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EP0964613A1 - Bac de culture modulaire tridimensionnel - Google Patents

Bac de culture modulaire tridimensionnel

Info

Publication number
EP0964613A1
EP0964613A1 EP97902501A EP97902501A EP0964613A1 EP 0964613 A1 EP0964613 A1 EP 0964613A1 EP 97902501 A EP97902501 A EP 97902501A EP 97902501 A EP97902501 A EP 97902501A EP 0964613 A1 EP0964613 A1 EP 0964613A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
container
sides
base
container according
containers
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP97902501A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Patrick Jacques Raymond
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP0964613A1 publication Critical patent/EP0964613A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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
    • A01G9/022—Pots for vertical horticulture
    • A01G9/023—Multi-tiered planters
    • 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

Definitions

  • Containers are particularly useful where, for example, the ground is not suitable for cultivation, e.g. in patio or terraced areas, on cement surfaces, where soil is poor or indoors.
  • Such containers may be primarily decorative, for example patio containers and window boxes or, on a larger scale, may be in the form of street furniture, e.g. for providing floral displays in public places.
  • the common feature of the presently available containers is that they comprise a trough or dish-shaped receptacle to hold the growing medium, e.g. soil. Plants grow up from the top surface of the growing medium, through the open top of the container.
  • the walls and base of the container are essentially solid, apart from the possible provision of drainage holes.
  • the plant yield which can be obtained using such containers can only be increased, however, by increasing the surface area required by the container. This may be difficult or undesirable where, for example, available floor space is limited.
  • the present invention provides a container which optimises the available floor space, increasing the cultivable area for a given surface area.
  • a cultivation container comprising a base, and three or more sides, wherein said base and said sides define a receptacle to receive and retain a growing medium into which plants are planted, and wherein at least one of said sides is in the form of a grill or mesh such that plants planted in said growing medium may grow out through said grill or mesh.
  • a cultivation system comprising two or more containers as claimed in any preceding claim, arranged in a vertical stack with the open top of one container connected to the base of another container of the same cross-section.
  • FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a container according to the present invention.
  • Fig. 2 shows an exploded view of the embodiment of Fig. 1.
  • Figs. 3A to 3D show alternative configurations of containers according to the present invention.
  • FIGS. 4A to 4E show some possible combinations of containers according to the present invention.
  • Fig. 5 shows a more detailed view of the grill of the embodiment of Fig. 1.
  • Figs. 6A and 6B show a plan view and side view, respectively, of the base of the embodiment of Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 7 shows an example of a connector piece.
  • Each container comprises a base 1 and at least three sides 2 forming an open-topped module to receive the growing medium 3. At least one of the sides, and preferably all of them, is in the form of a grill, to be described in more detail below.
  • the container can be manufactured in one piece, for example by injection moulding, for ease of transportation and storage it is preferably formed as separate elements which can be, for example, flat-packed and provided in an easy-to-assemble form.
  • Fig. 3A the optimum shape for the container is a cube, as shown in Fig. 3A.
  • other shapes are ecjually possible, such as containers of triangular cross-section, as shown in Fig. 3B, hexagonal cross-section as shown in Fig. 3D, or, indeed, any other cross-section desired for aesthetic or practical reasons.
  • the base 1 shown in more detail in Figs. 6A and 6B, has a shape corresponding to the desired cross- section of the container. It is preferably in the form of a tray or shallow receptacle with upturned edges 4 which incline outwards and are adapted to receive the side panels 2.
  • One or more drainage apertures may be provided in the base 1, to allow excess water to drain away, preventing the soil 3 becoming water-logged.
  • This feature is also especially useful in a stacked arrangement of modules in that only the top module need be watered. The water then passes through to the lower modules via the drainage aperture(s) .
  • the base 1 may also be adapted to receive one or more wheels (not shown) to allow the container to be moved more easily.
  • the side panels 2 are preferably rectangular but may conceivably be some other shape, e.g. triangular.
  • At least one side panel is in form of a grill.
  • the side panels 2 When assembled, the side panels 2 extend upwards, either vertically or inclined, from the base 1.
  • the side panels are connected to each other at their upright edges, forming an enclosure to receive the growing medium 3.
  • Additional side panels may also be connected along the horizontal edges, to provide a container two or more panels high.
  • the sides of the container may be formed of panels of equal or unequal edges.
  • the grill forming at least one of the sides allows plants to grow out through the vertical or inclined surfaces, as well as from the top of the container, thus increasing the yield or cultivable area for the surface area taken up by the container.
  • the grill is formed by a frame 5 (preferably rectangular) with a number of horizontal and/or vertical spaced apart slats or blades 6 extending between opposing sides of the frame.
  • the grill may be in the form of a mesh or may be, for example, a panel provided with a plurality of holes through which plants may grow.
