Plant husbandry – Receptacle for growing medium – Irrigator
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-21
2002-06-11
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Plant husbandry
Receptacle for growing medium
Irrigator
C047S065500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06401389
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a plant watering system and, more particularly, a plant watering system having a container for receiving a fluid container having a valve which becomes actuated to hydrate plants situated in a plant-receiving area of the container with a predetermined amount of water.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED
Water needs differ from plant to plant and are dependent upon many factors, including atmospheric environment and the type of soil used. Determination of an individual plant's water needs is not a simple task for either the casual or professional plant grower. Also, a significant amount of time is required for watering conventional plants, particularly when numerous plants are involved, such as in a greenhouse. For a casual grower, it may sometimes be inconvenient to water plants, such as during periods when no one is available to tend to the plants. Many owners find it necessary to engage another's services in caring for the plants during periods of absence, or they risk loss of a plant due to lack of water. It is also not uncommon that the required watering of a plant is simply unintentionally overlooked or forgotten from day to day with the result being an unintentional or undesired death of the plant.
Some prior art planters provide some self-watering by transportation of water from a separate reservoir to the surrounding soil by wicks, sponges or other water-absorbent media are generally known. Another method of water transfer is by capillary action of water from a reservoir to the soil surrounding the plant, such as the use of the devices described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,866,351 and 2,713,753. These devices do not assure that proper amount of water is transferred to the soil.
Devices for growing plants which include not only a separate water reservoir but also access to such reservoir by plant's roots are also generally known, such as the devices described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,823,508; 2,713,749; 2,722,779; 3,660,933 and 954,550. Other devices, such as the device shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,183,175; 4,993,186; 5,502,924 and D-342,463, are also attempts to provide watering or hydrating systems.
A problem with the devices of the past is that they failed to provide a convenient and simple system and method for replenishing fluid in a fluid container which can be mounted in a plant container to automatically water the plants.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, a primary object of the invention to provide an automatic plant watering system method and system which comprises a simple two-piece construction and which provides a fluid container having a valve which may be used for refilling and which is used to permit fluid to flow from the container into a plant-receiving area of a plant container. In one aspect, this invention comprises An automatic plant watering system consisting of a container comprising a container bottom and a plurality of walls defining a first area for receiving soil and a second area for receiving a fluid container, the plurality of walls comprising a dividing wall for separating a first area from a second area, the dividing wall comprising a plurality of apertures for permitting fluid communication between a first and second area. The container further comprises an actuator associated with said second area, the fluid container comprising a valve member, a fluid container bottom, a valve member which is actuated by the actuator when the fluid container is situated in a first area, the container comprising a support for supporting the fluid container bottom a predetermined distance from the container bottom when the fluid container is positioned in the second area so that fluid from the fluid container may pass through the dividing wall into a first area until fluid in a second area achieves a desired fluid level which substantially corresponds to a predetermined distance.
In another aspect, this invention comprises a method for automatically watering at least one plant comprising the steps of filling a refillable fluid holder comprising a valve with water, situating the refillable fluid holder into a predetermined position in the plant container, and opening the valve so that water may flow through the valve until a plant area of the plant container is filled with a predetermined level of water which, in turn, is directly related to a predetermined position.
In still another aspect a method of watering a plant, comprising the steps of providing a container for receiving a plant in a plant receiving area and a fluid holder in a fluid holder receiving area, the aid fluid holder comprising a valve which is actuated to release fluid from the fluid holder receiving area to a plant receiving area when the fluid holder is mounted in the fluid holder receiving area until the fluid reaches a predetermined level, enabling a user to situate the fluid holder in the fluid holder receiving area to a predetermined position directly related to the predetermined level, so that the fluid reaches the predetermined level.
In yet another aspect this invention comprises an automatic plant watering system comprising a plant container, a refillable fluid holder for positioning in the container such that a controlled release of water from the refillable fluid holder to the plant container occurs when the refillable fluid holder is situated in the plant container.
An object of the invention is to provide a plant container having at least one wall defining both a plant-receiving area and a fluid container area for receiving a fluid container.
Another object of the invention is to provide a plant container which receives a fluid container such that when the fluid container is mounted in the plant container, an actuator on the plant container actuates a valve on the fluid container to automatically open the valve to permit water to pass from the fluid container to the plant-receiving area.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a method for automatically and conveniently water any plantation situated in a plant-receiving area by maintaining a water level in the plant-receiving area at a predetermined or desired level.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.
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