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
  • A01G9/029—Receptacles for seedlings
  • A01G9/0295—Units comprising two or more connected receptacles
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A40/00—Adaptation technologies in agriculture, forestry, livestock or agroalimentary production
  • Y02A40/10—Adaptation technologies in agriculture, forestry, livestock or agroalimentary production in agriculture
  • Y02A40/22—Improving land use; Improving water use or availability; Controlling erosion

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a tray primarily intended for pre-cultivation or cultivation of for instance seeds, bulbs, cuttings, plants or the like.
• the tray is moulded in a poly ⁇ meric material and includes a top, an outer rim/wall and a plurality of cells or openings wherein said plants etc. are cultivated.
• the tray floats on two or more air cushions formed by air trapped underneath the top and between the rim and under the top arranged partition walls dividing the lower surface of the top into at least two sections.
• Cultivation trays normally include a plurality of integrated cells or in ⁇ serts, corresponding to and working as for instance pots or the like, whereby holding said seeds, plants etc. and for instance a growth medium such as earth or turf.
• These cultivation trays are made from a number of quite different materials such as coated cardboard, laminated paper, turf, ceramics, metals or plastics and are, depending on the material, either intended for single or multiple use.
• Floating trays have the same kind of cells or inserts as above conven ⁇ tional ones and floats in a basin, pool or the like containing water and preferably one or more nutrients.
• the major advantage of floating trays compared to conventional is that water and possible nutrients are kept at substantially invariable levels.
• the tray material is, however, limited to materials being sub ⁇ stantially non-absorbant having a density allowing the tray and its content to float on water.
• the floating trays used today exhibit a number of disadvantages and drawbacks.
• the material is often a single use material or a material difficult to reuse without uncertainty regarding func ⁇ tion and/or material quality.
• Normally used materials can not be for instance injection moulded using conventional methods.
• the root systems of plants cultivated therein tend to grow into the a low density and/or porous material, thus negatively effecting both plants and material.
• polymeric materials such as polyolefines, preferably polyethylene, polypropylene or polybutylene, vinyl or vinylidine polymers or co-polymers, preferably polyvinyl chloride, polyalkylene terephthalates, polycarbonates, poly- amides, pheno and amino plastics and non-foamed polystyrene or polyurethane.
• the material density of said polymers is, how ⁇ ever, usually close to or exceeding 1, meaning that a tray made therefrom will sink when it is positioned on a water surface unless air, working as or being an air cushion, is trapped underneath the top of the tray.
• a tray floating on such an air cushion is very instable and an involuntary tilting will, due to the fact that all or so large an amount of trapped air es ⁇ capes that its floating ability disappears, sink the tray.
• the present invention makes it possible to produce a floating tray, primarily intended for pre-cultivation or cultivation of seeds, bulbs, cuttings, plants or the like, made through moul ⁇ ding of at least one polymeric material, which material per se is non-floating.
• the tray includes a top having an upper and a lower horizontal surface, an outer rim and a plurality of openings or downwards directed and at least upwards open tubu ⁇ lar or conical cells, which cells are integrated parts of the tray or are inserted in said openings.
• the cells are intended to hold said seeds, bulbs, cuttings, plants, etc. and optional ⁇ ly a growth medium, such as earth, turf or the like, or alter ⁇ natively inserts such as pots or the like.
• the rim of the tray according to the invention constitutes a downwards directed and substantially closed and circumambient outer wall and the top is divided into two or more sections by means of one or more partition walls arranged on its lower surface, whereby the tray floats on two or more air cushions underneath said surface.
• the air cushions are formed by air trapped between the outer wall and the partition wall or walls when the tray horizontally is positioned on a liquid surface in basin, pool or similar con ⁇ taining a fluid, such as water and/or at least one nutrient.
• Moulding methods suitable to be utilised in the production of a floating tray according to the present invention include processing techniques such as injection moulding, gas injection moulding, blow moulding and extrusion.
• Suitable polymeric materials from which the tray according to the invention is made, include polyolefines, such as polyethy ⁇ lene and polypropylene, vinyl or vinylidine polymers and co- polymers, such as polyvinyl chloride, polyalkylene terephtha- lates and polycarbonates.
• the density of the polymeric material is normally close to or exceeding 1 and will not per se make the tray float on for instance water without the aid of said trapped air in form of air cushions.
• the tray will, by dividing the lower surface of the tray top into two or more separated sections and thus separating the amount of trapped air into two or more air cushions, float, without exhibiting instability, on water.
• a tray according to the invention is easy to clean and a highly stable floating pre-cultivation or cultivation trays intended for multiple use.
• the number of cells or openings in the tray top is among other things dependent on the type of seeds, bulbs, cuttings, plants etc.
