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Patent 3031954 Summary

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(12) Patent Application: (11) CA 3031954
(54) English Title: SYSTEM FOR IMPROVING PLANT YIELD
Status: Deemed Abandoned
Bibliographic Data
Abstracts

English Abstract


An apparatus for improving plant yield. The apparatus includes a plant
container
adapted to be movable between a first plant growing direction and a second
plant
growing direction. In one embodiment, the plant container includes a first
rigid outer
container and a second flexible inner container adapted to be received by the
outer
container and for containing growing media for one or more plants. The
apparatus may
further include a rigid trellis attached to the plant container. The present
inventions also
include a method for improving the growth efficiency and yields of a plant.


Claims

Note: Claims are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


What is Claimed:
1. An apparatus for improving plant yield, said apparatus comprising a plant
container adapted to be movable between a first plant growing direction and a
second
plant growing direction.
2. The apparatus according to Claim 1 further including a rigid trellis
attached to
said plant container.
3. The apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein said trellis includes at least
one
pole and a plurality of support wires attached to said pole.
4. The apparatus according to Claim 3 further including a trellis support
attached
to the distal end of said pole adapted to position said plant container in its
second plant
growth direction.
5. The apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein said trellis support is a
connector
attachable to an adjacent plant container.
6. The apparatus according to Claim 4, where said support is a bipod.
7. The apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein the ends of said support wires
are
blunted.
8. The apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein said support wires are spring
loaded for providing positioning along the length of said pole.
14

9. The apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein said support wires are bendable
to be positionable along a plant's branches.
10. The apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein said trellis is removably
attached to said plant container.
11. The apparatus according to Claim 2 further including a grow light bar.
12. The apparatus according to Claim 11, wherein said grow light bar is
attached
along the length of said trellis parallel to said plant first growing
direction.

13. A plant container for improving plant yield adapted to be movable between
a
first plant growing direction and a second plant growing direction, said plant
container
comprising:
(a) a first rigid outer container; and
(b) a second flexible inner container adapted to be received by said
outer container and for containing growing media for one or more
plants.
14. The apparatus according to Claim 13, wherein said first rigid outer
container
includes a top, a bottom and sidewalls, wherein at least said top and a
portion of said side
walls are an open lattice network.
15. The apparatus according to Claim 14, wherein said open lattice network is
about 50% open to provide structural support of said flexible inner container
while, at the
same time, permitting access to said flexible inner container.
16. The apparatus according to Claim 13, wherein said rigid outer container is
generally rectangular.
17. The apparatus according to Claim 16, wherein said rigid outer container is
generally cubic to provide stackability and high density population with
respect to
adjacent containers.
18. The apparatus according to Claim 13, wherein said rigid outer container
further includes an angled support base.
19. The apparatus according to Claim 18, wherein said angled support base is
at
about 45° degrees.
16

20. The apparatus according to Claim 13, wherein at least a portion of said
flexible inner container is porous.
21. The apparatus according to Claim 20, wherein said flexible inner container
is
a knitted fabric.
22. The apparatus according to Claim 21, wherein said flexible inner container
is
formed of a single knit jersey polypropylene fabric.
23. The apparatus according to Claim 20, wherein the porosity of said flexible
inner container is greater than about 40% porosity and less than about 85%
porosity to
allow water and water with nutrients to be added to the plant growing media
through the
porous wall of said flexible inner container.
24. The apparatus according to Claim 23, wherein the porosity of said flexible
inner container is about 60% porosity.
25. The apparatus according to Claim 20, wherein the pore size of said
flexible
inner container is less than about 0.2 millimeters and greater than about 0.05
millimeters.
26. The apparatus according to Claim 25, wherein the pore size of said
flexible
inner container is about 0.15 millimeters.
27. The apparatus according to Claim 13 further including a soil volume spacer
adapted to be positioned between the bottom of said rigid outer container and
the bottom
of said flexible inner container and adapted to reduce the amount of plant
growing media
in said flexible inner container.
17

28. The apparatus according to Claim 27, wherein said soil volume spacer is a
rectangular support block.
18

29. An apparatus for improving plant yield, said apparatus comprising:
(a) a plant container adapted to be movable between a first plant
growing direction and a second plant growing direction, said plant
container including (i) a first rigid outer container and (ii) a second
flexible inner container adapted to be received by said outer
container and for containing growing media for one or more plants;
and
(c) a rigid trellis attached to said plant container.
30. The apparatus according to Claim 29, wherein said trellis includes at
least one
pole and a plurality of support wires attached to said pole.
31. The apparatus according to Claim 30 further including a trellis support
attached to the distal end of said pole adapted to position said plant
container in its
second plant growth direction.
32. The apparatus according to Claim 31, wherein said trellis support is a
connector attachable to an adjacent plant container.
33. The apparatus according to Claim 31, where said support is a bipod.
34. The apparatus according to Claim 30, wherein the ends of said support
wires
are blunted.
35. The apparatus according to Claim 30, wherein said support wires are spring
loaded for providing positioning along the length of said pole.
19

