Back to results
US 4,885,870 AGranted
Plant container
OwnerHanry Fonginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plant container has a pot (8) surrounded by a water reservoir (15) above a tray (12). When the water level in the tray drops, air can pass up through a vent pipe (18) to relieve a partial vacuum in the reservoir and allow water to drip through an outlet aperture (27) into the dish. To avoid water being forced out of the top of the tube (18) by air bubbles, a constriction is provided in a plug 20 at the bottom of the vent pipe (18) to restrict the size of the air bubbles entering the pipe.
Claims15
A plant container comprising an inner wall forming a pot, which is arranged to contain a plant in a growing medium and which has water inlet means adjacent a bottom thereof;
- an outer wall which surrounds said inner wall to provide therebetween a water reservoir;
- a dish which is located beneath said walls and which is capable of containing water at least up to the level of said water inlet means of said pot, said reservoir being provided adjacent to a top thereof with a filling opening, which is provided wiyth a removable air-tight closure, and which is provided adjacent to a bottom thereof with an outlet aperture opening into said dish;
- and a vent duct, a lower end of which opens through said bottom of said reservoir into said dish at a level above said water inlet means of said pot, an upper end of said vent duct opening into an upper part of said reservoir;
- the arrangement being such that, in use, when the water in said tray is depleted so that said lower end of said vent duct is exposed, air can enter said reservoir through said vent duct and allow water to flow out of said reservoir through said outlet aperture into said tray;
- wherein there is a constriction adjacent to said lower end of said vent duct having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of said vent duct to prevent large air bubbles from rising up said vent duct that might force water out of the top of said vent duct into said reservoir;
- said vent duct being a pipe, a lower end of which is sealed to an opening in an annular bottom wall interconnecting lower ends of said inner and outer walls;
- said pipe being sealed to said opening in said bottom wall by means of a tubular plug which is fitted in said opening in the bottom wall and has an upwardly projecting spigot over which said lower end of said pipe is fitted, said plug having a passageway providing said constriction.
4 more elements
A plant container comprising an inner wall forming a pot, which is arranged to contain a plant in a growing medium and which has water inlet means adjacent a bottom thereof;
- an outer wall which surrounds said inner wall to provide therebetween a water reservoir;
- a dish which is located beneath said walls and which is capable of containing water at least up to the level of said water inlet means of said pot, said reservoir being provided adjacent to a top thereof with a filling opening, which is provided with a removable air-tight closure, and which is provided adjacent to a bottom thereof with an outlet aperture opening into said dish;
- and a vent duct, a lower end of which opens through said bottom of said reservoir into said dish at a level above said water inlet means of said pot, an upper end of said vent duct opening into an upper part of said reservoir;
- the arrangement being such that, in use, when the water in said tray is depleted so that said lower end of said vent duct is exposed, air can enter said reservoir through said vent duct and allow water to flow out of said reservoir through said outlet aperture into said tray;
- wherein there is a constriction adjacent to said lower end of said vent duct having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of said vent duct to prevent large air bubbles from rising up said vent duct that might force water out of the top of said vent duct into said reservoir;
- said vent duct upper end also having a constriction therein.
3 more elements
A plant container comprising an inner wall forming a pot, which is arranged to contain a plant in a growing medium and which has water inlet means adjacent a bottom thereof;
- an outer wall which surrounds said inner wall to provide therebetween a water reservoir;
- a dish which is located beneath said walls and which is capable of containing water at least up to the level of said water inlet means of said pot, said reservoir being provided adjacent to a top thereof with a filling opening, which is provided with a removable air-tight closure, and which is provided adjacent to a bottom thereof with an outlet aperture opening into said dish;
- and a vent duct, a lower end of which opens through said bottom of said reservoir into said dish at a level above said water inlet means of said pot, an upper end of said vent duct opening into an upper part of said reservoir;
- the arrangement being such that, in use, when the water in said tray is depleted so that said lower end of said vent duct is exposed, air can enter said reservoir through said vent duct and allow water to flow out of said reservoir through said outlet aperture into said tray;
- wherein there is a constriction adjacent to said lower end of said vent duct having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of said vent duct to prevent large air bubbles from rising up said vent duct that might force water out of the top of said vent duct into said reservoir;
- said outlet aperture being provided with a plug which is fitted in an opening in an annular bottom wall connecting lower ends of said inner and outer walls.
3 more elements
A plant container comprising an inner wall forming a pot, which is arranged to contain a plant in a growing medium and which has water inlet means adjacent a bottom thereof;
- an outer wall which surrounds said inner wall to provide therebetween a water reservoir;
- a dish which is located beneath said walls and which is capable of containing water at least up to the level of said water inlet means of said pot, said reservoir being provided adjacent to a top thereof with a filling opening, which is provided with a removable air-tight closure, and which is provided adjacent to a bottom thereof with an outlet aperture opening into said dish;
- and a vent duct, a lower end of which opens through said bottom of said reservoir into said dish at a level above said water inlet means of said pot, an upper end of said vent duct opening into an upper part of said reservoir;
- the arrangement being such that, in use, when the water in said tray is depleted so that said lower end of said vent duct is exposed, air can enter said reservoir through said vent duct and allow water to flow out of said reservoir through said outlet aperture into said tray;
- wherein there is a constriction adjacent to said lower end of said vent duct having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of said vent duct to prevent large air bubbles from rising up said vent duct that might force water out of the top of said vent duct into said reservoir;
- said water inlet means comprising a cage which closes a bottom of said pot and contains a sponge which, in use, and under equilibrium conditions at which the lower end of said vent duct is just sealed off from air by water in said tray, will be in contact with the water in said tray.
3 more elements
A plant container comprising an inner wall forming a pot, which is arranged to contain a plant in a growing medium and which has water inlet means adjacent a bottom thereof;
- an outer wall which surrounds said inner wall to provide therebetween a water reservoir;
- a dish which is located beneath said walls and which is capable of containing water at least up to the level of said water inlet means of said pot, said reservoir being provided adjacent to a top thereof with a filling opening, which is provided with a removable air-tight closure, and which is provided adjacent to a bottom thereof with an outlet aperture opening into said dish;
- and a vent duct, a lower end of which opens through said bottom of said reservoir into said dish at a level above said water inlet means of said pot, an upper end of said vent duct opening into an upper part of said reservoir;
- the arrangement being such that, in use, when the water in said tray is depleted so that said lower end of said vent duct is exposed, air can enter said reservoir through said vent duct and allow water to flow out of said reservoir through said outlet aperture into said tray;
- wherein there is a constriction adjacent to said lower end of said vent duct having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of said vent duct to prevent large air bubbles from rising up said vent duct that might force water out of the top of said vent duct into said reservoir;
- said vent duct being a pipe, a lower end of which is sealed to an opening in an annular bottom wall interconnecting lower ends of said inner and outer walls;
- said vent duct upper end also having a constriction therein.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.