planter

Abstract

To provide a light-weight planter that can be easily handled, and can prevent a circling phenomenon.SOLUTION: A planter 1 is constituted by forming a plate material 3, which has a large number of through holes 8 penetrating from the front to rear by connecting and solidifying a large number of granular natural stones 2 with a resin adhesive 7, and providing the plate material 3 on a bottom 5 and peripheral walls 6 erected from the bottom 5. The planter 1 may have a constitution having: a bottom frame 41 which holds the plate material 3 provided on the bottom 5; a plurality of peripheral wall frames 42 which are arranged at a plurality of peripheral edge areas of the bottom frame 41 and hold the plate material 3 provided on the peripheral walls 6 in a state erected from the bottom frame 41; and an upper frame 43 which mutually connects upper end parts of the plurality of peripheral wall frames 42 along the peripheral walls 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a planter suitable for growing plants. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, planters used for growing plants include those made of porous ceramics (for example, Patent Document 1) and those made of resin containers such as plastic (for example, Patent Document 2).

[0003] The planter made of porous ceramics disclosed in Patent Document 1 utilizes the water retention properties of porous ceramics to enable plants to grow properly even in high-temperature environments amid the recent progress of global warming, and when the outside temperature rises, the water inside the porous ceramics is evaporated, thereby preventing the temperature of the culture soil (potting soil) stored inside the planter from rising.

[0004] Furthermore, the planter formed from a resin container disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a mesh portion integrally formed at the bottom of the container to ensure air and water permeability. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-82882 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-214177 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, conventional planters made of porous ceramics have the drawback of being heavy and easily broken. In particular, when soil is stored inside the planter, the weight of the soil makes it difficult for a woman to move the planter by herself, making it difficult to handle.

[0007] Porous ceramics also have multiple flat pores that are flattened in a direction parallel to the surface of the ceramic plate, ensuring water retention. These multiple flat pores are interconnected, so they can be formed as holes that penetrate the surface and back of the plate. However, through-holes formed by interconnected flat pores penetrate the surface and back of the ceramic plate, passing through each of the multiple flat pores, resulting in complexly bent holes within the ceramic plate. Therefore, even if plant roots penetrate the holes, they will hit the inner wall of the flat pore and be unable to go any further. This causes a circling phenomenon, in which roots that do not penetrate the holes spiral inside the planter, resulting in problems such as lignification and stunted growth in some plant species.

[0008] On the other hand, planters made of resin containers are lightweight and shatter-resistant, but when culture soil is stored inside the planter, the weight of the culture soil is added to the weight of the planter, making it difficult for a woman to move the planter by herself.

[0009] Furthermore, resin containers have the problem that the entire peripheral wall of the planter is covered with resin walls, which inevitably gives the planter a cheap appearance.

[0010] Furthermore, planters made of resin have a mesh section formed at the bottom of the container, so if roots grow from inside the planter toward the mesh section, they can protrude through the mesh section to the outside of the planter. However, there is a problem in that roots that grow from inside the planter to parts where there is no mesh section hit the inner wall of the planter and grow spirally from there, causing the circling phenomenon.

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the first object of the present invention is to provide a planter that is lightweight, easy to handle, and can effectively prevent the circling phenomenon, and the second object is to provide a planter that can be moved more easily than conventional planters even when culture soil is stored inside the planter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides, firstly, , many A number of granular natural stones are bonded and hardened with a resin adhesive to form a plate material having a number of through holes penetrating the front and back, and the plate material is provided on the bottom and the peripheral wall erected from the bottom. The planter is provided with a bag containing culture soil, the bag being made of a resin material or a water-soluble paper material with numerous holes formed therein and placed inside the peripheral wall, and the culture soil has a bottom layer of obsidian perlite, a middle layer of a mixture of Hyuga stone, Towada stone, perlite, and smoked charcoal, and a top layer of Hyuga stone. The configuration is characterized by the above.

[0013] Secondly, in a planter having the above-mentioned first configuration, the configuration is characterized by having a bottom frame that holds the plate material provided on the bottom, a plurality of peripheral wall frames that are arranged at multiple locations around the periphery of the bottom frame and hold the plate material provided on the peripheral wall in an upright position from the bottom frame, and an upper frame that connects the upper ends of the plurality of peripheral wall frames to each other along the peripheral wall.

