WO2008047214A2

WO2008047214A2 - Container and method for holding plant material

Info

Publication number: WO2008047214A2
Application number: PCT/IB2007/003095
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hugo Nicolaas Maria Berk
Original assignee: BACHMANN FORMING AG
Current assignee: BACHMANN FORMING AG
Priority date: 2006-10-17
Filing date: 2007-10-17
Publication date: 2008-04-24
Anticipated expiration: 2009-04-17
Also published as: WO2008047214A3; NL1032692C2

Abstract

The invention relates to a container for holding plant material. This container comprises at least one holder with an opening on what is the top side thereof during use, a surface which is arranged at least partially round the opening, wherein the surface is oriented at an incline toward the holder and the surface is oriented at an incline such that liquid on the surface flows to the holder, wherein an additional holder is connected to the surface and an additional surface is arranged between the surface and the additional holder, wherein the additional surface is oriented at an incline toward the additional holder, and the additional surface is oriented at an incline such that liquid on the additional surface flows to the additional holder, and wherein the surface and the additional surface are a unit. The invention also relates to a method for holding plant material.

Description

CONTAINER AND METHOD FOR HOLDING PLANT MATERIAL

The invention relates to a container and also a method for holding plant material.

Such containers are for instance frequently applied in the form of a culture tray during culture of plant material. Such a container comprises a plurality of holders with a surface between the individual holders. During use the holder of the container is filled with a substrate, in which or on which is planted plant material, for instance a seed, a cutting or a seedling. This plant material is then brought to development by, among other methods, supplying the substrate with nutrients. These nutrients are usually sprayed over the container and the plant material from above as a liquid or dissolved in a liquid. The distance between the holders in such a container is determined by the space required by the plant material to allow growth. As a result of the qualitative improvement in substrates, holders with increasingly smaller dimensions can be applied. Together with the required distance between the holders, this has the result that the surface between the holders increases and, when the container is sprayed, more liquid can come to lie adjacently of the holders instead of therein. The invention has for its object to obviate, or at least to alleviate this drawback.

For this purpose the container for holding plant material according to the invention comprises at least one holder with an opening on what is the top side thereof during use, a surface which is arranged at least partially round the opening, wherein the surface is oriented at an incline toward the holder and the surface is oriented at an incline such that liquid on the surface flows to the holder, wherein an additional holder is connected to the surface and an additional surface is arranged between the surface and the additional holder, wherein the additional surface is oriented at an incline toward the additional holder and the additional surface is oriented at an incline such that liquid on the additional surface flows to the additional holder, and wherein the surface and the additional surface are a unit.

Because the surface around the holder is oriented at an incline toward the holder and the surface is oriented at an incline such that liquid on the surface flows to the holder, nutrient which would otherwise come to lie adjacently of the holder nevertheless flows or streams or rolls to its intended location, i.e to the substrate and the plant material. Because there is arranged between the surface and the additional holder an additional surface which is oriented at an incline toward the additional holder such that liquid on the additional surface flows to the additional holder, all liquid which comes to lie between the holder and the additional holder is apportioned between the two holders . A container with a plurality of holders can thus be realized in which - despite the greater distances between the smaller holders - all liquid which comes to lie between adjacent holders finishes up in one of the adjacent holders. In a further embodiment of the invention the surface is straight. This can be favourable in the manufacture of the container. This is because similar containers are usually made according to a method based on injection moulding, for which purpose a mould must be manufactured. Straight surfaces are easier to realize in determined processing methods applied in the manufacture of such a mould. In an alternative embodiment the surface is curved. In a further alternative embodiment the surface is concave as seen from what is the top side of the holder in use. The further the liquid on the surface is removed from the holder, the greater the acceleration hereby imparted to the liquid under the influence of the force of gravity. This prevents liquid being slowed down sufficiently by friction with the surface that it remains lying on the surface.

In a further embodiment of the invention a discharge opening is arranged in the holder on what is the underside thereof during use. Excess liquid can flow out of the holder through this discharge opening and the plant material does not "drown".

Just as the surface, the additional surface can also be realized in different alternative embodiments: straight, curved, concave.

In an embodiment of the container with an additional holder and an additional surface, wherein both the surface and the additional surface are concave in use, there is created between the surface and the additional surface a pointed transition on which liquid cannot remain and must then flow, stream or roll to one of the holder and the additional holder.

In a further embodiment of the invention with additional holder, there is arranged between the holder and the additional holder at least one aerating opening in at least one of the surface and the additional surface. The ambient air can move freely through this aerating opening. This aerating opening and the above described discharge opening in the holder provide the option of realizing the same ambient air conditions at the upper part and lower part of the substrate. In a further embodiment hereof, the aerating opening forms during use the highest point between the holder and the additional holder. This measure makes it possible that for instance no part of the surface or the additional surface lies above the aerating opening during use. This has the advantage that all the liquid which comes to lie on the surface or on the additional surface flows or streams or rolls to the holder or the additional holder, and not to the aerating opening through which it then passes and so does not finish up in the holder or the additional holder.

