GB2482482A

GB2482482A - Plant holder with a plurality of apertures

Info

Publication number: GB2482482A
Application number: GB201012962A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Hurley; Steven Keens; Graham Bates
Original assignee: USEFUL AND PRACTICAL IDEAS Ltd
Current assignee: USEFUL AND PRACTICAL IDEAS Ltd
Priority date: 2010-08-02
Filing date: 2010-08-02
Publication date: 2012-02-08
Anticipated expiration: 2030-08-02
Also published as: GB201012962D0; GB2482482B

Abstract

A plant holder 1 comprises a back panel which is adapted to be mounted to a generally vertical surface. The back panel 11 has a rear side to be directed toward the vertical surface and a front side. A bottom wall (12) is attached to the back panel and extends forward of the front side. A side wall, having a plurality of apertures 46 is attached to the bottom wall and the back panel to define a chamber 65 for holding soil and plants. The plant holder includes a reservoir 40 located within the chamber and provided with holes for the egress of water from the reservoir and into the chamber to provide irrigation. The back panel and bottom wall may be discrete items for interconnection. The reservoir may comprise an elongate channel having two longitudinal edges arranged to sealingly engage the back panel and a lower end arranged to sealingly engage the bottom wall.

Description

PLANT HOLDER

The present invention re'ates to plant holder and particularly to a holder inckiding a system for irrigating the plants growing therein.

Many types of irrigation systems are nowadays available ranging from a simple pipe upstanding from the base of a flower holder to more complex sprinkler systems having elaborate control devices. Plant holders of different shapes and constructions are also commonly avaable and are usually selected depending on whether they are to serve solely a utilitarian purpose or both a utilitarian and decorative purpose. For example, a plant may be sold in a basic plastic pot and subsequently transferred into a decorative holder so that it may be appropriately displayed for the garden or home. Such decorative holders may comprise a container having an exterior waU provided with a plurality of holes through which plants in the container grow. The container may also be furnished with an inbuiR irrigation system so as to water all the plants growing therein, which is particularly necessary for tall containers to ensure all plants are watered. The irrigation system commonly includes a reservoir comprsng a pipe extending along the length of the container and provided with perforations through which water may seep into the surrounding soil. Once the plants start to flourish they obscure the walls of the container such that the container is barely, if at all, visible.

Unlike conventional plant pots and tubs, these containers are not stackable due to their shape and the presence of the irrigation pipe running through their interior. As such, collectively they occupy considerable space which inevitably adds to transportation and storage costs, which in turn contribute significantly to the retail price of each unit.

it Is therefore an object of the present Invention to overcome the problems associated with the construction of existing plant holders of this nature.

Accorcing to the Invention, there Is provided a plant holder comprising: -abackpanelado�edtobemountedtoawallorothergeneraliy vertical surface, the back panel having a rear side to be directed toward that wall or vertical surface and a front side; -a bottom wall attached to the back panel and extending forward of the front side; to -asidewaliattachedtothebottomwaiiandthebackpaneitodefinea chamber for holding soIl and plants, the side wall havIng a plurality of apertures therethrough such that plants growing in the soil may extend through the apertures in said side wail; and -a water reservoir located within the chamber and provided with holes for the egress of water into the chamber to Irrigate the soil and plants.

in one arrangement the back -may be Integral to the bottom wall.

For Instance, the back panel and the bottom vS may be substantIally flat and cit, stamped or otherwise formed from a single sheet of material. Preferably the bottom wail extends from the lower edge of the back -and a line defined in the material Indicates the boundary between those parts. The boundary line may comprise a score line or a V-shaped channel along whIch the sheet may be folded so as to angle the bottom wall relative to the back -. The nature of the boundary line may depend on the thickness and flextlllty of the materIal.

In one arrangement, the sidewall may also be Integral to the back -and or bottom wall such that it too Is cut, stamped or otherwise formed from that single sheet of material. For example, the side wall could extend from a side edge of the back -and appropriate score Ones or v-shaped channels may be added to allow ft to adopt the requIred shape.

In an alternative embodiment the back panel, bottom wall and side wall are discrete ftems adapted for Interconnection. This way, each part may, If appropriate, be selectively made from different materials having a different thickness and being of a different colour. For Instance, the back panel and bottom wall may be formed from a rigid opaque material so as to provide a rId support structure and the side wall may be formed from a fledble transparent material so that ft may adopt the shape of the bottom wall and allow the soil tobeviewed.

Preferably the back -and the bottom wall lie In respective planes angled substantially 90 degrees apart. This is particularly advantegeous since the side wall to be attached to the bottom wall and back panel may be formed from a rectangular sheet and manipulated to extend around the periphery of the bottom wall. Whereas, when the back panel and the bottom wall are arranged at an angle other than 90 degrees ft is neoessary to contour the lower portion of the side wall accordingly.

