Plant husbandry – Tree trunk supporting base with liquid reservoir
Utility Patent
1999-04-02
2001-01-02
Poon, Peter M. (Department: 3644)
Plant husbandry
Tree trunk supporting base with liquid reservoir
Utility Patent
active
06167651
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to devices for watering a Christmas tree and more specifically to a watering device which is designed to be an ornament which hangs from one or more branches of the tree.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Devices for watering Christmas trees are known in the art. There are large capacity devices which supply water to the tree stand over an extended period of time and are designed to sit on the floor. In an effort to blend in to the overall aesthetics associated with Christmas decorations, several of these large capacity devices are designed to simulate a Christmas present sitting under the tree. Although these devices are advantageous because they relieve the user of having to water the tree on frequent basis, these devices tend to be expensive and thus not an economical alternative to watering manually and they can be cumbersome to use.
There are also devices which are designed to hang from the branches of the tree to enable a person to regularly water the tree without having to crawl under the tree with a pitcher of water to add water to the tree stand. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,473,838 to Denbigh describes a Christmas tree watering device which comprises an open funnel coupled to a tubular conduit which transfers water poured into the open funnel down to the tree stand. The open funnel is attached to a branch using a spring-loaded clamp which is coupled to the funnel to a funnel mounting means which rotates around an axis perpendicular to the tree trunk to allow the funnel to hang from the branch in a generally upright position. Although this device is generally shaped like an inverted bell and includes decorative images thereon, the device does not adequately blend into the general aesthetics of the Christmas tree because the means for attaching the funnel to the tree is large and unwieldy and thus cannot be attached to a thin, readily accessible outer branch which limits the convenience of the device. In addition, because the funnel is completely open, a person can readily look into the open end of the funnel and see that the device is not an ornament.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,277 to Pierce et al. discloses a device for regularly watering a Christmas tree and for monitoring the water level in the tree stand. However, as with the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,473,838, the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,277 comprises a funnel open at one end. Furthermore, only the front portion of Pierce's device looks arguably like an ornament. The back portion of Pierce's device which contains the funnel is open which limits its ability to blend in with the Christmas tree decorations. Although Pierce's device can be hung from the tree using a standard ornament hook, as do all ornaments hung using a hook, Pierce's device will rotate thus exposing the unattractive rear portion of Pierce's device. In addition, because more than half of Pierce's device contains the water monitoring components, only half of the bottom portion of Pierce's device acts as a receptacle for pouring water into the funnel which requires greater accuracy when pouring water into the receptacle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a device for watering a Christmas tree which is capable of hanging from an outer branch of the tree and which looks more like a Christmas tree ornament.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a device for watering a Christmas tree which has a receptacle with an opening for pouring water therein which can be completely closed to resemble an ornament from all sides and from the top.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a device for watering a Christmas tree which has a large opening for pouring water therein and which resembles an ornament from all sides and from the top.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a device for watering a Christmas tree which looks like a spherical ornament from all sides and from the top.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a device for watering a Christmas tree which can be hung from a thin outside branch of the tree without using a separate ornament hook.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a device for watering a Christmas tree which can be hung from a tree branch without using a separate ornament hook and which is a single piece molded from a thermoplastic material.
A preferred embodiment of the device of this invention for watering a Christmas tree at its base with a fluid, wherein the Christmas tree comprises a plurality of branches, comprising, a receptacle having an opening for receiving the fluid and a drainage outlet through a bottom portion of the receptacle; a lid comprising a means for releasably closing the lid against the receptacle opening so that the lid completely covers the receptacle opening; a means for removably attaching the device to one or more of the branches of the tree; and a means for transferring the fluid from the drainage outlet to the base of the tree. The preferred embodiment may further comprise a means for hingedly fixing the lid to the receptacle the means for hingedly attaching the lid to the receptacle comprises a living hinge. The lid, the receptacle and the living hinge are preferably a single member molded from a thermoplastic material.
The opening of the receptacle may have an upper rim having a perimeter shape and the lid has a lower rim with a perimeter shape which corresponds to the perimeter shape of the receptacle opening. The means for releasably closing the lid against the receptacle may also comprise a notched flange extending down from the perimeter of the opening of the lid which engages a notch on the receptacle.
The means for transferring fluid preferably comprises a hollow tube with at least two opposing open ends, wherein the drainage outlet comprises a conduit which extends downward from the bottom portion of the receptacle and which engages one of the opposing open ends of the tube and wherein the tube has a length extending from the conduit to at least the base of the tree.
Although the receptacle and lid may have a variety of shapes, the receptacle may have a generally half sphere shape and the lid may have a generally half sphere shape so that, when the lid is closed against the receptacle, together the receptacle and the lid form a sphere with a top pole and an opposing bottom pole in which the drainage outlet is positioned substantially at the bottom pole, wherein at least the receptacle half of the sphere is hollow. The means for removably attaching the device to one or more of the branches of the tree may comprise an inverted hook on an outside surface of the sphere substantially at the top pole.
Another preferred embodiment of the device of the invention for watering a Christmas tree at its base with a fluid, wherein the Christmas tree comprises a plurality of branches, comprises, a receptacle having an opening for receiving the fluid and a drainage outlet through a bottom portion of the receptacle, wherein the opening of the receptacle has an upper rim having a perimeter shape;
a lid, wherein the lid has a lower rim with a perimeter shape which corresponds to the perimeter shape of the receptacle opening, and wherein the lid comprises a means for releasably closing the lid against the receptacle opening so that the lid completely closes the receptacle opening; a means for removably attaching the device to one or more of the branches of the tree; and a means for transferring the fluid from the drainage outlet to the base of the tree.
Similar to the above described embodiment, this embodiment may comprise a living hinge for hingedly fixing the lid to the receptacle; the lid, the receptacle and the living hinge are preferably a single molded member; and the means for transferring fluid may comprise a hollow tube with at least two opposing open ends, wherein the drainage outlet comprises a conduit which extends downward from the bottom portion of the receptacle and which engages one of the oppo
Mirick O'Connell DeMallie & Lougee LLP
Palo Francis T.
Poon Peter M.
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