Tree-Style Potted Plant Holder and Hubs, Supports, Adapters and Watering System for Same
A potted plant holder features a number of post pieces that assemble to form a post structure that supports a number of hubs thereon, which in turn each support a number of branch-like supports. A reduced diameter end of each post piece nests within the other end of another post piece for easy assembly. Each branch has a simple wire structure with a bent end configured to form two parallel legs jutting perpendicular to the branch length for receipt of the legs in an outer opening of the hub around the post. A pot-size adapter features a ring of smaller diameter than an integral pot-supporting ring of the branch and hangers that suspend the smaller ring therefrom. A watering system features ring-shaped conduits that fit over the different levels of branches and branch conduits running outward along the branches of each level from the respective ring-shaped conduit.
This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/454,650, filed Mar. 21, 2011.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to potted plant holders and more particularly to tree-style potted plant holders wherein multiple tiers of potted plants are carried on a central upright post by radial supports extending outward therefrom to simulate branches of a tree.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONSeveral tree-style potted plant holders have been disclosed in the prior art. Tree shaped stands having a central pole, post or trunk and branch-like supports extending outward therefrom can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 370,70, 113,035, 214,061, 649,665, 1,747,951, 3,018,898, 4,770,303, 4,991,344, 5,178,286, 5,487,476, 6,595,377, D244571, and D345871.
Watering systems for tree style plant holders are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 217,010, 577,230, 5,598,662 and 6,843,022.
However, there remains room for improvement, as Applicant has developed a unique potted plant holder assembled from a number of components providing unforeseen advantages in terms of one or more of ease or cost of manufacture or transport, ease of assembly, customizability and reconfigurability, and has developed a unique plant watering system compatible with the novel plant holder.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a potted plant holder comprising:
a plurality of elongated post pieces including:
-
- a bottom post member having a hollow upper end; and
- at least one additional post member comprising an upper portion of uniform cross-sectional outer periphery and a lower end of reduced cross-sectional outer periphery relative to the upper portion, the lower end of reduced cross-sectional outer periphery being sized to fit within the hollow upper end of the bottom post member and seat the upper portion of uniform cross-sectional outer periphery atop the hollow upper end of the bottom post member, and the upper portion being equal in cross-sectional outer periphery to the hollow upper end of the bottom post member;
a plurality of hubs each comprising a central passage extending axially therethrough, the central passage having a cross-sectional size and shape sufficient to accommodate the uniform cross-sectional periphery therein;
a plurality of elongate support branches for each hub, each support branch having an inboard end configured for support by said hub radially outward from the central passage therethrough at a respective position around said central passage and an outboard end configured as a ring for supporting a plant pot; and
a stop device associated with each hub and operable in cooperation with said hub and any uprightly oriented post member of the plurality of elongated post members when said hub is slidably disposed around said post member to retain the hub at a select position along said post member;
whereby the equal cross-sectional periphery of the hollow upper end of the bottom post member and the upper portion of the additional post member enables sliding of any hub from the additional post member to the bottom post member, and vice versa, while said post members are fitted together end-to-end.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a potted plant holder comprising:
an upright elongated post:
a plurality of hubs supported on the elongated post at spaced apart positions therealong, each hub comprising a plurality of outer passages extending axially thereinto at areas outward from the elongated post at respective positions therearound and each outer passage having a slot-shaped cross-section elongated in one of two orthogonal directions;
a plurality of elongate support branches for each hub, each support branch comprising a rod that is bent at an outboard end thereof to form a ring for supporting a pot and bent at an inboard end to form a first leg extending laterally relative to a plane of the ring and a second leg extending back along the first leg from an integral connection thereto, the legs being fittable side by side in any of the outer passages of the hub in the elongated direction of the slot-shaped cross-section thereof.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a potted plant holder hub for carrying potted plant support branches on an upright elongated post, the hub comprising a body having a central passage extending axially therethrough and a plurality of outer passages extending axially into the body outward from the central passage at the respective positions therearound, the central passage having a cross-sectional size and shape sufficient to accommodate a cross-section of the upright elongated post and each outer passage having a slot-shaped cross-section elongated in one of two orthogonal directions.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided potted plant holder support branch comprising a rod that is bent at an outboard end to form a ring for supporting a pot and bent at an inboard end to form a first leg extending laterally relative to a plane of the ring and a second leg extending back along the first leg from an integral connection thereto.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention there is provided an upper potted plant support for mounting atop an upright post of a potted plant holder, the upper support stand comprising a sleeve dimensioned to slide over an upper end of the additional post member and a support ring carried on the sleeve in a position thereover.
