Plant husbandry – Receptacle for growing medium – Irrigator
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-11
2002-04-02
Poon, Peter M. (Department: 3643)
Plant husbandry
Receptacle for growing medium
Irrigator
C119S246000, C047S065500, C047S048500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06363658
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a flowerpot having a water chamber defined within a transparent water container outside the pot body thereof for keeping living fish, animals and plants and, more particularly, to such a flowerpot, which uses a float-driven flexible tube to control water passage from the water chamber to the inside space of the pot body for growing plants automatically.
Conventional flowerpots are simply adapted to hold soil for growing plants. People must regularly water soil in flowerpots so that plants can grow well. However, maintaining much water in soil will make the plants rot. There is also known flowerpots having a water chamber outside the pot body for keeping living fish, animals and plants.
FIG. 1
shows a flowerpot of this kind. As illustrated in
FIG. 1
, the flowerpot comprises a transparent water container
1
, a pot body
2
mounted in the transparent water container
1
and adapted to hold soil for growing plants, a water chamber H defined within the water container
1
outside the pot body
2
for keeping living fish, animals and plants, and an absorptive member
3
mounted in a bottom through hole of the pot body
2
and adapted to deliver water from the water chamber H to soil in the pot body
2
. This structure of flowerpot is still not satisfactory in function. The drawbacks of this structure of flowerpot are as follows:
1. Because the absorptive member
3
has a lower part dipped in water in the water chamber H and an upper part embedded in soil in the pot body
2
, it never stops from watering soil in the pot body
2
, and much water will be maintained in soil in the pot body
2
.
2. When the absorptive member
3
starts to wear or becomes hardened after a long use, water cannot be efficiently delivered from the water chamber H to soil in the pot body
2
, causing soil in the pot body
2
unable to get sufficient water.
3. Because the water chamber
2
surrounds the pot body
2
, the plants growing in soil in the pot body
2
cannot get sufficient fresh air.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a flowerpot, which is adapted to grow plants and to keep living fish, animals and plants. It is another object of the present invention to provide a flowerpot, which automatically controls the supply of water to soil for growing plants. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a flowerpot with means to guide outside fresh air to the roots of the plants growing in soil in the pot body. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a flowerpot, which enables the user to pump air in water in the water chamber adapted for keeping living fish, animals and plants. According to one aspect of the present invention, the flowerpot comprises a transparent water container, a pot body mounted in the transparent water container, a first water chamber defined in the pot body, a second water chamber defined within the water container outside the pot body for keeping living fish, animals and plants, a soil holder mounted in the pot body above the first water chamber and adapted to hold soil for growing plants, and a water level control device floating in the first water chamber and adapted to close/open the water passage between the first water chamber and the second water chamber subject to the level of water in the first water chamber, enabling water to flow from the second water chamber to the first water chamber for plants growing in soil in the soil holder when the water in the second water chamber drops below a lower limit level. According to another aspect of the present invention, the water level control device is comprised of a connector mounted in a bottom through hole on the bottom wall of the pot body, a float flowing on water in the first water chamber, and a flexible tube connected between the connector and the float and controlled by the float to close/open a split thereof subject to the elevation of the level of water in the first water chamber. According to still another aspect of the present invention, the water container has an upright air tube formed integral with the bottom wall thereof and inserted through the bottom air tube of the pot body for guiding outside fresh air to the roots of the plants growing in soil in the pot body through air holes in the soil holder.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4041641 (1977-08-01), Dietz
patent: 4117805 (1978-10-01), Ward
patent: 4236352 (1980-12-01), Heaney et al.
patent: 4745707 (1988-05-01), Newby
patent: 4754571 (1988-07-01), Riechmann
patent: 4885870 (1989-12-01), Fong
patent: 5040489 (1991-08-01), Drake
patent: 5097626 (1992-03-01), Mordoch
patent: 5127366 (1992-07-01), Kim
patent: 5618428 (1997-04-01), Oslund
patent: 5921025 (1999-07-01), Smith
patent: 0195542 (1986-09-01), None
Poon Peter M.
Rosenberg , Klein & Lee
Valenti Andrea M.
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