US3823508A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Plant cultivating apparatus
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1972-06-30
•
Granted: 1974-07-16
•
Expires: 1992-06-30
Abstract
Abstract A plant cultivating apparatus comprising a tray member having recessed portions on the upper surface for collecting a liquid fertilizer, recessed portions on the lower surface for ventilation, and openings for establishing communication between the upper and lower surface sides, the tray member being disposed in a root growing space, whereby sufficient amounts of fertilizer and air are fed to the roots of plants being cultivated.
Inventors
- 👤 H Takehara
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 16:42
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01G; A01G31/00; A01G31/02; Y; Y02; Y02P; Y02P60/00; Y02P60/20; Y02P60/21
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
146 words
A plant cultivating apparatus comprising a housing, mounting means within said housing for mounting a plurality of integral plastic trays adapted to support plant life, said trays being superimposed in a vertically spaced array and each including top, bottom, side and end walls, said side and end walls being coplanar so that they define an elevated frame about the perimeter of said tray, a plurality of spaced longitudinally extending slotted openings through said bottom wall, said slotted openings being parallel to each other and to said side walls and terminating adjacent to said end walls, and a plurality of spaced longitudinally extending members each having laterally spaced upstanding protrusions between which at least one channel is defined, said members being parallel to each other and to said side walls and terminating adjacent to said end walls, with adjacent pairs of upstanding protrusions straddling said slotted openings.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
146 words
A plant cultivating apparatus comprising a housing, mounting means within said housing for mounting a plurality of integral plastic trays adapted to support plant life, said trays being superimposed in a vertically spaced array and each including top, bottom, side and end walls, said side and end walls being coplanar so that they define an elevated frame about the perimeter of said tray, a plurality of spaced longitudinally extending slotted openings through said bottom wall, said slotted openings being parallel to each other and to said side walls and terminating adjacent to said end walls, and a plurality of spaced longitudinally extending members each having laterally spaced upstanding protrusions between which at least one channel is defined, said members being parallel to each other and to said side walls and terminating adjacent to said end walls, with adjacent pairs of upstanding protrusions straddling said slotted openings.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
76 words
A plant cultivating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which each said longitudinally extending member includes three upstanding protrusions with two of said protrusions straddling adjacent slotted openings and terminating in a plane beneath the plane of the top wall of the frame, said two protrusions defining a low top wall, and with the third protrusion terminating in a plane at the top wall of the frame, said third protrusion defining a high top wall.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A plant cultivating apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which said third upstanding protrusion divides the space between said two upstanding protrusions into two channels.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
A plant cultivating apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which said side walls are parallel with each other and said end walls are parallel with each other.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
A plant cultivating apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which said plurality of trays are superimposed in a stack in a ground and said trays are rotated alternately about 90* in said ground.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
A plant cultivating apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which a plastic mat is positioned above the uppermost portion of said trays, the plastic mat prevents soil and sand from flowing on said trays, and said plastic mat has at least one opening that permits the root of the plant to grow therethrough.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
A plant cultivating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which said housing has parallel spaced side and end walls, at least two of said oppositely disposed spaced side walls including horizontally arranged inwardly extending shelf portions capable of supporting in vertically spaced array a plurality of said trays.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
A plant cultivating apparatus as claimed in claim 7, in which the uppermost of said trays is arranged to support a blanket of polyurethane foam having preformed opening therein.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
A plant cultivating apparatus as claimed in claim 8, in which the housing is assemblable from a plurality of stackable elements.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
57 words
A plant cultivating apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further comprising at least one pot-like element having an opening on its bottom, the bottom of said pot-like element being located in the housing, the housing have at least one of said trays below the bottom of the pot-like element, and said pot-lIke element having said trays therein.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
119 words
An integral plastic tray adapted to support plant life including top, bottom, side and end walls, said side and end walls being coplanar so that they define an elevated frame about the perimeter of said tray, a plurality of spaced longitudinally extending slotted openings through said bottom wall, said slotted openings being parallel to each other and to said side walls and terminating adjacent to said end walls and a plurality of spaced longitudinally extending members each having laterally spaced upstanding protrusions between which at least one channel is defined, said members being parallel to each other and to said side walls and terminating adjacent to said end walls, with adjacent pairs of upstanding protrusions straddling said slotted openings.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
119 words
An integral plastic tray adapted to support plant life including top, bottom, side and end walls, said side and end walls being coplanar so that they define an elevated frame about the perimeter of said tray, a plurality of spaced longitudinally extending slotted openings through said bottom wall, said slotted openings being parallel to each other and to said side walls and terminating adjacent to said end walls and a plurality of spaced longitudinally extending members each having laterally spaced upstanding protrusions between which at least one channel is defined, said members being parallel to each other and to said side walls and terminating adjacent to said end walls, with adjacent pairs of upstanding protrusions straddling said slotted openings.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
An integral plastic tray as claimed in claim 11, in which the periphery of the frame extends laterally therefrom to provide a flange.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
An integral plastic tray as claimed in claim 11, in which the frame terminates in a dependent U-shaped channel.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
An integral plastic tray as claimed in claim 11, in which at least one of the upstanding protrusions terminates in a plane beneath the plane of the top wall of the frame.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
An integral plastic tray as claimed in claim 11, in which the upstanding protrusions terminate in the plane of the top wall of the frame.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
An integral plastic tray as claimed in claim 11, in which said parallel spaced longitudinally extending members include at least three upstanding protrusions defining therebetween a plurality of channels.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
An integral plastic tray as claimed in claim 16, in which the protrusions are closed at the top and opened at the bottom.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
60 words
An integral plastic tray as claimed in claim 11, in which each said longitudinally extending member includes three upstanding protrusions with two of said protrusions straddling adjacent slotted openings and terminating in a plane beneath the plane of the top wall of the frame, and with the third protrusion terminating in a plane at the top wall of the frame.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-07-15 | 1978-01-14 | 1978-07-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-07-15 | 1982-01-14 | 1982-07-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-07-15 | 1986-01-14 | 1986-07-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |