GB2282312A

GB2282312A - Plant container water-keeping assembly.

Info

Publication number: GB2282312A
Application number: GB9320030A
Authority: GB
Inventors: To-Yan Lui
Original assignee: LUI TO YAN
Current assignee: LUI TO YAN
Priority date: 1993-09-29
Filing date: 1993-09-29
Publication date: 1995-04-05
Also published as: CN1111085A; GB9320030D0

Abstract

A water-keeping assembly 9 for a plant container (pot) 10, comprises a perforated partition 11 arranged to extend across the bottom of container 10 for dividing the interior into an upper compartment for holding soil and a lower compartment for collecting therein any water drained down from the soil through the partition 11, and ventilation means e.g. tubes 12 arranged to extend upwards from the partition 11 so that air can reach from above into the lower compartment. As shown 1 the ventilation tubes are formed from sections 22 joined together and each tube is press-fit into a collar 16 of partition 11. The tubes may be integral on inner side of peripheral wall of pot and a double-walled container construction is also envisaged. Absorbent bars 13 (of sheets of paper/cloth) are located on partition 13 and slots 21 may contain cloth. A floating marker 24 is disclosed. Modifications are disclosed. <IMAGE>

Description

PLANT CONTAINER WATER-KEEPING ASSEMBLY The present invention relates to a water-keeping assembly for- a plant container and to a plant container incorporating such an assembly.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a water-keeping assembly for a plant container, which assembly comprises a perforated partition arranged to extend across the bottom of a said container for dividing the interior of the container into an upper compartment for holding therein soil and a lower compartment for collecting therein any water drained down from the soil through the partition, and ventilation means arranged to extend upwards from the partition so that air can reach from above into the lower compartment.

Preferably, the ventilation means extends from the partition at a position off the periphery of the partition.

In a specific construction, the partition has depending legs for supporting the partition in position inside a said container.

In a preferred embodiment, the ventilation means is in the form of at least one tube upstanding from the partition.

It is preferred that the wall of the tube is perforated.

Preferably, the tube is formed by a plurality of sections arranged fiJ be joined in an end-to-end configuration.

The water-keeping assembly may further include a floatable marker for indicating the amount of water collected in the lower compartment, said marker extending through the ventilating means.

The water-keeping assembly may further include water absorbent means arranged to pass through the partition.

More preferably, the water absorbent means is in the form of a bar of water absorbent material.

More preferably, the bar is formed bg a roll of paper or Cl ot}.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a plant container in combination with the aforesaid water-keeping assembly.

The plant container preferably comprises a body having a closable drain hole at the bottom wall thereof.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a water-keeping assembly and a plant container incorporating the assembly, in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a bottom perspective view of a partition of the water-keeping assembly of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the plant container of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the plant container of Figure 3, taken along line IV-IV; and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the plant container of Figure 3, taken along line V-V.

Referring to the drawings, there are shown a water-keeping assembly 9 and a plant container or pot 10 incorporating the assembly 9, embodying the invention. The pot 10 is similar to a conventional pot moulded from plastics material but does not have any water drain hole at the bottom. The water-keeping assembly 9 is formed by a horizontal circular perforated partition 11, four equiangularly spaced ventilating tubes 12 and four equiangularly spaced absorbent bars 13 interlaced with the tubes 12. The tubes 12 and the bars 13 are supported vertically on the partition 11.

As best shown in Figure 2, the partition 11 has eight equiangularly spaced holes 14 and 15. Each of every other holes 14 is provided with an upstanding integral peripheral collar 16, and each of the other holes 15 is provided with a depending integral peripheral collar 17. The partition 11 has a dozen of integral legs 18 of equal length, and is strengthened by two relatively longer and four relatively shorter integral depending ribs 19 and 20, each extending from one to the other of an associated pair of radially opposed legs 18. The partition 11 further includes two slots 21 extending at 450 from one relatively longer rib 19 to the other, as shown. The perforations on the partition 11 are numerous and have a relatively small size such the plant soil cannot easily pass through.

As best shown in Figure 4, each ventilating tube 12 is formed by a series of four sections 22 of equal length joined together in an end-to-end configuration. Each tube section 22 has an enlarged top end 23 for, apart from the uppermost tube section 22, receiving and thereby engaging through a press-fitting action the bottom end of the tube section 22 right above it. For each tube 12, the bottom end of the lowermost tube section 22 is press-fit down into the corresponding collar 16 of the partition 11, whereby the partition 11 supports the whole tube 12 in a vertical position. The wall of the tube sections 22 is perforated, in which the perforations are numerous and have a relatively small size such that plant soil cannot easily pass through.

