Plant husbandry – Receptacle for growing medium – Irrigator
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-13
2002-09-03
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Plant husbandry
Receptacle for growing medium
Irrigator
Reexamination Certificate
active
06442895
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to an internal construction device for assembling a large plant from a plurality of smaller plants, the device comprising (1) a support pole extending in height direction of the device, (2) a plurality of superimposed retainers mounted above each other around the support pole and being at least partly nested within each other, the retainers having a central storage volume for receiving dirt and plants and a substantially open top face, (3) supporting means for supporting each retainer. A retainer underneath comprises a side wall and a top face with a surface area. A subsequent retainer above the retainer underneath comprises a side wall and a bottom face with a surface area, the surface area of the top face of the retainer underneath being larger than the surface area of the bottom face of the subsequent retainer so as to create between the side walls of both retainers a space for receiving plants.
Such a vertical tiered sectional planter is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,293,798. The vertical tiered sectional planter of U.S. Pat. No. 3,293,798 comprises a circular, flat, pan shaped base which is positioned in a corresponding recess in the ground. A circular, pan shaped bottom section is nested within the base and rests with its bottom wall on a horizontal screen secured to the side-wall of the base section. An upstanding, vertically elongated standard is fixed within the base. A plurality of pan shaped sections are secured around the standard. The lower part of the side wall of each section is perforated to allow moisture to escape in a controlled way through the side wall perforations and to fall onto the peripheral parts of the bed below. The dimensions of the sections are chosen such that the side walls of subsequent sections are spaced apart radially so that between the top rim of the lower section and the side wall of the subsequent section a bed is created for receiving shoots.
The vertical tiered planter disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,797 aims at increasing the planting area without thereby increasing the floor space occupied by it and at culturing polycultures within one planter, for example vegetables, flowers, strawberries and even potatoes. It is designed to provide a maximum access to the beds, while at the same time affording a maximum exposure of the shoots to sunlight and rain and occupying a minimum of ground area. The planter of U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,797 comprises an upstanding, vertically elongated standard around which the flower pots are arranged. Each flower pot is supported in two ways. A first support means is formed by the dirt in the pot. As a second support means, each pot rests with its bottom onto a bar which extends through the segmented pole.
In FR-A-2.733.117 a culture tower is disclosed which comprises a plurality of retainers succeeding each other in height direction of the tower. The retainers are mounted on a rigid support composed of three vertically extending rectilinear poles, regularly distributed in circumferential direction of the wall of the tower. Every pole consists of a plurality of superimposed profiles which engage each other in height direction of the tower, each profile comprising a lateral restraint for receiving the retainer and maintaining subsequent retainers at a pre-determined distance from each other. The culture tower disclosed in FR-A-2.733.117 is intended to grow a large number of small vegetables, small plants and aromatics on a small ground area.
FR-A-2.545.313 relates to a device for the intensive culture of vegetal plants. Thereto, use is made of a pyramidal device of a plurality of in height direction superimposed floors. The side walls of the floors are formed by laterally inclined plates, which form a physical obstacle with a tendency to exert a guiding effect to the development of the roots towards the central zone of the pyramid.
SUMMARY
It is the object of the present invention to provide a different concept of a plant growing device, namely an internal construction for a plant with which a full-grown plant or tree or shrub or the like can be assembled from small plants in a simple way, and in particular within a relatively short period of time.
This is achieved according to the present invention with the technical features of the characterising part of the first claim.
The retainer of the internal construction device of the present invention is in fact a casing with a side wall and an open bottom face which enclose a central storage space, the central storage spaces of subsequent or superimposed retainers being connected to each other and transferring into each other in a jointless manner.
It has been found with this invention that the connection of the subsequent central storage spaces renders the device particularly suitable for constructing a full-grown plant or shrub or a tree like plant of any desired shape, starting from a plurality of smaller shrubs or tree plants. After a relatively short period of time the device as such is no longer visible from the outside.
The device of this invention constitutes in fact an internal construction or internal framework in which a plurality of smaller plants can be assembled or housed, and from which the plants may extend in all directions to form to a tree or a shrub like plant or a large plant or the like, the framework being hidden by the plants. The device of this invention is conceived as a frame for containing the dirt for the plants, the frame being no longer visible from the outside and being provided to be hidden by the plants housed in it. As the central storage volumes of subsequent retainers and thus the dirt contained therein are connected to each other and transfer into each other in a jointless manner, the central storage spaces of subsequent retainers appear to form one large growing volume for the roots, so that the dirt of a specific level is not only accessible to the roots of plants housed in that particular level or retainer, but is also accessible to the roots of the plants located in higher levels. As a consequence the growth of the roots and the plants is not limited by the dirt volume of the retainer they are housed in, but is extended to wards the interior of the lower retainers. Because of this, the frame of the presumed full-grown plant obtainable with the device of this invention is comparable to the interior of a full grown tree, which is composed of a plurality of branched internal branches, which often don't carry any leaves and form a frame for the outer, leave carrying branches to supply them with feed and moisture. Nor the frame as such, nor the result obtainable with such a frame can be derived from the state of the art.
It has surprisingly been found that plants planted in the device of this invention can grow to a larger size as compared to conventional planters, where the maximum size and the life time of the plants is usually limited. This is surprising as plants of shrubs and trees mostly only show a good growth when planted in full ground. An analysis of the problem has revealed that this may most probably attributed to the interconnection of the central storage spaces of the retainers, which appears to approach the conditions provided by the soil of a garden or the like, and through which the roots dispose of a larger volume of growing medium and a larger growing space and thus may grow to a larger extent.
The observed longer lifetime of the plants in the device of this invention as compared to plants housed in conventional planters can presumably also be attributed to the fact that the roots can dispose of a larger volume of dirt. The accessibility of a larger volume of dirt improves the feed of which the plant can dispose and allows a more even distribution of moisture, nutrients and fertilisers, supplied from the outside to the device, to be achieved, thus promoting the plant feed. The dirt contained in subsequent retainers in fact forms one large, growing medium, wherein the roots of the plants have a large degree of freedom to grow and develop themselves, which appears to hav
Palo Francis T.
Piper Rudnick LLP
Roey Jan Van
Schneider Jerold I.
LandOfFree
Plant container assembly does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Plant container assembly, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Plant container assembly will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2890834