is in close contact with said connecting portion.
- the chain 20 Due to the fact that the connection between the articulated portion 3 and the link portion 4 of the cultiva ⁇ tion vessel 1 is resilient, the chain 20 is also given a flexibility in the vertical plane.
- the resiliency is in that case obtained through a suitable choice of material for the cultiva ⁇ tion vessel 1 and through dimensioning of the transitional portion between the ring 13 and the connecting portion 11.
- the cultivation vessel 1 or, at least, the connecting portion and the ring 13 are preferably manufactured by injection moulding, for instance, in nylon or in polyethylene.
- Fig. 5 shows diagrammatically a chain 20 composed by 5 culti ⁇ vation vessels A-E. It is obvious from the drawing, that the cultivation vessel C has been turned 90° in counterclockwise direction in relation to cultivation vessel B and that the cultivation vessel D has been turned 90° in counterclockwise direction in relation to cultivation vessel C. Thus, the cultivation vessels D and E take a diametrically opposed direction in relation to the cultivation vessels A-B.
- a chain 20 may be folded to the pattern of a rectangular matrix and, for instance, housed in a culti ⁇ vating cassette, placed in a transportation case or freely put on a green-house table.
- Fig. 5 also shows the way the means 10 and 14 cooperate in the double-folded position of the chain to give a horizontal stability to the matrix of cultivation vessels.
- the link portion 13 of the cultivation vessel A rests by its means or the support lug 14 on the underside of the means or the support lug 10' on the articulated portion 8 of the cultivation vessel E and the link portion 13* of the cultivation vessel D rests by its means or the support lug 14' on the underside of the means or the support lug 10 on the articulated portion 8' of the cultivation vessel B.
- the wing-like means 10 and 14 of the cultivation vessel 1 dispose, in addition to functioning as support lugs in the folded position of the chain, as described above, further functions assisting at the introduction of automatics in the manipulation of the cultivation vessel 1.
- the means 10 and/or 14 are thus utilized in part as guiding means in cooperation with guide rails (not shown) and in part as drive teeth in cooperation with polar and linear drive units (also not shown).
- Fig. 6 shows a side-elevation view of the cultivation vessel 1 with a portion cut away in order to illustrate the slits 5 and ribs 6, which, for instance, are alternatingly arranged and which are applied to enhance the root development possibilities of the plant.
- Fig. 6 also shows the shape of the conically ring-shaped portion 15" constituting a uniting portion of the otherwise open bottom 15 of the cultivation vessel, which portion is also shown in an enlarged cross-sectional view 6a.
- Fig. 6a shows that the ring 15' together with the inside of the vessel 2 defines an angle , the size of which depends on two factors: the angle is chosen to retain cultivation material packed in the cultivation vessel in the vessel, and to permit the rootlets of the plant to grow out of the bottom of the cultiva ⁇ tion vessel without crossing each other.
- the transition portion between the inner wall of the vessel and the ring 15* indicated by the arrow F of fig. 6a, must not dispose any edge or shoulder, which could possibly encourage a deflection of the root tips, whereby the root tip could turn around and grow upwards in the cultivation vessel.
- the angle ⁇ will be chosen to be as obtuse as possible.
Landscapes
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Environmental Sciences (AREA)
- Cultivation Receptacles Or Flower-Pots, Or Pots For Seedlings (AREA)
- Hydroponics (AREA)
Abstract
A cultivation vessel (1) for cultivating plants of the rooted-planting material type having means (10, 14) for automatic manipulation, which are used in part as guide lugs in cooperation with guide rails, in part as drive teeth in connection with polar and linear drive units. The cultivation vessel (1) is provided with an articulated portion (3) and a link portion (4) resiliently connected thereto, the corresponding exterior and interior diameters of which resp. permits the journalling of the articulated portion of the cultivation vessel in the link portion of an adjacent cultivation vessel to form a horizontally pliable and flexible chain. The vessel (2) of the cultivation vessel is provided with means like slits and ribs as well as an opening angle in its open bottom, which angle is adapted to enhance the root development possibilities of the plant.
Description
Propagation cell with means for mechanized handling
The present invention relates to a cultivation vessel for seed sowing and nursing of plants of the rooted-planting material type, which, due to its design permits an extensive automation at the manipulation thereof.
