WO2001035724A1

WO2001035724A1 - An autonomous planter and method

Info

Publication number: WO2001035724A1
Application number: PCT/IL2000/000717
Authority: WO
Inventors: Aharon Gelfer
Original assignee: Aharon Gelfer
Priority date: 1999-11-18
Filing date: 2000-11-05
Publication date: 2001-05-25
Also published as: AU1173501A; IL133026A0

Abstract

An autonomous planter (100) for rationing irrigation to plants (4) in pots (2) comprises a planter box (1) having a conduit for fluid (9) adjacent the bottom of the planter. The conduit (9) passes from the outside of the planter (1) to the inside (11) thereof and carries at least one inlet (8) outside, and at least one outlet (14) inside, the planter. Each inlet (8) is releasably connected to a reservoir of fluid (16) to establish a system of interconnecting vessels with the at least one outlet (14). Each outlet (14) is in turn coupled to a wetting unit (16) coupled to a plant pot (2). The wetting unit (16) provides rationed fluid supply to the plant (4) in the pot (2).

Description

AN AUTONOMOUS PLANTER AND METHOD Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to the watering of plants m pots and in particular, to an autonomous indoors and outdoors planter, for wetting the soil to sustain the plants for long periods of time

The term soil is defined as referring to any substance used for growing plants Background Art

Plants m pots require watering on a regular and continuous basis That repeated and constant attendance needed by the plants is a time consuming burden Many times, it is not practical to install a watering system for only a few pots but it is still a chore to maintain the plants regularly Therefore, many implements have been devised to try to overcome that difficulty These attempts to solve the problem at hand are described, for example, by the following patents

In US Patent No 5,836,106, taught by Alex, T , there is described a watering device consisting of a reservoir placed higher than the pots to be irrigated, with a conduit leading down from the reservoir to the soil m each one of the pots In one version, the reservoir is remote from the pots and m a second version the reservoir consists of an elongated horizontal chamber straddling the top of the pots The invention by Alex seems to be intended for industrial, commercial or greenhouse purposes In the home or in the garden one would rather prefer a device with a better appearance Usually, for domicile use, one would chose an implement of esthetic value or at least of pleasant looks rather than the shape of the invention by Alex Furthermore, as the pots are separately connected to the irrigation conduit, it is necessary to disconnect each one of them from the device when they have to be moved from one place to another Besides not looking nice, it is also difficult and inconvenient to move the pots from place to place

US Patents Nos 4.760.666 and 4.825.591, both invented by Han, J , present similar watering devices, for a single pot hung under a reservoir, featuring a weight-sensing mechanism Watering is provided for when the weight of the pot diminishes, thus indicating a lack of water Besides requiring the pot to be hung from above, the invention prevents easy and convenient displacement of the pot from place to place and relocation at different spots m the house or outdoors Thus, it is impossible to use the device when the pot rests on a table or on the floor Moreover, as the reservoir is positioned above the plant, it is very bothersome for refill, once empty of water Furthermore, the device comprises a mechanism with moving parts, which are well known to be less reliable than "solid state" appliances Another disadvantage is that the device accommodates but one single pot

Another "Plant Watering Device" invented by Philoctete, J L M and divulged m US Patent 5,212,905, is essentially composed of a tubular device surrounding the plant and hiding it from view Although watering is provided for, the beauty of the plant is concealed from visual enjoyment

Although potential advantages are presented by the above-mentioned teachings, no practical system combining esthetics with ease of use and of relocation is yet available on the market Summary It is an object of the present invention to provide an autonomous planter device that will sustain alive one or more plants with a given quantity of liquid, for periods of time much longer, by an order of magnitude, than compared with conventional irrigation such as surface watering In hot, sub-tropic climate and outdoors, in the sun and in the highest summer heat, a quantity of 6 liters of liquid will support the flowering of three pots for over two weeks

It is another object of the present invention to provide such an autonomous planter which will allow the planter to be easily relocated and to grow plants independently from any external source of running water

Another object of the present invention is to provide a liquid reservoir that may be easily and conveniently refilled

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide for a device with an esthetic appearance

It is yet another object of the present invention to allow various plants to be grown simultaneously in the same planter, providing for the specific soil-wetting needs of each plant while maintaining their root systems separate from each other and free from entanglement

It is a further object of the present invention, with help of a wetting unit, to grow plants demanding dedicated watering fluids and metered watering, such as plants belonging to the Orcidaceae family and the Niola genus

It is still an additional object of the present invention to allow only for minimal evaporation and to use the largest part of the watering liquid for soil wetting purposes The majority of the liquid is used to sustain the at least one plant alive and the minor portion is lost, such as by evaporation The majority portion of liquid may vary between 60% to more than 95%

A further object of the present invention resides in the fact that the device is clean and is free from scattering of dirt and free from causing stains

