GB2204222A

GB2204222A - Plant container

Info

Publication number: GB2204222A
Application number: GB08709984A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian James Smith
Original assignee: SELSMORE
Current assignee: SELSMORE
Priority date: 1987-04-28
Filing date: 1987-04-28
Publication date: 1988-11-09
Also published as: GB8709984D0

Abstract

A plant container comprising a pot (1) arranged to sit on supporting fins (2) provided in a dish-shaped reservoir (3) having a spout (4) to allow the reservoir to be filled with liquid. The base (6) of the pot (1) accommodates a tube (8) of plastics material fitted with a filter (9) arranged to project beyond the mouth of the tube (8) by a distance of some 1mm to allow moisture from the filter to retain the soil in the pots sufficiently moist to maintain and promote growth of the plant in the pot. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO PLANT CONTAINERS This invention reLates to pLant containers and in particular to the type in which a device allows water to be transferred from a reservoir to the soil in which a pLant is located.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device of the type specified in which the amount of moisture passing from the reservoir to the plant can be controlled and monitored to allow a predetermined volume of water to pass to a pLant in a predetermined length of time.

According to the present invention there is provided a plant container comprising a pot for receiving the plant and arranged to be supplied with a quantity of soil or compost, a reservoir arranged to be located beneath the plant holder and a wick extending from the soil or compost in which the plant is located to the reservoir, said wick having a predetermined length of filter material extending from a tube containing the wick and the end of the wick remote from the reservoir such that the amount of moisture passing from the reservoir to the soil can be critically controlled and monitored.

The invention wilL now be described by way of example only with particular reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of a plant container of the present invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof; Figure 3 is a top plan view of half the plant container of Figure 2; Figure 4 is an underneath plan view of half the plant container of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a side elevation of the tubular wick of the present invention; and Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the part of the plant container ringed in Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings, the plant container comprises a pLant pot 1 of substantially cylindrical shape arranged to sit on supporting fins 2 provided in a shallow dish-shaped reservoir 3. The reservoir 3 is provided with a spout or ingress 4 located opposite a reduced diameter section 5 of the pot 1 to aLLow the spout of a watering can (not shown) to be inserted therein to fill the reservoir with liquid such as water.

The base 6 of a pot 1 is provided with an aperture 7, to accommodate a tube 8 of plastics material, e.g.

polystyrene. The tube is fitted with a material simiLar to that used for the filters of cigarettes and the filter 9, so provided, projects beyond the mouth of the tube 8 by a fraction of an amount as shown at 10. It has been found during experiments that the optimum length of filter material projecting beyond the tube is 1mm to allow the moisture from the filter to retain the soil in the pots sufficientLy moist to maintain and promote growth of the plant Located within the pot.

The end of the tube remote from the projecting portion 10 is formed such as to provide a smaLl orifice through which moisture from the reservoir passes to the filter medium in the tube 8.

It will be appreciated that the invention is capable of considerable modification and is not to be deemed limited to the particuLar features illustrated in the drawings. For instance, more than one filter tube may be provided and the filter may be of any suitable material capable of allowing the moisture from the reservoir to percoLate slowly through the filter to maintain the soil in the pot in a moist condition suitabLe for maintaining growth. Furthermore, the pots and the reservoir may beof any required shape, colour and dimensions.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A plant container comprising a pot for receiving the plant and arranged to be supplied with a quantity of soil -or compost, a reservoir arranged to be located beneath the pot and a wick of filter material extending from the soil or compost in which the plant is located to the reservoir, said wick having a predetermined length of filter material extending from a tube containing the wick and the end of the wick remote from the reservoir such that the amount of moisture passing from the reservoir to the soi'l can be critically controlled and monitored.

2. A plant container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pot is arranged to stand on supporting fins provided in a shallow dish constituting the reservoir.

3. A plant container as claimed in claim 2 wherein the dish is provided with a spout or ingress arranged opposite a reduced diameter section of the pot to allow a filter device to be inserted therein to replenish the reservoir with liquid.

4. A plant container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the base of the pot is provided with an aperture to accommodate said tube which is provided with a collar arranged to abut the underneath of the pot.

5. A plant container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the filter projects approximately lmm beyond the mouth of the tube.

6. A plant container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the end of the tube remote from the projecting filter portion is provided with an orifice through which moisture from the reservoir passes to the filter medium in the tube.

7. A plant container substantially as hereinbefore described and as shown in the accompanying drawings.