STRIP OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT PLANT CLIPS THAT ARE INTEGRALLY CONNECTED WITH EACH OTHER

Abstract

An assembly of plant clips for connecting plant stems to elongate supports, like rods or wires, each plant clip includes a clip body delimiting a holding space for taking in and holding the plant stem and elongate support, where free ends of each clip body form inwardly directed hook-shaped legs that together delimit an insertion opening for the plant stem and elongate support to enter into the holding space. The clip bodies together form a strip of integrally connected substantially flat plant clips.

Claims

1. An assembly of plant clips for connecting plant stems to elongate supports, like rods or wires, each plant clip comprising: a clip body delimiting a holding space for taking in and holding the plant stem and elongate support, wherein free ends of each clip body form inwardly directed hook-shaped legs that together delimit an insertion opening for the plant stem and elongate support to enter into the holding space, wherein the clip bodies together form a strip of integrally connected substantially flat plant clips, and wherein each clip body in the strip is integrally connected to its neighboring ones by means of one or more integral connection portions that are configured to tear loose or break free when a tearing or breaking force is exerted on a foremost clip body relative to the rest of the strip.

2. The assembly of plant clips according to claim 1, wherein the strip of integrally connected substantially flat plant clips is made out of a biodegradable natural fibre and/or cardboard paper material.

3. The assembly of plant clips according to claim 2, wherein the biodegradable natural fibre and/or cardboard/paper material is at least of a 400 grams/m2 type.

4. The assembly of plant clips according to claim 2, wherein the strip of integrally connected substantially flat plant clips is made out of a substantially flat base biodegradable natural fibre and/or cardboard paper material, by means of a die cutting operation that has been performed on a substantially flat strip of the biodegradable natural fibre and/or cardboard/paper material.

5. The assembly of plant clips according to claim 4, wherein the strip of integrally connected substantially flat plant clips made out of a biodegradable natural fibre and/or cardboard paper material is thin-walled, in particular with a thickness smaller than half a cross-sectional width of the free ends of the clip bodies.

6. The assembly of plant clips according to claim 1, wherein the strip of integrally connected substantially flat plant clips is wound on a roll or is folded up into a bundle of strip segments that have been laid meandering on top of each other.

7. The assembly of plant clips according to claim 1, wherein the clip bodies lie with their insertion openings in a longitudinal direction of the strip, in particular facing away from a feed direction.

8. The assembly of plant clips according to claim 1, wherein the connection portions are sideways spaced apart connection portions between which a gap is provided.

9. The assembly of plant clips according to claim 7, wherein the sideways spaced apart connection portions are provided at opposing sides of each insertion opening between neighboring ones of the clip bodies.

10. The assembly of plant clips according to claim 9, wherein the gaps that extend between the pairs of spaced apart connection portions and leading and trailing sides of neighboring ones of the plant clips, are in open condition with the insertion openings and holding spaces.

11. The assembly of plant clips according to claim 8, wherein the sideways spaced apart ones of the connection portions form part of outwardly projecting guiding tabs configured to guide the strip between sidewalls of a dispenser channel of a dispenser device, and/or wherein two of the connection portions that are provided at opposing sides of the insertion opening form outwardly projecting manually operable gripping ears.

12. The assembly of plant clips according to claim 11, wherein outer portions of the legs form pairs of trailing left and right ones of the guiding tabs, and wherein at opposite positions along the clip bodies, pairs of leading left and right ones of the guiding tabs are provided.

13. The assembly of plant clips according to claim 12, wherein there where the trailing pairs of guiding tabs of one of the clip bodies in the strip meet the leading pairs of guiding tabs of a neighbouring one of the clip bodies in the strip, they integrally connect with cq merge into each other for together forming the integral connection portions.

14. The assembly of plant clips according to claim 1, wherein the insertion openings between the free ends of each clip body in the strip has a width that lies between 0-5 mm.

15. The assembly of plant clips according to claim 1, wherein each plant clip in the strip comprises a ring-segment shaped clip body, that in particular extends along between 180-270 degrees of a circle.

16. The assembly of plant clips according to claim 1, wherein opposing ends of the legs project outwardly past by arc-shaped circumferential outer edges of the clip bodies.

17. A method for connecting plant stems to elongate supports, comprising: utilizing the assembly of plant clips according to claim 1 for connecting plant stems to elongate supports, like rods or wires, wherein a new one of the clip bodies each time gets separated from the strip, and then the plant stem and elongate support are manipulated via the insertion opening into the holding space of that clip body, in particular while manually flexing the legs in opposing directions perpendicular to the substantially flat clip body.

