WO2000028805A1

WO2000028805A1 - Container for plants

Info

Publication number: WO2000028805A1
Application number: PCT/GB1999/003849
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christopher Partington Haley
Original assignee: Christopher Partington Haley
Priority date: 1998-11-18
Filing date: 1999-11-18
Publication date: 2000-05-25
Also published as: GB9825293D0; AU1171200A

Abstract

The invention provides a plant container including a body (10) having a body wall (12) within which is defined a space for containing growing medium, the container further including: an upwardly directed orifice (14) through which growing medium is passable into and out of the body; an opening (40) in the body wall of sufficient size to allow the insertion of a plant root mass through the opening; a closure member (50) which is removably locatable in the opening, whereby on location of the closure member in the opening, an aperture (42) through the body wall remains, the aperture being of lesser size than the opening, the closure member shaped and dimensioned, relative to the opening, such that in use the closure member is retainable in place in the opening by a weight of growing medium; wherein, in use, the aperture is of sufficient size to allow the passage of a plant stem through it but of insufficient size to allow the passage of the plant root mass through it.

Description

Container for Plants

The present invention relates to a container for plants. Particularly, but not exclusively, it relates to a container for plants which is intended to be viewed from below.

There is a great demand for plant containers which can be positioned in such a place that they can be seen wholly or partly from below. A hanging basket is perhaps the most common example of such a container. Plant containers are also often mounted on walls or on supports such as lampposts.

Hitherto, two common types of such containers have been produced. A first type of container is formed as a simple tub in which soil is contained, the tub being provided with formations suitable for mounting it in the desired location. Plants are planted in the soil, and grow upwardly. Typically, varieties of plants are chosen which will trail over the side of and hang down from the container. The principal disadvantage of this type of container is that it does not present a particularly pleasing aspect when viewed from below since much of the container remains visible, at least until the plants have put on substantial growth.

To overcome this disadvantage, an alternative type of container is known which has an enclosure formed with a plurality of spaced bars. The most commonly-observed container of this type is a wall-mounted basket in the style of an animal feeding basket. A suitable liner material, typically moss, is laid on the bars, to support and contain growing medium (e.g. compost) within the enclosure. Plants growing in the soil can pass through the material to emerge between the bars. Although such baskets present a pleasing appearance, they are troublesome and time-consuming to plant (given that the material must be carefully arranged on the bars) , and the material also adds to the cost of a planted basket, and must typically be replaced each time the container is replanted.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide an improved plant container which overcomes or at least ameliorates the disadvantages of known containers.

From a first aspect, the invention provides a plant container including a body having a body wall within which is defined a space for containing growing medium, the body wall having an opening through it, and the container further including a closure member which can be removably located in the opening whereby an aperture through the wall remains, the aperture being of a lesser size than the opening.

With this arrangement, a root mass of a growing plant can be placed into the body through the opening. The closure member can then be positioned to retain it within the body, while the growing stems of the plant can emerge through the aperture. This avoids or reduces the need to have any sort of "liner" materials e.g. moss or natural/synthetic sheeting. Also the partially solid body of the container reduces the speed of drying out of the growing medium e.g. compost. Most preferably, the closure member is shaped and dimensioned, relative to the opening, such that it is retained in place within the opening by the weight of growing medium within the space. Preferably, when in place, the closure member fills the entire opening with the exception of the remaining aperture.

The aperture is most advantageously formed at the periphery of the opening, being defined between an edge of the opening and an edge of the closure member. In one preferred embodiment, the aperture formed is approximately circular, being formed by complementary semi-circular recesses in the edges of the closure member and the opening.

The body and the closure member can each be formed as respective one-piece injection mouldings of a suitable plastic material.

The space preferably has an upwardly-directed opening through which growing medium can be passed into and out of the body.

From a second aspect, the invention provides a method of planting in a container in which a root mass of a plant is inserted into a space within a body of the container through an opening in a wall of the body, and closure member is then positioned at the opening to partially close the opening, there remaining an aperture through the body wall through which stems of the plant can grow but through which the root mass of the plant cannot pass. Typically, the space is first partially filled with growing medium prior to insertion of any plants. Moreover, further growing medium is typically placed into the space after the plants have been inserted.

