WO2017033126A1

WO2017033126A1 - A flower box

Info

Publication number: WO2017033126A1
Application number: PCT/IB2016/055022
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gaetano DE BELLIS
Original assignee: Botanica Rent S.R.L.
Priority date: 2015-08-24
Filing date: 2016-08-23
Publication date: 2017-03-02
Also published as: ITUB20153203A1

Abstract

The flower box (1) comprises: a central body (2) and a projecting body (3) from an upper frontal region of the central body (2); the central body (2) comprising a bottom wall (20) from which a first frontal wall (21), a rear wall (22) and a pair of first opposite lateral walls (23, 24) for connecting the rear wall (22) and the first frontal wall (21) emerge; the projecting body (3) comprising a second frontal wall (31) which emerges projectingly from the first frontal wall (21), and a pair of opposite second lateral walls (33, 34) which are prolonged projectingly from the first lateral walls (23, 24) for connection with the second frontal wall (31); a reticular membrane (4) being positionable abutting against the internal surface of the first frontal wall (21) of the central body (2), and able to divide an internal volume of the central body (2) from the internal volume of the projecting body (3).

Description

A FLOWER BOX

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the technical sector of flower boxes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Flower boxes are known that comprise a central body and a projecting body in the upper part of the central body.

The central body, commonly called a bin, houses aggregate material that can commonly comprise volcanic lapilli, known for its porosity and its draining properties. The projecting body, commonly known as a seeder, normally houses soil and is provided for the planting of vegetable plants.

The projecting body is in communication with the central body and there is often contamination of the aggregate material contained in the central body with the soil contained in the projecting body, and vice versa. The humus contained in the soil is subject to decomposition with a consequent loss of volume; this phenomenon facilitates the penetration of aggregate material into the projecting body, with a consequent reduction in the volume useable for the soil.

Account must also be taken of the fact that the exhausted soil must periodically be replaced and/or regenerated.

It is therefore necessary to remove the soil from the projecting body, which involves a substantial penetration of aggregate material in the projecting body, with a further reduction of the useful volume occupiable by the soil.

This drawback is particularly accentuated in the case of stacked flower boxes, where the thrust exerted by the aggregate material towards the projecting body strongly depends on the aggregate material of the overlying flower boxes. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aim of the present invention is to obviate the above-mentioned drawbacks by disclosing a flower box able to maintain substantially unvaried over time the useful volume occupiable by the soil and aggregate materials. A further aim of the present invention is to provide a flower box able to facilitate the periodic operations of replacement and/or regeneration of the exhausted soil.

The above-indicated aims are attained with a flower box comprising a central body and a body that projects from an upper frontal region of the central body; the central body comprising a bottom wall from which a first frontal wall, a rear wall and a pair of first opposite lateral walls for connecting the rear wall and the first frontal wall emerge; the projecting body comprising a second frontal wall which emerges projectingly from the first frontal wall, and a pair of opposite second lateral walls which are prolonged projectingly from the first lateral walls for connection with the second frontal wall; the flower box further comprising a reticular membrane able to divide an internal volume of the projecting body from the internal volume of the central body.

In particular embodiments, the flower box of the present invention comprises one or more of the following characteristics, considered singly or in combination:

• the reticular membrane is positioned abutting against the internal surface of the first frontal wall of the central body;

• the reticular membrane extends over a whole extension of the first frontal wall of the central body, between the respective opposite first lateral walls; · a traverse can be provided for connecting the lateral walls, able to abut the reticular membrane;

• the traverse can be positioned at the upper edges of the lateral walls;

• the traverse can be arranged parallel to the rear wall; • the traverse has a right-angled profile, with a first side parallel to the rear wall and a second side parallel to the bottom wall;

• fixing means can be provided for fixing the reticular membrane to the traverse; · the fixing means comprise a plurality of holes realised in the traverse and a plurality of fixing elements able to involve the respective holes and the meshes of the reticular membrane;

• the fixing means comprise a longitudinal seating fashioned in the traverse, and a right-angled bend in the upper edge of the reticular membrane, the longitudinal seating being able to couplingly receive the right-angled bend;

• the longitudinal seating extends over all the extension of the traverse, with the right-angled bend which can preferably be prolonged over a whole extension of the reticular membrane.

• the opposite second lateral walls of the projecting body have a circular sector profile, with the second frontal wall having a curved shape;

• the bottom wall of the central body is funnel-shaped, for facilitating evacuation of the liquids and a coupling thereof with an underlying flower box in a case of vertical stacking thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The characteristics of the invention will emerge in the following in which some preferred embodiments are described by way of non-exclusive example, with reference to the accompanying tables of drawings, in which:

- figure 1 is a perspective view in an exploded configuration of the flower box of the invention; - figures 2, 3 illustrate corresponding opposite perspective views of the flower box illustrated in figure 1 , in an assembled configuration;

- figure 2A is a perspective view in partial section of the flower box illustrated in figure 2;

- figures 4, 5 illustrate corresponding opposite perspective views with some elements depicted as transparent in order better to evidence other elements;

- figure 6 is a larger-scale perspective view of a detail of a first embodiment of the flower box;

- figure 7 likewise illustrates a larger-scale perspective view of a detail of a second embodiment of the flower box;

- figure 7A is a vertical section view of the detail illustrated in figure 7;

- figures 8, 9 show perspective views, in a smaller scale, of two modular mounting configurations of flower boxes according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the above-described tables of drawings, reference numeral 1 generally denotes the flower box which comprises, in known ways indicated in the introductory part hereof, a central body (2) and a projecting body (3) from an upper frontal region of the central body (2).

