Patent Application
20230053591
The present specification relates to a container, more particularly container and accessory system for plants or organizing.
Potted plants have become a popular plant choice for people due to the ease of growing and maintaining and the ability to place them in a home or office. As a person becomes more involved in and attached to their plants, the desire to interact with and personalize their potten garden grows. One way people interact with their potted plants is to add stakes. These are often changed for special occasions, seasons, and holidays. The stakes can show personality and be very visually appealing, but they can also disturb roots and cause damage to the plant especially when changed with any frequency. Another way people interact with their potted plants is to add rocks or other items on top of the soil. These do not disturb the soil or root structures but can damage the leaves and stems if the pot is moved or bumped.
It would be advantageous to provide a way of personalizing and interacting with potted plants that will not damage the plant.
Aspects disclosed herein comprise a system and method for accessorizing a container that allows a user to personalize, label, and interact with a container without damaging the container or its contents. A container and accessory system is provided in which the container has at least one wall defined by an interior surface and an exterior surface, and the exterior surface has at least one hole in it. An attachable accessory has a face and at least one peg that is sized to connect to the container by fitting into the hole in the wall of the container.
The wall of the container may be solid or may have a hollow structure defined by the interior surface and the exterior surface of the wall. The peg may have an outer diameter that is substantially the same diameter as the inner surface of the holes so that friction can secure the accessory to the container when the peg is inserted into the hole. The accessory may have one peg to fit into one hole or may have multiple pegs that are configured to fit into multiple holes in the surface of the wall of the container. In some embodiments, the peg may have a shaft portion with a diameter that is the same diameter as the inner surface of the hole or smaller and a lip portion that is slightly larger than the diameter of the hole and compressible such that the lip may be compressed to fit within the hole when inserted by a user. The wall can be substantially hollow so that the lip can decompress once the lip is past the exterior surface of the wall.
In one or more embodiments, the wall is substantially solid between the interior surface and the exterior surface, and the hole has an inner surface that is substantially the same diameter as the peg and extends at least partially into the wall. The interior surface of the wall may be substantially solid to prevent the contents of the container from leaking or spilling out of the container. The container may be a box, a plant pot, or a tank or aquarium or the like. In some embodiments, the container has at least one drain.
The plurality of holes may be arranged in a pattern that is practical or decorative. The pattern can have an outer perimeter, and the outer perimeter can have a desired shape, such as a heart, a smiley face, or a facsimile of the contents of the container. The shape of the holes and the pegs can be circular, triangular, square, hexagonal, octagonal, dodecagonal or a slit or tab. The holes may extend partially into the wall or through the exterior and interior surface of the wall. In the case of a plant pot or other embodiments, the container may have a soil line, and the plurality of holes extend only above the soil line.
The face of the accessory may be decorative or the accessory may comprise a decorative layer that can be adhered to the face of the accessory. A sticker or label may be adhered to the face. The sticker or label may be shaped to conform to the three-dimensional shape of the face or may be shaped to adhere to a flat face surface. The sticker or label may be a design that can be written or drawn upon. The accessory may comprise a plant nutrient that can be provided to a plant on the interior of the container.
The accessory of the system may also be another container, such that the pegs extend from the exterior surface of one container and are configured to be inserted into the holes on the exterior surface of another container. In these embodiments, the container having one or more pegs would be considered the face of the accessory. Multiple containers may be attached to each other to form a structure of connected containers.
A method is also provided in which a container having a bottom and at least one wall defined by an interior surface and an exterior surface, has at least one hole formed in the exterior of the wall. An attachable accessory is provided having a face and at least one peg, and the peg is sized to be insertable into the hole on the exterior of the wall. The accessory may be decorative or may be another container.
Aspects and applications of the invention presented here are described below in the drawings and detailed description of the invention. Unless specifically noted, it is intended that the words and phrases in the specification and the claims be given their plain, ordinary, and accustomed meaning to those of ordinary skill in the applicable arts. The inventors are fully aware that they can be their own lexicographers if desired. The inventors expressly elect, as their own lexicographers, to use only the plain and ordinary meaning of terms in the specification and claims unless they clearly state otherwise and then further, expressly set forth the. Absent such clear statements of intent to apply a “special” definition, it is the inventor's intent and desire that the simple, plain, and ordinary meaning to the terms be applied to the interpretation of the specification and claims.
The inventors are also aware of the normal precepts of English grammar. Thus, if a noun, term, or phrase is intended to be further characterized, specified, or narrowed in some way, then such noun, term, or phrase will expressly include additional adjectives, descriptive terms, or other modifiers in accordance with the normal precepts of English grammar. Absent the use of such adjectives, descriptive terms, or modifiers, it is the intent that such nouns, terms, or phrases be given their plain, and ordinary English meaning to those skilled in the applicable arts as set forth above.
Further, the inventors are fully informed of the standards and application of the special provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f). Thus, the use of the words “function,” “means” or “step” in the Detailed Description or Description of the Drawings or claims is not intended to somehow indicate a desire to invoke the special provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f), to define the invention. To the contrary, if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f) are sought to be invoked to define the inventions, the claims will specifically and expressly state the exact phrases “means for” or “step for”, and will also recite the word “function” (i.e., will state “means for performing the function of molding a fishing lure, without also reciting in such phrases any structure, material or act in support of the function. Thus, even when the claims recite a “means for performing the function of molding a fishing lure, step for performing the function of molding a fishing lure,” if the claims also recite any structure, material or acts in support of that means or step, or that perform the recited function, then it is the clear intention of the inventors not to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f). Moreover, even if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f) are invoked to define the claimed inventions, it is intended that the inventions not be limited only to the specific structure, material or acts that are described in the preferred embodiments, but in addition, include any and all structures, materials or acts that perform the claimed function as described in alternative embodiments or forms of the invention, or that are well known present or later-developed, equivalent structures, material or acts for performing the claimed function.
Additional features and advantages of the present specification will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present specification will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
In the following description, and for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various aspects of the invention. It will be understood, however, by those skilled in the relevant arts, that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, known structures and devices are shown or discussed more generally in order to avoid obscuring the invention. In many cases, a description of the operation is sufficient to enable one to implement the various forms of the invention, particularly when the operation is to be implemented in software. It should be noted that there are many different and alternative configurations, devices and technologies to which the disclosed inventions may be applied. The full scope of the inventions is not limited to the examples that are described below.
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The container and accessory system also include an accessory as shown in
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The plurality of holes 18 can make a grid-like pattern (
In closing, it is to be understood that although aspects of the present specification are highlighted by referring to specific embodiments, one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that these disclosed embodiments are only illustrative of the principles of the subject matter disclosed herein. Therefore, it should be understood that the disclosed subject matter is in no way limited to a particular methodology, protocol, and/or reagent, etc., described herein. As such, various modifications or changes to or alternative configurations of the disclosed subject matter can be made in accordance with the teachings herein without departing from the spirit of the present specification. Lastly, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, which is defined solely by the claims. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to those precisely as shown and described.
Certain embodiments are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the methods and devices described herein. Of course, variations on these described embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. Accordingly, this disclosure includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described embodiments in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the disclosure unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