36. The apparatus according to Claim 30, wherein said support wires are
bendable to be positionable along a plant's branches.
37. The apparatus according to Claim 29, wherein said trellis is removably
attached to said plant container.
38. The apparatus according to Claim 29 further including a grow light bar.
39. The apparatus according to Claim 38, wherein said grow light bar is
attached
along the length of said trellis parallel to said plant first growing
direction.
40. The apparatus according to Claim 29, wherein said first rigid outer
container
includes a top, a bottom and sidewalls, wherein at least said top and a
portion of said side
walls are an open lattice network.
41. The apparatus according to Claim 40, wherein said open lattice network is
about 50% open to provide structural support of said flexible inner container
while, at the
same time, permitting access to said flexible inner container.
42. The apparatus according to Claim 29, wherein said rigid outer container is
generally rectangular.
43. The apparatus according to Claim 42, wherein said rigid outer container is
generally cubic to provide stackability and high density population with
respect to
adjacent containers.
44. The apparatus according to Claim 29, wherein said rigid outer container
further includes an angled support base.

45. The apparatus according to Claim 44, wherein said angled support base is
at
about 45° degrees.
46. The apparatus according to Claim 29, wherein at least a portion of said
flexible inner container is porous.
47. The apparatus according to Claim 46, wherein said flexible inner container
is
a knitted fabric.
48. The apparatus according to Claim 47, wherein said flexible inner container
is
formed of a single knit jersey polypropylene fabric.
49. The apparatus according to Claim 46, wherein the porosity of said flexible
inner container is greater than about 40% porosity and less than about 85%
porosity to
allow water and water with nutrients to be added to the plant growing media
through the
porous wall of said flexible inner container.
50. The apparatus according to Claim 49, wherein the porosity of said flexible
inner container is about 60% porosity.
51. The apparatus according to Claim 46, wherein the pore size of said
flexible
inner container is less than about 0.2 millimeters and greater than about 0.05
millimeters.
52. The apparatus according to Claim 51, wherein the pore size of said
flexible
inner container is about 0.15 millimeters.
53. The apparatus according to Claim 29 further including a soil volume spacer
adapted to be positioned between the bottom of said rigid outer container and
the bottom
21

of said flexible inner container and adapted to reduce the amount of plant
growing media
in said flexible inner container.
54. The apparatus according to Claim 53, wherein said soil volume spacer is a
rectangular support block.
22

55. A method for improving plant yield, said method comprising the steps of:
placing a first container within a second container to form a plant
container;
placing one or more plants and a growth media in said first container;
placing said plant container in a first direction under a grow light;
growing said one or more plants to a first height;
attaching said one or more plants to a trellis attached to said plant
container;
angling said plant container in a second direction under said grow light;
and
growing said one or more plants to a second height.
56. The method as claimed in claim 55, wherein attaching said one or more
plants
to said trellis further includes spacing the branches out on a wire of said
trellis by bending
said wire.
57. The method as claimed in claim 55, further comprising the steps of:
removing said one or more plants from said plant container by cutting the
stem of said one or more plants;
detaching said trellis from said plant container; and
hang drying said one or more plants on said trellis.
23

