FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of agriculture, particularly an article for use in cultivating or breeding plants, fungi and insects. More particularly, the article is used in fungiculture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Mushrooms are a type of fungi that are now gaining superfood status owing to their high nutritional value comparable to those of eggs, milk and meat. They are good sources of vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids and dietary fiber. Besides, mushrooms are particularly good for managing weight, boosting immune system, killing cancer cells, facilitating nerve regeneration, and eradicating viruses. In addition to health benefits, mushrooms also help the environment by cleaning polluted soil and restoring habitats near polluting factories as well as being a potent fuel source in the form of mycelium-based ethanol, and a potent substitute of plastics. Also, bug-repelling substances released by mushrooms are useful in protecting homes from infestation of bugs including termites.

Mushroom consumption has been increasing over the past several decades over the world. For instance, in the United States, per capita consumption of mushrooms as a vegetable has quadrupled since 1965. The rising global demand for mushrooms makes mushroom cultivation the second most important commercial microbial technology after yeast production. Most cultivated mushrooms are derived from natural varieties of wood-decay species of Basidiomycota. The most popular cultivated mushroom is the white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporu in which its global production exceeds 2 million tonnes.

Mushroom cultivation involves the recycling of lignocellulosic organic waste. It can be divided into five phases: composting, spawning, casing, pinning and harvesting. Mushroom compost, also known as mushroom substrate, is the source of nutrients for mushroom growth. It can be prepared from a mixture of animal manure and additives such as straw and gypsum. The compost is then inoculated with a rich culture or spawn of the vegetative fungal mycelium. The mycelium grows and spreads through the compost. The matured compost, which is completely permeated by mycelium, is transferred to mushroom beds for subsequent formation of mushrooms. A casing soil is placed over the compost to keep the compost moist. Under favourable conditions, mycelium grows through the casing layer and starts to form little buds called pins, which will develop into mushrooms, over the casing layer. Mushrooms are harvested from the mushroom beds when they grow into desirable sizes.

In some practices, mushroom beds are replaced by mushroom spawn bags. Mushroom spawn bags are bags containing composts inoculated with mushroom spawn. The mushroom spawn bags are sealed with caps when mycelial growth is not anticipated. When the caps are removed and the surrounding air comes into contact with the mushroom spawn, mycelium grows and spreads through the compost, and eventually forms into mushrooms at the opening of the bag.

Various types of caps for mushroom spawn bags have been developed to cater the needs of mushroom farmers. Taiwanese Patent No. M539769 provides a cap for a mushroom sawdust substrate bag, wherein the cap comprises an upper cap portion and a lower cap portion. The upper cap portion is designed for placement of a ventilating pad while the lower cap portion comprises a plurality of holes for air ventilation. The cap further comprises a lid for covering the upper cap portion. The lid is connected to the upper cap portion by a strap. A drawback of this cap is that it needs to be detached from the mushroom spawn bag when the opening of the bag is required to be substantially exposed without being covered by the ventilating pad or the lid, for instance during watering of the mushroom or at the stage when the mushroom starts to grow out of the bag.

Another Taiwanese Patent with Publication No. 201708067 discloses a cap for a mushroom cultivation bag comprising a collar and a body. The collar has a fixing portion and surrounds a hole passing through the two opposite sides of the collar while the body has a connecting portion and the fixing portion of the collar couples to the connecting portion of the body. An end of the body forms a pressing portion extending through the hole of the collar. Accordingly, the provided cap can be coupled with a cultivation bag and is able to press the wood dust or mushroom seeds received in the cultivation bag by the pressing portion. The different portions of this cap are not linked together by any connecting means and thus, constant detaching of unnecessary portions and attaching required portions of the cap are required throughout the process of cultivating mushroom.

Since most of the caps designed for mushroom cultivation bags, including the two abovementioned patent documents, have to be detached from and reattached to the bags at different phases of mushroom cultivation, these caps can be misplaced and lost easily. Therefore, there exists a strong need for a cap that can be fitted on the mushroom cultivation bags at all time throughout the mushroom cultivation process.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The primary object of the invention is to provide a cap for use in a container for growing or breeding an aerobic organism whereby the cap can be used to control the air passage into the container containing a plant, fungus or insect. The cap can be fitted on the container at all time without the need to remove or replace it for different purposes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cap that is suitable for use in a container for growing or breeding an aerobic organism at all time, especially for growing mushroom. The cap comprises various units, each of which facilitates different cultivation phases of mushroom, as a single unit. The cap, as a whole, will remain on the container during different phases of mushroom cultivation as well as when a pause in mushroom growth is intended.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cap comprising units that are detachably attached with one another. Particularly, all the units of the cap are connected by at least one connecting means, such that the detached units will still hang on to the container provided at least one unit of the cap is fitted on the container.

