GB2259233A - Plant pot supports/holders - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a plant pot support or holder 10 including an automatic system for satisfying a plants water requirements. A first water reservoir 22 is located below a plate 18 in the holder 10 and an outer container 20 provides a second water reservoir 24. Water flow control means is provided to allow for transfer of water from the second to the first reservoir respectively via a hole 26 in the holder 10. The flow is controlled, in a preferred embodiment by a pivotted float 30 which is located to seal the hole 26 when a float 44 is subjected to an upwardly directed force. A capillary mat 60 is provided on the plate 18 and with a wick 64 arranged to draw water, by capillary action, from the first reservoir 22 to a plants roots. In an alternative embodiment the holder 10 has its side walls 72 extended to form an integral plant pot and plants are "potted" directly therein. <IMAGE>

Description

PLANT POT SUPPORTS/HOLDERS This invention relates to plant pot supports/holders.

Many keepers of plants have difficulty in keeping potted plants healthy. That is mainly a problem of feeding the plants, particularly providing water in sufficient supply, rather than too little or too much.

Many of those who supply potted plants as a commercial service make use of normally tubular feed devices that are inserted into the growth medium of the pot, normally with a view to all plant needs being satisfied between periodic visits.

It is believed that a more efficiently automatic system that satisfies plants on demand would be advantageous, and it is an object of the invention to provide same.

So-called capillary mats are known. The idea is that all of a plant's watering supply needs are satisfied by keeping the mat moist, i.e. avoiding watering the plant directly with consequent risk of overwatering. Indeed, capillary mats are generally successful for plants or pots standing on them. However, the water retention capacity of capillary mats is quite small so the task of keeping them moist is quite an onerous one, particularly as it varies according to weather conditions. One system of the invention provides an effective and efficient way of keeping capillary mats suitably moist.

According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a plant pot support or holder, comprising a structure adapted to support a plant pot, the structure affording water holding means of predetermined water carrying capacity immediately underlying the bottom of a supported plant pot so as to be engageable by the root system of a plant in said plant pot through its bottom, and water supply means for said water holding means and comprising a dual source system, a first source of which is of desired water supply capacity and may be supplied or chosen separately, a second source of which is a reservoir of predetermined water holding capacity, and water flow control means of which guards against undue depletion of the reservoir so long as the first source can supply water.

It is feasible for the first-mentioned reservoir to extend upwardly as a plant pot with said structure at its base, and such a plant pot constitutes another aspect of this invention.

The first source may be a second reservoir of desired water holding capacity connected to the firstmentioned reservoir, which may be located (in use) inside the second reservoir, by the water flow control means operative for at least a prescribed minimum content of water in the second reservoir. A single second reservoir could service several plant pot supports or holders all within a common outer container constituting the second reservoir. A piped supply could serve as the first source, whether from mains water supply or from a remote tank or other reservoir.

The water holding means can conveniently be a capillary mat,and be separate from the first reservoir but connected thereto by suitable water feed means, advantageously a wick, further advantageously a sliver of the mat cut and bent down into an underlying said first reservoir.

At least for such an arrangement, the first reservoir will be a bottom well in a basic plant pot presenting or equipped with a locator for both of a capillary mat and said plant pot, which locator may be a plate extending across a shoulder or shelf formation of a dished plant pot holder and cut away or apertured to take a wick formation of or for the capillary mat, the first reservoir being below the locator support shoulder or shelf formation.

Additionally or alternatively the water holding means can include or be particulate material, such as sand, provided with a wick, such as string. Such particulate material can be advantageous for concavebottomed plant pots in terms of assessing water content therewith. A readily deformable sponge or open-cell foamed plastics body may also be useful to such ends.

Capillary mats or other water holding means may have different water holding characteristics, say to suit different water requirements of different types of plants.

The water control means between the first and second reservoirs is preferably associated with, even supplied together with, a said first reservoir, and may be of a float controlled type, conveniently where an arm is pivoted intermediate its ends, one of which carries a float and the other of which operates to open or close an inlet to the first reservoir from the second reservoir. An arm with side projections sitting on a bifurcated support is suitable with a light-weight expanded plastics body at said one end as said float and/or a pad at its other end to abstract or not an inlet aperture to the first reservoir.

For such convenient and advantageous arrangement, said inlet aperture may be through a side or bottom of said well. If through the bottom, the well may have exterior bottom formations raising it from the floor or bottom of any suitable second reservoir in which the first reservoir is placed in use.

It is preferred that parts for opening and closing the inlet are virtually always submerged, i.e.

below water level effective to operate the float.

Alternative such parts include pads, cones and tube restrictors as will be described in detail later.

A feature of at least some preferred embodiments of this invention, and another aspect of invention, is that a dished plant pot holder/support having controlled water supply thereto at a lower level below actual support for the bottom of a plant pot extends above that level and has outer sealing means associated therewith to fit about sides of the plant pot.

