Patent Application
20160286734
Not Applicable
This invention relates to the support of plants, and in particular vine plants, in their growth from seedling to mature plant. Various support methods have been used to support plant material as it grows and bears fruit or vegetables. Many tomato plant growers, and those involved in growing vine plants in general, seek to ensure that these plants grow in a vertical direction in a controlled pattern of growth. Without a vertical support structure the tomato plant and other vine plants will grow as much horizontally as vertically or in several directions simultaneously. This is undesirable if the grower wants to maximize tomato or other vine plant yield, ensure sunlight access or to avoid predation by insects. There are several different support methods that have been patented. They typically involve various mechanisms whose main purpose is to assist the vertical growth of the vine plants. These support structures usually involve metal or other materially constructed rods in a cage type or lattice type or geometrical configuration. These structures are usually rigid to a large degree and entail multiple threading and interweaving of the vine plant through the support mechanism. This can lead to a complicated attachment mechanism between the plant and the support structure which can increase the risk of damage to the vine plant from adjustment by people growing the plants. For these reasons, there is a need for a method that is simple to use, flexible and uncomplicated.
This invention relates generally to gardening accessories and more particularly concerns supports for long stemmed plants such as tomato plants and the like.
The invention comprises flexible binding straps onto which are embedded or inserted snap-fit assemblies. These flexible binding straps are wound or wrapped around the plant stem and then snapped onto reciprocating snap-fit assemblies through the means of interconnecting male and female portions that connect in a mating fashion with one snap connector having a protrusion and the other having a hollow, where one connector snaps into another connector on opposing snap-fit assemblies or snap connectors on other straps. Snap-fit assemblies are placed at varying points along the length of the rod or stake to allow for adjustment of the support straps at different points along the plant stem. In the alternative, it is possible to use other connecting mechanisms to connect the binding straps together.
This present method is a simple and effective way to provide support to growing vine plants and the like in order to protect these plants and to maximize their yield potential. One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved plant support. This invention may also be applicable to any vine type plant where people want to control the path or direction of growth that the plant undertakes. This method aims to eliminate complexity in plant support mechanisms by simplifying the parts used for the support structure and to provide for flexibility in the support method so as to be able to respond to the growing plant. Work in installing and maintaining plant supports will be reduced. The method will take less time, will be easier to use and be straightforward so as to avoid damaging the plants when making height adjustments to the support apparatus.
The method, including rod or stake and flexible straps can be manufactured from any flexible materials, for instance, cloth type material.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
100—snap-connector (either male or female)
100
a—female snap-connector
100
b—male snap-connector
101—strap
102—rod or stake
103—portion of rod or stake fixed into ground
104—close up of stake
105—depiction of the method of adjusting and stabilizing an adjustable plant support
Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a method for use of an adjustable plant support
This is a method
In one embodiment, the method
A plant support rod or stake 102 and
The said plant support rod or stake 102 can be made out of a hard plastic material or other durable, weather resistant material substitutes. One end of the plant support rod or stake 102 is tapered to a sharp point or tip and is made from or capped with a metal or other durable, hard surfaced rust protected material 103. This tapered point end 103 of the plant support rod or stake is to be placed into the ground to provide a foundation for the plant support rod or stake 102 and can have a metal cap or cap made from other durable, hard surfaced rust protected material. The length of the plant support rod or stake 102 is typically 72 inches but can vary in length.
In one embodiment,
Another embodiment of the adjustable plant support apparatus 105 would include the option to snap each end of a strap 101 using the male and female snap connectors embedded on the said strap 101 onto each other around a rod or stake 102 without attaching the strap 101 to the rod or stake 102/104 as illustrated in
It is not necessary for all embodiments of the invention to have all the advantages of the invention or fulfill all the purposes of the method.
Where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), and the method can include one or more other steps, which are carried out before any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, or after all the defined steps (except where the context excludes that possibility).
This application is a Divisional application of prior non-provisional application Ser. No. 13/684,575 and claims the benefit of prior non-provisional application Ser. No. 13/684,575 the entire content of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference Ser. No. 13/684,575
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13684575 | Nov 2012 | US |
| Child | 15160504 | US |
