Patent Application
20190071243
This application claims priority to and the benefit of United Kingdom Patent Application No. GB 1714164.9, filed Sep. 4, 2017, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
This invention relates to packaging for the transportation and/or storage of plants or plant material such as nutritional items including fruit, berries or vegetables.
Plants are conventionally transported between growers, wholesalers and retail outlets in trays. Typically, the plants are grown in small, preformed plastic pots that are arranged on the trays. There are, however, several problems associated with transporting plants in this manner.
Often the trays contain plants of different sizes, either due to the plants being of different types or growing at different rates. During transit, mechanical disturbance may cause smaller plants to leave their pots and roll around in the trays, damaging themselves and other plants in the tray. Plants may also outgrow the tray, becoming intertwined with neighboring plants and trays of plants, resulting in damage to the plants on separation and making it difficult for a consumer to inspect the plants prior to purchase.
Where plants are ordered by direct mail and delivered by post or courier, it has been found that around 5% of boxed plants are rejected and/or need to be replaced due to damage. This damage may be caused when a box is tipped at an angle or inverted, e.g. when falling or becoming dislodged in a van, or due to directional arrows on a box being disregarded, so that one or more plants become dislodged within their tray. Subsequent movement of the plant and its associated soil and fertilizer damages the remaining plants in the tray. In this way, a single plant becoming dislodged during carriage can damage an entire tray of plants.
It is also important that the plants can continue to grow as normal during transit and storage, which may take a period of days or weeks. This means that it must be possible for the plants to be watered, to take on nutrients, and to photosynthesize.
In one known approach, trays of plants are encapsulated within a netting tube, which is sealed at each end. This approach is relatively difficult to carry out, however, and the presence of netting both beneath and above the tray is associated with a number of disadvantages, including excessive material costs, visually poor presentation of the product to a potential purchaser, and less stable stacking of packages, thereby increasing the likelihood of damage.
In another approach, a layer of film is placed over a tray of plants prior to transportation. However, this can cause a build-up of condensation which can lead to bacterial or fungal growth and damage to the plant. This can significantly reduce the lifespan of the plant. It is also difficult to water the plants during transit, and difficult for the plants to be inspected.
Covers made by a cut/make/trim method are also sometimes used to protect plants during transit. This method uses a traditional mesh fabric which has been set, and thus has limited stretch and recoil, and is cut to a pattern and sewn together to produce a box-type cover for the tray containing the plants. The plant cover produced by this method is relatively rigid and does not conform to the shape of the plants in the tray. It is therefore unsuitable for covering trays containing plants of different sizes as it does not prevent small plants from leaving their pots. Such covers are also expensive and labor intensive to make.
Similar approaches have also been taken to the transportation and storage of nutritional plant material items such as fruits, berries and vegetables, and many of the problems referred to above apply also to such materials.
There has now been devised packaging for the transportation and/or storage of plants or plant material that overcomes or substantially mitigates the above-mentioned and/or other disadvantages associated with the prior art.
According to the invention, there is provided an assembly for the transportation and/or storage of plants or plant material, which assembly comprises
an upwardly open, rigid base member, and
a retention net adapted to fit over the base member,
wherein the retention net is formed from a unitary piece of mesh fabric that is square or rectangular in its pre-assembled state and has one pair of opposite sides that are elasticated, the juxtaposed ends of said elasticated sides and the respective intervening non-elasticated side being gathered together to form cinch points at each end of the fabric, thereby forming a net having an elasticated perimeter.
The assembly of the invention is advantageous in numerous ways. First, the retention net can be manufactured inexpensively and in large quantities. The retention net has an open structure that provides for effective ventilation and so reduces or prevents the build-up of moisture, reducing the likelihood of bacterial or fungal growth that would otherwise cause decay and reduce the shelf-life of the packaged items. This in turn reduces wastage. The open structure of the retention net also allows for watering and feeding of plants carried by the base member, and for visual inspection of products within the base member, for instance by a potential purchaser, as well as allowing substantially unimpeded exposure of the plants to sunlight, so that photosynthesis may occur.
Furthermore, the retention net will generally have a structure that exhibits a degree of stretch and recoil, which means that it will conform to the packaged items. The retention net may therefore retain the packaged items effectively, even where those items are of different sizes and/or where the dimensions of the items changes, e.g. in the case of growing plants. The stretchy nature of the retention net permits plants to grow freely during transportation and storage, the movement of the net preventing growth from being restricted or from being forced in a particular direction. Moreover, the retention net will prevent plants from growing outside the tray and intertwining with plants on other trays, and so reduces the likelihood of damage to the plants when adjacent trays are separated.
