US20090026100A1

US20090026100A1 - Flowerpot holder with inclined base and walls

Info

Publication number: US20090026100A1
Application number: US12/159,782
Authority: US
Inventors: Angelo Erba
Original assignee: ERBA Srl
Current assignee: ERBA Srl
Priority date: 2006-01-05
Filing date: 2006-02-02
Publication date: 2009-01-29
Also published as: CA2634211A1; WO2007077586A1; EP1968415A1; ITMI20060012A1

Abstract

A flowerpot holder, including a shell with three lobes, substantially shaped like a truncated cone, is made to contain an equivalent′ number of flowerpots placed along three axes forming angles of 120 DEG between them. The lobes are closed at the bottom by a base on the inside of which are moulded supporting Planes raised above the bottom; the planes, branching out from the centre of the base, penetrate into the concavity of the lobes up to three quarters of their diameter on the surrounding outline of the base and slant downwards towards the ends of the lobes. The lobes are also inclined at the same angle as that of the base and are slightly rounded The flowerpot holder, of uniform thickness due to geometric forms slanting in the direction opposite that on the external surface of the base, can be made in a single piece from hot-moulded plastic material.

Description

FIELD OF APPLICATION

The present invention concerns accessories for house and garden and in particular a flowerpot holder with inclined base and walls.

PRESENT STATE OF THE ART

Flowerpot holders are widely used in homes, offices and gardens and come in various shapes and sizes as well as being made of different materials. The least expensive consist of a simple plastic container shaped like an overturned truncated cone, possibly with holes in the bottom for draining water which then collects in a saucer-shaped container placed under the pot. The more sophisticated models may consist of small works of art reproducing animal shapes, for example.
The main purpose of the flowerpot holder is to protect the pot itself against breakages, especially if made of terracotta, and to improve its appearance.

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Apart from the primary purpose referred to above, the present invention also includes others that increase its usefulness such as, for example, watering the plants, exposure to light, preparation of floral compositions and re-potting when a plant dies.
To fulfill these purposes, the subject of the present invention is a flowerpot holder constructed like a shell with a certain number of diverging lobes, shaped substantially like a truncated cone, closed at the bottom by a base the inside of which is inclined towards the outer limits of the lobes, a description of this being also given in claim 1.
The lobes are outwardly inclined at the same angle subtended from the inner surface of the base, and are slightly rounded to give the flowerpot holder a more sinuous and elegant appearance. The inclined lobes are higher than the pots they contain, raised above them by a narrow circular border.
The base preferably comprises flat supports moulded in relief that penetrate into the concavity of the inclined lobes from the centre. This creates a raised shape with extensions branching into the lobes so as to keep the pots inclined. On the other face of the base, in contact with the supporting surface, a complementary relief ensures a constant thickness throughout.
In accordance with a preferred execution, the flowerpot holder has three lobes, designed to contain pots placed along three axes that between them form angles of 120°, and can be made in a single piece hot-moulded in plastic material.
The particular shape given to the flowerpot holder simplifies the creation of a floral composition because it enables the work to be done on three pots at a time as if there were a single plant, the inclination favouring access to the pots. The fact that the flower pot holder has no openings underneath makes a drainage saucer unnecessary. Thanks to the fact that there are three interchangeable pots, if one plant dies it can be easily replaced by another so that re-potting is avoided. Finally, inclination of the pots allows more space between one plant and another so that they receive more sunlight.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Further purposes and advantages of the present invention will, be made clear by the following detailed description of one example of its execution and by, the attached drawings given for purely explanatory purposes in no way limitative, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view from above of the flowerpot holder subject of the present invention, complete with (empty) pots;

FIG. 2, a perspective view from the front,

FIG. 3, a perspective view from above of the empty flowerpot holder showing the shaped relief on the base;

FIG. 4, a perspective view from above of the overturned flowerpot holder.