In connection with cultivation and manipulation of plants of the rooted-material type, i.e. plants having root systems surrounded by a lump consisting of a culture medium such as nutrified peat, and utilizing the methods and equipment available today, a great amount of time-consuming manual operations are still being performed in nurseries as well as in connection with transporta¬ tion and planting. Demands are high concerning the coherence of the root lump, and the cultivation vessels vary greatly, which means that it will be difficult to achieve a standardized automa¬ tion and that the automatics is developed in different directions precluding a compatibility of the systems.
In nurseries, the cultivation vessels are usually placed packed tightly together in boxes or cassettes, implying different growing conditions for the plants in the sense that a more humid environment is found in the center of the cassette than at its sides, whereby an uneven cultivation result will be obtained. Wishes for cultivation in movable systems have been difficult to meet with respect both to the presently known devices and to the costs.
US-A-4763443 describes, for instance, a device for cultivation of seed-sown plants, in which a number of cultivation vessels are placed in a row in a holder. The holder is pivotably linked at its respective ends to its adjacent holder, and in this way a number of holders may be linked to form a pliable chain of the desired length. The object of the device of US-A-4763443 is to present a chain of cultivation vessels suitable to mechanical manipulation, which, in its double-folded situation, does not
present any space between the cultivation vessels. The latter part of the object set forth is well attained by the device, while the useability of the chain in automation is limited by the rigid holders, which do not permit continuous bending of the chain to any desired radius or arcuate shape.
The object of the present invention is to provide a cultivation vessel, the design of which will facilitate the introduction of automatics in all existing operations when cultivating plants of the rooted-material type, such as seed production, nursing, transplanting, transportation and planting.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a culti¬ vation vessel, the design of which facilitates the development of dynamic cultivating methods and which provide similar biological conditions to all plants.
The objects mentioned above will be attained through a culti¬ vation vessel of the kind specified in the characteristic features of the appended patent claims 1 to 5.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a culti¬ vation vessel, the design of which prevents the generation of undesired root development phenomena, such as root twisting, and which permits open-air pruning of rootlets.
The object mentioned above will be attained by a cultivation vessel of the kind specified in the characteristic part of patent claim 6.
Briefly, the invention implies that each individual cultivation vessel is provided with integrated means of articulation for a pivotable joumalling and for reception of the adjacent cultiva¬ tion vessel. The respective cultivation vessel possesses a pivotability of 180° in the horizontal plane with respect to the receiving cultivation vessel, and is provided with wing-like means for cooperation with drive units and guide rails as well
as for supporting engagement with the corresponding means of the adjacent cultivation vessel, when a chain of interconnected vessels is folded to form adjacent, parallel rows. The means of articulation of the cultivation vessel are provided with a resilient junction portion, whereby the vessel is given a certain flexibility also in the vertical plane. The resiliency is obtained through a suitable dimensioning of the means of articulation, which is manufactured in a synthetic material, such as nylon or polyethylene. The cultivation vessel is further designed with openings in the form of slits in its surface for open-air pruning of rootlets and with ribs on the inside of the cultivation vessel to prevent the generation of root twisting, as well as with a conical opening portion permitting mechanical expulsion of the root lump while preventing rootlets from growing cross-wise.
The invention will now be described more in detail with reference to the appended drawings, in which
Fig 1 shows a perspective view of the cultivation vessel,
Fig 2 shows a plan view from above of the cultivation vessel of fig. 1,
Fig 3 shows a side-elevation view of the cultivation vessel of fig. 1,
Fig 4 shows a perspective view of a plurality of cultivation vessels interconnected to a chain,
Fig 5 diagrammatic plan view from above of the chain of fig. 4 in a double-folded situation,
Fig 6 is a partly sectional side-elevation view of the cultivation vessel, and
Fig 6a is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of fig. 6.
The cultivation vessel 1 shown in fig. 1 essentially comprises a vessel 2, an articulated portion 3 and a link portion 4. The design of the vessel 2 may be varied according to existing requirements, and is, in the design shown, provided with means such as slits 5 and ribs 6 to enhance the root development possibilities of the plant. On its outside, the vessel 2, which is entirely or partly moulded from a resilient material, prefera¬ bly nylon or polyethylene, is provided with a plurality of stop lugs 7, preferably two diametrically opposed stop lugs 7, only one of which is seen in fig. 1, as well as an open bottom 15 having a uniting, conical opening portion 15' . The vessel 2 is prepared through its open bottom for automatic manipulation at the expulsion of the root lump in connection with planting.
