U.S. patent number RE37,821 [Application Number 09/516,839] was granted by the patent office on 2002-08-20 for plant carrier with pull-out remover.
Invention is credited to Leonard VanWingerden.
United States Patent |
RE37,821 |
VanWingerden |
August 20, 2002 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Plant carrier with pull-out remover
Abstract
A system of plastic plant trays is disclosed for conveniently
transporting, displaying and removing (for planting) young plants
or seedlings. In the preferred embodiment, each tray comprises a
plurality of cells for removably housing the plants; unique
pull-out tabs for gently lifting plants atop them from individual
cells; and a color-coded handle that identifies the price of the
plants. By pulling up on a dangling end of a tab, a gardener can
lift and later extract a plant with minimal damage to its roots or
flowers.
Inventors: |
VanWingerden; Leonard (Somers,
CT) |
Family
ID: |
26680953 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/516,839 |
Filed: |
March 2, 2000 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
010242 |
Jan 21, 1998 |
05927009 |
Jul 27, 1999 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
47/73;
47/66.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01G
9/0295 (20180201); A01G 9/006 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A01G
9/10 (20060101); A01G 009/10 (); A01G 009/02 ();
A01G 023/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;47/73,66.1,66.6,86,87 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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2017100 |
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Oct 1970 |
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DE |
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2312944 |
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Dec 1976 |
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FR |
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2642266 |
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Aug 1990 |
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FR |
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737660 |
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Sep 1955 |
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GB |
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2263052 |
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Jul 1993 |
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GB |
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Other References
Plantpak Grower Products, Packs you can afford . . . grow, 1983,
pp. 1-8..
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Primary Examiner: Poon; Peter M.
Assistant Examiner: Gellner; Jeffrey L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Kramer, Esq.; John A. Holland &
Bonzagni, P.C.
Parent Case Text
.Iadd.This application is a Re-Issue of application Ser No.
09/010/242, filed Jan. 21, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,009, which
claims benefit of application Ser. No. 60/045,654, filed May 5,
1997.Iaddend.. This "regular" patent application is based (in part)
upon a "provisional" patent application, entitled "POP-UP REMOVER
FOR PLANTS", application Ser. No. 60/045,654, filed May 5, 1997, by
the same inventor.
Claims
Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:
1. A plant tray comprising: a. at least one row of integrally
connected cells in the tray, wherein each cell has a plurality of
side walls, a bottom wall, and a top opening, and the row of cells
has a beginning and an end; b. a plurality of plants respectively
housed within individual cells, wherein the plants have soil bases
and roots; and c. means for gently lifting the plants from their
individual cells without the soil bases crumbling and the roots
being damaged and, said said means comprising: (i) a pull-out tab
that lines the row of cells with plants resting atop the tab,
wherein the tab has pre-formed generally U-shaped supports that sit
within the cells, with the plants respectively housed within
individual U-shaped supports, wherein the soil bases of the housed
plants are in direct contact with the U-shaped supports; (ii) the
U-shaped supports are interconnected by shoulders that straddle
tops of side walls between adjacent cells; (iii) the tab has two
ends, wherein one tab end is adjacent the beginning of the row of
cells and the other tab end is a free end that extends beyond the
end of the row of cells, over the tray, wherein the free end is
adapted in size and shape to be grasped by a person's thumb and
forefinger and lifted with the supports remaining generally
U-shaped; and (iv) the U-shaped supports each have a base, two
opposing side walls, two opposing side openings and a top opening,
whereby the soil bases of plants housed within the U-shaped
supports are accessible directly through the side openings for
removal of the plants from their respective supports.
2. The plant tray of claim 1 wherein the entire tray, including the
pull-out tab, is made of plastic, whereby the U-shaped supports
retain their shape upon the tab being lifted.
3. The plant tray of claim 1 wherein the one tab end is attached to
the tray by an insert portion of the tab that is housed within a
slit in the tray.
