GB2625828A

GB2625828A - Indoor plant pot insert

Info

Publication number: GB2625828A
Application number: GB2219863.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kmetikova Martina; Polania Cristina
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2022-12-31
Filing date: 2022-12-31
Publication date: 2024-07-03
Also published as: GB202219863D0

Abstract

An insert for a plant pot having a planar bottom surface and a perpendicular exterior side wall 108.The top surface 102 is angled downwards from the peripheral edge towards the centre of the insert. At the centre of the insert is an aperture 104 extending between the upper and lower surfaces. Preferably the top surface has a water-resistant coating. The water-resistant coating may cover the entire insert. The insert may have a raised lip 106 extending upwards from the side wall at the peripheral edge. The insert may have a circular profile or a squared profile.

Description

Title: Indoor Plant Pot Insert Field of Invention.

[1] The present invention relates generally to indoor plant pot accessories. More specifically, the present invention relates to a plant pot insert for creating a sloped bottom surface within an indoor plant pot to improve drainage of excess water.

Background

[2] The vast majority of indoor decorative plant pots available on the market today are structured without drainage holes and are not provided with saucers, meaning that plants placed directly inside them are at risk of overwatering. Users are generally expected to purchase disposable plastic pots, place the plants inside those, and then place the plastic pots inside the more aesthetically pleasing decorative plant pots. This reliance on disposable plastic plant pots increases pollution and also tends to be less visibly pleasing.

[3] One reason behind this market trend is that decorative plant pots have flat bottoms, and so even if drainage holes and saucers are provided with them, excess water can collect on the flat bottom, oversaturating the soil and leading to overwatering despite the drainage hole.

[4] There is a need for a plant pot product that can improve the drainage capabilities of decorative plant pots to remove the need for the use of disposables. It is within this context that the present invention is provided.

Summary

[5] The present disclosure provides a plant pot insert which is shaped to create a sloped surface leading to a central opening and thus to a drainage hole in the bottom of a decorative plant pot. The insert is designed to rest on the flat bottom of a decorative plant pot with a drainage hole and to have its exterior wall fit flush against the inner surface of the pot, with a top sloped surface of the insert thus causing excess water to flow towards the drainage hole. Water-repelling coatings may be applied to the insert to improve flow, and the insert may be provided with various shapes, sizes, material and slope angles. This will facilitate the direct use of decorative plant pots without the requirement for disposable pots inside to regulate water flow, therefore revolutionising the indoor plant pots market.

[6] Thus, according to one aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a plant pot insert having a planar bottom surface, an exterior side wall having a first height and being angled perpendicularly to the plane of the bottom surface, and a central opening running through the planar bottom surface to meet an opposing top surface at a second height, wherein the first height is greater than the second height such that the top surface is sloped inwards from the exterior side wall towards the central opening.

[7] In some embodiments, at least the sloped top surface has a water resistant coating applied to it. Furthermore, the entire insert may have the water-resistant coating applied to it.

[8] In some embodiments, the insert is partially hollow, or the bottom surface is partially hollowed out.

[9] In some embodiments, the insert further comprises a raised lip between the exterior side wall and the top surface.

[10] In some embodiments, the plant pot insert is formed of a plastic material. The plant pot insert may be formed of a recycled plastic, for example.

[11] In other embodiments, the plant pot insert is formed of a non-plastic material.

[12] In some embodiments, the insert and exterior wall are shaped to form an insert with a circular profile.

[13] In other embodiments, the insert and exterior wall are shaped to form an insert with a squared profile.

[14] In some embodiments, the insert is provided alongside a plant pot and saucer, the plant pot having a flat bottom with a central drainage hole and an inner volume dimensioned and shaped to receive the insert such that the opening of the insert aligns with the drainage hole and the exterior walls of the insert are flush with the interior walls of the plant pot. The plant pot may for example be a decorative plant pot having a design or aesthetic coating applied to an exterior wall.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[15] Various embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

[16] FIG.1 illustrates an isometric view of an example plant pot insert having a first slope inclination according to the present disclosure.

[17] FIG.2 illustrates a first cross-sectional view of the example plant pot insert with the first slope inclination. In this example the insert is hollow.

[18] FIG.3 illustrates a second cross-sectional view of the example plant pot insert with the first slope inclination. In this example the insert is filled.

[19] FIG.4 illustrates a first cross-sectional view of an example hollow plant pot insert with a second, greater slope inclination.

[20] FIG.5 illustrates a second cross-sectional view of the example filled plant pot insert with the second slope inclination.

[21] FIG.6 illustrates a cross-section view of the second example filled plant pot insert installed in a decorative plant pot and saucer set.

[22] Common reference numerals are used throughout the figures and the detailed description to indicate like elements. One skilled in the art will readily recognize that the above figures are examples and that other architectures, modes of operation, orders of operation, and elements/functions can be provided and implemented without departing from the characteristics and features of the invention, as set forth in the claims.

Detailed Description and Preferred Embodiment

[23] The following is a detailed description of exemplary embodiments to illustrate the principles of the invention. The embodiments are provided to illustrate aspects of the invention, but the invention is not limited to any embodiment. The scope of the invention encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications and equivalent; it is limited only by the claims.

