WO2022058663A1

WO2022058663A1 - Plant pot

Info

Publication number: WO2022058663A1
Application number: PCT/FR2021/000108
Authority: WO
Inventors: Elodie GRIMOIN; Hubert MICHAUDET; Elodie SELVES; Elyane CATROU
Original assignee: Canopee Structures
Priority date: 2020-09-15
Filing date: 2021-09-15
Publication date: 2022-03-24
Also published as: FR3114002A1; FR3114001A1

Abstract

The invention proposes a plant pot (10) comprising: an enclosure (12) and a bottom (14), the enclosure (12) and the bottom (14) delimiting an interior volume (16) for receiving a plant substrate; a water reserve (18) over at least a part of the height of the interior volume; and a porous diffuser cylinder (20) in the interior volume (16), the diffuser cylinder (20) extending over at least a part of the height of the interior volume and being in communication with the water reserve. The invention allows passive, or in other words time-delayed, watering of the plant or plants contained in the pot, regardless of their maturity.

Description

Title: Plant pot

Field of invention

The invention relates to a plant pot with an irrigation device.

State of the art

[0002] There are pots with passive irrigation using porous or capillary devices which are located only at the bottom (because the water reserve is generally located under the pot containing the plants). This poses a problem when the plants have just been planted and do not yet have the necessary length of roots to draw water from the lower part of the pot.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the invention is to provide a plant pot allowing passive irrigation, or in other words, delayed in time, of the plant or plants independently of the maturity of the plants and the size of the plants. roots.

For this, the invention provides a plant pot comprising an enclosure and a bottom, the enclosure and the bottom delimiting an interior volume to receive a plant substrate, a water reserve according to at least a part of the height of the interior volume, and a porous diffuser cylinder in the interior volume, the diffuser cylinder extending along at least part of the height of the interior volume and being in communication with the water reserve.

According to one embodiment, the enclosure comprises a double wall, the water reserve being in the double wall.

According to one embodiment, the diffuser cylinder is in communication with the reserve contained in the enclosure by one or more channels on the bottom.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the double wall extends in the bottom of the pot, the water reserve also extending in the double wall in the bottom of the pot and the diffuser cylinder is in communication with the reserve. contained in the background.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the water reserve further comprises an overflow orifice opening outside the pot, at the height of the upper end of the diffuser cylinder.

[0009]According to one embodiment, the pot further comprises at least one filling orifice of the reserve and of the diffuser cylinder, the filling orifice being at the top of the reserve and/or at the upper end of the diffuser cylinder. [0010]According to one embodiment, the pot further comprises at least one orifice for draining the reserve and the diffuser cylinder and/or at least one orifice for draining the interior volume.

According to one embodiment, the pot further comprises an information sensor. [0012] According to one embodiment, the pot is designed to be transportable, in particular via a pallet truck.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the diffuser cylinder is removable.

According to one embodiment, the diffuser cylinder is made of water-porous material, in particular clay or polymer material.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the pot further comprises at least one orifice for draining the interior volume and at least one insert in fluid communication with said drainage orifice, said insert extending into the interior volume and projecting from the bottom of the jar.

Brief description of figures

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear on reading the following detailed description for the understanding of which reference will be made to the appended figures which show:

[0017] [Fig 1], Figure 1 is a cross-sectional side and top view of the pot;

[0018] [Fig 2], Figure 2 is a sectional side and top view of the pot with water in the reserve;

[0019] [Fig 3], Figure 3 is a top and side sectional view of the pot;

[0020] [Fig 4], Figure 4 is a top and side sectional view of the pot;

[0021] [Fig 5], Figure 5 is a sectional top and side view of the pot with water in the reserve;

[0022] [Fig 6], Figure 6 is a view showing several pots stacked and side of the pot;

[0023] [Fig 7], Figure 7 is a sectional view along A-A and from above of the pot with water in the reserve;

[0024] [Fig 8], Figure 8 is a sectional view along B-B and from above of the pot with water in the reserve;

