Container for plants

Abstract: An apparatus for the gripping of plants (1) located in a contai­ ner (3) is disclosed. This apparatus comprises a pushing element (9), which pushes the ball (2) of the plant upwardly from underneath, until the ball is released for a substantial part above the container. Then the ball is gripped by a number of gripping arms (18), movable in a horizontal direction, which transports the ball including the plant to its destination. To be able to push the ball upwards the continer comprises at location of each of the cavities for the balls a guiding channel (6) for the pushing element. This channel has a cross-section of a star-­ like configuration, the number of points thereof coïnciding with the number of points of the pushing element.

Description: The present invention relates to a container for plants being provided in balls and comprising a substantially flat body, in which cavities open towards the upper side have been provided according to a regular pattern, and in the sidewalls whereof slits have been provided according to a starlike configuration. Such a container is known from EP-A-0030873. When such a container of a known kind is used, the roots of the plants have the tendency to grow alongside the circumferences of the cavity. When subsequently the plant with such root balls are located in a bigger container, or in the normal earth, the roots only extend beyond their original border after a substantial period, so that the growing of such plants is only relatively slow. Indeed the cavity in the known trays or containers do have slits, but these only extend over a limited part of the height of the walls of the cavity. Subsequently, the effect of these slits is only limited. Further there is the wish to be able to push the root balls with the plants out of the containers from underneath by means of an apparatus comprising a pushing element movable through a guiding channel and a gripping apparatus, comprising at least three gripping organs, which are able to grip the ball above the upperside of the container. To allow such a gripping apparatus to be operated with a container the invention provides in such a container, whereby the slits form a part of a polygonal channel with a star-like configuration, of which the axis is identical with the axis of the cavity, and which extends over the full depth of the body, and of which the points of the star-like configuration extend outside the widest parts of the cavity, whereby all the walls of the slits extend substantially parallel to the axis of the cavity. As a consequence of these measures it is possible to push the ball from the cavity from underneath, so that at least a part of the ball is released for gripping by the gripping organs. When the gripping organs have gripped the ball, this can further be conveyed by the gripping organs and be treated further. Whereas the ball of the plant is pushed upward to some extend, it becomes easy for the gripping organs to grip the plant at its ball, so that the danger of damaging of the plant by gripping the plant or by gripping the ball from above is avoided as far as possible. It has to be noted that a tray 29-02-04 of Synprodo has conical through-going openings with slits in the side walls of the openings. The walls of the slits are also conical. Due to the conical walls guiding of the pushing element over the full depth of the body is not possible. Subsequently the present invention will be elucidated with the help of embodiments shown in the drawings, wherein: fig. 1 depicts a schematic perspective view, partly broken away, of a first embodiment of an embodiment according to the present invention; fig. 2 depicts a perspective view, partly broken away, of a tray, which can be applied advantageously with the present invention; fig. 2a depicts a perspective view, partly broken away, of a cavity of the tray according to fig. 2; fig. 2b depicts a top view of a cavity of the tray according to fig. 2; fig. 3 depicts a top view of a second embodiment of a cavity in a tray; fig. 3a depicts a cross-sectional view of the cavity according to fig. 3 along the line VIIa-VIIa; fig. 4 depicts a top view of a third embodiment of a cavity in a tray; and fig. 4a depicts a cross-sectional view of the cavity according to fig. 4 along the line VIIIa-VIIIa. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1 the ball 2 comprising a plant 1 has been provided in a strip-shaped container 3. The upper side of this container 3 comprises an array of substantially cylindrical cavities 4, while the lower side of the strip-shaped container comprises a groove 5 extending in the longitudinal direction of the container. Concentric with each of the cylindrical cavities 4 a cross- or star-shaped through aperture has been provided, which, as a consequence of the presence of the cavities 4 and of the grooves 5 is shown in the drawing in the shape of four grooves 6 extending radially from the cavities 4. These grooves extend over the full height of the strip-shaped container 3, including the groove 5. Besides, a number of the strip-shaped containers 3 has been composed to a so-called tray 8 by means of connection strips 7. This facillitates the handling of such strips. Normallly, the cavities 4 of the strip-shaped containers are filled with growing material and subsequently are provided with a seed, which actions are executed with apparatuses known per se, after which trays 8 comprising such strips are located in a propagator, after which the plants will germinate. As a consequence thereof, in most of the cavities 4 a ball 2 with a plant 1 will be present. For removing the ball 2 with the plant 1 from the container, use is made inter alia of a pushing organ 9, which comprises a vertical rod 10, driven in vertical direction by means of a lineair driving apparatus not depicted in the drawing, on which vertical rod 10 four radially extending levers 11 have been provided, while on each of the ends of the levers 11 an elongation 12 extending upwardly has been provided. Preferably, the elongations 12 are beveled at their inner sides to facillitate the gripping of the balls 2. Of cours it is also possible to bevel the outer side of the elongation to some extend, so that the entering into the guiding grooves 6 is facillitated. Above the pushing organ 9, a gripping apparatus 13 has been provided, which is located exactly above the pushing organ 9 and which is movable both in the horizontal and in the vertical direction for conveying the ball 2 with the plant 1 provided therein. The gripping apparatus 13 has been mounted to a hollow rod 14, being movable in substantially the vertical direction, at the lower side of which a bearing plate 15 has been provided. This bearing plate 15 comprises four notches distributed regularly over the incumference, in which notches substantially tangentially extending shafts 17 have been provided. A gripping lever 18 has been mounted around each of the shafts 17. Each of the gripping levers 18 extends from the shaft 17 initially downwards but also inwards to some extend. Subsequently, the gripping lever extends substantially in radial direction outwardly, while after which a curve of about 180° is described, so that at the end of the curve, the lever stretches inwardly. The last part of the gripping lever 18 stretches downwardly and forms the gripping part 19 of the gripping lever 18. An inner rod 20 extends through the hollow rod 14, at the lower side of which a guiding plate 21 has been provided. The guiding plate 21 comprises four apertures 22 through each of which the gripping lever 18 extends. As a consequence of the shape of the gripping levers 18, the movement in vertical direction op the rod 20 and the movement of the guiding plate 21 as a consequence thereof, will make rotate the gripping levers 18 around the shafts 17. As a consequence thereof the gripping part 19 of each of the gripping levers 18 will move in radial direction inwardly or outwardly, so that a ball 2 can be gripped and can be released. The curve of each of the gripping levers 18 has been provided to leave space to the leaves, flowers and stems of the plants. Subsequently the working the embodiment shown in this figure will be described. The tray 8 comprising containers 3 positioned such above a pushing organ 9 that a cavity 4 is exactly above the pushing organ 9. Then the driving apparatus will move the rod 10 with the levers 11 and elongations 12 thereof upwardly, so that these will move through the guiding grooves 6 provided in the strip-shaped container 3, so that the ball 2 is engaged at its lower side body arms 11 and at its side by the elongations 12 and is moved upwardly. Herein the ball 2 and the plant 1 provided therein is released from the cavity 4 until it is above the upper side of the strip-shaped container 3. The gripping apparatus 13 also positioned just above the pushing organ will be lowered by a driving apparatus not depicted in the drawings, after which the gripping parts 19 of the gripping levers 18 are on the level of the ball 2. Also the guiding plate 21 has been located in its lowest position, so that the gripping parts 19 are in their outer position. By moving the rod 20 upwardly and away from the guiding plate 21, the upper parts of the gripping levers 18 are drawn inwardly, so that also the gripping parts of the gripping levers 18 are drawn inwardly and these are gripping the ball 2. Care has to be taken that the gripping parts 19 grip between the elongations 12. Subsequently the whole gripping apparatus 13 is moved upwardly and thus the plant can be transported to another position, for instance to a planting machine or to an apparatus for locating the ball and the plant in a bigger container. The pushing organ can be moved downwardly, after which the container can be relocated over one position and the next ball can be gripped. Subsequently some embodiments of trays will be described, which are depicted in fig. 2-4. Fig. 2 shows a part