WO1989007391A1

WO1989007391A1 - Supporting stake for plants

Info

Publication number: WO1989007391A1
Application number: PCT/DK1989/000039
Authority: WO
Inventors: Søren JOHANSEN; Poul Borgstrøm ERIKSEN; Bjarne Larsen
Original assignee: Johansen Soeren; Eriksen Poul Borgstroem; Bjarne Larsen
Priority date: 1988-02-22
Filing date: 1989-02-21
Publication date: 1989-08-24
Also published as: DK90988D0; AU4031589A

Abstract

The application of a plant supporting stake (7) with retaining fingers (6, 8, 9) at suitable points on the stake (7) and turned relative thereto permits a simple and safe ''staking'' or support for a plant (3) in a flowerpot (4) or similar places. The plant stem (3) is easily pressed in between the fingers (6, 8, 9) and into the interior (10) without being damaged, the reason being that the fingers are easily twisted sideways when the stem is pressed in. Since the fingers (6, 8, 9) are fixedly secured to the stake (7) the plant will not collapse even if it is held only loosely between the fingers.

Description

SUPPORTING STAKE FOR PLANTS

The invention relates to a plant supporting stake made of plastic and designed for staking plants.

Supporting stakes are particularly used in gardening where such plants are grown which must be tied to a stake.

Examples are twining plants, high plants and plants which look best when they are fastened to a stake stuck into the plant medium in the pot.

Hitherto known supporting stakes are designed as straight stakes of suitable lengths which are normal¬ ly pointed at one end in order more easily to be stuck into the growth medium.

A piece of binding wire is normally used for attach¬ ing the plant stems to the stake, which binding wire has a core of metal wire so as to enable it to be tied around the stake and stem and be closed by being twisted or bent. Another type of binding wire con¬ sists of a slotted metal ring which can be carried over the stake above the stem and thus keep the two parts together.

Holders are known from the specification of DK patent no. 102,600 and US patent no. 2,124,049 for retain¬ ing plant parts on a stake, the said holders being provided with openings for the stake and plant stem, respectively, so that" the holder can be secured to the stake and hold the plant.

These known means for staking plants are, however, unpractical as well as inconvenient. First of all, it is necessary to use .loose binding, wires which with or without help from a special tool secure the stems to the stake at so many points that the plant is evenly secured.

Add to this that this staking must be loose since the stem is damaged if squeezed too hard; secondly, there must be room for the stem to grow.

Furthermore, the binding wire may slide down, especially around the stake so that the. plant may eventually collapse although it is tied to the stake. These drawbacks make the known methods of plant staking inexpedient in that consideration for the plant limits the effectiveness of the attachment.

In order to avoid that the plant might slide down the stake after staking, it is known from e.g. EP pub¬ lished specification no. 0,003,699 to secure the holder to the stake whereby the holder is prevented from sliding down the stake. This known holder is, however, not suited for staking for instance indoor plants in a pot, the reason being that the holder is too large and therefore only suited for supporting bushy plants which have several stems which must be supported in order to prevent them from falling out.

It is the object of the invention to overcome these shortcomings and drawbacks of the known plant stakes and staking methods, and this is obtained by means of a stake which is provided with cast-on fingers ex¬ tending in pairs from the stake, each describing a curve for the formation of a ring which opens around a hollow space with an opening for the passage of the plant stem between the fingers.

This provides a considerable stabilization of the staking in that the supporting means are attached to the stake so that no loose binding wires or the like are required.

The pointed end of the stake is merely stuck into the pot ground, whereafter the stem is inserted into the curve formed by the fingers where the stake is secured due to its abutment against the fingers. Since, as already mentioned, the fingers are fixed to the stake, the plant will not tend to collapse so easily in that a leaf stem or the like will prevent further downward sliding. A quick and more reliable staking of plant stems is hereby obtained, and this is done without damaging the plant stem in any way.