  • the frame 5 and the blades 6 or mesh of the grill may be formed in one piece, e.g. by injection moulding or pressing
  • the preferred embodiment has blades 6 removably fitted into the frame 5. This enables the spacing between adjacent blades to be varied, e.g. by removing alternate blades. This allows for the use of finer or coarser growing media or different sized plants, etc.
  • the blades 6 are preferably fitted into the frame by a clip or slot fitting arrangement with corresponding lugs or batons along the inside edges of the frame 5.
  • any other fastening means e.g. screws, pins, etc may be used.
  • each grill may also be articulated or hinged. If each grill is formed as a separate panel, it is preferably provided with means for connecting it to adjacent panels, either along the upright edges or the horizontal edges or both.
  • the preferred embodiment uses an arrangement of link rods 7 and sleeves 8.
  • An upright side of a first panel is provided with one or several spaced apart, outwardly extending hollow sleeves.
  • the adjacent side of a second panel is provided with similar sleeves, matching the spaces between the sleeves of the first panel.
  • a locking pin 8 is then inserted through the length of the resulting continuous sleeve, forming a hinge (similar to a door hinge) holding the panels together, but allowing them to pivot relative to each other about the pin.
  • other means may be used to connect adjacent panels.
  • a number of panels may be formed together, as one piece, with integral hinges, e.g. in the form of weakened or more flexible plastic sections, formed between the panels.
  • the sides may be formed by folding a single piece to form the required number of sides of the desired shape and size.
  • One or more partitions 9 may be provided for dividing the interior of the compartment.
  • the partitions form a pyramid on the base of the container. This reduces the amount of growing medium required to fill the container and reduces the overall weight, when the container is planted.
  • An important aspect of the container of the present invention is its modular construction. Two or more containers can be connected together, in a stacked arrangement, or side-by-side, or any combination of these to form a multiple container system of any desired size and/or configuration. Some examples are shown in Figs. 4A to 4E. Thus, containers can be stacked to form columns of any desired height, or can be grouped in arrays (staggered or not) side-by-side, corner-to- corner, etc.
  • the container modules are preferably connected to each other by means of interlocking mechanisms (Fig. 7) provided, for example, at the corners of the base l.
  • interlocking arrangement e.g. cooperating male and female components provided on the bottom corners of the base and the top corners of the side panels.
  • the base is provided with corner connector pieces, formed by three intersecting circles, as shown in Fig. 7.
  • a connector provided at each corner of the base, allows modules to be connected directly on top of each other, forming a vertical stack, or corner-to-corner, forming a staggered arrangement.
  • the containers can be made from a wide range of materials according to availability, cost, climate, use, etc.
  • the structural components are made from copolypropylene which is formed into the different components by injection moulding.
  • Alternative materials include other plastics, metal, wood, fibrous cement, impregnated paper fibres or other fibrous material.
  • the material used is, or is treated to be, waterproof, robust and durable whilst being lightweight and easy to form into the required components using standard manufacturing processes.
  • Each container enables plants to grow and develop to maturity and to be maintained, harvested and removed, both from the top surface of the growing medium and also from the sides of the container. This thus increases the cultivable area for any given surface area of the base.
  • the cultivable area is even further increased when two or more modules are stacked together. For example, a stack for four cubes increases the cultivable area by a factor 17, for a given surface area of floor space.
  • Modules can be formed in a wide range of shapes, sizes and containment volume for containing the soil or other growing medium.
  • One or more of the sides of the module are in the form of a grill and each module may be more than one grill high.
  • the modules may then be constructed into systems of two or more modules connected together in the x, y and/or z axes to form a system of any desired configura ion, according to the wishes, needs, requirements or imagination of the user.
  • the containers may be provided in a "knocked down” form but can be easily assembled without any need for special tools.
  • the containers can be just as easily and quickly dismantled.
  • Another advantage of the container is that it enables plants to be cultivated on ground not suitable for cultivation, for example concrete area, stony or sandy ground, etc, both indoors and out.
  • the cultivation uses less water, as there are no water losses through the ground and the increased foliage minimises losses through evaporation.
  • the container finds use in a wide range of applications and environments for growing both decorative plants and plants for food and other commercial use.
  • Examples of domestic applications include growing flowers, fruit, etc on balconies or terraces, in small or large gardens, inside greenhouses, etc.
  • Examples of commercial applications include growing plants on horticultural sites in adverse environments, e.g. with poor soil, limited water resources or adverse climates; for optimising available cultivable surfaces or for exhibitions and plant arrangements in shops, hospitals, offices, etc.
  • the modular containers allow the user to maintain and harvest the plants standing up, thus decreasing fatigue of the user and increasing productivity.
  • the containers can be easily stored and transported either in the dismantled state, assembled and empty, or planted.