Preferably the potted plant support comprises a bent rod that is coiled around an axis at one end thereof to define the sleeve and is bent at the other end to form the support ring.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention there is provided an adapter kit for changing a size of potted plant for which a potted plant holder having pot supporting rings is configured, the kit comprising a set of adapter rings each smaller in diameter than the pot supporting rings of the potted plant holder and a plurality of mounts configured to selectively couple the adapter rings to the rings of the potted plant holder in parallel orientations therewith to configure the support branches for nested support of smaller potted plants.
According to an eighth aspect of the invention there is provided a watering system for a potted plant holder having an upright elongated post structure and multiple sets of branches at different heights along the post structure and each comprising a plurality of elongate support branches projecting outwardly away from post structure in order to support potted plants on said support branches, the watering system comprising:
an intake conduit having an inlet arranged to couple to a water source;
a plurality of ring-shaped conduit members coupled to the intake conduit and each sized for placement over the post structure to form a water conduit that is fed by the water source and that extends around the post structure above a respective set of branches;
at least one post conduit each fluidly coupled between a respective pair of the ring-shaped conduit members to extend along the post structure to deliver water from one of said pair ring-shaped conduit members to the other of said pair of ring-shaped conduit members;
a plurality of branch conduits in fluid communication with the water conduit of each ring-shaped conduit member and extending outward therefrom to extend along the elongate support branches to the potted plants; and
a water outlet at an end of each branch conduit opposite the ring-shaped conduit member to discharge water into the potted plants.
Preferably each branch conduit comprises flexible tubing.
Preferably the water outlet comprises an outlet tube arranged to discharge water therefrom at multiple points therealong.
Preferably the water outlet is ring-shaped.
Preferably the water outlet comprises a soaker hose.
Preferably the soaker hose has opposite ends thereof coupled to a T-fitting that is also coupled with an end of the branch conduit opposite the ring-shaped conduit member.
Preferably each ring-shaped conduit member comprises multiple lengths of tubing connected together by T-fittings, each of which connects the lengths of tubing of the ring-shaped conduit to a respective one of the branch conduits.
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention:
While the above described basic layout of multiple plant tiers arranged to collectively simulate a tree shape by supporting multiple levels of plants at relatively uniform plant density among the different levels is known, the holder 10 of the present invention features numerous differences from prior art tree-style potted plant holders that provide significant advantage in such areas including cost of production, ease of assembly, portability and end-user customization. The stands of the illustrated embodiments are each made up of several small space-efficient components that can be efficiently packed for easy and cost-effective transport, are easily assembled together without the use of tools, and easily disassembled back down to individual components for storage or transport. The holder is easily customizable by use of only select components during its assembly, and is easily reconfigurable to change such aspects as the number of tiers, number of arms per tier or arm length of each tier without minimal disassembly.
Turning back to
The lengthwise dimension of each slot 38, i.e. the elongated radial direction, not the smaller widthwise direction, slightly exceeds the width of U-shaped end portion 30 (i.e. the perpendicular leg-to-leg distance of the U, including the diameter of both legs) of each support arm 22 while the width of each slot 38 slightly exceeds the diameter of the wire support arm 22. Accordingly, the U-shaped end portion 30 of any support arm 22 can be lowered into a selected slot 38 in the top plate of the hub 32, but only in a predetermined orientation relative thereto, as the narrow width of the slot will only accommodate the U-shaped end 30 of the support arm 22 when the width thereof substantially aligns the length of the slot 38. The height of the equal-length legs 30a, 30c of the U-shaped end portion 30 of the support arm 22 exceeds the perpendicular distance between the two horizontal plates 34 of the hub, so that lowering of the U-shaped end portion 30 through the slot in the upper plate so far as to seat the central portion 26 atop the upper plate acts to lower the curved bottom 30b of the U-shaped end portion 30 through the respective slot in the lower plate so as to hang therebeneath.