Add to this that the staking is discreet, because the plant stake can be adapted to the colour and size of the plant.

If the holding fingers form an angle to the stake of about 45°, as presented in claim 2, the plant can be inserted into the holder in an easy and very careful manner, and the staking will be more carefully carried out, because the fingers will support the plant stems at a certain interdistance without limit¬ ing the freedom of movement of the plant stems. If the outermost end of the fingers point inwardly towards the centre of the interior of the ring, as presented in claim 3, the plant stem can first of all be pressed in between the fingers and, secondly, be prevented from sliding out in that it would then be caught by one of the bent parts of the fingers.

Finally, it is expedient, as presented in claim 4, to provide the ends with a thickening in order to pro- tect the stems from being damaged.

In the following the invention will be described in closer detail with reference to the drawing, in which

Fig. 1 is a side wiev of a supporting stake.

Fig. 2 shows the supporting stake seen at right angles thereto,

Fig. 3 shows the fingers seen in the direction

III-III in fig. 1,

Fig. 4 shows the fingers seen in the direction IV- IV in fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 shows the supporting stake after placement in a pot and staking of the plant.

Figs. 1-4 show an example of a preferred embodiment of a plant supporting stake according to the invent¬ ion.

In the shown example, the stake proper 7 has a cross- shaped profile, as shown in figs. 3 and 4, in order to obtain optimum rigidity and hence stability at the lowest possible material consumption. The length of the stake 7 can be of any desired or convenient length according to its intended use, and it may be tapered to a point 5 in the bottom so that it is easily stuck into the growth medium in a flowerpot 4, as shown in fig. 5.

The stake is preferably made of plastic having a certain resilience, and it can be dyed to match the surroundings and become as discreet as possible.

Instead of a straight stake it can be designed in other known manners, for instance having an inter- laced or latticed pattern which can be stuck into the growth medium in the pot and to which the plant can be secured.

On the side of the stake 7 a number of curved fingers 8 are cast, in pairs from the same point 2 on the stake, as is seen in figs. 1-4. The fingers describe a curve which two and two form an inner area 10 in which the plant stem 3 can be placed.

In the shown example the outermost parts of the fingers 8 are bent towards the interior 10 of the ring in that the outermost of the fingers 9 form a V- shaped opening.

This makes it easy to press in the plant stem 3 ^• between the fingers 8, 9, because these are easily separated by the pressure of the stem.

In order to allow the stem 3 to be pressed in, the fingers 8 are arranged at a level standing at an angle on the longitudinal axis of the stake 7, as shown in fig. 1. Such an angle may be about 45°. This permits the individual fingers 8, 9 to be twisted sideways when the stem 3 is pressed in; this is done without meeting any significant resistance due to the length of the fingers, whereby the stem is protected from being damaged.

Once the stem 3 is in place it cannot fall out since it will be retained by one of the two flanges 9. At the end of these flanges 9 the fingers are provided with a thickened part which protects the stem from being damaged.

Release from the attachment can only take place if the fingers 8, 9 are separated manually for the formation of a passage.

As mentioned earlier, the fingers 8, 9 are resilient; consequently they can be twisted and bent toward each other and thus close the passage to and from the interior of the ring 10.

Claims

P A T E N T C L A I M S

1. Plant supporting stake made of plastic and design¬ ed for staking plants, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the stake (7) is provided with cast-on fingers

(8) extending in pairs from the stake, each describing a curve for the formation of a ring which opens around a hollow space (10) with an opening for the passage of the plant stem (3) between the fingers (8).

2. Plant supporting stake according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the fingers (6, 8, 9) are arranged at a level standing at an angle of about 45°, on the longitudinal axis of the stake (7).

3. Plant supporting stake according to claims 1 and 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the end pieces

(9) of the fingers (8) extend inwardly towards the hollow space (10) for the formation of a V-shaped opening.

4. Plant supporting stake according to claims 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the fingers (8, 9) at their ends are provided with a thickened part (6).