Plant husbandry – Receptacle for growing medium – Irrigator
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-27
2001-02-13
Carone, Michael J. (Department: 3643)
Plant husbandry
Receptacle for growing medium
Irrigator
C047S048500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06185866
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to watering devices, and, more particularly, to watering devices especially adapted for watering potted plants.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Plants that are grown indoors in pots don't receive natural rainfall and need to be watered periodically. Often plants are watered manually. However, a plant owner may not be able to manually water one's plants for a number of reasons. For example, a plant owner may wish to go on an extended vacation, and no one is available to manually water the plants. To accommodate such conditions, throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to watering potted plants automatically, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,357,129, 5,097,626, 5,212,905, 5,421,122, and 5,493,811.
More specifically, each of U.S. Pat. No. 3,357,129 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,811 discloses an automatic plant watering device which employs a support leg which is pushed into the soil in a potted plant. Pushing such a support leg into the soil may have a number of undesirable consequences. The roots of the plant may be damaged. The soil may not be compact, and the support leg may tilt or fall. The material with which the support leg is made may decompose or leach out into the soil In this respect, it would be desirable if an automatic plant watering device were provided which does not employ a support leg which is driven into the soil of a potted plant.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,626 discloses an automatic plant watering device which employs a specially designed circular pot to receive a specially designed ring-shaped water tank that fits in the specially designed pot. Once the ring-like water tank is in position in the pot, the water level in the tank is difficult to see. As a result, it may be difficult to know when it is necessary to add more water to the tank. In this respect, it would be desirable if an automatic plant watering device that does not employ a ring-shaped tank that fits into a pot.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,905 discloses an automatic plant watering device that employs a relatively tall, ring-shaped water distributor, containing nozzles, that fits on top of a circular pot. The ring-shaped nature of the water distributor may cause the plants contained in the pot to be shielded from the sun. In addition, the water distributor is relatively tall, and such height may cause additional sun shielding. In this respect, it would be desirable if an automatic plant watering device were provided which does not include water distribution structures that extensively shield plants from sunlight.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,122 discloses an automatic plant watering device which is suspended from an overhead, suspended support. Often, overhead supports have a fixed location, such as a fixed position in a ceiling. Therefore, moving such overhead supports around in different locations in a room would be difficult. With such a support, moving potted plants around to other locations would also be difficult, without losing the benefits of the automatic plant watering device. In this respect, it would be desirable if an automatic plant watering device were provided which does not employ an overhead, suspended support.
Still other features would be desirable in an automatic plant waterer apparatus. For example, it would be desirable if an automatic plant watering device were provided that can readily be moved from one potted plant to another. Also, it would be desirable for an automatic plant watering device would have a transparent container for a water supply so that the remaining quantity of water in the container is readily visible. To facilitate attachment of a water supply to a plant pot and to facilitate removal of the water supply from the plant pot, it would be desirable if an automatic plant watering device were provided which would include a manually operated clamp for clamping the water supply to the pot. In addition, to carefully control the supply of water to the plant, it would be desirable if an automatic plant watering device included a manually variable valve for controlling water flow.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use automatic plant watering devices, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a plant waterer apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) does not employ a support leg which is driven into the soil of a potted plant; (2) does not employ a ring-shaped tank that fits into a pot; (3) does not include water distribution structures that extensively shield plants from sunlight; (4) does not employ an overhead, suspended support; (5) can readily be moved from one potted plant to another; (6) has a transparent container for a water supply; (7) includes a manually operated clamp for clamping the water supply to the pot; and (8) includes a manually variable valve for controlling water flow. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique plant waterer apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention, briefly described, provides a plant waterer apparatus which includes a water container which includes a top container portion and a bottom container portion. A valve assembly is connected to the bottom container portion and is in communication with an interior of the water container. A clamp assembly is connected to the bottom container portion.
The water container includes a transparent container wall, and the transparent container wall includes indicia of volume. A container cap is attached to the top container portion. The container cap includes an access channel. A drip hose is connected to the valve assembly. The water container and the clamp assembly are aligned along a longitudinal axis. More specifically, the water container and the clamp assembly are located symmetrically around the longitudinal axis.
The clamp assembly includes a first clamping member connected to the bottom container portion and a second clamping member connected to the bottom container portion. The first clamping member includes a first clamp offset region which extends away from the longitudinal axis, and the second clamping member includes a second clamp offset region which extends away from the longitudinal axis and away from the first clamp offset region. The first clamping member and the second clamping member are made from spring wire. The valve assembly includes an externally operated valve handle and an internally controlled ball valve.
The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will be for the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining a preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the 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 description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. I
Carone Michael J.
Downs Joanne C.
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