GB2222063A - Plant container assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

Plant container assemblies, intended for use instead of conventional pottery "strawberry pots" that are provided with integral small outlets around the pot include a container with detachable inserts engaging in openings in the container to form substantial cups extending in selected positions. This not only gives flexibility in overall dimensions with any given embodiment, but permits selective arrays giving scope for shaping to permit accommodation in restricted spaces, facilitate cleaning , and simplify storage. <IMAGE>

Description

PLANT CONTAINER ASSEMBLY: The invention relates to a plant container comprising a hollow column having apertures in an array about its wall or walls, for growing plants to maturity, and at the same time presenting an attractive display.

The plants may be vegetable or fruit bearing, including such garden produce as strawberries and plain or decorative varieties of salad or vegetable plants, or may be purely decorative, such as fuschias. Known strawberry pots having apertures with cup-shaped extensions formed integrally have the disadvantages that the size of the extension provided to permit a plant to grow out from the main pot requires the plant to undertake a convolute growth1 which is naturally restrictive, also demands permanent space provision in the directions of the fixed extensions about the central axis of the pot, both during use and during storage, and furthermore, the predetermined array of the permanent extensions demands all-round peripheral space for the pot, even if it is required for use in a restricted area such as a patio, or could be best used in a position close to a side or in a corner.

Objects of the present invention are to avoid the above-mentioned disadvantages of integral pots by providing a central unit that can give plants a more natural, directly upright growth, can provide all-round extensions or be adapted to leave one side plain if required to be used adjacent one edge of a growing area, or even have two substantially plain sides if required to be used in a corner, and furthermore provide for advantageous space requirements for storage or carriage in a packed state.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a plant container assembly comprising a hollow column having a pliant but self-supporting wall in which there is a plurality of substantially U-shaped apertures, each shaped to accept and securely hold an associated elongate, tapering insert of pliant but self-supporting material extending with its median axis substantially normal to the plane of the column wall defining the respective insert, when said insert is fitted in position extending outwardly for a distance greater than the depth of the U-shape of its aperture, and said apertures being arranged in a generally regular array, with a plurality holding respective inserts.

Advantageously the column is in the shape of an invert, truncated cone; a full or truncated cone tapering inwardly from its base; or has a generally cylindrical or polygonal cross-section.

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a simplified perspective view of one assembled container constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 similarly illustrates the central column of the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 1, with no inserts fitted; Figure 3 is an explanatory front view of one aperture as used in this exemplary embodiment; Figure 4 is a plan view of an insert as used in this exemplary embodiment; and Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the mode of insertion and securing of an insert used in this exemplary embodiment.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings a tub-like or bucket-shaped container 1 with a bottom plate 2 is used to provide a hollow column wall 2 that tapers outwardly, so that the column can be considered either to have the shape of an invert, truncated cone or a substantially right cylinder, as in this case the outer diameter at the base is 28 cm, whilst at the upper end or apex the outer diameter is substantially 30 cm, and the overall height is 35.56 cm, the terminal wall thickness being constant at approximately 1 cm, so that the outer width at the base is substantially equal to the internal diameter at the upper end of the column.This preferred embodiment is of a synthetic resin plastics material, and the thickness of the wall 3 gives the requisite pliancy to facilitate insertion and positioning of an insert 5 of suitable size in any one of a plurality of similar U-shaped apertures 4, each insert having a shape as shown in Figure 4 and each aperture being as shown in Figure 3. The width at the top of an aperture 4 is approximately 10 cm, and the maximum internal-vertical height approximately 9 cm. The internal shape of this aperture 4 is designed to form a generally U-shaped cross-section when using an insert 5 having the shape and size shown in Figure 3, such insert being inserted and positioned in its aperture in the manner shown in Figure 5.

The insert 5 shown in Figure 4 is designed to fit into the associated aperture 4 and clips into place to provide a laterally extending, tapered cup. The inserts used in this embodiment are of the same material as that of the container 1, and have an overall width of approximately 22 cm when flat. The size of the insert 5 in this embodiment is such that the maximum dimension normal to the line of maximum width is 15.25 cm. When inserted into its allotted aperture 4 in the wall 3 of the container 1, the resultant cup-shaped extension formed is an elongate tapering cup with its median axis normal to the wall only slightly greater than its width in the curved state, defined by the contour of the aperture 4.Each insert 5 has a slit 6 at each extremity, extending inwardly normal to the edge of the insert at a point sufficient to give the resultant residual tags 7 adequate strength to resist deformation and adequately support the weight of earth and a plant, when engaging wall portion of the container, as it does in use. The slits 6 have a depth of some 2 cm in this embodiment.