It is an object of the present invention to provide an autonomous planter comprising a planter having a substantially planar bottom with peripheral side walls integral with the bottom and extending upward therefrom, the bottom and the walls defining an inside and an outside of the planter, and at least one pot having walls and a substantially planar bottom with bores therein, the walls and the bottom defining an inside and an outside of the at least one pot, the inside of the at least one pot containing soil for growing at least one plant The autonomous planter is characterized by a substantially horizontal airtight conduit comprising a first conduit portion protruding outside the planter and a second conduit portion structurally retained adjacent to the bottom inside the planter, the conduit comprising at least one vertical mlet located above the outside conduit portion and sealed thereto, and at least one vertical outlet located above the inside conduit portion and sealed thereto, the conduit being coupled to the at least one inlet and to the at least one outlet to form interconnecting vessels

There is also provided at least one reservoir located above the at least one inlet, the at least one reservoir comprising a quantity of liquid to maintain liquid level of the interconnected vessels, and an exit opening releasably engaged with one mlet out of the at least one ιnlet(s). the exit opening plunging below liquid level of the one mlet out of the at least one ιnlet(s)

The planter further comprises a wetting unit coupled between each at least one outlet and each at least one pot, the wetting unit and the one pot out of at least one pot(s) being structurally retained mside the planter, the wetting unit collecting liquid from the at least one outlet for rationing the quantity of liquid supplying wetness to the soil of each one of the at least one pot(s)

It is another object of the present invention to provide a wetting unit that comprises a horizontal receptacle with a bottom and an inside, the receptacle being open to fixedly support one pot inside therein, the receptacle being coupled to an outlet supplying liquid thereto and maintaining liquid level therein The wetting unit also comprises a first porous substrate of predetermined thickness retained to completely cover the inside bottom of the receptacle, the first substrate being immersed in the liquid and the one pot being supported above the first porous substrate, and a second porous substrate of predetermined thickness retained to completely cover the mside bottom of the one pot, the second substrate being in contact with the first substrate through the bores in the bottom of the one pot There is also a disk of predetermined thickness having a distribution of perforations, the disk being retained to cover the mside bottom above the second substrate of the at least one pot for supporting the soil therein and allowing contact between the soil and the second substrate through the perforations, whereby the liquid mside the receptacle passes from the first substrate through the bores in the bottom of the pot to the second substrate and through the perforations in the disk

The autonomous planter has at least one mlet which is retained adjacent to at least one wall of the planter and which comprises at least one inlet bore to provide atmospheric pressure Each one of the at least one mlet(s) is accommodated to fit more than one size and more than one kind of reservoir opening

The autonomous planter accommodates more than one kind and more than one size of reservoir The reservoir may be a bottle, a refuse reservoir, a recycled reservoir, or a recycled bottle The wetting unit comprises a first and a second substrate which are made from a material such as rock wool, ceramic wool, fiber felt and ceramic felt, or from a material known under the trademark "Centiblanket" The material for the first and for the second substrate is either identical or different and their physical characteristics are identical or different, but both the material and the physical characteristics are selected to adjust the amount of wetness transferred to the soil In addition, the predetermined thickness and the distribution of perforations and the size of the perforations are selected to adjust the amount of wetness transferred to the soil Furthermore, the distance from the bottom of the pot to the liquid level m the receptacle is also adjustable to accommodate wetness transfer to the soil Moreover, the at least one mlet is amenable to adjust the liquid level in the receptacle, to adjust wetness transfer to the soil and each wetting unit is individually adjustable to accommodate each one pot comprising at least one plant

Still another object of the present invention is to pack the space inside of the planter left free by the pots and by the conduit with heat insulating filling material and to cover the soil of the at least one pot(s) with heat insulating material

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide for an autonomous planter where the reservoir is an integral reservoir being part of the wall of the planter, the integral reservoir comprising at least one top opening for filling with liquid and a plug for releasably sealing the top opening The exit opening of the reservoir, which is engaged with one inlet, has a valve operable to be closed and opened, the valve being coupled to the exit opening and closed prior to releasing the plug and closed after replacing the plug in sealed engagement with the top opening

Another object of the present invention is to provide for a method for supporting alive a plant potted in soil for extended periods of time by rationing the supply of life supporting liquid to the soil and preventing liquid loss, the method comprising the steps of outfitting a planter with a system of interconnecting vessels having an inlet inside the planter and an outlet outside the planter, connecting a wetting unit between the outlet and the pot, leveling the planter, coupling the exit opening of a reservoir filled with liquid to the inlet, establishing a liquid level in the interconnecting vessels from the reservoir to the wetting unit, providing rationed wetness to the soil of the potted plant, and insulating the autonomous planter

Still further, as another object of the present invention, the step of connecting a wetting unit further comprises the steps of coupling a receptacle to the outlet, and establishing a liquid level therein, inserting a first substrate in the receptacle, adding a pot with bores in the bottom of the pot above the first substrate, inserting a second substrate on the inside bottom of the pot, adding a disk with perforations above the second substrate, filling the pot with soil to contact the second substrate through the perforations and planting a plant, establishing a liquid level to partially fill the receptacle and wet the first substrate and wet the second substrate to contact the first substrate through the bores in the bottom of the pot

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to better understand and more fully appreciate the invention and to see how the same may be carried out in practice, some preferred embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 illustrates a functional block diagram relating to Fig 1, Fig. 3 is a partial cross-section of Fig 1. Fig. 4 presents a cross-section of a detail of Fig 1,

