WO2009116959A1

WO2009116959A1 - A triple safe box system for production, transporting and stacking of seedlings

Info

Publication number: WO2009116959A1
Application number: PCT/TR2008/000023
Authority: WO
Inventors: Cem Aktas
Original assignee: Cem Aktas
Priority date: 2008-03-18
Filing date: 2008-03-18
Publication date: 2009-09-24

Abstract

This invention is the triple box system for cultivation, carriage and stowage of seedlings, characterized in that it can be used to carry the seedlings at appropriate height to be implanted in hygienic conditions, to cultivate them in horizontal and multi storey vertical stowage, to carry them by stowing one on top of other in order to provide light and multiple use, that can be folded on return, and that has a convenient cost.

Description

A TRIPLE SAFE BOX SYSTEM FOR PRODUCTION, TRANSPORTING AND

STACKING OF SEEDLINGS

Field of the invention

The present invention is a triple box system for cultivation, carriage and stowage of seedlings to carry the plant seedlings which are at sufficient length to be implanted in a hygienic environment, to cultivate them in a horizontal or multiple level vertical stowage, to carry them by stowing on top of another to provide light and multiple usage, that is easy to carry and transport, that can be folded on return, that has an acceptable cost, wherein the seedling implanting box can be locked into the carrying tray by insertion.

Background of the invention In the prior art, the current seedling implanting boxes which are described as inserts cause troubles while carrying and stowing because of the disadvantages of the soft material they are produced and they can be deformed or bent in different shapes. To prevent these, carrying trays, boxes or cardboard boxes produced by reinforcing by polyurethane material known as foam are used. Nowadays, because of the difficulties of the transportation conditions and several problems that may arise during the transportation, these boxes are required to be strong for carrying and protecting the seedling implanting boxes, that can be disinfectable, that occupy less space, that can return to their starting point easily and with less cost. However, the boxes made of polyurethane material are not strong enough and the seedlings may be harmed during carrying because of damages like punctures or cracks since they are made of soft material. Also, because of the bacteria that enter into these cracks and punctures, seedling cultivation is halted and causes losses. Even in the best conditions that none of the said negativities occur, polyurethane carrying boxes are thrown into trash instead of being used again. Thus, the cost economy which is one of the biggest advantages of recycling can not be employed.

Moreover, these boxes that are covered and supported by polyurethane or similar materials, that can be damaged, that are not flat and that have liquid absorbing properties are carriers of microbes which is the biggest hygiene problem of the agricultural sector. Disinfection of these is hard or even impossible. Therefore, most of the time they can not be reused or recycled and that may continue to cause troubles even when recycled.

In the triple box system for cultivation, carriage and stowage of seedlings of the present invention, there are three main components. First of these is the plastic "seedling implanting box" which is not in the scope of our invention. It is any seedling implanting and cultivating box that is presently used.

Currently used seedling implanting boxes can not carry the implanted seedlings and the seedling soil without another supporting means and carrying job is tried to be performed by placing them in a wooden box, in another carrying box that is reinforced by covering outside with polyurethane or on a hard item.

This application is limited as a practical solution used in cultivation and may lead to important problems in big capacity seedling cultivation since the cultivation area is one layered and can be done as flat spreaded placement.

The most serious problem here is experienced while transporting the seedlings to the market place or to another long distance. For transportation, multiple storey shelves are made in the body of the trucks or tractors on which the seedling implanting boxes can be placed, the boxes are placed on these shelves, these multiple storey shelves are always kept in the vehicle, the vehicles are sent full of seedlings and should return empty but still with the boxes. In another transportation type, they are placed in cardboard boxes, and the covers of the boxes are left open in order to provide circulation, than cardboard boxes and frequently seedling implanting boxes have to be disposed of.

The other experienced very important problem is that big land or greenhouse areas are required. In multi-storey cultivation by employing side to side or fixed shelf systems either lots of land area is required or continuing hygiene problems may be experienced since the used fixed storey shelves can not be frequently changed, washed or disinfected.

In these implemented systems, the increasing cost is reflected to the consumer as the production cost since there is no recycling, and more importantly the exports stay at very low levels because of the difficulties being experienced in exporting.

These problems are completely solved by the present invention. Short description of the invention

There are three main parts in the cultivation, carriage and stowage system for seedlings defined in this description. a) Seedling Implanting Box b) Carrying Tray c) Foldable Carriage and Stowage Box

The present invention is the formation of a triple system which (b) and (c) boxes are used together with the presently used seedling implanting boxes. a) Seedling Implanting Box

This is a box that is currently used to implant and cultivate seedlings, that needs a hard support under it during carriage or that can be carried on polyurethane supported or cardboard boxes, that has a resistance profile structure that can hardly support itself even when empty, which does not comprise any joining lock on it, that is made of plastic and called insert.