The conforming of the slot dimensions to fit closely, but not interferingly, around the U-shaped end of the support arm acts to block pivoting of the support arm 22 about any vertical axis after insertion into the hub 32 so that the support arm maintains a substantially fixed stationary position unless it is manually removed by vertical withdrawal from the respective slots of the hub. Each pair of aligned slots in the plates thus defines a respective passage extending vertical through the hub for receipt of a support arm's U-shaped end portion 30, while the slot-shaped cross-section of this passage at the ends thereof marked by the slots limits or prevents pivoting or twisting of the support arm for stable, stationary support of a potted plant at its outboard end distal to the hub. The central apertures 36 in the two end plates 34 of the hub likewise form an axial passage through the hub 32, and with reference to
Turning to
With the tubular members each having the same uniform diameter upper portion into which the reduced diameter lower portion of another member can be fully received to sit the other member's upper portion directly atop that of the member beneath it, the assembled members thus form a post 12 of substantially uniform diameter from the lower portion of the bottom member up to the top end of the top member, leaving only a fine seam between the butted together uniform diameter portions of two post members 46. This way, a hub 32 can be slid freely along the post, transitioning from one post member 46 to another without interference from any external coupling between members.
With the base and legs assembled, the bottom end of the post is received through the central apertures in the top and bottom plates of the base, and held by the installer at an elevation positioning the lower one of the two transverse holes in the bottom post member between the two plates. A locking pin assembly, 68, for example like that used to later support hubs on the post, is then installed in this transverse hole in order to sit the post-traversing pin atop the bottom plate of the base and thus block sliding of the post downward through the bottom plate's central aperture, thereby maintaining the post at an elevated position off the ground to situate it's upper transverse hole a distance above the base for installation of a respective hub at that upper hole. Alternatively, the post member may include a transverse hole positioned to accept the post supporting pin above the top plate with the bottom of the post below the bottom plate. Alternatively or additionally, the post members, or at least one post member intended for use as the post bottom, may be long enough to extending through the base from the ground, which would act to seat of the post on the ground, thus making the need for a base-level support pin unnecessary. In each of these configurations, the passage of the post through the central apertures of the two base plates positions and maintains the post in an upright vertical position. The terms vertical and horizontal are being used herein to differentiate between substantially perpendicular directions, but it will be appreciated that an element described as ‘vertical’ may deviate somewhat from a purely vertical orientation, and the same applies to use of the term ‘horizontal’.
The tree-style plant holder 10 of
It will be appreciated that the order of some steps may be changed from that described above. Support arms can be installed before or after installation of the respective hub, and the top support stand may be installed anytime after the top hub. The bottom hub may be installed before the middle post member is fitted into the bottom post member, just as the middle hub may be installed onto the assembled bottom and middle post members before installation of the top post member.
Even once an installer or end-user has assembled a plant holder, it can be easily reconfigured to take on a different appearance. For example, with reference to
However, it will be appreciated that some of the beneficial aspects of the above described plant stand may employed independently of one another to still provide some degree of improvement or advantage over the prior art. For example, the complimentary hub slots and wire-formed support arms designs may be employed even if the hubs are permanently fixed to a single-piece post or respective post sections of a multi-piece post or if the hubs are machined from stock or welded together. Likewise, the use of a multi-piece nested together post assembly may be used to provide a uniform post diameter allowing uninterrupted sliding of hubs therealong regardless of the type of connection employed between the hubs and the support arms and how the hub is releasably locked in at the desired installation position on the post. For example, use of set screws in hub collars is a known prior art technique for setting a hub at a selected position along a post. Also, although the illustrated and described post is circular in cross-section, slidability of hubs among and fully along assembled post members could likewise be achieved with other cross-sectional shapes (e.g. swaged rectangular tubing post with a rectangular axial passage in the hub) by similarly having reduced cross-sectional size at the lower end for nesting within the larger upper end of another member. A round post has the advantage of not requiring a particular rotational alignment between the hub and post, and thus allowing the user to set a desired angular position of the hub relative to the post. Reduced ends may be fit into larger hollow top ends, regardless of whether the post member is tubular (i.e. hollow throughout its full length). Also, the type of base, legs or stands may be varied without affecting the other advantageous feature disclosed herein.