Fig. 5 provides a partial cross-section of a further detail of Fig 1, and Fig. 6 is a partial cross-section of another embodiment of the present invention DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to Fig 1, there in shown a preferred embodiment of an autonomous soil-wetting planter 100 unit comprising a planter box 1 with plant pots 2 holding soil 3 to grow plants 4 Outside the planter 1, liquid 5 to sustain the plants 4 alive, is contained in a reservoir 6 and flows from a reservoir exit opening 7 through an mlet 8 coupled to a conduit 9 The conduit 9 then penetrates from the outside to the mside 1 1 of the planter 1, through a lateral wall 10, horizontally and in parallel with the bottom 12 thereof The conduit 9 carries liquid 5 coming from the manifold 13 to the inside 1 1 of the planter 1 to an outlet (not seen in Fig 1) and to a wetting unit (not seen in Fig 1), to feed the plants 4 rooted in the soil 3 of the pots 2

Fig 2 presents a block diagram that schematically exhibits all the elements of the planter unit 100, using the same numerals when possible There is shown a planter box 1 with a reservoir 6 coupled to an inlet 8 which receives liquid 5 that is conveyed from the reservoir 6 to a horizontal conduit 9 The conduit 9 runs from the inlet 8 to a vertical outlet 14 to provide the liquid 5 to the wetting unit 16 to wet the soil 3 (not seen m Fig 2) of the one or more plant pots 2 It is the wetting unit 16 that rations the wetness required to sustain the plants 4 (not seen in Fig 2) The outlet 14, the wetting (or rationing) unit 16, and the plant pot 2 are referred to as an outlet unit O The conduit 9 mside the planter 1 may support many similar or identical outlet units O Likewise, a reservoir 6 with liquid 5 and an mlet 8 may be defined as an inlet unit I A planter 1 with one or more inlet units I may thus use a conduit 9 and one or more outlet units O to support one or more plants 4 It will be explained below that the inlet unit I, the conduit 9 and the outlet unit O form a system of interconnecting vessels, and therefore, the planter 1 must remain substantially level

Referring again to Fig 1, there in shown an elongated planter box 1, or flower box 1, with lateral walls 10, longitudinal walls 10' and a bottom 12 defining an inside 1 1 The mside 1 1 of the planter box 1 may contain, for example, three plant-pots 2 of truncated conical shape, all filled with soil 3 for growing the same or different plants 4 Liquid 5 necessary to sustain the plants alive is stored in airtight reservoirs 6, each reservoir 6 having one exit opening 7 in communication with one mlet 8 There are thus as many inlet units I as there are exit openings 7

Still referring to Fig 1, it is evident that the planter may be manufactured in various shapes and out of different materials, to contain one or many pots 2 The reservoirs 6 are shown to be located adjacent the lateral walls 10 of the planter 1 but they may be distributed at will, along either one of the walls 10 or 10', along part of the walls, or along all the walls There is no restriction for the location of the reservoirs 6, as long as they reside above the inlet 8, but esthetical considerations must be taken in account Evidently, each reservoir 6 requires a corresponding inlet 8 connected to the conduit 9 It is understood that there must be at least one reservoir 6

Now, Fig 3 shows that the exit opening 7 of the reservoir 6 is pointing downwards and the reservoir is supported by and engaged with the cup-like inlet 8 The lower end of mlet 8, with an mlet connection 18 coupled to a bend 20 is seen to be connected to the horizontal conduit 9 One portion of the conduit 9 resides outside of the planter 1 while the other portion passes through the lateral wall 10 to penetrate to the inside 1 1 thereof The portion of the conduit 9 residing inside 1 1 runs horizontally, in parallel to the bottom 12 and along the length of the planter 1 A distribution of T-connectors 21 is coupled to the portion of the conduit mside 9 the planter 1. where each T-connector 21 has two horizontal branches 22 coextensive with the conduit 9 and one vertical branch 24 pointing vertically upwards Fig 3 shows that the number of T-connectors 21 corresponds to the number of pots 2 As will be explained in detail below, the vertical outlet 14 couples between each vertical branch 24 and the wetting unit 16 dedicated to each pot 2 The reservoir 6, the vertical mlet 8, the conduit 9 and the vertical outlet 14 that are part of the liquid distribution system feeding liquid 5 to the plant pots 2 must be coupled in airtight connection It will also be explained below that the inlet units I, the outlet units O and the liquid distribution system forms a system of interconnecting vessels

In Fig 3 there is shown but one reservoir 6 although usually, more are available In the following, although reference is made to one reservoir 6, it is understood that the descriptions and explanations regard to all the reservoirs of the embodiment The reservoir 6, which is positioned vertically and externally adjacent to the planter box 1, is releasably coupled to and supported by the inlet 8 The πm 26 of the mlet 8 is made to accommodate the reservoir 6 for secure support However, a strap, a rubber band, or any other means known to the art (not shown in Fig 3) may be added to further secure the reservoir 6 to the planter 1 Usually this is not necessary, as the releasable engagement of the reservoir 6 into the mlet 8 suffices to securely retain the reservoir 6 m place It should further be noted that the mlet 8 may be shaped to accommodate various types of reservoirs, such as different kinds of bottles as well as diverse forms of reservoir exit openings 7 The reservoirs 6 may comprise refuse bottles, recycled containers, made from plastic, glass and even metal or other material