FIG. 4, a cross section of the flowerpot holder along the axis A-A drawn in FIG. 4 (with a pot inside) to show up the inclination given to the shaped relief in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EXECUTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a flowerpot holder 1 (with pots in place) can be seen, the outer wall of which consists of three equal lobes 2, 3 and 4, shaped substantially like an overturned truncated cone, joined one to another and slightly diverging. The side profiles are slightly curved and the upper apertures inclined downwards in relation to the horizontal plane. The three lobes lie along three axes forming angles of 120° between them.
The front view seen in FIG. 2 clearly shows the way the lobes are inclined, also clearly seen from the difference in height between the top of the join and a distant point at an angle of 90°. The slant measured is about 10° though slants of 15° and even more can be obtained. The front perspective view hides the rear lobe.
The perspective view from above in FIG. 3 shows the circular shape converging downwards on the internal wall of the flowerpot holder's three lobes 2, 3 and 4, delimited by joining lines 5, 6 and 7. The three lobes join at the internal surface of the base of the flowerpot holder, projecting the same circular shape as that of the upper edges, but obviously on a smaller scale due to the effect of convergence. The internal surface of the base therefore comprises three circles 8, 9 and 10 matching at the points of tangency with the joining lines 5, 6 and 7 of the lobes. The resulting effect is similar to an open tri-valvular shell.
Inside the line defining the base, a shape in relief can be seen comprising a central (triangular) area 11 higher at the centre, from which lead off three flat parts slanting downwards and continuing beyond the centres of circles 8, 9 and 10. Each of said parts consists of a terminal circle 12 a, 13 a and 14 a joined to a short arm 12 b, 13 b and 14 b. The portion composed of a circle joined to a short arm is similar in shape to a shortened spatula. The structure of the three “pot-inclining” parts presents a sinuous surrounding line entirely describable by means of circles and joins. The terminal circles 12 a, 13 a and 14 a are concentric to the respective circles 8, 9 and 10 of the base with respect to which they are raised; said base circles delimit three circular crowns as wide as one quarter of the external diameter, confluent at the centre where they join in the form of a triple slot-shaped area.
The base of the flowerpot holder 1 can be seen in FIG. 4. The view from below shows a hollow area surrounded by a wide trilobate edge of the same triple-slot shape as the relief in FIG. 3. The hollow area is of variable depth in line with the height of the relief on the opposite face, the result being that thickness is the same all over which reduces the quantity of plastic material used in production. The ample trilobate edge, corresponding to the hollow on the inside of the base, forms the surface on which the flowerpot holder stands.
Six points, P1 to P6, can be seen on the edge 15 of the base: points P1, P2 and P3 are placed at the lesser distance between the edge 15 and the centre of the base, namely in the joints between lobes, while points P4, P5 and P6 are placed at the greater distance between the edge 15 and the centre of the base, namely at the apexes of the lobes. A line of axis A-A is drawn across the base tracing a dissection plane to show the various slants in the basic geometry. The axis A-A, passing through the centre of the base, connects point P1 joining two lobes with point P5 at the apex of the opposite lobe.
The corresponding section can be seen in FIG. 5. With reference to FIG. 5, showing points P1, P2 an P5 of FIG. 4, it will first of all be seen that the thickness of the flowerpot holder is constant along the whole section. The maximum height of the outer edge 15 lies at points P1 and P2 (FIG. 4) in relation to the supporting surface, and at the same points is the maximum depth of the internal hollow delimited by the pot-inclining raised part. The visible part of the pot is that which is raised highest because it rests at the position S1 which is the highest point on the inside of the flowerpot holder. The section continues on a declining plane towards the other end of the pot (above point P4 not shown) while the depth of the hollow above P1 lessens to the same extent. The slant of the pot is identical with the slope of the length of section S2 that continues to the left of section S1 until the end of the internal hollow above point P5. As previously stated, the slant of the base relief is about 10°, but this can be decided as preferred using the same design criteria as that of the flowerpot holder described with the aid of the figures.
The invention may be given a more general kind of form by eliminating the raised portions on the bottom to obtain a more uniform inner surface for the base, slanted downwards from the central area where the lobes join at their most external points on the outline around the base. Though this generalised form may be more interesting from the patenting point of view, it would involve the use of more material to make the base thicker and create a supporting surface similar to that of the slot 15 seen in FIG. 4.
The invention described for a three-lobed flowerpot holder can also be used for one with a lesser or greater number of lobes. Even a simple flowerpot holder without any lobes could include the elements constituting the invention, namely the internal raised portion of the slanting base and the lateral sloping wall. Flowerpot holders with two or four lobes might constitute an interesting commercial proposition.
The invention described for lobes of equal shape and size, laid along axes of symmetry, could be applied to variations comprising lobes of the same shape and of different sizes, or else of different shapes. Such variations would be useful when making up floral compositions with plants of varying sizes.
More generally speaking, and based on the description given for the example of a preferred execution, any person skilled in the field could of course introduce a number of changes without departing from the sphere covered by the invention.