Preferably, growing medium is placed into the space through an upwardly-directed opening. In such embodiments, further plants may be planted in the growing medium to grow upwardly from it.

In many cases, the growing medium is compost.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a body of a plant container embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a view of the body of Figure 1 from below; Figure 3 shows in detail a section through an opening of the body of Figures 1 and 2; and

Figure 4 shows a closure plate of a plant container for use with the body of Figure 1.

With reference first to Figures 1 and 2, a plant container embodying the invention comprises a body 10 formed as a one-piece injection-moulding.

The body 10 is bowl-shaped, having a very approximately hemispherical wall 12 within which is defined a compost containing space. When the body is in an orientation for normal use (as shown in Figure 1 and as described herein) it has an upwardly-directed circular opening 14. Surrounding the opening 14, the body has an outwardly extending rim 16 which is shaped generally as an inverted ^ΛU' . A plurality of regularly-spaced radial webs 18 are formed within the rim 16, the purpose of these being to add strength and resist radial flexion of the rim 16.

Several slots 20 are formed through the rim 16. In use, the slots provide vertical apertures through the rim through which chains (or other suitable support means) can be secured. In this manner, the container can be suspended by e.g. the chains from a suitable supporting structure .

The body 10 includes a downwardly-projecting supporting foot 22. The foot 22 includes an outer wall 24 shaped as a short, vertically extending cylinder. Centrally of the foot, a short, closed ended cylindrical socket 26 projects upwardly. In use a plug may be inserted into the socket so that one end protrudes out of the socket. This plug in turn may be located on e.g. a rack for transport of the basket. In a broader sense any removable locatable means may be provided for supporting the basket during e.g. transport.

Between the socket 26 and the wall 24, extends a horizontal base 28 of the compost container. A plurality of ribs 30 project vertically upwardly from the base 28, extending radially form the socket 26 to the wall 24. In this embodiment, there are four ribs angularly spaced at 90° from one another. In order that the container can be readily supported on a flat surface, small supporting projections 32 are formed on the lower surface of the base 28. These projections are positioned to overlap angularly with the ribs 30, this being the most effective position for transferring the weight of compost within the container through the base.

Radially outwardly from the supporting foot 22, a plurality of small apertures 34 extend through the wall 12, these allowing water to drain from compost within the container. Several spaced, radially projecting ribs 36 project from the wall 12, and extend between the foot 22 and the rim 16 to enhance the strength of the body 10.

Openings 40 are formed through the wall 12. In this embodiment, twelve such openings are provided, spaced around the body in e.g. two horizontal planes. In other embodiments there may be as few as 3, 4, 5 or more or indeed as many as 15 or 20.

Each opening 40 is defined by top, side and bottom edges. The top and the side edges are substantially straight (within the context of their being on a hemispherical wall) to define an approximately rectangular upper portion of the opening. The bottom edge has, around its mid-point, a semicircular downwardly curved section 42. Thus, each opening 40 is shaped generally as a rectangle with a semicircular extension on its lower edge.

Each opening preferably has a maximum area of approximately 20 cm², more preferably 26cm² and possibly up to 30, 35, 40, 45 or 50 cm². The openings may have different areas to each other or may all be substantially the same. As is shown in Figure 3, below each curved section 42 a portion the wall 12 is deflected radially inwardly of the body at 44. At the curved section 42, the wall 12 extends radially outwardly of the body, at 46, to form a short, semi-cylindrical channel.

With reference now to Figure 4, the container further preferably includes a plurality of closure members 50, one being provided for each opening 40.

In this embodiment, each closure member 50 is formed as a generally-rectangular plate-like moulding of plastic material. The closure member 50 has an edge region 52 which is thinner that a central region 54 that it surrounds. The central region 54 is shaped to be a close fit within the opening 40, other than at the curved section 42. The closure member 50 as a whole is curved to correspond with the curvature of the body wall 12. The closure member 50 has a semicircular notch 56 in a lower edge.