[24] Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be practiced according to the claims without some or all of these specific details. For the purpose of clarity, technical material that is known in the technical fields related to the invention has not been described in detail so that the invention is not unnecessarily obscured.

[25] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

[26] Referring to FIG.1, an isometric view of an example plant pot insert 100 having a first slope inclination is shown. FIGs 2 and 3 show cross-sectional views of the same example insert 100.

[27] As can be seen, the insert 100 is flat bottomed so as to rest on the flat bottom of a decorative plant pot (although the bottom may also be hollowed out to make the insert lighter or cheaper to manufacture as illustrated in Fig 2 and 4).

[28] The opposing top surface 102 of the insert is sloped down towards a central opening 104 which is intended to align with the drainage hole of a plant pot which the insert is placed in. The sloped surface encourages flow of excess water towards the opening and through the drainage hole, preventing build up of excess water and oversaturated soil. The top surface 102, or indeed the entire insert, may have a water repellent coating applied to it to further assist with this.

[29] In the present example the insert 100 is provided with a raised upper lip 106 between the top of the sloped top surface 102 and the exterior walls 108, this can assist with preventing water and earth from collecting between the exterior walls 108 and an interior wall of a plant pot in which the insert 100 is placed. The raised upper lip 106 is an optional feature, and may not be present in all variations of the insert.

[30] The exterior walls 108 are generally perpendicular to the plane of the bottom surface of the insert 100 in order to be as flush as possible with the interior walls of the plant pot in which the insert 100 is placed.

[31] The example insert has a circular profile, but the insert may take any suitable shape or dimension in order to be flush with the interior of a plant pot -the plant pot and the insert may be provided as a set, or the insert may be manufactured to be flush with standard sized plant pots.

[32] The inclination of the slope of the top surface 102 can also be adjusted as needed.

[33] Referring to FIGs 4 and 5, a second example plant pot insert 200 is shown with a greater slope inclination on the top surface 202, achieved by having the height difference between the exterior walls 208 and the central opening 204 be greater than the first example.

[34] The exterior walls of this second example are also angled slightly outwards, which may be necessary to accommodate the internal volume shape of some plant pots. The raised lip 206 is of similar construction to the first example.

[35] As illustrated by these two examples, various dimensions of the insert may be changed to accommodate different plant pots while still achieving the effect of improved drainage of excess water in decorative pots.

[36] As mentioned above the plant pot insert may be provided as a set with a matching plant pot to ensure a flush fit and improved drainage.

[37] Referring to FIG.6, a cross-section view of the second example plant pot insert 200 is shown with the insert installed in a matching decorative plant pot 300 and saucer 400 set.

[38] As can be seen, the exterior walls of the insert 200 are completely flush with the interior walls 302 of the plant pot 300 and the opening of the insert 200 aligns perfectly with the drainage hole 304 of the plant pot, encouraging any excess water to flow down through the drainage hole into the saucer 400.

[39] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[40] The disclosed embodiments are illustrative, not restrictive. While specific configurations of the plant pot insert have been described in a specific manner referring to the illustrated embodiments, it is understood that the present invention can be applied to a wide variety of solutions which fit within the scope and spirit of the claims. There are many alternative ways of implementing the invention.

[041] It is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention herein described are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Reference herein to details of the illustrated embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which themselves recite those features regarded as essential to the invention.

Claims

Claims What is claimed is: 1. A plant pot insert having a planar bottom surface, an exterior side wall having a first height and being angled perpendicularly to the plane of the bottom surface, and a central opening running through the planar bottom surface to meet an opposing top surface at a second height, wherein the first height is greater than the second height such that the top surface is sloped inwards from the exterior side wall towards the central opening.
2. A plant pot insert according to claim 1, wherein at least the sloped top surface has a water resistant coating applied to it.
3. A plant pot insert according to claim 2, wherein the entire insert has a water-resistant coating applied to it.
4. A plant pot insert according to claim 1, wherein the insert is partially hollow.
5. A plant pot insert according to claim 1, wherein the bottom surface is partially hollowed out.
6. A plant pot insert according to claim 1, wherein the insert further comprises a raised lip between the exterior side wall and the top surface.
7. A plant pot insert according to claim 1, wherein the plant pot insert is formed of a recycled plastic material.
8. A plant pot insert according to claim 1, wherein the plant pot insert is formed of a non-plastic material.
9. A plant pot insert according to claim 1, wherein the insert and exterior wall are shaped to form an insert with a circular profile.
10. A plant pot insert according to claim 1, wherein the insert and exterior wall are shaped to form an insert with a squared profile.
11. A plant pot insert according to claim 1, wherein the insert is provided alongside a plant pot and saucer, the plant pot having a flat bottom with a central drainage hole and an inner volume dimensioned and shaped to receive the insert such that the opening of the insert aligns with the drainage hole and the exterior walls of the insert are flush with the interior walls of the plant pot.
12. A plant pot insert according to claim 11, wherein the plant pot is a decorative plant pot having a design or aesthetic coating applied to an exterior wall.