Patent Application
20200223620
This invention relates to a nursery rack that is framed with a lightweight water resistant paper composite material that is easy to assemble and disassemble for disposal or re-use.
Nursery shipping racks have been used for a long period of time to secure plants during shipment from the nursery to the designated delivery location. The nursery racks have been traditionally made of wood, which is nailed or screwed together and are still used today. The issue with using wood racks is that they are heavy and usually not re-usable because they are very difficult to disassemble and can rot if left outside unprotected. It is very common for nursery racks made of wood to be destroyed and burned or thrown away after one use because it would cost more to ship the rack back to the nursery than the wooden rack is worth. Consequently, the nursery industry moving away from wooden nursery racks because the use of wooden racks is quite wasteful.
As an alternative, the industry has been gradually moving towards metal racks because they are lighter and more durable for re-use than the traditional wood racks. However, use of industry. For instance, metal racks generally cost significantly more than a traditional wood rack. Accordingly, the metal racks are not destroyed after a shipment. Instead empty metal nursery racks are shipped back to the nursery for future deliveries. Consequently, the costs of delivering plants with metal nursery racks are dramatically increased due to the extra shipment of empty nursery racks. Moreover, the urgency of shipping the metal racks is critical for timely deliveries during peak seasons.
The present invention provides a stable nursery rack that uses a recycled paper based composite material that is lightweight, weather resistant, and disposable. Due to the lightweight composite material, the frame of the rack requires a unique and novel frame structure.
This present device is a nursery shipping rack that is described in three embodiments. The first embodiment is comprised of a frame made from a paper and plastic composite material, a base and one or more shelf panels. The paper composite material used to make angle boards, which are also often referred to as “v-board”. The frame is further comprised of a plurality of outer vertical supports, a plurality of inner vertical supports, a plurality of support spacers, a plurality of upper horizontal supports, and a plurality of lower horizontal supports. The vertical supports, horizontal supports, and support spacers are each angle boards and may be connected together with staples.
The plurality of outer vertical supports are attached to the sides of the base and extend upward. The plurality of vertical inner supports and the plurality of vertical support spacers assist with providing rigidity to the outer vertical supports as well as upholding the plurality of upper horizontal supports and the plurality of lower horizontal supports. In turn, the plurality of horizontal supports are attached to the plurality of outer vertical supports and the plurality of inner vertical supports while also resting on the vertical spacer and inner vertical support.
Each shelf panel is then attached to each plurality of upper horizontal supports, which the nursery plants will be placed on. Nursery plants may additionally be placed on the base of the shipping rack. It is anticipated that each shelf panel and the base could be made from wood or from the same recycled paper based composite material that the frame is made from.
The second embodiment removes the upper horizontal support and allows for each shelf panel to be attached to each plurality of lower horizontal supports. This consequently allows for easy loading and removal of nursery plants for the shipping rack. The second embodiment additionally provides a plurality of diagonal supports which is attached to at least two of the plurality of outer vertical supports and a plurality of rack straps which are wrapped around the plurality of outer vertical supports and plurality of diagonal supports.
The third embodiment provides a plurality of angle shelf boards as an alternative to the shelf panels used in the first and second embodiment. This use of the plurality of angle shelf boards allows for greater customization of the shipping rack shelf to accommodate tall plants as well as short plants. The use of the plurality of angle shelf boards also assists with reducing the overall weight of the nursery shipping rack.
With the use of the angle board supports, this invention provides a new and innovative disposable nursery rack that minimizes the use of wood or may remove the use of wood entirely. This rack also provides an environmentally friendly option to significantly reduce shipping costs by utilizing the lightweight paper composite material.
This device is a nursery shipping rack which is relatively light in weight, water resistant, disposable, and environmentally friendly. This nursery shipping rack is described in a first embodiment 5, a second embodiment 50, and a third embodiment 100. Although each of the three embodiments is described separately, it is anticipated that one embodiment may incorporate elements of one or more of the other embodiments. It is also anticipated that the base 6 may be a variety of different shapes, but is described and shown as being a rectangle. Additionally, while the three embodiments show two shelves, it is anticipated that more than two shelves or one shelf can also be provided.