[0014] Thirdly, in the planter having the first or second configuration, the natural stone contains pumice and zeolite as main materials.

[0015] Fourth, in the planter having the third configuration described above, the pumice stone includes a sun stone.

[0018] No. 5 2. 1 In the planter having the above configuration, the top layer of sun stones is contained in a small bag packed in the bag body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a planter that is lightweight and easy to handle, and that can effectively prevent the circling phenomenon, and also to provide a planter that can be moved more easily than before even when culture soil is stored inside the planter. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a plate made of natural stone. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the roots of a plant planted in soil in a planter. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of filling the inside of a planter with culture soil in advance. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the bag body. [Figure 7] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing steps for planting a plant in a planter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that common members in the embodiments described below are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a planter 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the planter 1. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a plate 3 formed from natural stone 2. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the planter 1 is configured by bonding and solidifying a number of granular natural stones 2 with a resin adhesive 7 to form a plate 3 having a number of through-holes 8 penetrating from the front to the back. The plate 3 is provided on the bottom 5 of the planter 1 and on peripheral walls 6 extending from the bottom 5. For example, the plate 3 formed from natural stone 2 is formed as a rectangular flat plate having a predetermined thickness. The planter 1 is formed as, for example, a rectangular or cubic container, and is configured using five plate 3, one of which is disposed on the bottom 5 of the planter 1 and the remaining four plate 3 are disposed on the four peripheral walls 6 of the planter 1.

[0023] The planter 1 has a holding frame 4 that holds multiple plate materials 3 assembled together. The holding frame 4 is a frame formed from a resin material such as plastic. As shown in Figure 2, the holding frame 4 includes a bottom frame 41, multiple peripheral wall frames 42 that are assembled upright from the bottom frame 41, and an upper frame 43 that connects the upper ends of the multiple peripheral wall frames 42 to each other and forms the top opening of the planter 1.

[0024] The bottom frame 41 has a rectangular frame structure and is provided with a support part 45 in the center of the frame structure that supports the plate material 3 placed on the bottom 5. For example, the plate material 3 placed on the bottom 5 of the planter 1 is placed on the upper surface of the support part 45. The bottom frame 41 also has an opening 46 in the center of the frame structure. The support part 45 is not positioned to completely cover the opening 46, but is positioned, for example, to cross the center part of the opening 46 in a cross shape. However, this is not limited to this, and the support part 45 may be formed to cross the opening 46 in a ladder-like shape.

[0025] The bottom frame 41 also has engagement portions 44 at multiple locations on its periphery that engage with the lower ends of the peripheral wall frames 42 to hold the peripheral wall frames 42 in an upright position. For example, in this embodiment, the engagement portions 44 are provided at the four corners of the bottom frame 41.

[0026] The peripheral wall frames 42 are arranged in an upright position at the four corners of the bottom frame 41. The peripheral wall frames 42 arranged at the four corners of the bottom frame 41 are composed of two frame members 42a, 42b: a frame member 42a arranged on the outside and a frame member 42b arranged on the inside. These two frame members 42a, 42b each have an L-shaped angle shape, and are provided with engagement portions 48 at their lower and upper ends. The two frame members 42a, 42b are arranged at the corners of the bottom frame 41 at a predetermined distance apart, and are attached so that the engagement portions 48 at their lower ends engage with the engagement portions 44 of the bottom frame 41. As a result, the frame members 42a, 42b are supported in an upright position at the corners of the bottom frame 41 at a predetermined distance apart.

[0027] When the peripheral wall frames 42 are attached to each of the four corners of the bottom frame 41, the plate material 3 is placed in the portion corresponding to the peripheral wall 6 connecting the two corners. That is, the plate material 3 placed on the peripheral wall 6 of the planter 1 is inserted and attached between the frame members 42a, 42b provided at the two corners, and both its left and right ends are supported by the peripheral wall frames 42. In this way, the plate material 3 is supported in an upright position on the periphery of the bottom frame 41, and forms the peripheral wall 6 of the planter 1.

[0028] The upper frame 43 is formed as a rectangular frame with a large opening in the center. Engagement portions 47 are formed on the underside of the four corners of the upper frame 43 to engage with engagement portions 48 provided on the upper ends of the frame members 42a, 42b. The upper frame 43 connects the upper ends of the four peripheral wall frames 42, which stand upright from the four corners of the bottom frame 41, to the engagement portions 47, thereby connecting the upper ends of the multiple peripheral wall frames 42 to each other along the peripheral wall 6 of the planter 1. This completes the planter 1.