Further another object of the invention is to provide a cap comprising a tubular member that can be fitly attached to the opening of the container. The tubular member allows the cap to remain attached to the container and enables the opening of the container to be exposed without being covered by other units of the cap. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a cap comprising a ventilating unit that enables replacement of an air filtering means that can be held or adhered to the ventilating unit.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cap comprising a ventilating unit with a concave inner surface to prevent waterlogging around the air filtering means.

Also another object of the invention is to provide a cap comprising a sealing unit to cover all openings of the cap to prevent any article including solid or fluid to enter into or exit from the container.

At least one of the preceding objects is met, in whole or in part, by the present invention, in which the embodiment of the present invention describes a cap for a container having at least one opening comprising a tubular member for attaching the cap to the opening; a ventilating unit detachably connected to the tubular member having one or more ventilating holes for allowing passage of air through the ventilating unit; and a sealing unit detachably connected to the ventilating unit for blocking passage of air through the ventilating unit; wherein the tubular member, the ventilating unit and the sealing unit are linked by at least one connecting means. Preferably, the connecting means is any one or any combination of a hinge, a strap and a band.

Preferably, the cap is made of plastic, metal, wood, rubber, resin, or any combination thereof.

The ventilating unit may further comprise an air filtering means positioned on inner surface of the ventilating unit that faces interior of the container. The air filtering means can be any one or any combination of a membrane, a fabric, a cloth, a semi-permeable paper, a cotton, a glass fiber, and a sponge.

Preferably, the air filtering means comprises an adhesive layer that is disposed at least partially on a surface of the air filtering means. Furthermore, the ventilating unit has a concave inner surface where the membrane is adhered. Besides, the ventilating unit may comprise two or more holding means for holding the air filtering means in position.

The ventilating unit may be formed with one or more protruded portions on its outer surface and the sealing unit is formed with one or more recesses on its inner surface for mating with the corresponding protruded portions to secure the sealing unit and the ventilating unit together. Alternatively, the ventilating unit may be formed with one or more recesses on its outer surface and the sealing unit is formed with one or more protruded portions on its inner surface for mating with the corresponding recesses to secure the sealing unit and the ventilating unit together.

Particularly, the container is a farming container for an aerobic organism selected from the group consisting of plants, fungi and insects. Preferably, the fungi is a mushroom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the invention, there is illustrated in the accompanying drawing the preferred embodiments from an inspection of which when considered in connection with the following description, the invention, its construction and operation and many of its advantages would be readily understood and appreciated.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the cap.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the tubular member.

Figure 3 shows an upper perspective view of the ventilating unit.

Figure 4 shows a top view of an exemplary air filtering means.

Figure 5 shows a side view of the cap in a first preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 6 shows a lower perspective view of the ventilating unit of the first preferred embodiment. Figure 7 shows an upper perspective view of the cap in a second preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 8 shows a lower perspective view of the ventilating unit of the second preferred embodiment.

Figure 9 shows a perspective view of the cap in an unfolded state whereby the tubular member is detachably connectable to the ventilating unit in direction (b) and the sealing unit ventilating unit is detachably connectable to the ventilating unit in direction (a).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiment described herein is not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention.

The invention relates to a cap 100 for use in agriculture, such as cultivation or breading of aerobic organisms including, but not limited to, plants, fungi and insects. More particularly, the cap 100 disclosed herein is suitable for use on a container containing any one or a combination of the plant, fungus and insect. The container can be in the form of a bottle, a plastic, a bag, etc. Preferably, the container has at least one opening through which the aerobic organism can pass. More preferably, the container has a protruding opening, whereby the protruding portion is defined as a neck portion that connects the receptacle portion of the container to the opening. The cap can be made of any material including, but not limited to, plastic, metal, wood, rubber, resin, or any combination thereof. It shall be understood the cap can be in any structure, shape and dimensions. These features of the cap shall not be limited by the examples of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings.

As shown in Figure 1, the cap 100 comprises three detachably connected parts, namely tubular member 101, ventilating unit 201 and sealing unit 301. The tubular member 101 is employed for attaching the cap to the opening of the container. The ventilating unit 201, being sandwiched between the tubular member 101 and the sealing unit 301, comprises one or more ventilating holes 202 for allowing passage of air through the ventilating unit 201. The sealing unit 301 can be connected snugly to the ventilating unit 201 to block passage of air through the ventilating hole 202. These three parts are detachably linked by at least one connecting means 401.

The tubular member 101 of the cap 100, as shown in Figure 2, is configured to be securely fastened on the neck portion of the container. The tubular member 101 projects further from the opening of the container as it is partially secured to the neck portion of the container. In an exemplary form of the tubular member 101, the inner wall 102 of the tubular member 101 is partially or completely threaded for fastening onto a corresponding threaded neck portion of the container. Further, a layer of sealing material such as rubber can be adhered on the inner wall 102 of the tubular member 101 for providing an airtight locking of the cap 100 to the container.

