DEVICE FOR GERMINATING, GROWING AND/OR PROPAGATING PLANTS

Abstract

A device for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants, has at least two dividers and at least two combs which allow the dividers to be arranged so as to create at least one space for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants. The dividers each have a corrugated shape, as do the combs.

Claims

1. A device for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants, comprising: at least two dividers and at least two combs for arranging the dividers so as to create at least one volume for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants, wherein the dividers each have a corrugated shape.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the combs are placed at the ends of the dividers and in that the combs and the dividers are removably fixed to one another, making said device dismountable.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device does not have a base directly adjoining the volumes defined by the dividers.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arrangement of the dividers forms a cellular structure, for example in the form of a honeycomb.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the corrugated shape comprises a partial polygonal repeating pattern, such as a partial repeating pattern of a triangle, a square, a hexagon, an octagon, a decagon or a dodecagon.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dividers and/or the combs are made from the same material.

7. The device as claimed in claim, wherein the dividers and combs are made of a polymer material, such as plastic or cellulose, a natural material, such as wood, a bio-sourced material and/or a biodegradable material, such as PLA.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the corrugated dividers are straight dividers with a sinusoidal shape.

9. A comb (4) for implementing the device as claimed in claim 1, said comb being made up of teeth and slits, wherein at least two slits are disposed on different sides of the comb.

10. The comb as claimed in claim 9, wherein said at least two slits are disposed on opposite sides of the comb and in that the width of the slits is smaller in size than the width of the teeth.

Description

FIGURES

[0063] Embodiments of the present invention shall be described hereinafter by way of nonlimiting examples, with reference to the appended figures in which:

[0064] FIG. 1 depicts a divider with a corrugated shape;

[0065] FIG. 2 is a top view of the device for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants according to the present invention;

[0066] FIG. 3 is a 3-dimensional view of the device for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants according to the present invention, placed on a tray;

[0067] FIG. 4 is embodiments taken from GB493730 showing examples of corrugations that can be applied to the dividers 1 according to the present invention;

[0068] FIG. 5 is a top view of the device for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants according to the present invention, wherein the comb is a threaded bar;

[0069] FIG. 6 is a 3-dimensional view of the device for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants according to the present invention, wherein the comb is a threaded bar.

[0070] In all of the figures depicted, the same element reference numbers have been used from one figure to the next.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0071] The divider 1 in FIG. 1 represents an element of a particular embodiment of the present invention, wherein the corrugated shape comprises a partial hexagonal repeating pattern. By convention, the length of the divider 1 coincides with the X axis, the width of the divider 1 coincides with the Y axis and the thickness of the divider 1 is defined along the Z axis. It should be noted that, in this depiction, since the corrugation is made along the Z axis, the thickness varies along that axis. The divider in FIG. 1 makes it possible to define four full germinating, growing and/or propagating volumes on the visible face (or front face in the figure) of the divider and five full germinating, growing and/or propagating volumes on the concealed face (or rear face in the figure, i.e. in the continuation of the Z axis).

[0072] A notch 2 makes it possible to delimit an end protuberance 3. The combination of notch 2 and protuberance 3 makes it possible to fix the divider 1 to the comb 4 by interlocking, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0073] FIG. 2 shows a device for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants according to the invention utilizing dividers 1 defining three and two full volumes 5 for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants on each side of each divider 1. It can also be noted that the half-volumes 6 for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants are in contact with the combs 4. The shape of the volumes for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants is hexagonal or half-hexagonal (at the edge of the combs 4). The dividers are coupled with one another and interlocked in the combs 4.

[0074] In general, the dividers 1 can be interlocked with the combs 4 in pairs.

[0075] FIG. 3 shows a 3D view of a device according to the present invention comprising 10 dividers interlocked in pairs in at least one comb 4. The teeth 8 and the slits 9 of the comb can be seen. A tray 7 supports the device according to the present invention. This tray is not fixed to the device according to the present invention in this embodiment.

[0076] The dimensions of the combs and the dividers may be adapted to the plants that are to be cultivated.

[0077] In particular, combs and dividers may have any suitable height.

[0078] For example, the height of the combs and the dividers may be comprised between 1 cm and 1 meter. With preference, the height of the combs and/or the dividers is comprised between 1.5 cm and 50 cm, such as comprised between 2 cm and 25 cm, comprised between 2.5 cm and 20 cm, comprised between 3 cm and 15 cm, comprised between 3.5 cm and 10 cm, comprised between 4 cm and 8 cm or comprised between 4.5 cm and 6 cm, such as 5 cm plus or minus 0.2 cm.

[0079] For example, the height of the combs and the dividers may be less than or equal to 1 meter, less than or equal to 50 cm, less than or equal to 25 cm, less than or equal to 20 cm, less than or equal to 15 cm, less than or equal to 10 cm, less than or equal to 8 cm, less than or equal to 7 cm, less than or equal to 6 cm, less than or equal to 5 cm, less than or equal to 4.5 cm, less than or equal to 4 cm, less than or equal to 3.5 cm, less than or equal to 3 cm, less than or equal to 2.5 cm, less than or equal to 2 cm, less than or equal to 1.5 cm or less than or equal to 1 cm.