Since the mlet 8 may be accommodated to accept various reservoirs 6 with different kinds of exit openings 7, horizontal mlet bores 28 are provided m the mlet 8 to ensure the passage of outside air needed to establish atmospheric pressure for the system of connecting vessels that will be explained below These mlet bores 28 are necessary m case a tight fit between the reservoir 6 and the πm 26 of the inlet 8 might prevent air under atmospheric pressure to establish the liquid level, designated as line LL Although one mlet bore 28 should suffice, more bores are added for the sake of redundancy It should be emphasized that the inlet connection 18 comprises an external thread that is screwed into the bend 20 coupling the mlet 8 to the conduit 9 The inlet 8 may thus be lowered or raised by simply, respectively, screwing down or unscrewing the mlet 8 relative to the bend 20 That adjustment operation is optional to allow the positioning of the height of the horizontal let bores 28 which establish the level of the liquid LL. as will be explained below

In Fig 1, two inlets 8 are shown to be interconnected by an external manifold 13, outside and adjacent of the wall 10 of the planter 1 It has already been explained above that it is possible to locate one or more reservoirs 6 on the outside of the planter 1 When there is only one reservoir, then Fig 3 correctly depicts the connection of the vertical mlet 8 to a bend 20 that is coupled to the outside portion of the conduit 9 The conduit 9 then penetrates the wall 10 to the inside 1 1 of the planter 1 When there are more than one reservoir 6, as shown in Fig 1, then an external manifold 13 collects liquid 5 from the inlet connections 18 to join the portion of the conduit 9 residing on the outside of the planter 1 The conduit 9 then continues into the mside 1 1 of the planter 1

The airtight reservoir 6 features only one open exit opening 7 Should the reservoir

6 have more than one opening, then they all must be closed tightly to leave but one exit opening 7 open To install the reservoir 6 in place for operation, it is first filled with liquid 5, then turned over with the exit opening 7 pointing downwards, and next, engaged into the inlet 8 A reservoir 6, such a bottle, is easily filled with liquid 5 and overturned while holding the exit opening 7 closed with the hand or the fingers until that exit opening 7 plunges into the liquid 5 inside the mlet 8, assuming that the conduit 9 and the inlet 8 already contain liquid If this is not the case, then liquid 5 from the reservoir 6 will first fill the conduit 9 until a liquid level LL is established inside the inlet 8. as will be explained below

In Fig 3, the conduit 9 passes horizontally through the lateral wall 10 into the inner space 1 1 of the planter box 1, in parallel and adjacent the bottom 12 The conduit 9 may exit through the second wall 10, not seen in Fig 3, to connect with more inlets 8 Although not shown in Fig 3, for the sake of clarity, it is important to prevent movement of the conduit 9 This may be achieved by firmly securing the conduit 9 to a lateral wall 10, to a longitudinal wall 10' or to the bottom 12 of the planter 1 To this end, one could implement either clamping or gluing, or any other means known to the art Movement of the conduit 9 or rotation thereof may cause either the liquid 5 to spill from the inlet 8, or a reservoir to fall out of engagement with the inlet 8 It will become clear from the explanations to follow below, that other reasons related to elements inside the planter 1, also require the conduit 9 to be securely attached

The liquid outlet unit O and the soil-wettmg unit 16, shown in Fig 2, will now be explained in detail with reference to Fig 3 and Fig 4 Inside the planter 1, the conduit 9 is fitted, at predetermined locations along its length, with a distribution of T-connectors 21 The horizontal branches 22 of the T-connectors 21 are aligned with the conduit 9, but the perpendicular branch 24 of the tee 21 points vertically upwards The lower end 36 of the vertical outlet piece 14 is inserted into the vertical branch 24 while the upper end 38 of the vertical outlet piece 14 penetrates through the bottom 40 of a horizontal pan-like receptacle 42 with vertical peripheral wall 44 The receptacle 42, open at the top, is supported by the vertical branch 24 of the T-connector and is centered on the vertical outlet 14 The receptacle 42 features an inner size large enough to accommodate the bottom 46 of a pot 2 A central bore 48 is opened in the bottom 40 of the receptacle 42 for the passage of the vertical outlet 14 The space between the vertical outlet 14 and the bore 48 must be sealed to keep the bottom of the receptacle 42 watertight Because the vertical outlet 14 is sealed tight at the upper end 38 by a threaded cap