The tubular member 101 is connected to the ventilating unit 201 by a connecting means 401. As shown in Figure 3, the ventilating unit 201 comprises a tubular body 203 with an open end 205 and a partially closed end 204. It is preferred that the tubular body 203 has a projected rim at the open end 205 having an outer circumference smaller than the inner circumference of the tubular member 101 such that the tubular member 101 can fit snugly around the rim when the ventilating unit 201 is stacked on the tubular member 101, thereby providing a detachable connection between the ventilating unit 201 and the tubular member 101. Optionally, the edge of the open end 205 and the edge of the tubular member 101, which is adjacent to the ventilating unit 201, can be coupled with attaching means including magnets and fasteners for providing non-permanent attachment between the ventilating unit 201 and the tubular member 101.

As set forth in the preceding description, the partially closed end 204 of the ventilating unit 201 comprises one or more ventilating holes 202 for allowing passage of air through the ventilating unit 201 to the tubular member 101 and into the container. The ventilating unit 201 further comprises a gas permeable air filtering means 206. The air filtering means 206 is placed beneath the ventilating holes 202, facing the interior of the tubular body 203. Air entering the ventilating holes 202 will pass through the air filtering means 206. Therefore, airborne microorganisms and impurities present in the air, such as dust and dirt, that will affect mycelium growth will be prevented from passing through the tubular body. The air filtering means 206 can be a membrane, a fabric, a cloth, a semi-permeable paper, a sponge, a cotton, a glass fiber, or any other filtering material. Preferably, the air filtering means 206 is water-resistant or waterproof for enabling air that passes through the air filtering means 206 to contain a reduced amount of moisture. Besides, the air filtering means 206 may further comprise an adhesive layer, preferably not disposed on the surface of the air filtering means 206 that is exposed to the ventilating holes 202 for attaching the air filtering means 206 onto the inner surface of partially closed end 204 of the ventilating unit 201.

An exemplary air filtering means 206 is illustrated in Figure 4. The air filtering means 206 shown in Figure 4 comprises an annular layer of adhesive deposited on a circular porous gas permeable membrane. Preferably, the membrane is a porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane. Any porous PTFE membrane can be used as the air filtering means 206, but the Temish® porous PTFE of Nitto Denko Corporation is preferred. The porous PTFE membrane may be laminated together with a reinforcing material such as polyolefin nonwoven fabric. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the preferred porous PTFE membrane is highly capable of blocking water and dust. Particularly, the membrane is able to prevent water from entering into the container through the ventilating hole 202 even when it is splashed with water. As a result, the humidity level inside the container is controllable, and consequently steady growth of aerobic organisms contained within the container can be achieved. Preferably, the preferred porous PTFE membrane has a weight per unit area of 20 g/m ² or more so that its water resistance is enhanced. Optionally, the preferred membrane is subjected to a liquid-repellent treatment to further increase its water repellency and oil repellency. Besides, the preferred porous PTFE membrane can maintain breathability with a small area. It is preferable that the preferred porous PTFE membrane has an air permeance of 40 seconds/lOO mL or less in terms of Gurley number in accordance with JIS P8117 so that the breathability of the membrane is enhanced. The high breathability of the preferred membrane prevents buildup of carbon dioxide in the container as it can lead to retarded growth of the aerobic organisms in the container. In addition to high water resistance and breathability, the preferred porous PTFE membrane also has high flame resistance and insulation. Furthermore, the preferred porous PTFE membrane has high physical collection efficiency. A membrane filter’s physical collection efficiency is dependent on the pressure drop, and its particle diameter and face velocity. The preferred porous PTFE membrane has a pressure drop of less than 300 Pa, a face velocity of 5.3 cm/s and a particle size of 0.3 to 0.5 pm, giving it a collection efficiency of more than 50%. Hence, the preferred porous PTFE is efficient in collecting airborne bacteria, viruses and other particles in the 0.3 to 0.5 pm size range.

In a first preferred embodiment of the cap 100, the air filtering means 206 (not shown) is held in position by two or more holding means 207 at the inner surface of the partially closed end 204. A side view of this embodiment of the cap 100 is illustrated in Figure 5. Figure 6, on the other hand, shows a perspective view of the ventilating unit 201 of this embodiment. The holding means 207 can be flat protrusions extending inwardly from the tubular body 203. Preferably, the gap in between the holding means 207 and the partially closed end 204 is sufficient for inserting, holding and removing the air filtering means 206. Such arrangement allows the air filtering means 206 to be replaced easily by slotting the air filtering means 206 into the gap and taking away the air filtering means 206 from the gap.