Each closure member 50 may be solid (that is, without any apertures in it) or may have one or more apertures in it. For example it may be "latticed" i.e. consisting of a lattice of members within an outer frame to provide a plurality of openings. The purpose of this is to allow air to reach the plants more easily, which is particularly important for the lower plants in the basket which may not receive much air otherwise.

Each closure member 50 can be located at a respective one of the openings 40. The central region 54 of the closure members fits into the opening, while the edge region 52 abuts the body wall 12 around the opening, to retain the closure member 50 in place. The notch 56 is positioned adjacent to the curved section 42 of the opening 40 to form an approximately circular aperture through the body wall.

In order to produce a fully-planted container, the following procedure may be followed.

An amount of compost (to constitute growing medium) is placed within the compost containing space of the body 10. Typically, the compost is filled to a level approximately equal to that of the lowest extent of the openings .

A root mass of a plant is then passed through the opening and laid onto the compost, with stems of the plant lying in the curved section 42. A closure member 50 is then positioned in the opening 40 from within the body 10 through the upward opening 14, taking care that the plant stems are surrounded by the notch 56. The root mass is then covered with further compost to provided it with a suitable growing environment and to retain the closure member 50 in place.

The procedure of the last-preceding paragraph is then repeated for each opening 40. Finally, the compost is filled to a desired level, and further plants are optionally planted to grow upwardly through the upward opening 14.

In order to securely locate the container during planting, while being displayed for sale, during transport, or otherwise, a supporting structure may be provided which includes a secure and strong upwardly- directed spigot. The spigot is dimensioned to be a close fit within the socket 26. The container can be lowered onto the spigot, such that it enters the socket 26, thereby preventing the container from sliding. The structure may contain many such spigots, arranged to simultaneously support many containers.

It will be understood that the above-described embodiment can readily be adapted to provide a container other than a hanging basket. For example, a wall-mounted plant container, or one for mounting on a lamppost can be produced with no further inventive input being required.

Claims

1. A plant container including a body having a body wall within which is defined a space for containing growing medium, the body wall having an opening through it, and the container further including a closure member which is removably locatable in the opening, whereby in use, on location of the closure member in the first opening, an aperture through the body wall remains, the aperture being of a lesser size than the opening.

2. A plant container according to claim 1 wherein the opening in the body wall is of sufficient size to allow the insertion of a plant root mass through the opening; wherein, in use, the aperture is of sufficient size to allow the passage of a plant stem through it but of insufficient size to allow the passage of the plant root mass through it.

3. The plant container according to claim 2 wherein the closure member is shaped and dimensioned, relative to the opening, such that in use it is retainable in place within the opening by the weight of growing medium within the space.

4. The plant container according to claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the aperture is formable at a periphery of the opening, the aperture being defined between an edge of the opening and an edge of the closure member.

5. The plant container according to claim 4 wherein the aperture formable is approximately circular and formable by complementary approximately semi-circular recesses in the edge of the closure member and the edge of the opening .

6. The plant container according to any of the preceding claims wherein the body and the closure member are formable as respective one-piece injection mouldings of a suitable plastic material.

7. The plant container according to any of the preceding claims including an upwardly-directed opening through which growing medium is passable into and out of the body.

8. A plant container according to any one of the above claims including means for supporting the container during transport.

9. A plant container substantially as any one embodiment described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings .

10. A method of planting in a container in which a root mass of a plant is inserted into a space within a body of the container through an opening in a wall of the body, and a closure member is then positioned at the opening to partially close the opening, there remaining an aperture through the body wall through which a stem of the plant may grow but through which the root mass of the plant cannot pass.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the space is first partially filled with growing medium prior to insertion of any plants .

12. The method of claim 11 wherein further growing medium is placed into the space after a plant has been inserted.

13. The method according to any of claims 20-12 wherein growing medium is placed into the space through an upwardly-directed opening.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein a further plant is planted in the growing medium to grow upwardly through the upwardly-directed opening.

15. A method of planting in a container substantially as any one embodiment described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings .