Plan Cultivation Container

Abstract

The object of the invention is a plant cultivation container, wherein the plants do not need to be transplanted during cultivation or growth. The container is provided with pull-out trays and this allows continuous adaptation of the container volume to the growth and development of the root system. The container of the invention provides for continuous oxygen and air supply to the root system and for development of fibrous roots contrary to root spiralisation which is typical of conventional containers. The pull-out tray has several functions: partitioning of container volume to compartments, retaining of excess water while watering, and as a drip tray when the entire container volume is in use. The walls of the container are provided with notches at various heights which in conjunction with several pull-out trays partition the entire volume of the container along its height to several compartments. The notches are sized in a way to adapt to the thickness and height of the side walls and the bottom of a pull-out tray when the trays are inserted into the notches. The pull-out trays are simply insertable into and removable from the notches and this is why the container volume can simply be adapted to the growth and development of the root system.

Claims

1. A plant cultivation container formed as an integral container preferably of a quadrangular shape and comprising of four walls 2, 3 and a bottom 6 provided with grooves 7 with holes, wherein the container includes at least one pull-out tray 9, wherein the tray 9 comprises of a bottom 10, two side walls 11, 11, a rear wall 11 and a front wall 11 which is detachably attachable to the tray 9, and all walls 2, 3 of the container 1 are provided along their heights with horizontal notches 16 and vertical notches 17 for receiving the pull-out trays, wherein the notches 16, 17 are dimensioned in a way that, when the trays 9 are inserted into the notches 16, 17, the latter adapt to the thickness and height of the side walls 11, 11 and the bottom 10 of the pull-out tray 9.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the two walls 2 of the container 1, which lie opposite each other, are straight, while the other two walls 3 of the container 1, which also lie opposite each other, are provided with a concave part 4 in the central part, while there are two convex parts 5 to the left and to the right of the concave part 4.

3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the front wall 11 of the tray 9 is formed as an independent element including two lateral walls 12, a bottom wall 13 and a transversal wall 14, wherein the bottom parts of the side walls 12 and the bottom wall 13 are provided with a double wall such that a gap 15 is created, into which, once the front wall 11 is attached to the tray 9, the bottom 10 and two opposite side walls 11, 11 of the tray 9 fit in order to form a firm connection.

4. The container according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal notch 16 serving as a reception for the bottom 10 of the tray 9 is formed in both straight walls 2 and in the concave part 4 of both other two walls 3, and the vertical notch 17 serving as reception of the two walls 11, 11 of the tray 9 is formed in straight walls 2 at the external edge of the container 1 and in both convex parts 5 of the other two walls 3 at the external edge of the container 1, wherein the vertical notch 17 is formed at an angle with respect to the plain defined by the bottom 6 of the container 1, such that the gap 17 extends in parallel with the convex part 5 of the wall 3.

5. The container according to claim 1, wherein the width and height of the horizontal notch 16 is always adequately adapted to the thickness and width of the bottom 10 of the tray 9, the width and height of the vertical notch 17 is always adequately adapted to the thickness and height of the side walls 11, 11 of the tray 9.

6. The container according to claim 1, wherein each of the walls 2, 3 of the container 1 is provided in the horizontal notches 16 with additional gaps 18 which are equidistantly arranged and that a central gap in the horizontal notch 16 in the straight wall 2 is formed as an indicator gap 19 which is higher than the height of the side wall 11, 14 of the tray 9.

7. The container according to claim 1, wherein the width of the tray 9 is somewhat smaller than the width of the straight wall 2 due to the vertical notch 17 for the reception of the side wall 11, 11 of the tray 9, and the length of the tray 9 is somewhat larger than the width of the wall 3 with the concave part 4, such that part of the tray 9 projects from the plain of the straight walls 2 on one and the other side and a space 20 is thus created for air access to the root system through additional gaps 18, 19.

8. The container according to claim 1, wherein the angle formed by each of the side walls 11, 11 with the tray bottom 10 is bigger than 0 degrees and smaller than 5 degrees from the angle formed by the vertical gap 17 with respect to the plain defined by the bottom 6 of the container 1.

Description

[0015] The invention will be further explained in more detail by way of an embodiment and drawings, in which:

[0016] FIG. 1 shows the container of the inventionside view with a concave part of the wall

[0017] FIG. 2 shows the container of the inventionview from the side with a straight wall

[0018] FIG. 3 shows the container of the inventioncross-section along plain A

[0019] FIG. 4 shows the container of the inventioncross-section along plain B

[0020] FIG. 5 shows the container of the inventionaxonometric projection

[0021] A container 1 of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 is of a quadrangular shape and consists of four walls, wherein two walls 2 of the container 1, which lie opposite each other, are straight, while the other two walls 3 of the container 1, which also lie opposite each other, are provided with a concave part 4 in the central part, while there are two convex parts 5 to the left and to the right of the concave part 4. The bottom 6 of the container 1 is provided with grooves 7 with holes (not shown in figures), while the upper part of the container is circumferentially provided with an edge 8 serving as a grip for transporting the container 1. The container 1 includes two pull-out trays 9. All walls 2, 3 of the container 1 are provided with notches formed over the height of the container 1 for the reception of the pull-out trays 9. The notches are sized in a way to adapt to the thickness and height of the side walls and the bottom of the pull-out tray 9, when the trays 9 are inserted into the notches.

[0022] The tray 9 consists of a bottom 10, two side walls 11, 11, a rear wall 11 and a front wall 11 which is detachably attachable to the tray 9. The tray bottom 10, the two side walls 11, 11 and the rear wall 11 are formed from one piece. The front wall 11 is formed as an independent element consisting of two lateral walls 12, a bottom wall 13 and a transversal wall 14, wherein the bottom parts of the side walls 12 and the bottom wall 13 are provided with a double wall such that a gap 15 is created, into which, once the front wall 11 is attached to the tray 9, the bottom 10 and two opposite side walls 11, 11 of the tray 9 fit in order to form a firm connection. The tray 9 consists of two parts in order to provide for insertion of the tray 9 into the notches formed on the walls 2, 3 of the container 1.

[0023] A horizontal notch 16 serving as a reception for the bottom 10 of the tray 9 is formed in both straight walls 2 and in the concave part 4 of both other two walls 3. The notch 16 is formed horizontally. A vertical notch 17 serving as reception of the two walls 11, 11 of the tray 9 is formed in straight walls 2 at the external edge of the container 1 and in both convex parts 5 of the other two walls 3 at the external edge of the container 1. The vertical notch 17 is formed at an angle with respect to the plain defined by the bottom 6 of the container 1, such that the gap 17 extends in parallel with the convex part 5 of the wall 3.

[0024] Each of the walls 2, 3 of the container 1 is provided in the horizontal notches 16 with additional gaps 18 for air supply to the root system said gaps being equidistantly arranged. The central gap in the horizontal notch 16 in the straight wall 2 is formed as an indicator gap 19 which is higher than the height of the side wall 11, 14 of the tray 9 and reaches above the side wall and is used as an indicator to evaluate whether the root system in the compartment has grown to such an extent that the tray needs to be pulled out thus increasing the volume of the container.

[0025] The width and height of the horizontal notch 16 is always adequately adapted to the thickness and width of the bottom 10 of the tray 9, the width and height of the vertical notch 17 is always adequately adapted to the thickness and height of the side walls 11, 11 of the tray 9.

[0026] The pull-out tray 9 is of a quadrangular shape. The width of the tray 9 is somewhat smaller than the width of the straight wall 2 due to the vertical notch 17 for the reception of the side wall 11, 11 of the tray 9, while the length of the tray 9 is somewhat larger than the width of the wall 3 with the concave part 4, such that part of the tray 9 projects from the plain of the straight walls 2 on one and the other side. A space 20 is thus created for air access to the root system through additional gaps 18, 19.

[0027] The angle formed by each of the side walls 11, 11 with the tray bottom 10 is somewhat bigger than the angle formed by the vertical gap 17 with respect to the plain which is defined by the bottom 6 of the container 1.

[0028] When the container of the invention is used, the lowest compartment is first filled with adequate substrate for plant cultivation up to the first set of notches. A first tray is then inserted into the notches and a front wall is attached. Then a second compartment is filled with substrate up to the next set of notches, a next tray is inserted and a front wall is attached. The procedure is repeated depending on the number of compartments. A plant is planted into the last compartment. When the plant grows, its root system gets stronger and when the roots fill the entire compartment, which is evaluated by means of the indicator gap, a tray is optionally removed and the plant and the roots have the next compartment available for the growth.

[0029] The container of the invention allows a much better exploitation of the substrate because the plant roots fill up the entire volume of the cultivation container. Spiralisation of roots on the container bottom is observed in conventional containers, while the container of the invention is specific in being partitioned to compartments by trays. The job of a cultivator is simplified since there is no need for transplantation. The plants are not subject to transplantation shock due to contact with light. Thanks to the additional gaps formed in the individual notches, the entire root system is supplied with fresh air and oxygen. When this container is used, no extra drip trays need to be purchased, because the trays have a double function: a function of a drip tray and they also allow transfer of the roots to another compartment. The container also contributes to the cleanliness of a room since the substrate remains in the same container during the entire growth cycle.