[0025] [Fig 9], Figure 9 is a sectional side view and top of the pot;

[0026] [Fig 10], Figure 10 is a cross-sectional side and top view of the pot;

[0027] [Fig 11], Figure 11 is a sectional side and top view of the pot;

[0028] [Fig 12], Figure 12 is a perspective view of channels;

[0029] [Fig 13], Figure 13 is a perspective view of the pot;

[0030] [Fig 14], Figure 14 is a cross-sectional side and top view of the pot;

[0031] [Fig 15], Figure 15 is a perspective view of the pot;

[0032] [Fig 16], Figure 16 is a sectional and top view of the pot;

[0033] [Fig 17], Fig. 17 is a view of an information sensor;

[0034] [Fig 18], Figure 18 is a sectional and top view of the pot; and

[0035] [Fig 19], Figure 19 is a sectional side view of the pot.

The drawings of the figures are not to scale. Like elements are generally denoted by like references in the figures. In the context of this document, identical or similar elements may ter the same references. Furthermore, the presence of reference numbers or letters in the drawings cannot be considered as limiting, including when these numbers or letters are indicated in the claims.

Detailed description of embodiments of the invention

The invention provides a plant pot comprising an enclosure and a bottom, the enclosure and the bottom delimiting an interior volume to receive a plant substrate, a water reserve according to at least part of the height of the volume interior, and a porous diffuser cylinder in the interior volume, the diffuser cylinder extending along at least part of the height of the interior volume and being in communication with the water reserve.

The invention allows passive irrigation, or in other words, delayed over time, of the plant or plants contained in the pot, regardless of their maturity and the size of the roots.

Figure 1 shows the pot 10 according to the invention. The pot 10 comprises an enclosure 12 and a bottom 14. The enclosure 12 and the bottom 14 define an interior volume 16 to receive a plant substrate (such as soil). The pot 10 also includes a reserve 18 of water along at least part of the height of the interior volume 16 and a diffuser cylinder 20 porous in the interior volume, the diffuser cylinder 20 extending along at least part of the height of the interior volume 16 and being in communication with the reserve 18 of water. The pot 10 thus allows passive irrigation of the plant substrate.

The diffuser cylinder 20 is supplied with water by a reserve 18 which is preferably placed over the entire height of the pot 10. Preferably also, the reserve 18 surrounds the plant(s). The reserve 18 of water is preferably in the enclosure 12 of the pot. The enclosure 12 comprises a double wall 121, 122 - an inner wall 121 and an outer wall 122 - delimiting the reserve 18. This allows the reserve 18 of water to surround the substrate and to occupy an available volume. This also allows you to have a reserve of water over the entire height of the pot.

The passage of water between the reserve 18 and the diffuser cylinder 20 (or porous component) is through a tube 22 located in the lower part of the pot. This junction is sealed to prevent any water leakage into the substrate. The irrigation of the water in the substrate is therefore done by the diffuser cylinder 20 (or porous component).

The diffuser cylinder 20 (or porous component) extends over at least part of the height of the interior volume 16 but preferably over the entire height of the pot in order to have homogeneous irrigation in the substrate. This makes it possible to irrigate at least part of the height of the substrate - and preferably the entire height of the substrate - and thus to feed the plants regardless of the maturity of the plants and the size of the roots because the roots do not have to draw water from the bottom of the pot.

[0043] The diffuser cylinder 20 (or porous component) may comprise an orifice of filler 28 at its upper end to fill it with water. Such a filling orifice 28 is visible in Figures 13 and 15. The diffuser cylinder 20 also includes an orifice at its lower end connected to the tube 22. The diffuser cylinder 20 is pierced on both sides so that water can circulate between the reserve and the diffuser cylinder 20.

[0044] In principle, the water level in the diffuser cylinder 20 and in the reserve 18 is identical. It is possible to modify the descent of the water level in the diffuser cylinder 20 according to the geometry of the reserve. This is advantageous when, for example, you want the substrate to be irrigated mainly from above. In this case, it is possible to provide a larger water reserve in height (for example in figures 5 and 7).

