Plant growing containers

Abstract

To provide a plant raising container that can supply a sufficient amount of moisture in supplying water to plants by allowing culture soil to absorb water from below.SOLUTION: A plant raising container 1 that can automatically supply water to culture soil comprises: an outer container in which an internal space surrounded by a wall surface is a water storage part 18; and an inner container 2 which is arranged in the water storage part 18 housing culture soil, where a plurality of small holes 8 which communicate inside and outside and have an average diameter of 5 mm or less are provided for a bottom part of the inner container 2. This makes it possible to supply water in the water storage part 18 from the bottom part of the inner container 2 into the inner container 2 through the small holes 8 and impregnate the water into culture soil, and moisture can be appropriately given corresponding to a plant by appropriately changing an amount of water in the water storage part 18 or the number or size of small holes 8.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a plant growing container capable of automatically supplying water to a culture soil, a method for supplying water to the culture soil, and the like.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a plant growing container that supplies water to plants such as seeds and seedlings planted in a culture soil by allowing the culture soil to absorb water from below without watering the plants from above. Patent Document 1 is cited as a prior art of such a plant growing container. As shown in FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1, the technique of Patent Document 1 is to place a plant growing part 2 in which a plant is planted in a water storage part 1, and to hang a water absorption string 5 from the plant growing part 2 into the water in the water storage part 1 to absorb water into the soil using the capillary phenomenon.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, since water is absorbed into the soil in the plant growing part 2 only by the capillary phenomenon through the water absorption string 5, there is a possibility that plants that require a large amount of water cannot be supplied with the required amount of water. Also, if sufficient water cannot be supplied, watering from above would be sufficient, but then it would not be possible to automatically supply water to the culture soil, and one would have to be constantly vigilant to avoid water shortages. <三六]] Therefore, when supplying water to plants by allowing the culture soil to absorb water from below, a plant growing container that can supply a sufficient amount of water has been desired.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] As a first means to achieve the above objective, a plant growing container capable of automatically supplying water to the growing medium comprises an outer container having an internal space surrounded by walls as a water reservoir, and an inner container placed within the water reservoir containing the growing medium, wherein the bottom of the inner container is provided with small holes having an average diameter of 5 mm or less that communicate with the inside and outside. This allows water from the reservoir to be supplied to the inner container through small holes from the bottom of the inner container, impregnating the growing medium. By appropriately changing the amount of water in the reservoir, the number and size of the small holes, etc., the plants can be given appropriate moisture. The reason we specify "small holes with an average diameter of 5 mm or less" here is that experiments have shown that the minimum hole size at which the culture medium does not spill out into the water reservoir of the outer container is approximately 5 mm. The required hole size to prevent the culture medium from spilling out is not uniform, as it depends on the viscosity of the culture medium, the particle size, and the shape of the holes. Although the conditions are not the same throughout the year, depending on the type of plant and the growth stage of the plant roots, an average diameter of 5 mm or less is desirable for holes that will retain the culture medium within the inner container even if some spillage occurs. Since this is an average diameter, if the shape of the holes is not circular, the average value of the circumference of the holes, depending on the shape, will be 5 mm or less. Furthermore, because the pores are relatively narrow, less than 5 mm in diameter, according to Bernoulli's principle, the pressure from the surrounding reservoir increases the water flow velocity within the pores, resulting in a relatively quick rate at which the water reaches the reservoir level. After reaching the reservoir level, the surface tension of the growing medium allows the water to spread to a position higher than the reservoir level. The container material should not discolor or corrode due to the culture medium, and it should be thick enough to hold the water-soaked culture medium. For example, plastic is a good choice. Plastic is also easy to mold. The outer container only needs to be able to hold water, but it should be made of plastic, like the inner container, to prevent discoloration and support the inner container.

[0006] As a second measure, when the inner container is placed inside the outer container, the upper surface of the outer container is covered by an overhang that extends outward from the inner container. This surrounds the water reservoir, preventing pests from entering from the outside and also preventing water evaporation from within the reservoir. As a third measure, a water reservoir is formed in the protruding portion, and through holes are formed in the bottom surface of the water reservoir. This allows water to be supplied to the reservoir first by filling a puddle before being gradually supplied into the reservoir through the perforations. Compared to supplying water to the reservoir all at once, splashing is prevented, and since the water supply operation only involves supplying water to a puddle that is open above, there are no difficulties in the water supply process. Furthermore, as a fourth measure, the inner container is suspended and supported from the outer container via the protruding portion. This design ensures that the inner container is not placed at the bottom of the reservoir but is instead supported in a hollow space surrounded by the reservoir of the outer container, making it less likely for the pores to become blocked due to some of the culture medium spilling out. As a fifth measure, the outer container was made transparent. If the outer container is transparent, the water level in the reservoir can be visually observed from the outside, and as a result, the water level in the inner container can also be estimated. The inner container may also be transparent.