A plant watering system of the present invention is illustrated in
More detailed features. The system features a number of ring-shaped conduit members 100a, 100b, 100c that are equal in number to the number of hubs found on the tree-style potted plant holder. Each ring shaped conduit member 100a, 100b, 100c closes around the post at a position seated atop the branches projecting from a respective one of the hubs. With additional reference to
At each intermediate hub between the uppermost and lowermost hubs of the stand, the flexible hose defining the upward extending post conduit 114b connects the ring-shaped conduit in question to the next ring-shaped conduit 100a further up the trunk or post of the stand, at the T-fitting 108 of the linking conduit 110 thereof, and the flexible hose defining the downward extending post 116b conduit likewise connects the ring-shaped conduit in question to the next ring-shaped conduit 100c further down the trunk or post of the stand, at the T-fitting 108 of the linking conduit 110 thereof. At the uppermost hub, the upward extending post conduit 114a does not connect to another ring-shaped conduit, but instead extends upward to the top support stand 24′ at the top of the post, and into the single pot seated on this single-pot support stand. In
At the end of each branch conduit 106 opposite the respective ring-shaped conduit 100a, 100b, 100c, and at the end of the uppermost post conduit 114a opposite the uppermost ring-shaped conduit 100a, a T-fitting 120 has one port connected to this conduit 106, 114a. A length of soaker hose 122 having perforations in the wall thereof to allow water to sweat or seep from the hose at multiple locations therealong has its opposite ends coupled to the other two ports of the T-fitting 120 to form a closed loop or ring-shape at the end of the respective branch or post conduit. The closed-loop/ring-shaped soaker hose arrangement 122 is placed within the pot 124 of the respective plant, so that water discharged from the soaker hose will wet the soil of the pot at locations around the circumference thereof.
With reference to the illustrated embodiment, which features a three-hub plant holder and thus three ring-shaped conduits, the illustrated watering system thus operates as follows. With the lowermost post conduit 116c coupled to the garden hose, and the hose tap opened, the pressurized water source delivers water through the garden hose and into the lowermost post conduit 116c, through which the water rises into the lowermost ring-shaped conduit 100c. From here, part of the water stream flows outward through the branch conduits 106 at this lower level of branches into the respective soaker hoses 122 in order to deliver water to the potted plants at this level. A remainder of the water stream continues upward through the post conduit 116b extending upward from this lowermost ring-shaped conduit 100c, thus reaching the intermediate ring-shaped conduit 100b at the intermediate level of branches. Here, a similar splitting of the water stream takes place, some being delivered outer to the potted plants at this level through the branch conduits 106 and soaker hoses 122, and the remainder continuing upward to the uppermost ring-shaped conduit 100a at the uppermost level of branches. At this level, a final splitting of the stream occurs, delivering some water to the multiple plants at this top multi-plant level, and sending the rest of the water stream up to the single plant at the top single-plant support 24.