Landscapes

  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • Cultivation Receptacles Or Flower-Pots, Or Pots For Seedlings (AREA)

Abstract

Bac modulaire tridimensionnel servant à cultiver des plantes, présentant toute forme ou dimension souhaitées et possédant au moins un côté sous forme de grille, de sorte que les plantes peuvent pousser hors du sommet du bac et, également, à travers la grille, ce qui augmente la surface cultivable. Ce bac peut être empilé sur ou relié à d'autres bacs, de manière à constituer un ensemble présentant toute configuration souhaitée.
EP97902501A 1996-02-06 1997-02-06 Bac de culture modulaire tridimensionnel Withdrawn EP0964613A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9602348 1996-02-06
GBGB9602348.6A GB9602348D0 (en) 1996-02-06 1996-02-06 Three dimensional modular cultivation system
PCT/GB1997/000350 WO1997028682A1 (fr) 1996-02-06 1997-02-06 Bac de culture modulaire tridimensionnel

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0964613A1 true EP0964613A1 (fr) 1999-12-22

Family

ID=10788179

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP97902501A Withdrawn EP0964613A1 (fr) 1996-02-06 1997-02-06 Bac de culture modulaire tridimensionnel

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0964613A1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2000504572A (fr)
CN (1) CN1213267A (fr)
AU (1) AU1613097A (fr)
GB (1) GB9602348D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO1997028682A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2384233A (en) * 2001-12-18 2003-07-23 David Watson Plant receptacle
FR2872381B1 (fr) * 2004-06-30 2007-12-07 Canevaflor Soc Par Actions Sim Structure pour mur vegetalise
FR2930867B1 (fr) * 2008-05-07 2012-07-27 Morel S A Systeme modulaire pour la realisation, notamment, de constructions de jardin
CN102027875A (zh) * 2009-09-29 2011-04-27 上海市农业科学院 浮板基质省力化栽培盒
JP5440980B2 (ja) * 2010-01-28 2014-03-12 信 成井 建造物表面緑化工法
CN102144505A (zh) * 2011-01-19 2011-08-10 张远兵 可拆分式大树移栽花盆
SG183592A1 (en) * 2011-03-03 2012-09-27 Housing And Dev Board A modular and customisable planting system
CN103416239B (zh) * 2012-05-14 2016-04-06 北京仁创科技集团有限公司 可拆装花坛
CN102783376A (zh) * 2012-08-20 2012-11-21 秦麒 一种可组合为多种外形和容积的栽培容器
CN103782951B (zh) * 2014-01-24 2016-04-20 东莞市高鑫机电科技服务有限公司 一种微缩生态景观装置、制作方法及其定制方法和信息系统
CN105993654A (zh) * 2016-05-23 2016-10-12 北京北林绿源生态技术研究院有限责任公司 能在外立面种植植物的集装种植箱
CN107711150A (zh) * 2017-10-30 2018-02-23 苏州工艺美术职业技术学院 一种拼接花盆
CN214628342U (zh) * 2020-04-08 2021-11-09 苏州金世达工具制造有限公司 一种组合式花床
US11457572B2 (en) * 2020-08-31 2022-10-04 Donald Battoe Folding plant protection cage apparatus

Family Cites Families (9)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE8509063U1 (de) * 1985-03-27 1986-04-24 Mielke, Horst Günther, Dipl.-Biol. Dr., 5000 Köln Blumen- und Pflanzkasten zur flächigen Wandgestaltung
DE8617295U1 (de) * 1986-06-28 1986-08-07 Eduard Bay GmbH & Co KG, 5412 Ransbach-Baumbach Blumenkübel mit Rollen
DE3644715A1 (de) * 1986-12-30 1988-07-14 Ter Horst Hydrokultuur Pflanzenkuebel
US4961284A (en) * 1988-09-09 1990-10-09 Bruce Williams Vertical garden
DE9106853U1 (de) * 1991-06-04 1991-07-18 W. Brügmann & Sohn GmbH, 4600 Dortmund Pflanzkasten aus Holz
GB9222626D0 (en) * 1992-10-28 1992-12-09 Hawkins David N Indoor/outdoor hanging column garden
FR2713884B1 (fr) * 1993-12-21 1996-10-04 Francois Claude Yves Lecointre Support pour massif de plantes en élévation.
DE9409443U1 (de) * 1994-06-10 1994-09-08 Ing. Gerhard Beckmann Kg, 88239 Wangen Hochbeet
DE9412692U1 (de) * 1994-07-28 1994-11-10 ABS Maschinenbau Gesellschaft zur Arbeitsförderung-Beschäftigung-Strukturentwicklung Maschinenbau mbH Sondervermögen, 36433 Bad Salzungen Komposter

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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Title
See references of WO9728682A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1997028682A1 (fr) 1997-08-14
JP2000504572A (ja) 2000-04-18
CN1213267A (zh) 1999-04-07
AU1613097A (en) 1997-08-28
GB9602348D0 (en) 1996-04-03

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