THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODULAR CULTIVATION CONTAINER

Abstract: A three-dimensional modular plant cultivation container formed in any desired shape or size and having at least one side in the form of a grill such that plants can grow out of the top of the container and also out through the grill, thus increasing the cultivable area. The container can be stacked or connected to other containers to form a system of any desired configuration.

Description: THREE DIMENSIONAL MODULAR CULTIVATION CONTAINER There is a wide variety of containers and the like available for cultivating or growing plants or flowers . Containers are particularly useful where, for example, the ground is not suitable for cultivation, e.g. in patio or terraced areas, on cement surfaces, where soil is poor or indoors. Such containers may be primarily decorative, for example patio containers and window boxes or, on a larger scale, may be in the form of street furniture, e.g. for providing floral displays in public places. Other containers are more practical and are specially adapted to improve cultivation conditions, for example to improve yield, strength, etc in a commercial or industrial horticultural environment. The common feature of the presently available containers is that they comprise a trough or dish-shaped receptacle to hold the growing medium, e.g. soil. Plants grow up from the top surface of the growing medium, through the open top of the container. The walls and base of the container are essentially solid, apart from the possible provision of drainage holes. The plant yield which can be obtained using such containers can only be increased, however, by increasing the surface area required by the container. This may be difficult or undesirable where, for example, available floor space is limited. The present invention provides a container which optimises the available floor space, increasing the cultivable area for a given surface area. According to the present invention, there is provided a cultivation container comprising a base, and three or more sides, wherein said base and said sides define a receptacle to receive and retain a growing medium into which plants are planted, and wherein at least one of said sides is in the form of a grill or mesh such that plants planted in said growing medium may grow out through said grill or mesh. According to a second aspect, there is provided a cultivation system comprising two or more containers as claimed in any preceding claim, arranged in a vertical stack with the open top of one container connected to the base of another container of the same cross-section. Whilst even a single container provides an increased cultivable area, this is further improved by a system of several such containers connected together e.g. in a stack or side-by-side. Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a container according to the present invention. Fig. 2 shows an exploded view of the embodiment of Fig. 1. Figs. 3A to 3D show alternative configurations of containers according to the present invention. Figs . 4A to 4E show some possible combinations of containers according to the present invention. Fig. 5 shows a more detailed view of the grill of the embodiment of Fig. 1. Figs. 6A and 6B show a plan view and side view, respectively, of the base of the embodiment of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 shows an example of a connector piece. Each container comprises a base 1 and at least three sides 2 forming an open-topped module to receive the growing medium 3. At least one of the sides, and preferably all of them, is in the form of a grill, to be described in more detail below. Whilst the container can be manufactured in one piece, for example by injection moulding, for ease of transportation and storage it is preferably formed as separate elements which can be, for example, flat-packed and provided in an easy-to-assemble form. Tests have found that the optimum shape for the container is a cube, as shown in Fig. 3A. However, other shapes are ecjually possible, such as containers of triangular cross-section, as shown in Fig. 3B, hexagonal cross-section as shown in Fig. 3D, or, indeed, any other cross-section desired for aesthetic or practical reasons. The base 1, shown in more detail in Figs. 6A and 6B, has a shape corresponding to the desired cross- section of the container. It is preferably in the form of a tray or shallow receptacle with upturned edges 4 which incline outwards and are adapted to receive the side panels 2. One or more drainage apertures (not shown) , with a snap-off or punch-out cover, may be provided in the base 1, to allow excess water to drain away, preventing the soil 3 becoming water-logged. This feature is also especially useful in a stacked arrangement of modules in that only the top module need be watered. The water then passes through to the lower modules via the drainage aperture(s) . The base 1 may also be adapted to receive one or more wheels (not shown) to allow the container to be moved more easily. The side panels 2 are preferably rectangular but may conceivably be some other shape, e.g. triangular. At least one side panel, but preferably all of them, is in form of a grill. When assembled, the side panels 2 extend upwards, either vertically