Plant husbandry – Plant supports – Vertical
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-22
2002-06-25
Poon, Peter M. (Department: 3643)
Plant husbandry
Plant supports
Vertical
C047S042000, C047S043000, C047S044000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06408569
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to plant support devices and more specifically it relates to a plant support assembly for rigidly supporting a plant in an upright position in various types of soil conditions.
Plants, especially newly planted plants, often times fall over in the loosely packed soil whether in a pot or directly into the ground surface. Often times stakes are inserted into the soil adjacent the plant, however the stake is inserted into the same loosely packed soil which sometimes fall over along with the plant because of wind or other forces.
The only effective method of retaining a plant in an upright position during the initial stages of growth is the use of stakes inserted a distance away from the plant with strings attached between the stakes and the plant. This is undesirable because the strings and stakes take up a significant amount of room and take a significant amount of time to install. Hence, there is a need for a stable plant support assembly that is easy to install and that does not take up a significant amount of room about the plant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Plant support devices have been in use for years. Typically, a user utilizes a plurality of stakes inserted into the ground surrounding the plant with a corresponding plurality of strings attached between the stakes and the plant for supporting the plant from various positions.
Unfortunately, conventional methods of supporting plants are undesirable because of the significant amount of room they consume surrounding the plant. Conventional methods are also undesirable because of the significant amount of time required to install upon the plant.
Examples of plant support devices include U.S. Pat. No. 3,471,968 to L. R. Letz; U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,678 to Schweiker; U.S. Pat. No. 3,165,863 to J. Duran; U.S. Pat. No. 2,893,169 to I. L. Shepherd; U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,792 to Etzel; U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,289 to Fogelson; U.S. Pat. No. 3,148,480 to J. S. Gallo; U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,473 to Rakov & Grad; U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,038 to Gregoranto; U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,203 to Scott; U.S. Pat. No. 2,964,877 to F. A. Gaulding which are all illustrative of such prior art.
L. R. Letz (U.S. Pat. No. 3,471,968) discloses an adjustable telescoping plant support and watering device. Letz teaches a circular plate and a telescoping tube attached to the circular plate centrally for extending upwardly.
Schweiker (U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,678) discloses an extendable support post for potted plants. Schweiker teaches a vertical post secured to a horizontal apertured anchor plate.
Duran (U.S. Pat. No. 3,165,863) discloses a telescopic plant stake. Duran teaches a conical band, an outer tube attached within the conical band by a plurality of shafts, and an inner shaft within the outer tube.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for rigidly supporting a plant in an upright position in various types of soil conditions. Conventional plant support devices and systems require significant amount of time to install. In addition, conventional plant support devices and systems generally do not provide a stable support system for a plant during the initial stages of growth.
In these respects, the plant support assembly according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of rigidly supporting a plant in an upright position in various types of soil conditions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of support devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new plant support assembly construction wherein the same can be utilized for rigidly supporting a plant in an upright position in various types of soil conditions.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new plant support assembly that has many of the advantages of the support devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new plant support assembly which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art support devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a base, a tubular member attached to the base and extending upwardly, a shaft positionable within the base, and a locking strap for securing a plant to the shaft or tubular member. The shaft is preferably constructed of a material that is easily severed for allowing support for various heights of plants. The base is shaped for fitting within the lower portion of a conventional pot for plants. In an alternative embodiment, the tubular member includes an upper spiked end for inserting through the roots of the plant and thereafter receiving the adjusted shaft.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a plant support assembly that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
Another object is to provide a plant support assembly that supports a plant in an upright position.
An additional object is to provide a plant support assembly that can be utilized in various types of soil conditions.
A further object is to provide a plant support assembly that is easy to install without requiring a significant amount of time for installation.
Another object is to provide a plant support assembly that is adjustable for various heights of plants.
A further object is to provide a plant support assembly that is positionable within a conventional pot for plants or directly into the ground.
Another object is to provide a plant support assembly that is stable even with loose soil conditions.
An additional object is to provide a plant support assembly that does not deteriorate or decay over extended periods of time.
Another object is to provide a plant support assembly that does not significantly alter the aesthetics of the plant.
A further object is to provide a plant support assembly that can be constructed out of biodegradable material.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3739523 (1973-06-01), Tuffli
patent: 5301481 (1994-04-01), Novak
patent: D412816 (1999-08-01), Thingvold
patent: 5975635 (1999-11-01), Parpala
patent: 2220118 (1990-04-01), None
Poon Peter M.
Valenti Andrea M.
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