AU601524B2 - Plant pot - Google Patents

Description

r '1

L

n 1 71-

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1952 Form COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. Cl: S Application Number: Lodged: 6015 2 4 C f- r r SComplete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: I Priority: ,Related Art: This document contains the amendments made under Section 49 and is correct for printing.

TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Narqe of Applicant: SEBOR ENGINEERING (PROPRIETARY) LIMITED Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: 24 FRANSEN STREET,

CHAMDOR,

KRUGERSDORP,

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA.

PAUEL SEBOR CLEMENT HACK CO., 601 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.

Complete Specification for the invention entitled: "PLANT POT" The.following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- PF/CP1F/2/80

W

I:

-:i

O

r r t THIS invention relates to plant pots.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION a a a *955r o as a a a a St *s a *c 0 at It is well known that an excessive amount of water should generally not be allowed to accumulate in the soil of a plant pot, since the growth of a plant within such pot can be adversely affected thereby. The excess water can lead to root rot and in extreme cases the excess water can lead to the death of the plant.

DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART In cases where plants are grown in pots on a commercial scale, and such plants are watered on a regular basis via an overhead sprinkler system, saucers which are provided with certain pots, are generally removed from the pots, so that the water can readily drain from the pots. Once a potted plant is ready to be sold, the saucer has once again to be attached to the pot. This is a time consuming operation during which the plant may be damaged.

2

I!

tl CI ii 'i; :i,

:I:

I

~I

II:

a: i

S

d:ii L.1 i 1 1: Q i i OBJECT OF THE INVENTION C t rr V t tt C C VEC4 C C C C t C E C C C t

I

C CC ri C C' C C C~ C I .c C cC C rc C r CC C C C It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a plant pot which at least reduces the difficulties associated with the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a plant pot including a base and upwardly extending side walls a displaceable weir formation located in the base of the pot, the weir formation including an outlet, the weir formation being movable between a high position and a low position, to in use, vary the level at which liquid drains from the pot and a drainage grid located within and across the pot above the high position of the weir formation.

The weir formation may be a conduit slidably and sealingly received through an aperture provided in the base of the pot, the conduit defining an inlet at or towards its lower end. A finger engageable web may be located at the lower end of the outlet conduit of the conduit to facilitate manipulation of the conduit.

In another embodiment of the invention the weir formation may be a diaphragm which forms at least part ii jj 1

M

i 1 1 1 1 1 i -3- Oy *1iq\ a

C

1 mi '7 n m 6

LJ

't i' MM, i 1, .0 1. M- -rvr Ja~rap~,-~ 82 016/87 :j

I

I

:I

i. I i .u, 9

W

1T t 4' ffft 4'r ft 99: t 9 If ft I 4' I ff4 4' 99 4ffI 9 99 99 *i 9 9: of the base of the pot, the diaphragm being provided with at least one drainage outlet therein. In this case the drainage grid may include an unperforated zone located above the drainage outlet and the diaphragm being adapted in use to be moved between a first disposition in which the drainage outlet is disposed at a high position relative to the major part of the base and a second disposition in which the drainage outlet is disposed at a low position relative to the major part of the base.

The drainage grid preferably includes at least one perforated well extending downwardly below the high position of the weir formation. The drainage grid may include an unperforated zone, the zone being at least as wide as the inlet to the conduit, and the inlet to the conduit being located beneath the zone. Two ridges may be provided on the lower surface of the drainage grid, the ridges being located one on either side of the unperforated zone 4 ;in;i i-

C

1 m m r.

K

V

-_LYI ii.:iii i II i i -*(CilBk-li li) i~ gRZo'b// and in use preventing liquid from flowing along the lower surface of the zone and dripping into the inlet to the conduit. A spacer ridge may also be provided on the lower surface of the drainage grid, the width of the ridge being less than the diameter of the inlet to the conduit, the ridge maintaining the grid in spaced relationship from the inlet.

A peripheral ridge may be provided on the lower ccc surface of the drainage grid around the r :unperforated zone to prevent liquid from flowing along the lower surface of the zone and .dripping through the drainage outlet.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention will now be described by way of a non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a first embodiment of a plant pot according to the invention with its conduit in the high position;

I

i -li i Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 is the same view as that shown in Figure 1, but with the conduit in the low position; is a perspective view from below of a drainage grid used in the pot; is a plan view of the pot shown in Figures 1 and 2 with the drainage grid removed; and is a cross-sectional side view of an alternative embodiment of a plant pot o @004 0 000* @0 0*i 0* a* 0o @0 0 0 r *0 t t t 04 t 4 o 4 Figure 5 according the invention.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 4, a plant pot, indicated generally by reference numeral 1, includes a displaceable weir in the form of an open ended conduit 2 slidably mounted through, and in sealing engagement with the base 3 of the pot, and a drainage grid 4, located above the conduit 2.

The conduit 2 is slidable between a high position shown in Figure 1, and a low position shown in Figure 2.

The conduit 2 includes an inlet 7 and an outlet 8.

i 6 j j Peripheral flanges 7.1 and 8.1 are located around the inlet 7 and the outlet 8 respectively. A finger engageable web 9 is located at the outlet 8.