The articulated portion 3 comprises a vertical, cylindrical portion 8, the top end of which is designed as a flange 9, see also fig. 2 and 3. The flange 9 projects past the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 8 and is provided with two symmetri¬ cally attached, wing-like means 10, the function of which will be described below. The flange 9 is further provided with a connecting portion 11 attached between the wing-like means 10, which portion is connected at the underside of its external end 12 to the top side of an edge portion of the link portion 4. The external end 12 is arcuate having a radius, which corresponds with the external radius of the flange 9 and which is positioned at a distance from the center of the link portion 4, which distance corresponds to said radius.
The link portion 4 consists of a vertical cylindrical portion or a ring 13, the height of which corresponds to the height of the cylindrical portion 8, and which is positioned at the same level as this. The ring 13 has an internal diameter which corresponds to the external diameter of the cylindrical portion 8. At the top end of the ring 13 and in an area of its periphery facing the articulated portion 3, the ring 13 is provided with two symmetri¬ cally attached, wing-like means 14, the top sides of which are arranged in the vertical plane at the same level as the underside
of the means 10. As is best seen in fig. 2, the means 10 and 14 thus extend pair-wise horizontally in diametrically opposed directions, perpendicularly to an imaginary line of symmetry through the centers of the cylindrical portion 8 and of the ring 13.
Referring to fig. 4 and 5, it will now be explained the way a principally unlimited number of cultivation vessels 1 are interconnected to a chain 20, which is flexible both horizontally and vertically. The vessel 2 is inserted from above into the link 4 of the adjacent cultivation vessel, the stop lugs 7 being forced through the ring 13 and securing this from below in a position, in which the ring 13 surrounds the cylindrical portion 8 and its top end rests on the bottom edge of the flange 9. In this connected position, the cultivation vessel 1 will be permitted a pivoting movement of 90° in the horizontal plane towards each side of the longitudinal axis of the chain, or 180° from the position, in which the one means 10 of the articulated portion is in close contact with the connecting portion 11 of the adjacent articulated portion, to the position, in which the other means 10 of the articulated portion is in close contact with said connecting portion. Due to the fact that the connection between the articulated portion 3 and the link portion 4 of the cultiva¬ tion vessel 1 is resilient, the chain 20 is also given a flexibility in the vertical plane. The resiliency is in that case obtained through a suitable choice of material for the cultiva¬ tion vessel 1 and through dimensioning of the transitional portion between the ring 13 and the connecting portion 11. The cultivation vessel 1 or, at least, the connecting portion and the ring 13 are preferably manufactured by injection moulding, for instance, in nylon or in polyethylene.
Fig. 5 shows diagrammatically a chain 20 composed by 5 culti¬ vation vessels A-E. It is obvious from the drawing, that the cultivation vessel C has been turned 90° in counterclockwise direction in relation to cultivation vessel B and that the cultivation vessel D has been turned 90° in counterclockwise
direction in relation to cultivation vessel C. Thus, the cultivation vessels D and E take a diametrically opposed direction in relation to the cultivation vessels A-B. In the manner mentioned above, a chain 20 may be folded to the pattern of a rectangular matrix and, for instance, housed in a culti¬ vating cassette, placed in a transportation case or freely put on a green-house table.
It will be understood, even though this is not shown in the drawings, that the chain of cultivation vessels due to the pivotable joumalling of the respective vessels will dispose a flexibility to adapt to any desired arcuate shape and radius up to the maximal pivot position shown in fig. 5, in which the chain through maximally permitted rotation of two adjacent cultivation vessels has been folded to extend parallelly, in a direction opposed to the original one. Due to the flexibility of the chain, it is, for instance, possible to form this as a roll in stead of, as in fig. 5, folding it to a rectangular shape. This continuous flexibility is, of course, of great importance to the possibility of the chain 20 of cooperating with mechanical devices, such as castor wheels, cog wheels, linear and polar drive units for automatic manipulation of the plants, and it thereby offers a possibility of dynamic cultivation forms, in which the growth conditions of the individual plants are made equal.