[0029] As described above, the plate 3 is formed by bonding and solidifying a large number of granular natural stones 2 with a resin adhesive 7. As shown in FIG. 3, the natural stone 2 used for the plate 3 contains, for example, pumice 2a and zeolite (boiling stone) 2b as its main materials. Both pumice 2a and zeolite 2b are porous and lightweight. This allows for the formation of a lightweight plate 3, which has the advantage of reducing the weight of the planter 1. Furthermore, pumice 2a has water retention capacity but does not have fertilizer retention capacity. Therefore, mixing zeolite 2b with pumice 2a can improve the fertilizer retention capacity. Therefore, by using pumice 2a and zeolite 2b as the main materials for the natural stone 2 used for the plate 3, it is possible to reduce the weight of the planter 1 and realize a planter 1 with water and fertilizer retention capacity.

[0030] Furthermore, it is preferable that the pumice stone 2a contains Hyuga stone. For example, the pumice stone 2a may be composed only of Hyuga stone. Hyuga stone has the property that its surface color changes when it is dry and when it contains moisture. For example, when it is moist and wet, the surface color becomes darker, and when it is dry, the surface color becomes lighter. Therefore, by including Hyuga stone in the board material 3, it is possible to determine the timing of watering, which is convenient.

[0031] Such a plate 3 is formed, for example, by placing granular pumice 2a and zeolite 2b with diameters of approximately 3 to 15 mm in a container, stirring them together, then injecting and kneading a resin adhesive 7 into the container, and then pouring the mixture into a mold for forming the plate 3, where the resin adhesive 7 is allowed to harden. The thickness of the plate 3 is, for example, approximately 10 to 15 mm. Because natural stones 2 come in a variety of shapes, gaps will inevitably form even when the stone is thoroughly mixed and hardened. These gaps form through-holes 8 that penetrate the plate 3 from front to back.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3(a), the plate 3 is formed as a plate-like body in which numerous natural stones 2, including pumice 2a and zeolite 2b, are bonded together with a resin adhesive 7, and numerous through-holes 8 are formed between the numerous natural stones 2. FIG. 3(b) shows only the through-holes 8 extracted from the plate 3 shown in FIG. 3(a). As shown in FIG. 3(b), the through-holes 8 formed in the plate 3 are formed at random positions within the plane of the plate 3. The through-holes 8 also vary in size, and for example, holes with diameters of approximately 1 to 5 mm are formed randomly. These through-holes 8 linearly penetrate the front and back of the plate 3. Therefore, by irradiating light onto the front side of the plate 3, it is possible to view the light transmitted through the through-holes 8 from the back side. However, the through-holes 8 do not necessarily penetrate perpendicularly to the surface of the plate 3, but may penetrate obliquely.

[0033] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing roots 21 of a plant 20 planted in the culture soil 10 inside the planter 1. As shown in FIG. 4, as roots 21 of a plant 20 planted in the planter 1 grow toward the bottom 5 or the plate 3 of the peripheral wall 6, the tips of the roots 21 enter the through-holes 8 and extend through the through-holes 8 to the outside of the planter 1. The tips of the roots 21 that extend through the through-holes 8 to the outside of the planter 1 are exposed to air. When exposed to air, the tips of the roots 21 shrink and stop growing. In particular, because the through-holes 8 are formed throughout the bottom 5 and peripheral wall 6 of the planter 1, the roots 21 that extend in various directions inside the culture soil 10 extend to the outside of the planter 1 through the through-holes 8 formed throughout the bottom 5 and peripheral wall 6, and stop growing when their tips extend outside the planter 1. Therefore, this planter 1 has a structure that can effectively prevent the circling phenomenon, in which roots 21 swirl around inside the planter 1. By preventing the circling phenomenon, the planter 1 can prevent problems such as the plant 20 becoming woody or the plant 20 stopping its growth.

[0034] However, if ordinary soil such as Akadama soil, black soil, or Kanuma soil is used as the culture soil 10 inside the planter 1, the culture soil 10 becomes heavy, and the weight of the planter 1 containing the culture soil 10 also increases. For this reason, it is preferable to fill the inside of the planter 1 with lightweight culture soil 10 in advance.