The diffuser cylinder and the reserve are in fluid communication. The water circulates in one direction or the other between the reserve 18 and the diffuser cylinder 20. When the diffuser cylinder 20 is filled (by rainwater or voluntarily), the water fills the diffuser cylinder 20 and reserve 18; during irrigation, the water circulates from the reserve 18 into the diffuser cylinder 20. When the reserve 18 is filled through a filling orifice 26 provided on an upper end of the reserve 18 (FIG. 18), the water circulates from the reserve 18 to the diffuser cylinder 20.

The pot 10 can incorporate a system or member 38 for recovering rainwater, as can be seen in Figures 1, 2, 3, 10. This member 38 captures the rainwater that falls on the pot area. It is possible to modify the rainwater recovery zone depending on the shape of the member 38. The member 38 can for example be an impermeable fabric and for example funnel-shaped. This member 38 can be attached to the diffuser cylinder 20 for passive irrigation from above. Rainwater is therefore directly collected in the irrigation system. The invention also makes it possible to recover rainwater directly in the reserve 18, in particular via the member 38 and the porous diffuser cylinder 20, preventing over-irrigation of the substrate, or even "leaching" of the latter by heavy rain (i.e. a loss of any fertilizer, fungicide or insecticide type substance present in the substrate).

According to Figures 1 and 2, the pot may include an overflow orifice 30 so that the water does not overflow from the interior volume. The orifice 30 opens outside the pot, at the height of the upper end of the diffuser cylinder 20.

In Figures 1, 5, 7, 19, the pot 10 has holes 34 for draining the substrate area (inner volume 16) outwards. The orifices 34 are integrated into the structure of the pot - for example in the bottom 14 of the pot - and make it possible to avoid flooding the substrate. The pot 10 may also include a drain hole 32 - for example in the lower part of the pot - in order to be able to empty the water if necessary. Such a drain orifice 32 is visible in Figure 18. It is thus possible to empty the diffuser cylinder and the reserve to transport more easily the pot or store it.

As illustrated in Figure 19, the pot 10 may also include inserts 44 in fluid communication with the drainage holes 34. The pot 10 includes for example at least two inserts 44, typically six inserts 44, integrated into the structure pot - for example in the bottom 14 of the pot - each insert 44 being in fluid communication with one of the drainage orifices 34. Each insert 44 extends into the interior volume 16 and projects from the bottom 14 of the pot 10, preferably substantially vertically. Without this being limiting, each insert 44 has a height in the pot 10 for example substantially equal to 4 cm. Such inserts 44 make it possible to obtain an undrained zone in the pot 10, making it possible in particular to avoid the washing out of the substrate during heavy rains as well as the direct evacuation of fertilizers or the like towards the outside of the pot 10. This allows to recover rainwater and return it to the substrate by capillarity.

The diffuser cylinder 20 can be removable. This allows it to be changed when damaged or to change porosity. It can also be changed to implement a higher or lower cylinder to change the irrigation height, or to integrate another porous irrigation device or to block the orifice by means of a plug and thus reserve all the internal volume 16 of the pot 10 to the substrate. The cylinder is made of a water-porous material, for example clay or even a polymer material. Preferably, the water-porous material and the thickness of the cylinder are defined according to Darcy's law: [Math 1] àP Q = K X A X —; L where Q is the fluid flow (typically the water flow); K is a constant linked to the material and to the fluid; A is the section of the material to be passed through, L is the thickness of the material to be passed through, and AP is the pressure difference between the two sides of the material to be passed through. In this way, we can therefore provide different types of diffuser cylinders that can adapt to different types of climates and plants.

According to Figure 6, the pot 10 is preferably designed to be stacked with other pots. This makes it possible to optimize transport. The pots can also be transported by being filled with the substrate and the plants to be deposited in their final locations. The bottom of the pots can therefore support the full weight of the substrate and the plants. In particular, the pots can be configured so as to be transportable by a pallet truck.