Fig. 5 also shows the way the means 10 and 14 cooperate in the double-folded position of the chain to give a horizontal stability to the matrix of cultivation vessels. The link portion 13 of the cultivation vessel A rests by its means or the support lug 14 on the underside of the means or the support lug 10' on the articulated portion 8 of the cultivation vessel E and the link portion 13* of the cultivation vessel D rests by its means or the support lug 14' on the underside of the means or the support lug 10 on the articulated portion 8' of the cultivation vessel B. Fig. 5 further shows the way the support lugs 10' ' and 10' ' ' have been brought to the end position, in which they are in close contact with the connecting portion 11, 11' of the
cultivation vessel following behind, and the way the arcuate end surface 12 of the connecting portion is in close contact with the periphery of the flange 9 of the preceding cultivation vessel.
The wing-like means 10 and 14 of the cultivation vessel 1 dispose, in addition to functioning as support lugs in the folded position of the chain, as described above, further functions assisting at the introduction of automatics in the manipulation of the cultivation vessel 1. At the driving of the chain 20, the means 10 and/or 14 are thus utilized in part as guiding means in cooperation with guide rails (not shown) and in part as drive teeth in cooperation with polar and linear drive units (also not shown).
Fig. 6 shows a side-elevation view of the cultivation vessel 1 with a portion cut away in order to illustrate the slits 5 and ribs 6, which, for instance, are alternatingly arranged and which are applied to enhance the root development possibilities of the plant. Fig. 6 also shows the shape of the conically ring-shaped portion 15" constituting a uniting portion of the otherwise open bottom 15 of the cultivation vessel, which portion is also shown in an enlarged cross-sectional view 6a.
Fig. 6a shows that the ring 15' together with the inside of the vessel 2 defines an angle , the size of which depends on two factors: the angle is chosen to retain cultivation material packed in the cultivation vessel in the vessel, and to permit the rootlets of the plant to grow out of the bottom of the cultiva¬ tion vessel without crossing each other. These conditions imply that the optimal value of the angle o will vary depending on the cultivation substrate and the type of plant, thus making it impossible to state an exact quantification of the angle, but it will be understood that the angle preferably will be made as obtuse as possible while preventing the cultivation material from pouring out. In order to obtain a favorable development of the root system of the plant, it will also be important that the transition portion between the inner wall of the vessel and the
ring 15* , indicated by the arrow F of fig. 6a, must not dispose any edge or shoulder, which could possibly encourage a deflection of the root tips, whereby the root tip could turn around and grow upwards in the cultivation vessel. Also for this reason, the angle α will be chosen to be as obtuse as possible.
It is clear from the above-mentioned description of the culti¬ vation vessel 1, that it, having the structural design described, provides numerous possibilities of transitioning to automation in all stages of manipulation. Due to the integrated articulated means, which, preferably, are moulded in one piece together with the vessel 2, the assembly of the chain of cultivation vessels will be facilitated and the distance between the vessels in the longitudinal direction of the chain will be minimized. The flexibility of the chain will permit adaptation to the scale of cultivation, the type-variation, and will facilitate experiments and the developments of culture methods.
Claims
1. A cultivation vessel for manipulation of plants of the roo¬ ted-planting material type comprising means for pivotable interconnection of a plurality of said cultivation vessels to form a chain of desired length, characterized by the resp. cultivation vessel (1) being provided with integrated means of articulation (8, 11, 13) for pivotable joumalling of the adjacent cultivation vessel (1), whereby said plurality of inter¬ connected cultivation vessels (1) form a chain, which is flexible to form any desired arcuate shape or radius in the horizontal plane.
2. A cultivation vessel according to claim 1, characterized by said means of articulation (8, 11, 13) being in the form of a cylindrical portion (8), which is attached coaxially to said vessel at the top portion of said cultivation vessel (1), and to which portion, by a connecting portion (11), a ring (13) is resiliently connected, the internal diameter of which corresponds to the external diameter of said cylindrical portion (8) and the height of which in the same manner corresponds to the height of said cylindrical portion (8), said ring being disposed at the same level as said cylindrical portion (8).
