TRAY FOR CARRYING PLANTS IN PLANT POTS

Abstract: A plastics tray for carrying plants in plant pots comprises an upper surface (1) having a plurality of recesses (2) for receiving plant pots. The upper surface (1) includes a plurality of formationtions (15, 17, 18, 24) to increase the strength of the tray.

Description: Tray for carrying plants in plant pots This invention relates to a tray for carrying plants in plant pots- Trays for carrying plants in plant pots, sometimes referred to as "pot plant trays", are used in large numbers for storing pot plants and other plants in pots and for transporting the plants from the grower to the retailer or consumer. Early plant pot trays were manufactured of wood or corrugated carton or cartonboard. Those trays had a number of disadvantages, for example being bulky, heavy and expensive to manufacture. More recently, plant pot trays manufactured from expanded polystyrene beads have been used. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) trays are generally solid, and have a number of recesses or apertures formed therein for receiving plant pots. Solid but pliable ribs are sometimes provided in the recesses for gripping the plant pots. Although EPS trays are light and inexpensive, they have a number of disadvantages. For example, they are very bulky and so occupy a great deal of storage space, and the costs of transporting the trays are relatively high. The trays are also very light and tend to blow away in moderate breezes and this, together with the fact that EPS material is subject to ultraviolet degradation, means that the trays have to be stored indoors. Further, EPS trays cause environmental problems owing to the use of gases such as pentane and butane in their manufacture, the litter problems they cause and the difficulty of using more than a small percentage of recycled materials in the EPS moulding process, most EPS trays therefore being made predominantly of virgin polystyrene material. Because of these environmental concerns, the use of EPS pot plant trays has now been banned in some European countries. In order to avoid the use of EPS trays, a number of trays have been made available that are thermoformed from plastics sheet. However, in order to support the con¬ siderable weight of the plants, pots, soil and so forth, relatively thick plastics sheet has had to be used, which has made the trays considerably more expensive and heavier than EPS trays. A further problem with existing thermoformed sheet trays is that they are generally designed for one specific pot size, and because pots of the same nominal diameter from different manufacturers may vary con¬ siderably in shape and dimensions, the recesses of the tray may be unable to accommodate and grip adequately more than one or two pot shapes. The user of the tray (the grower or distributor) may therefore have to purchase several different sizes of tray for the same nominal pot size. According to the present invention, there is provided a plastics tray for carrying plants in plant pots, the tray comprising an upper surface having a plurality of recesses for receiving plant pots, wherein the upper surface includes a plurality of formations to increase the strength of the tray. The thickness of plastics material needed to form the tray can then be reduced. The formations may include a plurality of raised ribs. The ribs may extend longitudinally and transver¬ sely to increase the strength of the tray in both directions. Advantageously, the ribs are at least partially curved, to increase their strength further. Alternatively, or in addition, the formations may include a plurality of channels. The channels are preferably formed between and connect adjacent recesses. The channels may be at least partially curved. Further, the formations may include a subsidiary recess connected by channels to adjacent recesses. The subsidiary recess may be smaller than the plant pot- receiving recesses. Advantageously, the subsidiary recesses are provided in the corner regions of the tray. The depth of the channels may be in the range one quarter to three quarters, and advantageously one third to two thirds, and is preferably approximately half the depth of the recesses. The formations may include a groove adjacent a side or the tray. Advantageously, the groove intersects recesses adjacent the side of the tray. The tray may include a peripheral wall which, advantageously, is stepped. The present invention further provides a plastics tray for carrying plants in plant pots, the tray compris¬ ing a substantially rectangular upper surface having a plurality of recesses for receiving plant pots, and a peripheral wall, wherein the upper surface includes a plurality of indentations adjacent at least its shorter sides, the indentations forming abutment members that project downwards beyond the lower edge of the peripheral wail. The abutment members interact with the rails of a so-called "Dutch" trolley, to prevent excessive movement of the tray during