The central body (2) comprises a bottom wall (20) from which a first frontal wall (21), a rear wall (22) and a pair of first opposite lateral walls (23, 24) for connecting the rear wall (22) and the first front wall (21) emerge.

The projecting body (3) comprises a second frontal wall (31) which emerges projectingly from the first frontal wall (21), and a pair of opposite second lateral walls (33, 34) which are prolonged projectingly from the first lateral walls (23, 24) for connection with the second frontal wall (31).

As can be noted from the appended tables of drawings, the first wall 23 and the second wall 33 have been illustrated as a single body, as have the first wall 24 and the second wall 34.

In a novel way, the flower box (1) of the invention comprises a reticular membrane (4) able to divide an internal volume of the projecting body (3) from the internal volume of the central body (2).

The reticular membrane (4) can be positioned abutting against the internal surface of the first frontal wall (21) of the central body (2).

The reticular membrane (4) advantageously extends over a whole extension of the first frontal wall (21) of the central body (2), between the respective opposite first lateral walls (23, 24), as illustrated in figures from 2 to 5.

The flower box 1 can further comprise a traverse (5) for connecting the lateral walls (23, 24, 33, 34), able to support and abut the reticular membrane (4).

The traverse (5) can advantageously be positioned at the upper edges of the lateral walls (23, 24, 33, 34), preferably parallel to the rear wall (22), so that it can abut the reticular membrane (4) at the upper edge (4a) thereof.

The traverse (5) can advantageously have a right-angled profile, with a first side parallel to the rear wall (22) and a second side parallel to the bottom wall (20) (figure 2A). The flower box 1 of the invention can further comprise a tray 6 for collecting fluids that drain out of the bottom wall 20.

Figure 8 illustrates a configuration ordering of the flower boxes (1) arranged horizontally flanked.

Likewise figure 9 illustrates a configuration of the flower boxes (1) arranged vertically stacked.

By way of example, in the accompanying tables of drawings, the bottom wall (20) of the central body is funnel-shaped, for facilitating evacuation of the liquids and a coupling thereof with an underlying flower box (1 ) in a case of vertical stacking thereof. In particular, the bottom wall (20) can comprise: a frame (20a), for example rectangular, from which the first frontal wall (21), the rear wall (22) and the pair of first lateral walls (23, 24) emerge perpendicularly; and a peripheral prominence (20b) which emerges perpendicularly from the internal edge of the frame (20a), distancingly from the central body (2) (figures 2A, 4, 5).

The flower box (1) can further comprise fixing means of the reticular membrane (4) to the traverse (5).

In a first embodiment, the fixing means comprise a plurality of holes (50) realised in the traverse (5) and a plurality of fixing elements involving the respective holes (50) and the meshes of the reticular membrane (4) (figure 6).

With reference to figure 6, the holes (50) are afforded along the first side of the traverse (5), parallel to the rear wall (22); the holes might instead be positioned, alternatively or in combination, also on the second side of the traverse (5) parallel to the bottom wall (20).

The fixing elements, for the sake of simplicity not illustrated, can be constituted by plastic straps of a type available on the market.

In a second embodiment, the fixing means comprise a longitudinal seating (51) fashioned in the traverse (5) and a right-angled bend (40) in the upper edge (4a) of the reticular membrane (4), the longitudinal seating (51) being able to couplingly receive the right-angled bend (40) (figures 7, 7A).

The longitudinal seating (51) advantageously extends over all the extension of the traverse (5), with the right-angled bend (40) which can preferably be prolonged over a whole extension of the reticular membrane (4). The positioning of the reticular membrane (4) internally of the flower box (1) of the invention is particularly rapid and simple.

Purely by way of example, in the accompanying tables of drawings, the opposite second lateral walls (33, 34) of the projecting body (3) have a triangular sector profile, while the second frontal wall (31) is flat. In line with requirements, the opposite second lateral walls (33, 34) of the projecting body (3) can have a circular sector profile, with the second frontal wall (31) consequently having a curved shape.

In this latter situation, given an equal longitudinal transversal dimension, the internal volume of the projecting body (3) is larger, with a greater capacity for housing soil.

In a first positioning mode, the reticular membrane (4) is housable in the central body (2) and abutted inferiorly against the internal surface of the first frontal wall (21) of the central body (2) and superiorly against the traverse (5).