Seedling Implanting Box Resistance and Locking Profile: Seedling implanting box resistance and locking profile is not used in the current system, only the resistance obtained by short folding of the edges is employed. The resistance and locking profile provides resistance and stability at stowage while placing into the carrying tray by being inserted done into another outside the carrying tray.

Seedling implanting box resistance and locking profile and connection locks started as the first step of forming our triple box system for cultivation, carriage and stowage of seedlings, and manufacturing of carrying tray and foldable carrying box followed this. b) Carrying tray

This box is in the scope of this invention. It is made of plastic having a flat and shiny surface. The desired number of slots (4, 6, 8, 10, etc.) on the box guide the seedling root slots in the seedling implanting boxes. Two boxes act as one box and they don't occupy extra room and height by using the same area and volume by being placed in the desired number of slots (4, 6, 8, 10, etc.) on the box. Moreover, the carrying tray has achieved the strength that can easily carry the seedling and the seedling soil by the reinforcing resistance profiles formed on the joints between the tray slots. Disinfectable Carrying Tray: The carrying tray is completely made of plastic, has a flat and shiny surface and made as a single piece. Its being easily cleanable by pressurized water, by settling in tanks, by washing with brushes, by washing with manual or motor washing systems that have more than one brush that enter into the slots is one of the effective ways of this invention that provide hygiene. Carrying Tray at Carriage and Stowage: The carrying tray (2) is completely made of plastic as a single piece. Tens of thousands of them can be stowed together on top of another by inserting one in other where each of them uses a height of less than one millimeter. Due to this feature, the return cost to starting point becomes very low and they can be returned without any damages. This feature reduces the environmental pollution, provides hygiene by washability and its multi-usability holds the costs at lowest levels.

Carrying Tray Locking Profile: The seedling implanting box clamps into the locking slots when the resistance and locking profile sits on the carrying tray resistance profiles during the placing of seedling implanting boxes into the carrying trays. By this application, seedling implanting box almost becomes united and its separation by itself is prevented. c) Foldable Carriage Box

It is the second important component that provides the integrity of this invention. The carrying tray which is placed on this box and the seedling implanting box which is placed on the carrying tray form the seedling cultivation, carriage and stowage system as a whole.

There are two distinct uses established with foldable carriage box.

The foldable carrying box is the third component and the second box of this invention which carries the other two boxes. The foldable carriage box of this invention provides solution to two main problems. Solution Provided at Seedling Implanting: There is a need for practical, healthy and time saving solutions for seedling implanting. The height of the foldable carriage box is produced in accordance with the sizes of the seedlings to be cultivated and they can be used according to the seedling types. The seedlings can benefit from the air and the sun since the side faces of the box which are between the carrier corners are open.

After the seedling implanted boxes according to the triple box system for cultivation, carriage and stowage of seedlings are transported to the cultivation site as a whole, the height and the vertical usage decision may be implemented by arranging them side to side or on top of another according to the surface area, ventilation properties and sunlight requirements.

By this application space and time is saved by the stowage arranged on top of another at a required height. The order and interval of box placement can be adjusted in accordance with the production process that the producer carries, and changes can be made when desired according to different placement requirements without touching and damaging the seedlings as a whole by the triple box system for cultivation, carriage and stowage. Solution Provided at Transportation: In the presently used methods, the seedling implanting boxes are prepared for transportation by placing them on items that form a hard platform or by placing them side to side on polyurethane reinforced plastic boxes or by stowing them on shelves, and this causes limited number of seedling implanting boxes to be placed into the cargo areas of standard transportation vehicles (trucks, ships, planes etc.). The number of vehicles required to transport a unit number of seedling implanting boxes is increased since all the cargo volume of the vehicles is not utilized, and this seriously increases the transportation costs and hence the supplying prices to the market. In some situations the seedling implanting boxes are placed on top of another without any seedling protection means just to save from cargo space and this causes to losses and the seedlings to be harmed. The situations like these that cause losses increase the costs during the supply to the market and hence the prices of the products.

The foldable carriage box of this invention which is another part of the triple box system for cultivation, carriage and stowage of seedlings integrates with the seedling implanting boxes placed on the carrying trays due to the hard but flexible plastic material they are made of and they can be safely transported to the desired location.

Besides, due to the carrying tray handles and carrier profiles located inside the short edge, the carrying tray can be stowed on top of another as a whole with the seedling implanting box without damaging the seedlings and by this way advantage of cultivation, storage and carrying in limited spaces is provided.

Additionally, the boxes placed on top of another are used as a whole, and they can be carried by one person by being held from the bottom box as seedlings are either implemented or not. Another effective solution that the seedling cultivation, carrying and stowage box provide is the carrying and stowing feature.

They allow large volumes of transportation at small areas by being stowed on top of other on the transportation vehicle and being arranged side to side without touching the seedlings to be cultivated and by staying same without ruining the triple box system.