[0080] With preference, the height of the combs and/or the dividers is 4.8 cm plus or minus 0.2 cm, 3.8 cm plus or minus 0.2 cm, 2.5 cm plus or minus 0.2 cm, 2.2 cm plus or minus 0.2 cm.

[0081] In a particular embodiment, the height of the combs and the dividers is not the same.

[0082] To illustrate the adaptation of the height of the combs and the dividers, this can be done depending on the size of the seeds, and/or the size of the plant.

[0083] For example, the height of the combs and the dividers for germinating a sunflower seed (fairly large seed) may be 5 cm.

[0084] For example, the height of the combs and the dividers for growing and propagating a walnut tree (bulky plant) may be 50 cm, and it is possible for it to comprise only a single plant germinating, growing and/or propagating volume.

[0085] For example, the height of the combs and the dividers for germinating radish (small seed) may be 2.2 cm.

[0086] For example, the height of the combs and the dividers for germinating a tomato seed (small seed) may be 2.2 cm.

[0087] For example, the height of the combs and the dividers for growing a tomato plant may be approximately 5 to 25 cm.

[0088] Any cultivation substrate, whether solid, liquid or gel, can be used with the device according to the present invention. In the case of a liquid substrate, the device according to the present invention is preferably placed in a container. Such a substrate may be soil, earth, a hydroponic medium, a nutrient-containing gel, etc.

[0089] In one embodiment, the one or more germinating, growing and/or propagating volumes are completely filled with cultivation substrate.

[0090] In one embodiment, the one or more germinating, growing and/or propagating volumes are partially filled with cultivation substrate, for example to an amount less than or equal to 95%, less than or equal to 90%, less than or equal to 85%, less than or equal to 80%, less than or equal to 75%, less than or equal to 70%, less than or equal to 65%, less than or equal to 60%, less than or equal to 55%, less than or equal to 50%, less than or equal to 45%, less than or equal to 40%, or less than or equal to 30% of the one or more volumes in question.

[0091] In one embodiment, the color of the combs and the dividers is adapted to the nature of the plant that is to germinate, grow and/or propagate. For example, the combs and the dividers may be a dark color, such as black, or a light color, such as white.

[0092] This is because it has been noted that certain seedlings, such as tomato seedlings, grow better in devices according to the present invention that have a dark color, such as black.

[0093] By contrast, and more generally, plants (such as radish) grow better in devices according to the present invention that have a light color, such as white.

[0094] FIG. 4 is embodiments taken from GB493730 showing examples of corrugations that can be applied to the dividers 1 according to the present invention.

[0095] Thus, FIG. 4 (4A) depicts a V-shaped corrugation with salient angles (that is to say with a partial triangular shape), in which the dividers a.sup.1 are juxtaposed against one another to create volumes for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants.

[0096] FIG. 4 (4B) shows dividers a.sup.2 in which the corrugations have right-angled U shapes (that is to say with a partial square shape), each forming one complete side and two half-sides of a volume for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants.

[0097] In FIG. 4 (4C), the corrugated dividers a.sup.3 depicted have contours which are circular (that is to say of sinusoidal shape).

[0098] In FIG. 4 (4D), the corrugated dividers a.sup.4 are realized so as to press against one another by way of flat faces and form volumes for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants that are mutually circular, so as to reconstruct volumes for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants with a conventional, cylindrical flower-pot shape.

[0099] In FIG. 4 (4E), the dividers a.sup.5 are formed with corrugations having a right-angled T shape (that is to say with a partial square shape), but in this case each corrugation forms three complete sides of a volume for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants.

[0100] FIG. 4 (4F) shows how, in some cases (in this instance, a partial hexagonal shape), the dividers 1 can be stacked with one another to reduce the volume when they are being transported or stored.

[0101] Shapes other than those illustrated here can be used to realize dividers 1 according to the present invention.

[0102] FIG. 5 shows a device for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants according to the invention utilizing dividers 1 defining full volumes 5 for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants on each side of each divider 1. In this instance, the combs 4 are tubular bars of circular cross section (hollow or solid tubular cylinder) provided at their ends with two threads 10 and with bolts 11 for holding the dividers 1. The shape of the volumes for germinating, growing and/or propagating one or more plants is hexagonal. The dividers are coupled with one another and thus held by the combs 4.

[0103] FIG. 6 shows a 3D view of a device according to the present invention comprising dividers 1 held by two combs 4 in the form of tubular bars of circular cross section (hollow or solid tubular cylinder) provided at their ends with two threads 10 and with bolts 11 for holding the dividers 1.

[0104] The lengths of the combs and the dimensions of the dividers in FIGS. 5 and 6 do not differ from those of the previous figures and can be adapted to the plants that are to be cultivated.

[0105] In particular, the dividers may have any suitable height.

[0106] For example, the height of the dividers may be comprised between 1 cm and 1 meter. With preference, the height of the dividers is comprised between 1.5 cm and 50 cm, such as comprised between 2 cm and 25 cm, comprised between 2.5 cm and 20 cm, comprised between 3 cm and 15 cm, comprised between 3.5 cm and 10 cm, comprised between 4 cm and 8 cm or comprised between 4.5 cm and 6 cm, such as 5 cm plus or minus 0.2 cm.

[0107] The length of the combs and/or the dividers can vary, for example between 3 cm and 5 meters, preferably between 20 cm and 2 meters, more preferably between 30 cm and 1 meter.