50, for purposes that will be explained below, one or more horizontal outlet bores 52 must be pierced to permit the exit of liquid 5 into the receptacle 42 It may now be appreciated that the horizontal inlet bores 28 in the mlet 8, the horizontal conduit 9, and the horizontal bores 52 in the vertical outlet 14, all join to create a system of interconnecting vessels Therefore, the liquid 5 that flows from the mlet 8 through the conduit 9 and through the outlet bores 52 into the receptacle 42 will establish a liquid level shown by a line designated as LL in Fig 3 and in Fig 4, in the inlets 8 and m the receptacles 42 In principle, one outlet bore 52 is sufficient, but more outlet bores are added for redundancy purposes It becomes now clear that the planter 1 must be installed in a substantially level position, or else, liquid 5 will flow either out of the mlet 8 or out of the receptacle 42 The height of the liquid level LL may be adjusted by raising or lowering the height of the mlet bores 28 This is achieved by help of the threaded connection of the inlet connection 18, coupled to either a manifold 13 or a bend 20, that may be slightly raised or lowered by rotation, as seen in Fig 1 and Fig 3 Referring now to Fig 4, the components of the wetting unit 16 will be described

The wetting unit is a stack of elements supported by the T-connector 21 and centered by the vertical outlet piece 14 On the inside bottom of the receptacle 42 there is inserted a disk of a first substrate 54, made from absorbing material with communicating open pores, about an inch thick, of a size assuring a tight fit with the bottom 40 and the vertical wall 44 of the receptacle 42 The first substrate 54 is partially or completely submerged in the liquid 5, relative to the thickness thereof and to the height of the liquid level LL in the receptacle 42 Normally, the liquid level LL reaches the upper part of the first substrate 54 The first substrate 54 also comprises a central bore 56 with an inner diameter made to tightly fit the outer diameter of the vertical outlet 14 that passes therethrough The plant pot 2 is now stacked on top of the first substrate 54 by opening a central bore 58 in the bottom 46 of the pot 2 to form a tight passage for the vertical outlet 14 As is usual with plant pots, the bottom 46 of the pot 2 also comprises bores 60 If not so, then bores 60 must be pierced It is important for the first substrate 54 to feature a central bore 56 with a tight fit on the vertical outlet 14 to allow the first substrate 54 to prevent soil 3 from the pots 2, or other impurities, to clog the horizontal outlet bores 52

Inside the pot 2, a second absorbing substrate 62, also made from absorbing material with communicating open pores, also about one inch thick, is deposited to tightly fit the bottom 46 and the walls 64 of the pot 2, thus covering the bores 60 The second substrate 62 also comprises a central bore 66 formed to tightly fit the vertical outlet 14 passing therethrough In turn, this second substrate 62 supports a solid disk 68, preferably made from plastic material and closely fitting the inside diameter of the pot 2 The disk 68 is a few millimeters thick, with perforations 70 in a distribution thereon and a central bore 72, again, made to tightly fit the vertical outlet 14 passing therethrough The wetting unit 16 thus starts with the receptacle 42 which collects liquid 5 and ends with the disk 68 that allows the passage of wetness into the soil 3, as will be explained below

The material chosen for the first and the second substrate, respectively 54 and 62, is preferably made of ceramic wool or ceramic fiber felt, such as the material sold under the trade mark name of "Centiblanket" by the Euroguar company of La Spezia, Italy Besides the nature of the material, other physical characteristics are also of importance, such as thickness, density, and porosity These physical characteristics are parameters used to control and adjust the absorption of liquid 5 and the transfer of wetness to the soil 3 For example, the density of the substrate may vary between 48 kg/m3 and 144 kg/m3, to facilitate or hamper wetness exchange Both substrates 54 and 62 may be selected from the same material with the same physical characteristics or be different in one or more aspects That flexibility is used to accommodate the requirements of the diverse plants 4 to be grown in the plant pots 2

As illustrated in Fig 3 and in Fig 4, the receptacle 42 supported by the vertical branch 24 also supports a stack of elements centered on the vertical branch 24 That stack is firmly held together by a cap 50 with an inside thread that is screwed over the end threaded end of the vertical outlet 14 The cap 50 presses down on the solid disk 68 and secures the elements of the wetting unit 16 together The pots 2 may now be filled with soil 3 for the plants 4 In operation, as seen in the Figs 3 and 4. the liquid 5 from one or more of the reservoirs 6 flows freely through the inlet 8, the manifold 13 or the bend 20, and the conduit 9, and establishes a liquid level LL in the inlets 8 and in the receptacles 42 As the reservoirs 6 with liquid 5, the inlet 8, the conduit 9, and the vertical outlet 14 form a system of interconnected vessels, the liquid level LL will remain constant in the receptacle 42

It will now be explained how the soil 3 is wetted by the wetting unit 16, consisting of the receptacle 42, the first and second substrate, respectively, 54 and 62, the bores 60 in the pot 2 and the perforations 70 of the disk 68 To start, with reference to Fig 4, the first substrate 54 that is partially, or totally, plunged in the liquid 5, absorbs the liquid and becomes soaked The second substrate 62, which comes in contact with the first substrate 54 through the bores 60 in the thin bottom of the pot 2, also gets wet. This assumes that the second substrate 62 has been primed wet a priori and slightly sinks through the bores 60 to touch the first substrate 54. The wetness coming from the first substrate 54 is thus absorbed by the second substrate 62. Once absorbed by the second substrate 62, the wetness is passed through the bores 70 of the perforated disk 68, to the soil 3 for feeding of the roots of the plants 4, not shown in Figs. 3 and 4 to keep the drawings simple. Evidently, the soil 3 which fills the pots 2, also fills the bores 70.