• a suitable number is 30 to 120, such as 50 to 70 when for instance tobacco, cabbage and/or tomatoes are pre-cultivated to a certain stage of growth.
• each cell or insert individually has a closed base.
• the base is perfora ⁇ ted by at least one hole or is produced in a permeable or semi- permeable material and can, furthermore, be an inserted or an integrated part of said cell or insert .
• each cell or insert indi ⁇ vidually has an open base, which base optionally can be closed by a lid or the like.
• Each cell or opening may, independently of the cell or insert base, individually be of a different or of an equal size and/or shape.
• the outer wall/rim and each partition wall individually is of a different or an equal height.
• Each partition wall may, furthermore, individually be detachable, whereby the number and location of the partition walls can be adjusted to specified needs or demands.
• the tray top and hence the cells or inserts and their content can in order to regulate for instance light, humidity, tempera ⁇ ture etc., wholly or partly be covered by a transparent or non- transparent lid, cover or the like.
• FIG. 1 is a flat side view of a partial crosscut of a floating tray according to an embodiment of the invention, which embodiment has integrated cells.
• Figures 2 - 3 are flat side views of crosscuts of floating trays according to two embodiments of the invention, one with integrated ( Figure 2) and one with inserted ( Figure 3) cells.
• FIG. 4 is a flat side view of a floating tray according to the same embodiment as Figure 2.
• the tray is positioned in a water containing basin and plants are growing in its cells.
• the tray as well as the basin is shown in as crosscuts.
• FIGS. 5 - 7 are flat base views of three floating trays according to three embodiments of the invention.
• the trays each include a lower top surface being divided into 4, 12 and 15 sections, respectively, by partition walls.
• FIG. 1 shows a flat side view of a partial crosscut of a floating tray 1 according to an embodiment of the invention.
• the tray 1 includes a top 3 having an upper 4 and a lower 5 horizontal surface, a circumambient rim 6 extending downwards into an outer wall 9 of the tray 1.
• the top 3 includes a plura ⁇ lity of integrated cells 7 having open bases 15. The cells are intended to hold a growth medium, such as earth 16 (see Figure 4) or an insert in form of a pot or the like.
• the lower surface 5 of the top 3 is divided into sections 10 by means of parti ⁇ tion walls 11 having a height equal to the outer wall 9.
• FIG. 2 shows a flat side view of a crosscut of a floating tray 1 according to a second embodiment of the invention.
• the tray 1 includes parts corresponding to and having a function similar to parts shown in Figure 1, with one exception:
• Each cell 7 is provided with a closed base 15 made of a permeable material 18.
• FIG. 3 shows a flat side view of a crosscut of a floating tray 1 according to a third embodiment of the invention.
• the tray 1 includes parts corresponding to and having a function similar to parts shown in Figure 1, with one exception:
• the top 3 includes openings wherein cells 7 having a base 15 provided with a hole 8 are inserted.
• the cells 7 can optionally be replaced by for instance pots or the like.
• FIG 4 shows in the same view the same embodiment of a floa ⁇ ting tray 1 as Figure 2 with equal number and type of intgrated cells 7 being parts of its top 3 and partition walls 11.
• the top 3 has as in Figure 2 an upper 4 and a lower 5 surface and the tray 1 is surrounded by a rim 6 extending downwards into an outer wall 9.
• the tray 1 is positioned in a basin 13 containing water 14 and nutrients.
• the basin 13 is like the tray 1 shown as a flat side view of a crosscut.
• the tray 1 floats on water 14 aided by air cushions 12 formed when the tray 1 were hori- zontally positioned on a water surface 17.
• the air cushions 12 consist of air trapped in pockets limited by the lower surface 5, the water surface 17, the outer wall 9, the cells 7 and the partition walls 11. Each cell 7 has been filled with earth 16 and plants 2 are growing therein.
• the water 14 penetrates each cell base 15, which base 15 is made of a permeable material 18, thus maintaining an invariable humidity and nutrient level.
• Figures 5, 6 and 7 show flat base views of three floating trays 1 (see Figures 1-4) according to three embodiments of the in ⁇ vention.
• the trays 1 are seen in views showing a lower surface 5 of respective tray 1 top 3 (see Figures 1-4) .
• the top 3 inc ⁇ ludes a plurality of cells 7 having open bases 15 (see Figures 1-4) .
• Figure 5 show a tray 1 having a lower surface 5 being divided into four sections 10 defined by means of three paral- lelly arranged partition walls 11 and by an outer wall 9
• Figure 6 show a tray 1 having a lower surface 5 being divided into twelve sections 10 defined by means of five intersecting partition walls 11 and by an outer wall 9.
• Figure 7 show a tray 1 having a lower surface 5 being divided into fifteen sections 10 defined by means of a plurality of partition walls 11 con ⁇ necting a plurality of cells 7 and by an outer wall 9.

Landscapes

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

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20398219

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (17)

Citations (1)

• 1995
  • 1995-05-08 SE SE9501686A patent/SE9501686L/sv not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1996
  • 1996-04-18 WO PCT/SE1996/000496 patent/WO1996035326A1/en active Application Filing
  • 1996-04-18 AU AU57080/96A patent/AU5708096A/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (1)

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