Patent Application
20200077606
The present disclosure relates generally to planters, and more specifically to a self-watering planter having a moisture retention feature.
Traditional planters typically include two components, a main pot into which plants and soil are disposed and a separate saucer that is either positioned beneath the bottom of the main pot or attached to the bottom of the main pot. The saucer is wider than the main pot and is attached to the bottom of the main pot, but has a height that is smaller than the main pot. In such traditional arrangements, the growth in the planter is watered from the top, saturating the top of the soil. For some plants and soils, this may encourage insects and mold growth.
While water can be collected in the saucer, to accomplish this, water must be directed through a narrow space between the main pot. Moreover, as the saucer is not very high, it cannot store the water for extended periods of time, thereby requiring frequent watering. Further, in these arrangements, the saucer is open at the top and can attract insects and lead to mold growth as the water stands. Because as there is no closing aspect, water can be jostled out.
What is needed is a planter that will store water for extended periods of time, but without saturating the surface of soil.
In one exemplary arrangement, a self-watering planter comprises an outer shell, an inner shell and a water delivery device having a valve element. The outer shell is defined by a bottom surface, a body section and a top opening providing access to an interior. The inner shell is defined by a bottom surface, a body section and a top opening providing access to an interior. The inner shell is sized to be smaller than the interior of the outer shell such that when the inner shell is disposed within the interior of the outer shell, a hollow area is formed between the inner shell and the outer shell for retaining water. An opening is formed through a rim of the planter to provide access to the hollow area for water to be received and stored, and water is metered into the interior of the inner shell by the valve element.
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in greater detail with reference to the attached figures, in which:
Referring now to the discussion that follows and also to the drawings, illustrative approaches to the disclosed assemblies and methods are shown in detail. Although the drawings represent some possible approaches, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated, removed, or partially sectioned to better illustrate and explain the present disclosure. Further, the descriptions set forth herein are not intended to be exhaustive or otherwise limit or restrict the claims to the precise forms and configurations shown in the drawings and disclosed in the following detailed description.
Referring to
The inner shell 14 (best seen in
In one exemplary arrangement, the body section 34 may include a plurality of perforations (not shown) that provide communication from the interior 40 of the inner shell 14 to the hollow area 44. In one exemplary arrangement, the perforations may be arranged into aligned rows that extend along a substantially linear line adjacent the bottom surface 34 and toward the upper end 41 of the body section 34. In one exemplary arrangement the perforations are arranged radially about a central axis A-A extending through the planter 10. However, it is understood that other arrangements of the perforations are contemplated and that the perforations are optional.
The bottom surface 36 of the inner shell 14 may include one or more downwardly extending pedestals 46, a water delivery member 48, and a bottom opening 50 (best seen in
In one exemplary arrangement, the pedestals 46 and water delivery member are spaced equi-distance from one another, about the central axis A of the planter 10. Each pedestal 46 may be unitary with the inner shell 14, and is defined by an open upper end 52 and a closed lower end 54. The pedestals 46 extend downwardly from the bottom surface 36 of the inner shell 14 such that the closed lower end 54 is spaced away from the bottom surface 36 of the inner shell 14. The pedestals 48 are generally hollow, with the open upper end 52 being in communication with the interior 40 of the inner shell 14. The pedestals 46 may taper from the upper end 50 to the lower end 52.
The water delivery member 48 may also be unitary with the inner shell 14 and extend downwardly from the bottom surface 36 of the inner shell 14, similar to pedestals 48. The water delivery member 48 is defined by an open upper end 56 and a substantially closed lower end 58. The lower end 58 further includes a valve opening 60 into which the valve member 16 is disposed. An exemplary valve member 16 is illustrated in
Circling the bottom opening 50 in the inner shell 14 is an upwardly extending mount 60 that includes an opening 62 therethrough. The mount 60 extends upwardly from the bottom surface 36 of the inner shell 14 and includes a flange member 64 disposed around the opening 62, as best seen in
Surrounding the upper end 41 of the inner shell 14 is an outwardly extending flange 66. The flange 66 includes an opening 68 formed therein to provide access to the hollow area 44, as will be explained in greater detail below.
The outer shell 12 further includes an overflow element 70. In one exemplary arrangement, the overflow element 70 includes an upwardly extending wall member 72 and a stopper element 74. The stopper element 74 extends inwardly from an outer circumference of the wall member 72 such that a positioning shoulder 76 is formed. Referring to
The planter 10 is assembled as follows. The valve 16 is disposed within the opening 60 formed in the water delivery element 58 of the inner shell 14. The inner shell 14 is disposed within the interior 26 of the outer shell 12. The pedestals 46 are disposed against the bottom surface 22 of the outer shell 12, with the overflow element 70 being aligned with the opening 50 formed within the bottom surface 36 of the inner shell 14 and the stopper 76 being received within the mount 60. The flange 66 of the inner shell 14 includes a downwardly extending mount element 77 that engages a mounting edge 78 formed on an inside surface 80 of the outer shell 12, adjacent the upper end 30 as shown in
In the alternative embodiment where the moisture retention material 18 is provided, the moisture retention material 18 may be disposed within the outer shell 12 prior to the inner shell 14 being positioned within the interior 26 of the outer shell 12 such that the moisture retention material 16 is compressed within the hollow area 44 formed by the inner surface of the outer shell 12 and the outer surface of the inner shell 14. In one exemplary arrangement, the moisture retention material 16 is rock wool (also known as mineral wool). Rock wool is comprised of spun fiber strands formed from rock that are compressed into a dense mat-like material. The rock wool is pliable, but also allowing for a friction fit between the inner and outer shells 14, 12.
In use, once the outer and inner shells 12, 14 are assembled, a plant may be planted within soil within the interior 40 of the inner shell 14. Water may be introduced to the hollow area 44 via the opening 68. Water may be stored within the hollow area 44 and delivered via the water delivery element 58, through the valve 16. For the embodiments where there are apertures formed through the body element 34 of the inner shell 14, water may flow through the apertures from the hollow area 44 and into the interior 40. For those embodiments that incorporate rock wool, the water will be retained and stored until needed by the plantings. The valve 16 also allows for water to be metered into the soil. In the event water is introduced into the interior 40 directly and too much water is present in the soil, the overflow element 70 is provided. Water can exit the interior 40 through the opening 79 and exit the planter 10 through the bottom of the overflow element 70.
It will be appreciated that the planter arrangement described herein and methods described herein have broad applications. The foregoing embodiments were chosen and described in order to illustrate principles of the apparatuses as well as some practical applications. The preceding description enables others skilled in the art to utilize apparatuses in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the principles and modes of operation of this disclosure have been explained and illustrated in exemplary embodiments.
It is intended that the scope of the present methods and apparatuses be defined by the following claims. However, it must be understood that this disclosure may be practiced otherwise than is specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various alternatives to the embodiments described herein may be employed in practicing the claims without departing from the spirit and scope as defined in the following claims. The scope of the disclosure should be determined, not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the arts discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future examples. Furthermore, all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadest reasonable constructions and their ordinary meanings as understood by those skilled in the art unless an explicit indication to the contrary is made herein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as “a,” “the,” “said,” etc. should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that the method and apparatus within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby. In sum, it should be understood that the invention is capable of modification and variation and is limited only by the following claims.