Description

Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


SYSTEM FOR IMPROVING PLANT YIELD
Back2round of the Inventions
(1) Field
The present inventions relate generally to commercial plant growing containers
and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for improving plant yield.
(2) Related Art
Trellises are commonly used to provide support for plant structures, such as
vines
and stems, as the plant continues to grow. The extra support enables such
plant structures
to receive adequate light for continued growth. Without a trellis, these plant
structures
can break from its weight, wilt and decay from a lack of sufficient light or
mold from
lack of sufficient airflow due to poor branch spacing.
Traditional trellises typically consist of a non-adjustable rigid grid with
predetermined spacing, which may not always be in the desired location for
branches.
Once a plant grows up through a traditional trellis, it may become entwined
and difficult
to adjust branch spacing without harming leaves and flowers. Thus, as a plant
continues
to grow, traditional trellises require a user to regularly prune the branches
or detach,
move and re-attach branches from the trellis to maintain optimal airflow and
even light
penetration. Additional labor time is incurred when the user needs to cut off
excess
branches or detach and rehang them for proper spacing.
Lack of pruning leads to light obstruction from the overlapping of branches,
which creates overall lower quality growth and reduces the yield and quality
of any
produce growing on a plant. Each pruning reduces productivity and efficiency,
since the
growth cycle time increases by about a week.
Moreover, traditional trellises are often positioned vertically, which limits
the
amount of light received by the plant. Changing the position of a trellis is
typically
difficult due to the rigidity of the trellis as well as the plant pot itself.
Plant pots typically
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house the root ball of a plant within a growing media such as soil. Therefore,
positioning
the plant pot to modify the angle of the trellis results in spilling of the
pot's contents.
Thus, there remains a need for improving plant yield while, at the same time,
reducing the need for regular pruning or rehanging branches associated with
traditional
trellises.
Summary of the Inventions
The present inventions are directed to an apparatus for improving plant yield.
The
apparatus includes a plant container adapted to be movable between a first
plant growing
direction and a second plant growing direction. In one embodiment, the plant
container
includes a first rigid outer container and a second flexible inner container
adapted to be
received by the outer container and for containing growing media for one or
more plants.
The apparatus may further include a rigid trellis attached to the plant
container.
The rigid outer container may include a top, a bottom and side walls, wherein
at
least the top and a portion of the sidewalls are an open lattice network. In
one
embodiment, the open lattice network is about 50% open to provide structural
support of
the flexible inner container while, at the same time, permitting access to the
flexible inner
container.
The rigid outer container may be generally rectangular. In one embodiment, the
rigid outer container is generally cubic to provide stackability and high-
density
population with respect to adjacent containers.
The rigid outer container may also further include an angled support base. In
one
embodiment, the angled support base is at about 45 degrees.
At least a portion of the flexible inner container is porous to permit water
to be
added directly to the plant by passing through the inner container. In one
embodiment,
the flexible inner container is a knitted fabric. In one preferred embodiment,
the flexible
inner container is formed of a single knit jersey polypropylene fabric.
In one embodiment, the porosity of the flexible inner container is greater
than
about 40% porosity and less than about 85% porosity to allow water and water
with
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nutrients to be added to the plant growing media through the porous wall of
the flexible
inner container. In one preferred embodiment, the porosity of the flexible
inner container
is about 60% porosity.
In one embodiment, the pore size of the flexible inner container is less than
about
0.2 millimeters and greater than about 0.05 millimeters. In one preferred
embodiment,
the pore size of the flexible inner container is about 0.15 millimeters.
The apparatus may further include a soil volume spacer adapted to be
positioned
between the bottom of the rigid outer container and the bottom of the flexible
inner
container and adapted to reduce the amount of plant growing media in the
flexible inner
container. In one embodiment, the soil volume spacer is a rectangular support
block.
The trellis may include at least one pole and a plurality of support wires
attached
to the pole. In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes a trellis
support attached
to the distal end of the pole adapted to position the plant container in its
second plant
growth direction. In one embodiment, the trellis support is a connector
attachable to an
adjacent plant container. In another embodiment, the support is a bipod.
The ends of the support wires may be blunted. In addition, the support wires
may
be spring loaded for providing positioning along the length of the pole. In
one
embodiment, the support wires are bendable to be positionable along a plant's
branches.
In one embodiment, the trellis is removably attached to the plant container.
The apparatus may further include a grow light bar. In one embodiment, the
grow
light bar is attached along the length of the trellis parallel to the plant
first growing
direction.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present inventions is to provide an apparatus
for
improving plant yield, the apparatus comprising a plant container adapted to
be movable
between a first plant growing direction and a second plant growing direction.
Another aspect of the present inventions is to provide a plant container for
improving plant yield adapted to be movable between a first plant growing
direction and
a second plant growing direction, the plant container including (a) a first
rigid outer
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container; and (b) a second flexible inner container adapted to be received by
the outer
container and for containing growing media for one or more plants.
Still another aspect of the present inventions is to provide an apparatus for
improving plant yield, the apparatus including (a) a plant container adapted
to be
movable between a first plant growing direction and a second plant growing
direction, the
plant container including (i) a first rigid outer container and (ii) a second
flexible inner
container adapted to be received by the outer container and for containing
growing media
for one or more plants and (c) a rigid trellis attached to the plant
container.
These and other aspects of the present inventions will become apparent to
those
skilled in the art after a reading of the following description of the
preferred embodiment
when considered with the drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1A is a front elevational view of a plant container for improving plant
yield
positioned in a first plant growing direction constructed according to the
present
inventions;
Figure 1B is an overhead perspective view of the plant container shown in
Figure
1 A positioned in a second plant growing direction;
Figure 2 is an illustration depicting one embodiment of a plant container
positioned at an angle increasing its exposure to a grow light;
Figure 3 is a disassembled view of a plant container constructed according to
the
present inventions;
Figure 4A is an overhead perspective view of a flexible inner container within
a
partially assembled rigid outer container;
Figure 4B is an overhead perspective view of a rigid outer container with a
flexible inner container inside;
Figure 5 is a response surface showing the relationship between porosity and
pore
size for various jersey knitted inner containers constructed according to the
present
inventions;
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Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of another plant container
constructed
according to the present inventions;
Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of another plant container
constructed
according to the present inventions;
Figure 8A is an enlarged view of one embodiment of a support wire constructed
according to the present inventions;
Figure 8B is an enlarged view of the support wire shown in Figure 8A installed
onto a pole;
Figure 9 is an illustration depicting a first plant container positioned at a
45
degree angle adjacent to a second plant container positioned at a 45 degree
angle;
Figure 10 is an illustration depicting a plurality of plant containers
laterally
stacked in a second plant growing direction;
Figure 11 is an illustration depicting a plurality of plant containers
arranged
around a single grow light; and
Figure 12 is a flow chart illustrating one example of increasing the
production of a
plant using a plant container constructed according to the present inventions.
Description of the Preferred Embodiments
In the following description, like reference characters designate like or
corresponding parts throughout the several views. Also in the following
description, it is
to be understood that such terms as "forward," "rearward," "left," "right,"
"upwardly,"
"downwardly," and the like are words of convenience and are not to be
construed as
limiting terms.
Referring now to the drawings in general and Figures 1A and 1B in particular,
it
will be understood that the illustrations are for the purpose of describing a
preferred
embodiment of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention
thereto. As best
seen in Figure 1A, a plant container for improving plant yield, generally
designated 10, is
shown constructed according to the present inventions. The plant container 10
includes a
rigid outer container 12 and a flexible inner container 14. Plant container 10
may further
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include a trellis 20 for supporting a main plant stem. Rigid outer container
12 may
include a top 12a, a bottom and side walls, so that plant container 10 may be
positioned
in a plurality of plant growing directions. Figure 1A depicts one embodiment
of a plant
container 10 positioned on its bottom wall such that a plant grows in a first
plant growing
direction with trellis 20 vertically oriented. Figure 1B depicts the plant
container 10
positioned on one of its side walls, such that the plant grows in a second
plant growing
direction with trellis 20 oriented horizontally.
Rigid outer container 12 may function to hold the shape of flexible inner
container 14. For example, rigid outer container 12 may provide support by
preventing
flexible inner container 14 from touching the ground, thereby providing air
circulation
and drainage for the root ball within flexible inner container 14. In one
embodiment,
rigid outer container 12 includes handles 30 for lifting plant container 10.
Rigid outer
container may also serve as an attachment point for trellis 20. For example,
trellis 20
may be mounted onto rigid outer container 12 in a traditional vertical
position.
Alternatively, trellis 20 may be mounted in a horizontal position. Rigid outer
container
12 may also be used for attachment points of irrigation systems and other
growing
accessories.
The shape of rigid outer container 12 may vary. In one embodiment, rigid outer
container 12 may be generally rectangular. As shown in the embodiments of
Figures 1A
and 1B, rigid outer container 12 is generally cubic. In other embodiments, the
number of
plant growing directions may be adjusted depending on the rigid outer
container's shape