Combining the first aspect and other aspect of this invention produces a plant pot holder that can be emplaced within a second reservoir of any desired greater volume and adequate entry provisions, and that second reservoir may be filled to any desired level, including a level above the seal to the plant pot, effectively to a maximum represented by the top of the plant pot, sensibly a little lower in practice.

Specific implementation for the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a plant pot holder 10 with plant pot in a decorative outer container 20; Figure 2 is a plan view of a water control float arm 30; Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of float arm support and water entry; Figures 4A-D are fragmentary side views of alternative float arm and water entry control provisions; Figure 5 is a plan view of a plant pot support plate and location therefor; Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a capillary mat; Figure 7 indicates location of weights; and Figure 8 is a sectional view of a modified embodiment of one invention.

In the drawing, the plant pot holder 10 is of generally dished form with a bottom 12 shown with exterior feet formations 14, conveniently three or four spaced evenly about its periphery, and a medial shelf formation 16 to support a plate 18. The dished holder 10 is shown standing within decorative outer container 20. Water volume 22 below the plate 18 comprises a first water reservoir and at least part of interior volume 24 of the outer container 20 constitutes a second water reservoir.

Water flow control means for water to pass between the second and first reservoirs, 24 and 22, comprises an inlet from exterior to interior of the first reservoir, shown as a hole 26 in an upstand 28 of the bottom 12 of the holder 10. Flow through the inlet hole 26 is controlled by a float arm 30 shown medially pivoted by way of sideways extending stubs 32A,B sitting in slots 34A,B in upstands 36A,B from the bottom 12 of the holder 10. One end 38 of the float arm 30 is shown enlarged and extends over the inlet aperture 26 and upstand 28 and has a pad 40 on its underside capable of sealing off water entry through the aperture 26. The other end 42 of the float arm is shown with a greater enlargement and carries a pad 44 of light-weight water floating material, such as closed-cell foamed plastics material.

The float arm 30 effectively sets a maximum water level 50 within the first reservoir 22 and will consistently maintain such level for as long as there is water in the second reservoir 24, as will appear.

Preferably, the water inlet 26 and the pad 40 are below water level controlling the float arm 30. Such arrangement contributes to keeping air away from the inlet 26 and pad 40, which discourages action of oxygen in promoting slime. Alternative water control is shown in Figure 4C by a cone 40C entering an inlet 26C, and in Figure 4D by a tooth 40D compressing a squashy tube 26D.

Both of Figures 4C and 4D show inclination of float arms 30C, and 30D to give virtually permanent submersion of water flow control parts.

A single second reservoir 24 could serve a plurality of devices with first reservoirs (22), or a piped supply could be fed directly to the inlet 26.

The support plate 18 is shown with a peripheral locator slot 52 for engaging a tooth formation 54 of the shelf 16 in order to locate an effective aperture 56 past the plate 18 into the first reservoir 22 at a chordal cut off edge 58 of the plate 18. Engagement between the plate slot 52 and the shelf tooth 54 assures positioning of the aperture 56 so that anything passing through the aperture 56 will not foul the float arm 30.

The support plate 18 has a capillary mat 60 into which a U-shaped cut is made at 62 to permit a tongue 64 to be bent from the end to extend below the maintained water level 50 for the first reservoir 22 and act as a wick to feed water therefrom to the mat 60.

In use plant pot 70 sits on the capillary mat 60 and a plant thereon gets water therefrom on demand of its root system through customary hole or holes in the bottom of the plant pot 20.

The capillary mat 60 could be replaced or augmented by particulate material, such as sand, whether or not with its own wick, such as string. Such provision aids securing contact with a concave bottomed plant pot.

Readily deformable open cell material whether of foamed plastics or natural sponge could serve a similar purpose.

Capillary mats and/or other water holding provisions can have different water holding characteristics to suit requirements for water of different types of plants.

The plant holder device 10 as thus far described could operate effectively on its own, i.e. with extension of its side walls above the shoulder or shelf 16, so long as water level in the second reservoir 24 is not allowed to go above the level of that shoulder or shelf 16.

As shown, upward wall extension 72 of the plant holder 10 serves both the purpose of allowing a higher level of water in the second reservoir 24, see for example 74, and of making a water sealing provision for the plant pot 70 and the top of the plant pot holder 10, see water impervious elastic membrane 80 shown peripherally sealed at 82 by an encircling band, also conveniently of an elastic nature and a central aperture 84 smaller than the engaged diameter of the plant pot 70 but stretchable or deformable for water sealing purposes. Such a seal 80 permits filling of the second reservoir 24 above the level of the plant pot holder, see 90 (so long as sides of the plant pot are impervious to water).