[0007] Furthermore, as a sixth measure, the average diameter of the small holes was set to 0.3 to 1.5 mm. Thus, if the pores are smaller in diameter, as described above, when water is supplied to the culture medium from below, the flow velocity of the water in the small pore passages will increase due to the water pressure in the surrounding reservoir, according to Bernoulli's principle. More preferably, the diameter is 0.5 to 1.2 mm. Furthermore, as a seventh means, the average density of the pores is 1 cm 2 The number of winning items was set to be between 5 and 30. If there are too many pores, a large amount of culture medium will spill out into the reservoir, affecting the strength of the inner container that holds the culture medium. Therefore, this level of pore density is ideal. As the diameter of the pores increases, the average density of pores decreases relatively. Furthermore, as an eighth means, a water supply method for automatically supplying water to potting soil in which plants are planted, wherein water is stored in an outer container having an internal space surrounded by walls as a water reservoir, and an inner container having small holes at the bottom that communicate with the inside and outside is placed inside the water reservoir, and the water from the water reservoir is introduced into the inner container through the small holes to impregnate the potting soil. This claims a method for supplying water to potting soil using a plant growing container. This method allows for rapid water supply to the potting soil from below, and once the water reaches the water level in the reservoir, the surface tension of the potting soil allows the water to spread to a level higher than the water level in the reservoir. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, water from the reservoir can be supplied to the inner container from the bottom of the inner container through small holes to impregnate the growing medium. By appropriately changing the amount of water in the reservoir, the number and size of the small holes, etc., the plants can be appropriately moistened. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A perspective view of a plant growing container used in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A plan view of the same plant growing container (or inner container) before the potting soil is added. [Figure 3] A perspective view of the inner container that makes up a growing container for the same plant. [Figure 4] (a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams illustrating how to use the same plant growing container. [Figure 5] A vertical cross-sectional view illustrating the water supply from the outer container to the culture medium inside the inner container of the same plant growing container. [Figure 6]A longitudinal cross-sectional view illustrating the water supply from the outer container to the culture medium in the inner container in a plant growing container of another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The following describes, with reference to the drawings, a plant growing container according to an embodiment of the present invention and its method of use. As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the plant growing container 1 consists of an inner container 2 and an outer container 3. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the colored plastic inner container 2 consists of a main cylindrical part 4 and a flange part 5 that protrudes around the upper end of the main cylindrical part 4. The main cylindrical part 4 consists of a side wall part 6 with a regular hexagonal prism shape and chamfered corners, and a bottom plate 7 molded integrally with the side wall part 6 at the lower end of the side wall part 6. The main cylindrical part 4 contains growing medium for cultivating plants. The bottom plate 7 has numerous (i.e., multiple) small holes 8 that communicate with the inside and outside. In this embodiment, the small holes 8 are circular, tunnel-shaped holes with a diameter of 0.5 mm. In this embodiment, the average density of the small holes 8 is 1 cm 2 They are neatly arranged on the base plate 7 at a density of 9.2 per unit. The flange portion 5 extends outward along the hexagonal prism-shaped side wall portion 6 to form a hexagonal prism shape, and is formed around the entire circumference of the main cylindrical portion 4 as a U-shaped groove opening upwards, formed by the outer wall 10, the inner wall 11, and the bottom plate 12 positioned between the outer wall 10 and the inner wall 11. The bottom plate 12 of the flange portion 5 has drainage holes 13 that communicate vertically at the corners of the hexagonal prism shape. Positioning ribs 15 are formed along the outer wall 10 on the back surface of the bottom plate 12 near the outer wall 10, and are formed around the entire circumference of the bottom plate 12.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5, the transparent plastic outer container 3 consists of a side wall portion 16 and a bottom plate 17 integrally molded with the side wall portion 16 at the lower end of the side wall portion 16. The side wall portion 16 has a regular hexagonal prism shape with chamfered corners and a tapered appearance with a wider gap at the top. The inside of the outer container 3 is a water storage portion 18. The shape of the upper end of the side wall portion 16 of the outer container 3 matches the shape of the lower end of the outer wall 10 of the flange portion 5 on the inner container 2 side. A method of using the plant cultivation container 1 configured as described above will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, when the inner container 2 is set on the outer container 3, the outer wall 10 of the flange portion 5 of the inner container 2 rests on the upper end of the side wall portion 16 of the outer container 3, and at the same time, the positioning rib 15 on the inner container 2 side is arranged at a position facing the inside near the upper end of the side wall portion 16 of the outer container 3, and the positioning of the inner container 2 on the outer container 3 is achieved. In the usable state of this plant cultivation container 1, the inner container 2 is supported in a suspended manner in the water storage portion 18 of the outer container 3. In this state, the bottom plate 7 of the inner container 2 is arranged slightly above the bottom plate 17 of the outer container 3 and parallel to the bottom plate 17.