transportation. According to the present invention there is yet further provided a plastics tray for carrying plants in plant pots, the tray comprising a substantially rectan¬ gular upper surface having a plurality of recesses for receiving plant pots, and a peripheral wall, wherein the peripheral wall includes at least one flat face for receiving a label. Advantageously, the walls of the recesses are provided with resiliently deformable ridges. The tray is then able to accommodate slight variations in the size and shape of the pots. Preferably, the substantially vertical walls of the tray are inclined to allow nesting of the tray with other identical trays. The amount of space required for storage and transportation of the trays is thereby considerably reduced. Advantageously, the tray is thermoformed. For example, the tray may be pressure-formed or vacuum- formed. The tray is preferably formed from a sheet of plastics material. Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Fig. 1 is a top view of a first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is an end view of the tray shown in Fig. 1; Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are cross-sections on lines III- III, IV-IV, V-V, VI-VI and VII-VII respectively of Fig. 1; Figs. 8 and 9 are views at an enlarged scale of the parts labelled A and B respectively in Fig. 7; Fig. 10 is a top view at an enlarged scale of one of the recesses in the tray shown in Fig. 1; Figs. 11 and 12 are cross-sections on lines XI-XI and XII-XII of Fig. 10; Figs. 13a, 13b and 13c are cross-sections on line XIII- XIII of Fig. 11, showing three alternative formations of ridges provided in the reccess; Figs. 14 and 15 are top and end views respectively of a tray according to a second embodiment of the invention; Figs. 16 and 17 are top and end views respectively of a tray according to a third embodiment of the invention; Figs. 18 and 19 are top and end views respectively of a tray according to a fourth embodiment of the invention; Figs. 20 and 21 are top and end views respectively of a tray according to a fifth embodiment of the invention; Fiαs. 22 and 23 are top and end views respectively of a tray according to a sixth embodiment of the invention; Figs. 24 and 25 are top and end views respectively of a tray according to a seventh embodiment of the invention; and Figs. 26 and 27 are cross-sectional views of a tray according to the invention, showing how pots of slightly different sizes can be accommodated in the recesses. Figs. 1 to 13 of the drawings shows a plant pot carrying tray according to a first embodiment of the invention. The tray is extruded and thermoformed, preferably from recycled thermoplastic material. The tray may, for example, be pressure-formed or vacuum- formed from a sheet of plastics material. Alternatively, the tray may be formed or moulded in some other way, for example by injection moulding. The tray is of a standard size to allow it to be stored and transported on a so-called "Dutch" trolley, the approximate dimensions of the tray being length 534mm, width 310mm and height 46mm. The tray includes an upper surface l having a plurality of recesses 2 for receiving plant pots formed therein. The tray shown in Fig. 1 is intended for use with plant pots of a standard size 9C, and has eighteen recesses 2. The recesses 2 are arranged in six transverse rows of three, the rows being offset on alternate sides of the longitudinal axis of the tray. Each recess 2 includes a substantially frusto- conical wall 3 which inclines inwardly from top to bottom, and a circular base 4. Four substantially vertical, equi-angularly spaced ridges 5 are provided on the frusto-conical walls of the recesses 2. The ridges 2, shown also in Fig. 13a, are designed to grip pots placed in the recesses 2 and, as shown in Figs. 26 and 27, are resiliently deformable to allow them to accom- modate slight variations in the dimensions and shapes of the pots. Alternatively, substantially horizontal ridges or protrusions of other shapes may be provided, two alternative formations being shown in Figs. 13b and 13c. Each base 4 is provided with a central drainage hole 6 and a plurality of radial and concentric circular grooves 7, which strengthen the base 4 and allow water to drain freely from plant pots standing in the tray. Alternatively, two or more drainage holes may be provided, or the bases 4 may be solid, or they may be omitted altogether so that the tray can be used as a growing tray. The tray is provided with a peripheral wall 10 which extends downwardly from the upper surface 1 of the tray and inclines slightly outwards from top to bottom to allow nesting of the trays. The height of the wall 10 is approximately equal to half the depth of the recesses . The wall 10 is stepped and it has an outwardly-extending lip 11 at its lower edge to increase its strength. The lip 11 is designed, in use, to contact the support rails of a Dutch trolley. A pair of longitudinal grooves 15 are provided in the upper surface 1 of the