Figure 2 shows a basic container 1, which has a tub or bucket shape in this embodiment, and has a regular array of twelve apertures, arranged alternately as a column of two apertures, and an intermediate column having only a single aperture half-way up the wall of the container. The lower aperture of a column of two is directly under the over-lying extension above, when such an array as that illustrated in Figure 2 is used, with 450 between any double-apertured column and its adjacent single-apertured column, considered in plan view. To avoid this the apertures can be spaced 300 apart, one at the height of an uppermost aperture plane, one mid-way in an adjacent radial plane, and the next in a lower-most plane, so that with twelve apertures, three would lie on each of four helical paths, each thus providing free and unfettered vertical growth for a plant growing in any cup.

The invention is not limited to the dimensions or shapes of this preferred embodiment but can be varied to suit the requirements of any particular site or give any desired visual effect.

For example, other materials can be used, provided they maintain their strength when wet, and are reasonably hard-wearing.

The tub-shaped embodiment is a preferred shape if the container is to be moved manually, or occasionally, when full of earth and with growing plants in position. To facilitate movement of the container a handle may be provided, or two may be fitted, mutually intersecting at 900, to give an even distribution of stresses. Unlike the limitation of plant size inherent in a conventional tub of the strawberry-growing pottery type, plants or bulbs significantly greater in size can be used, and left to grow to full size unhindered, the strength of the material and size of the extension pieces being suitably selected for any given requirement.

Unlike a pot with integral, lateral cups, an embodiment of the invention can be selectively fitted with extensions in any required direction or directions, whilst one or more faces are left free from projections, to permit public freedom of passage when used in a confined space, such as an alcove, patio or balcony, and to allow a container to stand closely adjacent a wall, or any other obstruction, or even against another such container.

The contours of the container can be varied in diverse ways. For example a virtually complete tripod may be formed, with apertures spaced as required, right up to a permanent hand piece, which can carry a decorative feature or form a sculptural focal point.

On the other hand, it may be preferred to use a substantially higher, wider or non-cylindrical invert cone, and the array of apertures fitted can be adapted to suit many different visual requirements. In each case the aperture contours and those of the extension can be selected to give the appropriate size of cup; density of the array, and resulting visual effect as the plants grow to maturity. In any case, a container with no base-plate can be employed to advantage when soil and location make this a desirable feature.

The extreme flexibility of a container constructed in accordance with the invention can best be seen by reference to Figure 5. In this fragmentary perspective view the wall 3 of a container 1, and a section of an insert are shown, as fitted together. It will be seen that there is an optimum space for root growth into the rich food contents of a container 1 from a cup-shaped insert 5, and adequate access for moisture or other plant-feeding fluids, although the snug fit of the insert prevents loss of earth or moisture at the edges.

Any number of inserts can be omitted, to give a substantially reduced cross-section in any lateral direction where space is limited, as it only requires unwanted apertures to be blanked off in any convenient manner, and blanking inserts (not shown) can be provided for such use, if so desired.

By careful relationship of the aperture shaping and the outline of the associated inserts, it is possible to provide dual-purpose inserts that are bent and inserted until their slits engage the container wall, as described, or can be slipped into the container to lie flat on the interior wall surface and blank off that selected aperture which is not required.

Finally, it should be emphasized that the ability to remove the inserts after use greatly facilitates cleaning, and provides for greatly reduced storage space requirements.

Claims (7)

PATENT CLAIMS:

1. A plant container assembly comprising a hollow column having a pliant but self-supporting wall in which there is a plurality of substantially U-shaped apertures, each shaped to accept and securely hold an associated elongate, tapering insert of pliant but self-supporting material extending with its median axis substantially normal to the plane of the column wall defining the respective insert, when said insert is fitted in position extending outwardly for a distance greater than the depth of the U-shape of its aperture, and said apertures being arranged in a generally regular array, with a plurality holding respective inserts.

2. A plant container as claimed in Claim 1, in which said column is in the shape of an invert, truncated cone.

3. A plant container as claimed in Claim 1, in which said column is in the shape of a cone tapering inwardly from its base completely up to its apex, or at least up to a horizontal truncating plane.

4. A plant container as claimed in Claim 1, in which said column is in the shape of a substantially right cylinder or has a generally regular polygonal cross-section.

5. A plant container as claimed in any preceeding Claim, in which said column is of synthetic resin plastics material.

6. A plant container as claimed in any preceeding Claim, in which said inserts are of the same material as said column.

7. A plant container assembly substantially as described with reference to the drawings.