As best shown in Figure 5, each absorbent bar 13 is located on the partition 11 by passing through and thus engaging the corresponding hole 15 and collar 17. The bars 13 are formed by one or more sheets of water absorbent paper or cloth rolled into shape.

In use, the water keep assembly 9 is placed inside the pot 10, extending horizontally with the legs 18 resting on the base wall of the pot 10. The size of the partition 11 is designed such that in this use position the partition 11 will fit with its periphery close to and practically touching the inner side of the peripheral wall of the pot 10. The ventilating tubes 12 have such a length that their open top ends reach near the mouth of the pot 10. The position of the absorbent bars 13 is adjusted such that their bottom ends engage the base wall of the pot 10. In this position, the bars 13 extend up to about half of the height of the pot 10.

When a plant is in place, the soil fills up the pot 10 in the upper compartment above the partition 11 to a level below the open top ends of the ventilating tubes 12. Care should be taken not to allow any soil to enter the interior of the tubes 12. The perforations on the partition 11 and the tubes 12 are just sufficiently small to avoid any soil passing therethrough, yet permitting effective air penetration. The portions of the absorbent bars 13 above the partition 11 are in ultimate contact with the soil.

Normal plant watering will unavoidably leave some excess water accumulated at the bottom of a pot, which is conventionally drained away through a hole provided in the base wall of the pot. With the pot 10 of the subject invention, excess water is collected in the lower compartment below the partition 11. The lowermost ends of the absorbent bars 13 are immersed in the collected water, which water is then gradually brought back up to the soil above the partition 11 through capillary action through the bars 13 in order to keep the soil moist to an appropriate degree. The degree of moisture can be controlled by the construction of the absorbent bars 13 and their length and absorbency. Additional moisturising may be effected by, for example, a piece of water absorbent cloth located passing through the slots 21.

The ventilating tubes 12 serve to provide a vent passage to permit ventilation of the lower compartment in order to avoid the growth of bacteria caused by the trapped excess water inside the pot 10, which will otherwise rotten the root of the plant. The use of the perforated partition 11 and tubes 12 will also increase the soil-to-air interface area, thereby promoting healthier growth of the plant.

The water-keeping assembly 9 further includes a floating marker 24 in the form of a stick 25, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, which is located passing wholly through one of the tubes 12. The bottom end of the stick 25 is fitted with a cork 26 which is floating at the surface 29 of the excess water collected in the lower compartment. The upper end of the stick 25 is provided with a series of water level graduation lines 27 marked thereon and a top flag 28 marked "WATER TOO MUCH". The graduation lines 27 are to be read against the uppermost end of the tube 12 concerned, and together with the flag 28 serves to indicate the approximate amount of water drained into and collected in the lower compartment.

In a slightly different embodiment, the pot 10 has a side hole at the bottom, which is provided with a rubber stopper or cap, for draining excess water out of the lower compartment if necessary.

It is envisaged that the partition 11 may be supported on an internal annular shoulder provided integrally around the side wall at the bottom of the pot. It is further envisaged that the ventilating tubes 12 may be provided integrally on the inner side of the peripheral wall of the pot. Also, both partitioning and ventilation may be provided simultaneously by a double-walled construction of the plant container, in which the inner perforated base wall acts as the partition 11 and the inner perforated peripheral side wall acts as the tubes 12.

The invention has been given by way of example only, and various other modifications of and/or alterations to the described embodiment may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as specified in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A water-keeping assembly for use inside a plant container, which assembly comprises a perforated partition arranged to extend across the bottom of a said container for dividing the interior of the container into an upper compartment for holding therein soil and a lower compartment for collecting therein any water drained down from the soil through the partition, and ventilation means arranged to extend upwards from the partition so that air can reach from above into the lower compartment.

2. A water-keeping assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ventilation means extends from the partition at a position off the periphery of the partition.

3. A water-keeping assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the partition has depending legs for supporting the partition in position inside a said container.

4. A water-keeping assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ventilation means is in the form of at least one tube upstanding from the partition.

5. A water-keeping assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the wall of the tube is perforated.

6. A water-keeping assembly as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the tube is formed by a plurality of sections arranged to be joined in an end-to-end configuration.

7. A water-keeping assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further including a floatable marker for indicating the amount of water collected in the lower compartment, said marker extending through the ventilating means.

8. A water-keeping assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further including water absorbent means arranged to pass through the partition.

9. A water-keeping assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the water absorbent means is in the form of a bar of water absorbent material.

10. A water-keeping assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the bar is formed by a roll of paper or cloth.

11. A water-keeping assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A plant container in combination with a water-keeping assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

13. A plant container as claimed in claim 12, comprising a body having a closable drain hole at the bottom wall thereof.