GB2173984A

GB2173984A - Terraced plant pots

Info

Publication number: GB2173984A
Application number: GB8604199A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Craig Watson
Original assignee: SUNART HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTS
Current assignee: SUNART HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTS
Priority date: 1985-02-20
Filing date: 1986-02-20
Publication date: 1986-10-29
Also published as: GB2173984B; GB8604199D0

Abstract

Annular plant pots are stacked one above another with a non-annular plant pot on top to form a terraced display. Each pot may have drainage holes in its base and the lowest pot may be supported on casters. The pots may be stored as shown in Fig. 2. The inner wall of each annular pot may be corrugated or fluted (Figs. 3 and 4). The pots may be of external circular, eliptical, oval or polygonal shape. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION ia The present invention relates to plant pots and plant pot assemblies.

In order to maximize utilisation of available floor spaceforthe growing of plants there have previously been proposed plant pots in the form of generally cylindrical tubs which are filled with growth medium and have a plurality of apertures in the side atvarious levels through which the stems of plants rooted insidethetub can extend. Such tubs have a number of disadvantages though. On the one hand because theyare more orlessfullyfilled with soil theyare relatively heavy and can tip over.On the other hand the plants are forced outwardly bythewall ofthe plant pot at an unnatural angle and are shaded by the vertically extending wall to an appreciable degree as well as by other plants at higher levels to some extent It is an objectofthe present invention to avoid or minimise one or more ofthe above mentioned disadvantages and to provide a newform of plant pot with improved access and ease of use.

The present invention provides an annular plant pot.

According to the present invention the annular plant pot may be generally round including circular, elliptical or oval, or polygonal including triangular, square or rectangular, pentagonal or hexagonal.

Preferably at least one of an upper portion ofthe radially inner side wall and a lower portion ofthe outersidewall orthe base of said annular plant potis provided with engagement means for engagement with the lower portion ofthe the outer side wall orthe base, or the upper portion of radially inner sidewall, respectively of a further plant pot supported on or supporting, said annular plant pot, against substantial relative lateral displacement, said further plant pot being dimensioned to be generally of a smaller or larger, respectively, radial size than said annular plant pot.

Thus with an annular plant pot ofthe present invention it is possible to erect a plant pot assembly comprising a plurality of plant po.s of the invention of progressively increasing radial size in a generally pyramidal form with their open ends arranged as a series of terraces. In general such an assembly would betoppedwith a non-annularplantpotandina furtheraspectthe present invention provides an assembly comprising at least one annular plant pot ofthe invention and a non-annular plant pot dimensioned relative to said annular plant pot so that the open end of said annular plant pot is disposed substantially radially outwardly of the open end of said non-annular plant pot.

In further aspects the present invention extends to a plant pot and to a plant pot assembly ofthe invention filled with a plant growth medium.

Further preferred features and advantages ofthe invention will appearfrom thefollowing detailed description given by way of example of a preferred embodiment illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. lisa vertical sectional elevation through a plant pot assembly of the invention in use; and Fig. 2 is a similarviewofthe assembly of Fig. 1 in a stowed configurationfortransport or storage.

Fig. 1 shows a plant pot assembly 1 made up of a plurality of annular plant pots 2 of progressively reducing radial size stacked up on each other in a generally pyramidal configuration topped by a generally conventional form plant pot 3. Each ofthe annular plant pots 2 has inclined radially innerand outer side walls 4,5 diverging away from each other in the direction away from the annular base 6 so as to definetherebetween a generally trapezoidal section annular recess 7for receiving plant growth medium 8 such as soil, peat orthe like in which may be grown plants 9 in substantially conventional manner.

The inner side wall 4 has in each case a radially inwardly extending flange 10 having an upper support surface 11 on which may be supported the base 6 of a further pot 2, 3, and a free edge 1 2which engages a vertically extending flange 13 depending downwardly from the base 6 of said further pot 2,3 so as to prevent relative lateral displacement between said annular pot 2 and said further pot 2,3 supported thereon. Thus said vertical flange 13 and the radially inward flange 10 constitute respective engagement means at the base and at an upper portion ofthe inner side wall 4.As may be seen in Fig. 1 the largest radial size, i.e. bottom, annular plant pot23 hasa plain base which is supported on an annular base 14 mounted on a plurality ofcastorwheels 15,theinner sidewall 4, adjacent the pot base 6, engaging an upwardly extending vertical flange 1 to securely locate said pot 23 thereon. The topmost, nonannular, plant pot 3 also has a vertical depending flange 17 at its base 6 which engages the radially inward flange 10 of the topmost annular plant pot 21.