Engagement of the retention net with the base member is easily carried out, the elasticated perimeter of the retention net simply being fitted around the periphery of the base member. The retention net may remain in place from initial packaging for transportation through to display at the point of sale.
The retention net is a unitary piece of mesh fabric. For, amongst other reasons, ease of manufacture, the fabric is most preferably a knitted fabric.
Knitted fabrics, by virtue of their structure, exhibit a degree of stretch and recoil. By this is meant that the fabric can be stretched under tension, for example to at least 150%, or at least 200%, or at least 250% of its original size, and returns to its original size on removal of the tension. This is a highly beneficial property in the invention, as the ability of the retention net to stretch allows it to conform to the items carried by the base member, and the recoil aids in the retention of those items.
During use, due to the non-uniform and varying shapes of the items being transported, the fabric of the retention net is likely to remain under a degree of tension. It is important that the fabric has sufficient recoil that it can contain the items to be transported, but that the recoil is not so strong that the articles will be damaged by the remaining tension in the fabric.
The mesh fabric has an open structure, with a plurality of apertures. The appropriate size for the apertures in the mesh fabric will depend on the nature of the items to be retained within the base member. The size of the apertures will normally increase when the mesh fabric is stretched, as it is engaged with the base member. In the case of live plants, the apertures will generally be sufficiently large to allow light to pass through, even when the fabric is in its relaxed state, but small enough to prevent foliage from protruding through the fabric and potentially becoming damaged, even when the mesh fabric is in its stretched state. Smaller aperture sizes have the additional advantage that they may help to prevent insect infestation. On the other hand, the apertures should be sufficiently large to permit visual inspection of the contents of the base member, for instance by a potential purchaser. Thus, appropriate aperture sizes when the mesh fabric is in the relaxed state may be between about 0.375 mm and 10 mm, or between about 0.5 mm and 5 mm, or between about 1 mm and 3 mm. Appropriate aperture sizes when the mesh is in the extended state may be from about 0.75 mm to 25 mm, or from about 1.5 mm to 15 mm, or from about 3 mm to 10 mm.
The retention net is most conveniently prepared by a method involving knitting a continuous band of fabric and drawing the lateral edges of the band together at regular intervals to form cinch points. Most conveniently, the cinch points are formed by joining the edges of the fabric band, and the intervening knitted yarns, together. This may be carried out by fusing the fabric yarns by the application of heat and pressure, or by knotting the fabric band, or by sonic welding, or by the application of a mechanical binding such as a cord tied tightly around the fabric band or a clip, most commonly of metal but possibly of a suitable plastics material, or by the application of adhesive.
Most preferably, pairs of cinch points are formed at regular intervals in the band of fabric, the separation of the cinch points of each pair being generally just sufficient to allow the fabric band to be cut or weakened between those cinch points. Cutting of the fabric band in that way provides for the manufacture of individual retention nets in a continuous process. Where the fabric band is only weakened between the cinch points of each pair, the product may be supplied as a connected roll from which individual retention nets may be torn off as required.
The knitted band of fabric may be produced by a one, two (or more) bar warp knitting action, each bar guiding threads through a number of needle positions horizontally at each stitch, with each bar knitting in opposition to make mesh material with mechanical recoil properties. Third (and fourth) bars may be used to feed and incorporate elastic where required. Stitch lengths of between 6 and 15 stitches per inch (6 to 15 stitches per 2.5 cm) have been found to be suitable, though between 3 and 25 or more stitches per inch (3 to 25 stitches or more per 2.5 cm) may also be appropriate.
Yarns used in the manufacture of the fabric band are preferably synthetic yarns such as polypropylene, polyester and polyamide (nylon). The yarns may be monofilament yarns and may have a thickness of less than or equal to 100 denier, or less than or equal to 50 denier, for example from 10 to 50 denier, or from 15 to 50 denier, or from 15 to 30 denier. The yarn may be a 15 denier yarn, or may be a 20 denier yarn. Such a lightweight yarn minimizes the obstruction of sunlight and so facilitates photosynthesis, even with a smaller mesh size, as the light can reach the plants. In addition, low filament or monofilament yarns absorb less moisture and aid recoil.