[0035] FIG. 5 shows an example in which the planter 1 is filled with culture soil 10 in advance. As shown in FIG. 5(a), the culture soil 10 is stored in a bag 9 filled with the culture soil 10 and then placed inside the planter 1. For example, the bag 9 may be made of a resin material with numerous holes or a water-soluble paper material. The size of the holes formed in the resin bag 9 is preferably equal to or larger than the size of the through-holes 8. As shown in FIG. 5(a), a tear line 9a, such as a perforation, is provided at the top of the bag 9 along the circumferential direction of the bag 9. By tearing the bag 9 along the tear line 9a, the sealed portion at the top of the bag 9 can be removed, opening the top of the bag 9. The bag 9 has an outer shape corresponding to the interior shape of the planter 1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the bag 9 can be placed in the interior space surrounded by the peripheral wall 6 of the planter 1 while still containing the culture soil 10.

[0036] FIG. 6 shows the internal structure of the bag 9. The bag 9 is filled with culture soil 10, which has a pre-formed layer structure. For example, the bottom layer 11 of the culture soil 10 is made of obsidian perlite. Obsidian perlite has excellent drainage properties and prevents root rot by improving the drainage of the bottom layer of the culture soil 10. The middle layer 12 of the culture soil 10 is a layer containing, for example, a mixture of Hyuga stone, Towada stone, perlite perlite, and charcoal. As described above, Hyuga stone has water-retaining properties. Towada stone is a natural zeolite that absorbs nutrients and enhances fertilizer retention. Perlite perlite is water-absorbent and ensures water-retaining properties in the middle layer 12 of the culture soil 10. Charcoal is placed in the middle layer 12 to reduce weight and provide a habitat for microorganisms (e.g., nitrifying bacteria) necessary for the growth of the plants 20. The middle layer 12, formed from this mixture, has many tiny gaps. As a result, the plant 20 can absorb oxygen from the surface cells of the roots 21 in the intermediate layer 12, promoting growth. Also, the gaps formed in the intermediate layer 12 improve drainage, preventing root rot. Furthermore, the bag body 9 has a small bag 13 sealed in the upper part of the intermediate layer 12. The small bag 13 is filled with Hyuga stone 14.

[0037] In the culture soil 10 filled in the bag body 9, the ratio of Hyuga stone, Towada stone, perlite, charcoal, and obsidian perlite is 1:1:1:1:1. The Hyuga stone is arranged in half in the middle layer 12 and half in the small bag 13.

[0038] The above-described culture soil 10 is lighter than ordinary soil such as Akadama soil, Kuro soil, and Kanuma soil. Therefore, if the bag 9 filled with the above-described culture soil 10 is stored inside the planter 1, the weight of the planter 1 including the culture soil 10 will also be light. This has the advantage that, for example, even a woman can move the planter 1 filled with the culture soil 10 by herself, making it easy to handle. Furthermore, if the bag 9 is filled with the culture soil 10 having the above-described layer structure and the bag 9 is stored as is inside the planter 1, the planter 1 can be moved without destroying the layer structure of the culture soil 10.

[0039] Next, the procedure for planting a plant 20 in a planter 1 containing the bag 9 described above will be described. FIG. 7 shows the procedure for planting a plant 20 in a planter 1. First, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the bag 9 contained in the planter 1 is torn along the tear line 9a to remove the sealed portion at the top of the bag 9, and the small pouch 13 is removed from inside the bag 9. Then, inside the planter 1, the middle layer 12 of the culture soil 10 is exposed on the top surface. Next, as shown in FIG. 7(b), a plant 20 (e.g., a seedling) is planted in the middle layer 12 of the culture soil 10. Finally, as shown in FIG. 7(c), the small pouch 13 is opened, and sun stones 14 are laid on the top surface of the culture soil 10 (middle layer 12) containing the plant 20. This places the sun stones 14 in the top layer of the culture soil 10. With this, the plant 20 is planted in the planter 1.