of a tray which can be applied with the apparatus according to the present invention. The tray 8 comprises cavities 4 provided according to a regular patern. Each of the cavities comprises, as is shown clearly in fig. 2, a conical part 54, which has a bottom at its lower side. The slight conicity of this conical part 54 serves to facillitate the production of the tray. By this conicity the trays can be released easily from the mould. Of course, the ball present in the cavity can easily be pushed upwards. The conicity is, however, not essential for the invention. Further, central with the conical cavity 54 a cross-shaped guiding channel 6 has been provided which extends until the underside of the tray 8. By having the cross-shaped guiding channel 6 and the cavity 54 coincide the underside of the bottom 54 is separated until four pieces 55 which each have the shape of a circle-segment. Consequently the bottom of the aperture 54 is not continuous. This has the advantage, that the roots of a plant being present in the ball, tend to grow according to a circular movement along the bottom of the container, in this case the bottom of the conical cavity. Generally this circular growing is not desired, as a kind of programming of the roots takes place. When the ball with the plant is planted in a bigger container or in the soil, the roots will tend to continue the circular movement and will grow according to a circle, so that the roots will extend only outside the original ball to a small extend and the original ball is separated within the bigger container or in the soil. Of course this is not desired as the ability to obtain water and nutrition from the surrounding soil is limited considerably and the plant is to come lose in the ground. As the bottom of the container has been divided into pieces, so that the round going tendation of the roots is broken off and the roots will grow downwardly, guided by the guiding channel 6. A same consideration is valid for the conical sides of the cavity 54 wheras also these conical sides are broken up by guiding grooves 6, the tendation to grow around is eliminated. In the embodiment shown in fig. 3 question is of a hexagonal cavity 56, in which a guiding channel 57 has been provided in the shape of a three-pointed star, so that every second side of the hexagonal cavity 56 comprises a guiding groove. The cavity 56 is again conical to ease the release of the tray 8. Further a three-pointed star configuration of the guiding channel 57 makes this tray fit for a gripping element 11 comprising three elongations. A cross-section of the cavity is shown in fig. 7a. Also in this case, the question is that both the bottom and the sides have to be broken to eliminate the circular growing of the roots. Further the embodiment shown in fig. 3 deviates in that in the bottom an extra aperture 59 has been provided, which connects the cavity with the underside. In fig. 3 this extra opening is round, thus this can take every shape and it does not have to be equal to the shape of the relevant cavity. Finally fig. 4 shows a next embodiment in which the cavity 58 is square and in which a cross-shaped guiding channel 6 has been provided. Instead of round, hexagonal or square also cavities with other shapes can be applied, like polygonal ones or oval ones.

Claims: Container for plants being provided in balls and comprising a substantially flat body (8), in which cavities (4, 54, 56) open towards the upper side have been provided according to a regular pattern, and in the sidewalls whereof slits have been provided according to a starlike configuration, characterized in that the slits form a part of a polygonal channel (6, 57) with a star-like configuration, of which the axis is identical with the axis of the cavity, and which extends over the full depth of the body, and of which the points of the star-like configuration extend outside the widest parts of the cavity, whereby all the walls of the slits extend substantially parallel to the axis of the cavity. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the cavity has the shape of a truncated cone. Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cavity is round. Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that , the cavity is polygonal. Container according to one of the claims 1-4, characterized in that the flat body can be parted into strips by means of breaking grooves, in which every strip comprises at least one array of cavities. Container according to claim 5, characterized in that each of the strips comprises at its lower side a guiding groove. Container according to one of the claims 1-6, characterized in that each of the cavities comprises an aperture (59) at its lower side connecting the cavity (56) with the lower side of the container, and in the side walls whereof the channel has been provided.

Inventors: VISSER ANTHONY, VISSER, ANTHONY
Applicants: SYNBRA B V, SYNBRA B.V.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A01G9
IPC codes: A01G9