There are thus a series of barriers for preventing the direct contact between the liquid 5 in the receptacle 42, with the soil 3. Those barriers are used for rationing, controlling and restricting the rate and the amount of wetness transferred to the soil 3. The first obstacle consists of the first substrate 54 where the quantity of the liquid 5 resident in the pores of the material thereof depends on the nature of the material chosen, its physical characteristics and the degree of immersion of the first substrate 54 relative to the liquid level LL in the receptacle 42. The bores 60 in the bottom 46 of the pot 2 create the second impediment. These bores 60 offer areas of limited contact between the first substrate 54 and the second substrate 62. It is the surface of the bores 60 which allow contact with the second substrate 62 that rations the wetness transferred from the first substrate 54 to the second substrate 62. The rate and amount of transfer of the wetness is controlled by parameters like the size and the number of the bores 60 and by the type, thickness, porosity and absorbency of the material chosen for the first substrate 54.

A third hurdle is presented by the second substrate 62. The less absorbent, the slower the rate of humidity transfer. The parameters of importance for the second substrate 62 are the same as those for the first substrate 54. Now the bores 70, of the perforated disk 68, create the fourth and last impediment.

In this case, the size and number of bores 70 are the parameters controlling the passage of moisture from the second substrate 62 to the soil 3.

The wetting unit 16 also prevents the roots (not shown) of the plants 4 from exiting the pots 2 and furthermore contains the soil to prevent seepage into the receptacle 42. To achieve optimum results regarding the period of time the quantity of liquid 5 from the reservoirs 6 is able to sustain alive plants 4 grown m the planter 1 , it is necessary to properly adjust the parameters of the wetting unit 16 Professionals in the field who are familiar with the humidity needs of the various plants 4, will easily adjust the wetting unit 16 according to the type and kind of both the soil 3 and the plants 4 m the pots 2 Such adaptations depend, separately and in combination, of the adjustments brought to each component of the wetting unit 16 For the first substrate 54 for example, the thickness, the porosity, the density and the height of the liquid level LL relative to the thickness of the substrate in question must be properly chosen As to the bores 60 in the bottom of the pot 2, it is easiest to accept the pot 2 as fabricated, although the bottom of the pot 2 may be custom made regarding the diameter and the number of bores 60 of the pot 2 For the second substrate 62, the porosity, the density and the thickness must be selected, similarly as for the first substrate 54 Finally, for the perforated solid disk 68, the number of bores 70 and their diameter have to be determined

Referring now to Fig 5, where only one pot 2 is shown for the sake of simplicity, the inner space 1 1 of the planter 1 that is not occupied by the elements of the planter unit 100 described above, is packed with filling material 74 appropriate for the purpose of insulating against heat, thus against the rise of temperature of the soil 3 The insulation 74, applied by means well known in the art, will prevent, or at least decrease, evaporation of wetness from the pots 2 The filling and insulating material 74 must be chosen of a kind that is not water-absorbent For example, a filling material in the form of wool, felt granules or particles, or one that may be cast in place The insulating material 74 may be foamed, like foamed polystyrene, or solid Fig 5 also shows an additional measure to be taken to improve on the present invention As a further step to diminish evaporation, a top-layer of material 76 intended to prevent wetness evaporation may be dispersed to cover the upper layer of the soil 3 That material 76 may comprise gravel, volcanic pebbles, granules and so forth In outdoors applications, the top-layer material 76 also prevents soil 3 from spil ng-over out of the pots 2, such as might happen when heavy ram hits the surface of soil 3 m the pots 2 In addition, the top-layer material 76 features decorative and esthetic advantages Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig 6, as planter unit 200 Instead of removable reservoirs 6, there is provided one single reservoir 6' integral with the planter 1 ' The reservoir 6' surrounds the outside periphery of the walls 10 and 10' of the planter 1 As explained above, the reservoir 6' must be positioned higher up than the conduit 9 In contrast with the reservoirs 6 which feature only one exit opening 7, the reservoir 6' is also provided with a top opening which is sealed close by a plug 78 The exit opening 7 is seen to plunge in the liquid 5 of the mlet 8 Here, the mlet 8 is custom-built for the integral reservoir 6' and the specific embodiment 200 is made without provision for height adjustment of the liquid level LL Horizontal mlet bores 28 are not required as the reservoir 6' communicates with the ambient atmospheric pressure From the inlet 8, the liquid is conveyed by the conduit 9 to the interior 1 1 of the planter 1 ' However, there are differences with this embodiment 200 m comparison with the embodiment 100 With this configuration, the reservoir 6' must be filled with liquid 5 from the top, by first opening the plug 78 But, once the plug 78 is opened, the existing system of interconnecting vessels is disrupted causing liquid 5 to flow out of the reservoir 6' to reestablish a new liquid level LL, higher than the previously existing one Therefore, a valve 80 must be inserted between the reservoir 6' and the exit opening 7 In fact, any means capable of interrupting the flow of liquid 5 out of the reservoir 6', even momentarily until the liquid 5 is replenished, would suffice The filling procedure of the reservoir 6' thus requests to first close the valve 80 and then to open the plug 78 and fill the liquid 5 Once this is accomplished, the plug 78 is closed tight and the valve 80 is reopened The preferred embodiments described above exploit the quantity of liquid 5 to achieve an augmented period of life support for the plants 2 That period lasts multiple times longer than had the same amount of liquid 5 been used for conventional surface watering, under the same growing conditions Although the environing climate affects the incremented time achieved, the augmented period lasts between five to twenty times longer than with conventional surface watering, in sub-tropic climate and in the sun The many advantages of the present invention will become known when used, for example, in remote places that are not often visited, such as graveyards, as ornaments for tombs