and number of walls. For example, rigid outer container 12 may be a
dodecahedron with
12 walls. Nor is trellis 20 limited to necessarily a perpendicular or parallel
orientation in
relation to the ground. Trellis 20 may form any angle in relation to the
ground. In one
embodiment, the angle may be dependent on the shape of the rigid outer
container.
In other embodiments, the angle may be adjusted with an angled support base
50.
As shown in the example of Figure 2, angled support base 50 may position plant
container 10 at an angle of about 45 degrees. The angle of plant container 10
may vary
with respect to the height and intensity of the grow light 70. In one
embodiment, the
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distance between the plant canopy and grow light 70 is preferably adjusted so
that the
grow light is sufficiently close without burning the plant. For example, some
lights, such
as HID lamps, are more intense and may need to be spaced about 25 inches from
the top
of a canopy. By way of another example, fluorescent lights are of lower
intensity and
may be placed about 5 inches from the top of a canopy. Angling plant container
10 can
expose a larger surface area of the plant to the grow light, thereby
increasing growing
efficiency and yield.
Positioning plant container 10 is also facilitated by including a flexible
inner
container 14 within rigid outer container 12. Figure 3 shows a disassembled
view of
plant container 10 from the embodiment shown in Figure 1, further including
the flexible
inner container 14. Flexible inner container 14 assists with retaining growth
media
within plant container 10 and reducing spillage based on positioning of rigid
outer
container 12. Flexible inner container 14 may close around the plant stem
without
constricting stem growth while sealing in growth media, such as soil, so that
it will not
escape the plant container 10 when rigid outer container 12 is placed on any
of its walls.
The tight seal provided by flexible inner container 14 may also prevent bugs
from getting
into or out of the soil.
Figure 4A illustrates one embodiment of how flexible inner container 14 is
placed
within rigid outer container 12. Rigid outer container 12 may include one or
more walls
that are removable. As shown in the embodiment of Figure 4A, top wall of rigid
outer
container 12 is removable so that flexible inner container 14 may be inserted
(or
removed). The flexible inner container 14 is held within rigid outer container
12 by re-
securing the wall back onto rigid outer container 12, as seen in Figure 4B.
The
removable wall may be secured onto rigid outer container 12 through any means,
such as
through a friction fit or additional mounting accessories. In other
embodiments, flexible
inner container 14 may be inserted by opening one or more walls of rigid outer
container
12. For example, one or more walls of rigid outer container 12 may further
include a
hinge to pivot the wall open.
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As best seen in Figures 4A and 4B, the walls of rigid outer container 12 may
comprise an open lattice network. In one example, at least the top and a
portion of the
sidewalls may be an open lattice network. The open lattice network may be
included to
provide structural support for flexible inner container 14 while, at the same
time,
permitting access to flexible inner container 14. Interstitial holes 32 of the
open lattice
network may comprise any shape. In one embodiment, interstitial holes 32 of
rigid outer
container 12 are circular. The open lattice network may comprise of
interstitial holes
having a variety of sizes and shapes, or may be uniform with respect to size
and/or shape.
Interstitial holes 32 are sized such that there is sufficient structural
support for flexible
inner container 14. For example, the open lattice network may be about 50%
open.
In one embodiment, flexible inner container 14 may be comprised of an
elastomeric fabric. Flexible inner container 14 may stretch and contract
according to the
moisture content of the soil. Unlike traditional plant containers, flexible
inner container
14 may aid in preventing the soil from separating from the sides of the
container as the
soil dries out. By way of example, flexible inner container 14 may be formed
of a single
knit jersey fabric comprised of polypropylene. Yet in other embodiments,
flexible inner
container 14 may be constructed via double knit, woven, non-woven and other
fabric
formation techniques.
In one embodiment, at least a portion of flexible inner container 14 may be
porous. Inclusion of pores on at least a portion of flexible inner container
14 may enable
air and water to freely flow through, while also enabling excess moisture to
drain away.
For example, a user may hand water a root ball within flexible inner container
14 by
pouring water on the top of plant container 10, independent on the orientation
of the rigid
outer container 12. By way of another example, drip irrigation may be used to
water a
root ball within flexible inner container 14.
Figure 5 illustrates the desired relationship between the porosity and pore
size for
a jersey knitted inner container. The ideal inner container should have
sufficient porosity
for air and liquids to freely pass through the material, yet have a pore size
small enough
so that soil does not leak from the container. As shown, pore size is measured
using both
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mm and courses per inch (CPI). Pore size decreases moving from left to right
on the X-
axis (from 0.2mm to 0.05 mm). Pore size decreases at the same time as CPI
increases
(shown as from 20 to 60). The curves on the chart represent boundary
conditions, where
the boundaries are represented by numbers from 1 to 5 indicating the least to
most
desirable ranges.
Porosity was calculated according to the following equation:
gd21CW
e = 1 _____________________________________________
2t
where t is the sample's thickness (cm), 1 is the elementary loop length (cm),
d is the yarn
diameter (cm); C is the number of courses per cm; and W is the number of wales
per cm.
See AUTEX Research Journal, Vol. 7, No. 1, March 2007.
As shown in Figure 5, decreasing porosity limits airflow and the ability for
water
to pass through the inner container. However, as porosity increases,
durability of the
fabric also becomes a factor. In order to increase porosity while maintaining
a specific
pore size, the yarn may be produced thinner.
At a certain range, once the pore size decreases, the desirability of the
fabric may
also decrease since there may be a sacrifice in the fabric's durability in
order to retain the
same level of porosity. Once the pores increase to a certain size,
desirability quickly
drops off since the soil can no longer be contained within the bag (see
vertical line of <
0.2 mm).
Data from the response surfaces indicate that the most desirable fabrics for
use as
an inner container have a porosity greater than about 40 percent to allow
water and water
with nutrients to be added to the plant growing media through the porous wall
of said
flexible inner container. For example, the porosity may be about 60 percent.
The pore
sizes of flexible inner container 14 may be less than about 0.2 mm. For
example, the
pore size may be about 0.15 mm. In another example, the porosity may be 0.10
mm.
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These values are for flexible inner containers intended to be used with soil
growing media, and will differ for other types of growing media. For example,
growing
media may comprise a hydroponic solution. Figures 6 and 7 illustrate
embodiments
where flexible inner container 14 comprises a solid material for holding a
hydroponic
nutrient solution. In the embodiments shown, flexible inner container 14 is
constructed
to hold liquid nutrients and is capable of connecting feed and drain water
hoses 40 and or
air hoses to provide oxygen to the nutrient solution. As shown in Figure 7,
flexible inner
container 14 may further include an opening for a plant stem 60 to protrude
therefrom.
Various sizes of plant container 10 may be manufactured depending on the needs
of a consumer. Sizing may vary with respect to rigid outer container 12,
flexible inner
container 14, or both. Plant container 10 may also include a soil volume
spacer to reduce
the amount of plant growing media needed in flexible inner container 14. The
soil
volume space may be comprised of a rigid or malleable material. Soil volume
spacer
may be wedged between flexible inner container 14 and one or more walls of
rigid outer
container 12. For example, soil volume spacer may be positioned between the
bottom of
rigid outer container 12 and the bottom of flexible inner container 14. Soil
volume spacer
can be of any size or shape. By way of example, the soil volume spacer may be
a
rectangular support block. The size of soil volume spacer is dependent on the
open
lattice network of rigid outer container 12, and should be sized such that
soil volume
spacer does not fall through an interstitial hole. The soil volume spacer may
also be used
in combination with any other type of growing media besides soil, including
hydroponic
solutions.
Trellis 20 may be comprised of at least one pole 22 with a plurality of
support
wires 24 attached. Support wires 24 may be utilized for proper spacing of a
plant's
branches to prevent touching and for optimal airflow. Support wires 24 may
also aid with
drying. In one embodiment, support wires 24 are adjustable. For example,
support wires
24 may be adjusted to prevent plant branches from touching one another as the
plant gets
bigger throughout its growth cycle. Adjusting support wires may further
promote better
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air circulation and provide even light penetration to create equal growth to
areas of a
plant that would normally be pruned off due to lack of light penetration.
In one embodiment, support wires 24 are bendable to provide one means of
adjusting their positioning. Bendable support wires may also enable
arrangement of a
plant branches in three dimensions according to a user's preferences. For
example,
support wires may be bent for running and bent back for growing. In another
embodiment, as shown back in Figure 1A, the ends 28 of support wires 24 may be
blunted.
Support wires 24 may be adjusted along pole 22. Support wires 24 may also be
removable from pole 22. For example, pole 22 may include holes along its
length to
insert support wires 24, wherein support wires 24 may be placed anywhere by a
user to
support individual branches protruding off of a plant's main stem. Support
wires 24 can
be inserted through the holes, and may be further secured by bending around
pole 22.
Additional support wires 24 may also be added by a user to pole 22 as needed.
For
instance, a user may insert additional support wires in accordance with the
plant's branch
count and spacing throughout its life cycle.
In another embodiment, as shown in Figures 8A and 8B, support wires 24 may
comprise a spring-like bent wire forming a cavity 26 near its center. As best
seen in
Figure 8, cavity 26 may be inserted into pole 22 to secure support wire 24
onto pole 22.
Adjusting placement of support wire 24 is achieved by pulling wire ends
together and
sliding over pole 22 to desired location. When the ends of support wire 24 are
released,
cavity 26 contracts around pole 22 to prevent further movement.
Typically, trellises require a user to cut off branches from a plant's main
stem and
rehanging to dry them. In one embodiment, pole 22 may be detachable from plant
container 10. Detaching pole 22 can save time from such labor. For example,
when a
plant has finished its life cycle, the main stem of the plant may be cut from
the root ball.
Trellis 20 is detached from plant container 10 while the whole plant is still
attached to
trellis 20 for hanging. Trellis 20 may function as a drying rack for the plant
material
attached to trellis 20, when pole 22 is detached from plant container 10.
223272.docx
11
CA 3031954 2019-01-30