3. A cultivation vessel according to claim 1 and 2, charac¬ terized by
- means (7, 9) for securing said ring (13) vertically to said cylindrical portion (8) journalled therein in the form of a flange (9), which is attached at the top end of said cylin¬ drical portion (8), and the external periphery of which extends on the outside of the external periphery of said cylindrical portion (8), and lugs (7), which are attached to said vessel (2),
- said flange (9) disposing two means (10), which project in the horizontal plane and extend perpendicularly to the longi¬ tudinal axis of said chain (20) in reciprocally opposing direc¬ tions, with the intermediate connecting portion (11), which projects in the longitudinal direction of said chain,
- said ring (13) disposing two means (14) at its top end, which project in the horizontal plane and which extend perpen¬ dicularly in relation to the longitudinal axis of said chain (20) in reciprocally opposing directions, so that said means (10) and (14) extend horizontally as pairs in opposing directions, the underside of said means (10) being disposed in the same hori¬ zontal plane as the top side of said means (14),
- said connecting portion (11) disposing an arcuate edge portion (12), the radius of which corresponds to the external radius of said flange (9) and the center of which coincides with the center of said ring (13) and said connecting portion (11) is connected to an edge portion of the top side of said ring (13), which edge portion lies between said means (14), through a portion of its underside, which extends along the edge surface (12), whereby is achieved a resilient connection between said ring (13) and said cylindrical portion (8) through a suitable choice of material for said cultivation vessel (1) and dimension¬ ing of said connecting material.
4. A cultivation vessel according to claim 1 and 3, charac¬ terized by said cultivation vessels (1) taking part in said chain (20) being pivotable 180° in the horizontal plane, from a posi¬ tion in which the one of said means (10) of said cultivation vessel is in close contact with said connecting portion (11) of said adjacent cultivation vessel to a position in which the other of said means (10) of said cultivation vessel is in close contact with said connecting portion, whereby said chain (20), which is formed by cultivation vessels (1) is folded double, through a 90° rotation of two reciprocally adjacent cultivation vessels (11), and is directed in a second direction, which is opposed to the original one, said chain forming adjacent, parallel rows.
5. A cultivation vessel according to claim 1 and 4, charac¬ terized by
- said means (10) and (14) cooperating through supporting engagement in the double-folded position of said chain (20) to give said chain a horizontal stability, said means (14) of said
cultivation vessels (1) supporting said means (10) of a cultiva¬ tion vessel situated diagonally in the adjacent row from below, at the same time as said means (10) of said first cultivation vessel is supported from below by said means (14) of said diagonally situated cultivation vessel, and by
- said means (10, 14) partly constituting guide lugs in cooperation with guide rails, partly constituting drive teeth in cooperation with polar and linear drive units.
6. A cultivation vessel according to the preceding claims, characterized by said vessel (2) disposing for the enhancement of the root development possibilities of the plant
- in part slits (5) in the wall of said vessel,
- in part ribs (6) on the inside of said vessel,
- in part an open, tapering bottom (15) having a uniting portion (151), which makes an angle (α) with the interior wall of said vessel, which angle is sufficiently great to prevent the generation of crosswise growth of rootlets, and
- said portion (151 ) of which forms a transition (F) towards the interior wall of said vessel (2), which transition is free from shoulders or edges, whereby the deflection and the inwards/- upwards growth of the root tips are prevented inside said vessel.
AMENDED CLAIMS
[received by the International Bureau on 27 August 1993 (27.08.93); original claims 1-6 replaced by amended claims 1-5 (3 pages) ]
1. A cultivation vessel for manipulation of plants of the rooted-planting material type comprising integrated means for pivotable interconnection of a plurality of said cultivation vessels (1) to form a chain (20) of desired length, characterized by
- the cultivation vessel (1), at its top, comprising a cylindri¬ cal portion (8) including a peripherically protruding flange (9) in its upper end, and at least two lugs (7) attached to be flush with the bottom edge of the cylindrical portion (8), the flange (9) being connected, through a connecting portion (11), to the upper edge of a ring (13), the inside diameter of which corresponds to the outside diameter of the cylindrical portion (8), is of the same height and is disposed, in the vertical plane, at the same level as said cylindrical portion (8), whereby the ring (13), in the connected state, journals the cylindrical portion (8) of an adjacent cultivation vessel in such a manner, that the ring (13) is rotatably retained between the flange (9) and the lugs (7) of said adjacent cultivation vessel.
