Tray for growing plants and system comprising a tray and a planting pot

Abstract

A tray for growing a plant, especially an orchid, with multiple compartments for holding a respective planting pot is provided. The tray comprises at least one fastening means for securing the planting pot. The compartments each have a lower compartment portion designed to receive entirely the planting pot to be inserted, and a respective upper compartment portion comprising the fastening means is formed at least by a compartment wall which is impenetrable to the root system, in particular non-perforated, as well as a system for growing a plant.

Claims

1. A tray for holding at least one planting pot and for growing a plant, the tray comprising: multiple compartments each for holding a respective planting pot, at least one fastening means for securing the planting pot, wherein the compartments each have a lower compartment portion to receive entirely the respective planting pot to be inserted, and a respective upper compartment portion comprising the fastening means is formed at least by a compartment wall which is impenetrable to the root system, which is nonperforated; wherein the fastening means is configured as a latching cam.

2. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compartment wall of the upper compartment portion is entirely nonperforated.

3. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower compartment portion comprises a bottom forming a support for the planting pot.

4. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower compartment portion likewise has a nonperforated side wall in its upper third.

5. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein a wall thickness in the area of the fastening means is reduced as compared to an area of the compartment not having the fastening means.

6. The tray as claimed in claim 1, herein the fastening means is configured to act on a planting pot rim of the planting pot to be inserted into the compartment.

7. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening means has a starting slope at the top end.

8. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening means is formed at least partly as an undercut bulge or indentation of the compartment wall.

9. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compartment comprises multiple fastening means distributed around the periphery of the compartment wall.

10. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compartment wall has at least one recessed engagement area.

11. A system for growing a plant, the system comprising: a tray as claimed in claim 1 and at least one planting pot is secured in the lower compartment portion of a compartment of the tray, comprising a planting pot bottom and a nonperforated planting pot wall, wherein the compartment wall of the upper compartment portion and the planting pot wall form a boundary for a growth region which is impenetrable to the root system.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the planting pot comprises at least one securing means, which can interact with the fastening means of the compartment.

13. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein a transition between an upper rim of the planting pot and the lateral wall of the compartment is impenetrable to the root system, and the planting pot rests all around by the upper planting pot rim against the compartment wall.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the planting pot rim has an outwardly projecting collar, and reinforcing braces supporting the planting pot rim are distributed around the periphery on the planting pot outside beneath the collar.

15. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the tray is made by thermoforming and the planting pot by injection molding.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings, which illustrate the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and wherein similar reference characters indicate the same parts throughout the views.

(2) FIG. 1 is an exemplary embodiment according to the invention.

(3) FIG. 2 is a cut-out II of the system of FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 is a section through a compartment of a tray of the system according to the invention with inserted planting pot per section III in FIG. 2.

(5) FIG. 4 is a section through a compartment of a tray of the system according to the invention with inserted planting pot per section IV in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(6) In the following, equivalent elements of the invention will be provided with the same reference number, insofar as is reasonable. The following described features of the exemplary embodiments may also be subject matter of the invention in other feature combinations with the features of the independent claims.

(7) FIG. 1 shows a tray 2 for growing a plant with multiple compartments 4. In the compartments 4 of the tray 2, several planting pots 8 have been inserted by their upper planting pot rims 9. The combination of tray 2 and planting pot 8 forms a system 26 for growing a plant.

(8) The tray 2 comprises fastening means 6. In the present instance, these are arranged on the compartment wall 14 of an upper compartment portion 12 (see FIG. 3). The planting pots 8 are introduced into a lower compartment portion 10 in such a way that the upper compartment portion 12 formed by a nonperforated compartment wall 14 extends beyond the inserted planting pot 8. The fastening means 6 in the present exemplary embodiment is formed as a latching cam.

(9) The tray 2 according to the invention furthermore has an engagement area 24 in the upper area of the compartment 4. This makes it easier to handle planting pots 8 inserted into the compartment 4.

(10) The compartments 4 have a bottom 16 (FIG. 2). The bottom 16 is formed as a support for planting pots. It is formed broad enough, not counting a lower drainage and aeration opening 13, that a planting pot 8 which is installed in the compartment 4 stands on this bottom 16. Planting pot bottom openings 15 at least partly overlap with the opening 13 in a top view.

(11) FIGS. 3 and 4 each time show a section through a compartment 4 with installed planting pot 8. It can be seen that the fastening means 6 in the form of a latching cam are formed from the compartment wall 14 in the upper compartment portion 12. The latching cams thus pass smoothly into the compartment wall 14 at their edges. The latching cams have a starting slope 22 on their side facing away from the bottom 16. This starting slope makes it easier to introduce a planting pot 8 into the compartment 4 across the latching cams. In the opposite direction, i.e., a movement of the planting pot 8 away from the bottom 16, the latching cams produce a blocking effect. Thus, the planting pot 8 cannot be easily removed from the compartment 4. The planting pot 8 of a system 26 according to the invention has a planting pot bottom 28 and a planting pot wall 30. The region enclosed by the planting pot wall 30 is in the form of a frustum. The planting pot bottom openings 15 of the planting pot bottom 28 are preferably at the lowest point of the planting pot 8. Through this cavity, watering liquid for example can leave the planting pot.

(12) The planting pot 8 has a planting pot rim 9 with a collar. This sticks out from the planting pot wall 30 on the planting pot outside 32. The planting pot rim 9 and also the collar are strengthened by reinforcing braces 34. These reinforcing braces 34 support the securing action of the latching cams in cooperation with the planting pot rim 9.

(13) A transition 36 between an upper rim 9 and the lateral wall of the compartment 4 is free of gaps, so that no roots or no root system can grow in there. The rim 9 in this exemplary embodiment lies against the lateral wall of the lower compartment portion 10.