When the plant grows to the top of the trellis when it is in the vertical
position it is
time to tip it over so the trellis is horizontal. This method shortens the
growth cycle since
no pruning is required to reduce the plant canopy depth. Each pruning can
increase the
growth cycle time by about a week.
Trellis 20 may also include a trellis support for positioning plant container
10 in a
plant growth direction. The trellis support may be found on the distal end of
pole 22. The
trellis support may be a connector that is removably attachable to plant
container 10. For
example, the trellis support may be a bipod. In another embodiment, trellis 20
may be
integrated with rigid outer container 12.
In one embodiment, trellis 20 may further include a grow light bar 70. For
example, the grow light bar may be mounted along pole 22 parallel to first
plant growing
direction of plant container 10. In another embodiment, the grow light bar may
be
integral with the trellis itself, wherein a plurality of light sources are
installed onto trellis
20 along its length. The grow lights may be powered through an electrical
outlet, or may
be powered using other sources such as batteries.
In operation, plant container 10 may be individually positioned and arranged
with
other plant containers in a variety of configurations to increase production
and energy
efficiency. Figure 9 shows one example where two plant containers are
positioned next
to each other, wherein each plant container is under a grow light and oriented
at a 45
degree angle. The shape of rigid outer container 12 may also enable a
plurality of plant
containers to be stacked on top of one another. As best seen in Figure 10,
each plant
container is positioned in a second plant growing direction and stacked with
another plant
container on a sidewall. Each plant container may have access to a grow light
stemming
from a trellis on an adjacent plant container. Figure 11 depicts another
configuration
wherein a single grow light may be shared by a plurality of plant containers.
The plant
containers are each positioned at a 45 degree angle toward the grow light.
The present inventions also include a method for improving the growth
efficiency
and yields of a plant. As seen in Figure 12, the method may comprise the steps
of placing
a flexible container into a second rigid container to form a plant container
100. One or
223272.docx
12
CA 3031954 2019-01-30

