US20080141586A1

US20080141586A1 - Universal plant pot base

Info

Publication number: US20080141586A1
Application number: US11/946,881
Authority: US
Inventors: Hsing-Chih Hong
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-12-14
Filing date: 2007-11-29
Publication date: 2008-06-19
Also published as: TWM317753U; DE202007017268U1; CA2612927A1

Abstract

A base is provided to serve as a platform on which a plant pot is positioned. The base includes a body forming an interior space divided into an upper compartment in which a water permeable board is received to serve as a top face of the platform on which the pot is positioned and a lower compartment in which is water collector is removably positioned to receive and collect water flowing through the water permeable board. Excessive water that flows out of the plant pot is allowed to penetrate through the water permeable board and is thus not accumulated on the board so that water stain does not appear on the pot. The water collector is located below the board to receive the excessive water and cleaning of the collected water can be done by removing the water collector through a side opening defined in the base.

Description

(a) TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a universal plant pot base, and in particular to a base that allows more than one plant pot to position thereon and that overcomes water accumulation at bottom of the plant pot by easily removing collected excessive water without moving the plant pot and at the same time, alleviates the drawback of deteriorating the aesthetic appearance by undesirably shielding the pot and the problem of water stain remaining on the pot to thereby completely show the aesthetics of the plant pot.