Advantageously the back panel and the sIde wall have upper edges remote from the bottom wail that are arranged to define an opening into the chamber. ThIs Is necessary In order to fill the chamber with soil or compost and also to plant seeds, bulbs or plants. Of course, the seeds, bulbs and plants may also be planted into the soil through the apertures in the side wall, though that would depend on the size of the bulbs and plants relative to the size of the apertures.

Furthermore, a cap may be provided to cover the opening and which preferably forms a snug fit with the upper edges of the back panel and the side wall so as to prevent said cap blowing away in high wind. The cap prevents rain entering the chamber and saturating the soil and also increases the aesthetic appeal of the p'ant holder.

Preferably the reservoir is mounted to the bottom wall and extends upwardly towards the opening so as to irrigate all of the soil in the chamber and not just that at the bottom. If the plant holder is particularly tall there may be a notable pressure differential between the water at the top of the reservoir and the water at the bottom of the reservoir thus resuRing in a greater flow rate of water through the lower holes than the upper holes. so as to address that issue and encourage uniform irrigation, the holes are arranged such that their size and or quantity increases towards the top of the reservoir.

In one embodiment, the reservoir may comprise an elongate tube having a lower end closed by the bottom walt and an upper end defining an inlet through which the tank may be filled with water. A lid may be provided to cover the inlet or alternatively the cap may be adapted to engage the inlet when mounted over the opening. This is preferable so as to prevent the evaporation and potential contamination of the water held in the reservoir.

Alternatively the reservoir may comprise an elongate channel member having two longitudinal edges arranged sealingly to engage the back panel and a lower end arranged sealingly to engage the bottom wall. This arrangement is particularly advantageous since it enables the reservoir to be formed from a generally rectangular sheet of material, thus reducing manufacturing, storage and transportation costs, as well as reducing assembly time. The sheet may be provided with score lines or v-shape channels along which it may be folded to form the channel member, which may be carried out by the DIY enthusiast immediately prior to assembly.

Furthermore, the bottom wall may include location means for stabilising the reservoir, which may comprise upstanding flanges at least partially defining a recess for receiving the lower end of the reservoir.

Preferably the side wall locates on or adjacent a peripheral portion of io the bottom wall and is configured substantially to adopt the shape of the portion of the bottom wall against which it bears. To that end, the side wall may be made from a flexible plastics material so that it may conform to the profile of the bottom wall. For instance, the bottom wall may be semi-circular and the side wall may be formed from a material that may be elastically or plastically deformed to adopt a curved profile matching that of the semi-circular bottom wall. In an alternative arrangement the bottom wall may be polygonal, e.g. hexagonal and the side wall may be formed from a sheet of material that may be folded to define five facets, the sixth facet being defined by the back panel. The material may include score lines or channels to facilitate easy folding.

Preferably the plant holder includes connection means for securing the side wall to the bottom wall and the back panel so as to facilitate a secure mechanical connection of those parts. For instance, the connection means may comprise tabs provided on one of the side wall and the bottom wall for engagement with rebates provided on the other of the side wall and the bottom wall SImilarly, tabs may also be provided on one of the side wall and the back panel for engagement with rebates provided on the other of the side wall and the back -. The tabs may form an Interference fit or snap fit with the rebates so as to prevent Inadvertent detachment of the parts on whIch they are provided. The size, shape and particular location of the tabs and rebates may vary. In one arrangement, the rebates may be formed In the side S of the back panel and front edge of the bottom wall, though In another arrangement they may be formed through the front face of the back -and top face of the bottom wall so as to be spaced from the respective edges.

to Thetabsmaybeprovldedonthesldeedgesandbottomedgeoftheslde wall. In a preferred arrangement the thickness of the tabs Is equal to the thickness of the side wall so as to require minimum machining or other preparation. In an alternatIve embodiment the thickness of the tabs Is less than the thickness of the side wall and the tabs may even be discreet components inserted into recesses formed in the side edges and bottom edge of the side wall.

Alternatively or additionally the back wall, bottom wall and side wall may be secured together by a suitable adhesive.