more plants may be placed in the flexible container having growth media 102.
The plant
container is then placed under a grow light until the one or more plants
reaches a first
growth height. Once the one or more plants reaches a first growth height, the
plant may
be attached to a trellis installed on the plant container 108. The one or more
plants may
be attached by spacing out the branches and bending the wires of the trellis
to
accommodate the desired branch spacing. The angle of the plant container is
then
adjusted to a second position, and the one or more plants are allowed to
continue growing
to a second height. Once the one or more plants reach the second growth
height, the
trellis may be used as a drying rack. For example, the main plant stem may be
removed
from the plant container by cutting it and detaching the trellis 114. The one
or more
plants may then be hung to dry while it is still on the trellis.
Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art
upon
a reading of the foregoing description. By way of example, the desired ranges
of porosity
and pore size for the inner container are not limited to knitted fabrics but
also includes
woven and non-woven fabric. In addition, the desired ranges may be
accomplished using
conventional techniques known within the textile field, such as needle
punching a fabric
to provide the desired ranges of porosity and pore size for the inner
container. Also, one
or more plants may be grown in the same container depending on the type of
plants being
grown and its tolerance for proximity with other plants of similar or dis-
similar type. It
should be understood that all such modifications and improvements have been
deleted
herein for the sake of conciseness and readability but are properly within the
scope of the
following claims.
223272.docx
13
CA 3031954 2019-01-30