Tha drainage grid 4 is located transversely in the pot 1, and is held in place by being engaged by a shoulder 6 extending from the side wall of the pot 1.

tc. [The grid 4 is provided with a central well 5 and two sets of concentrically arranged drainage apertures 10 disposed towards the periphery of the grid 4 so that an unperforated zone 11 is defined 1 about the well 5. The grid 4 is further provided with three concentric ridge formations 12, 13 and 14. The central ridge 13 is of slightly greater height than the two adjacently disposed ridges 12 and 14. The central ridge 13 is positioned on the grid 4 such that it bisects the conduit 2 when the latter is in its high position. The adjacently disposed ridges 12 and 14 are spaced from the central ridge 13 such that they are located outside the peripheral extremities of the flange 7.1 when the conduit 2 is in its high position.

7 7 l 0 Referring now to Figure 5, a plant pot, indicated generally by referenc:e numeral 20, includes a diaphragm 21 and a drainage grid 22.

The diaphragm 21 is displaceable between a high r r

S

cr position 23 and a low position 24. A drainage outlet 25 is located in the diaphragm 21.

C The drainage grid 22 is located below a shoulder 26, and includes two wells 27, drainage holes 28 S, Iand an unperforated portion 29. Each well 27 includes a plurality of apertures 30 through which water is drawn up into the pot 20. A Scrcircumferentially extending ridge 31 extends around the unperforated zone 29.

In use of the pot shown in Figures 1 to 4, soil [not shown] is placed in the pot above the drainage grid 4. The soil obviously also fills the J" P well 5. A plant [not shown] is planted within the i soil, and when the plant is watered, water -8- 3 perculates through the soil towards the drainage grid 4. Any excess water drains through the drainage holes 10 and a reservoir of water will form within the pot. The level of this reservoir can be varied, by varying the height of the inlet 7 above the base of the pot 1. It can be appreciated that the conduit acts as a weir, in that once the level of the reservoir reaches the height of the inlet 7, any additional water will drain from the a pot through the conduit 2.

e* t *e Most of the water within the reservoir can be 0 C drained from the pot 1, by moving the conduit to the low position.

It can be appreciated that, provided at least part of the well 5, is immersed in the reservoir, water will be drawn up into the soil through the apertures 15 by capillary action.

The ridges 12 and 14 ensure that water does not flow along the lower surface of the drainage grid 4, and drip into the inlet 7.

9 9 1 ''81; The ridge 13 ensures that the conduit 2 is spaced from the drainage grid 4, to prevent the drainage grid 4 from blocking the inlet 7.

In use of the pot shown in Figure 5, soil is located above the drainage grid 29. In this case the soil obviously fills both of the wells 27.

Excess water in the soil drains through the drainage holes 28. When the diaphragm 21 is in the high position 23, a reservoir of water can form Qet within the pot 20. The diaphragm 21 with its c

C

outlet 25 then acts as a weir through which water *t C a C fC can drain from the pot. When the diaphragm 21 is in the low position 21 all the water can be drained t C from the reservoir.

C

c It can be appreciated that the plant pots 1 and obviate the need for a separate saucer to be provided with the pots. Furthermore, the volume of water retained within a reservoir in one of the pots, is generally greater than the volume of water that can be retained in the saucer of a pot-and-saucer combination.

10 Furthermore it can be appreciated that many modifications or variations of the invention are possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

a 'a S a a t ,atat 4 I at *.ar t at it a t4~ t c~

C

C

C t C~'

C

A

11

Claims (4)

1. A plant pot including a base and upwardly extending side walls a displaceable weir formation located in the base of the pot, the weir formation including an outlet, the weir formation being movable between a high position and a low position, to in use, vary the level at which liquid drains from the pot, and a drainage S. grid located within and across the pot above the high position of the weir formation.

2. The plant pot of claim 1 wherein the weir formation is in the form of a conduit which is slidably and sealingly received through an aperture provided through the base of the pot, the bore of the conduit defining the outlet from the pot. S3. The plant pot of claim 2 including a finger c t" engageable web located at the lower end of the conduit to facilitate manipulation of the conduit.

4. The plant pot of claim 1 wherein the weir formation is a diaphragm which forms at least part of the base of the pot, the diaphragm being

12- -7 'ii V. 7- I provided with the outlet therein and the diaphragm being adapted in use to be moved between a first disposition in which the outlet is disposed at a high position relative to the remaining part of the base and a second disposition in which the outlet is disposed at a low position relative to the remaining part of the base. The plant pot any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the drainage grid includes at least one perforated well formation extending downwardly below the high position of the weir formation. 6. The plant pot of claim 5 wherein the drainage grid includes an unperforated zone, the unperforated zone being at least as wide as the cross sectional dimension of the outlet, and positioned such that the outlet of the pot is in use located beneath the unperforated zone. 7. The plant po of claim 6 including two ridges on the lower surface of the drainage grid, the ridges being located one on either side of the unperforated zone and i.n use preventing liquid from flowing along the lower surface of the zone and dripping through the outlet. 13 i77 7- 7 (I 0 -L 1 8. The plant pot of claim 7 including a spacer ridge on the lower surface of the drainage grid, the width of the spacer ridge being less than the diameter of the outlet, and the spacer ridge in use maintaining the grid in spaced relationship from the outlet. 9. A plant pot substantially as herein described 2: r£ and/or illustrated with reference to Figures 1, S 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings. c* r 10. A plant pot substantially as herein described fC and/or illustrated with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings. cc c CK, DATED this 3rd day of October, 1989 SEBOR ENGINEERING (PROPRIETARY) LIMITED tBy Its Patent Attorneys ST' GRIFFITH HACK CO. Fellows Institute of Patent C' t Attorneys of Australia. -14 IL