Even in the absence of specific fixing means the reticular membrane (4) can be stably positioned in a jointed fashion, by interference of the peripheral edges thereof with the bottom wall (20) and the opposite lateral walls (23, 24, 33, 34), each realised in a single body. In a second positioning mode, the reticular membrane (4) is housable in the central body (2) and inferiorly abutted against the internal surface of the first frontal wall (21) of the central body (2) and superiorly against the traverse (5) parallel to the rear wall (22).

In this case the reticular membrane (4) is fixed to the traverse (5) by means of plastic straps which involve the holes (50) realised in the traverse (5) and the meshes of the reticular membrane (4) (figure 6).

In a third positioning mode, the right-angled bend (40) of the upper edge (4a) of the reticular membrane (4) is housed in the longitudinal seating (51) fashioned in the traverse (5), and the reticular membrane (4) is abutted inferiorly against the internal surface of the first frontal wall (21) of the central body (2) (figures 7, 7A).

In this case the longitudinal seating (51) substantially has the functions of a hinge for the reticular membrane (4).

As soon as the positioning of the reticular membrane (4) internally of the flower box (1) of the invention has been completed, the aggregate material (for example volcanic lapilli) can be housed in the central body (2), known as the "bin", and the soil and the desired vegetable plants can be housed in the "seeder", being the projecting body (3).

The presence of the reticular membrane (4) enables dividing the internal volume of the projecting body (3) from the internal volume of the central body (2), so as to avoid reciprocal contaminations of the soil and the aggregate material, especially in a case of loss of volume of the soil due to the decomposition the humus is subjected to. This division further enables periodic replacement and/or regeneration of the exhausted soil without the aggregate material penetrating into the projecting body (3), even in the more difficult situation of stacked flower boxes (1) (figure 9)·

This advantageously enables facilitating the periodic operations of replacement and/or regeneration of the exhausted soil.

The disclosed flower box is therefore able to maintain substantially unvaried over time the useful volume occupiable by the soil and aggregate materials.

The particular funnel-shaped conformation of the bottom wall of the central body facilitates evacuation of the liquids and a coupling thereof with an underlying flower box in a case of vertical stacking thereof.

The bottom wall advantageously comprises a rectangular frame and a peripheral prominence which emerges perpendicularly from the internal edge of the frame.

Claims

1) A flower box comprising a central body (2) and a projecting body (3) from an upper frontal region of the central body (2);

- the central body (2) comprising a bottom wall (20) from which a first frontal wall (21), a rear wall (22) and a pair of first opposite lateral walls (23, 24) for connecting the rear wall (22) and the first frontal wall (21) emerge;

- the projecting body (3) comprising a second frontal wall (31) which emerges projectingly from the first frontal wall (21), and a pair of opposite second lateral walls (33, 34) which are prolonged projectingly from the first lateral walls (23, 24) for connection with the second frontal wall (31); the flower box (1) being characterised in that it further comprises: a reticular membrane (4) able to divide an internal volume of the projecting body (3) from the internal volume of the central body (2); the reticular membrane (4) being positionable abutting against the internal surface of the first frontal wall (21) of the central body (2); and in that it comprises a traverse (5) for connecting the lateral walls (23, 24, 33, 34), able to support and abut the reticular membrane (4).

2) The flower box of claim 1 , characterised in that the reticular membrane (4) extends over a whole extension of the first frontal wall (21) of the central body (2), between the respective opposite first lateral walls (23, 24).

3) . The flower box of claim 1 or 2, characterised in that it includes the traverse (5) positioned at the upper edges of the lateral walls (23, 24, 33, 34), preferably parallel to the rear wall (22).

4) . The flower box of claim 1 or 3, characterised in that the traverse (5) has a right- angled profile, with a first side parallel to the rear wall (22) and a second side parallel to the bottom wall (20).

5) . The flower box of one of claims from 1 to 4, characterised in that it comprises fixing means of the reticular membrane (4) to the traverse (5). 6). The flower box of claim 5, characterised in that the fixing means comprise a plurality of holes (50) realised in the traverse (5) and a plurality of fixing elements involving the respective holes (50) and the meshes of the reticular membrane (4). 7). The flower box of claim 5, characterised in that the fixing means comprise a longitudinal seating (51) fashioned in the traverse (5) and a right-angled bend (40) fashioned in the upper edge (4a) of the reticular membrane (4), the longitudinal seating (51) being able to couplingly receive the right-angled bend (40). 8). The flower box of claim 7, characterised in that the longitudinal seating (51) extends over all the extension of the traverse (5), with the right-angled bend (40) which can preferably be prolonged over a whole extension of the reticular membrane (4).

9) The flower box of one of claims from 1 to 8, characterised in that the opposite second lateral walls (33, 34) of the projecting body (3) have a circular sector profile, with the second frontal wall (31) having a curved shape.

10) The flower box of one of claims from 1 to 9, characterised in that the bottom wall (20) of the central body (2) is funnel-shaped, for facilitating evacuation of the liquids and a coupling thereof with an underlying flower box (1 ) in a case of vertical stacking thereof.