GB2224439A

GB2224439A - Holder for a plant pot

Info

Publication number: GB2224439A
Application number: GB8825729A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Cardwell; James Harold Livesey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-11-03
Filing date: 1988-11-03
Publication date: 1990-05-09
Anticipated expiration: 2008-11-03
Also published as: GB2224439B; GB8825729D0

Abstract

A holder for a plant pot comprises a single piece of plastics-coated wire formed with a loop portion and lazy tong jaws. In the cross-over region where the loop adjoins the jaws there may be a short section 20 in the lower section which is formed as a dip in which the upper section rests. The jaws engage a fence post 22 under a residual spring force. <IMAGE>

Description

HOLDER FOR A PLANT POT This invention relates to a holder for a plant pot, and in particular to a holder for securement to an upright, for example a fence post.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a holder for a plant pot, the holder comprising a loop portion for receiving a plant pot and a pair of jaws for engaging an upright, the loop portion and the jaws being formed of a single piece of a flexible, resilient material.

The jaws may be shaped for engagement with an upright of particular design, or may be so shaped and/or dimensioned as to engage a variety of uprights.

To engage the holder on an upright, the jaws are moved away from each other, from their relaxed condition. They are then placed about the upright and released, whereby, on relaxing they engage the upright. Suitably, they cannot relax to their full extent, so that they grip the upright with the residual spring force.

Preferably, the piece of resilient material crosses itself at the junction of the loop portion and jaws whereby the jaws constitute 'lazy tongs' which may be moved apart by squeezing the loop portion. At the cross-over region, where two parts of the piece contact one another, one such part, suitably the lower part in use, is formed with a dip of depth substantially corresponding to the depth of the piece of resilient material, in which dip the other part locates, so that the loop portion is substantially planar.

The piece of resilient material suitably comprises a wire, preferably about 1-3mm in diameter, which is preferably coated with a plastics material.

Preferably the holder is green in colour.

In accordance with other aspects of the invention there is provided an assembly of a holder as described herein and a plant pot; an assembly of a holder as described herein located on an upright, and a plant pot located in the holder; and a method of securing a plant pot on an upright, by means of a holder as described herein.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows in plan view a plant pot holder in accordance with the invention, prior to attachment to a fence post; and Fig. 2 shows the holder of Fig 1, attached to a fence post.

The plant pot holder comprises a loop portion 2 and jaws 4, 6, all formed from a single piece of 2mm diameter wire coated with a green plastics material. The holder crosses over itself at the junction of the loop position and the jaws. Each jaw may be considered as having a first part 8 which is simply an extension of the loop portion 2 beyond the cross-over region 7, for engagement against the front part 10 of a fence post (Fig. 2), a side part 12 which is approximately perpendicular to the front part 8, for engaging the side surface 14 of a fence post, and a rear part 16 which is transverse to the side part 12, for engaging a rearwardly facing surface 18 of the fence post.

The piece of flexible, resilient material which constitutes the holder is planar with the exception of short length 20 in the cross-over region, where the loop adjoins the jaws, the short part 20, bounded by ramped parts 21, constituting a dip in which the contacting part of the holder rests. It will be observed from Fig. 2 that the jaws are designed for engagement around one side piece of a dumbbell-section fence post 22. Fencing panels 24 are shown extending from the central portion of the fence post 22.

To engage the holder on the fence post the loop portion 2 is squeezed so that the jaws 4, 6 move apart until they can be fitted over one side piece of the fence post. The loop portion is then released whereupon the jaws relax to a limited extent, whereby they grip the fence post. A plant pot can now be placed in the loop portion 2. The holder is designed so that when the jaws engage the fence post the loop portion 2 will be of size to support a plant pot of a particular size. If a heavy plant pot is located in the holder the holder is bent or tilted downwardly to a small extent until the base of the pot touches the fence post. However, in testing the invention, in no instance has the holder and pot slid down the fence post or become detached from it, even though a standard plastics pot in the holder has been loaded with heavy weights until it cracked.

If desired several holders may be secured to a fence post of the type shown, at different heights and/or on both side pieces.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification.

All of the features disclosed in this specification may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Claims

1. A holder for a plant pot, the holder comprising a loop portion for receiving a plant pot and a pair of jaws for engaging an upright, the loop portion and the jaws being formed of a single piece of flexible, resilient material.

2. A holder as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the jaws have a relaxed condition in which they are spaced apart by a minimum amount, and are movable away from each other against a spring force.

3. A holder as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the piece of resilient material crosses itself at the junction of the loop portion and jaws whereby the jaws constitute 'lazy tongs' which may be moved apart by squeezing the loop portion.

4. A holder as claimed in Claim 3 wherein, at the cross-over region, where two sections of the piece of resilient material contact one another, one such section is formed with a dip of depth substantially corresponding to the depth of the piece of resilient material, in which dip the other section is located.

5. A holder as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the section which is the lower section in use is formed with the dip.

6. A holder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the piece of resilient material comprises a wire.

7. A holder as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the piece of resilient material is wire coated with a plastics material.

8. An assembly of a holder as claimed in any preceding claim, and a plant pot engaged in the loop portion thereof.

9. An assembly of a holder as claimed in any preceding claim, and an upright on which the holder is engaged, with the jaws of the holder snugly engaging the upright, under a spring force.

10. A method of providing an assembly as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the jaws are moved apart from their relaxed condition sufficiently to be able to engage around the upright, and are then released; the holder and the upright being such that the jaws cannot relax to their full extent, so that they engage the upright with a residual spring force.

11. A holder for a plant pot, the holder being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.