Patent Application
20080083163
The objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Each of
Each of
It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein. Reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.
In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components and circuits have not been described in detail, so as not to obscure the present disclosure.
Each of
Each of these figures illustrates a flowerpot 6, in which a plant 4 is planted for cultivation. Saucer apparatus 8, which accumulates water drained from flowerpot 6, comprises a container 10 adapted to be pulled out/pushed in, as in a drawer mechanism. A handle 22 connected to drawer (container) 10 is used for pulling container 10 out of flowerpot 6.
Further to the esthetical advantage of employing a drawer as a container for accumulating drained water, this solution also spares the need of pillars to retain the flowerpot above the draining container 10.
It should be notes that in the embodiment of
These illustrations demonstrate that a saucer apparatus 8 may be designed according to the flowerpot thereof. Furthermore, other forms may be employed for the contour, such as elliptic, trapezoid, and so on.
A water level sensor 28 is installed inside container 10. According to one embodiment of the invention, the water level is adapted to indicate if the water content falls below a predetermined level. According to another embodiment of the invention, the water level is adapted to indicate if the water level is higher than a predetermined level.
The water level sensor 28 comprises two electrodes 30, and a circuitry (such as the circuit illustrated in
Water is actually a resistor. Thus, if at least one of the diodes 30 is not dipped in water 38, resistance between the diodes is infinite, and when both electrodes 30 are dipped in water 38, resistance between electrodes 30 is less than infinite.
When both electrodes 30 are dipped in water 38, the signal between electrodes 30 is magnified by transistor 40, resulting in lighting LED 32, and also supplying to electric device 34 the required power for its operation.
The electric device 34 may be a buzzer, a water pump, and so on.
In the case in which device 34 is a water pump, it may use the drained water for re-irrigating the flora thereof, thereby recycling the water, or in other words, conserving water and decreasing the frequency with which the flora must be irrigated.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the sensor 28 indicates if drainage container 10 is substantially empty. This may be employed in an irrigation regime wherein the plant occupying flowerpot 6 is irrigated constantly.
According to another embodiment of the invention, sensor 28 indicates if drainage container 10 is substantially full. This may be employed in an irrigation regime wherein the plant occupying flowerpot 6 is irrigated intermittently. For example, once indicating that drainage container 10 is substantially full, the entire content of drainage container 10 is pumped out of it, and poured into soil container 12. Also, rather than allowing the water to spill out of the drainage container, the water is poured into the soil container.
In these illustrations, a pump 48 is used for transferring the drained water accumulated in draining container 10, through tubule 46, to a container 44 which is placed above flowerpot 6, and allows the water to pour out of container 44 into the soil within flowerpot 6. Of course the mechanism may be employed without container 44, i.e., the upper end of tubule 46 may be placed on the soil within the flowerpot 6.
Numeral 50 denotes a zoomed view which schematically illustrates the pumping mechanism.
Numeral 48 denotes a rubber cup. When rubber cup 48 is pressed, valve 52 is lifted, allowing the water inside cup 48 to pass through tubule 46 to container 44. When rubber cup 48 is released, it returns to its “idle” form, which results in (a) lifting up valve 54, and (b) drawing water from container 10, through pipe 56, to fill the inside of cup 48.
The irrigating mechanism illustrated in
The predetermined level may indicate that the saucer apparatus is substantially empty, substantially full, and so on, depending on the selected level.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the act of conveying water from said saucer apparatus into said soil container may be carried out intermittently, i.e., once in a time period, such as once in two days, rather than continuously.
According to this embodiment of the invention, apparatus 8 comprises a grill 60, on which a flowerpot may be placed. Apparatus 8 is designed as a stand, thereby allowing placement of flowerpots of varying sizes and designs. As such this is a preferred embodiment of the saucer apparatus 8.
Each of
In the prior art it is common to place a “giant” flowerpot on the saucer thereof. In this situation the accumulated water in the saucer is in contact with the roots of the plant thereof “too long”, and as a result the decay of the roots is accelerated, and accordingly the life of the plant shortens.
According to embodiments of the present invention, the water of the saucer underneath the flowerpot is not in contact with the flowerpot, and as a result the life of the plant lengthens.
According to embodiments of the present invention the user does not have to lift the flowerpot in order to remove the saucer underneath, but merely to pull the saucer out of the flowerpot, an operation which requires less physical effort.
Since according to embodiments of the present invention excess water in the saucer underneath a flowerpot is returned to the flowerpot, the drained water does not spill out. As such the flowerpot may be placed on a carpet as well as be hanged (e.g., on the ceiling).
Since according to embodiments of the present invention excess water is recycled, the amount of water required for irrigating the flowerpot is decreased, and also the cost of irrigating the flowerpot is decreased. In addition the frequency the flowerpot has to be irrigated is decreased, and therefore the effort thereof is decreased as well, e.g., irrigating the flora of the flowerpot once in ten days instead of once in a week.
In the figures and description herein, the following numerals have been mentioned:
While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, the invention can be embodied in other forms, ways, modifications, substitutions, changes, equivalents, and so forth. The embodiments described herein should be considered as illustrative and not restrictive.
The current application claims the benefit U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 60/828,777, filed 10 Oct. 2006, whose disclosures are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60828777 | Oct 2006 | US |
