Patent Application
20120110903
The invention relates to planters for flowers and other plants.
There are a variety of planters available in the marketplace for flowers and other plants. All planters have a body which defines a cavity in which potting soil is held. Most planters in the market are molded plastic. Others are made from materials such as fiber, porcelain, clay, foam, and metal.
Retailers have limited space in which to display products being offered for sale. Consequently, there is a preference for products that can be stacked or nested thereby providing more units in a given volume. The unit cost to ship and store products which are nested together is significantly less than the storage and shipping costs of products which cannot be nested. It is preferable that the planters can be tightly packed and condensed for transport.
Some potted plants may grow to be tall. Multiple tall potted plants are often displayed in a row for aesthetic purposes. Such plants may have a center of gravity that is high off the ground due to the height of the plant. Furthermore, such tall plants have more surface area against which wind may blow if such plants are displayed outdoors. Consequently, these plants may tip over, especially in moderate to high winds. A new holder for potted plants is needed which increases the stability of plants that grow to be tall. The new potted plant holder should preferably be simple and inexpensive, but sturdier than a regular plant pot and capable of being anchored to other holders for increased stability among all potted plant holders when tall potted plants are displayed in a row.
I provide a stackable holder for plants which may receive or have a pot which can be filled with potting soil in which a flower or other plant may be grown. The holder has a top with a central opening and legs that extend from the top. In some embodiments a pot is placed in the opening in the top. The pot may be removable from the top or integrally formed with the top. The legs preferably have a curved cross-section along their length so that the holders can be stacked and nested together.
For those embodiments which are sold without a pot or sold with a removable pot, I prefer to provide flexible flaps on the perimeter of the opening that extend inwardly. These flaps enable the holder to receive a range of pot sizes. Adjacent flaps may be connected together along all or a portion of their length such that there is a joint between them which may be easily cut or broken to enable a larger pot to fit through the opening.
In those embodiments having a pot, which embodiments may be called planters, the pot has a base and at least one sidewall extending from the base to the top of the holder to define a cavity. The sidewalls and the legs are configured such that the pot can be positioned within the pot of a second planter. The base and the sidewalls of the pot extend into the cavity of the pot in the second planter, and the legs of the planter extend over the legs of the second planter.
The planter body may be made of plastic. A lip may extend from the interconnected sidewalls. The sidewalls may be tapered. The base, sidewalls, and legs may be an integrally formed unit.
I prefer to provide a plurality of connectors attached to the top, which are positioned and configured to enable two or more holders to be connected together side by side. The legs may have feet which are sized and configured to connect to and mate with feet of the second planter. The stackable planter may include a lid sized and configured to cover the cavity. The lid may be connected to the top of a sidewall.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a description of certain present preferred embodiments thereof shown in the drawings.
A present preferred embodiment of my stackable holder 1 is shown in
I prefer to provide a plurality of connectors 16 which are attached to the top 2. The connectors 16 are positioned and configured to enable two or more stackable holders 1 to be connected together side by side. I also contemplate providing feet 18 on the ends of the legs 6. The feet 18 may be sized and configured to interlock with other similar feet 18. Such interlocking may be accomplished for instance by a tongue and groove joint, a lap joint, or other interlocking mechanism. The connectors 16 and the interlocking feet 18 allow two or more stackable holders 1 to be positioned next to each other and connected to each other for increased stability.
Multiple stackable holders 1 may be arranged in an interlocking row as may be appreciated from
The stackable holder 1 is sized and configured so that multiple stackable holders may be stacked and nested as may be appreciated from
A second preferred embodiment of my stackable planter 31 is shown in
I prefer to provide a generally rectangular base 34, but of course other shapes for the base 34 are possible. Similarly, I prefer to provide four legs 38 for my stackable planter 31, but I also contemplate any other number or configuration of legs 38.
I may provide a lid 48 with my stackable planter 31a as shown in
Although I prefer the lid 48 to be rigid, I contemplate that the lid 48 may be at least partially able to fold or bend. The embodiment 31b shown in
The stackable planter 31, 31a and 31b, is sized and configured so that multiple stackable planters may be stacked and nested as shown in
Stacking and nesting my stackable planter 31 is possible even when the planter 31 has the lid 48 attached to the top 42 of a sidewall 36, as may be appreciated from
A third embodiment of my stackable planter 61 may be appreciated from
This embodiment of my stackable planter 61 allows the planter body 68 to be removed from the top 62, as can be appreciated from
I prefer to provide a plurality of connectors 80 which are attached to the top 62. The connectors 80 are positioned and configured to enable two or more stackable planters 61 to be connected together side by side. I also contemplate providing feet 82 on the ends of the legs 66 away from the top 62. The feet 82 may be sized and configured to interlock with other similar feet 82. Such interlocking may be accomplished for instance by a tongue and groove joint, a lap joint, or other interlocking mechanism. The connectors 80 and the interlocking feet 82 allow two or more stackable planters 61 to be positioned next to each other and connected to each other with increased stability.
The stackable planter 61 is sized and configured so that multiple stackable planters may be stacked and nested. When so stacked and nested, the legs 66 of the first stackable planter 61 fit over the legs of the second stackable planter. I prefer to provide legs 66 with a curved cross section so that the legs 66 of the first stackable planter 61 may nest within the legs of the second holder. Consequently several of these holders when stacked and nested together form a very dense stack for storage and shipment.
The planter bodies, legs, and lids of all present preferred embodiments are preferably made from injection molded plastics such as polycarbonate or polyvinylchloride. For ease of molding I prefer that the embodiments with sidewalls have the sidewalls be tapered, as can be seen in
The connectors 16 and 80 are shown in the drawings a curved tabs with the curvature reversed on the opposite sides of the holder or planter so that the connectors can interlock. It should be understood that other types of connectors could be used such a plug and socket or tongue and groove. Whatever connectors are used, they should be of a size and shape such that the connectors can be integrally molded with the holder or planter. Preferably the holder or planter is made from a polycarbonate or polyvinyl chloride material. Other suitable plastics or composite materials could be used.
Although I have described and illustrated certain present preferred embodiments of my stackable holders or planters it should be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited to but may be variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.