Jason Finch
Summary of the Inventions
The present inventions are directed to an apparatus for improving plant yield.
The
apparatus includes a plant container adapted to be movable between a first
plant growing
direction and a second plant growing direction. In one embodiment, the plant
container includes
a first rigid outer container and a second flexible inner container adapted to
be received by the
outer container and for containing growing media for one or more plants. The
apparatus may
further include a rigid trellis attached to the plant container.
The rigid outer container may include a top, a bottom and side walls, wherein
at least the
top and a portion of the sidewalls are an open lattice network. In one
embodiment, the open
lattice network is about 50% open to provide structural support of the
flexible inner container
while, at the same time, permitting access to the flexible inner container.
The rigid outer container may be generally rectangular. In one embodiment, the
rigid
outer container is generally cubic to provide stackability and high-density
population with
respect to adjacent containers.
The rigid outer container may also further include an angled support base. In
one
embodiment, the angled support base is at about 45 degrees.
At least a portion of the flexible inner container is porous to permit water
to be added
directly to the plant by passing through the inner container. In one
embodiment, the flexible
inner container is a knitted fabric. In one preferred embodiment, the flexible
inner container is
formed of a single knit jersey polypropylene fabric.
In one embodiment, the porosity of the flexible inner container is greater
than about 40%
porosity and less than about 85% porosity to allow water and water with
nutrients to be added to
the plant growing media through the porous wall of the flexible inner
container. In one preferred
embodiment, the porosity of the flexible inner container is about 60%
porosity.
In one embodiment, the pore size of the flexible inner container is less than
about 0.2
millimeters and greater than about 0.05 millimeters. In one preferred
embodiment, the pore size
of the flexible inner container is about 0.15 millimeters.
CA 3031954 2019-01-30

