Foldable Or Hingedly Connected Sections Patents (Class 47/66.3)
  • Patent number: 9010020
    Abstract: A plant container assembly, method, and kit include a plant container with a sidewall having first and second sidewall portions, an open top, and an open bottom. A hinge member is on the sidewall between the open top and the open bottom and pivotally connects the first and second sidewall portions for movement between an open position of the plant container, and a closed position of the plant container forming an interior space capable of containing plant growing medium. A closure portion extends along the sidewall between the open top and the open bottom. A plant support cooperatively engages the closure portion and selectively holds the plant container in the closed position. A planar member is configured to be selectively placed within the plant container and supported on a ledge member on each of the first and second sidewall portions to selectively form a bottom closure for the plant container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Inventor: Judith Ann Slusher
  • Patent number: 8950110
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a foldable planter or holder. The planter or holder of the present invention includes one or more foldable compartments defined by an array of panels. Each compartment includes one or more upright panels to form an upright core; one or more movable panels to form a trough used for planting or storing belongings; and one or more fold lines, wherein at least one fold line is between the one or more upright panels and the one or more movable panels. In an embodiment, each panel is attached to at least one adjacent panel along a fold line. When the planter or holder is not in use, the movable panel pair folds at a fold line between the upright panel and the movable panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Inventor: Joseph F Fula
  • Patent number: 8443548
    Abstract: A transplantable plant container assembly is provided for containing a growing medium for a plant that significantly promotes air root pruning. The container assembly includes a container device that includes a sidewall support and a bottom support collectively defining an interior cavity. The sidewall support is comprised of a lattice framework defining a plurality of spaced apertures that extend from an interior wall to an exterior wall thereof. A relatively thin, moisture absorbent liner material is disposed adjacent to the lattice framework. The liner material is sufficiently penetrable to enable root penetration therethrough, by the plant, at the apertures. However, the liner material must also have sufficient structural integrity, when moist, to bound the growing medium and moisture across the spaced apertures of the lattice framework when contained in the interior cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Inventor: Brian Kempf
  • Patent number: 8429852
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a foldable planter. The planter of the present invention includes one or more foldable compartments defined by an array of panels. Each compartment includes one or more upright panels to form an upright core; one or more movable panels to form a trough used for planting; and one or more fold lines, wherein at least one fold line between the one or more upright panels and the one or more movable panels. In an embodiment, each panel is attached to at least one adjacent panel along a fold line. When the planter is not in use, the movable panel pair folds at a fold line between the upright panel and the movable panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Inventor: Joseph F. Fula
  • Publication number: 20130097925
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a foldable planter. The planter of the present invention includes one or more foldable compartments defined by an array of panels. Each compartment includes one or more upright panels to form an upright core; one or more movable panels to form a trough used for planting; and one or more fold lines, wherein at least one fold line between the one or more upright panels and the one or more movable panels. In an embodiment, each panel is attached to at least one adjacent panel along a fold line. When the planter is not in use, the movable panel pair folds at a fold line between the upright panel and the movable panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Inventor: Joseph F. Fula
  • Publication number: 20130000196
    Abstract: A collapsible and/or erectable shape-sustaining flower pot having a substantially erect condition and substantially collapsed condition is disclosed. The collapsible and/or erectable shape-sustaining container may be provided with at least one condition modifying element to facilitate erecting and/or collapsing the flower pot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Inventor: Donald E. Weder
  • Publication number: 20120311929
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for cultivating one or more plants, wherein the apparatus has at least one first chamber and at least one second chamber which are separated from one another by at least one first partition wall, wherein the inner spaces of the first chamber and of the second chamber are connected by one or more connection openings in the first partition wall, and wherein the first partition wall is made movable and/or is arranged so that the size of the first chamber and/or of the second chamber is changeable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Inventors: Kamal DAAS, Talal DAAS, Peter VAN DER DRIFT
  • Publication number: 20120266536