2. A cultivation vessel according to claim 1, characterized by
- said flange (9) comprising two wing-like means (10), projec¬ ting in the horizontal plane and extending, in reciprocally opposing directions, perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of said chain (20) of cultivation vessels, with the intermediately disposed connecting portion (11) projecting in the longitudinal direction of said chain (20), said ring (13) comprising, at its upper end, two wing-like means (14), projecting in the horizontal plane and extending, in reciprocally opposing directions, perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of said chain (20), so that said means (10,14) extend horizontally as pairs in opposing directions, the
underside of said means (10) being disposed in the same horizon¬ tal plane as the top side of said other means (14), - said connecting means (11) comprising an arcuate edge surface (12), the radius of which corresponds to the external radius of said flange (9) and the center of which coincides with the center of said ring (13), and said connecting portion (11) is connected, through a portion of its underside which extends along the edge surface (12), to an edge portion of the top side of said ring (13), which edge portion is disposed between said means (14), whereby is achieved a resilient connection between said ring (13) and said cultivation vessel (1) through an appropriate choice of material and dimensioning of said connecting material.
3. A cultivation vessel according to claim 1 and 3, charac¬ terized by said cultivation vessels (1) taking part in said chain (20) being pivotable 180° in the horizontal plane, from a posi¬ tion in which the one of said means (10) of said cultivation vessel is in close contact with said connecting portion (11) of said adjacent cultivation vessel to a position in which the other of said means (10) of said cultivation vessel is in close contact with said connecting portion, whereby said chain (20), which is formed by cultivation vessels (1) is folded double, through a 90° rotation of two reciprocally adjacent cultivation vessels (11), and is directed in a second direction, which is opposed to the original one, said chain forming adjacent, parallel rows.
4. A cultivation vessel according to claim 1 and 4, charac¬ terized by
- said means (10) and (14) cooperating through supporting engagement in the double-folded position of said chain (20) to give said chain a horizontal stability, said means (14) of said cultivation vessels (1) supporting said means (10) of a cultiva¬ tion vessel situated diagonally in the adjacent row from below, at the same time as said means (10) of said first cultivation vessel is supported from below by said means (14) of said diagonally situated cultivation vessel, and by
- said means (10, 14) partly constituting guide lugs in cooperation with guide rails, partly constituting drive teeth in cooperation with polar and linear drive units.
5. A cultivation vessel according to the preceding claims, characterized by said vessel (2) disposing for the enhancement of the root development possibilities of the plant
- in part slits (5) in the wall of said vessel,
- in part ribs (6) on the inside of said vessel,
- in part an open, tapering bottom (15) having a uniting portion (151), which makes an angle (α) with the interior wall of said vessel, which angle is sufficiently great to prevent the generation of crosswise growth of rootlets, and
- said portion (15' ) of which forms a transition (F) towards the interior wall of said vessel (2), which transition is free from shoulders or edges, whereby the deflection and the inwards/- upwards growth of the root tips are prevented inside said vessel.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| SE9201021A SE500198C2 (en) | 1992-04-01 | 1992-04-01 | Cultivation vessels having integrated means for rotatably interconnecting a number of culture vessels |
| SE9201021-4 | 1992-04-01 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| WO1993019583A1 true WO1993019583A1 (en) | 1993-10-14 |
Family
ID=20385818
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/SE1993/000264 WO1993019583A1 (en) | 1992-04-01 | 1993-03-29 | Propagation cell with means for mechanized handling |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU3912793A (en) |
| SE (1) | SE500198C2 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1993019583A1 (en) |
Cited By (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0758524A1 (en) * | 1995-08-11 | 1997-02-19 | Chong-Loung Houng | Seedling tray and seedling transplanting machine |
| US6266921B1 (en) * | 1998-07-31 | 2001-07-31 | Lannen Tehtaat Oyj | Cell and cell tray for growing seedlings |