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described m detail, it should be apparent that many modifications and variations thereto are possible, all of which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention For example, the planter 1 may have any shape and contain pots 2 of various sizes, all with the same or with different plants 4 In addition, the materials chosen for the construction of the planter unit, besides the first and second substrates, respectively 54 and 62. may be of any kind, but preferably long-lasting in liquid Also, the planter 1 may accommodate simultaneously one or more reservoirs 6, either custom made, recycled or of a variety of types Furthermore, the exit opening 7 of the reservoirs 6 may be closed by a diaphragm or any other kind of opening closure to be opened upon insertion into the mlet 8 by a diaphragm piercing device or a suitable closure opening device Moreover, the conduit 9 and the inlets 8 and outlets 14 may be cast as part of the planter instead of being separate components Still further, the liquid 5 may be for irrigation, such as water, or a fertilizer, or an insecticide, or a pesticide, or a disease control substance or a nourishing liquid

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described above Rather the scope of the present invention is defined only by the claims which follow

Claims

C L A I M S :

1 An autonomous planter comprising a planter having a substantially planar bottom with peripheral side walls integral with the bottom and extending upward therefrom, the bottom and the walls defining an inside and an outside of the planter, at least one pot having walls and a substantially planar bottom with bores therein, the walls and the bottom defining an inside and an outside of the at least one pot, the mside of the at least one pot containing soil for growing at least one plant, the autonomous planter being characterized by a substantially horizontal airtight conduit comprising a first conduit portion protruding outside the planter and a second conduit portion structurally retained adjacent to the bottom mside the planter, the conduit comprising at least one vertical mlet located above the outside conduit portion and sealed thereto, and at least one vertical outlet located above the inside conduit portion and sealed thereto, the conduit being coupled to the at least one mlet and to the at least one outlet to form interconnecting vessels, at least one reservoir located above the at least one inlet, the at least one reservoir comprising a quantity of liquid to maintain liquid level of the interconnected vessels, and an exit opening releasably engaged with one mlet out of the at least one mlet(s). the exit opening plunging below liquid level of the one mlet out of the at least one mlet(s), a wetting unit coupled between each at least one outlet and each at least one pot, the wetting unit and the one pot out of at least one pot(s) being structurally retained inside the planter, the wetting unit collecting liquid from the at least one outlet for rationing the quantity of liquid supplying wetness to the soil of each one of the at least one pot(s)

2 The wetting unit according to Claim 1, further comprising a horizontal receptacle with a bottom and an inside, the receptacle being open to fixedly support one pot inside therein, the receptacle being coupled to an outlet supplying liquid thereto and maintaining liquid level therein, a first porous substrate of predetermined thickness retained to completely cover the mside bottom of the receptacle, the first substrate being immersed in the liquid and the one pot being supported above the first porous substrate, a second porous substrate of predetermined thickness retained to completely cover the inside bottom of the one pot, the second substrate being in contact with the first substrate through the bores in the bottom of the one pot, and a disk of predetermined thickness having a distribution of perforations, the disk being retained to cover the second substrate over the mside bottom of the at least one pot for supporting the soil therein and allowing contact between the soil and the second substrate through the perforations, whereby the liquid mside the receptacle passes from the firs" substrate through the bores in the bottom of the pot to the second substrate and through the perforations m the disk

3 The autonomous planter according to Claim 1, wherein the at least one mlet is retained adjacent to at least one wall of the planter

4 The autonomous planter according to Claim 1, wherein each one of the at least one mlet(s) further comprises at least one inlet bore to provide atmospheric pressure

5 The autonomous planter according to Claim 1 wherein each one of the at least one mlet(s) is accommodated to fit more than one size and more than one kind of reservoir opening

6 The autonomous planter according to Claim 1, wherein the planter accommodates more than one kind and more than one size of reservoir

7 The planter according to the Claims 1 and 6, wherein the at least one reservoir is selected from the group of reservoirs consisting of a bottle, a recycled bottle, a refuse reservoir, a recycled reservoir and a dedicated reservoir

8 The planter according to the Claims 1 and 6, wherein the reservoir is made from of impervious material 9 The wetting unit according to Claim 2, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are made from a material selected from the group consisting of rock wool, ceramic wool, fiber felt and ceramic felt 10 The wetting unit according to Claim 2, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are made from a material known under the trademark "Centiblanket"

11 The wetting unit according to Claim 2, wherein the material selected for the first substrate and for the second substrate are the identical

12 The wetting unit according to Claim 2, wherein the material selected for the first substrate is different from the material selected for the second substrate