tray, one adjacent to each of the longer sides of the tray. The grooves 15 intersect the frusto-conical walls 3 of the three recesses 2 closest to each of the longitudinal sides of the tray, and their interaction with those walls increases the longitudinal stiffness of the tray. At each of the two diagonally-opposite corners of the tray where the nearest recess 2 is inwardly displaced, the groove 15 extends around the corner of the tray and intersects the frusto- conical wall 3 of that recess, thereby increasing the transverse stiffness of the corner region of the tray. A plurality of raised longitudinal and transverse ribs 17, 18 are formed in the upper surface 1 of the tray. The two longitudinal ribs 17 follow a serpentine path in between the recesses 2 of the alternately offse rows. The ends 19 of the longitudinal ribs 17 are broadened and include spherical depressions 20 in their upper surfaces to increase their strength and to provide a grip for a person carrying the tray. At each end of the tray, one of the longitudinal ribs 17 is extended to edge of the tray, thereby forming a flat face 21 flush with the edge of the tray. The flat face 21 is inclined slightly inwards from bottom to top, to allow nesting of the trays. The face 21 provides a surface to which a label, indicating for example the species and variety of the plants in the plant pots, can be affixed. Five transverse ribs 18 intersect the longitudinal ribs 17 between the rows of recesses 2. The transverse ribs 18 also follow serpentine paths between the recesses 2 of the offset rows. The longitudinal and transverse ribs 17, 18 increase the stiffness of the tray in both the longitudinal and transverse directions. The stiffness of the tray is increased further by the provision in the upper surface 1 of channels 24 that extend between each of the end recesses 2 of a row and their longitudinally-adjacent neighbours. The channels 24 have a generally U-shaped cross-section, and a depth of between approximately one half and two thirds the depth of the recesses 2. The interaction of the walls of the channels 24 with the frusto-conical walls 3 of the recesses 2 restricts movement of the recesses 2 relative to one another, thereby increasing the stiffness of the tray. Near to each corner of the tray and adjacent to its shorter sides, an indentation 26 is formed in the upper surface 1 of the tray. The indentations 26 extend downwards beyond the lower edge of the peripheral wall 10 and form abutment members 27 which, when the tray is placed on a Dutch trolley, co-operate with the support rails of the trolley to prevent excessive movement of the trays during transportation. An embodiment of the tray having fifteen recesses for receiving plant pots of size 10UN is shown in Figs. 14 and 15. The recesses 2 are arranged in five rows of three. Longitudinal grooves 15 are formed in the upper surface 1 adjacent the longer sides of the tray, and U- shaped channels 24 are provided between each recess 2 and its longitudinally-adjacent neighbours. Longitudinal and transverse ribs 17, 18 are formed in the upper surface 1 of the tray between the recesses 2. The ribs 17, 18 consist of straight sections linked by curved webs where the ribs cross. Four secondary recesses 30 are provided in the upper surface 1 of the tray, one between each of the four corner groups of four recesses 2. Each secondary recess 30 is linked to the four diagonally-adjacent recesses 2 by secondary channels 31, which intersect the frusto- conical walls 3 of the recesses 2. The secondary recesses 30 and the secondary channels 31 reduce relative movement of the four linked recesses, thereby greatly increasing the rigidity of the corner parts of the tray. A tray for carrying twelve pots of size 11ES is shown in Figs. 16 and 17. The tray includes twelve recesses 2 arranged hexagonally in three longitudinal rows of four. The rows are offset on alternate sides of the tray's transverse axis. The longitudinal ribs 17 follow serpentine paths between the recesses, and are linked by straight transverse ribs 18. Channels 24 are provided between the r c«≤se≤ 2 of the two aide rows, and between the recesses of the centre row and each of their diagonally-adjacent neighbours. Flat faces 21 for labels are provided at each end of the tray, the faces 21 extending above the upper surface 1 of the tray. A tray for carrying ten pots of size 12UN is shown in Figs. 18 and 19. The tray includes ten recesses 2 arranged hexagonally in two longitudinal rows of three and two of two. The ribs include longitudinal and transverse sections 17, 18 and are shaped to occupy a substantial portion of the space between the recesses 2. Channels 24 are provided between each recess 2 and its diagonally-adjacent neighbours and between the recesses of the two side rows. Flat faces 21 for labels are provided at each end of the tray. A tray for carrying eight pots of size 12UN is shown in Figs. 20 and 21. The tray includes eight recesses 2 arranged hexagonally in two longitudinal