GB2258798A - Device for watering a hanging basket. - Google Patents

Abstract

The device comprises a receptacle (7) for holding water and which may be attached to or positioned within the basket (1) and a plurality of capillary means, such as lengths of cord (8), extending from the interior of the receptacle (7) to gradually transmit water over a period of time by capillary action from the interior of the receptacle (7) to different areas of the basket (1). <IMAGE>

Description

DEVICE FOR WATERING A HANGING BASKET This invention relates to a device for watering a hanging basket or similar vessel.

A problem commonly experienced with watering a hanging basket is that water poured into the basket quickly soaks through the material within the basket and spills out of the bottom of the basket, often washing soil away with it. This means that hanging baskets require frequent watering as only a fraction of the water added at any one time is retained within the basket and makes such baskets unsuitable for use within the house where the leaking water may damage furniture or a carpet over which the basket is hung.

One solution which has been proposed to overcome these problems is to place a small pottery vessel, e.g. in the shape of a frog, cn the soil within the basket. The vessel has an unglazed base through which water within the vessel is able to seep and thus slowly pass into the basket. However, this solution is not entirely satisfactory as the vessel can only be quite small if it is to be unobtrusive and it only provides water to material within the immediate vicinity of the unglazed portion of the vessel.

According to the present invention, there is provided a device for watering a hanging basket or other vessel comprising a receptacle for holding water and which, in use, may be attached to or positioned within the basket and a plurality of capillary means for extending from the interior of the receptacle to transmit water by capillary action from the interior of the receptacle to different areas of the basket or other vessel.

Preferred features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the subsidiary claims of the specification.

The invention will now be further described, merely by way of example, with reference to the accompany drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a cut-away view of a hanging basket with a first embodiment of a device according to the invention installed therein; Figure 2 shows a more detailed perspective view of the device shown in Figure 1; and Figure 3 shows a cut-away view similar to Figure 1 but with three further embodiments of a device according to the invention attached thereto.

Figure 1 shows a hanging basket 1 supported by wires from a ring 2 or other fixing. The basket 1 is lined with fibrous material 3, such as hay or moss, within which soil or peat 4 is contained. Plants 5 growing in the basket have roots 6 which extend throughout the soil 4 within the basket 1.

A preferred embodiment of a device according tc the invention is shown partially embedded within the soil 4. The device comprises a receptacle 7 in the form of a plastics container with a plurality of capillary means 8 in the form of lengths of cord extending from the interior of the container 7, through holes in the sides thereof, to different areas of the basket 1. Water 9 within the container 7 is thus able to travel by capillary action along the cords 8 from which water is absorbed into the soil 4.

A more detailed view of the device is shown in Figure 2.

The receptacle 7 may be any suitable form of container capable of holding water but is most conveniently an open-topped plastics container for instance about 12 cm tall and 5 to 7 cm in diameter.

Typically, the container can hold between 200 and 400 cm3 of water. A plurality of holes 10 are provided towards the top of the container through which the capillary means 8 are threaded. The capillary means could just simply pass through the open top of the container but the holes 10 help ensure they extend in different directions away from the container and enable the capillary means to be secured to the container so they do not become detached therefrom or mislaid when the device is not in use or when it is offered for sale.

As the container 7 is intended to be embedded in the basket, its appearance is of little importance. In practice, it can be embedded in the soil 4 within a hanging basket 1 so that the open top is approximately level with or projects about 1 cm above the surface of the soil. This projecting portion of the container is thus easily concealed by plants 5 growing within the basket 1.

The capillary means 8 are preferably fibre glass rope wicks or cords with a diameter of approximately 6 mm and a length of about 40 to 50 cm. The cords 8 are threaded through the respective holes 10 in the container 7 so that they extend down into the water 9 within the container 7, leaving about 30 to 40 cm of cord outside the container.

The ends of the cords 8 within the container 7 are preferably secured together or knotted (as shown in Figure 1) to help keep the ends immersed in the water 9 within the container 7 and to prevent the cords 8 from becoming detached from the container. In the arrangement illustrated, four cords 8 are provided to distribute water evenly to all areas of the basket. At least three cords 8 are preferably provided to ensure even distribution of water but more or less can be used as desired.

Any other form of capillary means 8 capable of allowing water to pass therealong by capillary action may be used but lengths of cords as described above have been found to function well and are inexpensive.

Fibre glass cords or cords of other synthetic material are preferred since they do not rot. Similarly, a plastics container 7 is preferred as it will not rot.