(b) DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Conventionally, a circular pan like container is positioned below a plant pot by depositing the pot in the container so that the container may serve as a water collection device that, in watering the plant growing in the pot, receives and collects excessive water that is not absorbed and preserved in the soil of the pot and thus draining out of the pot. The excessive water thus received in the container is prevented from spoiling everywhere around the pot. However, drawbacks can be found in the conventional pan like water container. For example, the excessive water that is received and collected in the pan cannot be easily removed, forming a breeding environment for insects and mosquitoes, and the conventional pan like container may partly shield the pot and thus hinder full exhibition of the plant pot that may carry specific aesthetic design. Further, the bottom of the pot is often drowned in the water collected in the pan like container, causing water stain on the outside surface of the pot.
Although solutions for overcoming the above discussed problems have been proposed, including collecting the draining water for subsequent re-use and improved arrangement for enhancing air ventilation and humidity preservation that is realized with special material, these solutions are all applicable to a single pot and is only good with particularly designed pots. This is certainly not a practical solution to those flower or plant growers.
Thus, the present invention is aimed to provide a solution for overcoming the drawbacks of the conventional water collection pan for plant pots.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To provide a solution to the above drawbacks, in accordance with the present invention, a universal plant pot base is provided, which effectively eliminates the problem of water accumulation to allow all kinds of plant pot or flower pot to completely fulfill the functions of air ventilation and water draining so that cleaning up the accumulated water can be easily done without moving the pot and which also alleviates the drawbacks of pot concealing and water stain to fully exhibit the aesthetics of the pot.
To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a base for supporting a plant pot. The base comprises a body, a water permeable board, and a water collector. The body forms an interior space that defines at least an upper compartment in which the water permeable board is received, functioning as a support that allows water to flow therethrough and constituting a platform on which one or more than one plant pots can be positioned to fully exhibits the aesthetics of the plant pot and eliminate the potential risk of generating water stain on the pot. The water permeable board allows water to flow therethrough and deeply into the base so that the plant pot positioned on the water permeable board is not drowned in water and is allowed to fulfill the functions of air ventilation and water draining. In addition, the interior space may further define a lower compartment in communication with the upper compartment and the water collector is removably positioned in the lower compartment, preferably through a side opening defined in a side wall of the base, to receive and collect the water flowing through the water permeable board. Disposed of or cleaning up the collected water can be readily done by removing the water collector out of the base without any movement of the pot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing a base for plant pot in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the base of the present invention, together with a plant pot positioned thereon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention provides a base adapted to support or be positioned under a plant pot, generally designated at 1. In accordance with the present invention, the base comprises a body 2 defining therein a receiving space in which a water collector 4 and a water-permeable board 3 are vertically arranged in order. The board 3 constitutes a top face of the base 2 for supporting the plant pot 1. The water permeability of the board 3 allows excessive water that flows out of drain holes defined at bottom of the pot 1 or that overflows top rim of the pot 1 to penetrate downward and deeply into the receiving space of the base 2, and is thus collected in the water collector 4. In this way, accumulation of excessive water around the bottom of the pot 1 can be eliminated. Also, deterioration of aesthetics of the pot due to being partly concealed and generation of water stain can be alleviated, so that the aesthetics of the pot can be fully exhibited.
The base 2 is constructed as a platform having an open top and a closed bottom surrounded by walls. The base 2 forms an interior receiving space in communication with the top opening and delimited by two opposite end walls, located at opposite ends of a first direction of the base 2, each end wall forming a support step 211. The steps 211 have substantially aligned top surfaces which together define a plane extending therebetween to divide the interior receiving space f the base 2 into an upper compartment 21 and a lower compartment 22. In a side wall in a second direction, which in the embodiment illustrated, is normal to the first direction, an opening 221 is defined. It is noted that the opening 221 can be formed in any portion of the walls.
The board 3, which is made water permeable, is preferably made of water permeable materials. The board 3 is received in the upper compartment 21 through the top opening of the base 2 and is sized to have end portions thereof positioned on and supported by the steps 211 of the end walls of the base 2. The board 3 is further sized to have a top face thereof substantially flush with the top of the base 2 thereby covering the top opening and constituting the top face of the base 2.
The water collector 4 is made in the form of a container that is received in the lower compartment 22 through the side opening 221 of the base. The water collector 4 has an open top facing the bottom of the board 3 to receive water penetrating through the board 3.
To use the base 2 in accordance with the present invention, since the top face of the base 2 is covered and partly constituted by the board 3, the plant pot 1 of any kind and any shape can be simply positioned thereon and supported thereby. Any excessive water that is not absorbed and preserved in the soil contained in the pot 1 and thus drains out of the pot 1 flows through the water permeable board 3 and deeply into the base 2 to be received and collected in the water collector 4.
The above description reveals the advantages of the base for plant pot in accordance with the present invention that the plant pot 1 that is positioned on the base 2 is contrary to a flower pot positioned in a conventional water collection pan, which when receive and accumulate water therein may easily cause the pot to drown in the received water, and is thus allow the plant pot 1 to completely fulfill the functions of draining of excessive water and ventilation of air. Also, the problems of water stain and breeding of insects and mosquitoes can be eliminated because the water accumulated in the water collector 4 can be discharged easily by removing the water collector 4 out of the base 2 through the side opening 221, without moving the plant pot 1. In addition, the problem that the conventional water collection pan undesirably conceal the aesthetic design or arrangement of the port or simply deteriorate the aesthetic appearance of the pot no longer exists with the base 2 in accordance with the present invention.
It is noted that, as shown in the drawings, the base 2, as well s the water permeable board 3 and the water collector 4, can be made in a rectangular shape, which can be further extended in the lengthwise direction thereof to increase the overall area of the top face thereof to receive more than one plant pot positioned thereon.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A base for a plant pot, comprising:

a body forming an interior receiving space;

a water permeable board constituting a top face of the body; and

a water collection container received in the interior receiving space of the base and below the water permeable board to collect water penetrating through the water permeable board.

2. The base as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base has two end walls between which the receiving space is delimited, each end wall forming a support step, the support steps dividing the interior receiving space into an upper compartment and a lower compartment; wherein the water permeable board is received in the upper compartment and is supported at opposite ends thereof by the support steps to have a top surface of the water permeable board exposed and constituting the top face of the base; and wherein the water collection container is received in the lower compartment and below the water permeable board.

3. The base as claimed in claim 1, wherein the water permeable board is received in and interior receiving space and fixed to the base to form a platform for supporting the plan pot thereon.

4. The base as claimed in claim 1, wherein the water collection container is received in the interior receiving space in a removable manner.

5. The base as claimed in claim 1, wherein a side wall of the base forms an opening in communication with the receiving space and wherein the water collection container is removably received in the interior receiving space through the opening.