Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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OPEN BOX ~ H M~NUALLY ~E~OVABLE~BOTTO~
W~L pORTIONS
a) Fie~d of the invention:
This invention relates to a box for use, preferably
but not exclusively, in cultivating and transplanting
~lowers, plants, seeds or seedlings.
b) pescri~tion of the prior art.
Open boxes mode o~ expanded polystyrene and com-
prising a bottom wall surrounded by side walls that tegether
de~ine an open container, are well known and commonly used.
The box is usually divided into compartments by partitions,
each o~ the compartments then having a compartment bottom
wall which is a portion of the bottom wall of the box.
Hitherto, it has been common to have at least one
hump on the compartment bottom wall of each compartment,
projecti~g inside the compartment and each hump comprising
a csntral drainage hole. The central drainage hole is
useful ~or eliminating excess water from the inside of the
compartment but the hump is positioned on the compartment
bottom wall, so as to keep some water inside the compartment
for the flowers, plants, seeds or seedlingO
Each of the partitions has a top edge and it has
been common to have a small depression in the top edge,
! ' ' between each pair of adjacant compartments, so as to
distribute water equally between the compartments.
Hitherto, it has also been common to have these
boxes made with thick side walls and thick partitions
because of the kind o~ polystyrene used for their
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manufacture. And so these boxes take up quite a lot o~
space inside the greenhouse when they are lined up one
beside the other.
It has also been common in the past, in order to
facilitate the transplant of flowers and the lik~, to break
open the box by ~reaking its side walls as well as the
partitions of the box. This renders the compartments of the
box unusable for cultivating and transplanting again. Since
the box cannot be reused this adds once again to the problem
of recycling.
Hitherto, it has further been common to have the
bottom wall of the box equipped with at least two struts
spaced apart, projecting downwardly outside of the box. The
bottom wall can also be equippsd with at least one support
foot between the struts, also projecting downwardly outside
of the box. Both are useful in order to elevate the box
slightly off the ground so as to leave each drainage hole of
each compartment unencumbered on the outside of the box.
In the past, the side walls surrounding a box have
been higher than the partitions between each pair of
adjacent compartments, so as to give room to the struts and
support f~et on the bottom wall of the first box mentioned
in the above paragraph. This is useful when the first box
is stacked onto the second box during storage or packaging.
Therefore, the support feet are positioned so as to lean
onto the partitions of the second box, when the boxes are
stacked one above the other.
When'the boxss are packaged they travel along a
conveyor belt without necessarily travelling in a straight
line because the struts and the support feet on the bottom
wall of the box are not necessarily positioned to guide the
box along the conveyor belt.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has now been discovered and this is the object of
the present invention, that the problem of reusing the
compartments of the box when the box is broken, can be
remedied by using a box compri6ing a bottom wall that has
weakness lines therefore making it possible for at least a
portion of the bottom wall to be manually torn and pushed up
within the box rather than breaking the entire box.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention
a box is divided into open compartments by at least one
partition perpendicular to the bottom wall and each of the
compartments having a compartment bottom wall which is part
of the bottom wall of the box. Each of these compartment
bottom walls having some of the weakness lines.
According to another preferred embodiment of the
invention, these weakness lines are comprised of a first
set of lines crossing over each other, creating an X-shaped
design on each compartment bottom wall and a second set of
lines creaking a loop surrounding the X-shaped design.
This loop is smaller than the compartment bottom wall~ The
weakness lines are preferably shaped and positioned
according to the invention, so as to break and leave a hole
in each compartment bottom wall of the box after the
compartment bottom wall has been manually pushed up.
Ac~ording to still another preferred embodiment of
the invention, the box can be made of high density
polystyrene so that the side walls and the partitions of the
box are more dense and therefore not as thick. The boxes do
not take up as much room so we can fit more boxes (8% more
boxes~ into the same greenhouse.
According to a further preferred embodiment of the
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invention, the struts and at least one support foot, on the
bottom wall of the box, are positioned so as to define
therebetween at least two parallel passages so as to allow
rollers of the conveyor belt to pass therethrough in order
to guide the bottom wall of the box in a straight line along
the conveyor belt.