By way of example only, two embodiments of the present InventIon will now be descrIbed In detail with reference to the following drawings, In which: Figure ii Is a front view of a base unit defining a back panel and a bottom wall of a plant holder according to a first embodiment of the InventIon; Flgurelblsasldevlewofthebaseunltshownlnl9gurela; Figure 2a Is a front view of a reservoir body forming part of the plant holder; Figure 2b is a bottom view of the reservoir body shown in Figure 2a; Figure 2c is a side view of the reservoir body shown in Figures 2a and 2b; Figure 3a is a front view of a side wa forming part of the plant holder; Figure 3b is a side view of the side wall shown in Figure 3a; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the plant holder in use; Figure 5 is a plan view of the plant holder shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a side view of the plant holder shown in Figures 4 and 5; Figure 7 is a front view of a back panel forming part of a plant holder io according to a second embodiment of the invention; and Figure 8 is a plan view of part of the back panel shown in Figure 7 and a reservoir to be attached thereto.

Referring initially to Figures 1 a and 1 b, there is shown a base unit 10, forming part of a plant holder 1, comprising a substantially flat sheet of rigid plastic material that has been stamped from a larger sheet (not shown) containing many other base units. The base unit 10 includes a rectangular upper section defining a base panel Ii and a semi-circular lower section defining a bottom wall 12. A v-shape groove 13 defines the boundary between the upper and lower sections and the base unit 10 may be folded along that groove 13 to cause the plane of the back panel 11 to lie substantially perpendicular to the plane of the bottom wall 12. Four columns of slots 14,15 are formed in the back panel 11 and extend from near the upper edge 16 towards the groove 13 thereof. A curved line of slots 17 is formed in the base panel 12 adjacent the curved front edge 18 and a formation of three slots 20 s formed in the bottom wa 12 adjacent the groove 13. The purpose of those slots is discussed below.

Referring now to Figures 2a to 2c, there is shown a reservoir unit 25 comprising a generally rectangular sheet of rigid plastics material provided with an array of perforations 26 through water may seep at a r&atively slow rate. A pair of v-shape cut-outs 27 are formed in the rear face 28 of the reservoir unit 25 so as to define a front portion 29 and two side portions 30.

Each side portion 30 has a side edge 31 from which a plurality of rectangu'ar lugs 32 extends and a bottom edge 35 from which a single lug 36 extends. A io single lug 38 also extends from the bottom edge 39 of the front portion 29.

The reservoir unit 25 is folded along the v-shaped cut-outs 27 so as to define a channel member that can be presented to the back panel 11 and the bottom wall 12. In particular, the lugs 32 projecting from the side edges 31 form an interference fit with the inner columns of slots 15 in the front face of the back panel 11 and the lugs 36,38 extending from the bottom edges 35,39 form an interference fit with the formation of slots 20 in the bottom wall 12. The reservoir unit 25 combined with the back panel 11 and the bottom wall 12 define a reservoir chamber 40 (see Figures 4 and 5) for storing water. Ideally the bottom and side edges 35,39,31 of the reservoir unit 25 sealingly engage the bottom wall 12 and the back panel 11 respective'y to avoid leaking, though it might be necessary to use an adhesive or sealant.

Figures 3a and 3b show a side wall 45 formed from a flexible piece of plastics material having a plurality of apertures 46 formed therein. A plurality of lugs 47,48 extends from the side edges 49 and bottom edge 50 of the side wall 45 and have a thickness slightly narrower than the thickness of the side wafl. The side wa 45 must be deformed so as to adopt a curvature corresponding to that of the semi-circular bottom wa 12, which must be borne in mind when selecting a suitable material. Once the side wall 45 is deformed it may be presented to the bottom wall 12 and the back panel 11 whereby the lugs 48 projecting from the bottom edge 50 engage the curved line of slots 17 in the bottom wall 1 2 and the lugs 47 projecting from the side edges 49 engage the outer columns of slots 14 in the back panel 11. Because the ugs 47,48 are narrower than the thickness of the side wall 45 and the slots 14,17 are spaced from the periphery of the bottom wall 1 2 and back panel 11, the io front face of the side wall 45 is substantially level with the side edges 55 of the back panel 11 and the front edge 56 of the bottom wall 12, which is apparent from Figures 4 to 6.

Figures 4 to 6 show various views of the plant holder 1 fully assembled and mounted to a wall 60 by fasteners 61 extending through eyes 62 in the back panel 11. Optionally, a lid (not shown) may be provided on the reservoir or on the opening 63 defined by the back panel and side wall, so as to prevent the evaporation or contamination of water in the reservoir 25 and to improve the appearance of the plant holder 1. Of course, any lid must be easily removable so as to enable the reservoir 25 to be filled with water. From Figure 4 it is clear that plants extending through the apertures 46 totally obscure the side wall 45 of the plant holder 1, and for that reason the colour and opacity of the materials from which it is made are not important. The shape of the bottom wall 12 dictates the cross-sectional shape of the plant holder 1 as the side wall 45 comprises a flexible sheet of plastics material that conforms to that shape. As such, plant holders of different shapes can easily be produced by changing the shape of the bottom wa 12. However, the shape of the plant holder 1 would be barely noticeable when obscured by flowers and would thus be of limited significance, at least with regard to appearance.