The apparatus may further include a soil volume spacer adapted to be
positioned between
the bottom of the rigid outer container and the bottom of the flexible inner
container and adapted
to reduce the amount of plant growing media in the flexible inner container.
In one embodiment,
the soil volume spacer is a rectangular support block.
The trellis may include at least one pole and a plurality of support wires
attached to the
pole. In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes a trellis support
attached to the distal
end of the pole adapted to position the plant container in its second plant
growth direction. In
one embodiment, the trellis support is a connector attachable to an adjacent
plant container. In
another embodiment, the support is a bipod.
The ends of the support wires may be blunted. In addition, the support wires
may be
spring loaded for providing positioning along the length of the pole. In one
embodiment, the
support wires are bendable to be positionable along a plant's branches.
In one embodiment, the trellis is removably attached to the plant container.
The apparatus may further include a grow light bar. In one embodiment, the
grow light
bar is attached along the length of the trellis parallel to the plant first
growing direction.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present inventions is to provide an apparatus
for
improving plant yield, the apparatus comprising a plant container adapted to
be movable between
a first plant growing direction and a second plant growing direction.
Another aspect of the present inventions is to provide a plant container for
improving
plant yield adapted to be movable between a first plant growing direction and
a second plant
growing direction, the plant container including (a) a first rigid outer
container; and (b) a second
flexible inner container adapted to be received by the outer container and for
containing growing
media for one or more plants.
Still another aspect of the present inventions is to provide an apparatus for
improving
plant yield, the apparatus including (a) a plant container adapted to be
movable between a first
plant growing direction and a second plant growing direction, the plant
container including (i) a
first rigid outer container and (ii) a second flexible inner container adapted
to be received by the
outer container and for containing growing media for one or more plants and
(c) a rigid trellis
attached to the plant container.
CA 3031954 2019-01-30

These and other aspects of the present inventions will become apparent to
those skilled in
the art after a reading of the following description of the preferred
embodiment when considered
with the drawings.
CA 3031954 2019-01-30

Representative Drawing

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Administrative Status

2024-08-01:As part of the Next Generation Patents (NGP) transition, the Canadian Patents Database (CPD) now contains a more detailed Event History, which replicates the Event Log of our new back-office solution.

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Event History

Description Date
Deemed Abandoned - Failure to Respond to a Request for Examination Notice 2024-05-13
Inactive: Office letter 2024-03-28
Letter Sent 2024-01-30
Letter Sent 2024-01-30
Deemed Abandoned - Failure to Respond to Maintenance Fee Notice 2023-07-31
Letter Sent 2023-01-30
Maintenance Fee Payment Determined Compliant 2021-02-17
Application Published (Open to Public Inspection) 2020-07-30
Common Representative Appointed 2019-10-30
Common Representative Appointed 2019-10-30
Filing Requirements Determined Compliant 2019-02-13
Inactive: Filing certificate - No RFE (bilingual) 2019-02-13
Compliance Requirements Determined Met 2019-02-11
Inactive: IPC assigned 2019-02-01
Inactive: First IPC assigned 2019-02-01
Inactive: IPC assigned 2019-02-01
Application Received - Regular National 2019-01-31
Small Entity Declaration Determined Compliant 2019-01-30

Abandonment History

Abandonment Date Reason Reinstatement Date
2024-05-13
2023-07-31

Maintenance Fee

The last payment was received on 2021-02-17

Note : If the full payment has not been received on or before the date indicated, a further fee may be required which may be one of the following

  • the reinstatement fee;
  • the late payment fee; or
  • additional fee to reverse deemed expiry.

Please refer to the CIPO Patent Fees web page to see all current fee amounts.

Fee History

Fee Type Anniversary Year Due Date Paid Date
Application fee - small 2019-01-30
MF (application, 3rd anniv.) - small 03 2022-01-31 2021-02-17
Late fee (ss. 27.1(2) of the Act) 2024-07-30 2021-02-17
MF (application, 2nd anniv.) - small 02 2021-02-01 2021-02-17
Owners on Record

Note: Records showing the ownership history in alphabetical order.

Current Owners on Record
JASON FINCH
Past Owners on Record
None
Past Owners that do not appear in the "Owners on Record" listing will appear in other documentation within the application.
Documents

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Document
Description 
Date
(yyyy-mm-dd) 
Number of pages   Size of Image (KB) 
Cover Page 2020-07-29 1 3
Drawings 2019-01-30 13 2,511
Description 2019-01-30 16 699
Claims 2019-01-30 10 214
Abstract 2019-01-30 1 14
Courtesy - Office Letter 2024-03-28 2 188
Courtesy - Abandonment Letter (Request for Examination) 2024-06-25 1 526
Filing Certificate 2019-02-13 1 204
Courtesy - Acknowledgement of Payment of Maintenance Fee and Late Fee 2021-02-17 1 433
Commissioner's Notice - Maintenance Fee for a Patent Application Not Paid 2023-03-13 1 548
Courtesy - Abandonment Letter (Maintenance Fee) 2023-09-11 1 549
Commissioner's Notice: Request for Examination Not Made 2024-03-12 1 519
Commissioner's Notice - Maintenance Fee for a Patent Application Not Paid 2024-03-12 1 552
Maintenance fee payment 2021-02-17 1 27