According to another preferred embodiment o~ the
invention, the box described hereinabove that is divided
into compartments by at least one partition and that has a
hole left in each compartment bottom wall after the
compartment bottom wall has been manually pushed up, can be
part of a kit also comprising a plug that is sized to fit
inside each hole left in each compartment bottom wall so as
ko reuse the corresponding compartment. The plug is
preferably sized to fit loosely inside the hole left in the
compartment bottom wall so as to allow excess water to drain
out of the compartment through the hole. Th~ plug also
preferably has a recessed top surface that allows some water
to accumulate inside the compartment for the flowers,
plants, seeds and saedlings.
According to another preferred embodiment of the
invention thef box described hereinfabove can alternately be
combined in a kit, with a bottom base having a top surface,
a bottom surface and a plurality of plugs on it's top
surface. The bottom base is sized to fit under the box,
when thfe compartment bottfm wall of each compartment has
been broken o~f, and each plug is sized and positioned to
fit into the holes left in the compartment bottom walls so
as to reuse the compartments.
~0 When the box is made of high density polystyrene
then the plug or the bottom base should also preferably be
made of high density polystyrene, according to the
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invention.
BRIEF D~SCRIP'~ION OF '~ _INGS
The Figures illustrate non-limitative embodiments of
the invention.
- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an open box,
according to the invention;
- Figure 2 is a top plan view of the box shown in
Figure 1;
- Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the box shown in
Figure 1;
- Figure 4 is a bottom perspective view of ~he box
shown in Figures 1 to 3, also showing how a compartment
bottom wall of the box can be pushed up within the box;
- Figure 5 is a top perspective view of a plug for
use to close a hole left in the compartment bottom wall of
the box, after the compartment bottom wall has been manually
pushed up within the box and to make it pos~ible for the
corresponding compartment to be reused;
- Figure 6 is a top perspective view of a bottom
base comprising a plurality of plugs for use to close the
holes left in the compartment bottom walls, after the
compartment bottom walls have been manually pushed up within
the box and to make it possible for the compartments to be
reused; and
- Figure 7 appearing on the same sheet of drawings
a~ Figure l, is a 5ross section along a line VII-VII of
Figure 1, showing on the left side/ the bottom base fitting
under the box and it's plug fitting into the hole left in
the compartment bottom wall and on the right side, the plug
fitting into the hole left in the compartment bottom wall.
In what follows, the ~ame reference numerals apply
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to all Figures.
DESCRIPTION OF P~EF RRED F.MBODIMENTS OF THE INV~NTION
The open box 1 according to the invention as shown
in tha accompanying drawings comprises a bottom wall 3
surrounded by side walls 5. The bottom wall 3 has weakness
lines 7 making it possible for at least a portion of the
bottom wall 3 to be manually torn and pushed up inside the
box 1.
The box is divided into compartments 9 by partitions
11 that are perpendicular to the bottom wall 3. Each
partition 11 has a top edge and a small depression 12 in the
top edge, between each pair of adjacent compartments 9, so
as to distribute water equally between these compartments 9.
Each compartment 9 also has a compartment bottom wall 13
which is part of the bottom wall 3 of the box 1. Each
compartment bottom wall 13 has some o~ the weakness lines 7.
As is better shown in Figure 2, the weakness lines
7 in each of the compartment bottom w~lls 13 preferably
comprise a ~irst set of lines 14 crossing over each other
creating an X-shaped design on the compartment bottom wall
13 and a second set of li.nes 15 creating a rectangular loop
surrounding the X-shaped design. As is shown, the loop is
smaller than the compartment bottom wall 13. The weakness
lines 7 are preferably shaped and positioned so as to break
and leave a hole 16 as shown in Figure 7 in each compartment
bottom wall 13 of the box 1 after the compartment bottom
wall 13 has been m~nually pushed up as shown in Figure 4.
The box 1 is preferab:Ly made of high density
polystyrene so that the side walls 5 and the partitions 11
are not very thick~ in order to economize space in the
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greenhouses.
