DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of the invention, illustrating a plant watering and shading device having a water-holding shaft and an umbrella shading structure, the umbrella in a deployed position;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the invention, taken generally along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the invention, illustrating a shaft clamping means for clamping the invention to a plant pot, or the like;
FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the invention, illustrating an upper shaft and a lower shaft of a telescoping shaft of the invention; and
FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the invention, illustrating an umbrella portion of the invention in a collapsed position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 illustrates a watering and shading device 10 for at least one plant 19. The device 10 comprises an elongated substantially hollow shaft 20 having a top end 22 and a bottom end 24. The top end 22 terminates in a preferably flared funnel-shaped opening 23 for receiving water 15, and the bottom end terminates in a soil-penetrating spike 40 for inserting into soil 18. The spike 40 includes at least one aperture 45 therein for allowing water 15 to pass from the inside of the hollow shaft 20 therethrough. The shaft 20 is preferably made from an extruded plastic tube, injection molded plastic, or the like. A non-porous cover 190 may be further included for attaching to the opening 23 at the top end 22 of the shaft 20 for preventing water 15 from filling the shaft 20. The shaft 20 is preferably transparent or translucent so that the amount of water 15 within the shaft 20 may be readily visible.
In one embodiment of the invention, the shaft 20 is telescoping and as such height-adjustable. In such an embodiment, an upper shaft 26 has a top end and a lower shaft 27 has a bottom end, the lower shaft 27 having an outside diameter of less than an inside diameter of the upper shaft 26, such that the lower shaft 27 may be co-axially inserted into the upper shaft 26 (FIG. 4). At least one elastomeric gasket 28 is further included to prevent water 15 from leaking between the upper and lower shafts 26,27. Additionally, a water-proof, flexible, collapsible portion 29 may be fixed between the upper shaft 26 and the lower shaft 27 whereby water 15 is prevented from leaking from the upper shaft 26 into the lower shaft 27 (FIG. 4). Such a collapsible portion 29 may be an accordion-shaped plastic sheet material formed into a cylinder, for example.
The device also includes a shading structure 50 that comprises at least one non-transparent panel 55 attached at one portion 58 thereof to a shaft attachment means 60 (FIG. 2). Preferably the shading structure 50 is the form of an umbrella 70 capable of being selectively placed in a deployed position 72 (FIG. 1) or a collapsed position 74 (FIG. 5). In such an embodiment, the shaft attachment means 60 is a first annular collar 65 having an aperture 66 therethrough for receiving the shaft 20 and being fixed thereon. The collar 65 preferably includes a shaft locking means 67 for selectively fixing the position of the first collar 65 on the shaft 20. As such, the umbrella 70 may be lowered on the shaft 20 to provide frost protection to the plant 19 as well as shade. A second collar 80 is preferably included for slidable engagement with the shaft 20 independently from the first collar 65. The second collar 80 is attached to an umbrella deployment mechanism 75 for selectively deploying or collapsing the umbrella 70. The second collar 80 has a shaft locking means 76 for fixing the position of the second collar 80 on the shaft 20. The first and second collars 65,80 may be formed from a metal sheet material or injection molded using a plastic material, for example. Each shaft locking means 67,76 may be a manually actuated bolt traversing a threaded aperture in each collar, for example. Other shaft locking means 67,76, such as pins or the like may also be used.
The shaft 20 preferably includes a valve mechanism 90 therein proximate the bottom end 24 (FIG. 2). The valve mechanism 90, when in a closed position, prevents water 15 in the shaft 20 from reaching the bottom end 24 of the shaft 20. In an open position, the valve mechanism 90 allows water 15 to flow from the shaft 20 into the bottom end 24 of the shaft 20, and then out through the spike 40. In one embodiment of the invention, the valve mechanism 90 is a ball valve having a buoyant ball 92 captured within the bottom end 24 of the shaft 20. A seal 93 within the shaft 20 is adapted to receive the ball 92 against a lower side thereof to close the valve 90 (FIG. 2). In another embodiment, the valve mechanism is an electronic motor or solenoid-driven valve (not shown).
A moisture detection means 100 is further preferably included for detecting the moisture content of the soil 18. The moisture detection means 100 is in electronic communication with a control circuit 110, which is powered by a power source 120 and regulates the position of the valve mechanism 90 based upon electronic signals received from the moisture detection means 100 (FIG. 2). Such a moisture detection means 100 may be an electro-resistive probe 105 that correlates moisture to conductivity therethrough, or similar moisture-detecting sensor.
The shading 50 may further include at least one flexible solar cell 130 on at least one panel 55 thereof for charging a rechargeable battery 140 of at least one lantern 150 (FIGS. 1 and 2). Each lantern 150 is fixed to the shading structure 50 and connected to a lamp circuit 160 that supplies power from the battery 140 to a light emitting means 170 of the lantern 150 when a photovoltaic sensor 180 of the lamp circuit 160 detects an absence of ambient light. Alternately, the lantern 150 may include the solar cell 130 instead of the at least one panel 55. As such, in dark conditions, each lantern will light the plant 19 and the surrounding areas. The light emitting means 170 may be a conventional incandescent bulb, an LED, or the like.
In one embodiment, a shaft clamping means 200 fixed proximate the bottom end 24 of the shaft 20 is adapted for clamping and retaining the device 10 onto a fixed object 210, such as the rim of a plant pot, or the like. The clamping means 200 may be a C-clamp (as shown), a spring-clamp, or the like.
In use, the bottom end 24 of the shaft 20 is inserted into the soil 18 proximate the plant 19. If necessary, the shaft clamping means 200 may be fixed to the fixed object 210. Water 15 may be introduced, either manually or by rainfall, into the top end 22 of the shaft 20 for dispensing through the spike 40 to wet the soil 18. The shading structure 50 may be positioned to provide a selected amount of shade to the plant 19, or none at all, as desired, by either deploying or collapsing the umbrella 70, or setting the umbrella 70 between the deployed or collapsed positions as desired. The moisture detection means 100 may be inserted into the soil 18 to regulate the amount of water 15 that the valve mechanism 90 allows into the soil 18 via the spike 40.
While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the exact type of valve mechanism 90 may be any suitable valve structure as known in the art. Likewise, the specific type of moisture detection mean 100 may be any type of suitable moisture detector known in the art. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.