Most preferably, the yarn is a yarn that does not absorb water, to facilitate watering as all the applied water will reach the plant(s) covered by the retention net. In addition, as the mesh will not retain water, which would create a damp atmosphere, the ability of pathogens to grow (which may otherwise drastically reduce the lifespan of the product) is limited. Polypropylene yarns have this property.
To further facilitate photosynthesis, the yarn may be one which aids in light reflection, or one which is coated with a light-reflecting substance, to maximize the amount of light which reaches the plant. The yarn may therefore have a bright finish or light-reflective coating, or may be a metallic yarn, or a yarn with a multi-sided profile, such as a trilobal yarn.
The lateral edges of the fabric band are elasticated. This is achieved most preferably by incorporating one or more elastic yarns into the knitted structure of the band, at the respective edges. Suitable elastic yarns are readily available and typically have thicknesses of 20 to 100 threads per inch (20 to 100 threads per 2.5 cm), and typically exhibit extensibility of from about 200% to about 500% (i.e. a length under tension of about 2× to about 5× the unstretched length).
Additional elastication may be incorporated into the fabric of the retention net, for instance to improve conformance of the net with the products (e.g. plants) included in the assembly. For example, a region or line of elastication may be incorporated along or across the center of the net, reducing excess billowing of the net in the center and aiding in retaining the central plant pots in place if the base member is moved or tipped. Alternatively, parallel lines of elastication may extend longitudinally across the retention net, spaced to align between the rows of plants in the base member, helping to retain the pots in place. This may be particularly advantageous in a base member which is carrying a large number of plants. Reinforced bands of a firmer construction (i.e. less stretch and recoil), may also or alternatively be employed in the same manner, forming parallel lines across the retention net to help retain the plants in the base member. Such reinforced bands may be formed through the use of an additional line of threads (an additional knitting bar) to pattern the threads horizontally across more needles, or by adding multiple feed threads per needle from the same knitting bar. By aligning the lines of elastication and/or reinforced bands between the rows of plants in the base member, the retention net helps to retain the pots in place in the base member, whilst allowing sufficient stretch and recoil in the parts of the net which overly the plants to prevent damage.
The edges of the retention net, in addition to being elasticated, may also be reinforced. This protects the edge of the retention net from abrasion against the base member or other items, reducing the chance of the retention net becoming damaged. It may also aid in holding the retention net in place. The reinforced edging may be in the form of a band of denser material, for example an edging of dense material which is from 0.5-2 cm wide. The reinforced edging may be formed integrally with the mesh fabric, and is typically formed with a greater density of pattern stitches and/or from a thicker yarn than is used for the remainder of the retention net, for instance a yarn of up to about 200 denier. The reinforced edging may alternatively or additionally be formed through the use of an additional line of threads (an additional knitting bar) to pattern the threads horizontally across more needles, or by adding multiple feed threads per needle from the same knitting bar.
Although knitting is the preferred method for the manufacture of the retention net, other methods may be feasible. For instance, a plastic mesh may be produced by extrusion. In such cases, elastication or a drawstring arrangement may be added to the edge of the retention net in a subsequent manufacturing step.
Where desirable, the retention net may be dyed. Preferably, dyeing is carried out loose in a vat to maintain the flexibility of the mesh and the elasticity of the edge.
The retention net may incorporate additives such as plant feeds, pesticides, insect repellants and non-insecticidal protective agents such as Ecolan CEA. Such additives may be incorporated into the yarn from which the retention net is manufactured or may be applied to the retention net after it has been manufactured. For instance, the additive(s) may be added during dyeing, may be applied in a static, paddle or rotary vat process, or may be sprayed onto the surface of the net. Such additives may be used to reduce or inhibit insects, pathogens, mold and infestations such as green fly or black fly. Suitable additives may include pesticides based on natural compounds and/or with a physical mode of action. Examples of such products include natural pyrethrum, fatty acids and plant or fish oils, and materials such as so-called horticultural soap, which contains oil and fatty acids and/or detergent. Other additives that may be used are synthetic pesticides having a contact action, such as the Deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin and cypermethrin. Other potentially suitable insecticides have a systemic action, one example being the neonicotinoid insecticide acetamiprid.