13 The wetting unit according to Claim 2, wherein the physical characteristics of the first substrate and of the second substrate are identical

14 The wetting unit according to Claim 2, wherein the physical characteristics of the first substrate are different from the physical characteristics of the second substrate 15 The wetting unit according to Claim 2, wherein the material and the physical characteristics of the first substrate and of the second substrate are selected to adjust wetness transfer to the soil

16 The disk according to the Claims 2 and 15, wherein the predetermined thickness and the distribution of perforations and size of perforations are selected to adjust wetness transfer to the soil

17 The autonomous planter according to the Claims 1 and 2, wherein distance from the bottom of the pot to liquid level in the receptacle is adjustable to accommodate wetness transfer to the soil

18 The autonomous planter according to the Claims 1 and 2, wherein the at least one mlet is amenable to adjust liquid level in the receptacle 19 The wetting unit according to the Claims 1 and 2, wherein each wetting unit is individually adjustable to accommodate wetness needs of each one at least one pot with at least one plant 20 The autonomous planter according to Claim 1, wherein space side of the planter left free by the pots and by the conduit is packed with heat insulating filling material

21 The autonomous planter according to Claim 1, wherein the soil of the at least one pot(s) is covered with heat insulating material 22 The autonomous planter according to Claim 1, wherein the at least one reservoir is an at least one integral reservoir being part of at least one wall of the planter, the at least one integral reservoir comprising at least one top opening for filling the at least one integral reservoir with liquid, a plug for releasably sealing each one of the at least one top openmg(s), an exit opening engaged with one mlet, a valve operable to be closed and opened, the valve being coupled to the exit opening and closed prior to releasing the plug and closed after replacing the plug in sealed engagement with the top opening

23 The autonomous planter according to the Claims 1 and 22, wherein the quantity of liquid in the at least one reservoir is associated with the wetting unit to sustain the at least one plant alive for periods of time longer by order of magnitude than achieved by conventional irrigation with the same quantity of liquid in same growing conditions

24 The autonomous planter according to the Claims 1 and 22, wherein the at least one reservoir is adapted to be manually refilled

25 The autonomous planter according to the Claims 1 and 22, further comprising accommodation for ease of transport and ease of relocation

26 The autonomous planter according to the Claims 1 and 22, further comprising planter contours for prevention of dirt gathering 27 The autonomous planter according to the Claims 1 and 22, wherein the at least one pot(s) comprises at least one a first pot and at least one a second pot, and the first pot and the second pot comprise each at least one plant, whereby root systems of the at least one plant in the first pot is free from entanglement with root systems of the at least one plant m the second pot

28 The autonomous planter according to the Claims 1, 2, 15 to 18 and 24, wherein the wetting unit and the at least one mlet are adjusted to accommodate growth of plants demanding dedicated watering fluids and metered watering

29 The autonomous planter according to the Claims 27 and 28, wherein the wetting unit is adjusted to accommodate growth of plants belonging to the

Orcidaceae family and the Viola genus

30 The autonomous planter according to the Claims 1 and 22, wherein the quantity of liquid further comprises a major portion of liquid and a minor portion of liquid, the major portion of liquid being used to sustain the at least one plant alive and the minor portion of liquid is lost

31 The autonomous planter according to Claims 30, wherein the major portion of liquid comprises more than 60% of the quantity of liquid

32 The autonomous planter according to Claims 30, wherein the major portion of liquid comprises more than 80% of the quantity of liquid 33 The autonomous planter according to Claims 30, wherein the major portion of liquid comprises more than 90% of the quantity of liquid

34 The autonomous planter according to Claims 30, wherein the major portion of liquid comprises more than 95% of the quantity of liquid 5 The autonomous planter according to all the preceding Claims, wherein the autonomous planter is configured to prevent scattering of dirt and causation of stains

36 A method for supporting alive a plant potted in soil for extended periods of time by rationing the supply of life supporting liquid to the soil and preventing liquid loss, the method being characterized by outfitting a planter with a system of interconnecting vessels having an mlet outside the planter and an outlet mside the planter. installing at least one pot inside the planter. connecting a wetting unit between the outlet and the at least one pot, leveling the planter, coupling the exit opening of a reservoir filled with liquid to the inlet, establishing a liquid level in the interconnecting vessels from the reservoir to the wetting unit, providing rationed wetness to the soil of the potted plant, and insulating the autonomous planter

37 The method for supporting alive a plant according to Claim 36. wherein the step of connecting a wetting unit further comprises the steps of coupling a receptacle to the outlet, inserting a first substrate in the receptacle, adding a pot with bores in the bottom atop the first substrate, inserting a second substrate on the mside bottom of the pot, adding a disk with perforations atop the second substrate, filling the pot with soil coming in contact with the second substrate through the perforations, planting a plant, establishing a liquid level to partially fill the receptacle for wetting the first substrate and also wetting the second substrate to contact the first substrate through the bores in the bottom of the pot

38 The method for supporting alive a plant according to Claim 37, wherein the steps of inserting a first substrate and a second substrate and adding a disk with perforations prevent the obstruction of the outlet caused by penetration of roots and of soil