Plant husbandry – Cover – shade – or screen – Adjustable on supporting structure or having means allowing...
Reexamination Certificate
1997-02-12
2001-11-06
Carone, Michael J. (Department: 3501)
Plant husbandry
Cover, shade, or screen
Adjustable on supporting structure or having means allowing...
C047S029500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311427
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an anchored outdoor plant cover for protecting shrubs and plants that is both decorative and supported and anchored to the earth so as to maintain stability of the cover during high winds and otherwise protect the enclosed plant or shrub against harsh weather conditions.
The prior art includes plant covers for both indoor and outdoor plants having a variety of structural configurations developed for the fulfillment of numerous requirements and objectives.
Known examples of plant covers include U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,431 to Stoll which discloses a translucent plant cover in the form of a hexagonal column formed by folding corrugated plastic side panels and including a hinged lid panel operable for plant ventilation purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,049 to Gorewitz discloses a flexible plastic sheet cover for indoor houseplants providing means for tying the sheet edges together so as to encompass the plant and form an enclosed trough to catch excess water added to the plant.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,665 to Wallace, et al, discloses a double wall tubular device for thermally protecting outdoor plants comprised of inner and outer wall sections having a plurality of side by side tubes that are closed at the bottom and open at the top for filling with water and air.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,003 to Mirecki describes a hot cap for plants of plastic or cardboard of triangular shape, each sheet provided with a central notch forming four flaps that are folded together in similar fashion to a conventional cardboard container, and the lower edges of the sheets are of generally circular shape and are depressed into the earth.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,341 discloses a two section hollow mold for forming large figures from snow, the halves of the mold when connected enclose the shape of a three snowball traditional snowman and after packing the snow in each section the mold sections are disconnected and removed thus forming a three ball snowman.
None of the known prior art discloses a shrub or plant cover suitable for protecting shrubs and plants during the winter season that combines an outer sheath and an integrally attached internal support and anchoring means suitable to resist high winds as well as snow and icing conditions during northern winters that also has a pleasing decorative appearance that enhances the lawns or gardens in which it is placed for extended time periods.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The subject invention provides a shrub or plant cover that is functional to protect plants from month long periods of ice, snow, rains, and winds and is also sufficiently decoratively attractive to enhance the appearance of the lawn or garden in which it is installed. These advantages relative to the prior known plant covers are achieved by combining the pleasing appearance of an outer weather resistant sheath with an internally attached supporting and anchoring frame that connects the sheath to the earth, integrally, by a plurality of vertically extending leg members that are securely attached to the internal locations near the top of the sheath.
The combination structure of this invention provides a number of advantages relative to any heretofore known plant covers.
One important functional advantage of a shrub cover of substantial height which is subjected to high wind forces, sufficient to topple an unanchored cover is that the buried end of the legs, selectively having lower end portions, are connected internally directly to plural locations near the top of the sheath to maintain the cover in its protective position around the shrub or plant during high winds.
Another advantage of the preferred tall form of the sheath is that the sheath includes an upper lid portion, positioned atop the intermediate portion of the sheath that is removable during calm, sunny days to provide ventilation. and sun to the enclosed shrub or plant. Means of ventilation variable depending upon artistic composition, it is understood that the sheath portion may utilize other means to achieve said objective, possibly incorporating ventilation within a single component sheath. In a preferred form of the invention the upper lid portion optionally includes an interior chamber adapted to be filled with a weighty material, for example sand, gravel, or the like, that provides additional anchoring and stability during high wind conditions. The optional interior chamber of said optional lid also serves as a mechanism of location maintenance when uncoupled from said intermediate portion of said sheath.
The decorative appearance of the outdoor shrub and plant cover of this invention as shown in
FIGS. 1 through 7
of the drawings is another advantage of this invention since the covers are additions to lawns and gardens that will remain in place for winter long periods and be visible to the public. It is understood that artistic persons may paint modify and create other appearances to the exterior sheath of this invention and that
FIGS. 1 through 7
are illustrative only. It is further understood that any adornments may be added by said artistic persons, said adornments including but not limited to lighting and or mechanical motion.
Another advantage of this invention is that the exterior sheath and the internal frame may be fabricated from inexpensive weather resistant materials such as extrudable or formable plastics of the polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyurethane types and that the frame components are inexpensive iron or steel rods, bars, or channels, and that these components are separable for packaging and shipping and easily assembled such that the covers of this invention will be available for mass consumption at inexpensive prices.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide new, improved, decorative plant and shrub covers which have significant advantages over all the known prior art.
It is a further object of this invention to provide new and improved decorative plant covers which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
Lastly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved outdoor plant and shrub cover which is the combination of a decorative weather resistant external sheath and an internal supporting and anchoring frame which attaches a portion of the sheath near its top directly with the ground so as to maintain the stability of the cover under high wind, harsh conditions.
These together with the other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize this invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2009867 (1935-07-01), Ball
patent: 2141484 (1938-12-01), Piglia
patent: 3384992 (1968-05-01), Heffron
patent: 4829707 (1989-05-01), Koffler et al.
patent: 2050552 (1993-03-01), None
patent: 1452430 (1976-10-01), None
patent: 1688803 (1991-11-01), None
patent: 1724088 (1992-04-01), None
Benefiel John R.
Carone Michael J.
Downs Joanne C.
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