or inclined, from the base 1. The side panels are connected to each other at their upright edges, forming an enclosure to receive the growing medium 3. Additional side panels may also be connected along the horizontal edges, to provide a container two or more panels high. The sides of the container may be formed of panels of equal or unequal edges. The grill forming at least one of the sides, allows plants to grow out through the vertical or inclined surfaces, as well as from the top of the container, thus increasing the yield or cultivable area for the surface area taken up by the container. In the preferred embodiment, the grill is formed by a frame 5 (preferably rectangular) with a number of horizontal and/or vertical spaced apart slats or blades 6 extending between opposing sides of the frame. Alternatively, the grill may be in the form of a mesh or may be, for example, a panel provided with a plurality of holes through which plants may grow. The use of horizontally arranged blades 6, sloping upwards and outwards slightly about their longitudinal axis, in a louvre arrangement, is preferred. Such an arrangement serves to retain the growing medium 3 better, inside the container. Whilst the frame 5 and the blades 6 or mesh of the grill may be formed in one piece, e.g. by injection moulding or pressing, the preferred embodiment has blades 6 removably fitted into the frame 5. This enables the spacing between adjacent blades to be varied, e.g. by removing alternate blades. This allows for the use of finer or coarser growing media or different sized plants, etc. The blades 6 are preferably fitted into the frame by a clip or slot fitting arrangement with corresponding lugs or batons along the inside edges of the frame 5. Of course, any other fastening means, e.g. screws, pins, etc may be used. The blades may also be articulated or hinged. If each grill is formed as a separate panel, it is preferably provided with means for connecting it to adjacent panels, either along the upright edges or the horizontal edges or both. The preferred embodiment uses an arrangement of link rods 7 and sleeves 8. An upright side of a first panel is provided with one or several spaced apart, outwardly extending hollow sleeves. The adjacent side of a second panel is provided with similar sleeves, matching the spaces between the sleeves of the first panel. Thus, when the panels are joined together along these sides, the sleeves and spaces interengage, forming a continuous sleeve along the length of the engaging sides. A locking pin 8 is then inserted through the length of the resulting continuous sleeve, forming a hinge (similar to a door hinge) holding the panels together, but allowing them to pivot relative to each other about the pin. Of course, other means may be used to connect adjacent panels. In another embodiment, especially for use in smaller containers, a number of panels may be formed together, as one piece, with integral hinges, e.g. in the form of weakened or more flexible plastic sections, formed between the panels. Alternatively, the sides may be formed by folding a single piece to form the required number of sides of the desired shape and size. One or more partitions 9 may be provided for dividing the interior of the compartment. For example, in the cube arrangement shown in Fig. 3A, the partitions form a pyramid on the base of the container. This reduces the amount of growing medium required to fill the container and reduces the overall weight, when the container is planted. An important aspect of the container of the present invention is its modular construction. Two or more containers can be connected together, in a stacked arrangement, or side-by-side, or any combination of these to form a multiple container system of any desired size and/or configuration. Some examples are shown in Figs. 4A to 4E. Thus, containers can be stacked to form columns of any desired height, or can be grouped in arrays (staggered or not) side-by-side, corner-to- corner, etc. The container modules are preferably connected to each other by means of interlocking mechanisms (Fig. 7) provided, for example, at the corners of the base l. Any type of interlocking arrangement may be used, e.g. cooperating male and female components provided on the bottom corners of the base and the top corners of the side panels. In the preferred arrangement, the base is provided with corner connector pieces, formed by three intersecting circles, as shown in Fig. 7. Such a connector, provided at each corner of the base, allows modules to be connected directly on top of each other, forming a vertical stack, or corner-to-corner, forming a staggered arrangement. The containers can be made from a wide range of materials according to availability, cost, climate, use, etc. In the preferred embodiments, the structural components are made from copolypropylene which is formed into the different components by injection moulding. Alternative materials include other plastics, metal, wood, fibrous cement, impregnated paper fibres or other fibrous material. It is preferable that the material used is, or is treated to be, waterproof, robust and durable whilst being lightweight and easy to form into the required components using standard manufacturing processes. Each container enables plants to grow and develop