| NL1014343C2 (en) * | 2000-02-10 | 2001-08-13 | Flexivorm Beheer B V | Device and method for forcing flower bulbs. |
| US6901699B2 (en) * | 2002-06-20 | 2005-06-07 | Gary Raymond Hartman | Seed-starter cell and tray for starting plants |
| NL2006531C2 (en) * | 2011-04-04 | 2012-10-08 | Vivi B V | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING PLANT MATERIAL. |
| US11477946B2 (en) * | 2018-01-23 | 2022-10-25 | International Plant Propagation Technology Ltd | Plant-growing tray |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2019172816A1 (en) * | 2018-03-09 | 2019-09-12 | Björkemar Construction & Consulting Bcc Ab | Plant cell support |
Citations (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0010824A1 (en) * | 1978-10-27 | 1980-05-14 | Geoffrey Allan Williames | Seed and plant propagation apparatus |
-
1992
- 1992-04-01 SE SE9201021A patent/SE500198C2/en unknown
-
1993
- 1993-03-29 AU AU39127/93A patent/AU3912793A/en not_active Abandoned
- 1993-03-29 WO PCT/SE1993/000264 patent/WO1993019583A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0010824A1 (en) * | 1978-10-27 | 1980-05-14 | Geoffrey Allan Williames | Seed and plant propagation apparatus |
Cited By (9)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0758524A1 (en) * | 1995-08-11 | 1997-02-19 | Chong-Loung Houng | Seedling tray and seedling transplanting machine |
| US6266921B1 (en) * | 1998-07-31 | 2001-07-31 | Lannen Tehtaat Oyj | Cell and cell tray for growing seedlings |
| AU763871B2 (en) * | 1998-07-31 | 2003-07-31 | Lannen Tehtaat Oy | Cell and cell tray for growing seedlings |
| NL1014343C2 (en) * | 2000-02-10 | 2001-08-13 | Flexivorm Beheer B V | Device and method for forcing flower bulbs. |
| WO2001058249A1 (en) * | 2000-02-10 | 2001-08-16 | Flexivorm Beheer B.V. | Device and method for forcing flower bulbs |
| US6901699B2 (en) * | 2002-06-20 | 2005-06-07 | Gary Raymond Hartman | Seed-starter cell and tray for starting plants |
| NL2006531C2 (en) * | 2011-04-04 | 2012-10-08 | Vivi B V | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING PLANT MATERIAL. |
| WO2012138217A1 (en) * | 2011-04-04 | 2012-10-11 | Vivi B.V. | System and method for processing of plant material |
| US11477946B2 (en) * | 2018-01-23 | 2022-10-25 | International Plant Propagation Technology Ltd | Plant-growing tray |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| SE9201021L (en) | 1993-10-02 |
| SE9201021D0 (en) | 1992-04-01 |
| AU3912793A (en) | 1993-11-08 |
| SE500198C2 (en) | 1994-05-09 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US4779378A (en) | Integrable, modular stackable multi-plant holder | |
| US5241784A (en) | Plant root container and method of air root pruning | |
| US3667159A (en) | Seedling flat | |
| US5315786A (en) | Planting tray | |
| US4622775A (en) | Hydroponic plant collars | |
| US4192096A (en) | Plant container for growing plants which are to be transplanted | |
| US5934018A (en) | Molded plant tray | |
| GB2069303A (en) | Seedling unit | |
| US3849932A (en) | Plant starting apparatus | |
| GB2074433A (en) | Seedling trays | |
| WO1993019583A1 (en) | Propagation cell with means for mechanized handling | |
| US4205485A (en) | Tray construction for growing plants | |
| US5507116A (en) | Air-pruning plant growing system | |
| JP4814463B2 (en) | Plant cultivation method and plant cultivation tool | |
| EP0195653B1 (en) | Pivotally linked rigid cell chains | |
| TW458763B (en) | Cultivating method and container used in the method | |
| KR200493718Y1 (en) | Flowerport of pipe type for cultivating a plant | |
| JP3627157B2 (en) | Nursery box | |
| JP3639343B2 (en) | Plant stock breeding equipment | |
| JP3021937U (en) | Seedling tube | |
| RU6969U1 (en) | DEVICE FOR GROWING SEEDLINGS | |
| JP3058864B2 (en) | Cultivation equipment | |
| CN1081436C (en) | Transplating box for cultivating pool | |
| JPH0423399Y2 (en) | ||
| JP2525551Y2 (en) | Flowerpots for flowering plants |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| AK | Designated states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AT AU BB BG BR CA CH CZ DE DK ES FI GB HU JP KP KR LK LU MG MN MW NL NO NZ PL PT RO RU SD SE SK UA US |
|
| AL | Designated countries for regional patents |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AT BE CH DE DK ES FR GB GR IE IT LU MC NL PT SE BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN ML MR NE SN TD TG |
|
| DFPE | Request for preliminary examination filed prior to expiration of 19th month from priority date (pct application filed before 20040101) | ||
| 121 | Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application | ||
| 122 | Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase | ||
| NENP | Non-entry into the national phase |
Ref country code: CA |