4. A plant tray comprising: a. at least one row of integrally
connected cells in the tray, wherein each cell has a plurality of
side walls, a bottom wall, and a top opening, and the row of cells
has a beginning and an end; b. a plurality of plants respectively
housed within individual cells, wherein the plants have soil bases
and roots; and c. means for gently lifting the plants from their
individual cells without the soil bases crumbling and the roots
being damaged and, said means comprising: (i) a pull-out tab that
lines the row of cells with plants resting atop the tab, wherein
the tab has pre-formed generally U-shaped supports that sit within
the cells, with the plants respectively housed within individual
U-shaped supports, wherein the soil bases of the housed plants are
in direct contact with the U-shaped supports; (ii) the U-shaped
supports are interconnected by shoulders that straddle tops of side
walls between adjacent cells; (iii) the tab has two ends, wherein
one tab end is a free end that extends beyond the end of the row of
cells, over the tray, wherein the free end is adapted in size and
shape to be grasped by a person's thumb and forefinger and lifted
with the supports remaining generally U-shaped; and (iv) the
U-shaped supports each have a base, two opposing side walls, two
opposing side openings and a top opening, whereby the soil bases of
plants housed within the U-shaped supports are accessible directly
through the side openings for removal of the plants from their
respective supports.
5. The plant tray of claim 4 wherein the entire tray, including the
pull-out tab, is made of plastic, whereby the U-shaped supports
retain their shape upon the tab being lifted.
6. The plant tray of claim 4 wherein the one tab end is attached to
the tray, adjacent the beginning of the row of cells, by an insert
portion of the tab that is housed within a slit in the tray.
7. A device comprising: a. at least one cell having four side
walls, a bottom wall and a top opening; b. a plant housed within
the cell, wherein the plant has a soil base and roots; and c. means
for gently lifting the plant from the cell without the soil base
crumbling and the roots being damaged, .[.and.]. .Iadd.said
.Iaddend.means comprising: (i) a pull-out tab having a pre-formed
generally U-shaped support that sits within the cell with the plant
resting atop the support, wherein the soil base of the housed plant
is in direct contact with the U-shaped support; (ii) the tab has at
least one free end that extends beyond the cell, wherein the free
end is adapted in size and shaped to be grasped by a person's thumb
and forefinger and lifted with the plant within the support; and
(iii) the U-shaped support has a base, two opposing side walls, two
opposing side openings and a top opening, whereby the soil base of
the plant housed within the support is accessible directly through
the side openings for removal of the plant from the support.
8. The tray of claim 7 wherein the entire device, including the
U-shaped support, is made of plastic, whereby the U-shaped support
retains its shape upon being lifted..Iadd.
9. A plant tray comprising: a. at least one cell having four side
walls, a bottom wall, and a top opening; b. a plant housed within
the cell, wherein the plant has a soil base and roots; and c. a
pull-out tab having a pre-formed, generally U-shaped support that
sits within the cell with the plant resting atop the support;
wherein: (i) the soil base of the housed plant is in direct contact
with the U-shaped support; and (ii) the U-shaped support has a
base, two opposing side walls, two opposing side openings and a top
opening, whereby the soil base of the plant housed within the
support is accessible directly through the side openings for
removal of the plant from the support when the tab is lifted from
the cell. .Iaddend..Iadd.
10. The plant tray of claim 9 wherein the entire tray, including
the pull-out tab, is made of plastic, whereby the U-shaped support
retains its shape upon the tab being lifted from the cell.
.Iaddend..Iadd.
11. A plant tray comprising: a. at least one cell having four side
walls, a bottom wall, and a top opening; b. a pull-out tab having a
pre-formed, generally U-shaped support that sits within the cell,
wherein the U-shaped support has a base, two opposing side walls,
two opposing side openings and a top opening; and c. a plant with a
soil base and roots housed within the cell, wherein the plant rests
atop the support and the soil base is in direct contact with the
U-shaped support, whereby the soil base of the plant housed within
the support is accessible directly through the side openings for
removal of the plant from the support when the tab is lifted from
the cell. .Iaddend..Iadd.
12. The plant tray of claim 11 wherein the U-shaped support is made
of plastic, whereby the U-shaped support substantially retains its
shape upon the tab being lifted from the cell. .Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the removal of garden plants or seedlings
from plastic trays. More specifically, it deals with a simple
system by which young plants or seedlings can be lifted without the
soil bases crumbling or the roots or flowers being damaged.
Young garden plants are typically displayed and sold to customers
in plastic containers. Those containers are sometimes individual
units. More often, they are removably linked together (e.g, by
scored or perforated tabs) to form a chain of cell packs. The chain
can be broken anywhere along its length. That enables a user to
purchase only the amount desired.
Cell packs assist customers, but they present multiple problems for
retailers. Customers often leave displays in disarray, upon
breaking off a string of such packs. This gives the impression that
the plants are not being attended to or nourished. Constant
maintenance is required to keep the displays attractive so that
customers will purchase items from them.
The following illustrates a typical scene at garden centers: a
novice gardener spots the orange marigolds she has been looking for
in the retailer's just stocked plant display. As she reaches in to
break off the desired "chain amount" of packs, her handbag dangles
from her arm, snapping blooms from the adjacent flat of plants. The
desired string of packs resists breaking loose from the remainder
of the chain in the flat. Finally it rips loose, pulling two or
more packs up, out of the flat, left lying askew against some more
broken marigolds.
The problem does not stop there| Our novice gardener now is home
ready to plant her orange marigolds. She is afraid to pull hard on
the plants to extract them from the cells: they may break. Pushing
from the bottom of a cell causes the plastic frame to wrinkle.
Finally she goes inside, gets a pair of scissors and snips the
plastic from around the plant.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to
provide a system of plant trays that overcomes the deficiencies of
the prior art.
It is another general object to provide a simple system of plastic
trays, with different plant counts, by which young plants or
seedlings can be removed or lifted without the soil bases crumbling
or the roots or flowers being damaged.
It is a more specific object to provide such a system with pull-out
tabs to gently lift the plants from their individual cells.
It is yet another object to provide a series of trays, commensurate
with the above-listed objects, that are identical in width and
length to assist retailers in maintaining the ordered appearance of
displays.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A unique system of plant trays is disclosed for the easy removal of
plants or seedlings without the soil bases crumbling or the roots
or flowers being damaged. In the preferred embodiment, the trays
are plastic. They are constant in overall width and length; but,
they contain different numbered cells to house multiple counts of
various sized plants. For example, a four-cell tray (a.k.a.
"pack"), constructed in accordance with this invention, houses four
plants that are proportionally larger than the smaller plants
housed in a six-pack.
Each tray has multiple rows of cells. Pull-out ribbon-like tabs are
located under the plants housed in the cells. Each tab is removably
attached, at one end, to a wall of the tray, while the other tab
end extends freely over an opposing wall. A user can remove a plant
from a cell for potting or planting by lifting the free end. This
gently pops up the plant with minimal damage.
The trays also preferably have different colored handles that
identify the sizes of the plants housed, plus their prices. Each
handle has a ruler on its reverse side to assist the user in
planting the seedlings the appropriate distance apart in his/her
garden.
The above and other objects and advantages may become more readily
apparent upon viewing the accompanying drawings and reading the
more detailed description that follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1-6 are top perspective views of various cell packs,
constructed in accordance with the present invention, which are
designed to house different counts of various sized plants;
FIGS. 7-8 illustrate the front and back, respectively, of a
carrying handle for one of the packs;
FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a six-pack, shown in FIG. 2, with a
pull-out tab suspended above and some representative plants being
shown; and
FIG. 10 illustrates an overhead view of the six-pack of FIG. 2, but
with the plants and tabs removed for clarity.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawing in detail, a system of plastic plant trays
is exemplified in FIGS. 1-6, with these trays being generally
designated by the reference numerals 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20. The
trays are marketed under the trademark WING.TM. PAK by GROWER
DIRECT.RTM. of Somers, Conn.
In the preferred embodiment, each tray (e.g., 12) comprises a
plurality of cells (e.g., 22a-22f) for removably housing young
plants or seedlings (e.g., 24, 26, 28); pull-out tabs (e.g., 30a,
30b) for gently lifting the plants from their individual cells; and
a color-coded handle (e.g., 32) that identifies the price of the
plants.