rows of three and one row of two. The ribs 17, 18 are shaped to follow the contours of the space between the recesses. Strengthening channels 24 extend between the recesses 2 of the two side rows, and between the recesses of the centre row and their diagonally-adjacent neighbours. A tray for carrying eight pots of size 13ES is shown in Figs. 22 and 23. The recesses 2 are arranged in three longitudinal rows. Only longitudinal ribs 17 are provided, which follow serpentine paths between the recesses. Channels 24 are provided between the recesses 2 of the two side rows. A groove 15 extends around the periphery of the tray and intersects the recesses 2 of the two side rows. A tray for carrying six pots of size 14C is shown in Figs. 24 and 25. The recesses 2 are arranged in two longitudinal rows of three. A subsidiary recess 30 is formed in the central gap between each square group of recesses 2, and is linked to each of the surrounding recesses by diagonal channels 31. The subsidiary recess 30 is square and is smaller than the plant pot-receiving recesses 2. Subsidiary recesses of other shapes and sizes may, however, be provided. Ribs 17 are formed in the gaps between the recesses 2 and the subsidiary recesses 30. Longitudinal channels 24 are provided between the recesses 2 of the two rows. Figs. 26 and 27 are cross-sectional views of a tray, illustrating how pots of the same nominal diameter, but having slightly different shapes and dimensions, may be accommodated and gripped securely in the recesses 2 owing to the resilience of the ridges 5. Various variations of the trays are possible, and features of one embodiment of the tray may be incor- porated into another embodiment.

Claims: Claims 1. A plastics tray for carrying plants in plant pots, the tray comprising an upper surface having a plurality of recesses for receiving plant pots, wherein the upper surface includes a plurality of formations to increase the strength of the tray. 2. A tray according to claim 1, in which the formations include a plurality of raised ribs. 3. A tray according to claim 2, in which the ribs extend longitudinally and transversely. 4. A tray according to claim 2 or claim 3, in which the ribs are at least partially curved. 5. A tray according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the formations include a plurality of channels. 6. A tray according to claim 5, in which the channels are formed between and connect adjacent recesses. 7. A tray according to claim 5 or claim 6, in which the channels are at least partially curved. 8. A tray according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the formations include a subsidiary recess connected by channels to adjacent recesses. 9. A tray according to claim 8, in which the subsidiary recess is smaller than the plant pot-receiving recesses. 10. A tray according to claim 8 or claim 9, in which subsidiary recesses are provided in the corner regions of the tray. 11. A tray according to any one of claims 5 to 10, in which the depth of the channels is in the range one quarter to three quarters, and advantageously one third to two thirds, and is preferably approximately half the depth of the recesses. 12. A tray according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the formations include a groove adjacent a side of the tray. 13. A tray according to claim 12, in which the groove intersects recesses adjacent the side of the tray. 14. A tray according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the upper surface includes a peripheral wall. 15. A tray according to claim 14, in which the wall is stepped. 16. A plastics tray for carrying plants in plant pots, the tray comprising a substantially rectangular upper surface having a plurality of recesses for receiving plant pots, and a peripheral wall, wherein the upper surface includes a plurality of indentations adjacent at least its shorter sides, the indentations forming abutment members that project downwards beyond the lower edge of the peripheral wall. 17. A plastics tray for carrying plants in plant pots, the tray comprising a substantially rectangular upper surface having a plurality of recesses for receiving plant pots, and a peripheral wall, wherein the peripheral wall includes at least one flat face for receiving a label. 18. A tray according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the walls of the recesses are provided with resiliently deformable ridges. 19. A tray according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the substantially vertical walls of the tray are inclined to allow nesting of the tray with other identi¬ cal trays. 20. A tray according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the tray is thermoformed. 21. A tray according to claim 20, in which the tray is formed from a sheet of plastics material.

Inventors: DEVEREUX CHRISTOPHER PETER, DEVEREUX, CHRISTOPHER, PETER
Applicants: ELMPATH LTD, ELMPATH LIMITED
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B65D85
IPC codes: B65D71, B65D85