A second preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 7 and Figure 8, whereby Figure 7 illustrates a side view of the cap 100 and Figure 8 depicts a perspective view of the ventilating unit 201. In this second preferred embodiment, the air filtering means 206 has an adhesive layer on one of its surfaces that is to be adhered onto the inner surface of the partially closed end 204 of the ventilating unit 201. The adhesive layer is preferred to be disposed around the border of the air filtering means 206. The surface of the air filtering means 206 beneath the ventilating hole 202 is not disposed with the adhesive layer.

Preferably, the partially closed end 204 of the ventilating unit 201 has a concave inner surface at which the air filtering means 206 is adhered for preventing waterlogging around the air filtering means 206. The concave surface facilitates the flowing of liquid away from the ventilating unit 201 when the ventilating unit 201 is not attached to the tubular member 101 especially during watering of the aerobic organism including plants and fungi such that water is not retained within the ventilating unit 201.

The sealing unit 301 of the cap 100 is a lid for covering the ventilating holes 202. It is adjoined to the ventilating unit 201 via a connecting means 401. Both of the sealing unit 301 and ventilating unit 201 are preferred to be formed in a complementary structure in terms of shape, amount, position and dimension, such that they can be attached to and detached from each other. As shown in Figure 8, the outer surface of the partially closed end 204 is formed with a protruded portion 501 whereas the inner surface of the sealing unit 301 is formed with a corresponding recess 502 for mating with the protruded portion 501. Alternatively, the protruded portion 501 can be fabricated on the inner surface of the sealing unit 301 while the outer surface of the partially closed end 204 is formed with the recess 502 for receiving the protruded portion 501. The sealing unit 301 can be detached from the ventilating unit 201 when adequate force is applied to withdraw the protruded portion 501 from the recess 502.

As set forth in the preceding description, the sealing unit 301, the ventilating unit 201 and the tubular member 101 are connected by at least one connecting means 401. Connecting means 401 such as hinge, strap and band can be used. Two connecting means 401 may be used to connect the sealing unit 301 to the ventilating unit 201 and the ventilating unit 201 to the tubular member 101 respectively. Alternatively, a connecting means 401 may be used to connect all three parts of the cap 100 together, preferably in the order of tubular member 101, ventilating unit 201 and sealing unit 301.

With reference to Figure 9 when the sealing unit 301, ventilating unit 201 and tubular member 101 are in a planar form and unfolded state, the sealing unit 301 is adjoined to the ventilating unit 201 by a connecting means 401 while the ventilating unit 201 is adjoined to the tubular member 101 by another connecting means 401. Preferably, the sealing unit 301, the ventilating unit 201 and the tubular member 101 are integrated as a single unit. In more particular, the sealing unit 301 and the ventilating unit 201 are connected by a connecting means 401 such that when the connecting means 401 folds in direction (a), the protruded part 501 of the ventilating unit 201 mates with the recess 502 of the sealing unit 301. On the other hand, the ventilating unit 201 is connected to the tubular member 101 by another connecting means 401 such that when the connecting means 401 folds in direction (b), the tubular member 101 fits around the rim of the ventilating unit 201. However, when in use, the ventilating unit 201 is moved towards the tubular member 101 that is attached to the container by folding the connecting means 401 such that the rim of the ventilating unit 201 fits within the tubular member 101. When the sealing unit 301, ventilating unit 201 and tubular member 101 are in a folded state, they are stacked together with ventilating unit 201 sandwiched between the tubular member 101 and the sealing unit 301. In an exemplary embodiment, the cap 100 is applied on a container containing a fungal spawn, particularly a mushroom spawn.“Mushroom spawn” as used herein refers to any substance inoculated with mycelium that can be used to grow mushrooms. The cap 100 disclosed herein is suitable for use during various growth phase of mushroom. The cap 100 can be fitted on the container as a whole at all time. In addition to nutrients in the mushroom substrate, air, particularly oxygen, is essential for mycelium or mushroom growth. The sealing unit 301 can be fitted onto the ventilating unit 201 while the ventilating unit 201 can be fitted onto the tubular member 101 to block passage of air through the ventilating unit 201 in order to prevent or halt mycelium or mushroom growth. When mycelium or mushroom growth is intended, the sealing unit 301 can be detached from the ventilating unit 201, while still being connected with the ventilating unit 201 by the connecting means 401, to allow air to enter the container through the ventilating unit 201. Air passing through the air filtering means 206 of the ventilating unit 202 contains reduced or insignificant amount of moisture and impurities and hence enhances growth condition for the mycelium or mushroom. When mycelium propagates along the substrate in container and mushroom starts to form at the opening of the container, the ventilating unit 201 can be detached from the tubular member 101 in order to allow mushroom to grow out of the container through the tubular member 101, which is still attached to the container. The mushroom can then be harvested at the tubular member 101 without destroying the container.