As best shown in FIG. 10, each tray (e.g., 12) has the same length
L and width W as the other trays (10, 14, 16, 18, 20) in the
series. Their cells (e.g., 22f) have side and bottom walls (e.g.,
33a-d) and top openings.
The illustrated trays have different plant counts (i.e., their
number of cells differ). For example, FIG. 1 shows a tray 10 with
four cells 34a-d. It is called a four-pack. FIG. 2 shows a tray 12
with six cells 22a-f that are smaller or shorter, to house smaller
species of plants.
Similarly, looking at FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6, trays 14, 16, 18, 20 are
designed to house progressively smaller plants (not shown), but the
number of cells in each increases. Tray 14 depicts a nine-pack;
tray 16 a sixteen-pack; and tray 20 a twenty-pack.
This plant packaging system incorporates a one size fits all
approach; yet there is maximum flexibility. Using trays with
different plant counts, the system is able to handle a wide
selection of garden plants. Yet each species takes up the same
space on a display flat (or shelf) because one size fits all.
Aside from their uniform perimeters, each tray includes the unique
pull-out tabs mentioned above (e.g., 30a, 30b). These tabs allow a
gardener to gently lift a plant (e.g., 28) out of its cell for
removal and planting without damaging the foliage or any delicate
root structure. How this is accomplished is best shown in FIGS. 9
and 10.
FIG. 9 depicts tray 12, which is a six-pack with two identical rows
36a, 36b of three cells 22a-c, 22d-f. Identical tabs 30a, 30b are
designed to fit into these rows.
Each tab is preferably made of plastic. Each has pre-formed
U-shaped supports (e.g., 40a, 40b, 40c) that are interconnected by
horizontal shoulders (e.g., 42a, 42b). These shoulders are adapted
to straddle the tops (e.g., 44a, 44b) of walls between adjacent
cells.
First, the ribbon-like tab (e.g., 30b) is lowered into a row (e.g.,
36b) of cells. Then, a truncated-V-shaped insert end 46 is threaded
under and up through a slit (e.g., 48a or 48b) in an overhanging
rim 49. This rim is integral with the outermost left-hand wall
(e.g., 50) of that cell row (36a or 36b); and it extends around the
entire tray, as best shown in FIG. 9.
While the tab's insert end 46 is held within the slit (e.g., 48a or
48b), the tab's opposite end (e.g., 52) is allowed to freely drape
over the outermost right-hand wall (e.g., 54) of that cell row
(e.g., 36b). This free end (e.g., 52) can be easily grabbed between
a user's thumb and forefinger (see FIG. 9), when desired. Note that
the insert end 46 provides a gentle fulcrum for removing a plant
(e.g., 26) from the last or left-hand cell (e.g., 22a).
Once the insert end 46 is secured, soil media is poured into the
cells (e.g., 22d-f), atop the tab (e.g., 30b). Then, transplants
(e.g., 26, 28) are placed into the soil filled cells, where they
are typically allowed to grow. At the time of sufficient growth,
the packs are transported to the retailer's establishment for
display and sale.
The display is assisted through the use of different colored
handles 32, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64 (color not shown). Each color
denotes a sales price to the retailer and allows him/her to
determine the retail selling price by color. Any colors could be
chosen, and Applicant believes that his arbitrary color scheme
identifies his system.
Each handle 32, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64 has pronged ends (e.g., 66, 68)
resembling truncated arrowheads. These ends enable the handles to
be removably held within two slots (e.g., 70, 72) on opposite sides
of the trays, near their mid-lengths (see FIG. 10). Notches (e.g.,
74a-b, 76a-b) provide flexibility of the handle for comfortable
carrying.
Along with the easy-to-use color coding on each of his handles,
Applicant has imprinted a convenient ruler 78 on the back of every
handle for experts and novices alike to use. No more guess work as
to how far apart or how deep to plant your plants.
It should be understood by those skilled in the art that obvious
structural modifications can be made without departing from the
spirit or scope of the invention. For example, the pull-out tabs
(e.g., 30a, 30b) could be made of pre-formed, wax impregnated
paper. Or, they could be single U's. Accordingly, reference should
be made primarily to the accompanying claims, rather than the
foregoing specification, to determine the scope of the
invention.
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