    Abstract: A container for growing plants includes a side wall defining an open top, an open bottom, and a cavity for receiving a plant and a plant growth medium. The side wall may be composed of a biodegradable material and may be flexible, yet rigid enough to be self-supporting. The side wall may also be smooth on its outer surface for receiving selected printed indicia, such as product information and growth instructions. In certain embodiments, the side wall may be laminated, contain openings, or have a handle disposed thereon. The container is used by placing a plant and a plant growth medium in the container, then exposing the resulting potted plant to selected conditions of temperature, moisture, and light. The potted plant may also be placed in soil or in a larger container without the need to remove the biodegradable container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: BALL HORTICULTURAL COMPANY
    Inventor: Grzegorz Trabka
  • Publication number: 20120233917
    Abstract: A pole planter assembly to be secured about a pole. The pole planter includes first and second independent chambers pivotally connected for growing plants. Each of the first and second chambers have wall sections with at least one inward indented surface and at least one outward projecting surface, and the wall sections of the first and second chambers are arranged whereby the at least one outward projecting surface of the wall section of the first chamber is arranged to fit within the corresponding at least one inward indented surface of the wall section of the second chamber to secure the first and second two chambers together. Each of the wall sections have concave surfaces to form a hollow shaped opening through the planter assembly when the first and second chambers are secured together to receive a pole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Inventor: Laura A. Sovey-Strah
  • Patent number: 8230643
    Abstract: A slope planting structure includes containing bags laid on the surface of a slope, stuffing filled in the containing bags, and fasteners. The containing bags are provided with plant seeds. The stuffing composed of plant growing material and absorbent material is filled into the containing bags. The containing bags are laid on the surface of the slope, and then the fasteners are inserted through the containing bags to secure the containing bags on the slope. The containing bags are integrated with the slope to secure the slope, providing protection and green effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Inventor: Yushun Chang
  • Publication number: 20100287831
    Abstract: A collapsible and/or erectable shape-sustaining container having a substantially erect condition and substantially collapsed condition. The collapsible and/or erectable shape-sustaining container is provided with at least one condition modifying element to facilitate erecting and/or collapsing the container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2010
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Inventor: Donald E. Weder
  • Patent number: 7770323
    Abstract: Disclosed is a prefabricated type flowerpot block. It can be assembled in a simple manner, it can perform root-balling for a predetermined period and it can allow a plant to be transplanted to thus be conveniently moved. Accordingly, it eliminates the trouble of planting a plant to be transplanted in the ground during a transplanting process, and thus it prevents the roots of a plant to be transplanted from being damaged while the plant is moved to a transplanting place. The prefabricated type flowerpot block can also function as a flowerpot to plant therein any size of plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Inventors: Jung-Hoi Kim, Youn-Ja Jen
  • Patent number: 7712254
    Abstract: At least one embodiment of the invention pertains to a collapsible planter apparatus is provided comprising (1) a floor section having one or more drainage holes, (2) a first side wall hingeably coupled to a first edge of the floor section, and (3) and a second side wall hingeably coupled to a second edge of the floor section opposite the first edge of the floor section. A third side wall may be removably coupled between the first and second side walls along a third edge of the floor section. A fourth side wall may also be removably coupled between the first and second side walls along a fourth edge of the floor section opposite the third edge of the floor section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Klohr, Bobbie L. Klohr
  • Patent number: 7703237
    Abstract: An apparatus for cultivating a cucumber, eggplant or the like includes a fastening element for allowing an opened cover body to be fastened into a closed state or a closed cover body to be separated into an opened state by causing a catching protrusion opened along the longitudinal direction of the cover body, and a plurality of catching steps to allow the cover body to be coupled and fastened when catching steps are hooked on a catching protrusion, and a cover body distortion prevention projection formed protruding from the catching protrusion to fix opposite sides of each of the catching steps when each catching step is hooked on the catching protrusion. Cover body separation/opening supports are formed, respectively, on the top of each catching step and on the catching protrusion such that the fastened cover body can be unfastened and opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Inventor: Sung-rae Cho
  • Publication number: 20090277084
    Abstract: A transplantable plant container assembly is provided for containing a growing medium for a plant that significantly promotes air root pruning. The container assembly includes a container device that includes a sidewall support and a bottom support collectively defining an interior cavity. The sidewall support is comprised of a lattice framework defining a plurality of spaced apertures that extend from an interior wall to an exterior wall thereof. A relatively thin, moisture absorbent liner material is disposed adjacent to the lattice framework. The liner material is sufficiently penetrable to enable root penetration therethrough, by the plant, at the apertures. However, the liner material must also have sufficient structural integrity, when moist, to bound the growing medium and moisture across the spaced apertures of the lattice framework when contained in the interior cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2009
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Inventor: Brian Kempf
  • Publication number: 20090173002
    Abstract: A plant is grown to maturity in a transplant container and transplanted into a recipient's container. The transplant container has side walls that can be easily detached from the bottom after the transplant container has been placed into the recipient's container above growing media. After the side walls have been removed, growing media is added to a level above the roots. The bottom of the transplant container is easily penetrated by the roots of the plant and is left in the recipient's container with the plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Inventor: Clark P. Plihal
  • Patent number: 7448163
    Abstract: A floatable plant cultivation system that comprises a plurality of buoyant bases secured together and float on a water surface. One or more of the bases includes means for supporting one or more plants. The bases have side edges that abut one another and are secured together. In a preferred embodiment, the bases are rectangular mats fabricated from a closed-cell foam plastic material. Each of the bases has at least one side edge wherein a plurality of indentations are spaced apart along the side edge forming a plurality of protrusions and each indentation is positioned between consecutively spaced protrusions. The side edges of respective bases are joined together such that the protrusions on one base are positioned in mating relationship with the indentations of another base. In addition, or alternatively, the bases can be secured together by clips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Inventors: Stephen Edward Beeman, Forest Mathew Beeman
  • Publication number: 20080163545
    Abstract: A collapsible and/or erectable shape-sustaining container having a substantially erect condition and substantially collapsed condition. The collapsible and/or erectable shape-sustaining container is provided with at least one condition modifying element to facilitate-erecting and/or collapsing the container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Publication date: July 10, 2008
    Inventor: Donald E. Weder
  • Publication number: 20080163546
    Abstract: A collapsible and/or erectable shape-sustaining container having a substantially erect condition and substantially collapsed condition. The collapsible and/or erectable shape-sustaining container is provided with at least one condition modifying element to facilitate erecting and/or collapsing the container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Publication date: July 10, 2008
    Inventor: Donald E. Weder
  • Patent number: 7353635
    Abstract: A tree root ball wrapping apparatus (100) includes a circular platform (109, 113) for supporting a separable, open-frame, root-containment structure (103, 105, 107) having an inverted conical shape. A group of pivot joints (201, 203, 205, 207) are located at an upper section of the root-containment structure for separating the root-containment structure into half sections. In practice, the group of pivot joints can be opened during tree transplantation for providing removal of a root ball from the wrapping apparatus by opening the sections at the group of pivot joints for easily facilitating removal of the wrapping apparatus (100) from within a transplantation hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Inventor: William P. Westrate
  • Patent number: 7340859
    Abstract: A planter includes a wire basket having horizontal parallel top rings, bottom rings, and connected vertical wires. Four folding legs each include a top loop rotatably attached to the bottom rings. The legs when in their extended down position each include a short inwardly angled section that nests into the bottom rings for stability. The legs also include an outwardly angled section forming a mid-height detent recess, and a foot. A retainer ring slides downwardly into engagement with all four of the detent recesses to secure the legs in their use positions, which is particularly stable due to the nested relationship with the recesses in the bottom rings. A drip pan, shallow secondary basket and alternative leg-latches are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Inventor: Jeffrey J. Palsrok
  • Patent number: 7140149
    Abstract: A portable planter for high-density growth of plants is described. The planter contains a bottom and at least one wall disposed on the bottom for forming a cavity. The at least one wall contains a plurality of holes configured for allowing plant stems to extend therethrough in a generally horizontal orientation. At least one drain hole is formed in the bottom or the at least one wall for draining water from the cavity. Plant growth medium is placed in the cavity, and plants are planted in the plant growth medium such that the stems extend through the holes in the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Inventors: Rance W. Searle, Marty G. Hanson
  • Patent number: 6986222
    Abstract: A planting assembly (10) including a flexible trough member (12) which may selectively form a plurality of members which may be then selectively interconnected in any desired manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Inventor: Bradley Cochran
  • Patent number: 6904715
    Abstract: A panel (10) for use as a side wall of a plant growth container is disclosed. In one embodiment the panel (10) comprises an elongate cuspated sheet (11) having apertures formed in at least some of the outwardly projecting cusps to facilitate air root pruning of the root structure of a plant grown within the container. The sheet (11) includes a non-cuspated edge section (12), the non-cuspated edge section (12) being co-operable with a complementary edge section (13) of the same sheet (11) or of an adjacent sheet. The co-operable edge sections (12, 13) form a guideway for holding means (32), the holding means (32) passing along the guideway releasably hold the edge sections (12, 13) in use form a side wall of the container. A plant growth container having at least one panel (10) as described is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Trentcom APS PTY LTD
    Inventor: Peter A. Lawton
  • Publication number: 20040244288
    Abstract: A modular, bottomless planter comprising a plurality of panels and at least one temporary fastener that is adapted for temporarily attaching at least one of the panels to another of the panels. The planter is configured to be temporarily assembled around the base of a stationary object, such as a mailbox post or tent stake, and filled with plants or other vegetation to produce a pleasing visual effect. In one embodiment of the invention, the planter includes four substantially planar panels that are configured to be stacked when the planter is in a disassembled configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2004
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Inventor: Harriet Kirkpatrick
  • Patent number: 6695544
    Abstract: A retaining wall planter block that is resistant to damage and wear caused by the environment in which it is placed, but also accommodates the growth of desired vegetation. The planter block contains a fill material that is conducive to vegetation growth, and has apertures for the emerging vegetation. The deterioration resistant planter block is generally a hollowed frame or shell of a deterioration resistant material that is light-weight and is configured to accept and retain any type of organic filling material and seeds. The filling material provides weight and stability to the retaining wall planter block and also provides weight, stability and security to a retaining wall constructed of such planter blocks, as well as suitable growth medium for the vegetation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: New Technology Resources, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Alan Knudson, John Fitzgerald Dolan
  • Publication number: 20030070357
    Abstract: A floatable planting device includes two or more floatable bases coupled together with one or more couplers for floating or buoyant on the pool and for supporting and growing the plants naturally without watering and without providing nutrition to the plants. The bases may be used for shading the pools and for cleaning the water and for airing the pools and for improving the aquatic animals breeding environment to a comfortable environment. The couplers may rotatably or flexibly couple the bases together for allowing the bases to be rotated or moved relative to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2001
    Publication date: April 17, 2003
    Inventor: Shih Ming Huang
  • Patent number: 6536159
    Abstract: The invention relates to a plant pot comprising a first space (1) bounded by a first upright wall (4) and a second space (2) bounded by a second upright wall (5) and a bottom (7), which first and which second space (1,2) are separated from each other by a porous plate (9). The plant pot is according to the invention characterized in that a third space (3) bounded by a third upright wall (6) and a bottom (8) surrounds the second space (2), and in that the second space (2) serves to accommodate a moisture-retaining, hydrating but air-permeable material (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Inventor: Peter Hubertus Elisabeth Van Den Ende
  • Publication number: 20020121048
    Abstract: A planter for high-density growth of plants is described. The planter contains a bottom and at least one wall disposed on the bottom for forming a cavity. The at least one wall contains a plurality of holes configured for allowing plant stems to extend therethrough in a generally horizontal orientation. At least one drain hole is formed in the bottom or the at least one wall for draining water from the cavity. Plant growth medium is placed in the cavity, and plants are planted in the plant growth medium such that the stems extend through the holes in the wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2002
    Publication date: September 5, 2002
    Inventor: Rance W. Searle
  • Patent number: 6393761
    Abstract: A flower bud wrapper includes a semi-rigid, perforated, expandable tube, preferably containing a longitudinal slit. The wrapper can be expanded by pushing the tube down a flared delivery tube having a key disposed in the slits by a set of expandable prongs pushing on a lip connected to the top end of each wrapper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Inventor: Dennis Deacon
  • Patent number: 6381900
    Abstract: A hanging planter includes a bowl-like lower portion and a ring-like upper portion, with the upper portion nesting within the rim of the lower portion to provide a plant holding assembly. The upper edge of the lower portion and lower edge of the upper portion are crenelated, with the mating edges defining a series of plant growth openings therethrough when the two components are assembled. The crenelations are preferably of variable depths in each section, to define at least two different levels of plant growth openings through the sides of the assembly, with the upper edge of the upper portion defining a third plant growth opening for the device. Plants are selected according to their growth habits, with trailing plants being placed low in the planter, long flowering plants being placed at an intermediate level, and more upright plants being placed atop the others. The result is an essentially unbroken array of plant life covering the present planter, after the plants have grown out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Inventor: Gerald J. Crowley