Other examples include citronella, essence of chrysanthemum, a diluted washing-up liquid which has been found to be effective against green fly, and/or ladybird larvae which has been found to be effective at repelling slugs. Another example of a suitable insect repellant is neem oil. The inclusion of insecticides and/or pesticides in the retention net also reduces or eliminates the need for the plants to be sprayed with insecticides or pesticides prior to transit, which is often undesirable due to adverse effects on the surrounding environment if these substances enter the water or food chain, or may be unacceptable to an end consumer who does not want a plant which has been directly treated with any pesticides or chemicals.
Labelling means may be incorporated into the retention net, for example to denote different sizes or densities of net, or different aperture sizes. The retention nets may be labelled through the incorporation of different colored yarn, for example a colored edging or pattern, to enable identification of different sizes.
The retention net may be supplied as individual, separate items, or as a chain of connected retention nets from which individual nets can be separated as required, for instance by tearing at a line of weakness between adjacent cinch points, as described above. In a further alternative, a continuous roll of mesh fabric may be supplied, with the retention nets being manufactured in situ, with each net being formed by gathering, cinching and cutting as the fabric is applied over an individual base member or series of base members.
The retention nets may be reusable or may be designed to be thrown away or recycled after a single use.
The base member typically has the form of an open-topped tray, most commonly of square or rectangular overall shape, though other shapes, e.g. circular or hexagonal, may also be suitable for some applications. The base member is generally shaped and dimensioned to receive an appropriate number of items to be transported and/or stored. In the case of live plants, for instance, the base member may be adapted to hold from about 1 to about 100 individual plant pots, more commonly from about 4 to about 40 plant pots, depending on the size of the plant pots. Where the base member holds relatively large fruit or vegetable items (e.g. apples, oranges, onions or potatoes), the number of such items accommodated within the base member may be of a similar magnitude. Where the individual items are smaller (e.g. berries or grapes), the number of items held within the base member may be considerably greater.
Most commonly, the base member will be of such a size that the assembly of base member and retention net, when fully loaded with plants or other material, can be lifted and carried by a person without undue effort. The base member may therefore typically have a maximum dimension of between about 10 cm and about 100 cm, more commonly between about 20 cm and about 50 cm.
The base member is relatively rigid. By this is meant that the base member has sufficient rigidity that it substantially retains its shape during normal use.
The base member may be formed in any suitable material. For instance, the base member may comprise cardboard or the like. More commonly, however, the base member is formed in plastics material, for instance by vacuum forming or injection molding. Examples of suitable plastics materials include polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, as well as polystyrene. The base member may be formed from post-consumer waste recycled plastics. The base member may be formed of material that is recyclable and/or biodegradable.
The base member, which typically has the form of a tray, will generally have upstanding sides. Most commonly, such upstanding sides extend around the full periphery of the base member. The sides may be formed with an outwardly extending flange or lip to aid engagement of the base member with the retention net. In other embodiments, however, the sides of the base member may be flat, in which case the retention net may be held in place simply by the elasticity of its periphery, or by virtue of the retention net fitting over the sides of the base member such that its elasticated periphery is located beneath the base member.
In an alternative embodiment, instead of an outwardly extending flange or lip about the entire periphery of the upstanding sides of the base member, the base member may be provided with attachment members spaced at intervals around the periphery of the base member. The attachment members may be located at the top of the upstanding sides of the base member, or around the base, or may be located on the exterior of the upstanding wall of the base member. The attachment members enable the edges of the retention net to engage with the base member and may, for example, take the form of hooks, clips, or protrusions extending from the base member. Such protrusions may take the form of, for example, small portions of a laterally extending flange or lip, or an inverted “L” shape extending from the periphery of the base member. Where the attachment member takes the form of a hook, an extending flange or lip, or an inverted “L” shape, the retention net may be secured to the attachment member by inserting a portion of the attachment member through one or more apertures in the mesh, or by inserting a portion of the attachment member through a hole in the reinforced edging, where present. Holes in the reinforced edging may be formed during the knitting process by the arrangement of threads or the use of additional knitting bars or may be slits cut by the user or manufacturer and have the advantage of being stronger than using apertures in the mesh fabric itself.
The attachment members are spaced around the base member at suitable intervals. Attachment members may be present at each corner, or attachment members may be spaced at intervals along one or more pairs of opposing sides of the base member, or both. For example, the base member may have 1, 2, 3 or 4 attachment members equally spaced along two opposing sides, or along each side.