To allow easy stacking, the enclosure 12 may have a conical outer shape and also a conical inner volume. The interior volume 16 of a pot is then able to receive the exterior shape of another pot. The pot can also include a collar 40 so that a pot can rest on the lower pot of the stack. The diffuser cylinder 20 can also be removed to stack the pots on top of each other.

[0053] The reserve can be shaped with four "reserves" on the sides. Figures 3 and 4 show these "reserves" with the diffuser cylinder and without. This optimizes the water reserve and creates different areas for planting plants in the interior volume 16.

[0054] The pot may be made of plastic. The pot can be rotomolded - or rotationally molded. Rotational molding makes it easier to design the geometry of the interior volume 16.

The reserve 18 of water can be in the enclosure 12 only (figures 11 and 12) or in the enclosure 12 and in the bottom 14 of the pot (for example in figures 1 to 10). The double wall 121, 122 then extends from the enclosure to the bottom.

Figures 11 and 12 show the communication between the reserve and the diffuser cylinder 20 when the reserve is in the enclosure 12. A pipe formed of one or more channels 24 is between the reserve and the diffuser cylinder 20. The 24 channels are on the bottom 14 of the pot. The channels 24 are between the base of the reserve 18 of the enclosure 12 and the tube 22 at the lower end of the diffuser cylinder 20.

Figure 14 shows a plurality of plants 42 in pot 10.

According to Figures 16 and 17, the pot 10 may include a sensor box 36 information. The sensor box is for example on the upper edge of the pot. Another location can be provided on the upper edge of the pot to place a battery in order to power the sensor box if necessary. The box 36 can collect and send information on the moisture content of the substrate and the water level in the reserve. For this purpose, an orifice can be provided under the box 36 in order to slide a water level sensor and/or a pump in order to switch to controlled irrigation. Information can be collected remotely to help make plant watering decisions.

Figure 18 shows the different holes that the pot can have. The pot may include the overflow hole 30, the drain hole 32 and the filling hole 26 at the top of the reserve 18.

Claims

7

Claims

[Claim 1] A plant pot (10) comprising

• An enclosure (12) and a bottom (14), the enclosure (12) and the bottom

(14) delimiting an interior volume (16) to receive a plant substrate,

• A reserve (18) of water according to at least part of the height of the interior volume,

• A diffuser cylinder (20) porous in the interior volume

(16), the diffuser cylinder extending along at least part of the height of the interior volume and being in communication with the reserve (18) of water.

[Claim 2] The plant pot (10) according to claim 1, the enclosure comprising a double wall (121, 122), the water reserve (18) being in the double wall.

[Claim 3] The plant pot (10) according to the preceding claim, the double wall extending into the bottom (14) of the pot, the water reserve (18) further extending into the double wall in the bottom (14) of the pot and the diffuser cylinder (20) is in communication with the reserve (18) contained in the bottom.

[Claim 4] The plant pot (10) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the water supply (18) further comprises an overflow orifice (30) opening outside the pot, at the height of the upper end of the diffuser cylinder (20).

[Claim 5] The plant pot (10) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one orifice (32) for draining the reserve (18) and the diffuser cylinder (20); and/or at least one orifice (34) for draining the interior volume (16); and/or at least one orifice (26, 28) for filling the reserve (18) and/or the diffuser cylinder (20), the orifice (26, 28) for filling being at the top of the reserve (18) and / or at the upper end of the diffuser cylinder (20).

[Claim 6] The plant pot (10) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising an information sensor (36).

[Claim 7] The plant pot (10) according to one of the preceding claims, configured to be transportable, in particular via a pallet truck.

[Claim 8] The plant pot (10) according to one of the preceding claims, the diffuser cylinder (20) being removable. 8

[Claim 9] The plant pot (10) according to one of the preceding claims, the diffuser cylinder (20) being made of water-porous material, in particular clay or polymer material.

[Claim 10] The plant pot (10) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one orifice (34) for draining the interior volume (16) and at least one insert (44) in fluid communication with said drain port (34), said insert (44) extending into the interior volume (16) and projecting from the bottom (14) of the pot (10).