GB2368777A

GB2368777A - Container assembly especially for watering plants

Info

Publication number: GB2368777A
Application number: GB0027670A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Henry Goodall
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-11-13
Filing date: 2000-11-13
Publication date: 2002-05-15
Also published as: GB0027670D0

Abstract

A container 2 is pivotally connected 3, 4 to a shaft 1 and gravity biassed to the upright position shown, from which it can be tilted by means 7 to 11 to discharge contents through an opening in its top, eg a spout extending therefrom. There may also be a filling aperture 5 in its top, located further from the axis of the shaft 1 than is the discharge spout. The contents may be water for watering of overhead plants. The tilting means may comprise a slidable sleeve 7 located about the hollow shaft 1 and connected at 9 to a rod 8 which extends through the shaft 1 to the container 2 at 10. An elongate cord member may instead be used to transmit tilting force, the cord or rod 8 alternatively being external to the shaft 1.

Description

Container Assembly The invention relates to a container assembly particularly but not exclusively for the watering of plants at higher than ground level.

Plants that are grown or contained at higher than ground level can be difficult, inconvenient, or impossible to water or liquid feed by traditional watering can or hose pipe methods because of their height. Furthermore, because of any such difficulty in watering or liquid feeding, owners may be discouraged from siting plants at a preferred higher level.

According to the present invention, there is provided a container assembly including a shaft, a container with an opening arrangement for filling/discharge, a mounting means on the shaft to pivotally mount the container thereon, wherein the mounting means is arranged relative to the container such that the container is biased by gravity towards an upright position where its opening arrangement is on the uppermost side of the container, and the assembly further including actuating means operable to move the container away from the upright position to a discharge position to allow the container to discharge.

Preferably when the container is in the upright position, the opening arrangement is substantially unobstructed by other parts of the assembly allowing access to the opening arrangement for filling the container. In one embodiment, when the container is in the upright position substantially all other components are below the opening arrangement to allow unobstructed filling of the container.

Preferably the mounting means allows rotation of the container in one plane through substantially 90 . Preferably when the shaft is substantially vertical the mounting means allows the container to adopt the upright position.

Preferably when the shaft is substantially horizontal the mounting means allows the container again to adopt the upright position and access to the opening is unobstructed allowing filling of the container.

Preferably when the shaft is substantially vertical the mounting means allows the container, when urged by the operation of the actuating means, to tip through substantially 900 from the said upright position to the said discharge position so that the contents of the container discharge.

Preferably in tipping, the container opening arrangement moves across the line of axis of the shaft.

Preferably the mounting means comprises a yoke. Preferably the yoke extends transverse to the shaft, and may extend obliquely to said shaft.

Preferably the yoke extends outwardly from an end region of the shaft. In one embodiment, the yoke is arranged such that when the shaft is in upright condition, the yoke extends obliquely and upwardly from the shaft.

Preferably the actuating means is operable to rotate the container through an angle of substantially 900. Preferably the actuating means is connected at one end to the container and at the other end to a hand grip.

Preferably the hand grip is slidably mounted on the shaft. Preferably the shaft is hollow. Preferably a part of the actuating means is located within the hollow shaft. Preferably the connection of the actuating means to the hand grip is located within the hollow shaft. Preferably the mounting means, the connection of the actuating means to the container, and the internal bore diameter of the hollow shaft allow movement of the actuating means within the shaft during the tipping movement.

Preferably the actuating means includes an elongate member, which is preferably rigid and may be used to alternately push and pull the container in operation. Preferably the rigid member is a thin rod. Alternatively the actuating means includes a flexible elongate member, which may be used to pull the container in operation. Preferably the flexible member is a cord.

Preferably the opening arrangement defines two openings, one for filling and one for discharge. Preferably the discharge opening is defined on an end of a spouted extension to the container. Preferably when the container is in the said upright position, the discharge opening is closer to the line of axis of the shaft than the filling opening.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows a side view of a container assembly, prior to commencement of the watering operation; Fig. 2 shows a front view of the container assembly, prior to commencement of the watering operation; Fig. 3 shows the side view of the container assembly during the watering operation; Fig. 4 shows the front view (in part) of the container assembly in position for filling with water or liquid feed, and Fig. 5 shows the side view (in part) of the container assembly in position for filling with water or liquid feed.

As shown in Figs. 1-3 a watering container assembly comprises a hollow shaft 1 (the lower half of which is shown in part section) having at its upper end a spouted water container 2 pivotally mounted about an axis 4 in a yoke 3 which is affixed to the shaft 1. The container 2 has an opening 5 at its upper end for filling purposes (see Figs. 4 and 5), and spout 12 with an opening 13 for discharge.

The axis 4 is positioned so that the centre of gravity of the container even when full lies below axis 4 and on the opposite side of the axis 4 to the upper end with the openings 5 and 13, so that gravity biases the container towards the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Near the upper end of the shaft 1 is a fixed hand grip 6 for use when the operator is filling the container 2.

Near the lower end of the shaft 1 is a sliding grip 7 (shown in section in Figs. 1 and 3). A link 8 is connected at one end to a pin 9 and at the other end is rotatably connected to the container 2 about axis 10 of an integral lug 11.

The link 8 in this instance is shown passing through the shaft 1 to connect the grip 7 to the container 2. The pin 9 mounted in sliding grip 7 passes through two slots 14 which are defined opposite each other in the wall 16 of shaft 1, the slots 14 running parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft 1. The extent of movement of the sliding grip 7 is constrained by the pin 9 moving along the length of the slots 14, and the grip 7 is prevented from rotating around the shaft 1 by the pin 9 and the slots 14.