The watering system is easy to install during assembly of the stand. With the lowermost hub and branches installed, the ring-shaped conduits are simply lowered over the top end the assembled post-section(s). With the next higher hub in place, but no branches yet added, all of the ring-shaped conduits except the lowermost one featuring the garden hose coupling conduit are raised over this next higher hub and held in place while one or more branches are inserted at this hub. This process (raising ring-shaped conduits up over the next hub, installing branches thereat, and then seating the respective ring-shaped conduit on this hub), is repeated until the uppermost ring-shaped conduit is seated on the branches of the uppermost hub, at which point the final uppermost post conduit and attached soaker hose is lifted and placed into the single-plant at the top supper 24 of the plant stand. Tie straps, elastic bands, string, or other ties or clamps may be used to secure the watering system to the stand, for example closing around each branch conduit and the branch it extends along, as shown in
The watering system provides an advantage over prior art stand and watering solutions, where tubular pieces of the stand structure are used as water conduits, as such solutions using the post or trunk as a water delivery conduit require fluid-tight assembly of the post sections or use of a continuous length of pipe, thereby increasing the complexity of the assembly process or lacking the ability to break down the trunk post for compact storage or transport, and prior art solutions using pipe-shaped branches as water delivery conduits from the trunk to the plants lack the simplicity of the seat-in-place wire branch installation present invention. The present invention thus provides an easy to assembly stand, with an optional watering system included with the stand or separately available as an add-on purchase.
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without department from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
Claims
1. A potted plant holder comprising:
- a plurality of elongated post pieces including: a bottom post member having a hollow upper end; and at least one additional post member comprising an upper portion of uniform cross-sectional outer periphery and a lower end of reduced cross-sectional outer periphery relative to the upper portion, the lower end of reduced cross-sectional outer periphery being sized to fit within the hollow upper end of the bottom post member and seat the upper portion of uniform cross-sectional outer periphery atop the hollow upper end of the bottom post member, and the upper portion being equal in cross-sectional outer periphery to the hollow upper end of the bottom post member;
- a plurality of hubs each comprising a central passage extending axially therethrough, the central passage having a cross-sectional size and shape sufficient to accommodate the uniform cross-sectional periphery therein;
- a plurality of elongate support branches for each hub, each support branch having an inboard end configured for support by said hub radially outward from the central passage therethrough at a respective position around said central passage and an outboard end configured as a ring for supporting a plant pot; and
- a stop device associated with each hub and operable in cooperation with said hub and any uprightly oriented post member of the plurality of elongated post members when said hub is slidably disposed around said post member to retain the hub at a select position along said post member;
- whereby the equal cross-sectional periphery of the hollow upper end of the bottom post member and the upper portion of the additional post member enables sliding of any hub from the additional post member to the bottom post member, and vice versa, while said post members are fitted together end-to-end.
2. The potted plant holder of claim 1 wherein each stop device comprises a pin device engagable through any of a plurality of transverse bores extending through the plurality of post members at distinct locations therealong.
3. The potted plant holder of claim 1 wherein each hub comprises a plurality of outer passages extending axially thereinto at areas outward from the central passage at the respective positions therearound and each outer passage has a slot-shaped cross-section elongated in one of two orthogonal directions, each support branch comprising a rod that is bent at the outboard end to form the ring and bent at the inboard end to form a first leg extending laterally relative to a plane of the ring and a second leg extending back along the first leg from an integral connection thereto, the legs being fittable side by side in any of the outer passages of the hub in the elongated direction of the slot-shaped cross-section thereof.
4. The potted plant holder of claim 3 wherein each hub comprises a pair of spaced-apart parallel end plates having respective central apertures aligned with one another to define ends of the central passage through the hub and having respective sets of slots aligned with one another to define ends of the outer passages, which extend fully through the hub.
4. (canceled)
5. The potted plant holder of claim 4 comprising bolts passing through the end plates for interconnection thereof, spacers disposed between the end plates and a nut threaded onto each bolt from outside the end plates.
6. The potted plant holder of claim 5 wherein the spacers comprise hollow cylinders through which the bolts respectively pass.
7. The potted plant holder of claim 1 comprising leg members, and a post base having a central opening in a top end thereof and a plurality of leg openings positioned radially outward from the central opening at spaced locations therearound, the central opening being sized to receive a bottom end of the bottom post member and the leg openings being sized to receive inboard ends of the leg members.
8. The potted plant holder of claim 7 wherein the leg openings open into a bottom of the post base.
9. The potted plant holder of claim 7 wherein each leg member comprises an upturned end shaped for receipt in the leg openings and an extending portion branching laterally from the upturned end.