The most important issue here is that the seedling roots can be easily carried to the location that the customer demands without separating the roots from their soil and without moving or damaging the roots. The other way of the triple box system for cultivation, carriage and stowage of seedlings that provides effective solution is that the boxes can be stowed such that they don't occupy much space while being returned to the starting point.

The bottom box by being folded, the carrying tray in the middle by being stowed one inside other and the seedling implanting box on the top by being stowed one inside other can be brought back to the center they have exited at a corner of the vehicle next to other different loads.

Disinfection solution: All three boxes are prepared to be reused by being washed with pressurized water mixed with disinfectants while moving over the conveyors and by being dried with pressurized air when needed since they are made of plastic materials.

Brief Description of the Figures

The figures and related descriptions required to provide a better understanding of the Triple Box System for Cultivation, Carriage and Stowage of Seedlings of the present invention are given below:

Figure - 1 Perspective view of foldable carriage box

Figure - 2 Stowage plan view of foldable carriage box

Figure - 3 Resistance panel and locking slot view of seedling implanting box

Figure - 4 Resistance panel and locking slot view of carrying tray Figure - 5 The placement view of seedling implanting box into the carrying tray

Figure - 6 Side view of carrying tray

Figure - 7 Side view of seedling implanting box

Figure - 8 Perspective view of the carrying tray

Figure - 9 Perspective view of the seedling implanting box Figure - 10 Top view of seedling implanting box

Figure - 11 Top view of seedling implanting box (multiple slots)

The parts in the figures that help the invention to be understood better are given reference numbers and short descriptions of these numbers are given below:

1. Seedling implanting box 2. Carrying tray

3. Seedling root slot

4. Carrying tray seedling root slots 5. Foldable carriage box

6. Handle and carrier profile of carrying tray

7. Movable profile of foldable carriage box

8. The connection pin of the movable profile of foldable carriage box 9. Resistance profile of carrying tray

10. Top duct profile of foldable carriage box

11. Bottom profile of foldable carriage box

12. Connection lock of carrying tray

13. Connection lock of seedling implanting box 14. Resistance profile of seedling implanting box

15. Resistance profile of carrying tray Detailed Description of the Figures

Triple box system for cultivation, carriage and stowage of seedlings is disinfected by washing or by steam systems or by using brush cleaning methods etc. in the disinfection systems that the company uses in accordance with its size. Boxes with flat and shiny surfaces become free of any kind of harmful materials and can be safely used for seedling implantation.

The seedling implanting boxes (1) in which the seedlings are implanted are inserted into the seedling root slots (4) of the carrying trays (2) produced to provide required support. Thus, the seedling implanting box (1) is placed on the carrying tray (2). The resistance profile of the seedling implanting box (14) is placed on the profile of the carrying tray (15). The connection lock (13) of the seedling implanting box fits into the connection lock of the carrying tray (14) and these two locks together.

Two boxes become ready to use viewed as one box occupying the same volume. The seedling soil is placed into the seedling slots. The seedlings are implanted into the soils in the seedling implanting slots.

When the implantation is completed, the carrying tray (2) viewed as one box can be easily lifted, carried by hand and can be carried to the cultivation greenhouse or room or area by being placed in a carrying car. The use obtained here is that working under hard conditions with externally polyurethane reinforced plastic based boxes and working with wood or similar hard floor parts or boxes has come to an end. The carrying box of this invention is light and does not occupy space by fitting with seedling implanting box (1) and can be used together as a single seedling implanting box (1), but when the two boxes are separated the carrying box (2) of this invention can be noticed. Therefore, a workspace without any material crowd is obtained.

In this state, the seedlings can be cultivated by being placed side to side on the floor, side to side on elevated grounds or shelves. Cultivation and storage can not be accomplished by stowage.

The foldable carriage box (5) which is the second box of this invention and the third box of the system is put into use by its reformist usage.

When the foldable carriage boxes (5) are placed on top of other, the boxes can be vertically stored until the desired height is reached by the bottom profile (11) of the box legs being inserted in to the ducts on the top profile (10) of the box legs (Figure 5).

The vertical space obtained by storing on top of other and the space on four sides of the boxes can be used as the area and the volume for cultivation of seedlings.

The handling and carrying profiles (6) of the carrying tray which are placed as facing each other in the short edges of the top profile (5) of the foldable carriage box with ducts are the placement profiles of the seedling implanting box and carrying tray (6).

In this application, the foldable carriage box (5) at the bottom, the seedling implanting box (1) placed one inside other in it and the carrying tray (2) forms the triple box system for cultivation, carriage and stowage of seedlings.