Link 8 is an elongate member which in this embodiment takes the form of a thin rigid rod.

The position of the container 2 and the axis 4 as defined by the length and angle of the yoke 3 in relation to the shaft 1, and the position of the lug 11 on the container to which the link 8 is connected, are such that when the sliding action of the grip 7 pulls the link 8 downwards, the lateral movement of the link 8 in co-ordination with the lug 11 and the container 2 is accommodated within the internal bore diameter of the shaft 1 for the full extent of the movement of the container 2 from the upright carrying position to the discharge position.

Figs. 1 and 2 show the assembly in a water carrying position with the container in an upright position, and Fig. 3 shows the assembly in a discharge position.

In operation, the assembly with the container in the upright position holding water is positioned at the elevated plant to be watered and the grip 7 pulled downwardly relative to the shaft 1 to tip the container into the discharge position (Fig. 3), so that water can discharge from spout 12. This position of the container 2 relative to the shaft 1 is also the filling position when the assembly is repositioned with the shaft 1 horizontal. When the container is empty or watering has been completed the grip 7 may be pushed upward relative to the shaft 1 to tip the container back into its upright position, or the grip 7 may be released to allow gravity to tip the container back into its upright position.

Fig. 4 shows the container assembly with the container 2 in position for filling with water or liquid feed through the opening 5.

Fig. 5 shows the side view (in part) of the container assembly with the container 2 in position for filling. The container 2 is filled at the opening 5 and for the operator's convenience the fixed grip 6 indicates the optimum position to hold the shaft 1 when in its horizontal position for filling. It will be observed that the position of the container with respect to the yoke and shaft allows unobstructed access to the top of the container, allowing the container to be easily placed under, for example, a tap for filling. Because the grip 7 is free running (see Fig. 1) the position of the centre of gravity of the partially filled container will cause the container to pivot relative to the shaft as the shaft is raised from the horizontal position, maintaining the upright position of the container and thus preventing spillage of the liquid contents.

In a modification, the assembly could be constructed such as to allow the link 8 to be on the outside of the shaft 1, or a combination of both alternatives could be considered. Link 8 could be a cord, in which case the container returns to its upright position by gravity.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

Claims: 1. A container assembly including a shaft, a container with an opening arrangement for filling/discharge, a mounting means on the shaft to pivotally mount the container thereon, wherein the mounting means is arranged relative to the container such that the container is biased by gravity towards an upright position where its opening arrangement is on the uppermost side of the container, and the assembly further including actuating means operable to move the container away from the upright position to a discharge position to allow the container to discharge.
2. A container assembly according to claim 1, in which when the container is in the upright position, the opening arrangement is substantially unobstructed by other parts of the assembly allowing access to the opening arrangement for filling the container.
3. A container assembly according to claim 1 or 2, in which when the container is in the upright position substantially all other components are below the opening arrangement to allow unobstructed filling of the container.
4. A container assembly according to any of claims 1 to 3, in which the mounting means allows rotation of the container in one plane through substantially 900.
5. A container assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which when the shaft is substantially vertical the mounting means allows the container to adopt the upright position.
6. A container assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which when the shaft is substantially horizontal the mounting means allows the container again to adopt the upright position and access to the opening is unobstructed allowing filling of the container.
7. A container assembly according to claim 4, and claims 5 and 6 when dependent on claim 4, in which when the shaft is substantially vertical the mounting means allows the container, when urged by the operation of the actuating means, to tip through substantially 900 from the said upright position to the said discharge position so that the contents of the container discharge.
8. A container assembly according to claim 7, in which in tipping, the container opening arrangement moves across the line of axis of the shaft.
9. A container assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the mounting means comprises a yoke.
10. A container assembly according to claim 9, in which the yoke extends transverse to the shaft.
11. A container assembly according to claim 10, in which the yoke extends obliquely to said shaft.
12. A container assembly according to claim 11, in which the yoke extends upwardly from an end region of the shaft when the shaft is in an upright condition.
13. A container assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the actuating means is operable to rotate the container through an angle of substantially 900.
14. A container assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the actuating means is connected at one end to the container and at the other end to a hand grip.
15. A container assembly according to claim 14, in which the hand grip is slidably mounted on the shaft.
16. A container assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the shaft is hollow.
17. A container assembly according to claim 16, in which a part of the actuating means is located within the hollow shaft.
18. A container assembly according to claim 17 when dependent on claim 15, in which the connection of the actuating means to the hand grip is located within the hollow shaft.
19. A container assembly according to claims 17 or 18, in which the mounting means, the connection of the actuating means to the container, and the internal bore diameter of the hollow shaft allow movement of the actuating means within the shaft during the tipping movement.
20. A container assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the actuating means includes an elongate member.
21. A container assembly according to claim 20, in which the elongate member is rigid.
22. A container assembly according to claim 21, in which the rigid elongate member is used to alternately push and pull the container in operation.
23. A container assembly according to claims 20 or 21, in which the rigid member is a thin rod.
24. A container assembly according to any of claims 1 to 20, in which the elongate member is flexible.
25. A container assembly according to claim 24, in which the flexible elongate member is used to pull the container in operation.
26. A container assembly according to claims 24 or 25, in which the flexible member is a cord.
27. A container assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the opening arrangement defines two openings, one for filling and one for discharge.
28. A container assembly according to claim 27, in which the discharge opening is defined on an end of a spouted extension to the container.
29. A container assembly according to claim 27 or claim 28, in which when the container is in the said upright position, the discharge opening is closer to the line of axis of the shaft than the filling opening.
30. A container assembly as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
31. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed herein, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.