10. The potted plant holder of claim 1 further comprising a set of adapter rings each smaller in diameter than the rings of the support branches and a plurality of mounts configured to selectively couple the adapter rings to the rings of the support branches in parallel orientations therewith to configure the support branches for nested support of smaller potted plants.
11. The potted plant holder of claim 10 wherein the mounts each comprise a hanger having hooked upper end for engagement over the ring of any support branch to suspend the adapter ring therefrom.
12. The potted plant holder of claim 11 wherein each hanger is C-shaped to provide a hooked lower end for embracing around a bottom of the adapter ring.
13. The potted plant holder of claim 10 wherein each mount comprises a piece of wire bent into a hanger and each adapter ring is a split ring of bent wire.
14. The potted plant holder of claim 1 in combination with a plant watering system for same, the plant water system comprising:
- an intake conduit having an inlet arranged to couple to a water source;
- a plurality of ring-shaped conduit members coupled to the intake conduit and each sized for placement over the post members to form a water conduit that is fed by the water source and that extends around the post members above the support branches of a respective one of the hubs;
- at least one post conduit each fluidly coupled between a respective pair of the ring-shaped conduit members to extend along the post members to deliver water from one of said pair ring-shaped conduit members to the other of said pair of ring-shaped conduit members;
- a plurality of branch conduits in fluid communication with the water conduit of each ring-shaped conduit member and extending outward therefrom to extend along the elongate support branches to the potted plants; and
- a water outlet at an end of each branch conduit opposite the ring-shaped conduit member to discharge water into the potted plants at the outboard ends of the support branches.
15. A potted plant holder comprising:
- an upright elongated post:
- a plurality of hubs supported on the elongated post at spaced apart positions therealong, each hub comprising a plurality of outer passages extending axially thereinto at areas outward from the elongated post at respective positions therearound and each outer passage having a slot-shaped cross-section elongated in one of two orthogonal directions;
- a plurality of elongate support branches for each hub, each support branch comprising a rod that is bent at an outboard end thereof to form a ring for supporting a pot and bent at an inboard end to form a first leg extending laterally relative to a plane of the ring and a second leg extending back along the first leg from an integral connection thereto, the legs being fittable side by side in any of the outer passages of the hub in the elongated direction of the slot-shaped cross-section thereof.
16. A watering system for a potted plant holder having an upright elongated post structure and multiple sets of branches at different heights along the post structure and each comprising a plurality of elongate support branches projecting outwardly away from post structure in order to support potted plants on said support branches, the watering system comprising:
- an intake conduit having an inlet arranged to couple to a water source;
- a plurality of ring-shaped conduit members coupled to the intake conduit and each sized for placement over the post structure to form a water conduit that is fed by the water source and that extends around the post structure above a respective set of branches;
- at least one post conduit each fluidly coupled between a respective pair of the ring-shaped conduit members to extend along the post structure to deliver water from one of said pair ring-shaped conduit members to the other of said pair of ring-shaped conduit members;
- a plurality of branch conduits in fluid communication with the water conduit of each ring-shaped conduit member and extending outward therefrom to extend along the elongate support branches to the potted plants; and
- a water outlet at an end of each branch conduit opposite the ring-shaped conduit member to discharge water into the potted plants.
17. The watering system of claim 16 wherein each branch conduit comprises flexible tubing.
18. The watering system of claim 16 wherein the water outlet comprises an outlet tube arranged to discharge water therefrom at multiple points therealong.
19. The water system of claim 18 wherein the outlet tube has opposite ends thereof coupled to a T-fitting that is also coupled with an end of the branch conduit opposite the ring-shaped conduit member.
20. The watering system of claim 16 wherein each ring-shaped conduit member comprises multiple lengths of tubing connected together by T-fittings, each of which connects the lengths of tubing of the ring-shaped conduit to a respective one of the branch conduits.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 16, 2012
Publication Date: Sep 27, 2012
Inventor: Keith Ganske (Alberta)
Application Number: 13/422,396
International Classification: A01G 9/00 (20060101); F16L 41/00 (20060101); A47G 29/00 (20060101);