[0012] FIG. 5 shows a state in which the culture soil S and the plant P are planted in the inner container 2 of such a plant cultivation container 1, water is poured into the water storage portion 18 of the outer container 3, and the plant P is actually being cultivated. When the inner container 2 is initially placed in the water storage portion 18 of the outer container 3 into which water has been poured, water supply to the culture soil S does not occur immediately, but the culture soil S is gradually impregnated through the small holes 8 in the bottom plate 7. This water supply action is carried out until the water level of the water storage portion 18 indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 5 is reached. According to Bernoulli's theorem, the water supply is due to the pressure of the water in the surrounding water storage portion 18, which increases the flow rate of the water in the passage of the small holes 8 with a small diameter. Even though the diameter of the small holes 8 is small, the speed is rapid until the water level of the water storage portion 18 is reached. After reaching the water level of the arrow A, the water reaches near the arrow B by capillary action through the gaps in the culture soil S. As a result, water can be suitably supplied to the roots of the plant P. The water level in the water storage portion 18 is appropriately changed according to the growth situation of the plant P. Additional water to the water storage portion 18 is appropriately poured from above into the flange portion 5 on the inner container 2 side, and the water falls from the drain hole 13 into the water storage portion 18.

[0013] The plant cultivation container 1 configured as described above exhibits the following effects. (1) In the plant cultivation container 1 of the type that supplies water to the culture soil S from below without watering from above, by adjusting the amount of water in the water storage portion 18, it is possible to supply water from below to the culture soil S at an arbitrary water level. (2) Water can be added to the water storage section 18 by pouring water into the groove of the flange section 5, which improves work efficiency. (3) Since the outer container 3 is transparent, the water level in the water storage section 18 can be visually inspected from the outside, and therefore the amount of water in the water storage section 18 can be immediately determined. (4) Because the small holes 8 that serve as water supply holes are very small in diameter, the culture soil S is less likely to leak out of the small holes 8, and despite the small diameter of the small holes 8, the speed at which the water reaches the water level in the reservoir 18 is relatively fast according to Bernoulli's principle.

[0014] The above embodiments are merely described as specific examples illustrating the principles and concepts of the present invention. In other words, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The present invention can also be embodied in modified forms, for example, as follows. The above is just one example of the shapes of the inner container 2 and outer container 3 that make up the cultivation container 1, and other shapes may be used. For example, the flange portion 5 of the inner container 2 may be made larger so that it protrudes outward beyond the outer container 3. In the above embodiment, the inner container 2 was supported in a suspended manner from the outer container 3. However, instead of being suspended, legs 21 may be formed around the bottom plate 7 of the inner container 20 as shown in Figure 6, and the inner container 20 may be supported on the bottom plate 17 of the outer container 23 by the legs 21, so that the bottom plate 7 of the inner container 20 is spaced apart from the bottom plate 17 of the outer container 23. In the inner container 20 and the outer container 23, the same reference numerals are used for components that are the same as those in the inner container 2 of the above embodiment, and their descriptions are omitted. Note that the inner container 20 is also an example in which the flange portion 5 is not provided. The shape, diameter, and number of small holes 8 in the bottom plate 7 of the inner container 2 can be changed as appropriate. In the above embodiment, the outer container 3 is made transparent, but it does not have to be transparent. The inner container 2 may also be made transparent. The present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the embodiments above. The components of each embodiment and modification described above may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Furthermore, any component of each embodiment and modification may be arbitrarily combined with any component described in the means for solving the invention or any component that embodies any component described in the means for solving the invention. We intend to obtain rights for these as well by amending this application or changing it to a patent application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0015] 1...Plant growing container, 2...Inner container, 3...Outer container, 8...Small holes, 18...Water reservoir, S...Cultivation soil.

Claims

1. A plant growing container that can automatically supply water to the potting soil, It comprises an outer container with an internal space surrounded by walls that serves as a water reservoir, and an inner container placed within the water reservoir that contains culture soil, With the inner container positioned inside the outer container, the upper surface of the outer container is covered by an overhang that extends outward from the inner container. A plant growing container characterized in that a water reservoir is formed in the protruding portion, and perforations are formed in the bottom surface of the water reservoir to allow the water poured into the water reservoir to flow down into the water storage portion.

2. The plant growing container according to claim 1, characterized in that the bottom of the inner container is provided with small holes having an average diameter of 5 mm or less that communicate with the inside and outside.

3. The plant growing container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the inner container is suspended and supported from the outer container via the protruding portion.

4. The plant growing container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the outer container is transparent.

5. The plant growing container according to claim 2, characterized in that the average diameter of the aforementioned small holes is 0.3 to 1.5 mm.

6. The average density of the aforementioned pores is 1 cm 2 The plant growing container according to claim 2, characterized in that each container holds 5 to 30 units.

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