This first embodiment is comprised of a base 6, a plurality of supports made from a rigid paper based composite angle board, also known as a v-board, and at least one shelf panel 30. The plurality of paper composite material v-boards are water-resistant, thereby allowing water to shed prior to being absorbed. The plurality of supports are comprised of a plurality of outer vertical supports 10, a plurality of inner vertical supports 15, a plurality of support spacers 20, a plurality of upper horizontal supports 25, and a plurality of lower horizontal supports 26.
Each of the plurality of outer vertical supports 10 provide a top end 10a, a bottom end 10b, an interior surface 10c, and an exterior surface 10d. The bottom end 10b of each of the plurality of outer vertical supports 10 are attached to the corners of the base 6 as shown in
Each of the plurality of upper horizontal supports 25 are attached to each of the plurality of lower horizontal supports 26, which creates a top lip 25a, a bottom lip 26a, a top surface 25b, and a bottom surface 26b, as shown in
The plurality of inner vertical supports 15, each provide a top edge 15a, a bottom edge 15b, an inside surface 15c, and an exterior surface 15d. The plurality of inner vertical supports 15 are provided between the bottom surface 26b of the plurality of lower horizontal supports 26 and the base 6. In the instance that the rack provides more than one row of shelves, as shown in
Consequently, the bottom lip 26a of the plurality of lower horizontal supports 26 and the top lip 25a of the plurality of upper horizontal supports 25 create a space between the plurality of inner vertical supports 15 and the plurality of outer vertical supports 10. It is critical that the plurality of inner vertical supports 15 and the plurality of outer vertical supports 10 maintain a substantially perpendicular orientation relative to the base 6 and one or more shelve panels.
The plurality of support spacers 20 are provided within the space between the plurality of outer vertical supports 10 and the plurality of inner vertical supports 15, which is shown in
A plurality of staples 40 are used to attach the plurality of upper horizontal supports 25, the plurality of lower horizontal supports 26, the plurality of outer vertical supports 10, the plurality of inner vertical supports 15, and the plurality of support spacers 20 together. The staples 40 may also be used to attach each shelf panel 30 or base 6 to the shipping frame as well.
This second embodiment 50 is distinguished from the first embodiment 5 in that the shipping rack is comprised of a base 6, a plurality of water resistant paper based composite supports, at least one shelf panel 30 and a plurality of rack straps 60. The plurality of supports are comprised of a plurality of outer vertical supports 10, a plurality of inner vertical supports 15, a plurality of support spacers 20, a plurality of lower horizontal supports 26 and a plurality of diagonal supports 55.
By only providing a plurality of lower horizontal supports 26 for a shelf panel 30 to rest on, it removes the top lip 25a and thus allows for sliding plants on and off of the shelf panel 30. The plurality of diagonal supports 55 are attached to the plurality of outer vertical supports 10, as shown in
The plurality of diagonal supports 55 and plurality of rack straps 60 also assist with preventing the nursery plants from falling out of the rack during shipment.
This third embodiment 100 is distinguished from the first and second embodiments in that a plurality of angle shelf boards 110. The plurality of angle shelf boards 110 is placed on the upper horizontal supports 25 to support nursery plants during shipment. It is critical that each angle shelf board have the angle pointed upward so water can shed off the plurality angle shelf boards 110. Although the recycled paper composite material of the plurality of angle shelf boards 110 is water resistant, the ability to shed water from the recycled material is critical for the stability of the shipping rack.
The plurality of angle shelf boards 110 can span across the entire width of the plurality of upper horizontal supports 25, as shown in
With the use of a recycled paper based composite material for the plurality of supports, it provides nurseries with a third option that is dependable, economical, and environmental. While the embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, certain modifications may be made by those skilled in the art to modify the invention without departing from the spirit of the invention.