The invention also relates to a method for holding plant material, comprising the steps of providing a holder and an additional holder connected non-releasably thereto and providing plant material in the holder and the additional holder. The method is distinguished from the known techniques by guiding to the holder and the additional holder liquid (or other agents) which comes to lie between the holder and the additional holder. This can for instance be realized by arranging a flexible fabric between the holder and the additional holder and pushing the fabric upward as soon as it is filled with liquid, as is known in the case of a sunscreen filled with water by the rain. The liquid which has come to lie on the fabric between the holder and the additional holder thus still finishes up in the holder and the additional holder.

The present invention will be further elucidated hereinbelow with reference to an exemplary embodiment, which is shown schematically in the accompanying figures. This is a non-limitative exemplary embodiment. In the figures:

- fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a container with one holder, - fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a container with a plurality of holders, and

- fig. 3 shows a perspective detail view of the container of figure 2. Figure 1 shows a container 1. Container 1 has a holder 2 with a surface 3 therearound. Holder 2 has a discharge opening 4 on the underside thereof and an opening on the top side thereof. Holder 2 is filled with substrate 5. A plant material, shown as plant 6, is growing in substrate 5. Plant β has leaves 7, a stem 8 and a root system 9. Shown on root system 9 is seed 10 from which plant 6 has developed. Surface 3 is oriented at an incline toward holder 2 so that liquid on surface 3 flows in the direction of holder 2. Figure 1 shows a space above the discharge opening and the substrate.

This space is created when a part of the substrate falls out of the holder through discharge opening 4 and the rest of the substrate forms a bridge above discharge opening 4. The advantage of this space is that a large surface area which is in contact with the ambient air is realized on the underside of the substrate. Whether or not such a space is created, and how large this space is, depends on the structure of substrate 5.

Figure 2 shows a container in the form of a culture tray 11. Culture tray 11 has a plurality of holders 2. Surfaces 14 and 15 are shown between adjacent holders 12 and 13. Surface 14 is oriented at an incline toward holder 12 and surface 15 is oriented at an incline toward holder 13. Liquid on surface 14 hereby flows in the direction of holder 12 and liquid on surface 15 in the direction of holder 13. Liquid which comes to lie between holders 12 and 13 thus flows to one of the two holders.

Figure 3 shows a detail of culture tray 11 with holders 2 of figure 2. Holders 2 have discharge openings 4 on the underside thereof. An aerating opening 16, through which ambient air can move freely, is shown between holders 2.. Via discharge openings 4 and aerating opening 16 it is possible to realize the same ambient air conditions in the upper part and lower part of the content of holders 2.

Figure 1 shows a plant which has grown from a seed which has been planted in the substrate . A plant can also develop from a cutting or a seedling planted in the substrate.

In figure 1 the inclining surface is shown as being straight. The surface can however also be curved, concave or convex.

Figure 1 shows a discharge opening on the underside of the holder. This discharge opening can also be omitted or arranged at another position.

In figure 1 the inclining surface is not formed integrally with the wall of the holder. The surface can also be formed integrally with the wall of the holder. Figure 2 shows the container with 112 holders. It can also contain more or fewer holders.

In figure 2 the surface around each holder has a plurality of folds. The surface can however also be smooth. In figure 3 both the discharge openings and the aerating opening have a round form. These openings can also have a different form, for instance oval, square, rectangular etc.

Figure 3 shows one aerating opening between four holders. A plurality of aerating openings can also be provided between four holders.

Figure 3 shows the aerating opening exactly in the centre between four holders. An aerating opening can also be arranged at another position, for instance exactly between two holders. In figure 3 the holders have an octagonal cross- sectional form. The cross-section of a holder can also take another form, for instance round, oval, square, hexagonal etc. Figures 2 and 3 show each aerating opening in a transition between a surface and an additional surface. This is deemed as being the equivalent of a aerating opening which is arranged in at least one of the surface and the additional surface.

Claims

1. Container for holding plant material, comprising: - at least one holder with an opening on what is the top side thereof during use;

- a surface which is arranged at least partially round the opening, wherein - the surface is oriented at an incline toward the holder; and

- the surface is oriented at an incline such that liquid on the surface flows to the holder; and wherein - an additional holder is connected to the surface; and

- an additional surface is arranged between the surface and the additional holder; wherein

- the additional surface is oriented at an incline toward the additional holder; and

- the additional surface is oriented at an incline such that liquid on the additional surface flows to the additional holder; and wherein - the surface and the additional surface are a unit.

2. Container as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the surface is straight.

3. Container as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the surface is curved.

4. Container as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the surface is concave as seen from what is the top side of the holder in use.

5. Container as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that a discharge opening is arranged in the holder on what is the underside thereof during use.

6. Container as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the additional surface is straight .

7. Container as claimed in any of the claims 1-5, characterized in that the additional surface is curved.

8. Container as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the additional surface is concave as seen from what is the top side of the additional holder in use.

9. Container as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that between the holder and the additional holder at least one aerating opening is arranged in at least one of the surface and the additional surface.

10. Container as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the aerating opening forms during use the highest point between the holder and the additional holder.

11. Method for holding plant material, comprising of: - providing a holder and an additional holder connected non-releasably thereto; and

- providing plant material in the holder and the additional holder; characterized by: - guiding to the holder and the additional holder liquid which comes to lie between the holder and the additional holder.