In use, the plant holder 1 is assembled by folding the base unit 10 along the v-shape channel 13 so that the bottom wall is substantially perpendicular to the back panel. The reservoir unit 25 is then folded along its two v-shape cut-outs 27 so as to define a U-shape channel. The channel is then presented to the back panel 11 and the bottom wall 12 so that the ugs 32,36,38 on the side and bottom faces 31,35,39 atign with the slots 14,17 in the back panel 11 and the bottom wall 12. The flexible side wall 45 is then deformed so as to adopt a profile corresponding to the shape of the bottom wall 12 and the lugs 47,48 on the side and bottom faces 49,50 are located within the slots 14,17. If necessary, sealant can be applied around the joints so as to prevent water leaking therefrom. The chamber 65 defined by the back panel 11, bottom wall 12 and side wall 45 is filled with soil and plants are arranged so as to extend through the apertures 46. Water is added to the reservoir 40 so as to seep through the perforations 26 and irrigate the soil.

The discharge rate of the water depends on the size of the perforations 26 and also the water pressure which is governed by the dimensions of the reservoir 40. The plant holder I can easily be hung from a pair of hooks, screws or other fasteners 61 extending from a wall 60.

Figures 7 and 8 show a second embodiment of the invention which is very similar to the first embodiment so like features have been accorded like reference numbers. The distinguishing feature of this embodiment is the reservoir 70 and more particularly the manner in which it mounts the back panel 71. The reservoir is formed from a sheet of substantiay rigid material having V-shape cut-outs 27 extending longitudinaUy along one face so that it may be folded to form a U-shape channel, each side face 31 of the channel being provided with a tapered flange 72. The front face of the back panel 1 I is furnished with two pairs of flanges 73 each defining a tapered slot 74 for slidably receiving a respective flange 72 of the channel. The size of the slots 74 corresponds to the size of the flanges 72 and the spaces between the slots 74 correspond so the spacing between the flanges 72. This arrangement io improves the stability of the reservoir and increases the rigidity of the plant holder.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A plant ho'der comprising: -a back panel adopted to be mounted to a wall or other generally vertical surface, the back panel having a rear side to be directed toward that wall or vertical surface and a front side; -a bottom wall attached to the back panel and extending forward of the front side; -a side wall attached to the bottom wall and the back panel to define a chamber for holding soil and plants, the side wall having a plurality of io apertures therethrough such that plants growing in the soil may extend through the apertures in said side wall; and -a reservoir located within the chamber and provided with holes for the egress of water from the reservoir and into the chamber to irrigate the soil and plants.
2. A plant holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the back panel is integral to the bottom wall.
3. A p'ant holder as claimed in claim I, wherein the back panel and the bottom wall are discrete items adapted for interconnection.
4. A p'ant holder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the bottom wall and the back panel lie in respective planes angled substantially 90 degrees apart.
5. A plant holder as claimed in any preceding daim, wherein the back panel and the side wall have upper edges remote from the bottom wall and which define an opening into the chamber.
6. A plant holder as claimed in claim 5, and further comprising a cap adapted to cover the opening.
7. A plant holder as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the reservoir is mounted to the bottom wall and extends upwardly towards the opening.
8. A plant holder as claimed in claim 7, wherein the reservoir comprises an elongate tube having a lower end closed by the bottom wall and an upper end defining an inlet into the reservoir.
9. A plant holder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the reservoir comprises an elongate channel member having two longitudinal edges io arranged sealingly to engage the back panel and a lower end arranged sealingly to engage the bottom wall.
10. A plant holder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the bottom wall includes an upstanding flange for locating the reservoir in position.
11. A plant holder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the side wall is made from a flexible material and locates on or adjacent a peripheral portion of the bottom wall, the side wall being arranged substantially to adopt the shape of the portion of the bottom wall against which it bears.
12. A plant holder as claimed in any preceding claim, and further comprising connection means for securing the side wall to the bottom wall and the back panel.
13. A plant holder as claimed in claim I 2, wherein the connection means comprise tabs provided on one of the side wall and the bottom wall for engagement with rebates provided on the other of the side wall and the bottom wall.
14. A p'ant holder as damed n claim 12 or cam 13, wherein the connection means compr3se tabs provided on one of the side wa and the back panel for engagement with rebates provided on the other of the side waU and the back panel.
15. A plant ho'der as c'aimed in c'aim 1 and substantiaUy as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as iUustrated in the accompanying drawings.