Claims

1. Flowerpot holder characterized by the fact that it consists of a shell with a previously established number of diverging lobes (2, 3, 4), of a substantially truncated cone shape, closed by a base that internally is inclined towards the supporting surface in the direction of the ends of the lobes on the outline around the base.

2. Flowerpot holder as in claim 1, characterized by the fact that said base. (8, 9, 10) comprises flat supports raised above the base (12 a, 12 b; 13 a, 13 b; 14 a, 14 b) which, from the centre (11) of the base, penetrate into 10 the concavity of the lobes (2, 3, 4) slanting towards the bottom.

3. Flowerpot holder as in claim 2, characterized by the fact that said flat supports branch out from a raised area (11) in the centre of the base (8, 9, 10), to form short arms (12 b, 13 b, 14 b) each joined to a respective circular end (12 a, 13 a, 14 a) concentric with the lobe (2, 3, 4).

4. Flowerpot holder as in claim 1, characterized by the fact that said lobes (2, 3, 4) diverge in relation to the supporting surface at an angle equal to the slope of the base.

5. Flowerpot holder as in claim 1, characterized by the fact that said lobes (2, 3, 4) are slightly rounded.

6. Flowerpot holder as in claim 1, characterized by the fact that said lobes (2, 3, 4) are higher than the pots they contain.

7. Flowerpot holder as in claim 1, characterized by the fact that there are two lobes.

8. Flowerpot holder as in claim 1, characterized by the fact that there are three lobes (2, 3, 4).

9. Flowerpot holder as in claim 1, characterized by the fact that there are four lobes.

10. Flowerpot holder as in claim 1, characterized by the fact that said lobes (2, 3, 4) are of the same shape and the same dimensions.

11. Flowerpot holder as in claim 1, characterized by the fact that their shape is the same but that their dimensions are different.

12. Flowerpot holder as in claim 1, characterized by the fact that said lobes are of different shapes.

13. Flowerpot holder as in claim 1, characterized by the fact that it. is of constant thickness throughout.

14. Flowerpot holder as in claim 1, characterized by the fact that it is made in a single piece from hot-moulded plastic material.

15. Flowerpot holder as in claim 2, characterized by the tact that said lobes (2, 3, 4) diverge in relation to the supporting surface at an angle equal to the slope of the base.

16. Flowerpot holder as in claim 2, characterized by the fact that said lobes (2, 3, 4) are slightly rounded.

17. Flowerpot holder as in claim 2, characterized by the fact that said lobes (2, 3, 4) are higher than the pots they contain.

18. Flowerpot holder as in claim 2, characterized by the fact that there are two lobes.

19. Flowerpot holder as in claim 2, characterized by the fact that there are three lobes (2, 3, 4).

20. Flowerpot holder as in claim 2, characterized by the fact that there are four lobes.