18. The method according to claim 17 in combination with a dispenser device, wherein a leading part of the strip is guided through a dispenser channel for each time pulling out a new one of the clip bodies out of the dispenser channel and separating it from the rest of the strip, in particular along a front edge of the dispenser.

19. (canceled)

20. A method for manufacturing the assembly of plant clips according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: supplying a layer of substantially flat base material, in particular made of a biodegradable fibre material and/or paper; and making the strip of integrally connected substantially flat clip bodies out of the substantially flat base material, in particular by means of die cutting.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] The invention shall now be explained in more detail below by means of describing some exemplary embodiments in a non-limiting way with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a portion of a strip of plant clips according to the invention;

[0043] FIGS. 2a and 2b show a perspective and a top view of a separated one of the clip bodies of FIG. 1;

[0044] FIG. 3 shows a dispenser device for separating the clip bodies from the strip of FIG. 1; and

[0045] FIGS. 4a-c shows three subsequent phases of pulling out and separating a new one of the clip bodies out of the dispenser device of FIG. 3; and

[0046] FIG. 5 shows one of the clip bodies separated from the strip of FIG. 1 placed around a plant stem and support rod.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0047] In FIG. 1 a portion of an elongate strip is shown that has been given the reference numeral 1. The strip 1 comprises a repetitive pattern of plant clips 2, here eight of them in a row. This repetitive pattern of plant clips 2 is obtained by means of a die-cutting operation performed on a substantially flat strip of paper material.

[0048] The plant clips 2 each exist of a ring-shaped clip body 3 that covers about three quarters of a circle here. Cut-out holding spaces 4 are delimited inside the bodies 3. These holding spaces 4 for a large part are round. Legs 5 are provided at free ends 3′ of the ring-shaped clip bodies 3. All the bodies 3 and legs 5 lie in a same flat face. The legs 5 extend mainly in directions cross to tangential directions of their respective free ends 3′ of the bodies 3, and are connected halfway to the free ends 3′ of the bodies 3.

[0049] Inner portions of the legs 5 form opposing hooks 9 that are directed inwardly into the holding spaces 4. Thus a catch opening is created for each plant clip 2. Between the hooks 9, cut-out slit-shaped insertion openings 7 are delimited. Those insertion openings between the free ends of each clip body 3 preferably may have a width that lies between 0-5 mm.

[0050] Outer portions of the legs 5 form pairs of trailing left and right rounded guiding tabs 10 that lie at a same distance D as the diameter of the ring-shaped clip bodies 3. The guiding tabs 10 lie at opposing sideways positions of the insertion openings 7.

[0051] At diametrically opposite positions along the ring-shaped clip bodies 3, pairs of leading left and right rounded guiding tabs 11 are provided that also lie at a same distance as the diameter of the ring-shaped clip bodies 3.

[0052] Besides projecting sideways of the ring-shaped clip bodies 3, the guiding tabs 10, 11 also project in the longitudinal direction of the strip 1. There where the trailing pairs of guiding tabs 10 meet the leading pairs of guiding tabs 11, they integrally connect with cq merge into each other for together forming integral connection portions 15. As can be seen those connection portions 15 are kept small, in particular with a width w that is less than half a width W of the mainly rectangular cross-sections of the ring-shaped clip body 3 and legs 5. This results in the connection portions 15 being the first ones to start tearing when a large enough pulling force is exerted upon a foremost one of the plant clips 2 relative to the rest of the strip 5.

[0053] Cut-out arc-shaped gaps 17 extend between the pairs of spaced apart connection portions 15 and the leading and trailing sides of the neighboring plant clips 2. Those gaps 17 are in open condition with the insertion openings 7 and holding spaces 4.

[0054] The clip bodies 3 thus lie with their insertion openings 7 projecting forwardly in the strip 1. This has the advantage that this helps to minimize undesired deformation of the clip bodies 3 in the strip 1 to occur. This is achieved due to symmetric left and right free ends 3′ of the substantially C-shaped clip bodies 3 that lie at opposing left and right sides of the holding spaces 4 and insertion openings 7, then get evenly loaded with pulling forces exerted on foremost ones of the clip bodies 3. This is in contrast to a strip of clip bodies in which the insertion openings would open out sideways, that is to say perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the strip, because there a pulling force on a foremost one of the clip bodies could easily lead to the free ends of the substantially C-shaped clip bodies that then have come to lie at opposing front and back sides of the holding spaces and insertion openings, then would get pulled away from each other while widening the insertion openings and possibly damaging the clip bodies due to tearing or overstretching.