to maturity and to be maintained, harvested and removed, both from the top surface of the growing medium and also from the sides of the container. This thus increases the cultivable area for any given surface area of the base. The cultivable area is even further increased when two or more modules are stacked together. For example, a stack for four cubes increases the cultivable area by a factor 17, for a given surface area of floor space. Modules can be formed in a wide range of shapes, sizes and containment volume for containing the soil or other growing medium. One or more of the sides of the module are in the form of a grill and each module may be more than one grill high. The modules may then be constructed into systems of two or more modules connected together in the x, y and/or z axes to form a system of any desired configura ion, according to the wishes, needs, requirements or imagination of the user. The containers may be provided in a "knocked down" form but can be easily assembled without any need for special tools. The containers can be just as easily and quickly dismantled. Another advantage of the container is that it enables plants to be cultivated on ground not suitable for cultivation, for example concrete area, stony or sandy ground, etc, both indoors and out. The cultivation uses less water, as there are no water losses through the ground and the increased foliage minimises losses through evaporation. The container finds use in a wide range of applications and environments for growing both decorative plants and plants for food and other commercial use. Examples of domestic applications include growing flowers, fruit, etc on balconies or terraces, in small or large gardens, inside greenhouses, etc. Examples of commercial applications include growing plants on horticultural sites in adverse environments, e.g. with poor soil, limited water resources or adverse climates; for optimising available cultivable surfaces or for exhibitions and plant arrangements in shops, hospitals, offices, etc. Other areas where the present invention finds application include floral arrangements in parks and other public places and in temporary emergency situations, for example to provide food in refugee camps, drought or flood areas, etc. The modular containers allow the user to maintain and harvest the plants standing up, thus decreasing fatigue of the user and increasing productivity. The containers can be easily stored and transported either in the dismantled state, assembled and empty, or planted.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A cultivation container comprising a base (1), and three or more sides (2) , wherein said base (1) and said sides (2) define a receptacle to receive and retain a growing medium (3) into which plants are planted, and wherein at least one of said sides (2) is in the form of a grill or mesh such that plants planted in said growing medium may grow out through said grill or mesh. 2. A container according to claim 1, wherein said base (1) and sides (2) form a container having a modular construction, said container being adapted to be attached to one or more similar containers. 3. A container according to claim 1 or 2 further comprising connector means provided on the base (1) or one or more of the sides (2) adapted to connect to the base (1) or one or more of the sides (2) of another container. 4. A container according to any preceding claim wherein said grill or mesh comprises a frame (5) and a plurality of slats (6) extending between two sides of said frame. 5. A container according to claim 4, wherein said slats (6) are removably attached to said frame (5) . 6. A container according to claim 4 or 5 wherein said frame (5) is rectangular. 7. A container according to claim 6 wherein said slats (6) extend between opposing sides of said frame (5) . 8. A container according to any preceding claim further comprising one or more partitions (9) for dividing the receptacle. 9. A container according to any preceding claim further comprising one or more wheels attached to the underside of the base. 10. A container according to any preceding claim wherein said base has a drainage aperture. 11. A container according to claim 10 further comprising a removable cover for said aperture. 12. A container according to any preceding claim comprising a horizontal square or rectangular base and four vertical square or rectangular sides forming a cube or cuboid container. 13. A cultivation system comprising two or more containers as claimed in any preceding claim, arranged in a vertical stack with the open top of one container connected to the base of another container of the same cross-section. 14. A cultivation system comprising two or more containers as claimed in any preceding claim, arranged side-by-side with adjacent sides of adjacent containers connected together. 15. A cultivation system comprising two or more containers as claimed in any preceding claim, arranged with a top corner of one container connector to a different bottom corner of another container. 16. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings .

Inventors: RAYMOND PATRICK JACQUES, RAYMOND, PATRICK, JACQUES
Applicants: RAYMOND PATRICK JACQUES, RAYMOND, PATRICK, JACQUES
Application year: 1997
Main classification: A01G9
IPC codes: A01G9