In use, the container is buried within the soil 4 in the hanging basket so that only about 1 cm projects above the top of the soil so water can be easily poured into the container 7. The cords 8 are positioned so that they extend in different directions so to distribute water to different areas of the basket. As shown in Figure 1, they extend from just beneath the surface of the soil adjacent to the top of the container 7 out and downwards towards the sides and base of the basket 1. In this way, they are able to distribute water to the roots 6 which extend throughout the entire basket 1 and they carry water to the areas where it is required rather than relying on the water to soak through the soil. Plants can be arranged within the soil around the container 7 in the normal manner.

Figure 3 shows three other types of devise according to the invention which are designed to be attached to rather than positioned within the basket 1.

In one form, shown on the right hand side of Figure 3, the device comprises a receptacle 7A attached to the side of the basket 1, eg by means of hooks or clips 10. Capillary means 8 in the form of one or more lengths of cord extend from the interior of the receptacle 7A, up over the edge of the basket 1 and down into the soil 4 contained therein.

In another form of the device, as shown on the left hand side of Figure 3, the capillary means 8 pass through a hole in the side of the receptacle 7A, through the fibrous material 3 lining the basket 1 and into the soil 4 within the basket.

The third form of the device shown in Figure 3 comprises a receptacle 7B attached underneath the basket 1 with capillary means 8 passing through the fibrous material 3 in the bottom of the basket 1 and into the soil 4 within the basket.

The receptacles 7A and 7B may, as above, be plastics containers and are preferably shaped to match the contours of the basket 1 to which they are attached, as shown in Figure 3.

To assist in positioning the capillary means 8 in appropriate positions within the soil 4, a substantially stiff rod (not shown), eg of hard plastics material or metal, may be attached to the end of the capillery means which is to be positioned in the soil. The rod can be simply pushed into the soil at the appropriate positions and carries the end of the capillary means with it whereby the capillary means is inserted into the soil at the appropriate position and to the required depth.

The receptacles 7A and 7B can be attached to the basket 1, or other vessel, by any appropriate means. The hooks 10 shown in Figure 3 enable the receptacle to be clipped to the basket 1 at the desired positions.

If desired, more than one receptacle 7A and 7B can be attached to the basket in this manner. This can be in addition to or in place of a receptacle 7 positioned within the basket 1.

As water only gradually passes from the container into the soil 4 by capillary action along the cords 8, the soil is kept moist but water is not added in sufficient quantities to leak out of the basket or to wash any of the soil away. It has been found that the water within a container of the size described above takes about 24 hours to disperse into the basket via the four cords 8. Water is, of course, able to pass from the cords 8 into the soil 4 along the entire lengths of the cords 8 buried within the soil 4.

It will be appreciated that the device described above may be used to water a wide variety of different types of plant pot or other vessel and is not restricted to use with hanging baskets. However, if used with a hanging basket it enables the basket to be used indoors as well as outdoors without the danger of water spillage usually associated with such baskets.

As weli as simply watering plants, the device may also be used to feed solutions, e.g. containing nutrients, to the plants and has the advantage that it supplies these gradually over an extended period of time rather than in one large and sudden dose.

Claims (14)

1) A device for watering a hanging basket or other vessel comprising a receptacle for holding water and which, in use, may be attached to or positioned within the basket and a plurality of capillary means for extending from the interior of the receptacle to transmit water by capillary action from the interior of the receptacle to different areas of the basket or other vessel.

2) A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the receptacle comprises an open-topped container, e.g. formed of plastics material.

3) A device as claimed in claim 2 in which the container is capable of holding between 200 and 400 cm3 of water and preferably about 300 cm3.

4) A device as claimed in claim 3 in which the container is about 12 cm tall and between 5 and 7 cm in diameter.

5) A device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the container is provided with attachment means for attaching it to the basket or other vessel.

6) A device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the capillary means comprises a length of rope or cord, preferably formed of a synthetic material.

7) A device as claimed in claim 6 in which each length of rope or cord is between 40 and 50 cm long.

8) A device as claimed in claim 6 or 7 comprising at least three lengths of cord or rope acting as capillary means.

9) A device as claimed in any of claims 6 to 8 in which the cords or ropes pass through holes provided towards the upper end of the receptacle.

10) A device as claimed in claim 9 in which the ends of the cords or ropes within the receptacle are secured together.

11) A device as claimed in any of claims 6 to 10 in which the capillary means is attached to a substantially rigid rod which can be used to help push the capillary means into material, such as soil, within the basket or other vessel.

12) A device as claimed in any preceding claim attached to or installed within a hanging basket or other vessel.

13) A device for watering a hanging basket or other vessel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14) Any novel feature or combinaticn of features disclosed herein.