The triple box system for cultivation, carriage and stowage of seedlings can be transported with the implanted seedlings and can be placed in accordance with the irrigation, medication, ventilation and light requirements to use until the seedling is cultivated by arranging them side to side or one on top of other. The seedling cultivated in the triple box system for cultivation, carriage and stowage of seedlings can be delivered to a customer by being carried by a personnel without breaking the triple box system, in the same way they can be transported to the market or to other cities by being arranged side to side or one on top of other in the body of the transportation vehicles. The effective way of this invention is that the boxes can be returned back to the production center after the seedlings are removed.

The carrying trays (2) are placed on top of each other such that hundreds of them can be carried between the hands of a person by being inserted one inside other, they can be returned back at a fair cost with cargo or other transportation means since they occupy very small volume. The foldable carriage boxes (5) can be folded with the help of the profile connection pin (8) by being oppositely held from top profiles (10) with ducts and by being pushed inwards in the direction of the long edges. To make them reusable again, the steps can be reversed and start from the end.

Claims

1. Triple box system for cultivation, carriage and stowage of seedlings, which is characterized in that it can be used to carry the seedlings at appropriate height to be implanted in hygienic conditions, to cultivate them in horizontal and multi storey vertical stowage, to carry them by stowing one on top of other in order to provide light and multiple use, that can be folded on return, and that has a convenient cost.

2. Triple box system for cultivation, carriage and stowage of seedlings according to Claim 1, which is characterized in that it has a carrying tray (2) that provides strength and resistance to the seedling implanting box (1), that provides carrying stowage, that provides hygiene by being made of disinfectable, flat and shiny plastic material.

3. Triple box system for cultivation, carriage and stowage of seedlings according to Claim 1, which is characterized in that it has a foldable carriage box (5) that carries the carrying tray (2) and the seedling implanting boxes (1) which are inserted into each other, that has seedling cultivation air spaces between its carrying legs, that can be stowed with the boxes on it during cultivation, carriage and transportation.

4. Said carrying tray (2) according to Claim 2, which is characterized in that it has sufficient number (2, 4, 6, 8 etc.) of implanting slots in which the number (4, 8,

12, 16 etc.) of seedling implanting root slots (3) in the seedling implanting boxes (1) can be placed.

5. Carrying tray (2) according to Claim 2, which is characterized in that it has ducts inside its compartments which allow the seedling implanting box (1) to completely fit in which the seedling root slots (3) are placed and characterized in that it has bending, twisting and deformation preventing carrying tray resistance profiles at the edges of the slots.

6. The foldable carriage box (5) according to Claim 3, which is characterized in that it has a top profile (10) with ducts on top of the box legs in which the bottom profiles of the box legs, can be placed in order to allow stowage on top of other during cultivation and transportation.

7. The foldable carriage box (5) according to Claim 3, which is characterized in that it has movable connection pins (8) that allow the legs of the seedling cultivation, carriage and stowage boxes which are inserted on top of each other to be able to be folded when pushed from the short edge towards the long edge.

8. The foldable carriage box (5) according to Claim 3, which is characterized in that it has carrying tray (2) handling and carrying profiles (6) which make the carrying tray placed on it and the seedlings in the seedling implanting box (2) in it stay at a sufficient distance to allow the seedlings to be cultivated.

5 9. The carrying tray (2) according to Claim 2, which is characterized in that it can be placed one on top of other or one inside other, that can be stowed by occupying less space in terms of height and volume in order for it to be returned to its starting point at a more convenient cost.

10. Carrying tray (2) according to Claim 2, which is characterized in that it is made of 10 washable plastic with a flat and shiny surface to provide hygiene which is the most important issue in the agriculture sector.

11. Foldable carriage box (5) according to Claim 3, which is characterized in that it is made of washable plastic with a flat and shiny surface to provide hygiene which is the most important issue in the agriculture sector.

15 12. The carrying tray (2) according to Claim 2, which is characterized in that they are produced at a standard that can be placed on top of other in order to allow them to be returned to their starting point at a more convenient cost by saving space from volume and area.

13. Seedling implanting box in the triple box system for cultivation, carriage and 20 stowage of seedlings according to Claim 1, which is characterized in that it has a seedling implanting box resistance profile (14) that provides stability against the bending and twisting of the seedling implanting box and that allows easy and safe transportation by being locked to the carrying tray with the locking system on it.

14. Seedling implanting box resistance profile (14) according to Claim 13, which is 5 characterized in that it has the seedling implanting box connection lock (13) which allow easy and safe transportation by being locked to the carrying tray.

15. Carrying tray according to Claim 2, which is characterized in that it has the carrying tray connection lock (12) which allow locking with the locking system on the seedling implanting box (2) by joining together and thus allow safe and easy

30 transportation.

16. Carrying tray according to Claim 2, which is characterized in that it has the carrying tray resistance profile (15) that provides stability against the bending and twisting of the seedling implanting box and that allows safe and easy transportation by being locked to the carrying tray with the locking system on it.

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