Patent Application
20220162875
The invention relates to a stake that can be inserted into the ground to support structures, such as trellises, yard signs, and the like.
Many yard structures, such as trellises, are constructed from wood. When a wooden structure is placed on in inserted into the ground, however, over time, the wooden structure tends to rot, reducing the life of the wooden structure.
It would be beneficial to provide a device that can be inserted into the ground to support a wooden structure so that the wooden structure can avoid direct contact with the ground.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
In one embodiment, the present invention is a garden stake comprising a top portion that includes an elongate parallelepiped body having an open top and a closed bottom. The body has a central longitudinal axis extending therethrough. A flange extends outwardly from the closed bottom. A bottom portion includes a spike extending from the flange, away from the body.
In an alternative embodiment, the present invention is a garden stake comprising a hollow body having, an open top, a bottom, and a front face extending between the open top and the bottom. The front face has a first plurality of through openings formed therein. A rear face extends between the open top and the closed bottom, opposite from the front face. The rear face has a second plurality of through openings formed therein. A flange extends outwardly from the closed bottom and a spike extends from the flange. The spike comprises a plurality of spike faces having a wide end proximate to the flange and a narrow tip distal from the flange.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this specification, illustrate the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the features of the invention. In the drawings:
In the drawings, like numerals indicate like elements throughout. Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the present invention. The terminology includes the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar import. The embodiments illustrated below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. These embodiments are chosen and described to best explain the principle of the invention and its application and practical use and to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention.
Reference herein to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments necessarily mutually exclusive of other embodiments. The same applies to the term “implementation.”
As used in this application, the word “exemplary” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use of the word exemplary is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion.
The word “about” is used herein to include a value of +/−10 percent of the numerical value modified by the word “about” and the word “generally” is used herein to mean “without regard to particulars or exceptions.”
Additionally, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”. That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form.
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, each numerical value and range should be interpreted as being approximate as if the word “about” or “approximately” preceded the value of the value or range.
The use of figure numbers and/or figure reference labels in the claims is intended to identify one or more possible embodiments of the claimed subject matter in order to facilitate the interpretation of the claims. Such use is not to be construed as necessarily limiting the scope of those claims to the embodiments shown in the corresponding figures.
The present invention provides a garden stake 100 (“stake 100”) that can be used to support or secure structures place on an unpaved or uncovered surface, such as a lawn, a flower bed, or other permeable surface, such as soil. Stake 100 can support the legs of a trellis, a yard sign, or other instrument that is typically placed on or into the permeable surface. Additionally, stake 100 can be used to add support to a tree, a shade umbrella, or any other object placed or planted into the permeable surface.
Stake 100 can be constructed from a polymer or other non-corrosive material that will not deteriorate or decompose with contact with soil or other organic matter. Stake 100 allows materials that are constructed from material that will deteriorate or decompose with contact with soil or other organic matter, such as wood, to be erected using stake 100 and prevent or retard such deterioration.
Referring to the Figures, garden stake 100 comprises a top portion 102 comprising an elongate parallelepiped body 104 having an open top 106 and a closed bottom 108. Body 104 has a central longitudinal axis 101 extending therethrough. A flange 130 extends outwardly from the closed bottom 108 and a bottom portion 150 comprises a spike 152 extending from flange 130, away from body 104. The device to be supported is inserted into body 104, while bottom portion 150 including stake 152 is inserted into the ground.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
In an exemplary embodiment, as can be shown by
Right and left side walls 126, 128, shown in
In an exemplary embodiment, flange 130 is circular in shape. Flange 130 is used to stop penetration of stake 100 into ground, when stake 100 is inserted into the ground, such that flange 130 rests on top of the ground, with top portion 102 extending above the ground and bottom portion 150 inserted into the ground. Flange 130 helps to stabilize the object inserted into body 104 so that the object does not readily tip over.
Also, in an exemplary embodiment, spike 152 includes a plurality of spike faces 154 extending outwardly from the central longitudinal axis 101. Each of the plurality of spike faces 154 is triangular in shape with a wide end 156 proximate to flange 130 and a narrow tip 158 distal from flange 130. In an exemplary embodiment, four (4) spike faces 154 are provided and extend orthogonally relative to adjacent spike faces such that the plurality of spike faces 154 form a cross-shaped cross section, as shown in
To use stake 100 to support a trellis (not shown), one stake 100 is used for each trellis leg. Stakes 100 are spaced according to the spacing between trellis legs and are hammered into the ground. A block having an outer perimeter larger than the perimeter of lip 110 is placed on lip 110 and the user pounds on the block with a hammer (not shown) to drive bottom portion 150 of stake 100 into the ground up to flange 130. The block is removed from lip 110 and the process is repeated for additional stakes 100, as needed. After all stakes 100 are inserted into the ground, the trellis legs can be inserted into the body 104 of each stake 100.
It will be further understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.