Attachment members may be spaced at intervals along opposing sides of the base member but not be present in the corners. Having attachment members spaced along one or more pairs of opposing sides is particularly advantageous, as it may remove the need for the retention net to be fixed at the corners of the base member. Attachment of the retention net at the corners of the base member stretches and causes increased tension in the portion of the retention net closest to the corner, leading to localized excess pressure being applied to the plants, and risking damaging the plants. Thus, the attachment members may be located at least 1 cm, or at least 2 cm, or at least 4 cm, away from a corner of the base member.
It will be appreciated that the appropriate number and positioning of the attachment members will vary with the size of the base member and the number of plants to be transported.
Where the attachment members engage with apertures in the mesh fabric, the mesh fabric may be engaged with the attachment members at different points, to accommodate different sizes of plant (or other plant material). Similarly, it may be possible for the points of engagement to be changed in order to accommodate changes in the size of the contents of the base member, for instance as plants within the base member grow. Where the engagement of the attachment members is with openings formed in a reinforced edging of the retention net, the provision of more than one such opening at each engagement position will similarly provide for a degree of adjustability in the engagement of the retention net with the base member.
Thus, in another aspect of the invention, there is provided a tray for the transportation and/or storage of plants or plant material, the tray comprising an upwardly open, rigid base member, the base member having upstanding sides and a plurality of attachment members, at least one attachment member being located on each of at least one pair of opposing sides of the base member, the attachment members being engageable with a mesh fabric.
There is also provided an assembly for the transportation and/or storage of plants or plant material, which assembly comprises
an upwardly open, rigid base member, and
a retention net adapted to fit over the base member,
wherein the retention net is formed from a unitary piece of mesh fabric that is square or rectangular in its pre-assembled state and has one pair of opposite sides that are elasticated, the juxtaposed ends of said elasticated sides and the respective intervening non-elasticated side being gathered together to form cinch points at each end of the fabric, thereby forming a net having an elasticated perimeter;
and wherein the base member has upstanding sides and a plurality of attachment members, at least one attachment member being located on each of at least one pair of opposing sides of the base member, the attachment members being engageable with the retention net.
In other embodiments, rather than being a tray or the like that accommodate a plurality of plant pots, the base member may itself be a plant pot, containing one or more individual plants. In this embodiment, the plant pot may comprise an outwardly extending flange or lip, or a series of attachment members spaced about its periphery, as described above.
The base member may be impregnated with pesticides, insect repellants and non-insecticidal protective agents such as Ecolan CEA, to repel pests such as slugs, green fly and black fly. The base member may be biodegradable.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of packaging plants and/or plant material for transportation and/or storage
which method comprises
(a) providing an upwardly open, rigid base member;
(b) loading the plants and/or plant material into the base member; and
(c) fitting a retention net over the base member;
wherein the retention net is formed from a unitary piece of mesh fabric that is square or rectangular in its pre-assembled state and has one pair of opposite sides that are elasticated, the juxtaposed ends of said elasticated sides and the respective intervening non-elasticated side being gathered together to form cinch points at each end of the fabric, thereby forming a net having an elasticated perimeter.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of illustration only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Referring first to
The base tray 2 is of generally conventional form, being vacuum-formed in relatively thin plastics material, and having upstanding side walls 21 with a peripheral, outwardly-extending lip 22.
The potted plants 31,32,33 are positioned within the base tray 2. In the illustrated embodiment, there are three potted plants 31,32,33 and the base tray 2 is dimensioned to closely receive that number of plants, in a row. In other embodiments, the number of potted plants may be considerably greater, for instance sixteen plants may be arranged in four rows of four, and the base tray will be shaped and dimensioned accordingly.
The retention net 4, the manufacture and construction of which is described in greater detail below, has an elasticated periphery 41 that allows the net 4 to be stretched such that it can be fitted over the walls of the base tray 2, the elasticated periphery 41 of the net 4 engaging beneath the lip 22, as shown in
Likewise, in a third embodiment of the assembly according to the invention, designated 30 and shown in
Turning now to the method by which the retention nets used in the previously described embodiments are manufactured, a first step in the process is schematically illustrated in
The fabric 50 is knitted as a continuous band. To form individual retention nets 4, the fabric is gathered together at regular intervals, as indicated by the transverse broken lines in
The attachment members 73, which are located closest to the corners of the tray, are spaced from the corners by a distance L, to prevent excess pressure being applied to the plants in the corner of the tray. The magnitude of L depends on the size of the tray, but may typically be at least 2 cm.
The retention net 8, the manufacture and construction of which is described in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1714164.9 | Sep 2017 | GB | national |
