Recyclable tray liners for wooden mushroom-growing trays

Abstract

This invention provides a tray liner that is insertable into a mushroom-growing tray. This invention provides a tray liner that provides protection to the mushroom-growing tray by eliminating direct contact of the growing medium or compost with the trays' interior wood The tray liner has a rectangular base member with a periphery of upstanding sidewalls joined to the base portion. There is a notch section located at each corner of the rectangular base member that accommodates an upstanding corner frame member located at each corner of the wooden mushroom growing tray. The notch section has a contiguous wall that is joined with the periphery of upstanding sidewalls and the base member. An alternative embodiment is to provide a replaceable mushroom growing tray liner that comprises a plurality of sections.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A tray liner that is insertable into a mushroom growing tray, the liner comprising: 
 a substantially rectangular base member having a periphery of upstanding side walls joined to the base portion; and,    a notch section located at each corner of the rectangular base member to accommodate an upstanding corner frame member located at each corner of the mushroom-growing tray, the notch section having a contiguous upstanding wall that is joined with the periphery of upstanding side walls and the base member.    
     
     
         2 . A tray liner that is insertable into a mushroom-growing tray as recited in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the upstanding sidewalls are tapered to extend in an outward direction from the base portion of the substantially rectangular base member.    
     
     
         3 . A tray liner that is insertable into a wooden mushroom-growing tray as recited in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the upstanding sidewalls are outwardly tapered vertically to form an obtuse angle between 91 and 94 degrees from the base portion of the substantially rectangular base member.    
     
     
         4 . A tray liner that is insertable into a wooden mushroom-growing tray as recited in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the upstanding sidewalls have an outward facing lip joined to each of the upstanding sidewalls along an upper sidewall edge located between the notch sections defined at each corner of the substantially rectangular base member.    
     
     
         5 . A tray liner that is insertable into a mushroom-growing tray as recited in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the replaceable mushroom growing tray is formed of from the group consisting of polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene or polyethylene terephthalate.    
     
     
         6 . A tray liner that is insertable into a mushroom-growing tray, the tray liner comprising: 
 a substantially rectangular base member having a periphery of upstanding sidewalls joined to a base portion of the rectangular base member;    a notch section located at each corner of the tray liner to accommodate an upstanding corner frame member located at each corner of the mushroom-growing tray, the notch section having a contiguous upstanding wall that is joined with the periphery of upstanding side walls and a base portion of the rectangular base member; and,    an optional pair of upstanding, reinforcing bridge members that match and cover a pair of upstanding, reinforcing bridge members attached to a base portion of the mushroom-growing tray, the upstanding, reinforcing bridge members, being joined to an inside portion of the upstanding side walls at an opposing side of the substantially rectangular base member.    
     
     
         7 . A tray liner section that is insertable into a mushroom-growing tray, the tray liner section comprising: 
 a substantially rectangular base member having a periphery of upstanding sidewalls along three sides that are joined to a base portion of the tray liner section;    a notch section located at two corners of the substantially rectangular base member to accommodate an upstanding corner frame member located at two corners of an end of the mushroom-growing tray, the notch section having a contiguous upstanding side wall that is joined with the periphery of upstanding side walls and the base portion of the substantially rectangular base member; and,    at least one upstanding reinforcing bridge member that matches and covers at least one upstanding bridge member attached to a base portion of the mushroom-growing tray, the upstanding reinforcing bridge member being joined to an inside portion of the upstanding side wall at an opposing side of the substantially rectangular base member.    
     
     
         8 . A tray liner section that is insertable into a mushroom-growing tray as recited in  claim 7 , wherein: 
 the substantially rectangular base member has a contiguous edge defining a flat end of the base member of the tray liner section, the flat end not having an upstanding side wall whereas a remainder of the substantially rectangular base member has the upstanding side walls located around a periphery formed of three sides of the substantially rectangular base member.    
     
     
         9 . A tray liner that is insertable into a mushroom-growing tray, the tray liner comprising: 
 a substantially rectangular base member having a periphery of upstanding side walls; and,    a notch section located at each corner of the substantially rectangular base member to accommodate an upstanding corner frame member located at each corner of the mushroom-growing tray, the notch section having a contiguous upstanding wall including a compliant corner that is joined with the periphery of upstanding side walls and a base portion of the tray liner.    
     
     
         10 . A tray liner that is insertable into a mushroom-growing tray as recited in  claim 9 , wherein: 
 the compliant notch section has a semi-circular form blended into the contiguous upstanding wall portion of the notch section so as to adapt to varying tolerance positions of the upstanding corner frame member of the substantially rectangular base member.    
     
     
         11 . A tray liner that is insertable into a mushroom-growing tray; the tray liner comprising: 
 a substantially rectangular base member having a periphery of upstanding sidewalls joined to a base portion of the rectangular base member;    a notch section located at each corner of the rectangular base member to accommodate an upstanding corner frame member located at each corner of the mushroom-growing tray, the notch section having a contiguous upstanding wall that is joined with the periphery of upstanding side walls and the base portion of the substantially rectangular base member; and,    a series of slots disposed in the base portion of the substantially rectangular base member.    
     
     
         12 . A method of protecting parts of a mushroom-growing tray comprising the steps of: 
 inserting a tray liner into a mushroom-growing tray;    securing the tray liner to the mushroom-growing tray;    filling the lined wooden tray with the mushroom growing medium; and,    emptying the growing medium after a mushroom growth cycle is complete.    
     
     
         13 . A method of protecting parts of a mushroom growing tray comprising the steps of: 
 inserting a tray liner into a mushroom growing tray to form an assembly;    securing the tray liner to the mushroom growing tray;    adding at least one structural support member to an inside section of the mushroom growing tray; and,    fastening the structural support member to the assembly.    
     
     
         14 . A tray liner that is insertable into a mushroom-growing tray; the tray liner comprising: 
 a substantially rectangular base member manufactured in a material in a blank having a notch at each corner, and;    a series of relief's running parallel to each edge of a side and an end of the rectangular base member wherein the series of relief's are either formed or perforated to aid in the bending and formation of a box-like structure thereby forming the tray liner.    
     
     
         15 . A tray liner according to  claim 14  wherein the liner is formed of a material comprising polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene or polyethylene terephthalate.  
     
     
         16 . A tray liner according to  claim 14  wherein the series of relief's is comprised of a series of perforations that semi-pierce the material so as to permit forming the box-like structure into the tray liner.  
     
     
         17 . A tray liner according to  claim 14  wherein the series of relief's is comprised of a series of compressed lineal area that permit bending the material so as to form the box-like structure and resulting tray liner.  
     
     
         18 . A tray liner that is formed to be insertable into a mating mushroom-growing tray; 
 the tray liner comprising: 
 a substantially rectangular base member having a periphery of upstanding sidewalls joined at each of two sides and two ends to a base portion of the rectangular base member;  
 a notch section located at each corner of the rectangular base member, the notch section formed to accommodate a corner frame member located at each corner of the mushroom-growing tray, and;  
 a corner-liner component that is insertable into the rectangular base member of the formed tray liner so as to cover the otherwise exposed area of each corner of the mating mushroom-growing tray.  
   
     
     
         19 . A tray liner according to  claim 17  wherein the corner-liner component is generally formed into an upstanding, right angle member having two upstanding side panels, with a lip projecting at right angles from each side panel that will mate with a lip on an end and side portion of the formed tray liner.