[0055] The thickness t of the plant clips 2 is also less than half the width W of the cross-sections of the ring-shaped clip bodies 3 and legs 5. This causes the free ends 3′ of the ring-shaped clip bodies 3 and the legs 5 to more easily flex upwards or downwards that is to say in a direction perpendicular to the flat face of the plant clips 2.

[0056] In FIGS. 2a and 2b a plant clip 2 according to the invention is shown that just has been torn loose from a leading end of the strip 1. It can be seen there that the connection portions 15 are still somewhat visible as substantially straight tearing edges 15′ on the outer portions of the legs 5 cq trailing guiding tabs 10. Being made out of paper, those left behind tearing edges 15′ are non-sharp nor pointed and thus do not form a risk for accidentally damaging a plant stem during placing. Further it can be seen there that the plant clip 2 merely comprises concavely or convexly curved or straight circumferential inner and outer edges and thus also does not form a risk for accidentally damaging a plant stem with its circumferential edges during placing.

[0057] In FIG. 3 a dispenser device 30 is shown. The dispenser device 30 comprises a bottom wall 31, a top wall 32 and side walls 33, 34 that together delimit a dispenser channel 36 that has a width that is slightly larger than the outer diameter D of ring-shaped clip body 3 respectively the sideways distances between the guiding tabs 10, 11, and that has a height that is slightly larger than the thickness t of the strip 1. At is front portion the device's top side is left open. In the bottom wall 31 of the open front portion a circular opening 37 is provided. The front portion comprises a separation edge 38 at its front side.

[0058] In FIG. 4a it is shown that a front part of the strip 1 has been guided into the channel 36 of the dispenser device 30 until its foremost plant clip 2 has come to lie against the separation edge 38. With that, the holding space 4 of the foremost plant clip 2 lies above the opening 37.

[0059] In FIG. 4b it is shown that the foremost plant clip 2 is pulled out of the dispenser device 30 until the connection portions 15 with the subsequent plant clip 2′ have come to lie right above the separation edge 38.

[0060] In FIG. 4c it is shown that the foremost plant clip 2 gets folded down along the separation edge 38 in order to tear it loose from the subsequent plant clip 2′. With this a user can easily keep the subsequent plant clip 2′ in place by sticking a finger through the opening 37 and through the holding space 4′ of the subsequent plant clip 2′.

[0061] This process can be repeated as many times as desired each time a new plant clip 2 is to be released from the strip 1.

[0062] In FIG. 5 it is shown that the thus released plant clip 2 has been placed around a plant stem PS and a rigid support rod S that has been stuck into substrate material SM next aside the plant stem PS. Owing to the relative soft material capacities the substantially flat plant clip can quickly and easily be flexed open such that it can be slid with its widened insertion opening over the plant stem PS and support rod S that then come to extend through the holding space 4 and are effectively kept therein by the hooks 9.

[0063] During a subsequent growing phase the plant clips 2 are well able to keep the plant stem PS properly supported near the support rod S. During that the holding space 4 is dimensioned large enough for the plant stem PS to grow thicker without being hindered by the plant clip 2 as well as for the plant clip 2 to slide upwards along the support rod SR together with the plant growing in height.

[0064] After the growing phase has ended the plant clip 2 can easily be removed for example by tearing, cutting, folding it open.

[0065] Besides the shown and described embodiments, numerous variants are possible. For example the dimensions and shapes of the various clip portions can be altered. Instead of using paper other kinds of material can be used, including plastic, if it for example is aimed to re-use the clips over and over again. Instead of ring-shaped bodies, the plant clips may also comprise other outer or inner shapes for its clip bodies, like oval or squared.

[0066] Instead of the shown eight, the number of clip bodies in the strip may be any desired number and the strip may have any desired length. Preferably at least about ten clip bodies are comprised in each strip segment. The strips than can be provided in relative short segments, that can be shipped together, for example bundled or stacked in a box. More preferably, the number of clip bodies in the strip is way larger than ten, for example more than hundred, in particular a couple of hundreds or even more than thousand. In that case the length of the strip becomes such large that it can be shipped in rolled-up or folded-up form. With this it is noted that the rolling up or folding up can easily be done owing to the presence of the connection members. There, at the location of the connection members, the transitions between respective neighbouring ones of the clip bodies is weakest. A risk of the connection members prematurely breaking or tearing loose due to such rolling up or folding up does not have to exist owing to the non-brittle material characteristics of the biodegradable natural fibre and/or cardboard/paper material the strips are made of. Other materials are however also possible.

[0067] It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, and therefore will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.