Culture tray for the rooting of young plants

• US 20030217509A1
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dummen Group B.V.
• Original Assignee: Marga Dummen
• Inventors: Dummen, Marga
• Granted Patent: US 7,082,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 47/62C
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/0295 Units comprising two or more connected receptacles

Abstract

This invention relates to a culture tray 1, in particular for the rooting of young plants, with channels 2 that run in parallel and at predefinable distances and serve to accommodate young plants. To enable removal of individual young plants preferably without harming them and to enable relatively economical consumption of water for the young plants it is proposed in accordance with the present invention that the space for each young plant be limited by the sidewalls 3, 4 of the channel 2 and across the longitudinal direction of the channel 2 by partition webs 21, 31. This will, in particular, ensure that the water is directly supplied to each plant space and, moreover, that the plants can be pushed sideways out of the culture tray by pushing out of the culture tray the web and ledge skeletons 20, 30, and the plants are easy to take out, because there are then no sidewalls. The embodiment of the culture tray 1 invention warrants uniform moistening of all existing plant spaces and ensures that even those plants receive enough water that are, for example, partly covered by large leaves of adjacent plants, since the water draining down the elevations 5 flows into each individual plant space.

Claims

1. A culture tray (1), in particular for young plants to take roots, with parallel channels (2) arranged at definable distances, serving to accommodate the young plants,

characterised by the fact,

that the space boundaries for each young plant are the sidewalls (3, 4) of the channel (2) and the partition webs (21, 31), which are arranged across the longitudinal direction of the channel (2).

2. A culture tray according to claim 1,

characterised by the fact,

that the sidewalls (3, 4) of the channel (2) are shaped conically and the partition webs (21, 31) have conical edges (23).

3. A culture tray in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2,

characterised by the fact,

that the partition webs (21, 31) are provided with thickened centres (24) or a locating fin on each edge (23) to retain the plant bales in their positions.

4. A culture tray in accordance with claims 1, 2, or 3,

characterised by the fact,

that the partition webs (21, 31) are single-walled or multiple-walled, especially double-walled.

5. A culture tray in accordance with one or several of the claims 1 to 4,

characterised by the fact,

that the partition webs (21, 31) are interconnected by a single-piece bottom ledge (22, 32).

6. A culture tray in accordance with one or several of the above claims 1 to 5,

characterised by the fact,

that the bottom ledge (22, 32), together with the partition webs (21, 31), forms a planting row skeleton (20, 30), laterally limited by the sidewalls (3, 4) of the channel (2) and the bottom ledge (22, 32) arranged at an elevated position relative to the base area (40) of the channel (2).

7. A culture tray in accordance with one or several of claims 1 to 6,

characterised by the fact,

that the bottom ledge (22, 32) is not in contact with the base area (40) of the channel (2) or in contact at a few points only.

8. A culture tray in accordance with one or several of claims 1 to 7,

characterised by the fact,

that the bottom ledge (22, 32) has on its underside, i.e. opposite the partition webs (21, 31), a side rim (44), a thickened section, shaped fins, or feet.

9. A culture tray in accordance with one or several of claims 1 to 8,

characterised by the fact,

that the bottom ledge (22, 32) has a water outlet hole (45) or a lateral angular or semi-circle recess (25, 36) between every two partition webs (21, 31).

10. A culture tray in accordance with one or several of claims 1 to 9,

characterised by the fact,

that the bottom ledge (22, 32) is of hollow, finned, or at least segmentwise reinforced shape.

11. A culture tray in accordance with one or several of claims 1 to 10,

characterised by the fact,

that the bottom ledge (22, 32), together with partition webs (21, 31), can be pushed sideways out of the channel (2).

12. A culture tray in accordance with one or several of claims 1 to 11,

characterised by the fact,

that the channels (2) are arranged at equal or unequal distances from one another.

13. A culture tray in accordance with one or several of claims 1 to 12,

characterised by the fact,

that the channels (2) are provided with a water outlet hole (12) or exhibit a downslope to a lateral opening to enable the surplus water to flow out into a water collecting system.

14. A culture tray in accordance with one or several of claims 1 to 13,

characterised by the fact,

that the culture tray areas between the sidewalls of two adjacent channels (2) are raised to form a roof-shaped elevation (5).

15. A culture tray in accordance with one or several of claims 1 to 14,

characterised by the fact,

that one or several channels (2) are covered by a removable roofing strip (42, 43, 80-97).

16. A culture tray in accordance with one or several of claims 1 to 15,

characterised by the fact,

that the roofing strips (42, 43, 80-97) are of slightly convexed, round, acute-angle or stepped shape.

17. A culture tray in accordance with one or several of claims 1 to 16,

characterised by the fact

that several culture trays (1) may be hooked together;

one left-hand end tray and one right-hand end tray, or at least one centre tray and either side end trays being options.

18. A culture tray in accordance with one or several of claims 1 to 17,

characterised by the fact,

that the starting tray is trimmed at its end oriented towards the row of culture trays, the end tray is also trimmed at its end directed towards the row of culture trays, and that the centre tray is trimmed on both sides in such a way that the starting tray and the end tray can be hooked on one side into each other or can be hooked into the adjacent centre tray, and one centre tray can be hooked on both sides into an adjacent starting tray or end tray or together with an adjacent centre tray.