[0040] Hyuga stones 14 are placed in the top layer of the soil 10, so the color of the Hyuga stones 14 can be used to determine when to water the plant. The remaining portion of the bag 9 is left inside the planter 1. For example, if the bag 9 is made of a resin material with numerous holes, as the roots 21 of the plant 20 grow, the tips of the roots 21 pass through the holes formed in the bag 9 and then through the through-holes 8 in the plate 3 to the outside of the planter 1. This prevents the roots 21 from growing spirally inside the planter 1, which is known as circling. Furthermore, if the bag 9 is made of a water-soluble paper material, the bag 9 dissolves and disappears when the planter 1 is watered. This prevents the circling phenomenon, even when the bag 9 is made of a water-soluble paper material.

[0041] As described above, the planter 1 of this embodiment is configured by joining and solidifying a large number of granular natural stones 2 with a resin adhesive 7 to form a plate 3 with a large number of through-holes 8 that penetrate from the front to the back, and then placing the plate 3 on the bottom 5 of the planter 1 and the peripheral wall 6 that extends up from the bottom 5. With a planter 1 configured in this way, the weight of the plate 3 with the large number of through-holes 8 can be reduced, and the weight of the planter 1 itself can also be reduced. Therefore, even a woman can easily move the planter 1, making it easy to handle.

[0042] Furthermore, the numerous through-holes 8 formed in the plate material 3 guide the tips of the roots 21 to the outside of the planter 1 as the roots 21 grow, effectively preventing the circling phenomenon from occurring inside the planter 1. In particular, because the through-holes 8 are formed throughout the bottom 5 and peripheral wall 6 of the planter 1, the tips of the roots 21 that extend from the inside of the planter 1 to the outside can be reliably guided to the outside of the planter 1.

[0043] Furthermore, since the planter 1 uses a large number of granular natural stones 2 on the peripheral wall 6, it has an advantage of giving it a completely different texture compared to a resin container and not giving it a cheap appearance.

[0044] Furthermore, by providing the planter 1 with the bag 9 containing the culture soil 10 described above, the weight of the planter 1 including the culture soil 10 can be reduced. This makes it possible to realize a planter 1 that can be moved more easily than before, even when the culture soil 10 is stored inside. Furthermore, if the bag 9 is made of a resin material or a water-soluble paper material with many holes formed therein, there is no need to remove the bag 9 from the planter 1, and the plant 20 can be planted directly in the culture soil 10 inside the bag 9.

[0045] Furthermore, the sun stones 14 placed in the top layer of the soil 10 are contained in a small bag 13 packed in the bag body 9, so when planting the plants 20, it is only necessary to remove the small bag 13, which has the advantage of improving work efficiency.

[0046] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the content described in the above embodiment, and various modifications are applicable.

[0047] For example, in the above embodiment, the planter 1 is described as being formed as a rectangular parallelepiped or cubic container. However, the shape of the planter 1 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape. For example, the planter 1 may have a three-dimensional shape with pentagons or more sides, or may have a cylindrical three-dimensional shape. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1...planter, 2...natural stone, 3...board material, 4...holding frame, 5...bottom, 6...periphery wall, 7...resin adhesive, 8...through hole, 9...bag body, 10...growing soil, 13...small bag, 41...bottom frame, 42...periphery wall frame, 43...upper frame.

Claims

1. A planter is made by joining a number of granular natural stones together with a resin adhesive to form a plate with a number of through holes that penetrate from the front to the back, and the plate is attached to the bottom and to the peripheral wall that stands up from the bottom. A bag containing soil is provided, The bag body is formed of a resin material or a water-soluble paper material having a large number of holes formed therein, and is placed inside the peripheral wall, The planter is characterized in that the soil has obsidian perlite in the bottom layer, a mixture of Hyuga stone, Towada stone, pearlite perlite and smoked charcoal in the middle layer, and Hyuga stone in the top layer.

2. a bottom frame for holding the plate material provided on the bottom; a plurality of peripheral wall frames arranged at a plurality of locations on the periphery of the bottom frame and holding the plate members provided on the peripheral walls in a state in which they are erected from the bottom frame; an upper frame that connects upper ends of the plurality of peripheral wall frames to each other along the peripheral wall; 2. The planter of claim 1, further comprising:

3. 3. The planter according to claim 1, wherein the natural stone contains pumice and zeolite as main materials.

4. 4. The planter of claim 3, wherein the pumice stone comprises a sunstone.

5. 2. The planter according to claim 1, wherein the top layer of sun stones is contained in a small bag packed in the bag body.

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