In practice, of course, it is feasible for a suitable membrane 80 to be permanently sealed onto the top edge 86 of the plant pot holder 10, or into a rebate formed at or below that edge, or to be clamped in position by a further member resembling a lid with its centre removed and fitting about or within the top of the plant pot holder 10. Any effective way of sealing is suitable.

It is also feasible (as shown in Fig. 8) for upward wall extension 72 to project further so as to form the plant pot itself, i.e. with the structure below the shelf 16 simply a part of said plant pot. The sealing membrane 80 is thus not required. Additionally, in such an embodiment, it is possible to omit the capillary mat 60 and position the bottom of the soil chamber below the level of the water in the feed reservoir.

Also, the support plate 18 could be apertured other than chordally truncated and will normally be fixed down in place, whether by adhesive or welding.

Depending formation(s), shown as two at 92A,B, can serve to fix pivotal location of the float arm 30 by registration with the location formations 36A,B.

Furthermore, the reservoir 22 may have location formations for weights 96A,B flanking the float arm 30, see Figure 7, to ensure stability for the plant pot holder 10 when immersed in water.

Moreover, water inlet (26) need not be through the bottom 12 of the plant pot holder 10. Rather, it could be through a side, see Figure 4A and 'A' subscripted references, or subscripted 'B' in Figure 4B.

Some kind of clip can be useful between a plant pot 70 and support 10, for example having elastic connection between hooks going over the top of the plant pot and under the shoulder 16, or connecting elsewhere to the support.

Transparency of the outer part of the support 10 can assist sighting of water level, or other sighting provision made, say including a float.

Claims (18)

1. A plant pot support or holder, comprising a structure adapted to support a plant pot, the structure affording water holding means of predetermined water carrying capacity immediately underlying the bottom of a supported plant pot so as to be engageable by the root system of a plant in said plant pot through its bottom, and water supply means for said water holding means and comprising a dual source system, a first source of which is of desired water supply capacity and may be supplied or chosen separately, a second source of which is a reservoir of predetermined water holding capacity, and water flow control means of which guards against undue depletion of the reservoir so long as the first source can supply water.

2. A support as claimed in claim 1 in which the first-mentioned reservoir extends upwardly as a plant pot with said structure at its base.

3. A support as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the first source is a second reservoir of a desired water holding capacity connected to the firstmentioned reservoir.

4. A support as claimed in claim 3 in which the first mentioned reservoir is located (in use) inside the second reservoir and connected by the water flow control means operative for at least a prescribed minimum content of water in the second reservoir.

5. A support as claimed in any preceding claim in which a single second reservoir services several plant pot supports or holders all within a common outer container constituting the second reservoir.

6. A support as claimed in claim 5 in which a piped supply from a remote tank or other reservoir serves as the first source.

7. A support as claimed in any preceding claim in which the water holding means is a capillary mat.

8. A support as claimed in claim 7 in which the water holding means is separated from the first reservoir but connected thereto by suitable water feed means.

9. A support as claimed in claim 8 in which the water feed means is a wick, provided by a sliver of the mat cut and bent down into an underlying said first reservoir.

10. A support as claimed in any of claims 7 to 9 in which the first reservoir is a bottom well of a basic plant pot presenting a locator for both of a capillary mat and said plant pot, which locator has a plate extending across a shoulder or shelf formation of a dished plant pot holder and cut away or apertured to take a wick formation of or for the capillary mat, the first reservoir being below the locator support shoulder or shelf formation.

11. A support as claimed in any preceding claim in which the water holding means includes particulate material, such as sand and is provided with a wick.

12. A support as claimed in any preceding claim in which the water control means between the first and second reservoirs is associated with a said first reservoir, and is a float controlled type, where an arm is pivoted intermediate its ends, one of which carries a float and the other of which operates to open or close an inlet to the first reservoir from the second reservoir.

13. A support as claimed in claim 12 in which the means further includes an arm with side projections sitting on a bifurcated support with a light-weight expanded plastics body at said one end as said float and/or a pad at its other end to obstruct or not an inlet aperture to the first reservoir.

14. A support as claimed in claim 13 in which said inlet aperture is through a side or bottom of said well.

15. A support as claimed in claim 14 wherein the inlet aperture is in the bottom and the well has exterior bottom formations raising it from the floor or bottom of a suitable second reservoir in which the first reservoir is placed in use.

16. A support as claimed in any preceding claim in which a dished plant pot holder/support has a controlled water supply provided at a lower level below actual support for the bottom of a plant pot and which extends above that level and has outer sealing means associated therewith to fit about sides of the plant pot.

17. A support as claimed in claim 16 in which a plant pot holder is provided which is emplable within a second reservoir of any desired greater volume and adequate entry provisions, and that second reservoir filled to any desired level, including a level above the seal to the plant pot, effectively to a maximum represented by the top of the plant pot.

18. A plant pot support or holder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to an as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.