As may be seen in Fig. 2the individual plant pots 2, 3 of the assembly are formed and dimensioned so that they can be inter-nested in a stowed configuration having a depth approximately equal to that of just one pot. In more detail it will be noted that the pots are stacked with alternate ones reversed so that the topmost one 3 is inverted, the smallest annular one 21 placed over it in its normal attitude, the next one 22 inverted, and so on.

In the assembled configuration shown in Fig. 1 it may be noted that the plants are supported in a series of terraces providing an attractive display whilst allowing the plants to grow substantially upright and minimising shading of plants at the lower levels.

Moreover the amount of growth medium used is kept to a minimum whilst ma3cimising stability with the relatively large diameter base.

Figs. 3 and 4 show an annular pot of a modified embodiment, Fig. 3 being a partial diametrical vertical section of a modified annular pot, and Fig. 4a plan view ofthe pot of Fig. 3. In Figs. 3 and 4 like parts corresponding to those in Figs. 1 and 2 are identified by like reference numerals.

In the modified embodiment the radially innerwall 4 instead of being simplyfrusto-conical as is the outerwall 5, is corrugated orfluted in orderto improve its load bearing capacity. As a resu It the inwardly extending annularflange 10 has a generally star-shaped outer periphery 25. The radially inner periphery 26 extends generally parallel to the outer periphery 25 thereby in turn defining a generally star-shaped central aperture 27.

Also in place of the downwardly extending vertical flange of the first embodiment, a different form of engagement means comprising a plurality of angularly spaced apart downwardly extending generally lozenge-shaped bosses 28 is provided in the base 6. These bosses 28 locate in the corners 29 of the star-shaped aperture 27 in the radially outward support flange 10 of the next annular pot 2 below.

In other respects the form and use of the plant pots is generally similar to that of conventional ones. Thus, for example, drainage holes 30 may be provided in the base 6 if required.

Claims

1. An annular plant pot.

2. A plant pot according to claim 1 which is generally round or polygonal in horizontal crosssection.

3. A plant pot according to claim 2 which is generally circular, elliptical, oval, triangular, square or rectangular, pentagonal, or hexagonal in horizontal cross-section.

4. A plant pot according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein at least one of an upper portion of the radially inner side wall and a lower portion of the outer side wall or the base of said annular plant pot is provided with engagement means for engagement with the lower portion of the outer side wall or the base, or the upper portion of radially inner side wall, respectively of a further plant pot supported on or supporting, said annular plant pot, against substantial relative lateral displacement, said further plant pot being dimensioned to be generally of a smaller or larger, respectively, radial size than said annular plant pot.

5. A plant pot according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the radially inner and radially outer walls are mutually inclined awatfrom each other in the direction from the base to the upper open end of the pot.

6. A plant pot according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein at least said radially inner wall is corrugated or fluted.

7. A plant pot according to claim 6 which has in its base a plurality of downwardly depending projections formed and arranged for engagement in the corners of a polygonal central aperture defined by an annular flange extending radially inwardly from the upper end of the radially inner wall.

8. An annular plant pot substantially as described hereinbefore with particular reference to Figs. 1 and 2 or Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A plant pot assembly comprising a plurality of plant pots according to any one of claims 1 to 8 which pots are of progressively increasing radial size, said pots being assembled in a generally pyramidal form with their open ends arranged as a series of terraces.

10. A plant pot assembly comprising at least one annular plant pot according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and a non-annular plant pot dimensioned relative to said annular plant pot so that the open end of said annular plant pot is disposed substantially radially outwardly of the open end of said non-annular plant pot.

11. A plant pot assembly substantially as described hereinbefore with particular reference to Figs. 1 and 2 or Figs. 1 and 2 as modified by Figs. 3 and 4, of the accompanying drawings.

12. A plant pot or plant pot assembly according to any one of the preceding claims which pot or pot assembly is filled with a plant growth medium.