It is worth mentioning that the weakness lines 7 in
each compartment bottom wall 13 could be made differently.
The weakness lines 7 could have their first set of lines 14
creating a Y-shaped or star design, rather than an X-shaped
design. Therefore, the second set of lines 15 would form a
different loop surrounding the first set of lines 14. Once
the shape of the compartments 9 differs, the shape of the
weakness lines 7 changes as well. The waakness lines 7 can
be positioned so as to push up the compartment bottom wall
13 without breaking it or leaving a hole 16, if the
compartment bottom wall 13 is made of a flexible materia]
like plastic and the portions of the compartment bottom wall
13 can be pushed up within the box 1 and then fall back into
place to reuse the compartment 9.
As is shown in Figure 2, each compartment bottom
wall 13 also comprises at least one hump 17 projecting
inside the corresponding compartment 9. Each hump 17 has a
central drainage hole 19, useful for eliminating excess
water from the inside of the compartment 9. However, the
hollow hump 17 on the compartment bottom wall 13
advantageously keeps some water insi~e the compartment 9 for
flowers, plants, se~ds or seedlings.
As is better shown in Fiqure 3, the bottom wall 3 of
the box 1 comprises two spaced apart struts 21 and a
plurality of support feet 23 between the struts 21, both
projecting downwardly outside of the bo~ l o The struts 21
and support feet 23 are useful to elevate the box 1 off the
ground so as to leave each drainage hole 19 of each
compartment 9 unencumbered on the outside of the box 1.
It is worth mentioning that the specific number of
struts 21 and of suppoxt ~eet 23 on the bottom wall 3 of the
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box l is not all that important, as long as the box 1 is
elevated slightly off the ground to leave the drainage holes
l9 unencumbered and as long as the box l is stable.
As is better shown in Figures 1 and 7, the side
walls 5 surrounding the box 1 are hi~her than the partitions
11 forming the adjacent compartments 9 so as to give room to
the struts 21 and support feet Z3, on the bottom wall 3 of
another similar box. This is useEul to stack boxes one
above the other for storage or packaging and therefore the
support feet 23 are positioned so as to ]ean onto the
partitions 11 of the box 1.
As is better shown in Figure 3, each of the struts
21 and each of the support feet ~3 are positioned so as to
define therebetween at least two parallel passages 25 so as
to allow rollers of a conveyor belt to pass therethrough in
order to guide the box 1 in a straight line along the
conveyor belt.
~he box l described hereinabove can be part of a kit
which also comprises a plurality of plugs 27 as shown in
Figure 5, that are ~ized to fit inside each hole 16 left in
each compartment bottom wall 13, after the compartment
bottom wall 13 has been manually pushed up, so as to close
the same and make it possible to reuse the corresponding
compartment 9. As shown in the right hand side of Figure 7,
2~ the plug 27 is sized to fit loosely inside the hole 16 so as
to allow excess water to drain out of the compartment 9
t~rough the hole 16. The plug 27 also has a recessed top
surfac~ 29 that allows some water to accumulate inside the
compartment 9 for the flowers, plants, seeds or seedlings.
The box 1 described hereinabove can also be part of
a kit which comprises a bottom base 31 as shown in Figure 6,
having a top surface 33, a bottom surface 35 and plugs 37 on
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it's top surface 33. Each plug 37 has a recessed top
surface 39 and a flat bottom surface 41 that is fixed onto
the top surface 33 of the bottom base 31. The bottom base
31 is sized to fit under the box 1 after the compartment
bottom wall 13 of each compartment ~ has been broken off~
As shown in the left hand side of Figure 7, each plug 37 is
sized and positioned to fit into the holes 16 left in the
compartment bottom walls 13 so as to reuse the compartments
9.
When the box 1 is made of high density polystyrene,
then the plugs 27 and the bottom base 31 should also
preferably be made of high density polystyrene.
Although the present invention has been described
hereinabove by means of preferred embodiments thereof, it
should be pointed out that any modification to these
preferred embodiments, wi~hin the scope of the appended
c~aims, is not deemed to change or alter the nature of the
inYention
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